7th Oct 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Iraq blasts kill 33, many of them children

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www.kuwaittimes.net

THULHIJA 2, 1434 AH

Experts begin destroying Syrian arsenal

Divers fish out more bodies from Italy wreck

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Arsenal reclaim top spot in EPL

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Al-Sane calls for raising NA membership to seventy Amir’s approval crucial to open debate on proposal

Max 39º Min 21º High Tide 00:33 & 13:33 Low Tide 07:22 & 19:31

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly Secretary MP Yacoub Al-Sane yesterday submitted a proposal calling for expanding the legislature membership from the current 50 to 70 members and appealed to HH the Amir, whose consent is mandatory, to approve it.

Al-Sane said that the Assembly’s membership has remained unchanged since it was introduced in 1963 and as a result it has failed in recent years to be fully representative of the various sections of the Kuwaiti society. The proposal stipulates to amend Article 80 of the Constitution in a way to increase the Assembly to 70 members who are elected directly in accordance with the election law. Ministers who are un-elected become members of the house as a result of their job.

Under Kuwait law, changing the National Assembly membership upwards or downwards necessitates amending the Constitution because the number of MPs is stipulated in the Constitution. The Kuwaiti Constitution has not undergone any change since its promulgation about 51 years ago because the process is very complicated and it must secure the prior approval of HH the Amir and the majority of MPs for the amendment. The process involves submitting a clear proposal calling for the amendment of a specific article or more in the Constitution. To begin with, the proposal must be approved by the National Assembly.

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Boehner: US on path to default CAIRO: Muslim Brotherhood supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi run for cover from tear gas during clashes with riot police along Ramsis street in downtown Cairo yesterday. — AFP

34 dead as Egypt Islamists protest CAIRO: At least 34 people were killed in clashes between Islamists and police in Egypt yesterday, as thousands of supporters of the military marked the anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, overthrown in a July military coup, tried to converge on a central Cairo square for the anniversary celebrations, when police confronted them. At least 30 people were killed in Cairo, and two south of the capital, and 94 people were wounded, senior health ministry official Khaled Al-Khatib told reporters. In central Cairo, police-

men fired shots and tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters. AFP correspondents saw several suspected demonstrators being arrested and beaten.

Three months after Morsi’s overthrow, followed by a harsh crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement, the Islamists had planned to galvanize their protest movement in a symbolic attempt to reach Tahrir Square. Yesterday’s death toll was the highest in clashes between Islamists and police since several days of violence starting on August 14 killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Islamists.

Mobile phone jammers may hit medical tools

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After several weeks of relative calm, the Islamists said they would escalate their protests by trying to rally in the symbolic Tahrir Square. Hundreds of thousands of people had filled the square in February 2011 to force president Hosni Mubarak to resign, and again in July 2013 to urge the army to depose his successor Morsi. But yesterday, security forces guarded entrances to the square, frisking people arriving for the anniversary celebrations. Several thousand people, some carrying pictures of army chief Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, waved Continued on Page 13

Syrian held at airport with 500,000 euros

German staff shot dead in Yemen

KUWAIT: A building collapsed in Jabriya and a person is feared to be still stuck under the rubble. Hawally fire center and technical rescue dealing with the tragic incident said that they have detected a sound under the debris and trying to look for survivors. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

SANAA: Gunmen shot dead a German security guard employed by the German embassy in Yemen’s capital yesterday as he was leaving a supermarket, Yemeni security officials said, in an attack they said bore the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda. The man was gunned down in Sanaa’s Hadda district, where the embassy is located. It was the latest in a series of attacks on foreign and local officials in the US-allied state, which is battling one of the most active branches of Al-Qaeda.

“We believe that Al-Qaeda was behind the killing,” a Yemeni police source said. Another source said that the guard was killed as he was leaving the store to go to his car. Pan-Arab news channel Al-Arabiya reported that the guard had been shot dead as the assailants tried to kidnap the German ambassador Carola Mueller-Holtkemper, who escaped. Two Yemeni officials said they were unable to confirm the report of the attempted kidnap. Embassy employees in Sanaa and the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin declined to comment. MuellerHoltkemper had only recently arrived in Yemen and presented her credentials to Yemeni authorities less than a week ago, a statement on the embassy’s website showed.

In a separate attack yesterday, kidnappers seized an African employee of the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF as he was travelling from Sanaa to the Red Sea coastal town of Hudaidah, a UNICEF official in Sanaa said. Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has attacked several Western targets, including airliners, and is believed to have been behind a series of killings of foreign and local officials in the country since 2011. In November last year gunmen shot dead a Saudi diplomat and his Yemeni bodyguard in Sanaa in an attack believed to be the work of the group. A month earlier, masked gunmen shot dead a Yemeni man who worked in the security office of the US Embassy. Germany was one of several Western countries which shut their Yemen embassies in early August after a US warning of a possible major militant attack in the Middle East. The mission reopened after a two-week closure.

The US embassy in Yemen was attacked in September 2012 by demonstrators angry at a film they said was blasphemous to Islam.

Hundreds of Yemenis broke through the main gate of the heavily fortified compound, smashed windows of security offices outside the embassy and burned cars.

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WASHINGTON: Republican House Speaker John Boehner vowed yesterday not to raise the US debt ceiling without a “serious conversation” about what is driving the debt, while Democrats said it was irresponsible and reckless to raise the possibility of a US default. “The nation’s credit is at risk because of the administration’s refusal to sit down and have a conversation,” Boehner told ABC’s “This Week,” adding that there were not enough votes in the House of Representatives to pass a “clean” debt limit bill, without any conditions attached.

Asked if that meant the United States was headed towards a default if President Barack Obama does not negotiate, Boehner said: “That’s the path we’re on.”

The comments appeared to mark a hardening since late last week when Boehner was reported to have told Republicans privately that he would work to avoid default, even if it meant relying on the votes of Democrats, as he did in August 2011. Republicans and Democrats also traded blame for a shutdown that has brought much of the government to a standstill for nearly a week. With no end in sight, the battle over funding the government looks like it will merge with the one over the debt ceiling, which must be raised by Oct 17 to avoid default.

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US forces conduct twin raids in Somalia, Libya WASHINGTON: US special forces snatched a top Al-Qaeda suspect in Libya and stormed a Shabab leader’s home in Somalia in daring twin raids, as Washington pledged to do everything possible to track down terror suspects. In Libya, authorities demanded an explanation of what they called the “kidnap” on Saturday of Abu Anas Al-Libi, a longsought Al-Qaeda operative indicted in connection with the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

In Somalia, Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said its cooperation with foreign partners in the fight on terror was “no secret” after US Navy SEAL commandos stormed the home of a leader of the country’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shabab militants in the southern port of Barawe on Saturday.

That raid-the success of which was still unclear, with the fate of the target uncertain-came after last month’s bloody militant siege of an upscale shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that left 67 people dead. “We hope that this makes clear that the United States of America will never stop in its effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror,” Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday during a visit to the Indonesian island of Bali.

The action should also make clear that “those members of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations literally can

run, but they can’t hide,” said Kerry, speaking during a break from meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

No US personnel were killed or injured in either operation, officials said.

Several Shebab militants were killed in the Somalia raid, one official said. The Pentagon said Libi was being “lawfully detained under the law of war in a secure location” outside Libya, hailing his capture as a “clear sign” of the US commitment to hunting down those wanted for acts of terror.

Libi, who was on the FBI’s most wanted list with a $5 million bounty on his head, had been indicted in US federal court for allegedly playing a key role in the east Africa bombings-which Abu Anas Al-Libi left more than 200 dead-and plots to attack US forces, Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

“Wherever possible, our first priority is and always has been to apprehend terrorist suspects, and to preserve the opportunity to elicit valuable intelligence that can help us protect the American people,” Little said.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LOCAL

More studies needed on unified GCC currency New health insurance bill rejected

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Head of the Saudi Arab Monetary Agency (SAMA), Fahad Al-Mubarak recently said that the GCC unified currency needs more studies before it is implemented. He added that there was no timetable to study the project.

Rapporteur of the parliamentary legislative and legal committee MP Abdullah A-Kandari said at its meeting yesterday that the committee rejected the new health insurance bill and a proposal to unify Kuwaiti citizenship categories. “The health insurance bill was rejected because it does not include all categories”, he underlined, noting that the lack of quorum prevented discussing further items on the agenda.

MP Dr Mohammed Al-Howailah urged the

Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Health Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah to quickly apply the unified medicine prices which is currently in effect in some GCC states.

MP Ahmed Motee’ proposed awarding university degree holders who learn the Quran by heart an extra monthly KD 100 to encourage more Muslims to memorize the Quran.

In commemorating the World Housing Day, participants in the national campaign known as ‘Awaiting a House’ intend on gathering behind the Public Housing Authority. The campaign organizers said that 12,000 pens would be symbolically collected from participants to be sent later on to the housing minister or the PM demanding the distribution of 12,000 housing units annually.

MP Yaqoub Al-Sane announced his intention to suggest a constitutional adjustment to amend Article 80 pertaining to increasing the number of MPs from 50 to 70 and the numbers of Cabinet members to 23. Al-Sane also expressed amazement at the idea of a minister holding three portfolios while he might not be competent to do total justice to the role.

“Increasing the number of lawmakers to 70 fairly relates to Kuwaitis population”, he underlined.

In a bid to promote the concept and importance of blood donation and increasing the number of donors, the 25 Voluntar y Club announced launching a blood donation campaign at building number one, the Ministry of Education.

KUWAIT: Salwa detectives arrested a woman and her boyfriend, who was sending her to work at houses, claiming that she was a maid who was registered with an office. After spending a week at the employer’s house, she would escape and head to another house where they would pull the same stunt. Police recovered jewelry and cash worth KD 50,000. The African couple were arrested and are currently cooling their heels behind bars. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

‘Propaganda’ dominates govt statements on development

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait organized a training course for 23 employees from the outward processing sectors in the Ministry of Defense and Kuwait National Guard, which focused on principles of commercial financing.

Call for speeding up steps for Gulf union KUWAIT: Bahrain’s Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has underscored the importance of bolstering solid relations among the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries for the sake of reaching the Gulf Union.

“The Gulf Union is the way to preserve the GCC accomplishments for the present and the future of the region”, said the premier in an interview with the Kuwait daily Al-Rai and Qatar’s daily Al-Watan.

“The Gulf Union is the ultimate goal of the peoples of the region, and we should take advantage of the successes accomplished at various levels, as regional and international developments necessitate expediting the realization of the Gulf Union into practical reality as soon as possible,” he added.

He praised the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud to move from the status of cooperation to the status of the Union, depicting it as one of the signs of his laudable initiatives aimed at reaching unity and consolidation of stances.

He stressed that the time is now ripe for moving ahead with the Gulf Union, in light of the GCC agreement on this common goal.

The Bahraini Prime Minister also asserted the importance of intensifying meetings at the leadership level at frequent intervals to discuss any ongoing developments, “as challenges are getting bigger, which requires that we should align our steps according to variables”.

“We expect the next GCC Summit to take a key

decision on the Union and achieve the dream that we are all looking forward for our peoples and countries,” he said.

In regard to the situation in Bahrain, Prince confirmed said that his country led by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is witnessing amazing development in many areas including health, education, public services and infrastructure, saying that the Kingdom has up-to-date laws, regulations and legislative authority, which enjoys large powers in terms of expression of the people’s aspirations.

“Despite the bitter taste of the crisis experienced by the Kingdom, fortunately the crisis has contributed by promoting the patriotic spirit among the people who came out in multitudes and expressed their strongest condemnation and rejection of all sorts of terrorism and its perpetrators”, the Premier pointed out.

He also termed what is happening in the Kingdom as actually terrorist attempts whose perpetrators commit acts of violence and terrorism and target security men and seek to undermine civic peace.

The premier stressed that what is happening in Bahrain is not in order to demand better living, health, education or housing or services, but rather an attempt to drag the country into chaos and destruction. However, the attitude and awareness of the people of Bahrain have helped protect the Homeland.

“We’re in the state of law where the law is

respected and upheld and our courts are compliant with law in order to achieve security and stability for the community, in the presence of full guarantees for judiciary independence. Nothing that had happened has anything to do with what some persons purportedly call as sectarian strife.” he clarified.

He underscored the need for the Gulf Cooperation Council to put into consideration the disorders and poor security and stability witnessed in some surrounding countries, and to close all doors in the face of any foreign interventions, because “for us as emerging countries any impact on our security and stability will have negative repercussions on our development and progress”.

“We do not want to have hostility with anyone, and we don’t want to make enemies. We would like to reach out to those who stretch out their hands to us, and our country is dear to us and will not give away any part of the territory of this country,” Prince Khalifa added.

He said that there are some parties who are trying to portray things in Bahrain as contrary to what they are in actuality, but they do not understand the good nature of the people of Bahrain, and they do not realize that all their desperate attempts will not undermine the cohesion of this people. They don’t know that Bahrain will never give up its sovereignty and independence and would reject all attempts at blackmailing or pressurizing. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A dominant majority of statements that ministries released regarding development projects are based on inaccurate information or classified under “propaganda” to improve the image of ministers and senior officials, a local daily reported yesterday based on an analytical study of statements made between the beginning of last year and the end of September 2013.

The research conducted by Al-Qabas daily shows that only 6 percent of statements reflect actual progress achieved on the ground, whereas 11 percent talk about projects that face delays. Meanwhile, 14 percent of statements contain repeated talk about projects that have been put on hold for years, whereas a staggering 69 percent of statements are based on unspecified information, worded in a way to “improve the image” of ministers and state officials and contain empty promises with heavy reliance on terms such as ‘we will’, ‘we plan on’ and ‘we are going to’. The study also points out that the majority of news carrying statements that ministries provide to the press are published with pictures of ministers and senior ministry officials “which looks like media propaganda compared to limited achievement on the ground”.

The news comes amid growing frustration within the parliament regarding ministers’ performance with many lawmakers either announcing plans to file grilling motions or demanding a Cabinet reshuffle before the National Assembly resumes sessions on October 29. Several MPs have also

criticized the Cabinet for failing to finalize its work program which according to the Constitution must be presented to the parliament as soon as possible after the new Cabinet is formed. Al-Anba daily reported yesterday that the Cabinet is likely to approve its work program during its weekly session today in order to avoid delaying it to the next session which falls after the nine-day Eid Al-Adha holidays on October 21. Senior ministerial sources quoted in the report indicated that the work program “is in its final stages” and “will top the meeting’s agenda” today.

Meanwhile, MP Saleh Ashour argued that the Cabinet’s repeated failure in ending pressing issues such as housing and employment “makes way for a larger part of the public to demand an elected Cabinet and prime minister”. “The case of instability and lack of achievement makes more people entertain calls for an elected Cabinet, especially given the Cabinet’s repeated setbacks and the fact that prime ministers from the ruling family have failed to achieve people’s demands”, Ashour told Al-Jarida which published his statements yesterday.

Meanwhile, MP Dr Ali Al-Omair revealed that “more than one minister have asked to be relieved of their duties before the parliament resumes sessions”, based on information he received from credible sources. The lawmaker made the statements to Al-Rai daily and added that he could not verify “whether the requests were made for personal reasons or due to difficulties ministers face while performing their jobs”.

MoH mulls other options for Parkinson’s patients KUWAIT: Dr Jassim Al-Hashil, Neurology Department Manager at Ibn Sina Hospital said that in view of the current situation in Lebanon, his department was currently seeking a specialized international center to send serious Parkinson cases for treatment instead of sending them to Lebanon.

Speaking to the press, Al-Hashil said that this decision was taken since many of his patients refused to travel to Lebanon for treatment. Al-Hashil announced that by next year, a specialized neurology team headed by Ibn Sina’s neurology surgeon, Dr Faisal Sayer will be able to implant a

special device in Parkinson’s patients.

“There is a specialized Parkinson’s center in Riyadh which has state-of-the-art technology and we seek to work with them,” he underlined.

Al-Hashil expressed pride at being chosen to represent Kuwait in the World’ Neurology Conference in Vienna which will be attended by 10,000 neurologists from all over the world. “Our department is also working on getting the world’s best neurology professors to visit Kuwait to provide the best medical services to patients”, he added.

Kuwait oil conference to discuss 129 papers KUWAIT: Some 129 out of a total of 520 working papers are to be considered during an oil and gas exhibition and conference due here today under the aegis of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah, the organizing committee head said.

The exhibition, which lasts until Oct 10, will attract over 104 representatives from 37 coun-

tries, in addition to 1,300 international experts, the chairperson of the organizing technical committee of the exhibition and deputy chairperson of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC ), Hosniya Hashem, said.

Seventeen lectures bearing on oil and gas discoveries and production, refining and petrochemical industry are to be delivered by inter-

national experts during the event, she said.

She appreciated HH the Prime Minister’s sponsorship and support for the exhibition and conference, which will be held on a biennial basis. She boasted that the event would be a good opportunity for the participants to have direct contact with world experts and to tap new technology used in oil and gas industry. — KUNA

Kuwait signs security contract to prevent govt data breach KUWAIT: Central Apparatus for Information Technology signed a KD 288,000 contract to provide the national Center for Emergency Response Technologies (CERT) with security systems to prevent cyber-attacks or breach on government data.

Head of the apparatus Abdulatif AlSuraye said while signing the contract with Enhanced Engineering and MultiTechnologies Company (EEMC) that importing, installing and operating these security systems are part of the country’s development plan.

CERT is a center for information security that provides protection from any

possible data breach, he said. The center, therefore, strives to train its staff to be fully ready to response and deal with any threats imposed on information security.

He said that communication with other similar centers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and other international organizations will be established soon, through a conference that will be held in Kuwait in November. The aim of the conference is to get familiarized with how to operate data security system and to learn the mechanism of countering security information challenges. — KUNA

Kuwait provides vital support for Syrian people

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team successfully removed a 90 tons, 80-feet-long steel ship that sank off the Julaila beach south of Kuwait two months ago as a result of an accident.

LONDON: Kuwait has continuously provided generous assistance to Arab and Islamic causes and this is evident in the way the GCC state provided support to the Syrian people, said Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby here yesterday.

Speaking after returning from the 68th UN General Assembly which was held in New York, El-Araby lauded His Highness the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah’s $300 million generous contribution during the first Syria donors’ conference held in Kuwait. The conference raised $1.4 billion.

He added the Kuwaiti leadership took the initiative to help millions of Syrians who were affected by the war in their country. El-Araby said that there was an international coordination to hold the second donors conference to benefit the Syrian people.

Last june, the UN called for gathering around $5.2 billion to help Syrian refugees and the displaced within Syria.

The Arab senior official stressed that the next logical step was to speed up the process for holding the Geneva II confer-

ence, to end the war that led to the death of over 100,000 people and the displacement of 4 million others.

A political solution for the Syrian crisis is a must to achieve democracy for the people of Syria and also peace in the war-torn country, said El-Araby who indicated that the Arab League was not in favor of a military solution for Syria.

In regards to the Arab-Iranian relations, El-Araby hoped that both sides would reach common grounds in regards to issues of pending nature, affirming that the authorities in Tehran should work on measures to end the dispute over issues such as the three UAE Islands claimed by Iran.

On the situation in the Arab world, ElAraby said that overcoming decades of oppression and injustice would take time and effort, adding that notions of democracy and freedom would take a considerable amount of time to settle in the region.

El-Araby also touched on the Palestinian cause, affirming that the Arab League would backup all measures to achieve the Palestinians’ goal for an independent state with full sovereignty. —KUNA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait to host E-Government Forum KUWAIT: Abdullatif Suraei Al-Suarie, the Director General of the Central Agency for Information Technology announced yesterday that the “E-Government Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges” shall be held in the period of Nov 11 and 13. AlSuarei said that the Forum shall be inaugurated

by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad AL-Sabah. “A patronage that represents Kuwait’s political leadership understanding and endorsement of the role e-government programs play in improving government services delivered to the public”, said Al-Suarei.

He added “ The Forum shall discuss the trends and challenges that accompany the implementation of e-government programs, the role that e -government programs play in improving government services delivered to the public, the information security risks associated with implementing e-government programs, and lastly, the ambition to turn Kuwait into an information based society with the ultimate aim of achieving the vision of His Highness the Amir, to turn Kuwait into a global financial and trading center”.

Outlining the topics of the “E-Government Forum: Recent Trends, Security Risks, and Implementation Challenges”, Al-Suarei said “it will focus on the recent trends and challenges that accompany and surround e-government programs’ implementations. The first day proceedings shall include the opening ceremony only. There will be three specialized sessions on the second day Nov 5. The first shall discuss the E-Government - Recent Trends and Benefits focusing on the topics of Trends and Developments in e-Government Programs and Initiatives, Social and Economic Benefits of eGovernment Programs and Initiatives, Risks and Challenges of e-Government Programs and Initiatives, and Good Governance is Key to Success. The second session will handle the

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

During this session, experts shall discuss the topics of the Enterprise Architecture Requirements of e-Government Initiatives, the Big Challenge of Big Data, and the Security Challenges of Government Cloud Computing.

The third and last session of the day deals with the issue of Information and Communication

Abdullatif Al-Suarie Technology (IC T ) Security - A National Responsibility. This session focuses 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”.

Commenting on the on the Nov 6 proceedings, Al-Suraie said “the Forum continues with three more sessions. The Forum’s forth 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 shall 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 last session addresses the Role of Mobile Devices in E-GOV Programs. This session’s topics attempt to answer the question of How Safe is Smart Phone Accessibility for e-Government Applications, discuss the Information Security Challenges of BYOD, and finally, outline the Strategies of Developing e-Services on Different Various Mobile Devices”. The Director General of the Central Agency for Information Technology pointed out that this Forum comes at a time where governments, worldwide, are working hard to implement their e-government programs. “The e-government initiative targets many benefits such as emhanced government services, prospering economies, and enhanced investment opportunities”, said Al-Suraei.

Al-Suarei concluded that the Forum shall be a venue where global world-class technology specialized companies and specialists convene.

Invitations will also be forwarded to government information centers in Kuwait and sister e-government organizations in GCC countries. The Scientific Committee at the Central Agency for Information Technology is mandated with receiving and screening participating researches and papers. Meanwhile, Nouf General Contracting & Trading Co. - Conferencing and Exhibitions (NoufEXPO) is finalizing the logistic arrangements of both the Forum and the accompanying exhibition.

Mobile phone jammers may affect medical aid tools Patients urged to take precautions

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The German Ambassador Eugen Wollfarth hosted a reception at his residence at the weekend on the occasion of the National Day of his country. A number of high ranking officials , diplomats and media personnel attended the function .

— Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Recently the Ministry of Health announced that jammers used to block mobile phone signals which are installed in some mosques, schools or other places may negatively affect medical aid tools like hearing aids or pacemakers. According to this Ministry’s statement, jammers may change heartbeat rates and may even cause death. It also mentioned that the jammers’ electromagnetic waves can affect hearing aid’s inner and outer mechanism. For these reasons, the ministry recommended refraining using jammers.

Dr Husam Sameer, audiology specialist at Hadi Hospital said that jammers don’t cause any serious damage to hearing aids. “ The jammers will cause noisy technical sounds similar to those produced by the TV with no signal. So if the patient who is using a hearing aid was present where a jammer is installed, his hearing will be temporarily disturbed and he won’t be able to hear clearly.

Modern hearing aid tools are digital and very sensitive but these effects are temporary and won’t last once he leaves the place,” he told the Kuwait Times.

Dr Mary, an ENT specialist at a private clinic

Al-Jarallah denies GCC-US tense relations over Syria KUWAIT: Khaled Al-Jarallah, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador denied the existence of any tension in GCC-US relations over Syrian developments. “GCC and the US are allies. We understand the role of the US and they understand ours”, he said.

Commenting on a question about Saudi dissatisfaction with the results of the UN’ General Assembly meeting over Syria, Al-Jarallah said that everybody was upset because the international community did not play a responsible role in alleviating the Syrian people’s pain.

Speaking at the sidelines of a special reception recently held at the Marina Hotel by the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Kuwait, Kim Kyung-Sik, on the occasion of his country’s National Day and the Armed Forces Day anniversaries, AlJarallah said that nothing has been decided yet about the UN secretary general’s request to HH the Amir to hold Syria Donors Conference II. He also expressed regret that some donors who had participated in the first conference had not paid their share of donation so far. Al-Jarallah also denied the ministry’s intention to appoint an official spokesperson.

Water consumption surpasses production KUWAIT: Water consumption exceeded production numerous times during September which saw significant drop in electricity loads, a local daily reported yesterday quoting a Ministry of Electricity and Water official.

Meanwhile, the official who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity reassured that Kuwait’s strategic water reserve has safe supply, and insisted that last month’s readings “do not provide a source of concern”.

The largest consumption rate last month was 424,986 million imperial gallons registered on the 25th in which 411,202 million imperial gallons were produced, the source said. He added that the strategic reserve stood at 3449,451 million imperial gallons the same day, further indicating that production is expected to surpass consumption in the upcoming weeks and simultaneously with drop in temperatures.

In the meantime, the source noted that the highest electricity consumption level last month was

11,070 megawatts, recorded on the 1st and 3rd of the month. The Ministry of Electricity and Water increased the average production capacity to 14,000 megawatts per day ahead of this year’s summer which helped meet demand throughout the season. The highest electricity consumption index this summer was 12,060 recorded on July 17. While power outages were reported occasionally during the summer, ministry officials repeatedly insisted that those were mostly caused by thefts targeting high voltage cables at electricity transformers.

On that regard, Al-Rai also reported yesterday that MEW Undersecretary Ahmad Al-Jassar signed KD8 million contracts last week with security firms in order to secure transformers around Kuwait.

A State Audit Bureau report last August indicated that Kuwait spent KD15 million to repair damage caused by 600 thefts recorded between 2007 and 2013; including 50 thefts this year.

agreed that the jammers that produce radiation won’t damage hearing aids.

“The radiation is not very high, so it will not damage the hearing aid. It’s not alarming. I haven’t received any patient who has complained of a broken tool. Anyway if the patient has a problem with his hearing aid, we can fix it and we also have equipment to test hearing and can solve this problem,” she explained.

Dr Asim Fathi, Consultant Cardiologist at Hadi Hospital noted that the statement regarding the effect of jammers on pacemakers was not scientifically proved.

“Research is still being done on this harmful effect but nothing has been proven yet. It’s similar to other studies that found a link between an increase in certain diseases and machines like X-Ray and other screening devices which were not proven.” he pointed out.

Still prevention is important. “In general, we advise all patients who have any medical aids implanted in their body, especially pacemakers, to avoid equipment like jammers which could harm them. The patients should be careful,” added Dr Fathi.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LOCAL In my view

Tunisia shows the way in the Arab world

I

have been going back and forth between the United States and Arab countries for my entire life, and every time I visit the United States I am shocked by the mainstream public sphere’s distorted and incomplete view of what is taking place in our region.

This is happening again now, as the American media and public sphere in general write off most of the Arab world as a lost cause, having shed their initial interest and even some awe and respect for millions of ordinar y Arab men and women (most of them Muslims) who fought for freedom, dignity and perhaps even democracy.

The most significant single aspect of events in Tunisia is the capacity of all major political actors, including the Islamist Ennahda Party that leads the ruling coalition, to dialogue, negotiate and compromise when necessary in order to maintain the transition toward a pluralistic democracy that allows all ideological groups to compete for power. This week Ennahda and a handful of smaller opposition parties agreed to launch a new national political dialogue to resolve a months-old political crisis. This agreement was spurred by the combined pressure and mediation of the leading trade union, the UGTT. In the past week that I have been in New York, Philadelphia and Boston, the only mentions of the Arab uprisings (the “Arab Spring,” as it is commonly called here) that I have heard have almost always been negative, and in the past tense, with special concerns voiced about the rise of Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in Syria. Iraq, with its daily killings of 50 or 100 people, is hardly mentioned.

The point of such comments is that Arabs tried earnestly to remove dictators and establish democratic systems, but they failed, leaving the region in a state of deep turmoil, uncertainty and danger.

This superficial, incomplete and largely unfair assessment of what is actually happening in different Arab countries is contrasted by those pockets of sobriety and a more nuanced understanding that some hope actually exists in an Arab landscape of political turbulence and violence.

This is especially true for the two countries - Tunisia and Egypt - where the Arab uprisings began, and where citizens continue doggedly to grapple with the complexities of transforming autocracies into democracies in a relatively short period of time. Syria, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen, on the other hand, remain mired in some degree of violence, turbulence or stalemate that will need years to be resolved.

It seems to me unfair and inaccurate to write off the possibility that some Arab countries can successfully achieve a democratic transition, especially given the short period of time since the uprisings began. I suspect the real problem is in the inability of most Americans to acknowledge those ongoing dynamics and real achievements that have been recorded, especially in Tunisia, rather than the actual inability of Arabs to democratize.

The continuing advances in Tunisia are fascinating and impressive, in the context of a country that has enjoyed just 32 months of relative freedom to shape its destiny following 54 years of nonstop one-party rule.

The most significant single aspect of events in Tunisia is the capacity of all major political actors, including the Islamist Ennahda Party that leads the ruling coalition, to dialogue, negotiate and compromise when necessary in order to maintain the transition toward a pluralistic democracy that allows all ideological groups to compete for power. This week Ennahda and a handful of smaller opposition parties agreed to launch a new national political dialogue to resolve a months-old political crisis. This agreement was spurred by the combined pressure and mediation of the leading trade union, the UGTT. The dialogue participants will include all the parties represented in the National Constituent Assembly, which is responsible for drafting the new constitution and leading the way to parliamentary elections. The dialogue road map was drafted by the UGTT, the employers’ organization Utica, the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Tunisian bar association which affirms the critical role that independent civil society groups can play in such historic transitions.

Egypt, in contrast, has suffered relatively more political violence, intervention of the armed forces and Islamist/non-Islamist polarization, largely because no credible indigenous group has been able to mediate between the two main organized forces in the country - the Muslim Brotherhood and the armed forces.

The current Tunisian government headed by Ennahda will step down, and within three weeks will be replaced by a Cabinet of independents. Within four weeks, a new electoral law will open the door to parliamentary elections and the subsequent approval of the new Tunisian constitution. Within a few months, we are likely to see the formal birth of a new, legitimate, democratic and pluralistic government formed on the basis of the consent of the governed. A major turning point in modern Arab history will have occurred.

Tunisia’s ability to forge this agreement is all the more impressive because it takes place in a highly charged political context that has included several assassinations of opposition figures, and widespread disappointment in the inability of the Ennahda-led government to improve socio-economic conditions.

These stresses, similar to Egypt’s, finally led to the current transition, while in Egypt the armed forces and the Islamists continue to face off in an ugly confrontation that shows no sign of easing, partly because no credible Egyptians have stepped forward to mediate a solution. The likelihood is that some group or individuals will step forward. In the meantime, Tunisia continues to show the way in the Arab world.

kuwait digest

In my view

US-Iranian relations

By Abdulrahman Al-Zuhayyan

T

he budding rapprochement between the United brings to mind former US Secretary of State Condoleezza States and Iran has stirred a debate among the Arab Rice’s concept of “Constructive Chaos,” which posits that intelligentsia, especially in the Gulf region, mainly generating conditions of violence and warfare throughout due to its geographical proximity with Iran and host of the region would allow the US, Britain and Israel to redraw other issues. the map of the Middle East according to their interests.

Their concerns stem primarily from the longstanding This concept basically stems from the two above menWestern geopolitical interests in the Middle East and the tioned reports or theories. timings of the initiation of this political flirtation between It is worthy to note that the so-called “breakthrough” in the US and Iran.

Washington - Tehran ties In support of their argucomes at a time when the ments, many Arab thinkers In suppor t of their arguments, entire region is engulfed in refer to the reports of Sir many Arab thinkers refer to the turmoil.

Henry Campbell-Bannerman The so-called Arab Spring (1907) and Bernard Lewis repor ts of Sir Henry Campbell- has swept several major Arab plan (1979). Both reports countries, including Tunis, advocated demarcation of Bannerman (1907) and Bernard Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria. the Middle East and India Lewis plan (1979). Both reports These “revolutions,” as they along ethnic, sectarian and were initially called have done linguistic lines. The goal, it advocated demarcation of the almost nothing to improve the seemed, was to establish Middle East and India along ethnic, living standards of the people Western hegemony in the and the masses are still awaitregion. It is obvious a united sectarian and linguistic lines. The ing a proper inclusive demoMiddle East with full control goal, it seemed, was to establish cratic disposition in their of its natural resources countries. would have been detrimen- Western hegemony in the region. It Referring to the tal to the Western interests is obvious a united Middle East Constructive Chaos theory, and would have posed a Abdel Rahman Al-Rashid, forthreat to its hegemonic with full control of its natural mer Editor-in-Chief of Al-Sharq designs. resources would have been detri- Al-Awsat newspaper wrote in The proponents of these January 2012: “Now we are theories are no ordinary mental to the Western interests without the regimes of Hosni men. Sir Henry was a British and would have posed a threat to Mubarak (Egypt), Muammar prime minster and Bernard Qaddafi (Libya) and Zein Al Lewis served in the British its hegemonic designs.

Abideen Bin Ali (Tunisia).... intelligence (British Foreign regimes that were ruling more Office) during the World than 100 million Arabs have War-II and allegedly was one of the notable figures who disappeared and the Middle East map has become full of had provided former US President George W. Bush with gaping holes waiting to be filled.... The winds are still movhistorical, religious and moral justifications to invade Iraq ing the region’s sands.” in 2003. Moreover, their views were based on academic Building on those historical pretexts that had occurred and methodological reasoning, which made them effec- in the region, the concern is that the US might reach an tive working plans. arrangement with Iran at the expense of the Arab interests The successful implementation of those plans in the when Western powers secure their absolute hegemony Mideast and the former Soviet Union is what makes them over the region by further dividing it into small political important to the Arab intellectuals till date. Henry had enclaves. proposed creation of a buffer state between the Islamic In many Arab intellectuals’ views, Iran could be supAfrican wing and the Asian one to fracture the Middle East ported by the US and its Western allies, Russia and China, and it was that strategy that had paved the way for the as these countries have had their share of terror attacks creation of Israel. said to be allegedly carried out by Sunni extremists.

Former Soviet Union remained Lewis’ center of attenA claim that is frequently purported by political puntion who had suggested breaking up of the edges of the dits of the West. then USSR and his plan helped in the disintegration of the Will Iran’s Shiite theology dominate the Arab world in country. With memories of the US invasion of Iraq still the foreseeable future? This will be the topic of my next alive, the Iranian reconciliation with the US instantly article.

kuwait digest

Learn from our mistakes

By Nabila Al-Anjari

G

lobal advancement is growing at a fast pace and we have been learning about new discoveries, inventions and theories almost every day. It is a reality that we experience every day using modern technological devices that we import from different countries around the world.

But on looking back, we find that we have failed to contribute to the fast-paced global advancement and have remained only consumers, not contributors.

This fruitless consumer pattern is found not only in Kuwait, but has also become a common feature in all parts of the Arab world which is considered the cradle of great civilizations in history. How did we come to this after experiencing an era when our scientists and ideologists pioneered in medicine, architecture, mathematics, etc? Have our brains started malfunctioning? Are we affected by some disease which has stopped our cognitive development or have we become too influenced by Western culture and lost confidence in our own inventions?

I believe that the main problem in Arab societies is that we continue to brag about our illustrious past, yet fail to work and innovate to benefit our present and future. While we continue living in the past, we unfor tunately overlook the need to address the underdevelopment found in most fields

I believe that the main problem in Arab societies is that we continue to brag about our illustrious past, yet fail to work and innovate to benefit our present and future.

While we continue living in the past, we unfortunately overlook the need to address the underdevelopment found in most fields in the Arab world. Without focusing on the present as the basis for our current and future development, we continue running in circles as we sing praises of what our forefathers have accomplished while failing to preserve what they built.

Which one is ‘biggest lie’

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

embers of the opposition held a seminar recently covers.

Nearly quarter a century after the bill was passed, no - which is likely going to be followed by many others - in order to expose what they called political group of citizens - except for Mr Nawaf Al-Fuzai reported a case of theft or ‘forces of corruption’ and tampering with public funds. their alleged thefts. In reality however, the seminar After Kuwait’s liberation in 1991, Despite that, the opposition to demand protecexposed how shallow and the majority of so-called political continues tion of public funds and warn illogical the organizers’ slogans are. forces during that time called for a of alleged theft of state properties.

‘Kuwait under theft’ was The question is this: Which the title chosen for the sem- system to protect public funds. A inar. Yet, no one among general agreement was reached to is the lie that we have been living for nearly quarter of a those who spoke during the event gave evidence or at protect public funds and reject century? It can either be alleof theft that political least one example of the attempts to squander wealth. gations groups promoted in order to alleged thefts. Instead, they repeated many allegations Based on that, the parliament garner public support, or that these allegations are real that they have already spoken about on numerous passed the ‘public funds protection whereas the public funds’ prooccasions in the past. law’ which provides guarantees to tection law failed to provide protection for more than 20 After Kuwait’s liberation in 1991, the majority of so- public and private properties years after it was passed. continuous uproar called political forces during through articles which include an Politicians’ over alleged thefts is proof that time called for a system to protect public funds. A article which makes it obligatory that either one of those possibilities is true. general agreement was After repeating the ‘protecreached to protect public for a citizen to report a case of pubtion of public fund’ slogan like funds and reject attempts to lic fund theft he or she discovers. a broken record for years, politsquander wealth. Based on ical groups readjusted their that, the parliament passed the ‘public funds protection law’ which provides guaran- calls towards ‘combating corruption’. Corruption is a term tees to public and private properties through articles that first and foremost refers to the activity of political which include an article which makes it obligatory for a forces that is based on wasta (using connections for unlawcitizen to report a case of public fund theft he or she dis- ful mediation) and electoral profiteering. — Al-Qabas

in the Arab world. Without focusing on the present as the basis for our current and future development, we continue running in circles as we sing praises of what our forefathers have accomplished while failing to preserve what they built.

Whoever walks while looking backwards will eventually fall. Science has proven that while a deer is faster than a lion, it often falls prey to the King of the Jungle because it keeps turning its head during the chase to check whether or not it out-raced the predator.

UNESCO Science Report 2010 indicates that the Arab region spends less on scientific research compared to other countries by less than 0.01 percent whereas the global percentage is 1.7 percent of the GDP. Arab countries produce only 373 researchers for every one million people while the global average reaches 1,081. Meanwhile, Arab universities were left out of the World’s top 200 universities, which explains why most Arab scholars choose to immigrate to the United State and Europe where their talent and hard work are recognized. In the meantime, the World Investment Conference indicates that the Arab world imports around 90 percent of its food needs, more than 90 percent of technology devices, and I think it is safe to say that we import 100 percent of modern telecommunication devices.

Changing our thinking pattern and lifestyles to pay attention to our present and future more than to our past is essential.

Focusing on the present and ways to improve it and learning from our mistakes is important to change our future for the better. We need to get rid of the inherent dependency within us and instead work, create, build and innovate. — Al-Qabas

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LOCAL

Asia-Pacific leaders seek ways to foster growth Yudhoyono inaugurates APEC Summit

By Ben Garcia NUSA DUA, Bali: APEC CEO Summit was officially inaugurated yesterday by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Bali International Convention Center. Yudhoyono welcomed delegates from all over the world including Asia Pacific leaders and worlds’ corporate community participants at the venue. He said the phenomenal growth of the region and the rapid expansion of business has totally changed the “21st century economic landscape for the better”. The president said advanced economies are experiencing recovery and showing positive growth, while emerging economies are facing a slowdown, suffering from large trade deficits, capital flight and depreciating currencies. APEC emerging economies need further momentum for growth. According to IMF, APEC is expected to grow by 6.3 percent in 2013 and 6.6 percent in 2014,” he mentioned.

APEC economies account for 54 percent of global gross domestic product and 44 percent of global trade. “With all this, APEC is in the ideal position to help the recovery of global economy.

Therefore, APEC members, through individual and collective measures must put extra efforts to promote growth,” he added. He highlighted the possible measures including the need to do its part to prevent protectionist policies and continue on the path of trade liberalization in ways that uplift the well-being of all citizens.

“We must also ensure that our trade relations are not only strong but also well balanced,” he asserted. Another measure which he recommended was to intensify efforts to stimulate investment within the region to maintain growth and create jobs. Likewise, he also

KOC signs memo to boost security at oil facilities KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the Cabinet’s security decisions’ follow-up committee signed here yesterday an agreement to boost security and protection at the company’s oil facilities.

A statement by the company said that KOCís CEO Hashim S. Hashim signed the Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with committee’s head retired Lt Gen Mohammad Al-Bader.

Hashim lauded the efforts by security forces to protect oil facilities, affirming that it was paramount for the company and the committee to further bolster cooperation on this aspect.

The cabinet assigned the committee to look into measures to better security and protection at oil facilities in cooperation with oil entities such as KOC. —KUNA

acknowledges the need to develop better infrastructure as an essential element for connectivity. The president also recommends ensuring growth with equality and embracing the SMEs that form the backbone of all our economies. He also urged APEC leaders to work together to ensure financial stability, development for all and provide a social safety net for the poor and financial inclusion for shared prosperity.

Indonesia envisions the future of this region as prosperous, stable, dynamic, and inclusive. He said the theme ‘Resilient Asia Pacific-Engine of Global Growth, is all about drawing strengths and their objective is to make the region the epicenter of world’s economic advancement.

According to Yudhoyono, Indonesia has set three priorities for APEC this year: 1) Attaining the Bogor Goals, 2) Achieving sustainable growth with equity, 3) Promoting connectivity.

“I believe that a focused and improved physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity will help integrate our region. It will also facilitate the flow of goods, services, capital, and people in the Asia Pacific.” He said Indonesia will work with APEC leaders and all stakeholders to advance priorities. He admitted that like other emerging markets, Indonesia is facing some head-winds resulting from financial market turbulence but according to him, the situation is manageable and the Indonesian government is responding to a package of policy measures including structural reform. “We believe this is a short-term challenge, and we are confident that the long-term prospects to invest and grow are enormous as Indonesia will remain a land of opportunity and growth,” he added.

Yudhoyono noted that Indonesia today has become a trillion-dollar economy with a large

middle-class community. He said that some have predicted that Indonesia’s business opportunity will increase to $1.8 trillion in 2030. The opportunity ranges from consumer services, agriculture and fishery, resources to education sectors. “We continue to create a better business and investment environment while addressing many of the challenges. We have made steady progress, from bureaucratic reforms to strengthening institutions.” President Yudhoyono also mentioned the launch of Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development 2011-25. He said that over the next 14 years, Indonesia is targeting over $460 billion worth of investments in 22 main economic activities which is integrated in eight economic programs namely agriculture, mining, energy, industry, marine, tourism, and telecommunications. “I invite you to seize the investment opportunities in Indonesia,” he added.

Meanwhile, Australia appreciates the APEC Forum 2013 in Nusa Dua, Bali. This is shown by the Australian commitment to build business relations especially with Indonesia. “This commitment is demonstrated by the number of our investors who invest in Indonesia,” said Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, at a press conference in The Laguna Resort held Saturday. She also asserted that it is expected that through APEC, Australian investors will receive more oppor tunities to invest in Indonesia. She believes that APEC will bring a positive impact in the form of mutually beneficial economic relations for the two countries.

The Australian government will continue to suppor t Australian investors to invest in Indonesia.

A Gulf Bank employee interfacing with students at the exhibition

Kuwait hosts Korean-Arab Gulf Bank sponsors annual Friendship Caravan Education UK Exhibition KUWAIT: National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) and the KoreanArab Society have jointly held the Sixth Korea-Arab Friendship Caravan, mainly aiming at promoting Korean-Arab understanding.

During the opening ceremony at Dasman Theater, South Korea’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyungsoo praised the Kuwaiti leadership for hosting this event in its successive sixth year, which is a sign of the strong ties that bring the two countries together since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979.

These strong bilateral ties are held by commercial cooperation, Korean participation in building many of the Gulf state’s infrastructure projects since the 70’s and 80’s and Korean engagement in the liber-

ation of Kuwait from the Iraqi aggression in 1990, Kyung-soo noted.

Kuwait is considered Korea’s second largest exporter of oil and the fifth supplier of liquefied petroleum gas, he said, adding that Kuwait has contributed greatly to improving South Korea’s economy.

On his part, NCCAL’s Secretary General Ali Al-Youha said hosting this cultural event would further strengthen bilateral relations that are already seen as “outstanding” in many domains.

The Korea-Arab Friendship Caravan has been annually held since 2008. It offers various and dynamic Korean cultural programs that combine tradition and modernity to effectively introduce K o re a n c u l t u re a n d a r t s to t h e A r a b region and bolster Korean-Arab cultural exchange. —KUNA

Charities won’t be turned into investment companies: MSAL KUWAIT: Ahmed Al-Sane, Charities Manager at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor stressed that the ministry has not and will not tolerate turning charity organizations into profit-oriented investment companies. He also denied that his department was under any pressure ever since it was established in 2002. “ The fact that charitable organizations’ financial reports indicate that they made 400 percent profit proves this”, he underlined.

Speaking during an interview with Kuwait’s local Arabic daily, AlJarida, Al-Sane said that the ministry had officially allowed 10 local charities to organize fundraising campaigns to help Syrian people two years ago. “Such licenses are not given to individuals”, he emphasized.

Further, Al-Sane said that his department had recently referred a memo to the minister of social affairs and labor with names of 20 charities and a request to suspend their bank accounts over violating the rules by opening new branches

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education Dr Rashed Al-Nuwaihidh, the British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker and Director of the British Council Andrew Glass alongside Gulf Bank employees at the Bank’s stand during the event.

without having MSAL permission or the goals for which they had been originally established.

“We have 85 charities all over Kuwait and five more are in the process of being established”, he added noting that all government establishments, namely the municipality and the fire directorate, have to approve the new charities’ headquarters. He also noted that new charities would have to deposit KD 50,000 in a local bank prior to being approved. Commenting on a question about turning some charities to a business, Al-Sane said that the ministry had received some complaints about some charities being operated as kindergartens in the morning and educational centers by evening. “Those charities are being listed so that their board directors could be summoned to sign affidavits to stop violations and not repeat them”, he explained, noting that Kuwaiti municipality would be contacted to disconnect power from charities which do not comply or respond.

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently sponsored the British Council’s annual Education UK Exhibition (EDUKEX) in Kuwait as part of its ongoing support to the educational sector. This high-profile event was held on Oct 2 and 3 at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait City under the patronage of Kuwait ’s M inister for Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf and was attended by Dr Rashed Al-Nuwaihidh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education alongside the British Ambassador, Frank Baker and Andrew Glass, Director of the British Council.

Education has a defining role as the world matures into an international community driven by knowledge and technology. It is the potential for education to change the world for the better that has caused Gulf Bank to support education as part of its responsibility to society and in particular its support for young people, who represent society’s future.

Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager of Human Resources at Gulf Bank said: “Gulf Bank is very proud to support and be involved in major initiatives such as the British Council’s annual Education UK Exhibition in Kuwait. We take education

Al-Ghanim heads Arab consultations GENEVA: Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker and parliamentary caucus chief Marzouq AlGhanim headed a consultative meeting of Arab delegations yesterday ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference, due a day later.

The Arab delegates discussed vacant IPU positions, with Kuwait’s Jamal Al-Omar nominated for the sustainable development affairs committee and female lawmakers Bahrain’s Latifa Al-Qaoud and Oman’s Fouzia Al-Farisi for the women parliamentarians’ coordination committee.

They also discussed voting for the secretary general, with 52 people having so far applied for the position and this number narrowed down to 20 then five.

Separately, another consultative meeting for Islamic nations, headed by Lebanon’s Nabih Berri, discussed urgent proposals for the agenda. These included Morocco’s sug-

gestion on the role of parliaments in addressing the deliberate criminal destruction of world heritage sites, Palestine’s on the construction of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands occupied since 1967 and Syria’s, on enhancing the role of parliaments in order to maintain international safety and security, through rejecting hostility and breach of sovereign rights through interference in state internal affairs.

The attendees decided to mold the Moroccan and Palestinian proposals, after gaining the approval of the delegations. AlGhanim extended an invitation for Arab InterParliamentary Union member states to attend an extraordinary meeting in Kuwait, in order to discuss breaches on Al-Aqsa Mosque. The chief parliamentarian headed the Kuwaiti delegation consisting of lawmakers Faisal Al-Shaya, Jamal Al-Omar, Saleh Ashour, Saif Al-Azmi, Madhi AlHajeri and Abdullah Al-Teraiji. —KUNA

and activities which encourage youth development very seriously, as we believe that the development of a well educated society is directly linked to the future health and success of all communities. At Gulf Bank, our role is one of support; to provide opportunities which encourage youth to go out and further their education, so that they can take full advantage of the career choices available to them and build fruitful and successful lives for themselves and their families.”

The United Kingdom is home to some of the world’s best universities and colleges of higher education, including four universities currently ranked in the world top ten. This important annual event will allows UK university representatives to present their courses to students and families in Kuwait directly, and explain the entry requirements and application procedures to students who could be interested in going to the United Kingdom to study.

The recently published 2013 QS World University ranking report showed that the United Kingdom presently has four universities ranked in the world’s top ten and 18 in the top 100.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LOCAL

Syrian held at airport with 500,000 euros Maid deported for ‘black magic’ KUWAIT: A Syrian man was arrested at the Kuwait International Airport Friday with 500,000 euros in cash which he claimed were donations to be handed over to Syrian refugees.

The man, who is in his forties, was preparing to board a plane heading to Turkey but was arrested after an inspection revealed the cash in his luggage. Head of the Search and Investigation Office at the Customs General Department, Rashid AlBarakah, said in a statement to Al-Rai daily that the suspect was monitored from the moment he entered the airport with the money, and was searched after he failed to disclose the cash in his possession in accordance with the law. The man was referred to the proper authorities for further questioning because he failed to produce a license to transfer his alleged donation. The news was reported yesterday after Al-Rai revealed that local authorities are pursuing citizens, resi-

dents and companies suspected of having relations with money laundering and terrorism-funding operations.

Diesel smuggling Shuwaikh Port customs inspectors foiled an operation in which unknown individuals attempted to smuggle 28 containers of diesel fuel out of the country. The inspectors suspected something amiss after discovering a co-worker’s signature on the shipment’s clearance papers - despite him being on leave officially. They unloaded 18 containers from one ship, and found out that they contained diesel fuel despite being loaded as other material. Customs officials also found 10 other containers which were smuggled on a ship that was called back shortly after sailing off the boat following inspection of the company ’s records.

Investigations so far indicate that subcontractors have reportedly used the

company ’s shipment to smuggle diesel inside containers normally used to ship scrap metal and other items.

Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects.

Maid deported Jahra Security Director, Maj Gen Ibrahim Al-Tarrah ordered the deportation of a domestic worker who was found with items used in black magic.

The housemaid was reportedly arrested after she managed to escape from her employer’s house with her husband’s help. The couple was released from custody after the maid’s Kuwaiti employer dropped the charges. However, the man returned to the Taima police station a few hours later with the maid who had her luggage with her, and said she attempted to escape again. Police searched the woman’s luggage and found black magic paraphernalia. She was taken to the deportation center based on the findings.

Murder suspect Criminal Investigation Department officers arrested an Indian man sentenced to death in his home country for a murder. The arrest took place on Thursday based on information from the Interpol which indicated that the man came to Kuwait after changing his name with a forged passport. An Indian court had convicted the man of killing his ex-lover, a college student in 2005 after she rejected him because she came from a rich family whereas he worked as a bus driver. He was arrested inside a baqala (small grocery shop) in Farwaniya where he had been working on coming to Kuwait, and is currently being held pending extradition.

Illegal relations Search is on for a man accused of having an illegal relationship with a 19-year-old girl according to a case filed by the girl’s mother at the Salwa police station. Police rushed to an

apartment in the area early Saturday morning after a woman reported finding a stranger inside her daughter’s bedroom. In her statements to police, the Egyptian woman said that she went to check on her daughter after hearing strange noises coming from her room. On opening the door, she found the girl in a compromising position with a man, who immediately made his way out of the apartment from the front door. The girl said during questioning that the young man is her boyfriend and that they have been romantically involved for a while now; during which she hosted him in her bedroom several times.

The Kuwaiti man faces charges of having illegal relations with the girl after she confirmed that the two had sex several times.

Traffic accident A man was killed and another was left critically wounded in an accident

repor ted on Saturday near Salmi Road. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene where a Japanese-made vehicle was involved in an accident and had overturned. The driver, a Kuwaiti man, was pronounced dead on the scene while a stateless resident who was sitting in the passenger ’s seat was rushed to Jahra Hospital in a critical condition. An investigation was opened to determine the circumstances behind the accident.

Drug dealer A convicted drug dealer was arrested at a checkpoint in Taima over the weekend. The suspect, a stateless resident in his forties, was arrested after an identity check revealed that he is wanted to serve a 15-year jail sentence after a court found him guilty of drug trafficking. The man was taken to the proper authorities to serve time.

EQUATE participates in KOGS

Mohammad Husain

KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company announces its participation in the Kuwait Oil and Gas Show (KOGS) 2013 under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

On this occasion, EQUATE President and CEO Mohammad Husain said, “This conference is an important medium to highlight overall integration between the oil, gas and petrochemical industries with the participation of several producers, technology developers, equipment manufacturers and service entities, as well as engineers and relevant professionals from within and outside Kuwait to discuss a number of mutual matters and topics in several fields, while keeping in mind the launch of a sustainability driven conference, as well as forging longterm ties and direct interaction between relevant industrial stakeholders.”

Husain added, “With Kuwait being one of the world’s pioneering nations in these industries, especially that it hosts EQUATE as one of the Gulf’s first international petrochemical joint-ventures, this forum represents a significant initiative to gather many industrial leaders, experts, professionals and companies under one roof to discuss

several mutual topics, boost cooperation and exchange knowledge in various fields, with all being examples of EQUATE’s tagline ‘Partners in Success’.”

During the conference, Husain will participate in a panel discussion titled “Downstream and Petrochemical: Forging New Relationships” with the participation of leading industrial figures, such as Petrochemical Industries Company CEO Asaad Al-Saad and Kuwait National Petroleum Company CEO Mohammad Al-Mutairi.

With the attendance of many professionals and enthusiasts of the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, KOGS 2013 will be held at Kuwait International Fair during Oct 7 to 10.

Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility producing over 5 million tons annually of high-quality petrochemical products which are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Palestinian trio emphasizes ‘we deserve life’ KUWAIT: Le Trio Joubran conveyed feelings of love and peace to their audience Friday, in an evening the Palestinian brothers moved their listeners to the theme of their musical, “We deserve life.”

While playing on the oud, an Arabic instrument, Samir, Wissam and Adnan Joubran conveyed their optimism and happiness to their audience, crossing boundaries and reaching out to all peoples to tell them that “we deserve life.”

The Palestinian trio and their drummer Yusuf Hbeish were received

by Kuwaitis for Al-Quds Committee, an offshoot of Kuwait Graduates Society and Woman Cultural and Social Society. The event was held at Dasma Theater, attended by Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahbob.

This is one of the “major Palestinian bands” which accompanied and played for late Palestinian iconic poet Mahmoud Darweesh, Tahbob said.

He said Le Trio Joubran has a message “with noble meaning” about the Palestinian identity that they want to convey it to the whole world.

The ambassador noted that this was the first Palestinian event since the Palestinian embassy was opened in Kuwait in April this year.

Kuwait formative artists attended the musical, and a group of them donated their paintings to back the Kuwaiti for Al-Quds Committee, which was formed in 2000 with the objective of backing health, education and training projects in Palestine, stopping judaization of Al-Quds and confiscation of Palestinian lands.

Nayla Abdulkhaleq, Le Trio Joubran’s agent, said the band has become a “cultural project blending genuine eastern oud instrument with

modern melodies.”

She said the band has performed more than 100 concerts around the world, and has succeeded in highlighting the Palestinian identity and

spreading of peace. She added that the band accompanied the late poet Darweesh in the last 12 years of his life, and his poems have been an inspiration for the trio. —KUNA

Cyprus woos Kuwaiti investors BEIRUT: There are plenty of investment opportunities available for Kuwaiti investors, said an official from the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Cyprus is an attractive commercial center due to its low taxes, and high quality services, Secretary General at Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marios Tsiakkis said on the occasion of President Nicos Anastasiades’s upcoming visit to Kuwait next Tuesday.

There are great opportunities available for investment in the fields of health, ports, telecommunications, tourism and education, as well as natural gas, he said, noting that there are also several facilities offered to the investors such as the exemptions of income taxes of all dividends and profits from overseas institutions and sales and the deduction tax of divi-

dends and interest.

The investor can take advantage of the living facilities in Cyprus, such as obtaining citizenship for those who intend to own property worth a total of 300,000 euro, as well as the possibility of acquiring Cypriot citizenship for investors in state-owned companies or direct investment of five million euro, and the exemption of VAT of most international transactions and double taxation agreements signed with over 50 countries around the world.

Cyprus has taken several measures to overcome the economic crisis it previously experienced where it recapitalized the banking system, reduced the level of spending and increased the revenue, in addition to restructuring the economy and supporting economic development by attracting investors, added Tsiakkis.

He said that Cyprus has a simple system that is fully compatible with the laws and regulations of the European Union (EU) as he expected a gradual return of economic recovery from now until 2015.

Cyprus ranked 38th out of 185 countries as an economic hub by the World Bank classification in 2013.

It is also ranked 25th out of 144 countries last year as a high-income economy by Forbes Magazine.

The Cypriot president’s visit to Kuwait on October 8 is expected to witness signing of several agreements and memorandums, as well as discussing the possibility of investing opportunities and establishing some new investment projects and businessmen partnerships from both countries as there will be a future joint economic forum between Kuwait and Cyprus. —KUNA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Divers recover more bodies from Italy refugee wreck

Experts begin destroying Syrian chemical arsenal Page 8

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DOHUK: Wounded Iraqi children rest after receiving medical care at a hospital in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk yesterday, following a bombing at his school in the Turkmen Shiite village of Qabat, near the Syrian border. Bombers detonated explosives-rigged vehicles at a police station and a primary school, killing 15 people and wounding 44, local official Abdulal Abbas told AFP. The dead were five police and 10 children, Abbas said, adding that the bombing at the school collapsed the roof of the building. — AFP

Ten school children killed Bombers target Shiites in Iraq, killing 33 BAGHDAD: Suicide bombers attacked Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad and a primary school and police station in a Shiite village in north Iraq yesterday, killing at least 33 people, officials said.

The violence is at a level unseen since 2008, amid persistent fears of a relapse into the kind of intense Sunni-Shiite bloodshed that peaked in 2006-2007 and killed tens of thousands of people.

A suicide bomber detonated explosives near pilgrims walking to a shrine in north Baghdad to commemorate the death of Imam Mohammed al-Jawad, the ninth Shiite imam. The blast killed at least nine people and wounded 30 others, officials said.

A bus parked near the site of the explosion had a streak of blood running from a shattered window down its side. Pieces of human flesh hung from a roadside tree, and blood was spattered on a pavement and the underside of a bridge. Two young boys sifted through debris at the site, where items including sandals and a policeman’s belt buckle lay in a pool of water formed when emergency personnel hosed the street down. “We are not afraid of the explosion, we are not afraid of death,” said Hussein Haidar, a pilgrim walking to the shrine after the attack.

Even after the blast, security forces performed only cursory searches of people entering the area. Iraq is home to some of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, and millions of pilgrims visit them each year. But crowds of pilgrims are frequently targeted by Sunni militants including those linked to Al-Qaeda, who consider Shiites to be apostates.

Two more suicide bombers yesterday targeted the Turkmen Shiite village of Qabak in Nineveh province about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the border with Syria. The bombers detonated explosives-rigged vehicles at a police station and a primary school, killing 15 people and wounding 44, local official Abdulal Abbas told AFP. Ten children and five police were killed, Abbas said, adding that the school bombing collapsed the building’s roof.

Sunday is a normal schoolday in Iraq, where the weekend is on Friday and Saturday. “Al-Qaeda terrorists... carried out the crime because we are Shiites,” a

weeping mother whose young son was wounded in Qabak said at a hospital in Dohuk province.

A bomb also exploded in east Baghdad yesterday, killing at least five people and wounding 14, while two blasts in the northern province of Kirkuk killed a Kurdish security forces member and wounded another.

In Iraq, almost nothing is safe from attack by militants. They have struck highly secure targets such as prisons, and also bombed cafes, markets, mosques, football fields, weddings and funerals. Yesterday’s blasts came a day after violence including an attack on Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad and a suicide bombing at a cafe killed at least 73 people.

Among them were two journalists from the Sharqiya television channel gunned down in the northern city of Mosul. UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov called on Iraq’s “political, religious and civil leaders to work together with the security forces” to curb the bloodshed.

“It is their responsibility to ensure that pilgrims can practise their religious duties, that schoolchildren can attend their classes, that journalists can exercise their professional duties, and that ordinary citizens can live a normal life,” Mladenov said in a statement.

British Ambassador Simon Collis, meanwhile, said: “This latest example of violence against worshippers and journalists is further evidence of terrorists seeking to create division within Iraq.” Diplomats and analysts say the Shiite-led government’s failure to address the grievances of Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority-which complains of political exclusion and abuses by security forces-has driven the surge in unrest.

Violence worsened sharply after security forces stormed a Sunni Arab anti-government protest camp in northern Iraq on April 23, sparking clashes in which dozens died. The authorities have made some concessions aimed at placating anti-government protesters and Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, but underlying issues remain unaddressed.

The latest violence takes this month’s death toll to more than 160, and more than 4,850 since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources. — AFP

Libyans involved in capture of Qaeda operative: Son TRIPOLI: Libyans took part in the US raid in Tripoli that captured senior Al-Qaeda operative Abu Anas AlLibi, his son said yesterday. “Those who kidnapped my father are Libyans. They looked like Libyans and spoke in the Libyan dialec t,” Abdullah Al-R aghi told reporters. Abdullah said the gunmen who seized his father were armed with pistols with silencers and that some of them wore masks.

“The whole thing was recorded by a surveillance camera,” said Abdullah, speaking from the family home in Nofleine, just five kilometres (three miles) south of Tripoli’s city centre. “We gave the tape to friends so that they can try to investigate.”

Abdullah said he does not trust the Libyan government, which he believes is implicated in his father’s disappearance. Libyan authorities insist they were unaware of the special forces operation that captured Libi, an Al-Qaeda operative indicted in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in east Africa.

Libi was seized on the streets of Tripoli and

whisked out of the country early on Saturday. A source close to Libi said he was “kidnapped” while returning from dawn prayers. As he tried to park his car outside his home three vehicles surrounded it and masked men jumped out, shattering the driver’s side window and pulling Libi out with “extreme rapidity,” the source said.

The Pentagon later confirmed his capture in a “US counterterrorism operation,” which capped a decadelong manhunt for one of the last remaining high-level operatives from the core terror network established

by Osama bin Laden in the 1990s. The Pentagon provided few details about how Libi was seized and by whom, saying only that he was being “lawfully detained under the law of war in a secure location” outside Libya. Yesterday, Tripoli said it had demanded an explanation from Washington over the “kidnap” of one of its citizens. Libi’s brother, Nabih Al-Raghi, meanwhile said his sibling was the victim of “an act of piracy” carried out by foreign forces.— AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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

Israeli girl ‘out of danger’ after likely ‘terror’ attack JERUSALEM: A nine-year-old Israeli girl was out of danger in hospital yesterday after being wounded in what police said was a probable terrorist attack in a West Bank settlement. Police said they were not ruling out the possibility of other motives for what was variously described as a shooting or a stabbing as the girl played in her garden in the Psagot settlement near Ramallah.

“It seems to be a case of a terrorist attack, although at this stage no leads have been ruled out,” police spokes-

woman Luba Samri told AFP. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the “hateful attack,” adding that he held the Palestinian leadership responsible even though the attack took place in an area of the occupied West Bank under full Israeli control.

“As long as the incitement continues in the Palestinian official media, the Palestinian Authority cannot absolve itself of responsibility for events of this sort,” he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. Police had initially said

that Noam Glick was in a serious condition after being “shot in the upper part of her body ”. But medics at the Jerusalem hospital where she was being treated said on Sunday that her condition was improving.

“Noam has been hospitalised in the intensive care service for children, but she is out of danger, conscious and her state is stable on Sunday morning,” a spokeswoman for the Shaaret Zedek hospital told AFP. A volunteer from Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency

services who treated Glick at the scene said that girl had seen an armed man before the attack.

“A man with his face hidden by a hood and carrying a weapon shot at me,” Glick told the volunteer. But Israeli media reported yesterday that doctors treating Glick were unsure that she had been shot, suggesting her shoulder wound could have been caused by a knife. The army said it was investigating the attack, and had initially claimed to have recovered a weapon from nearby,

later clarifying the “improvised device found at the scene was not a weapon, but only resembles one.” Israeli media said the object found was a cigarette lighter shaped like a pistol.

“Security forces are continuing their search in the area to find the suspect, who fled,” the army added. Last month, an Israeli soldier was shot dead in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, in what the army believes was a Palestinian sniper attack, although no suspects have been arrested. — AFP

Iran calls for new offer from world powers before talks Limited time to resolve dispute: France

SANAA: Yemeni policemen and people gather at the scene where the bodyguard of Germany’s ambassador to Yemen was killed during an attempt to kidnap the ambassador as she came out of a store in the southern Sanaa district of Hada yesterday.

Ambassador Carola Muller-Holtkemper escaped “but her bodyguard was killed as he tried to resist the attackers who managed to flee”a diplomatic source said. — AFP

America capture of Qaeda militant a blow to Libya TRIPOLI: The US capture of a senior AlQaeda militant in Libya is an embarrassment for the fledgling government and could spark the wrath of the volatile country’s Islamist extremists.

Libyan authorities insist they were unaware of the special forces operation that captured Abu Anas al-Libi, an AlQaeda operative indicted in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Africa.

Libi was seized on the streets of Tripoli and whisked out of the country early on Saturday.

The authorities have been struggling to assert control over the countless militias that emerged during the 2011 uprising against Moamer Kadhafi, many of which have refused to disarm and effectively control much of the country.

The militias include hardline Islamists who have long accused the post-Gaddafi government of being too close to the West.

Yesterday, Tripoli said it had demanded an explanation from Washington over the “kidnap” of one of its citizens.

“The Libyan government has been following the reports of the kidnap of one of the Libyan citizens wanted by the authorities in the United States,” a government statement said.

“As soon as it heard the reports, the Libyan government contacted the US authorities to demand an explanation.”

Mohamed al-Yassir, president of the National Security Commission, the country’s highest security body, confirmed to AFP that it had not been informed about the raid.

“Whether they were informed or not, in either case this is a catastrophe for the authorities and the sovereignty of the state,” Libyan analyst Issam al-Zubeir wrote on his Facebook page. A source close to Libi said he was “kidnapped” on Saturday while returning from dawn prayers.

As he tried to park his car outside his home three vehicles surrounded it and masked men jumped out, shattering the driver’s side window and pulling Libi out with “extreme rapidity”, the source said.

The Pentagon later confirmed the operation, which capped a decade-long manhunt for one of the last remaining high-level operatives from the core terror network

established by Osama bin Laden in the 1990s.

Son died fighting Kadhafi The source said Libi had returned to Libya after the outbreak of the revolt against Kadhafi and would have fought alongside the rebels who ousted the longtime dictator with NATO air support.

The 49-year-old was married with a daughter and three sons, one of whom was killed in a battle with pro-Kadhafi forces when the rebels entered Tripoli in October 2011, the source said.

The source described Libi as a quiet man who kept to himself, rarely leaving his house except to attend prayers at the local mosque. Up until his capture he dressed in the Afghan style of radical Islamists, the source said.

Libi, a computer specialist, had left Libya during the early 1990s, when Kadhafi cracked down on Islamist groups, to join Bin Laden’s fledgling terror organisation in Sudan.

He later followed the group to Afghanistan before securing political asylum in Britain in 2000. When a US court indicted him in connection with the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzaniawhich killed more than 200 people-he fled to Pakistan, the source said.

Reactions to his capture on Libyan social media were mixed, reflecting the divide in the country between Islamists and their secular opponents.

One observer said US operations were “the only solution to curb the rise of extremist groups”, given the weakness of the post-Kadhafi state.

Islamist commentators meanwhile accused Prime Minister Ali Zeidan of being an “agent in the pay of the West”.

Barely a day after Libi’s arrest, a Facebook page entitled “United States, we are all Nazih al-Raghie,” referring to Libi by his real name, had gathered 500 followers.

“The capture of Abu Anas in Libya will cost the state. And when it does, do not blame us for being terrorists,” one person wrote.

“Every intelligence (service) in the world operates in Libya, except for Libyan intelligence,” quipped another. — AFP

Lebanese asylum-seekers home after deadly accident BEIRUT: Eighteen Lebanese asylum-seekers who survived when their boat sank off Indonesia last week returned home yesterday voicing anger at the government’s failure to provide them with jobs and security.

They wept as they embraced relatives at Beirut’s international airport but also railed against the state, accusing it of indifference towards the insecurity plaguing Lebanon and rising unemployment, made worse by an influx of Syrian refugees.

In total, 68 Lebanese, mostly from poor areas in the north of the country like the Akkar region, were on board an Australiabound boat when it sank on September 27 off the coast of Java.

Between 80 and 120 people, most of them from the Middle East, were on board the boat. Twenty-eight bodies, many of them women and children, were recovered but 22 people are still missing.

The survivors looked tired and some were clearly upset as they were welcomed by tearful family members.

One of the survivors fainted and had to be helped by a relative to get back on his feet while a woman welcomed he son by shouting repeatedly “God be praised” before breaking down in sobs.

“All I remember is seeing the sky, and

then I was in the water,” Louai Baghdadi, 25, told AFP. Baghdadi, from the Beddawi area near the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli, said he swam for half an hour to reach dry land. “What really breaks my heart is that I saw children floating in the water without being able to help them. “The children died because they were starving. There was no more food on the ship,” he said, red-eyed and hugging his mother.

Baghdadi expressed fury at Lebanon, which has for years been plagued by political and sectarian divisions. The problems have been aggravated by the conflict in neighbouring Syria, which has divided Lebanon’s political establishment.

Lebanon has not had a government for six months because of a political standoff between a faction led by the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which backs the Syrian regime, and another which backs the uprising.

“I saw death at sea, but I had already seen it in Tripoli,” Baghdadi said in reference to frequent deadly clashes in the city between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“You’re walking in the street, and your friend can get shot dead,” he said.— AFP

DUBAI: World powers negotiating with Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme must come up with new proposals before talks in Geneva on Oct 15-16, Iran’s foreign minister said.

The United States wants Iran to respond to proposals by world powers in February as a starting point for talks. If the parties cannot agree on how to start the negotiations, it casts doubt on whether a resolution can be agreed within the six months in which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says he wants a deal.

Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - plus Germany, the so-called P5+1, said in February they want Iran to stop enrichment of uranium to 20 percent, ship out some stockpiles and shutter a facility where such enrichment is done.

In return, they offered relaxation of international sanctions on Iran’s petrochemicals and trade in gold and other precious metals.

U.S. officials said last week Secretary of State John Kerry had secured agreement from his Chinese counterpart calling for Iran to respond positively to existing nuclear proposals by the six powers. “ The previous P5+1 plan given to Iran belongs to history and they must enter talks

with a new point of view,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with Iranian state television late on Saturday.

“The players must put away this illusion that they can impose anything on the Iranian people.” The election of Rouhani in June and his appointment of U.S.-educated Zarif as foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator have raised hopes for a solution to the decade-old dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Western powers believe Iranian enrichment activities are aimed at achieving nuclear weapons capability, whereas Iran insists its programme is purely for civilian purposes - generating electricity and for a medical research reactor.

Each side wants the other to make the first move. “There is a new tone (in Iran), we want it to be sincere but we need to see deeds,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Europe 1 radio yesterday. But, he said, there was limited time to resolve the dispute while maintaining the Western goal of ensuring Iran is not able to make nuclear arms. That was because the heavy water reactor in Arak, in western Iran would be able to produce plutonium.

“If it were completed we wouldn’t be able to destroy it because if you bomb plutonium it will leak. This means it’s a race against time,” he said.

Asked how much time he thought there was, Fabius said; “People say roughly a year ...

We hope there will be a negotiation, but we must act quickly.”

Rouhani and Zarif tried to dispel mistrust with meetings, speeches and interviews at the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month, was capped with a phone call between the Iranian president and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Both presidents face opposition at home from conservatives who fear they may be too willing to grant concessions before the other side takes tangible steps.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on the nuclear issue, said on Saturday he supported Rouhani’s diplomatic opening with the United States.

But he said some aspects of it were “not proper”. Khamenei did not elaborate on his objections, but it was a possible reference to the phone conversation between Rouhani and Obama.

The supreme leader also said he did not trust the United States as a negotiating partner, a sentiment echoed by Zarif. “Just as the supreme leader said, we do not trust them, and they must build the trust of the Iranian people towards them in public and private discussions,” Zarif said. — Reuters

Experts begin destroying Syrian chemical arsenal DAMASCUS: Experts began Sunday the process of destroying Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal under the terms of a UN resolution that will see Damascus relinquish its banned weapons, an official told AFP. The source in the international mission said the experts would verify details of the arsenal turned over by the Syrian government and start the process of destroying the weapons and production facilities.The team faces the massive task of destroying an estimated 1,000 tonnes of the nerve agent sarin, mustard gas and other banned arms at dozens of sites in Syria by mid-2014 in line with the UN resolution.

As the operation got underway, President Bashar al-Assad admitted in an interview with Germany’s Spiegel news magazine that his government made “mistakes” in the country’s brutal civil conflict.But he again denied that his forces used chemical weapons in an August 21 attack that eventually led to the UN resolution requiring Syria turn over its arsenal of the banned weapons.

The team of disarmament experts from the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) based in The Hague arrived in Damascus on Tuesday.

An official in the joint mission said Sunday that members of the team “have left for a site where they are beginning verification and destruction.” “Today is the first day of destruction, in which heavy vehicles are going to run over and thus destroy missile warheads, aerial chemical bombs and mobile and static mixing and filling units,” he said. An OPCW official said earlier this week that all “expedient methods” would be used to render Syria’s production facilities unusable, including explosives, sledgehammers, or pouring in concrete.

“Phase one which is disclosure by the Syrians is ending and we are now moving towards phase two, verification and destruction and disabling,” the mission source said

DAMASCUS: A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) yesterday, shows the destruction following a mortar attack that hit the Christian neighbourhood of Qassaa in central Damascus in which several people were killed. Pro-government troops and rebel forces have been battling it out in cities across Syria since March 2011 with over 115,000 people being killed according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group. — AFP yesterday. Syria agreed to relinquish its chemical arsenal for destruction under a UN resolution that enshrined a US-Russian agreement.

The deal was hammered out in the wake of the August 21 attack on the outskirts of Damascus, which the United States blamed on Assad’s government. Washington threatened military action in response to the attack, but a strike was averted after the US-Russia deal was agreed.

In the interview published Sunday by the weekly Spiegel news magazine, Assad said his government was being “very transparent” with the UN-OPCW team. “ The experts can go to every site. They are going to get all the data from us, they will verify them, and then they can make a judgement about our credibility,” he said.

He repeated that his government was not responsible for the August chemical attack but acknowledged that mistakes had been made in responding to the uprising against him that began in March 2011.”Whenever political decisions are made, mistakes happen. Everywhere in the world. We are all just people,” he said.

“Personal mistakes by individuals happened. We all make mistakes. Even a president makes mistakes,” he added, insisting however “our fundamental decisions were right.” Asked if only the opposition side was responsible for massacres, and if his forces were all innocent, Assad said “reality is not black and white.” “You can’t just absolutely say ‘they carr y 100 percent of the blame and we carry zero’,” he said.

“Reality is not black and white, there are also shades of grey. But

basically it’s correct that we are defending ourselves.” The magazine also reported on Sunday that German intelligence ser vices believe Iran has allowed Assad’s regime to station fighter jets on its territory to protect them from foreign attack.More than 115,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, according to the Syrian Obser vator y for Human Rights NGO. Two million people have become refugees and millions more have been displaced inside Syria. The Observatory reported fierce fighting between rebels and regime forces yesterday near the town of Suran in central Hama province.

The group said regime forces launched several air strikes on the town as troops battled opposition fighters on its outskirts. — AFP

Iran spy suspect charged in Israel JERUSALEM: Israel’s state attorney’s office yesterday charged alleged Iranian spy Ali Mansouri with aiding an enemy during wartime and with espionage.

Mansouri, 58, was arrested on September 11 carrying photographs of the US embassy in Tel Aviv.

News of his arrest was made public last week, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for the United States, determined to expose what he called “sweet talk” by Israel’s arch-foe Iran.

According to the indictment filed at the Petah Tikva district court, Iran-born Mansouri, who holds a Belgian passport and is multilingual, was

recruited by Iran’s elite Republican Guard in 2012 “for an espionage mission aimed at harming Israel’s security”, and visited the country three times.

He was to pretend to be “an innocent businessman and establish a company in Israel”, the charge sheet said, which would serve as infrastructure for espionage by another Iranian man who would arrive later.

Using the alias Alex Mans, Mansouri is accused of entering Israel using his Belgian passport in July 2012, before later briefing his handlers in Iran on his progress and security at Ben Gurion airport.

In January 2013 Mansouri again entered

Israel, and took photographs of the US embassy in Tel Aviv and an unnamed security installation before another debriefing in Iran.

Mansouri arrived again on September 6 for meetings to open a factory and, according to the indictment, “serve Iranian intelligence in the future”. He was arrested at Ben Gurion airport on September 11 as he sought to leave Israel.

The prosecution said Mansouri confessed his ties to Iranian intelligence during police and Shin Bet interrogation. He also said he had been promised $1 million (740,000 euros) to use his position as a businessman to set up companies in Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to “harm Israeli and Western interests”. —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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

Mexico clinic under fire after woman gives birth alone OAXACA: Mexico’s ombudsman opened an investigation Saturday after an indigenous woman gave birth alone in the garden of a public clinic, sparking a social media storm.

A witness’s picture, published on social media and newspapers, shows 28year-old Irma Lopez, kneeling and crying with the boy on the lawn still attached to the umbilical cord outside the health center in the southern state of Oaxaca.

The incident caused outrage, with

Mexicans taking to Twitter to denounce it as new examples of the poor quality of health care in impoverished parts of the country and the discrimination indigenous groups face.

The office of Raul Plascencia, head of the National Human Rights Commission, said in a statement that an investigation was opened into the alleged abuse of the ethnic mazateca woman who gave birth in a garden “because she was denied medical attention.”

The Oaxaca state human rights office also launched a probe over the October 2 incident at the health center in San Felipe Jalapa de Diaz, a town of 6,000 people. “We have repeatedly detected anomalies in the health sector in Oaxaca, and mainly offenses against indigenous women or women who live in marginalized areas of the state,” Oaxaca State Human Rights Commission president Arturo Pemibert told AFP. The director of the health center,

Adrian Cruz, told reporters the incident took place “due to the lack of medical personnel, because the doctor on morning duty arrives at 8:00 am and the woman arrived at the clinic at 7:30.”

Cruz said the woman asked to be examined but since the doctor had not arrived, the nurse told her to wait. “But she was embarrassed that they saw that she was feeling discomfort and she left the waiting room. I think that labor began at that moment, which is why she

gave birth outside the clinic,” Cruz said.

San Felipe Jalapa de Diaz Mayor Silvia Flores said it was the second such case this year after another woman gave birth to a girl in the clinic’s garden in July “because there was no personnel on duty.”

In both cases, the babies were declared in good health. The majority of Mexico’s 14 million indigenous peoplesout of a national population of 118 million-live in Oaxaca.—AFP

Supreme Court term begins with contentious topics Opportunity exists for dramatic precedent-busting decisions

ACAPULCO: Employees of a hotel remain outside the building following a series of tremors in Acapulco, Guerrero state, Mexico yesteday. — AFP

Quakes hit southern Mexico, no injuries ACAPULCO: A pair of moderately strong earthquakes yesterday shook Acapulco and much of the Guerrero state coast that was recently hard-hit by deadly rain-induced landslides, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The country’s seismic institute issued a preliminary magnitude of 4.96 after the latest yesterday morning temblor, which hit at 10:57 a.m.

(11:57 ET) and was centered about 44 kilometers (27 miles) south of the Guerrero state community of Atoyac de Alvarez.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage, but the seismic alarm went off in Mexico City and authorities warned people to stay away from elevators and windows. The temblor followed a moderate 5.21-magnitude earthquake that rocked parts of southern Mexico earlier in the morning.

Mexico’s National Seismology Institute said the first temblor struck at 9:27 am (10:27 ET) and was centered about 5 kilometers (less than 3 miles) south of Coyuca

de Benitez in the southern state of Guerrero. Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera also reported both quakes on his official Twitter account.

The quakes were centered along the stretch of Guerrero state coast and inland mountains that were hardest hit last month

by Tropical Storm Manuel.

The second quake, which was felt in Mexico City, had its epicenter near the most significant population center closest to the hamlet of La Pintada, where dozens died when a massive mudslide hit the center of town on Sept. 16.

Constantino Gonzalez Vargas, the state secretary of civil protection, said authorities were trying to get information about 117 communities in rural Guerrero where inspections had found that the passage of Tropical Storm Manuel last month left surrounding slopes at high risk of landslides.

Many of the communities remain without reliable communication or road links to the rest of the state. — AP

South Louisiana eyes tropical depression NEW ORLEANS: The former Tropical Storm Karen, since downgraded to a depression, hovered early yesterday near Louisiana’s extreme southeast coastline and threatened to lash vulnerable low-lying areas with heavy rain.

But all tropical storm warnings were discontinued earlier in the weekend after the system had been downgraded from a weak tropical storm while lumbering off the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said late Saturday that the storm was expected to move near or over parts of extreme southeastern Louisiana on Sunday and then run just south of the central Gulf Coast from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle in coming hours.

Forecasters and emergency officials warned residents to keep an eye on developments in case things changed. Ahead of the storm, squalls of rain hit workers sandbagging low sections of the flood-prone town of Lafitte, La., along Bayou Barataria.

Lafitte resident April Terrebonne decided to stay at her house, but took precautions.

“We’ve been preparing for the water, if it does come up. We’ve moved everything, and we’re just getting prepared,” she said.

The storm system had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) after being downgraded earlier in the weekend from a tropical storm. It was about 185 miles (295 kms) west-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River late Saturday. The National Weather Service said storm surges and localized flooding were possible along parts of the northern Gulf Coast. It added rainfall accumulations of up to 3 inches were possible on the central Gulf Coast and in some Southeastern states through Monday evening near or in the storm’s path.

In low-lying Plaquemines Parish, La., officials changed an evacuation order from mandatory to voluntary Saturday afternoon. More than 80 evacuees from the area, at the state’s southeastern tip, had taken refuge at a public shelter, which would remain open Saturday.

They gathered in an auditorium where they rested on cots, watched for weather updates on TV and chatted outside on the front steps. “I don’t really know what to expect, but they told us to evacuate, so we got out,” said Dana Etienne, 27, of Phoenix, La., who was at the shelter with her three young children.

Coastal authorities closed flood gates along waterways that could be affected by tides driven by the storm. In New Orleans, the US Army Corps of Engineers continued closing barriers designed to keep surge out of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal scene of catastrophic flooding in 2005 when flood walls failed during Hurricane Katrina.

Col. Richard Hansen of the corps said more gates along various canals could be closed, and warned boaters not to get caught on the wrong side of those gates “If there is a gate in the system, it may not be open when you decide to come back in,” Hansen said.

At the Port of New Orleans, port officials working with the Coast Guard said they were optimistic that vessel traffic at the mouth of the Mississippi River, halted since Friday morning, would resume Sunday. The port remained busy, officials said in a news release, with some of the nine ships at dock there still working cargo. Two Carnival cruise ships that had to delay weekend arrivals were expected Monday.—AP

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court is beginning a new term with controversial topics that offer the court’s conservative majority the chance to move aggressively to undo limits on campaign contributions, undermine claims of discrimination in housing and mortgage lending, and allow for more governmentsanctioned prayer.

Assuming the government shutdown doesn’t get in their way, the justices also will deal with a case that goes to the heart of the partisan impasse in Washington: Whether and when the president may use recess appointments to fill key positions without Senate confirmation.

The court was unaffected for the first few days of the government shutdown and there was no expectation that arguments set for October would have to be rescheduled. The new term that starts today may be short on the sort of high-profile battles over health care and gay marriage that marked the past two years. But several cases ask the court to overrule prior decisions - bold action in an institution that relies on the power of precedent.

“There are an unusual number of cases going right to hot-button cultural issues and aggressive briefing on the conservative side asking precedents to be overruled,” said Georgetown University law professor Pamela Harris, who served in President Barack Obama’s Justice Department.

Paul Clement, a frequent advocate before the court and the top Supreme Court lawyer under President George W. Bush, agreed that the opportunity exists for dramatic precedent-busting decisions. But Clement said each case also offers the court “an off-ramp,” a narrower outcome that may be more in keeping with Chief Justice John Roberts’ stated desire for incremental decisionmaking that bridges the court’s ideological divide.

There is a familiar ring to several cases the justices will take up.

Campaign finance, affirmative action, legislative prayer and abortion clinic protests all are on the court’s calendar. The justices also will hear for the second time the case of Carol Anne Bond, a woman who was convicted under an anti-terrorism law for spreading deadly chemicals around the home of her husband’s mistress.

The justices probably will decide in the fall whether to resolve competing lower court decisions about the new health care law ’s requirement that employer-sponsored health plans include coverage of contraceptives.

An issue with a good chance to be heard involves the authority of police to search the contents of a cellphone found on someone they arrest. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said over the summer that the right to privacy in the digital age “is bound to come up in many forms” in the years ahead.

The court may hear its first abortion case since 2007, a

WASHINGTON: In this June 27, 2012, file photo law enforcement officers set up a perimeter controls in front of the US Supreme Court on the eve of the expected ruling on whether or not the Affordable Care Act passes the test of constitutionality in Washington. The Supreme Court new term, which starts today, may be short on the sort of high-profile battles over health care and gay marriage that marked the past two years. — AP

review of an Oklahoma law that would restrict the use of certain abortion-inducing drugs such as RU-486. The campaign finance argument on Tuesday is the first major case on the calendar. The 5-4 decision in the Citizens United case in 2010 allowed corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited sums in support of or opposition to candidates, as long as the spending is independent of the candidates.

The new case, McCutcheon v.

Federal Election Commission, is a challenge to the overall limits on what an individual may give to candidates, political parties and political action committees in a two-year federal election cycle, currently $48,600 to candidates and $123,600 in total. The $2,600 limit on contributions to a candidate is not at issue.

Since the Buckley v. Valeo decision in 1976, the court has looked more favorably on contribution limits than on spending restrictions because of the potential for corruption in large contributions.

The big issue in the current case is whether the justices will be just as skeptical of limits on contributing as on spending. Three justices, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, have signaled their willingness to do so. It remains to be seen whether Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the other two members of the Citizens United majority, are willing to go along.

Among other top cases already set for review: Greece, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester, is asking the court to uphold its practice of opening town council meetings with a prayer, despite an appeals court ruling that found the invocations a violation of the First Amendment because they almost always were Christian prayers. The court could use the case to rule that courts should take a more hands-off approach

to religion in the public square or it could hold more narrowly that the town’s practice is consistent with a 1983 decision upholding prayer at the start of government meetings.

Mount Holly, N.J., is defending a plan to demolish and redevelop a rundown neighborhood against claims that it discriminates because it disproportionately affects African-American and Latino residents. At issue is whether there also must be an intent to discriminate under federal housing law. The issue affects a range of transactions involving real estate and applies to banks and mortgage companies as well as governments, such as the one involved in this case.

Michigan is fighting to preserve a constitutional amendment that bans the use of racial preferences in education after a federal appeals court ruled that the constitutional ban is itself discriminatory. This case, unlike last term’s look at a University of Texas admissions plan, does not involve the viability of affirmative action, but rather whether opponents of racial preferences can enshrine that ban in the state constitution.

Massachusetts is defending a law that creates a 35-foot buffer zone at abortion clinics to limit protesters’ ability to interact with patients. The court upheld a buffer zone law in Colorado in 2000, but Roberts and Alito have replaced members of that majority and are considered more sympathetic to the free -speech claims of the protesters.

While several cases call into question high court precedents, the justices will be writing on a blank slate when they take up the president’s recess appointment power under the Constitution.

In that case, the court will confront an appeals court ruling that effectively would end the presi-

dent’s ability to make such appointments, if it is left standing.

Former Justice Department official Peter Keisler said that justices often ask a lawyer for the best case in support of his argument. “No one is going to ask that question because ‘t’aint none.’ No Supreme Court decisions are material here,” said Keisler, a partner at the Sidley, Austin law firm in Washington.

The impasse that led Obama to install members of the National Labor Relations Board and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray in office without Senate confirmation has been resolved. So what remains of the issue is whether Obama and his successors will be constrained in the future.

The topic splits Democrats and Republicans, but their view of the matter is almost entirely dependent on which party controls the White House.

In another area, little drama is expected. Four justices are over the age of 75, but none is expected to retire in the coming year.

Ginsburg, at 80, is the oldest member of the court. Scalia and Kennedy are 77, and Justice Stephen Breyer is 75.

Ginsburg made clear in a series of media interviews this summer that she will stay on the court as long as she is able to do the work. Before the summer, Ginsburg had said she wanted to emulate Justice Louis Brandeis and stay on the bench as long as he did, 22 years. She will reach that mark in 2015, which also coincides with what is widely believed to be Obama’s last opportunity to name her replacement because the presidential election year of 2016 is an unlikely time to fill a high court vacancy, especially in the eighth and final year of a presidency. — AP

Mexico monster truck wreck kills eight

RIO DE JANEIRO: Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) policemen get out of an armored vehicle, during peace operations at Lins favela (shantytown) in Rio de Janeiro, yesterday. About 1,000 forces —including militarymen, federal policemen and civilians — were deployed for the operation. — AFP

CHIHUAHUA: An out-of-control monster truck shot into a crowd of spectators at a Mexican air show, killing at least eight people and hurting 80 others, dozens seriously, officials said.

Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors’ office, said the driver appeared to have lost control of the truck after leaping over a pile of cars it was crushing during a demonstration at the “Ex treme Aeroshow” on Saturday.

Some witnesses said the driver appeared to have hit his head on the interior of the truck as he drove over the old cars, with at least two reporting seeing his helmet come off before the massive vehicle drove into the crowd of terrified spectators, who tried to flee.

“I fell over, and when I turned around I saw

the tire very close. It hit me and threw me to the other side,” Jesus Manuel Ibarra, 41, said as he was treated for injuries to his arm and hip.

Gonzalez said the accident killed at least one child and hur t 80 people, 46 of whom remained hospitalized early Sunday. He said the number of dead and injured could rise as officials received updated information Sunday morning. The local health system listed the names of 67 injured people on its Facebook page, calling urgently for blood donations and help from local doctors and nurses.

Gonzalez said prosecutors were looking into the possibility of a mechanical failure that left the driver unable to release the gas pedal.

Several witnesses said, however, that the driver appeared to have become incapacitated when

he struck his head during the show, in which the truck drives at high speed over smaller cars, leaping into the air as it crushes their roofs.

Spectator Daniel Dominguez, 18, said he was happily watching the show with a group of relatives when the truck came down hard in the middle of the cars.”The driver hit his head and his helmet flew off,” Dominguez said. “The truck came directly at where we were.”

His 11-year-old sister was in surgery for injuries to her legs, and his mother was treated for minor contusions. The air show was canceled after the accident that happened during the second day of the three-day show in a park on the outskirts of Chihuahua, the capital of Chihuahua state. —AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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

Despite risks African migrants still try to reach Spain MADRID: Packed in wooden boats or rubber dinghies, migrants from Africa are still making the journey across the sea to try to enter Spain illegally despite the perils highlighted by the tragic shipwreck off Italy.

A Spanish coast guard vessel intercepted Saturday a boat packed with 13 Moroccan migrants, including four minors, about 10 nautical miles off the coast of the southern province of Granada.

The migrants, all of them male, were taken to a local detention centre which has seen its numbers swell since the end of August due to a wave of arrivals of boats from Morocco carrying people seeking a better life in Europe.

Last month a man was found dead clinging to a flimsy vessel adrift at sea off the Spanish exclave of Ceuta which borders Morocco, and a dozen more

migrants were missing and feared dead, after their boat capsized during an attempt to reach Spanish soil.

Eleven African migrants, including three women and two children, died in April when their wooden boat capsized off the Spanish coast. The drama faced by migrants trying to sail to Europe’s shores has been pushed to the top of the political agenda after a boat carrying between 450 and 500 African asylum-seekers-mostly Somalis and Eritreans-capsized Thursday off the remote Italian island of Lampedusa.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called Saturday for a meeting of European countries on border management in the wake of the disaster in which hundreds are feared dead.

The Spanish government has warned that fighting in the Sahel region of northern Africa and the

unrest sparked by the Arab spring uprising has increased the flow of migrants. The numbers of migrants who have attempted to reach Spain’s southern shores from Morocco by boat has increased since August, due in part according to Spanish authorities to the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

“This year the region that has had the greatest number of rescues is Tarifa,” said Carmen Lorente of Spain’s maritime rescue service. Tarifa is located only 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar.

It has become one of the key smuggling routes for illegal migrants crossing into Europe after Spanish authorities a decade ago cracked down on migrants heading to Spain’s Canary Islands in the Atlantic off the coast of Morocco. Authorities estimate thou-

sands of illegal migrants from Africa regularly attempt to cross from Morocco into Spain on makeshift boats each year.

Some travel thousands of miles overland, being handed from smuggler to smuggler, ending up at one of many ports in northern Africa for a cramped and treacherous sea crossing to European soil.

Overall the number of migrants who have been rescued at sea while trying to enter Spain is down in 2013 over last year despite the rise in attempted crossing in recent weeks.

Spain’s maritime rescue services have picked up 1,396 migrants from boats off the coast of Spain between January 1 and September 16, compared to 1,709 during the same period last year, Lorente said.

But the number of rescue operations has risen this year since migrants

are making the perilous trip in smaller boats, often in inflatable dinghies that carr y fewer people, she added.

Thousands of migrants also try to enter Spanish soil overland by scaling the border fences that surround Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish exclaves surrounded by Morocco that have the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

The most spectacular recent attempt took place on September 17 when about 300 migrants tore down part of the three rows of six-metrehigh (20 foot-high) fencing that surrounds Melilla and about 150 made it through.

Police video images showed dozens of migrants scrambling over the fence and starting to run as soon as they hit Spanish soil. Six Spanish police officers and one immigrant were injured in that border assault. —AFP

Divers recover more bodies from Italy refugee wreck Some of the bodies may be lost at sea forever

BANGUI: Soldiers from the Central African Multinational Force (FOMAC) sit in pickup trucks yesterday during an operation to secure the disarmament of former Seleka rebels in Bangui and the villages near the city. The poor, landlocked nation plunged into chaos earlier this year when a coalition of rebels and armed movements ousted president Francois Bozize in March. — AFP

Madagascar arrests 26 after mob lynchings NOSY BE: Police in Madagascar made seven more arrests yesterday over the lynching by a raging mob of two Europeans and a local man accused of killing and mutilating a young boy.

Authorities on the idyllic Indian Ocean island have now arrested 26 people in all after the bloody events on the resort island of Nosy Be on Thursday. The situation appeared calm on Sunday, with members of the security forces patrolling the streets while local residents attended church and tourists strolled in town or headed to the beach.

Thursday’s rampage was sparked by the gruesome death of an eight-year-old local boy, whose body was found on the popular Ambatoloaka beach a week after he went missing. An official at the local gendarmerie said seven people had been arrested early Sunday in Ambatoloaka and the suburb of Dar-esSalam where the boy lived.

Vincent Laza, a neighbourhood leader on the island, told AFP that the boy’s body was wet when it was found, suggesting he may have drowned, and that his genitals were missing and his intestines were exposed.

Reports circulated that the boy had been kidnapped, causing a mob to storm the gendarme station-convinced that one of the boy’s killers was being held there. Officers opened fire and two people were killed.

Amid rumours that foreigners were involved, a mob of hundreds got their hands on a Frenchman and a FrancoItalian on Thursday and torched them on Ambatoloaka. Pictures and video images taken by residents captured the moment when one of the bodies was burned in

front of about 100 people, including a man who was both armed and wearing a uniform.

Afterwards a pile of ash, wood, a torso and a pair of charred legs were the only recognisable signs of the orgy of violence. The boy’s uncle was later also killed and burned. With its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters, Nosy Be is Madagascar’s main tourist magnet, but it also has a seedy underbelly and is known for sex tourism. Mob justice is common on the vast island nation off the southeastern African coast, which authorities struggle to police effectively.

One resident of Nosy Be claimed the crowd had made sure the Europeans were guilty. “They spoke for a long time until the morning hours, and then the foreigners confessed they had killed the child. We have it on video,” said Lala, who lives in the Dar-es-Salam suburb where the local man was killed.

In an audio recording, one of the victims was however heard declaring his innocence as the crowd accused him of being a paedophile and killer. District head Malaza Ramanamahafahy named the Frenchman as Sebastien Judalet and said his passport indicated he was a frequent visitor to Madagascar.

Ramanamahafahy added that the Franco-Italian, whom he named as Roberto Gianfala, had an expired Madagascan visa.

Both France and Italy confirmed the deaths and have urged their citizens on Nosy Be to remain vigilant and stay indoors at night. About 700 French people live on the island of 40,000 residents, with around 100 French tourists currently visiting. — AFP

HELL-VILLE: Ruins remain on October 5, 2013 in Hell-Ville on Nosy-Be caused by a mob who attacked the gendarmerienon October 2, 2013 where a local man was suspected of killing a boy for his organs was under arrest. Piles of ash marked the spots on Nosy Be where a local man, a French national and a man with dual Italian and French nationality were burned by a furious mob. The three were suspected of killing an eight year old local boy and mutilating his corpse, sparking an orgy of violence that rocked this tropical Indian Ocean heaven. — AFP

LAMPEDUSA: Divers in Italy recovered 16 more bodies yesterday after a shipwreck in which more than 300 African refugees are feared to have died, as a government minister called for an easing of immigration rules.

Officials said the death toll now stands at 127, as divers resumed an operation suspended since Friday because of rough seas off the island of Lampedusa where Thursday’s tragedy unfolded. Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge was on the dock of the remote outcrop as corpses were being unloaded, after calling for an easing of Italy’s tough rules against illegal immigration.

“The law on immigration cannot be punitive,” Kyenge, who has faced a torrent of racist abuse as Italy’s first black minister, said earlier. The current law considers all irregular migrants suspects in the crime of “clandestinity ” and punishes anyone accused of facilitating landings.

“The migratory flux has fundamentally changed. We have to understand it and change our laws,” she said, adding that she was planning to triple the available accommodation in asylum centres to 24,000 bed spaces because of the growing influx.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta meanwhile said EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso will visit the island on Wednesday and blamed Libya for the growing influx of asylum seekers in Italy.

In an inter view with news channel SkyTG24, Letta said Libya-where the shipwreck boat depar ted from-should adopt “stringent” measures to stop the migrant boats from leaving its shores.

“Our problem today is called

LAMPEDUSA ISLAND: Italian soldiers stand next to body bags at the Lampedusa island, Italy, yesterday. Authorities say divers have recovered new bodies from a fiery shipwreck of a fishing boat packed with 500 migrants from Eritrea. Financial police Maj. Leonardo Ricci said divers have recovered about 10 bodies since resuming the search yesterday morning.— AP Libya,” he said. Letta also called for more European assistance to cope with the influx, saying: “Italy cannot be the first country to have everything on its shoulders.”

Italy has requested that the refugee issue be put on the agenda of a meeting of European interior ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday and of a summit of EU leaders at the end of the month.

Local authorities on Lampedusa struggled to cope with the new arrivals. The refugee centre has 250 places but is now housing more than 1,000 people including those from previous landings.

Many have been forced to sleep outside. Forty of the 155 survivors-unaccompanied minors aged between 11 and 17 are among those living in squalor in the heavily-guarded centre.

Italy has seen 30,000 asylumseekers arrive so far this year-

more than four times the number for last year. Most of the arrivals land on Lampedusa, which is closer to north Africa than to Italy.

Hundreds have perished at sea so far in 2013, adding to the estimated 17,000 to 20,000 who have died crossing the sea over the past 20 years. “There is no plan for the landings. There is just a constant emergency,” said Francesco Rocca, the president of the Italian Red Cross.

Survivors on Saturday cried over the coffins of their loved ones as the Italian coast guard denied claims that the rescue operation was badly delayed.

Local fishermen-many of whom rushed to the rescue-also laid a wreath of flowers at sea on Saturday in a poignant homage to the drowned.

Officials say that the survivors have asked for the bodies to be repatriated to Eritrea, the African

dictatorship they were fleeing.

The best estimates for how many people were on board the vessel when it caught fire and sank range between 480 and 518 people, which would give a final death toll of between 325 and 363 people.

Divers said they were limiting their time under water to seven minutes at most because the wreck is at a depth of 47 metres (154 feet), less than a kilometre from the shore of the island.

It is feared some of the bodies may be lost at sea forever because of strong currents in the area. Pope Francis held a moment of silence for the victims during his weekly address to thousands of pilgrims on St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

“Let us all pray in silence for these brothers and sisters of ours, women, men, children. Let our hearts cry in silence,” Francis said. —AFP

Nigeria human rights urge ICC to probe crime against humanity LAGOS: A Nigerian human rights group said yesterday it is asking the International Criminal Court to urgently investigate the killings of schoolchildren and teachers by suspected Islamic militants in northeast Nigeria as crimes against humanity. The petition from the SocioEconomic and Rights Accountability Project comes a week after attackers gunned down at least 43 students at an agricultural college. They also torched several classrooms. “Most children no longer go to school ... due to the fear of teachers and students being killed” in northeast Nigeria, said the petition signed by the organization’s executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni.

The Boko Haram terrorist network - its name means “Western education is forbidden” - is accused of killing hundreds of civilians including schoolchildren sitting for examinations in stepped-up attacks that defy a massive military crackdown on their strongholds. The group has claimed many school attacks but has made no statement claiming recent assaults.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency May 14 in three states covering one-sixth of the country where he said extremists had taken control of towns and villages. He deployed an emergency task force that includes soldiers, police, military intelligence, immigration and customs officials. The military campaign including punishing air bombardments quickly pushed the militants out of most towns, but into rocky and inaccessible hilly areas. The military said it destroyed one camp in bombing raids last week and killed scores of suspected militants that it believed were responsible for the attack on the agricultural college. It said 15 suspects arrested after the air attacks are being interrogating and are providing information that could lead security forces to other camps. Attacks have surged recently and Jonathan said last week he has asked the military to consider new strategies to defeat the Islamic uprising that began in 2009.

On Sept. 19, suspected Islamic militants disguised in military fatigues and in a convoy led by fighters firing from two tanks armed with anti-aircraft guns - apparently stolen from the army - killed at least 143 civilians, two soldiers and three police officers in an attack on a military outpost and nearby village.—AP

MADRID: Protestors carry a banner reading “good bye mafia, hello democracy” during a demonstration against corruption and to demand the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, in Madrid, Spain, Saturday. Rajoy brushed off demands he should resign after text messages emerged showing him comforting a former political party treasurer under investigation over a slush fund and secret Swiss bank accounts. — AP

Support for Spain ruling PP grows, graft scandal recedes MADRID: Spain’s ruling centre-right People’s Party (PP) would beat its socialist rival in an election as a corruption scandal involving party members dies down, an opinion poll in El Pais newspaper showed yesterday.

The PP, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, would receive 34.1 percent of votes, compared to 29 percent for the socialist PSOE, according to the poll. Last month, the PSOE scored 30.1 percent to the PP’s 30.5 percent.

The ruling party, which has implemented austerity measures to trim Spain’s deficit, lost public support when a financial scandal involving an alleged secret slush fund run by ex-Party Treasurer Luis Barcenas came to light earlier this year.

The PP denies any wrong-doing. “A

month without any major news stories about Barcenas is enough for the PP to halt its slide and the PSOE to remain stable in its very poor situation, even though there are still some key facts to be cleared up,” El Pais said.

The estimated voter support for the PP, based on a Metroscopia poll of 1,000 Spaniards on Oct. 2 and 3, is still below the 44.6 percent of votes the party received in the 2011 parliamentary election. But it shows some recovery for the PP, with Rajoy standing firm against calls to resign. The government expects Spain to have lifted out of recession in the second half of the year and the poll showed 57 percent of Spaniards believe the crisis has bottomed out though recovery will be slow. The unemployment rate is currently 26 percent.—Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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

Afghan presidential candidates finish registration KABUL: A slew of political heavyweights, along with the Afghan president’s brother and a number of former warlords, will take part in next year’s elections for the country’s top office in a critical vote that could determine the future course of the country and the level of foreign involvement in Afghanistan after 12 years of war.

The candidacies ended weeks of speculation over who will aspire to replace President Hamid Karzai, who has essentially run the country since the Oct. 7, 2001 invasion that ousted the Taleban.

Karzai is not entitled to run for a third consecutive term in the April 5 elections, but is expected to back at least one of the candidates - his former Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul, despite the fact that his businessman brother Qayyum Karzai is also running for president.

The contenders are a mix of Afghanistan’s past and current power players, including some warlords with a tainted history, a couple of technocrats and some complete political outsiders. All, however, come from Afghan elite that has to one degree or another shaped the country over the past 12 years.

By the end of the day and after a mad scramble by candidates and hundreds of supporters and heavily armed bodyguards, about 20 presidential candidates had registered for the first independent vote organized by Afghanistan without direct foreign assistance.

The registration came on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the invasion, which led to an insurgency that shows no signs of abatement and a war that has become largely forgotten in the United States and among its coalition allies, despite contin-

ued casualties suffered by their forces on the ground.

A bomb killed four US soldiers in southern Afghanistan yesterday, military and Afghan officials said, and the latest casualties in the conflict. The US-led international military coalition had earlier said four of its service members were killed in the south, and a military official confirmed all were Americans killed by an “improvised explosive device.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Their deaths bring the toll among foreign forces to 132 this year, of which 102 are from the United States. At least 2,146 members of the US military have died in Afghanistan as a result of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. They are part of a total of nearly 3,390 coalition forces that have died during the conflict.

The attack came as Afghan security forces take over the brunt of the fighting after the coalition handed over security responsibilities for the country earlier this summer. This year, an average of least 100 Afghan soldiers and police has died each week.

The insurgency has tried to take advantage of the withdrawal of foreign forces to regain territory around the country. There are currently about 87,000 coalition troops in Afghanistan, including around 52,000 Americans. That number is expected to be halved by February, with US numbers going down to about 31,000.

The April 5 vote will help determine the success or failure of all those years of US-led military and political intervention in the country. All the candidates have tried to shape tickets that attempt to

KABUL: Ashraf Ghani, former Afghan finance minister right, is photographed by an official of the Independent Election Commission, as he registers his candidacy in next year’s presidential election in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. — AP unify an ethnically fractious political scene marked by patronage and alliances among the elite - a group that includes warlords and tribal elders who can marshal votes among the country’s various ethnic groups. The population of 31 million is roughly 42 percent Pashtun, 27 percent Tajik, 9 percent Hazara, and 9 percent Uzbek along with other, smaller factions. The Taleban are predominantly Pashtun.

Candidates declare tickets that include two vice presidents and will be reviewed by the

Independent Electoral Commission before final approval on Nov. 11. To run, candidates must have at least 100,000 signatures from all 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces.

Billions of dollars in funds pledged to Afghanistan are tied to the government’s holding transparent and credible elections, a challenge in a country rife with patronage and corruption and a resilient Taleban insurgency. The Taleban have asked people not to vote and do not recognize the election process. — AP

Muslim victims say Myanmar police aided attackers Detained suspects released immediately

SINGAPORE: In a file picture taken on September 9, 2013, City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee (C) walks out for a lunch break with his pop-singer wife Ho Yeow Sun (L) during his trial at the subordinate courts in Singapore. A multimillion-dollar scandal involving a Christian pastor, his singer wife and a glamorous financial executive has gripped Singapore with allegations of fraud and tantalising glimpses into the expensive process of making a popstar. — AFP

Scandal puts spotlight on rich Singapore churches SINGAPORE: A multimillion-dollar scandal involving a Christian pastor, his singer wife and a glamorous financial executive has gripped Singapore, with allegations of fraud and tantalising glimpses into the expensive process of making a pop star.

Kong Hee, 47, the pastor and founder of the 20,000-strong City Harvest Church, is on trial alongside five other church officials for an alleged scheme to siphon off Sg$24 million ($19 million) to finance the singing career of his wife Sun Ho. The accused allegedly misappropriated another Sg$26 million to cover up the original diversion. Ho, 41, an established Mandarin pop singer who co-founded the evangelical megachurch with her husband in 1989, moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to launch an English-language singing career before the scandal scuttled her showbiz ambitions.

She does not face any charges herself, appearing stoically with her husband for his court appearances as her music videos continue to draw hits on video-sharing site YouTube. The video for her song “China Wine”in which she dances in a nightclub alongside the rapper Wyclef Jean-has attracted more than one million views so far.

In another video, the reggae-tinged “Mr Bill”, she plays a skimpily-clad Asian wife who calls herself a geisha and sings about killing her African-American husband, played by the male supermodel Tyson Beckford.

Ho also posed for numerous pictures at exclusive events with American celebrities as part of her image-building campaign.

Evidence reportedly produced in court showed that the church had earmarked more than US$10 million as its marketing budget”in line with Shakira’s marketing budget and less than the budget for Beyonce”-to boost her Hollywood foray.

The Straits Times said the documents also showed more than US$1.6 million was spent on production fees for Wyclef Jean.

The church has defended Ho’s attempt to become an international music star as part of a “crossover” campaign to spread God’s message to the secular world through pop music.

But prosecutors say Kong and his subordinates engaged in a practice called “round-tripping” by channelling money alloted for a church building fund into sham bonds in church-linked companies so they could finance Ho’s music career.

They falsified church accounts to make it appear the bonds were redeemed, prosecutors say. All six accused deny the charges. The

trial, which went into recess on September 20 and will resume in January, exposed complex money dealings and drew attention to the financial might of evangelical Christian churches in the largely Buddhist and Taoist city-state.

The trial also created a buzz in the mainstream press and on social media thanks to the church’s photogenic former financial manager, Serina Wee, a 36-year-old mother of three whose stylish courtroom outfits have turned her into a fashion icon.

Wee faces six charges of criminal breach of trust for her role in the alleged scam, and four other charges for falsifying accounts. Jeaney Yip, an Australia-based academic who has studied the marketing methods of fast-growing churches, said they make Christian teachings attractive by drawing on pop culture.

“Whatever’s in fashion, whatever’s stylish, whatever looks cool is used and infused in megachurch practice,” Yip said. “Because of the religious and humanitarian element to giving, I do not think churchgoers generally question or pay attention to how the funds are managed,” said Yip, a lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School.

“The issue is not in the giving; it is in the management of the funds received that deserves accountability and transparency.”

City Harvest, which has 20,000 followers in Singapore and 49 affiliates in eight Asian territories, acquired a stake in one of the citystate’s biggest convention centres in 2010 for Sg$310 million and holds its weekly services there. Terence Chong, a sociologist at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, said some independent churches like City Harvest preach the “prosperity gospels” which seek to convince followers that offerings made to God through donations and voluntarism will be rewarded with spiritual and material blessings.

Singapore is one of the world’s wealthiest societies, with a per capita income of Sg$65,048 ($51,800) in 2012 according to official data. “In essence, the prosperity gospels appeal to the culture of self-improvement and upward social mobility in capitalist societies,” Chong said, adding that the followers tend to come mostly from the “emergent middle class”. The church’s website exhorts members to donate money as a “form of worship” and lists acceptable credit cards. “As we give, we have faith that He will never shortchange us,” the website says. “He will certainly bless our lives abundantly in return, because we can never out-give God!” — AFP

THANDWE: Even as the president came to western Myanmar to urge an end to sectarian violence last week, security forces could not prevent Buddhist mobs from torching the homes of minority Muslims or hacking them to death, at times, unwittingly, even encouraging them. That has raised questions about the government’s ability to quench a virulent strain of religious hatred blamed for the deaths of more than 240 people in the last 18 months.

Five Muslims were killed in the attack Tuesday in Thandwe township, just hours before President Thein Sein touched down for a scheduled visit. He promised an immediate investigation and, with uncharacteristic speed, state-run media by Saturday night said 44 suspects had been arrested, though few other details were released.

Still, as soldiers walked the dusty streets in the hardest-hit village of Thabyuchaing, semi-automatics slung across their shoulders, Myint Aung and other Muslims residents were afraid. They said authorities had plenty of opportunities to prevent a series of attacks Tuesday, each more brutal than the next, but did nothing. More than 110 homes were burned to the ground, and nearly 500 people were left homeless.

Initially, the Buddhist mobs numbering about 150 entered before dawn, setting one house on fire, but Muslim residents were able to push them back, said the 52-year-old, standing before a charred mosque and several homes.

Police detained three suspects soon after, but released them almost immediately following threats of more violence, he said. Though police promised the Muslims villagers protection - and disarmed them and ordered them back into their homes - the mobs returned in even greater numbers at 9:30 a.m., and then again at 2:30 pm.

Among the dead were a 94-year-old woman and an 89-year-old man, both too old to run, each with multiple stab wounds. “We had no way to protect ourselves” said Win Myint, 51, another resident, standing in front of his demolished home, echoing complaints heard by victims in other attacks across the state. “And the police did nothing. They just looked on. Now everyone is living in fear now.” In an interview with Associated Press in

THANDWE: In this Oct. 3, 2013 photo, a Muslim woman cries after Rakhine state chief ministerís motorcade passed through a road in Shwehlay village, in Thandwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. The woman cried after government authorities who visited the burnt villages in Shwehlay comforted and gave donations to the victims. — AP New York, Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin denied the charges that law enforcement or government troops failed to take necessary action.

There was more sectarian violence in Myanmar late Saturday, this time in the southern delta region, with police and residents saying Buddhist mobs destroyed a pair of Muslim homes. It was the first time sectarian unrest was reported in the area since the violence started in June 2012.

The violence in the town of Kyaunggon, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of the main city of Yangon, came after news spread that a 14-yearold girl had allegedly been raped by a Muslim man. Kyaunggon resident Myint Soe said mobs destroyed the rape suspect’s home, as well as the home of another Muslim man elsewhere in the town. Police confirmed the violence and said

Malala describes attack, recovery in book excerpt LONDON: Seven days after the Pakistani Taleban shot her in the head, Malala Yousafzai woke up confused in a place that wasn’t home. Her first thought? “Thank God I’m not dead.”

Malala, whose campaign for girls’ right to education made her a Taliban target, describes the shooting and its aftermath in a book that comes out Tuesday, a day before the anniversary of the assassination attempt.

In an excerpt in The Sunday Times, the now 16-year-old describes riding in a school van with her girlfriends when it was stopped by two men, including the gunman who shot Malala in the left eye socket at close range. “I woke up on October 16, a week after the shooting,” she writes. “The first thing I thought was, ‘Thank God I’m not dead.’ But I had no idea where I was. I knew I was not in my homeland. The nurses and doctors were speaking English though they all seemed to be from different countries.”

She gradually found out that she had been taken from Pakistan to Birmingham, England, for specialist treatment. The book excerpt describes how she gradually regained her sight and her voice and was reunited with her parents.

Malala, who has been mentioned as a possible contender for the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced Friday, also describes her amazement at finding out that some 8,000 people had sent messages of support to the hospital.

“Rehanna, the Muslim chaplain, said millions of people and children around the world had supported me and prayed for me,” Malala writes. “Then I realized that

Malala Yousafzai people had spared my life. I had been spared for a reason. I realized that what the Taliban had done was make my campaign global.”

Malala, who is now residing in the UK, also described her goal of one day returning to Pakistan despite the risks: “To be torn from the country that you love is not something to wish on anyone,” she writes.

The book is titled “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taleban.” The teen author can also apparently add Queen Elizabeth II to her long list of admirers. Buckingham Palace officials said Sunday that Malala has been invited to an Oct. 18 reception at the palace that will be hosted by the queen and her husband, Prince Philip. — AP

Kyauggon was calm Sunday.

Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million, is undergoing a mind-boggling political transformation after a half-century of brutal military rule. But greater freedoms of expression have had a dark side, exposing deep-seated hatred toward Muslims that, fueled by radical monks, have ignited attacks first in western Rakhine state and then from Meikhtila in the countr y ’s center to Lashio near the Chinese border.

Under the new democratization, a poorly trained and ill-equipped police force - made up almost exclusively of Buddhists - is now tasked with dealing with sectarian violence, the army only stepping in at the invitation of civilian authorities or during states of emergency. — AP

S Lanka’s first elected Tamil CM to be sworn COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s first elected Tamil chief minister will be sworn in by President Mahinda Rajapakse today after a bitter election campaign, despite pressure from supporters to boycott the ceremony, his party said.

C. V. Wigneswaran’s opposition Tamil party won a landslide victory in polls for a provincial council held last month in the former war zone. The election was hailed internationally as a step towards ethnic reconciliation after decades of bloodshed.

The election, in which Wigneswaran’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won 30 out of 38 seats, was the first in the battled-scarred northern region since the councils were formed 26 years ago. But the campaign was marred by claims Rajapakse deployed troops to intimidate and attack minority Tamil supporters and candidates and scare off voters on polling day, to try to increase the chances of his own Sinhalese party.

In a sign of goodwill, Wigneswaran will go ahead with the oath of office at Rajapakse’s official residence in Colombo on Monday morning, despite the pressure to stay away, a TNA leader said Sunday.

“Most of our supporters are dead against being sworn in before the president,” said Dharmalingam Sithadthan, a TNA member elected to the Northern Province council in the September 21 polls.

“We have decided to show our goodwill. We have a desire to work together,” Sithadthan told AFP. President Rajapakse, whose party has denied claims of voter intimidation, has accused Wigneswaran of raising expectations of a separate state for minority Tamils before and after the election victory.

Elections were promised after councils were formed in 1987 in a bid to address Tamil demands for greater autonomy in exchange for an end to the separatist conflict. But continued fighting between Tamil Tiger rebels and the military meant they were never held.

Rajapakse’s troops crushed the rebels in May 2009 and he declared an end to 37 years of ethnic bloodshed, in which at least 100,000 people were killed, according to UN estimates. — AFP

NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

US forces conduct twin raids in Somalia...

Continued from Page 1

The operation ended a 13-year manhunt for the 49year-old Libi, whose given name is Nazih Abdul Hamed AlRaghie. The US raid took place in broad daylight with the knowledge of the Libyan government, a US official told CNN. A source close to Libi told AFP he was snatched by armed men in Tripoli.

Libya, however, said the raid had no official authorization and demanded answers. “The Libyan government has been following the reports of the kidnap of one of the Libyan citizens wanted by the authorities in the United States,” a government statement said.

“As soon as it heard the reports, the Libyan government contacted the US authorities to demand an explanation.”

In Somalia, a US official said a “high-value” Shabab leader was the target. The operation marked the most significant US assault in Somalia since commandos killed key AlQaeda operative Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan in the same area four years ago. “US personnel took all necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties in this operation and disengaged after inflicting some Shabab casualties,” the official said. “We are not in a position to identify those casualties,” the official said, adding that “even in these extreme operational circumstances, the US military is very cautious to minimize civilian casualties.”

Leaders of the Shabab in Barawe, one of the few ports left in the hands of the insurgents, said commandos attacked from the sea and the air, but failed in their attempt to storm a house belonging to a senior commander. The SEAL team approached and fired on the unidentified target’s seaside villa by sea, according to The New York Times.

Although the Shabab leader was believed to have been killed during the assault, the SEALs had to withdraw before they could confirm the kill, a senior US official told the newspaper. “The Barawe raid was planned a week and a half ago,” a US security official told the Times. “It was prompted by the Westgate attack.”

“Our cooperation with international partners on fighting against the terrorism is not a secret,” Farah Shirdon said. “Understand me, that fighting is not a secret. And our interest is to get a peaceful Somalia... free from terrorism and problems.” Shabab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab said that commandos had stormed the beach by boat, but blamed Britain and Turkey.

“The bungled operation was carried out by white people, who came with two small boats from a larger ship out at sea... one Shabab guard was killed, but reinforcements soon came and the foreigners fled,” he said. “Where the foreigners had been, afterwards we saw lots of blood, so maybe we wounded some.” — AFP

Boehner: US on path to default Continued from Page 1 Republicans are seeking concessions in exchange for raising the nation’s $16.7 trillion debt limit. If the borrowing cap is not increased, the United States could go into default, with what officials and economists say would be seriously damaging consequences for the US and global economies. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned of serious consequences “if we were to have the unthinkable happen, to have the United States default.”

“It is irresponsible and it is reckless to take that chance, which is why Congress needs to act,” he told Fox News. Pressed on Obama’s vow not to negotiate over the debt limit, Lew said: “The president has always been looking for a way to negotiate, to find that reasonable middle ground, with a bipartisan group of members and senators to do the right thing for the American people ...

He put out a budget that actually took an enormous step to do that. So the president is open to negotiation. The question about the debt limit is different.”

Senator Ted Cruz, who has been the standard-bearer for Republican opposition to funding the government without measures to undercut Obama’s landmark 2010 healthcare reform, also known as Obamacare, told CNN that Congress frequently in the past had attached curbs on spending to votes to raise the debt ceiling. On this occasion, he said, Republicans were looking for three things before raising the debt ceiling: a significant structural plan to reduce government spending, no new taxes, and measures to “mitigate the harm from Obamacare.”

Democrats vow not to negotiate on the funding bill or the debt ceiling, arguing that it is the job of Congress to pay its bills. Concerns that the shutdown could trim economic growth coupled with nervousness over a potential debt ceiling crisis later this month have weighed on stocks and pushed the US dollar close to an eight-month low. While selling has been orderly so far, investors expect volatility to rise as the shutdown continues and the debt ceiling deadline nears.

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” he did not believe Boehner would let the nation go into default, as it would lead to chaos on financial markets, freeze lines of credit and cause a jump in interest rates. “I believe Speaker Boehner will not do that when push comes to shove,” Schumer said, adding that Boehner and Republicans would be forced “sooner or later” to stand up to the “hard right” in their party and give in. “They will have to back off.”

Obama and the Democrats say bills to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling could be resolved

quickly if Boehner permitted votes on simple, no-stringsattached measures in the Republican-controlled House.

Asked about reports that around 20 House Republicans have said they would join some 200 Democrats in voting for such a bill - enough to pass it - Boehner told ABC that there were not enough votes in the chamber to pass such a bill.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said via Twitter that Boehner should prove he does not have the votes for a clean bill, known as a “continuing resolution,” or CR, by putting a bill on the House floor. “The Speaker says there are ‘not enough votes’ to pass a clean CR? If he’s right, why not prove it?” Carney said in a tweet.

Republicans have demanded that Democrats agree to delay implementation of Obamacare as part of any spending bill.

The law aims to provide health insurance to millions of Americans without coverage. Republicans argue it is a massive government intrusion into private medicine that will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket, put people out of work and eventually lead to socialized medicine.

The shutdown started on Tuesday and initially idled as many as 800,000 federal workers, shuttering all but essential government operations.

The Pentagon said on Saturday it would recall the vast majority of some 350,000 civilian Defense Department employees sent home during the shutdown. The announcement came as Democrats and Republicans in the House agreed to pay all furloughed employees retroactively once the government reopens.

In an interview with CNN, Lew repeatedly declined to say what would happen if Congress failed to raise the debt ceiling. Some Republicans have argued that the US government would be able to continue to service its debt even if it did not have enough money to pay all of its bills. Lew declined to say whether that would be the case, but he argued that it would be just as bad if it missed other obligations like Social Security pension payments or Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors. “There is no option that prevents us from being in default if we don’t pay our bills,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” Lew said the Obama administration has determined that legally it does not have the authority to raise the debt ceiling on its own, as some Democratic lawmakers have suggested. “There’s a desire here for there to be some kind of a magic solution. There’s an easy solution: a majority in Congress would do the right thing if given a chance to open the government. A majority in Congress would do the right thing if given a chance to let us pay our bills.” — Reuters

Al-Sane calls for raising NA membership ...

Continued from Page 1 HH the Amir’s approval to start the debate over the proposed amendment is essential because without his approval, the amendment proposal is rejected outright.

To become legal, any amendment to the Constitution must be passed with a two-third majority of the House’s membership including the Cabinet members. Along with his proposal, Al-Sane appealed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah to accept the idea of the amendment because it has

become important and necessary for the Kuwaiti society.

Al-Sane’s proposal is not the first suggestion to raise the Assembly’s membership as several similar proposals had been submitted in the past calling to increase the number of MPs, almost all of them citing the need to have a more representative assembly.

In addition, Al-Sane said the amendment will enable HH the Prime Minister to increase the number of the ministers who under the existing constitutional setup cannot exceed 16 including the prime min-

ister.

The Constitution states that the number of ministers cannot exceed one-third of the Assembly’s members who are 50 now. If the number is raised to 70, the cabinet can comprise of as many as 22 ministers in addition to the Prime Minister.

In another development, the National Assembly’s Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee yesterday rejected a proposal to unify the various degrees of Kuwaiti citizenship and also the healthcare insurance proposal because it does not cover all sections of the society.

34 dead as Egypt Islamists protest Continued from Page 1 Egyptian flags as warplanes flew overhead in formation and patriotic songs blared from loudspeakers.

Elsewhere in the city, the air was thick with tear gas and the crackle of gunfire as police confronted several marches heading for Tahrir.

In Delga, an Islamist bastion south of Cairo, one person was killed when Islamists clashed with civilian opponents and police, a health ministry official and witnesses said. Clashes also erupted in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya, a security official said. For weeks authorities have been drumming up national fervor in state media, amid the worst political divisions in Egypt’s recent history. Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi urged Egyptians to unite, saying the country is on the road to recovery.

“As we go through these critical times all Egyptians should stand together, be confident and be optimistic about the future,” he said in a televised address. Morsi’s opponents demonstrated in their millions in June and July to urge the army to remove him, accusing the Islamist of failing the revolution that brought him to the presidency and concentrating power in the hands of his allies.

His supporters decried his overthrow a year after his election in Egypt’s first free polls as a violation of democratic principles. Away from the main squares, Cairo’s streets were largely deserted yesterday, a public holiday to commemorate the October War, known as the Yom Kippur War in Israel.

The conflict, remembered proudly by the Egyptian

army because it caught Israel by surprise, led to the recovery of the Sinai Peninsula in a 1979 peace treaty.

The interior ministry had warned it would “firmly confront” any violence or attempts to disturb yesterday’s celebrations, state news agency MENA reported. Attempts

by Islamists to reach Tahrir on Friday sparked clashes with Morsi opponents and security forces that killed four people.

Analysts called the Islamists’ call for protests a highrisk attempt to strip the current high command of the army’s legacy and patriotic pride in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“They will try to show that the present army is not the army of all Egyptians, but only of those who backed the coup,” Hassan Nafaa, political science professor at Cairo University, told AFP. “But this message will not go down well.” The AntiCoup Alliance group has repeatedly called for protests against Morsi’s overthrow.

But its ability to mobilize large numbers has waned as security forces have arrested some 2,000 Islamists, including Morsi himself and several Brotherhood leaders. More than 1,000 people were killed on August 14 when security forces moved in to destroy two large proMorsi protest camps in Cairo, and ensuing clashes in the following days. Islamists elsewhere in Egypt struck back, attacking police and torching churches and other Coptic Christian institutions.

The government has also been battling an insurgency in the Sinai, where militants have launched neardaily attacks on security targets. — AFP

KUWAIT: A picture taken on October 5 in Kuwait City shows a military balloon flying above a crescent on the top of a mosque. The observation balloon that contains radars and electronic intelligence systems is used by the Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense in north Kuwait to monitor the borders or for meteorology purposes. — Photo Yasser Al-Zayyat

German embassy staff shot dead in Yemen Continued from Page 1 Yesterday, AQAP said in a statement it was behind an attack on an army base in the southeast of the country last week in protest at the army’s cooperation with the United States and vowed to continue its “holy war” against Yemeni

forces. Militants took advantage of political chaos in Yemen during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 to seize control of some towns and surrounding areas in the south of the country. They were beaten back by Yemeni forces with assistance from the United States and dispersed into smaller groups spread across the south of the country. — Reuters

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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Issues

Cancelled EU-US talks complicate trade ambitions

By Hiroshi Hiyama

By Robin Emmott and John O’Donnell ven before the cancellation of the latest round of EU-US talks, negotiations to create the world’s largest freetrade deal were getting into difficulty territory. France won a concession to leave European movies and entertainment out of the pact, to shield them from Hollywood and Silicon Valley, raising concerns Washington may pursue optouts for its shipping industry on security grounds.

Then the first round of talks in July were overshadowed by reports the United States had bugged European Union offices under its surveillance program made public by fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Now, just before negotiators were due to get down to the nitty gritty in the search for a deal by the end of next year, the US government’s partial shutdown has forced next week’s talks in Brussels to be scrapped.

If that were not enough, a split is emerging between Europe and the United States on one of the most critical areas of the proposed pact: finance.

“This delay is not fatal, but if the US shutdown drags on and you are taking things off the table like culture and financial services, it is not a good way to start,” said Stuart Eizenstat, a former US ambassador to the European Union. “This postponement may complicate the timetable of completing the talks by the end of 2014,” Eizenstat said.

EU and US officials say the deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, could boost economic output by some $100 billion a year on each side of the Atlantic, creating a market of 800 million people. After five years of crisis, both see a deal as a way to reinvigorate their economies that account for a third of world trade when China’s might threatens their global standing. So it was with some frustration that US Trade Representative Michael Froman rang his EU counterpart Karel De Gucht on Friday to cancel the second round of talks because of the effects of the Congressional budget dispute.

De Gucht, who handles trade for the EU’s 28 countries, said the postponement “in no way distracts us from our overall aim of achieving an ambitious trade and investment deal.”

Assistant US Trade Representative Dan Mullaney is expected in Brussels today to find a date for a second round of talks.

Much depends on the US shutdown, while Congress must act

by Oct 17 in to avoid a US government debt default. Agreeing a deal by the end of 2014 is the goal of both sides, because the European Commission’s term ends in November next year and the United States holds mid-term elections.

Since tariffs between the EU and United States are already low, around 80 percent of the gains of any agreement will come from creating common rules for business. The great, hoped-for benefit is that by agreeing shared regulatory standards, many costs and hurdles hindering transatlantic business will be removed, making the two economies even more dynamic and speeding the wheels of trade and industry.

However, an emerging dispute is over finance. The EU wants financial regulation to be a central part of the deal, whereas Washington is resisting, worried about losing control over its financial industry. Financial ties between Europe and the United States are already huge, accounting for 60 percent of world banking. EU investors own $2.7 trillion of US stocks and bonds, while US residents hold almost as much in Europe.

However, the United States and European countries regulate banks, insurers and traders in very different ways, particularly in the $630 trillion derivatives industry. Never was the difference more evident than during the financial crisis, when Washington moved quickly in 2008 to tackle problems at its banks. Five years on, the European Union is still struggling to impose order on its financial system and has had to give emergency aid to five countries. This is mirrored in regulation, where the two sides have also clashed over the control of derivatives, with Washington demanding that global trading involving US firms be subject only to US rules, regardless of where it happens.

Europe wants a pact that spells out which regulators are responsible for what activities. Some EU officials even talk about creating new EU-US institutions to oversee finance. The United States’ Froman, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, has expressed Washington’s reluctance.

“There has been an explosion of regulatory activity,” Froman said in Brussels on Sept. 30, making clear Europe and the United States could not merge their financial regulation.

“That work should continue in parallel,” he said. US officials fear a deal with Europe could water down their signature reform since the financial crisis, the 848-page Dodd-Frank Act, introduced in 2010 to discourage risk-taking. In Europe there is a cacophony of approaches to regulation, despite Brussels’ efforts to impose a federal-style system. — Reuters

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China steps in as Obama pivot falters

By Stuart Grudgings hen then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared two years ago “We are back to stay” as a power in Asia, the most dramatic symbol of the policy shift was the planned deployment of 2,500 US Marines in northern Australia, primed to respond to any regional conflict.

At this point in time, however, there is not a single US Marine in the tropical northern city of Darwin, according to the Australian defense ministry. Two hundred Marines just finished their six-month tour and will not be replaced until next year, when 1,150 Marines are due to arrive.

The original goal of stationing 2,500 Marines there by 2017 remains in place, but the lack of a US presence there two years after the policy was announced underlines questions about Washington’s commitment to the strategic “pivot” to Asia. President Barack Obama’s cancellation of a trip this week to four Asian nations and two regional summits due to the US government shutdown has raised further doubts over a policy aimed at re-invigorating US military and economic influence in the fast-growing region, while balancing a rising China.

While US and Asian diplomats downplayed the impact of Obama’s no-show, the image of a dysfunctional, distracted Washington adds to perceptions that China has in some ways outflanked the US pivot.

“It’s symptomatic of the concern in Asia over the sustainability of the American commitment,” said Carl Baker, director of the Pacific Forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Hawaii.

As embarrassed US officials announced the cancellations last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Indonesia announcing a raft of deals worth about $30 billion and then in Malaysia to announce a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, including an upgrade in military ties. He was en route to this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali and the East Asia Summit in Brunei,

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where Obama will no longer be able to press his signature trade pact or use personal diplomacy to support allies concerned at China’s assertive maritime expansion.

Since 2011, China has consolidated its position as the largest trade partner with most Asian countries and its direct investments in the region are surging, albeit from a much lower base than Europe, Japan and the United States. Smaller countries such as Laos and Cambodia have been drawn so strongly into China’s economic orbit that they have been called “client states” of Beijing, supporting its stance in regional disputes. Leveraging its commercial ties, China is also expanding its diplomatic, political and military influence more broadly in the region, though its efforts are handicapped by lingering maritime tensions with Japan, the Philippines and several other nations.

“For countries not closely allied with the US, Obama’s no-show will reinforce their policy of bandwagoning with China,” wrote Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. 0China, for instance, has been the biggest trade partner of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 2009, and its direct investments are surging, bringing with them increased economic and diplomatic influence. Chinese companies invested $4.42 billion in Southeast Asia in 2012, up 52 percent on the previous year, according to Chinese state media citing the ChinaASEAN Business Council. Investments into neighboring Vietnam rocketed 147 percent.

China is demonstrating that it can deploy forces far beyond its coastal waters on patrols where they conduct complex battle exercises, according to Japanese and Western naval experts. Chinese shipyards are turning out new nuclear and conventional submarines, destroyers, missilearmed patrol boats and surface ships at a higher rate than any other country.

Operating from increasingly modern

ports, including a new naval base in the south of Hainan island, its warships are patrolling more regularly, in bigger numbers and further from the mainland in what is the most sweeping shift in Asia’s maritime power balance since the demise of the Soviet navy.

China’s military diplomacy with Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving as it takes steps to promote what Beijing describes as its “peaceful rise”. The Chinese navy’s hospital ship Peace Ark recently treated hundreds of patients on a swing last month through Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia - its first such mission across Southeast Asia. Its naval vessels returning from regular international anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden have made calls in Southeast Asian ports, including Singapore and Vietnam.

Still, analysts and diplomats say Beijing has a long way to go to catch up with not just the long-dominant United States, but other regional military powers such as Australia, Japan and Russia.

“China has come late to the party,” said Richard Bitzinger, a military analyst at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Not a patchy pivot Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, one of Washington’s most key allies in the region, said it was disappointing Obama would not be visiting Asia.

“Obviously we prefer a US government which is working to one which is not. And we prefer a US President who is able to travel to fulfill his international duties to one who is preoccupied with his domestic preoccupations,” Lee said after arriving in Bali.

“It is a very great disappointment to us President Obama is unable to visit.” US officials dismissed the notion that Obama’s noshow would imply any weakening of the US commitment to the region. Just last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry were in South Korea and Japan to reaffirm the US military commitment to the two key allies, and Kerry

will fill in for Obama at the two Asian summits. “The bottom line is that the United States of America is not going to change one iota the fundamental direction of the policy under this president,” Kerry said on Saturday.

“I think everybody in the region understands. Everybody sees this (the cancellation of the visit) as a moment in politics - an unfortunate moment - but they see it for what it is.”

The United States has ramped up military funding and assistance to its close ally the Philippines, expanded military exercises with other nations and increased regional port visits. From only 50 ship visits in 2010, nearly 90 ships have visited the Philippines since January this year alone. Washington has stationed surveillance planes there and promised up to $30 million in support for building and operating coastal radar stations, all aimed at improving its ally’s ability to counter China’s naval encroachment in the disputed South China Sea that has alarmed several Asian nations.

But talks to establish a framework agreement on a regular rotational US military presence in the Philippines have yet to bear fruit, and are unlikely to have been helped

by Obama’s cancellation of his planned visit to Manila. For the Darwin deployment, a US Senate Committee said in April that it would cost $1.6 billion to build lodgings for the Marines, but the Australian government last month called for only a first-stage A$12 million ($11.3 million) tender to construct new quarters at existing Australian barracks for around 350 marines.

A final deal would have to be approved by the US Congress, raising the prospect of domestic politics again obstructing Asia ties. “Even if the administration could push through some agreement on the TPP, it’s very unlikely there is going to be legislative success getting that through based on the acrimony that exists,” said the CSIS’s Baker. “...On the commercial side (of the pivot), there seems to be more rhetoric than action.” — Reuters

Somalia’s Shabab a tough nut to crack

By Peter Martell fforts to defeat Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants and prevent cross-border attacks like the bloody siege at a Nairobi shopping mall will require more than just commando strikes alone, analysts say. Although killing or capturing senior rebel leaders in raids or drone strikes would dent the insurgents, Shabab’s shadowy command structure means they can bounce back from such setbacks.

“Eliminating top level individuals would be strategic blow to the organization, but of course, the problem is in finding them,” said one foreign security source who follows the Horn of Africa.

“However, it is not a silver bullet alone... it offers a chance to kick them down, but not keep them down.” According to a recent UN monitoring report, Shebab have built up a powerful “Amniyat” secret service which operates in separate cells “with the intention of surviving any kind of dissolution” of the group. In addition, regional Shabab “franchises”, such as Kenya’s radical Al-Hijra group, which is thought to have played a key role in last month’s Westgate shopping centre attack, have the ability to work both with Somali commanders but also on their own when necessary.

It was not known which Shabab commander was targeted by elite US forces in their Saturday night raid in the southern Somali port of Barawe. The wanted militant-described as a “high value” Shabab leader-was not captured and it was unclear whether he had been killed, but a US official said several members of the group had been slain.

Somali experts suggested it would be unlikely that reclusive Shabab chief Ahmed Abdi Godane, who carries a $7 million US bounty on his head, would have been based in as open a place as Barawe.

Some Shabab leaders are thought to be based in the mountains of Puntland in the far northeast, known to some as “Somalia’s Tora Bora” after the mountainous area of

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Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden hid out following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Negotiation seems doubtful with the Al-Qaeda-linked group, and there seems little sign that Shebab-which want all foreign forces to leave Somalia and have warned Kenya of “rivers of blood”-would actually want to talk.

This leaves the focus on a military solution and a long fight for the 17,700-strong African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM), which is mandated by the United Nations and has already been battling Shabab fighters for almost seven years.

Massive steps forward have been taken in the past two years after Shabab fighters fled fixed positions in the capital Mogadishu, and the AU seized a string of key towns.

Overstretched AU force But stamping out Shabab for good is far away. Initial targets on the ground in Somalia could include a push to link up currently separated AU forces by seizing Barawe, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu. One of few ports left in Shabab hands, it offers both a symbolic and strategic prize. “Barawe is a target within reach for the Kenyans,” said Stig Jarle Hansen, author of “Al-Shabaab in Somalia”. Kenyan troops in southern Somalia-along with forces from Sierra Leone-could push north from the port of Kismayo, while at the same time Ugandan or Burundian troops could advance south towards the same target. But just taking towns will weaken but not eliminate Shabab forces, analysts said.

“The notion that insurgency can be defeated by force displays a fundamental misreading of the enemy’s strength,” said Abdihakim Ainte, an independent analyst. He said guerrilla attacks will not be quashed by the seizing of towns while the rebels continue to operate in rural areas.

AMISOM itself complains it lacks ground troops and air power including both transport and attack helicopters to fully carry out the task. “We can’t expand anymore... the best we

MOGADISHU: An armed member of the militant group Al-Shabab attends a rally on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. — AP can do is consolidating and cleaning up the areas which we’re controlling now,” Ugandan army chief Edward Wamala Katumba said shortly after the Westgate attack, calling for up for 7,000 more troops.

“The more we stretch, the thinner we become on the ground and the more exposed we are,” Katumba told reporters, adding that Shabab fighters use “the ungoverned space... to perfect their skills of terrorism”. Financial restrictions including strangling the lucrative charcoal trade to Gulf States that the Shabab still have interests in could also tighten the noose on the group. — AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

S P ORT S

Sking champ Albrecht quits

Ahli force away draw

Harmison announces retirement

ZURICH: Daniel Albrecht has retired almost five years after a horrific crash left the Swiss skier with serious brain and lung injuries.

“It was a great time, with many highlights and a lot of emotion. A big thank you to all who have suppor ted me on my way!” the 30-year-old Albrecht said on his website yesterday.

Albrecht was the 2007 world champion in super-combined and a four-time winner on the World Cup circuit.

However, he was unable to return to top form after spending 16 days in an induced coma to recover from injuries sustained when crashing heavily during downhill training in Kitzbuehel, Austria, in January 2009. The last of his 138 World Cup races was at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, in March 2012.

Albrecht suffered another injur y blow last November with a serious left knee injury sustained in a training crash on the World Cup downhill course in Lake Louise, Alberta. He returned to Bern, Switzerland, for surgery to repair a dislocated kneecap and torn ligaments. — AP

GAROUA: Talismanic midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika netted an equaliser on the stroke of halftime to secure holders Al Ahli a 1-1 draw away at Coton Sport of Cameroon in yesterday’s African Champions League semi-final.

The first leg result in Garoua hands the advantage to the Egyptian club, who will host the return on Oct.20. But their coach Mohamed Youssef will be banished to the stands after being sent off for dissent. He was red carded midway through the second half. Coton Sport forward Ewangue Mbongo cut inside the Ahli defence before striking home a low shot to the near post to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead after 33 minutes.

Within a minute Coton Sport were forced to clear off the line to deny Ahmed Abdulzaher’s header before Aboutrika’s silky skills conjoured up the equaliser in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Ahli might have snuck the win had Al-Sayed Hamdi not missed a good chance just four minutes from the end. The two teams returned 24 hours after a torrential storm saw their game abandoned just short of the hour mark on Saturday, with the pitch badly waterlogged but it evaporated sufficiently by kick off time yesterday to allow the match to take place. — Reuters

LONDON: Former England fast bowler Stephen Harmison announced his retirement from cricket yesterday. The 34-year-old, who made his England debut in 2002, took 226 wickets in 63 tests, including a memorable 7 for 12 against the West Indies in Jamaica in 2004 which helped him to briefly earn top spot in the test bowler rankings.

Harmison did not play a first-class game for his English county side Durham this season as they won the championship.

“I did not want to take the shine off such a magnificent season for Durham by announcing my retirement before it had finished,” Harmison said on the club website (www.durhamccc.co.uk).

“I had plenty of highlights in an England career that spanned nine years during which time I became the world’s topranked test bowler,” added Harmison who took 17 wickets in five tests when England won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years in 2005.

Harmison, however, struggled with homesickness on tour and in the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia his reverse in form was summed up when he opened with a wide which went straight to second slip, setting the tone for a hugely forgettable 5-0 series defeat.

“As my playing career has come to an end my focus is very much on the future,” Harmison said. “I’ll be taking my coaching qualifications in the winter so I can use my experiences to help support and nurture future talent.” — Reuters

Bruins clip Red Wings BOSTON: Brad Marchand scored the tiebreaking goal 36 seconds into the second period and Tuukka Rask made 25 saves, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL on Saturday. Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara each scored power-play goals, and Jordan Caron added an even-strength score for Boston, which won its season opener against Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Henrik Zetterberg scored for the Red Wings, who are in the same division with the Bruins after the NHL realigned following last season. Detroit’s Jimmy Howard made 33 saves.

CANADIENS 4, FLYERS 1 In Montreal, Lars Eller scored his third goal in two games and Brendan Gallagher got his second to help Montreal beat Philadelphia.

Carey Price stopped 22 shots, Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque added goals for Montreal, and Alex Galchenyuk had his second two-assist performance in two games to start the season.

Vincent Lecavalier scored for Philadelphia. Many of the 21,273 at the Bell Centre booed each time the puck went to Lecavalier, who turned down the Canadiens to sign with the Flyers this offseason.

LIGHTNING 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 In Chicago, Valtteri Filppula scored in the shootout as Tampa Bay rallied for a victory over Chicago. Ben Bishop made 37 saves in his first start this season for Tampa Bay, then denied each of Chicago’s three shooters in the tiebreaker. Filppula beat Corey Crawford into the right side of the net in the first round.

Tampa Bay looked listless before Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell scored midway through the third period, tying it at 2. It was the first victory of the season for the Lightning, who opened with a 3-1 loss at Boston.

DUCKS 4, WILD 3 In St. Paul, Mathieu Perreault scored at 4:55 of overtime to give Anaheim a victory over Minnesota. Perreault’s game-winner came on a 2on-1 break with Francois Beauchemin. He dumped the puck to a streaking Beauchemin, who gave it

right back to Perreault, and the center flipped his shot past Niklas Backstrom to give the Ducks their first win of the season. Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller had 30 saves while Backstrom finished with 26.

PENGUINS 4, SABRES 1 In Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby and Chuck Kobasew each scored his second goal of the season and Marc-Andre Fleury was nearly perfect again, making 20 saves to lead Pittsburgh.

Craig Adams also scored his second goal and Chris Kunitz converted a penalty shot to help the Penguins open 2-0 for the third straight season.

Pittsburgh defenseman Matt Niskanen added two assists and forward Pascal Dupuis, playing in his 800th game, also had an assist.

Fleury has sparkled through two games, turning aside 47 of 48 shots. He earned his 250th career victory and 24th shutout with a 3-0 win Thursday against New Jersey.

CANUCKS 6, OILERS 2 In Vancouver, Dan Hamhuis and Jannik Hansen scored 18 seconds apart late in the first period as Vancouver cruised over Edmonton.

Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, and Brad Richardson and Ryan Kesler scored for the Canucks, who got 21 saves from Roberto Luongo in their home opener. Jason Garrison added a goal into an empty net, while Henrik Sedin picked up three assists. Jeff Petry and Boyd Gordon scored for Edmonton. Devan Dubnyk allowed five goals on 31 shots before being replaced in the second period

by Jason LaBarbera.

BLUES 7, PANTHERS 0 In St. Louis, Jaroslav Halak set a franchise record with his 17th shutout and Alex Steen scored on a penalty shot to lead St. Louis over Florida. Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy scored their first goals of the season for St. Louis, which received goals from seven different players. The Blues have outscored their opponents 11-2 with 10 different players scoring goals this season.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz also converted against Florida goalie Tim Thomas, who

was pulled after the second period. He allowed five goals on 28 shots. Halak made 19 saves and passed Glen Hall, who had 16 shutouts from 1967-1971.

Halak posted his 26th career shutout and improved to 8-1 lifetime against the Panthers. The Blues’ seven-goal outburst was their largest since they won at Detroit 10-3 on March 30, 2011.

MAPLE LEAFS 5, SENATORS 4 In Toronto, Mason Raymond and Tyler Bozak scored shootout goals to lift Toronto past Ottawa in the Maple Leafs’ home opener.

Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier stopped Milan Michalek - whose shot hit the crossbar and bounced out - and Jason Spezza in the shootout.

Raymond, on a nifty turnaround backhand, and Bozak, through Craig Anderson’s legs, scored to give Toronto a 2-0 edge in the shootout.

STARS 2, CAPITALS 1 In Dallas, Alex Chiasson scored the tiebreaking goal at 12:07 of the second period as Dallas defeated Washington. Kari Lehtonen made 25 saves for Dallas, which stopped a Capitals flurry on a power play as the game ended. Alex Ovechkin scored in the first period for Washington. Erik Cole tied it at 8:01 of the first.

BLUE JACKETS 3, ISLANDERS 2 In Uniondale, Cam Atkinson scored in the fourth round of a shootout as Columbus rallied from two goals down in the third period to spoil New York’s home opener. Mark Letestu and Nick Foligno scored 4:19 apart to get even at 2-2 after the Blue Jackets managed only 12 shots in the first two periods. New York built its lead in the second on a power-play goal by defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and a goal by Matt Moulson.

SHARKS 4, COYOTES 1 In San Jose, Tomas Hertl scored his first two NHL goals as San Jose beat Phoenix. Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks, who were able to convert two power plays. Antti Niemi stopped 22 shots for the victory. Mike Smith made 47 saves for Phoenix. — AP

BOSTON: Patrice Bergeron No. 37 of the Boston Bruins winds up his shot before scoring in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the home opener game. —AFP

NHL results/standings Boston 4, Detroit 1; Toronto 5, Ottawa 4 (SO); Montreal 4, Philadelphia 1; Columbus 3, NY Islanders 2 (SO); Pittsburgh 4, Buffalo 1; Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 2 (SO); St. Louis 7, Florida 0; Dallas 2, Washington 1; Anaheim 4, Minnesota 3 (OY ); Vancouver 6, Edmonton 2; San Jose 4, Phoenix 1.

San Jose Calgary Vancouver Phoenix Anaheim Los Angeles Edmonton St. Louis Colorado Winnipeg Chicago Dallas Minnesota Nashville

Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF GA 2 0 0 8 2 1 0 1 8 8 1 1 0 7 6 1 1 0 5 5 1 1 0 5 9 1 1 0 6 7 0 2 0 6 11 Central Division 2 0 0 11 2 2 0 0 9 2 2 0 0 10 7 1 0 1 8 7 1 1 0 4 5 0 0 2 5 7 0 2 0 3 7

PTS 4 3 2 2 2 2 0 4 4 4 3 2 2 0

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Toronto 3 0 0 12 8 6 2 0 0 7 2 4 Boston Detroit 2 1 0 6 7 4 Ottawa 1 0 1 5 5 3 Montreal 1 1 0 7 5 2 Florida 1 1 0 4 9 2 Tampa Bay 1 1 0 4 5 2 Buffalo 0 3 0 2 7 0 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 2 0 0 7 1 4 NY Islanders 1 0 1 6 6 3 Columbus 1 1 0 6 6 2 Washington 1 2 0 10 12 2 Carolina 0 0 1 2 3 1 New Jersey 0 1 1 3 7 1 NY Rangers 0 1 0 1 4 0 Philadelphia 0 2 0 2 7 0 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

S P ORT S

Europe win Seve Trophy

BEIJING: China’s Feng Shanshan (left) receives her cheque for $ 270,000 from Yan Bin, chairman of Reignwood Group after winning the Reignwood LPGA Classic golf tournament. — AP

Feng bags Reignwood Classic BEIJING: China’s Shanshan Feng eagled the par-5 18th hole after her second shot approach hit the pin for a 68 yesterday and a one-stroke victory in the smog-affected Reignwood Classic, the LPGA’s first tournament in Beijing.

American Stacy Lewis birdied four of her first six holes to quickly catch overnight leader Feng and led for most of the final round by one stroke before the Chinese golfer thrilled the local gallery with her late eagle after Lewis had putted out with a par.

It was Feng’s second career victory - she won last year ’s Wegmans LPGA Championship, a tour major. She’s had an outstanding 2013, making 14 cuts in 15 tournaments with six other top 10 finishes and earning $800,000.

Feng finished with a 26-under total of 266 on the par-73 Pine Valley Golf Club.

Lewis also shot a final-round 68. No. 1ranked Inbee Park of South Korea finished third, also after a 68 Sunday, five strokes behind Feng. Australian veteran Karrie Webb shot 67 and was fourth, another stroke behind.

Feng said that when she was going up the 18th, she thought Lewis would go for the green. “So I thought maybe she’s giving me a chance for playing off,” Feng said. “I never thought I would shoot the second shot so close that I could make eagle.”

Her approach to the green was on line

for the pin, causing the gallery to erupt in cheers when the ball hit the flag and bounded several feet away. “Suddenly I heard the noise, the crowd was excited, so I thought it must be good,” she said.

Despite her first win being a major, Feng said Sunday’s win in Beijing was as important. “I would say I’m as happy as when I won last year,” she said. “It was our first time in Beijing, the tournament sponsor is also my sponsor. So I really wanted to do well to make them look good. I also broke my lowest score for four rounds, and gave it my best.”

For most of the tournament, the players couldn’t escape the capital’s notorious pollution - there was another smog delay of nearly three hours before the final round started Sunday. Germany’s Sandra Gal was one of several players wearing surgicalstyle masks.

Six expressways were closed in the city due to reduced visibility Sunday and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued a warning that hazardous air quality readings meant American citizens should “avoid all physical activities outdoors.”

American Jessica Korda, who led after the second round, had an even-par 74 Sunday after a 76 Saturday dropped her from the leaderboard. She finished the tournament in a tie for 15th, 16 strokes behind Feng. — AP

FRANCE: Europe won the Seve Trophy yesterday for the first time since 2000 when they edged a suspense-filled match 15-13 against Great Britain and Ireland at the Saint-Nom-La-Breteche Golf Club.

Francesco Molinari sealed a dramatic win when he hit a fine tee shot within 12 feet of the pin at the par 3, 16th and then sunk his putt to defeat Englishman Chris Wood 3 and 2.

Europe were leading 14-13 and needing just a half point for victory, and Molinari, who also sunk the winnning putt to give Europe the Ryder Cup last year at Medinah, again showed nerves of steel under pressure. The Milan right-hander’s birdie lifted Europe to a 15-13 victory.

“I don’t like all these matches finishing on the last game, one of these days my heart isn’t going to take it anymore,” joked European captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

“This tournament is really close to my heart and this tournament was very close to Seve (Ballesteros). He created it and had great hopes for this event and that it would become a big event on the European Tour. “Great Britain have had a great run, six editions in a row, they showed how it should be done and we’re just glad it was our turn this time.” added the Spaniard, who formed the most successful partnership in Ryder Cup history with the late Ballesteros.

Losing captain Sam Torrance vowed to learn from the experience. “Congratulations to Jose Maria, Captain Fantastic. His team were brilliant this week, we gave it everything but they were too strong,” said the Scot. “The taste of defeat is never nice but we will learn from that and take it forward.” Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, who was playing his first Seve Trophy, was one of the stars for Olazabal’s team, when he set a new tournament record by becoming the first player to win all five of his matches.

Europe ended a losing streak of six tournaments dating back to 2000 when Ballesteros captained Olazabal and the side to victory over Colin Montgomerie’s team.

Bourdy, the 31-year-old Bordeaux native, racked up four wins out of four alongside

ST. ANDREWS: David Howell (right) with partner actor Hugh Grant after Howell was presented with the trophy after winning the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. — AP Dutchman Joost Luiten in the pairs before winning his singles match in style on Sunday by defeating Scott Jamieson 4 and 3. Bourdy is attempting to become only the third Frenchman to play at the Ryder Cup next year under captain Paul McGinley, as he tries to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Levet and Jean Van de Velde.

His victory earlier this year at the Wales Open and his historic showing at Saint-Nom-laBreteche makes him a strong contender to appear at Gleneagles against the USA. “I’m so happy to achieve that and it was an amazing week for me,” said Bourdy. “It was great to play in front of my French crowd and in SaintNom-la-Breteche, it’s a great course and I love to play in team events.”

Luiten who also had a chance to make it a perfect five from five but came up against an inform Tommy Fleetwood of England and was beaten 3 and 2.

However convincing wins by Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and Italian Matteo Manassero, as well as a crucial point picked up by Ryder Cup winner Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, did the damage.

Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano’s halved match against Welshman Jamie Donaldson and another halved match between injured Englishman Simon Khan and Dane Thomas Bjorn, also played a role but it was Molinari again who had the glory of sinking the winning putt. — AFP

Henry and Young lead Lakers past Warriors ONTARIO: Xavier Henry and his fellow Lakers newcomers realize they’ve got a chance to take charge while Los Angeles’ veteran stars take it easy this month.

Henry scored 29 points, Nick Young added 17 and the Lakers earned their first preseason victory in nearly three years, 10495 over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.

Chris Kaman had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who had lost 10 straight exhibition games, including all eight last season. Los Angeles hadn’t won a preseason game since Oct. 22, 2010, also in Ontario against the Warriors - not that coach Mike D’Antoni thought the mark had anything to do with his revamped club.

“It’s early, anybody can win,” D’Antoni said.

“It doesn’t mean a whole lot, (but) the whole thing is energizing.” The Lakers’ preseason struggles last fall were an eerie foreshadowing of their difficult year. Los Angeles went 08 in exhibitions under coach Mike Brown, who was fired after a 1-4 start to the regular season.

Steve Nash and Pau Gasol sat out the exhibition opener for the Lakers, who will attempt to preserve their aging core’s health all season long. Kobe Bryant isn’t even in the country while undergoing medical treatment in Europe, but Nash watched the game in uniform from the bench while Gasol sat in street clothes.

The Lakers’ collection of role players and new acquisitions came together quickly enough to hold off the Warriors, who used their regular lineup before limiting the starters’ minutes. Jordan Farmar, who returned to the Lakers this summer, had 12 points - nine in the fourth quarter - and seven assists.

Henry scored 14 points in the fourth, punctuating an impressive debut after signing with the Lakers as a free agent last month. The three-year NBA veteran was a 12th overall pick, but never found a role amid injuries and inactivity with Memphis and New Orleans.

“When you move around, you never get your feet under you,” Henry said. “When you have an equal opportunity like this, I’m just trying to show what I can do.”

Gasol and Nash are expected to play for the Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center against Denver. The stars’ absence was one reason the teams fell far short of a sellout crowd at Citizens Business Bank Arena in the Inland Empire, an hour’s drive east from downtown Los Angeles.

Klay Thompson scored 26 points on 11for-18 shooting, and Andre Iguodala had 15 points while missing just one shot in his first action with the Warriors, who signed him to a four-year, $48 million deal in July.

Harrison Barnes and David Lee scored 10 points apiece, while Stephen Curry had five points in 14 quiet minutes. The Warriors’ starting five fell behind 7-0 before scoring 15 consecutive points. Iguodala immediately showed off his post-up game and his ballhandling versatility in the first quarter, scoring nine points.

Young heated up in the second, scoring 17 first-half points in less than 14 minutes.

The Los Angeles native joined the Lakers during the summer, finally putting on the jersey of his favorite childhood team - and he’ll have plenty of chances to do his best Kobe impersonation while the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history is out this month. “I know he’s probably watching,” Young said of Bryant. — AP

Rodriguez defends Tour of Lombardy crown MILAN: Spain’s Joaquin Rodriguez of the Katusha team won the 107th edition of the Tour of Lombardy one-day cycling classic to defend his title after an epic, rain-hit finale yesterday.

Fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) finished second with Poland’s Rafael Majka of Saxo Bank in third after 242 km of racing in testing conditions between Bergamo and Lecco on the shores of Lake Como. Rodriguez, a runner-up to Portugal’s Rui Costa at last week’s world championships, made his decisive move on the steepest section of the fifth and final climb, powering ahead of a select group of frontrunners. The Spanish climbing specialist went on to build a small lead on Valverde and Irishman Dan Martin and maintained his advantage over the closing kilometres to cross the finish line solo.

Valverde, criticised by Rodriguez for failing to chase down Rui Costa during last week’s world championship finale, battled to close the gap but eventually crossed the line 17secs in arrears.

Majka finished in third, at 23secs, and ahead of Martin after the Garmin rider, who was seen trying to fix a problem with his

bike in the final 500 metres, appeared to suffer a setback in the closing kilometres.

Earlier in the race Italian Vincenzo Nibali’s bid to claim his maiden win in the ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’-the popular name for Lombardy because it comes at the start of autumn-ended when he was involved in a multiple pile-up. The Giro d’Italia champion pulled out with an apparent knee injury, and not long after the battle to win one of the season’s five cycling ‘Monuments’ race moved up a gear. Valverde’s Movistar team, including Colombian climber Nairo Quintana, were among those that helped set a searing pace on the steep Sormano climb, an effort which dropped several contenders off the back. Belgium’s former twotime winner Gilbert crested over 30secs down while Spain’s Alberto Contador was nearly a minute down on the frontrunners.

Although the main peloton had been trimmed to around 50, the technical descent leading to the Madonna di Ghisallo climb exacted a further toll. Valverde and Quintana sensed their rivals’ hesitation on the slippery roads and went on the attack but were soon joined by three other riders including Frenchman Thomas Voeckler. —AFP

Nasser Al-Mutairi wins Red Bull Car Park Drift in Kuwait Sami Haidar qualifies with Al-Mutairi to represent Kuwait in Dubai KUWAIT: Nothing could stop Nasser Al Mutairi from winning the Red Bull Car Park Drift in Kuwait, not the scorching heat or the 11 talented drifters.

Al Mutairi outclassed his opponents displaying brilliant drifting skills throughout the various stages of the championship that excited the 5,000 spectators who defied the heat and enjoyed the action.

“I’m extremely happy to win the prestigious title of Red Bull Car Park Drift. The competition was very tough especially in the final stages. I managed to keep the momentum throughout all stages and further increased my focus during the final run that the spectators enjoyed as well as the judges. I will now further equip my car and continue training harder for the final in Dubai. Said the new drift champion Nasser Al Mutairi.

Second place went to Sami Haidar who qualifies to the regional final while Saoud Al Abdulhadi rounded up the podium.

The competitors were evaluated based on their drifting skills (40%), speed trap (10%), Clipping point (10%), Car Appearance (10%), Crowd Reaction (10%) and Tire smoke and Engine (10%).

The judging panel consisted of Abdo Feghali, 4x Middle East Hill Climb Champion and holder of Guinness World Record for the longest drift, Meshaal Al Nejadi, Kuwait Rally Champion in the past 2 years and Manaf Al Awadhi, producer and presenter of Automotive programs. The event was sponsored by Chevrolet, Bridgestone and Total and was held in cooperation with Kuwait Quarter Mile Club and was hosted by famous MC Osama Fouda.

The 2013 series kicked off in the UAE and then moved to KSA, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait. Two more rounds are left (Bahrain and Oman) before all the qualified drifters head to the final which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Center on November 7th and 8th.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

S P ORTS

Florida State rout Maryland TALLAHASSEE: Jameis Winston threw for 393 yards and five touchdowns as No. 8 Florida State trounced No. 25 Maryland 630 on Saturday, matching a record for the most-lopsided victory against a ranked team in the history of the Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings.

No. 3 Clemson also trounced an Atlantic Coast Conference foe, spoiling Syracuse’s conference debut with a 49-14 win. Florida State and Clemson, the two powerhouses in the ACC this year, will face each other in a huge showdown at Clemson on Oct. 19.

Elsewhere, No. 1 Alabama rolled to an easy 45-3 win over Georgia State, while No. 2 Oregon beat Colorado 57-16. No. 4 Ohio State rallied to beat Northwestern 40-30 and extend the nation’s longest win streak to 18 games.

No. 6 Georgia escaped with a 34-31 overtime win over Tennessee after Aaron Murray threw a game-tying touchdown pass with 5 seconds remaining in regulation and Marshall Morgan kicked a 42-yard field goal in the extra period.

And No. 17 Baylor broke the Big 12 Conference record for total yards, racking up 864 in a 73-42 win over West Virginia.

Nick O’Leary and Kelvin Benjamin each caught two touchdowns for the Seminoles (5-0), who put up 614 yards of total offense.

Winston, a redshirt freshman, has 1,441 yards passing, 17 touchdowns with two interceptions and a 73.3 completion percentage this season.

The lopsided score tied the point-differential for the worst loss by a Top 25-ranked team all-time. No. 11 Texas lost 66-3 to UCLA in 1997.

Clemson’s Tajh Boyd threw for 455 yards and five touchdowns in three quarters of work against overmatched Syracuse.

Boyd, who eclipsed his Clemson record for passing yards in a game by 27 and matched his school record in TD passes, hit Adam Humphries with scoring passes of 60 and 42 yards in the first quarter to give the Tigers a big early lead.

Alabama’s AJ McCarron completed 15 of 16 passes for 166 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Crimson Tide past Georgia State.

Alabama (5-0) outgained the Panthers 477-175 and held them to 15 yards rushing.

The Tide hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the past three games, giving up only three field goals.

Oregon’s Marcus Mariota threw five touchdown passes and ran for two scores as the Ducks routed Colorado. Mariota connected for two touchdowns each with Josh Huff and Bralon Addison, and played only 21/2 quarters.

Carlos Hyde ran for a career-high 168 yards and three touchdowns for Ohio State, including the game-winner with 5:22 left in the game that put the Buckeyes ahead 3430. In other games, No. 5 Stanford beat No. 15 Washington 31-28, No. 7 Louisville had a comfortable 30-7 win over Temple, No. 10 Louisiana State University pushed past Mississippi State 59-26 and No. 11 Oklahoma were winners over Texas Christian University 20-17.

Also, No. 12 UCLA beat Utah 34-27, No. 13 South Carolina held off Kentucky 35-28 and No. 14 Miami continued its best start since 2004 by defeating Georgia Tech 4530. No. 19 Michigan defeated Minnesota 42-13 for its 18th straight win at home, the longest active streak in college football. In two upsets, Notre Dame outlasted No. 22 Arizona State 37-34 and Auburn held off No. 24 Mississippi 30-22.—AP

Kuwaiti Fatima Al-Kandari aims at the goal

Oman defeats Kuwait in Women Handball tourney KUWAIT: Kuwait’s handball women team lost its third match against Oman 25-13, during the first GCC Women Handball Tournament being held in Kuwait until Oct 8. The team lost its first match to UAE and drew with Bahrain in its second match.

Kuwait’s coach Reem Al-Manae said the loss was due to the lack of physical fitness and fatigue due to playing three straight matches in three days. She said the team plays for the first time in a Gulf tournament and lacks experience, but the team will

continue training and participate in tournaments to polish their skills and gain experience. Meanwhile Omani coach Hamdi AlSanousi said his team were assured of a medal after winning their third match. He said Omani players showed improved performance and were able to overcome pressure and concentrate on victories. Oman will play against UAE to decide second and third place. Meanwhile Qatar demolished UAE with a score of 29-9, and Kuwait meet Qatar today.—KUNA

Photo of the day

Jason Paul performing at the A’Famosa Fort in Malacca, Malaysia.— www.redbull.com

Stunning Treve breaks Japanese hearts again PARIS: Treve demolished a high class field to win yesterday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and emulate the great Zarkava in 2008 in landing the French Oaks, Prix Vermeille and Arc in the same season. Jockey Thierry Jarnet, winning Europe’s most prestigious race for the first time since 1994, was a late replacement after intended rider Frankie Dettori cruelly fractured his ankle last week.

Criquette Head-Maarek ’s unbeaten filly, a well-fancied 9-2 chance, beat Japanese favourite Orfevre by five lengths with Intello in third while the other Japanese runner Kizuna was fourth.

Treve, owned by Sheikh Joann al-Thani, son of the Emir of Qatar, took control of the race with three furlongs (600 metres) remaining to open up a sizeable lead which Orfevre valiantly tried to reduce.

However, Christophe Soumillon was unable to conjure up a similar burst of acceleration from last year’s runner-up and instead he had to battle to fend off French Derby winner Intello for second.

Soumillon sportingly turned to shake Jarnet’s hand as they crossed the line.

Kizuna looked to have every chance but failed to quicken under Yutaka Take leaving Japan still without a winner in the race they dream of winning after 44 years of trying.

For Head-Maarek it was her second win in the race after Three Troikas in 1979. “My husband turned to me at one point and said he was worried, I replied I’m not she’s cantering!” said Head-Maarek.

“At one point her head went up in the air and looked bored but she has so much class and is simply a wonder filly that she focussed and was never going to be beaten.

Asked about the seemingly bad draw in 15 she had got, HeadMaarek laughed. “I don’t taken any notice of the numbers it is what

FRANCE: (From left) French actor Christophe Lambert, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al-Thani of Qatar, President of France Galop Bertrand Belinguier, Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar with his two sons Tamim Bin Joaan Al-Thani (left bottom) and Hamad Bin Joaan Al-Thani (right bottom) and Total SA CEO Christophe De Margerie celebrate on the podium after winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe horse race at the Longchamp race track. —AP happens on the track that means everything,” she said.

She also had words of sympathy for Dettori, who is the owner ’s retained jockey and rode her to victory in the Vermeille.

“I send my love to Frankie, he looked after her in the Vermeille because he knew the Arc was the target and I send him a big kiss.”

Jarnet, 46, said: “My English is not good but this is fantastic, magic!”

Jarnet, who had a relatively fallow period following his two Arc wins, before winning the French Oaks on Treve in June before being jocked off when Dettori got the ride said he felt for the Italian but that was their way of life.

“We know in the life of a jockey

where things work and some don’t this win is beautiful more for the horse than myself,” he said.

“I did think about the way my life was going at one point in terms of how failure had followed the success but in the end I love this sport too much.”

Head-Maarek said Jarnet should not think about retiring. “I have a sister to Treve which I want you to ride!” For Sheikh Joann Al-Thani it was due reward for splashing out a reported 8million euros to then owner Alec Head-father of Criquette and himself trainer of four Arc winners-after she won the French Oaks in June.

Treve’s charge to the top of the racing tree is all the more remark-

able considering that when she was offered for sale as a yearling no one was willing to buy her for just 22,000 euros.

Soumillon, a two-time Arc winner, said there were no excuses even though Orfevre did get held up when the field bunched up entering the straight.

“She is a great winner, there is no shame in finishing second to such a horse. My horse remains a War Machine. An honor to ride such a horse,” said the 32-year-old.

Kizuna’s trainer Shozo Sasaki said they simply didn’t have the petrol in the tank to beat the winner. “We did everything we could, he ran his race but it wasn’t enough,” said Sasaki.—AFP

Ogier wins Rally of France

BEC T10 Cricket Tournament Launched KUWAIT: The 2013 BEC RedNBlack T10 Cricket tournament was launched on Sept 29 at the Head Office of Bahrain Exchange Company. The programme inauguration was done by ED Titus, Director and General Manager of BEC Exchange. Titus handed over the BEC bat to Remi Emmanuel, President of RedNBlack Cricket Club.

With the inauguration, the stage is set for teams enrollment for participation to the eagerly awaited event in the Cricketing Calendar of Kuwait. Organized by the RedNBlack Cricket Club, along with BEC, the BEC T10, is a premier soft ball tournament and is unique as participation is available to the cricket loving people who play cricket using soft balls.

The tournament is held yearly and last year, there was a huge turnout of teams

and the organizers were forced to limit the playing teams to the first 32 who had registered for the same.

This year the RedNBlack Cricket team has started receiving enquiries about the prospective dates of the tournament. The tournament will be held from October 25th to November 22, 2013. The total number of teams participating will be limited to 32. Apart from the trophies, there will be valuable prizes for the winners, Runner Up, Second Runner Up, Third Runner up, Man of the Matches, Man of the Tournament, Best Batsman, Best Bowler etc. Talking about the tournament, Titus said, that the cricket tournament is sponsored by BEC Exchange as part of its social responsibilities to the people of Kuwait. BEC believes in promoting sports for the better health of the community.

STRASBOURG: Newly-crowned world champion Sebastien Ogier won the Rally of France yesterday as nine -time series winner Sebastien Loeb crashed out on his career finale.

Loeb, who had already announced earlier in the season that this would be his last world rally campaign, failed to finish after going off the road on Sunday morning.

Volkswagen driver Ogier, who claimed the title on Friday, finished ahead of Spaniard Dani Sordo in a Citroen and Finland’s JariMatti Latvala in the second factor y Volkswagen.

Ogier said that the attention given to his duel with fellow Frenchman Loeb was unfair on the other drivers. “This weekend, there was a lack of respect for the other drivers,” said Ogier.

“I said before the start that Dani Sordo, Jari-Matti Latvala and Thierry Neuville would be capable of battling. “And last night there was just five seconds covering the top four.”

Ogier finished 12.2sec ahead of Sordo and almost 20sec in front of Latvala. He then praised the world rally legacy of Loeb who leaves the sport with nine titles under his belt.

“Sebastien Loeb will remain a great champion even if he made a mistake today. The conditions were such that it was easy to make an error.”

Loeb’s Citroen ended upside down by the side of the track after rolling into a rainsoaked ditch. “I started flat out because it was a close situation. We were fourth, fighting for

the victory, but it didn’t go as I planned,” he said.

“I lost the rear in a fast right corner, and then we had a spin and I finished in the ditch.

And that was the race over. For sure I would have preferred to have finished my last rally here, but it didn’t go according to the plan.”

Loeb will now switch to the World Touring Car championship next season, also behind

the wheel of a Citroen. “I’m not happy about the situation but I was not driving for the championship so I don’t need the points. I do feel sorry for the spectators and for the team though,” he added.

“For me it’s okay, I have some new plans for the future. I would have preferred to finish on the podium here on my last rally, but that’s life.”—AFP

FRANCE: France’s driver Sebastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia steer their Volkswagen Polo R WRC, during the France’s WRC Rally (Rallye de France). —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

S P ORTS

Vettel wins Korean GP

BEIJING: Rafael Nadal of Spain (left) leaves a photo call, as Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the trophy after the final of the China Open tennis tournament. —AP

Djokovic thumps Nadal for fourth China Open crown BEIJING: Novak Djokovic won his fourth China Open title in five years yesterday, prevailing 6-3 6-4 in the final against Rafael Nadal who will replace him as the men’s world number one today.

The Serb continued his love affair in Beijing, improving his tournament record to 19-0 after brushing aside Nadal to halt his run of three defeats against the Spaniard.

Nadal had to reach the final in the tournament to displace Djokovic from the top ranking and the issue was put to rest on Saturday when Tomas Berdych retired with a back injury in his semi-final against the Spaniard.

“I needed this win today,” Djokovic told reporters. “I really wanted to get my hands on the trophy and win against Nadal, who has been the best player so far in 2013. “It’s very important for my confidence. It’s very important mentally and emotionally for me.”

The 26-year-old Djokovic stamped his authority on the title match early, racing to a 3-0 lead and never allowing the Spaniard, who went into the match unbeaten on hard courts this year, to stage a comeback.

The Serb broke Nadal, who has won 10 tournaments and added over $10 million in prize money in 2013, in the first game of the second set - hitting winners almost at will.

Since winning the Monte-Carlo Masters

in April against Nadal, Djokovic had lost to the left-handed Spaniard in the French Open semi-finals, the Rogers Cup semifinals and the final of the U.S. Open.

“I managed to stay tough and not drop my concentration, which I think (happened) in both Montreal and at the US Open in the important moments,” Djokovic said.

“I learned my lesson. It was a few very tough and close matches that I lost against Rafa on hard courts, especially the last one in the US Open final.”

Such was Djokovic’s domination that the 27-year-old Nadal, who boosted his grand slam singles tally to 13 this year by winning the French and US Opens, failed to create a single break point opportunity in the whole match.

“I didn’t see the way to stop him this afternoon,” Nadal said. “This afternoon he was too strong for me. I didn’t play my best match, but he played at a very high level with his serve.

“I was not able to have any chance when I was returning during the whole match. He had the ball staying very low. It was very difficult to create spin on this ball. “He was able to hit all the balls where he wanted.

When that’s happening against a player like Novak, you are dead. You don’t have not one chance.” Djokovic also won the China Open in 2009, 2010 and 2012, while missing out in 2011 through injury.—Reuters

YEONGAM: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel completed a hat-trick of Korean Grand Prix victories yesterday to put himself only one week away from potentially clinching his fourth successive Formula One title.

The 26-year-old’s third successive Korean win, and eighth triumph in 14 races, left him 77 points clear of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso with five races - and a maximum 125 points -remaining.

If the German wins in Japan next weekend - as he did last year - and Alonso fails to finish in the top eight — as also happened last year — the championship will be over. “ That was a very, very disciplined drive. Well done,” team principal Christian Horner told him over the radio after taking the che quered flag. Vettel, who now has 34 career wins, replied with his customary whoop of delight.

Alonso could manage only sixth place on an overcast afternoon that threatened rain without delivering the downpours that might have mixed up the field and given him more of a hope. The Spaniard now has 195 points to Vettel’s 272. “ There’s still a chance for Fernando, I think,” said Vettel. “So we have to stay on top of our game.

But to be honest...we’re just having a good time. “I look forward to Japan because it’s one of the nicest tracks of the whole season.”

In a race that exploded into action, with two safety car periods including one bizarre moment when a fire marshals’ regular 4X4 drove on to the track and led the field before the official Mercedes pace car had been deployed, Vettel celebrated his fourth victory in a row. Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen finished second, ahead of Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean, in a race running along familiar lines of Vettel domination before jolting the audience awake with a bang.

McLaren’s Mexican Sergio Perez brought out the first safety car with the explosive delamination of his front right tyre, which had worn through after hard braking, that left a strip of tread lying in the middle of the track on lap 31 of 55.

When that safety car came in on lap 36, after the debris had been cleared, Vettel’s Australian team

YEONGAM: Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen (left) of Finland and Lotus driver Romain Grosjean (right) of France applaud Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany, as he celebrates after winning the Formula One KoreanGrand Prix. —AFP mate Mark Webber was hit by Adrian Sutil’s skidding Force India at the re-start.

The Australian pulled over with his car on fire, for the second race in a row. With marshals struggling to put out the blaze with extinguishers, the 4x4 appeared on the track ahead of the field between turns one and two and with its hazard lights on while the official Mercedes SLS AMG safety car brought up the rear.

“It’s not great getting stuck behind the safety car but I’m really pleased with the result and great by the team,” said Vettel, whose podium appearance at the sparsely-attended Yeongam circuit met none of the booing that had marked the previous three races.

“Fortunately we had enough pace to get ahead after both safety cars but both Kimi and Romain were very competitive and did bet-

ter with their tyres,” he added.

Vettel had made a clean start from pole, his third in a row, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton - who ended up fifth at the finish dropped to third when Grosjean passed him.

Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg, whose reputation was burnished further with what he said had been one of the best races of his career, drove to fourth place for Sauber after starting in seventh place and overtaking Alonso.

The Spaniard skilfully avoided tangling with his Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa, who spun in the opening seconds and dropped to last. Massa recovered to ninth place, behind Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg - who paid the price for a long pit stop to replace a front wing that had been hitting the ground and sending up showers of sparks - in seventh place and

Jenson Button eighth for McLaren.

Perez took the final point.

Britain’s Paul Di Resta was the first retirement, his sixth race without a point, when he spun his Force India and hit the barriers after 26 laps. Raikkonen, who will be Alonso’s team mate at Ferrari next year, passed Grosjean on lap 38 moments before the second safety car period.

The Pirelli tyres, much criticised earlier in the season following a spate of blowouts, again triggered a chorus of dissent after a race dictated by high levels of degradation.

“The tyres are wearing a lot and they also explode a bit - but that is for Pirelli to sort out,” commented Webber.

“Pirelli will put the puncture of Perez down to a lock-up but the reason the drivers are locki n g u p i s b e c a u s e t h e re’s n o tread left.”—Reuters

Flame goes out in Moscow’s Olympic torch relay

CHINA: Serena Williams of US holds her winning trophy and waves to her fans after the final of the China Open tennis tournament. —AP

Serena bags 10th title in 2013 CHINA: World number one Serena Williams bagged her 10th title of the year with a 6-2 6-2 thrashing of Jelena Jankovic in the final of the China Open yesterday. The top-seeded American broke the eighth-seeded Serb twice in the first set and three times in the second to register her 73rd win of the season. Williams appeared in pain after serving an ace during the third game of the second set and her serve was broken for the only time in the match in that game as Jankovic went 2-1 ahead. But it was Jankovic who had to take a medical time out after the

game due to a problem in her hip.

The Serb, however, failed to win another game upon her return to the court as Williams racked up five games in a row to close out the match.

“I’m really excited. I didn’t think I’d win this tournament starting out, so I’m really happy to be here holding the trophy,” Williams, who complained of a sore back after Saturday’s semi-final, said during the presentation ceremony. Yesterday’s victory also gave the 32-year-old Williams her 56th career title.—Reuters

MOSCOW: Russia’s Olympic torch relay got off to a rocky start yesterday when the flame briefly went out on one of the torchbearers just as he was passing through a Kremlin gate.

The Olympic flame arrived in Moscow from Athens yesterday ahead of the Winter Games in February in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a ceremony during which the Greek flame was used to light a cauldron set up on a temporary basis on the Kremlin’s Red Square.

That flame was then used to light the first torch in a brief relay ceremony around the Kremlin that was broadcast live on national television. Things went wrong when the flame passed to the second torchbearer- Soviet-era underwater swimming champion Shavarsh Karapetyan.

The 60-year-old had just run past one of the Kremlin gates when he noticed that the flame of his silver-and-red torch had gone out. He began gesturing for help while continuing to run with the unlit torch in his right hand.

An official in a black coat walked up to Karapetyan moments later and relit the torch with a simple cigarette lighter. The original Greek flame remained lit in the Red Square couldron the entire time. But the incident created a buzz on Russia’s social networks and threatened to overshadow ceremonies that Putin had hoped to use to showcase the country’s growing standing in the world.

Sochi 2014 Organising Committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko quickly dismissed

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin (centre) smiles as he lights the Olympic flame with a torch, at the Red Square. Russian President Vladimir Putin ceremoniously lit the Olympic flame on Red Square, but the four-month relay to Sochi for the Winter Games got off to a rocky start when one of the torches went out.—AP

the incident as a minor hiccup that had no bearing on the Games. “I would not attach too much importance to what happened and call on people not to pay attention to it,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Chernyshenko as saying.

The event’s chief organiser said the flame had gone out because

the valve of the torch used by Karapetyan had not been fully opened. “All the torches have passed numerous tests and they will burn irrespective of the wind.”

Chernyshenko added that the original Greek flame was being stored in 30 separate containers that would be used to light torches at the start of each day of

Russia’s national relay event.

The flame which was lit in a traditional ceremony in Ancient Olympia on September 29 will leave Moscow today and reach Sochi for the Games’ opening ceremony on February 7 after travelling 65,000 k ilometres (40,400 miles) across Russia’s 83 regions. —AFP

Del Potro triumphs in Japan JAPAN: Top seed Juan Martin del Potro beat Canada’s Milos Raonic in the battle of bigservers yesterday to bag the Japan Open title and boost his chances of qualifying for the end- of-season ATP World Tour finals in London.

The 25-year-old Argentine, a last-minute wild-card entry for injured Andy Murray, won 7-6(5) 7-5 with the lone break of serve of the match coming at the fag end of the second set as Raonic lost the final in Tokyo for the second year running.

The win gave del Potro his third title of the year and moved him up to fifth spot in the race to London while Raonic is 10th in the

qualification race for next month’s tournament involving the top eight players of the world.

Raonic, 22, who finished runner-up to Kei Nishikori last year, fired 17 aces and was untroubled in his service games before a crucial double fault in the first-set tie-breaker put del Potro ahead.

The Argentine got his first break point opportunity in the 11th game in the second set and managed to convert the third to go 65 up before holding on in the next game to win in an hour and 43 minutes.

“I played really well in the last two games of the match, returning all of his first serves,” del Potro told reporters. “It was a fantastic week

for me as I played better and better with each match. “In the tie-break, he hit a double fault in the most important part of the match and then my chance came, which I knew I had to take. “I did what I could to win. When he serves well and hits aces, it means I have to be aggressive on serve. I threw in drop shots and came to the net to mix up my game.” Del Potro hit seven aces and had to save three b re a k p o i n t s i n t h e f i r s t s e t a g a i n s t t h e Canadian, who had won their only meeting in Montreal in August. “I created opportunities and barring a double fault and a few points I could not have done much better,” Raonic rued. —Reuters

19

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

SPORTS

KFA in accord with MoI to broadcast 150 matches this year

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Marketing committee spokesman at the Kuwait Football Association Abdallah Al-Saffar said 150 matches will be broadcast during

the current football season which includes “Viva” league, HH the Amir and HH the Crown Prince Cups, following an agreement with the Ministry of information.

Al-Saffar said on his twitter

account that the problem of not broadcasting matches was solved after an agreement between KFA and Information Ministry to broadcast 150 matches of the three tournaments, and this will start with the sixth

round of Viva League on Oct 18-19.

He said only 90 match were broadcast last season.

Al-Saffar said KFA will receive $2 million, bearing in mind that the EPL receives three billion pounds for the

Premier League matches.

He said it is in the interest of local clubs when matches are broadcasted, and the Information Ministry promised KFA to improve the quality of the broadcast.

West Ham stun Spurs Tottenham 0

West Ham 3

SPAIN: Atletico Madrid’s Brazilian forward Diego da Silva Costa (center) vies with Celta’s forward Toni (left) and Celta’s midfielder Borja Oubina during the Spanish League football match. — AFP

Costa nets twice as Atletico beat Celta BARCELONA: Diego Costa scored his Spanish league-leading ninth and 10th goals of the season to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo yesterday, extending its club record with an eighth win in as many games to start the domestic campaign.

The win at its Vicente Calderon Stadium kept Atletico level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table and five points ahead of Real Madrid after both rivals won on Saturday.

Diego Costa was born in Brazil but holds a Spanish passport, and his latest performance will surely give Spain coach Vicente del Bosque even more reason to stick to his plan of calling him up to join the world champions for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Diego Costa made up for a missed penalty by tapping in Filipe Luis’ cross three minutes before halftime and he added another goal with a move that combined finesse and power in the 62nd. His double gave him two more goals than Barcelona’s injured Lionel Messi and three more than Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I don’t like missing penalties. That’s normal.

The good thing is that I had the chance to score the other goals,” Diego Costa said. “I don’t think about my number of goals. I just want to go step by step and hope I can keep scoring. The important thing is that we win, not who scores.”

Diego Costa also added that he was ready to play for Spain, a country that had “given him everything” professionally during the past five years.

Celta substitute Manuel “Nolito” Agudo halved the deficit in the 71st and the forward threatened to grab the equalizer late, but a tiring Atletico held on to the three points.

Elsewhere, Ivan Rakitic headed in Marko Marin’s short cross in injury time to give Sevilla a 2-1 win at home over last-place Almeria, which remained the only winless team in the first division. Getafe, meanwhile, eased to its third win in a row by beating visitors Real Betis 3-1 thanks to Pedro Leon’s two goals and a third from Adrian Colunga. Leon caught Betis goalie Guillermo Sara off his line expecting a cross from his free kick, with the attacking midfielder instead lobbing the ball over the ‘keeper and into the net to open the scoring before he headed in a second goal. Later, Valencia visits Athletic Bilbao.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone and his players may insist they are not contemplating a challenge for the league title with their mantra of “just going forward game by game,” but Celta coach Luis Enrique is one of many who considers them a contender.

“It’s not for me to talk about them, but they are the most dangerous opponent we have

Spanish League results/standings Atletico Madrid 2 (Diego Costa 42, 62) Celta Vigo 1 (Nolito 71); Sevilla 2 (Gameiro 6, Rakitic 90+2) Almeria 1 (Rodri 23); Getafe 3 (Pedro Leon 16, 22, Colunga 27) Real Betis 1 (Gomezog 51).

Spanish League table before yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Atletico Madrid Real Madrid Villarreal Getafe Bilbao Valencia Espanyol Levante Malaga Sevilla Elche Real Betis Granada Sociedad Celta Vigo Valladolid Osasuna Vallecano Almeria

8 8 8 8 8 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8 8 6 5 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 0

0 0 1 2 1 0 0 2 4 3 3 3 2 2 4 3 3 0 0 3

0 0 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 4 4 3 4 4 6 6 5

28 21 17 15 12 12 10 11 8 11 13 8 8 5 6 8 7 6 6 11

6 6 9 7 11 12 10 11 14 7 14 11 10 8 9 12 13 13 21 19

24 24 19 17 13 12 12 11 10 9 9 9 8 8 7 6 6 6 6 3

faced so far,” Enrique said. “If they keep playing at this level it would be silly not to consider them for the title.”

While Diego Costa continued to impress, his strike partner David Villa had a game he will likely want to forget. Celta goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez turned back a number of his shots before Villa wasted a pass from Diego Costa that had left him alone with only the goalkeeper to beat. The 31-year-old Villa aggravated a case of arthritis in his left ankle just before the miss and immediately asked to be substituted in the 58th.

Atletico also lost captain Gabi Fernandez to a left knee sprain late, leading to the debut of French midfielder Joshua Guilavogui.

Rodriguez was particularly outstanding in the 25th when he blocked two clear chances following teammate Hugo Mallo’s foul of Filipe Luis in the area. Diego Costa stepped up to take the resulting penalty, but Rodriguez smothered his shot and was quick enough to retreat to his far post to swat away Villa’s attempt to poke in the rebound.

But Rodriguez could do nothing when Celta’s Alex Lopez knocked the ball back into his own area where Filipe Luis squared for both Diego Godin and Diego Costa to tap the ball in.

The goal was awarded to Diego Costa. — AP

LONDON: New Zealand defender Winston Reid inspired West Ham to their first victory at Tottenham in 14 years as the Hammers climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win yesterday.

Reid’s first goal since September 2012 opened the scoring midway through the second half before Ricardo Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison both netted to end the east London club’s long wait for a first triumph at White Hart Lane since April 1999.

It was a stunning victory for Sam Allardyce’s side, who started the day in the bottom three and hadn’t even scored an away goal this season before Sunday’s London derby.

Their biggest win over Spurs since April 1994 was also their first Premier League success since beating Cardiff on the opening day of the season.

Lacklustre Tottenham could have no complaints about their first defeat in seven matches in all competitions and only their second league loss of the campaign.

Much of the pre-match attention had focused on the behaviour of both sets of fans, who were under the microscope following offensive chanting from Hammers supporters in the corresponding fixture last season and Tottenham’s insistence that their followers should stop using the word “Yid” in their songs. Yid is a term for Jew which is often considered derogatory, but some Spurs fans chant the word, or refer to themselves as “Yiddos” or the “Yid Army”, as an act of defiance towards those who taunt them over their Jewish fan base.

Spurs fans were quick to ignore their club’s plea, chanting “We’ll sing what we want” before breaking into a defiant chorus of “Yid Army”.

Initially it seemed like the subdued fare on the pitch would be overshadowed by the chanting. West Ham, opting for a cautious formation which often left them with six midfielders and no forwards, kept Andre VillasBoas’s team at bay until Gylfi Sigurdsson’s speculative effort brought Jussi Jaaskelainen into action for the first time.

Villas-Boas’s side needed the kind of moment of individual inspiration that Gareth Bale provided so often before his move to Real Madrid.

Andros Townsend, one of the players Villas-Boas hopes can replace Bale, almost rose to the challenge when he cut inside and flashed a powerful long-range shot narrowly

LONDON: West Ham United’s Guy Demel (right) blocks the ball in front of Tottenham Hotspur’s Jermain Defoe (bottom) during an English Premier League soccer match. — AP

EPL results/standings Norwich City 1 (Pilkington 68) Chelsea 3 (Oscar 4, Hazard 85, Willian 86); Southampton 2 (Lallana 19, Rodriguez 83) Swansea City 0; Tottenham Hotspur 0 West Ham United 3 (Reid 66, Vaz Te 72, Morrison 79); West Bromwich Albion 1 (Yacob 42) Arsenal 1 (Wilshere 63).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Arsenal Liverpool Chelsea Southampton Man City Tottenham Everton Hull Man United Aston Villa

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

1 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 1 1

1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 3 3

14 11 10 7 17 6 10 6 10 9

8 5 4 2 8 5 9 7 9 8

16 16 14 14 13 13 12 11 10 10

wide of the far post.

But, with Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe struggling to make any impact in a rare start against his former club, Kevin Nolan nearly punished the hosts when he got in front of Paulinho and volleyed just wide from Mark Noble’s chipped free-kick.

Defoe should have put Spurs ahead less than a minute into the second half, but Jaaskelainen was quickly off his line to block his tame shot.

Determined to make amends for that miss, Defoe lashed in a fierce strike which whistled just over from the edge of the area.

With Spurs labouring to break down the stout Hammers defence, Villas-Boas sent on club record signing Erik Lamela. But it was Allardyce’s side who snatched the lead in the 66th minute when Reid’s header from Stewart

Newcastle West Brom West Ham Cardiff Swansea Stoke Fulham Norwich Crystal Palace Sunderland

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0

1 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 1

3 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 6 6

9 7 7 7 8 4 5 5 5 5

12 10 6 9 5 8 9 8 11 7 7 7 9 7 9 7 13 3 16 1

Downing’s corner bounced back to him off Nolan and the centre-back slammed the ball past Lloris from close-range.

Spurs looked shell-shocked and it got even worse for the hosts six minutes later when Noble’s astute pass allowed Vaz Te a clear run on goal.

Vaz Te’s initial shot was blocked by Lloris but the ball rebounded back off the Portuguese forward and past the stranded Spurs keeper into the empty net. To cap a memorable afternoon for West Ham, they added a third goal in the 79th minute when former Manchester United midfielder Morrison ran from inside his own half, nutmegging Michael Dawson en route, before clipping his shot over the exposed Lloris to trigger a mass exit from the stunned home fans. — AFP

Hamburg rout Nuremberg BERLIN: Hamburg powered out of the Bundesliga’s bottom three with a stunning 5-0 win at Nuremberg yesterday to give Bert van Marwijk his first victory as their coach.

Germany Under-21 striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga needed just eight second half minutes to claim his first Bundesliga hat-trick in a devastating spell as Hamburg scored four goals in just 14 minutes.

“It’s great to get the hat-trick, but it’s more important that things went so well for the team,” said Lasogga, who claimed the fastest away hat-trick in Bundesliga history.

This was only the second game for Van Marwijk, 61, who coached Holland to the 2010 World Cup final. He replaced Thorsten Fink last month after a disastrous start left Hamburg in the relegation places.

The Dutchman has promised to tighten Hamburg’s defence, but it was their attack which ran riot at Nuremberg. “I like attacking football, although tactical discipline belongs to that and we still lose the ball too often, but it’s getting better,” said Van Marwijk, whose reign opened with a draw at Frankfurt last week. “A 5-0 win doesn’t happen every week, but it’s

important to help the self-confidence come back.” Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring with a superb scissor-kick volley on 17 minutes. The Hamburg captain then provided the final passes for Lasogga to fire home his first two goals while the exHertha Berlin forward completed the hat-trick when he pounced on a loose ball and smashed his shot inside the inside post.

Midfielder Tolgay Arslan bagged the fifth 16 minutes from time to leave Nuremberg reeling.

The rout lifts Hamburg up to 14th, while Nuremberg slip into the bottom three.—AFP

Napoli rout Livorno to close in on Roma MILAN: Napoli moved back up to second place and within two points of Serie A leaders Roma after a comprehensive 4-0 win over Livorno yesterday.

Roma had taken their record to seven wins out of seven with a stunning 3-0 defeat of Inter Milan at the San Siro on Saturday to leave the Nerazzurri seven points adrift.

However Napoli seized their chance against league new boys Livorno to close the gap and heap pressure on third-placed Juventus, who host Milan in one of two late games on Sunday.

With Gonzalo Higuain still sidelined, Napoli coach Rafael Benitez handed Goran Pandev a place in his starting line-up and the Macedonian needed only three minutes to repay the Spaniard by putting the hosts in front. After Livorno had threatened through Nigerian-born Swiss Innocent Emeghara, Pandev missed doubling the hosts’ lead when he fired over Francesco Bardi’s crossbar. Napoli had the momentum but when Gokhan Inler scored the hosts’ second on 26 minutes he got a helping hand, quite literally, from Bardi, who after getting his hands to the long-range drive allowed it to bounce

over him and into the net.

Emeghara spurned the chance to reduce the arrears when he hit a stunning volley on the stroke of half-time which came off the Napoli woodwork.

It was a miss Livorno lamented barely 10 minutes after the restart when Jose Callejon collected Pandev’s through ball to beat Bardi with an angled drive which appeared to take a slight deflection.

Bardi kept out a curling free kick by Belgian international Dries Mertens and another long-range strike by Inler. But in the dying minutes the Italy under-21 goalkeeper could only parry a shot by Lorenzo Insigne into the path of Marek Hamsik, who promptly netted to claim his fifth goal of the campaign.

Juventus remain third but are now under pressure for a win that would move them level on points with Napoli, while defeat for Milan would heap further pressure on Massimiliano Allegri’s injury-hit side.

Due to results elsewhere yesterday, Milan have dropped to 12th and already sit 13 points off the pace. Verona, Udinese and Parma all scored precious wins to maintain

respective positions in the table after a shaky start to the season.

Verona, who stunned Milan in their season opener last month, thumped struggling Bologna 4-1 away to leave the hosts second from bottom and one only of only three teams, along with Sassuolo and Sampdoria, who are without a win in seven games.

The win moved Verona up to fifth ahead of Sunday’s late games when Lazio or Fiorentina could overtake the Serie A new boys.

Udinese climbed into the top half of the table thanks to a 2-0 home win over Cagliari with goals coming courtesy of Danilo and Antonio Di Natale.

Former Inter Milan striker Antonio Cassano scored Parma’s third in a 3-1 home win over promoted strugglers Sassuolo.

Torino spurned the chance to move up to seventh when Eder scored an injury-time penalty at the death to snatch a 2-2 win for hosts Sampdoria after Alessio Cerci had given the visitors a 76th minute lead from the spot. Cerci’s sixth strike in seven games leaves the Italian leading the Serie A scoring charts. — AFP

ITALY: Napoli’s Jose Callejon celebrates after scoring during a Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Livorno at the Naples San Paolo stadium. — AP

18

Vettel wins Korean GP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Costa nets twice as Atletico beat Celta

19

Stunning Treve breaks Japanese hearts again

Page 17

LONDON: Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil (center) plays a pass during the English Premier League football match against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. — AFP

Arsenal reclaim top spot in EPL West Brom 1

Arsenal 1

WEST BROMWICH: Jack Wilshere’s secondhalf strike rescued a point for Arsenal as they reclaimed top spot in the Premier League yesterday with a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

The hosts had taken the lead shortly before half-time courtesy of Claudio Yacob and saw ex-Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka spurn two good opportunities to double their advantage before Wilshere equalised with a deflected shot.

The goal represented a positive end to a week in which Wilshere had been pictured with a cigarette in his mouth on a night out, for which he was rebuked by manager Arsene Wenger.

It was also enough to lift Arsenal back to the summit by virtue of having scored more goals than Liverpool. Although the result brought to an end the Gunners’ 10-game winning streak, manager Wenger will be satisfied with a point after a searching examination at The Hawthorns.

West Brom had defeated Manchester United only last weekend and the draw represented the first points the Gunners have dropped since their defeat at home to Aston Villa on the season’s opening day. West Brom, meanwhile, can take heart from an excellent fortnight in which they have turned around what was a disappointing start by taking seven points from three games.

West Brom’s anchoring midfield pairing of Youssouf Mulumbu and Yacob succeeded in denying the Gunners’ creative trio of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Wilshere the chance to settle into their rhythm. The visitors were largely restricted to efforts from long range, with their first presentable opportunity arriving in the 13th minute when Ramsey drove a 25-yard free-kick over the crossbar.

It was, in fact, Wojciech Szczesny who was the first goalkeeper extended when, two minutes later, Saido Berahino’s strike took a wicked deflection off Mathieu Flamini, forcing the Arsenal custodian into a fine fingertip save.

Wenger’s team had to work to create openings and on the rare occasions they did, they were guilty of profligacy, with Kieran Gibbs and Wilshere both shooting off target.

The significance of those misses became apparent three minutes before half-time when

Albion concluded a period of dominance with the opening goal.

Arsenal could only clear their lines five yards outside the area to Mulumbu, who controlled and turned in one swift movement before feeding Morgan Amalfitano, wide on the right, and his pinpoint cross to the near post was converted by Yacob with a forceful downward header.

After a prolific pre-season, Anelka is yet to score for the Baggies in competitive action and there were further signs of ring-rust shortly after the restart.

Unmarked at the back post, he failed to control a cross from Berahino, making his first Premier League start after scoring the winner at Old Trafford last weekend, following a swift counter-attack. The visitors had a chance of their own seconds later when Wilshere surged through, only to blaze over the crossbar.

It was a fine chance, yet the one that soon

Super subs Hazard and Willian rescue Chelsea Norwich 1

Chelsea 3

NORWICH: Eden Hazard and Willian rose from the bench to score late goals that earned Chelsea a 3-1 win away to Norwich City in the Premier League yesterday.

The substitutes netted in the 85th and 86th minutes to end Norwich’s legitimate hopes of winning the game themselves after Anthony Pilkington had cancelled out Oscar’s early opener for the visitors.

With Fernando Torres both suspended and injured, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho chose Demba Ba over Samuel Eto’o to replace the Spaniard as his side’s lone striker.

And within seconds Ba almost won a penalty when he got in behind fit-again Norwich defender Sebastien Bassong and went down in the box under Michael Turner’s challenge.

Ba then set up Oscar in the fourth minute for the opening goal, a low, right-footed shot from the edge of the area beyond the reach of Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy. Norwich were forced to chase shadows for a spell and Juan Mata set up Ba for a shot that

Ruddy did well to deflect behind, with the goalkeeper then getting down quickly to deny David Luiz from the ensuing corner. Ba almost made it 2-0 when Ruddy dropped a catch at his feet on the edge of the area, but Bassong had anticipated and was back to block the shot on the turn that followed.

Norwich came close to an equaliser, however, when Luiz inadvertently turned Ricky van Wolfswinkel’s cross towards his own goal, forcing Petr Cech into his first save. But Ruddy again dropped a high ball at Ba’s feet and was only just able to prevent the striker from finding the net from inside the six-yard box. Chelsea began to run out of steam and after Luiz had found the roof of Ruddy’s net with a speculative 60-yard punt, the half ended with Cech saving a Bassong volley.

The second period began with Ba sending a flick across goal and narrowly wide, but in reply, Norwich saw a penalty appeal turned down when Pilkington went down in the Chelsea box under Ramires’s challenge. Pilkington then fired in two shots that were both off target but gave evidence that Norwich were growing into the game.

Further proof arrived when John Terry was only just able to stop Van Wolfswinkel from bursting through to equalise. Chelsea were rattled and, after Terry had blocked another Pilkington effort, there was a booking for Oscar for a foul on Robert Snodgrass. An equaliser was coming and Pilkington scored it in the 68th minute, converting from close range after Van Wolfswinkel beat Terry at the back post to nod down Martin Olsson’s cross from the left.

followed for Anelka was even better. Liam Ridgewell showed presence of mind to slot an early ball down the left touchline, leaving Anelka clean through on goal from wide on the left.

With the angle tight, the Frenchman attempted a low curling effort into the far corner, but it crept agonisingly wide. It proved a key moment, as by the 63rd minute the Gunners were level.

Giroud found substitute Tomas Rosicky on the edge of the area and he teed up Wilshere, whose powerful strike from 25 yards deflected off Jonas Olsson, leaving Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill wrong-footed. Both sides went in search of a winner, but their efforts proved in vain.

Szczesny thwarted Billy Jones’s fierce strike, while Myhill pulled off a superb smothering stop to deny Giroud from close range after Wilshere had released the Frenchman. —AFP

Saints see off Swansea Southampton 2

Swansea 0

LONDON: Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Ramires (left) vies with Norwich City’s Dutch midfielder Leroy Fer during the English Premier League football match. —AFP Cech got a hand to the ball but was unable to prevent it crossing the line. Eto’o came on for Ba in the 73rd minute and England manager Roy Hodgson would not have enjoyed the sight of Ashley Cole coming off holding his stomach two minutes later, with Hazard replacing the England left-back. The Belgian almost put Chelsea back in front within seconds, but his effort on the turn went across goal and wide. Chelsea sent Willian on for Mata for a first taste of Premier League football in the 81st minute, but it was Nathan Redmond, a Norwich substitute, who almost put his side ahead with a fierce drive that Cech did well to beat away. — AFP

SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton maintained their fine early-season form by beating Swansea City 2-0 at St Mary’s yesterday to climb to fourth place in the Premier League table.

Goals in each half from Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side a third consecutive win.

The hosts were also indebted to a fine performance by goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who produced a string of eye-catching saves to safeguard a fourth successive clean sheet. Michael Laudrup’s Swansea remain 14th, two points above the relegation places.

Danny Fox deputised at left back for Southampton due to Luke Shaw’s absence through illness, while Swansea forward Michu played in a scrum cap after injuring his head in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win at home to St Gallen.

Jonjo Shelvey was one of five players drafted into the visiting line-up and he

almost gifted Southampton an early lead by giving the ball away in a dangerous position, only for Dani Osvaldo to shoot over.

The home side had started intently and they took a 19th-minute lead when Lallana lashed the ball home from Steven Davis’s incisive pass.

Swansea began to push for an equaliser, however, and the Southampton goal came under increasing threat. Boruc clawed away a Michu header and saved a low shot from Shelvey, before former Southampton winger Nathan Dyer gathered a back-heel from Wilfried Bony and slammed a shot against the inside of the post.

Lallana teed up Rickie Lambert for a header that missed the target at the other end, but Swansea were soon back on the attack.

Boruc plunged to his left to parry a header from Bony and stood up well to deny Michu, while Bony headed over and Shelvey shot wide in the early stages of the second half.

Shelvey then whipped a free-kick over the bar after Jose Fonte felled Bony right on the edge of the Southampton 18-yard box. Southampton survived, however, and after Victor Wanyama had seen a goal ruled out for a foul, Rodriguez sealed victory in the 83rd minute after outmuscling Chico Flores. — AFP

Morocco’s unemployed march to demand jobs

Business

Page 22 Families hoard cash five yrs after crisis

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Page 25

DS takes a further step forward in China

As developed countries improve, BRICs stumble

Page 26

Page 23

NUSA DUA: Members of security check a car at the entrance to the media centre and other venues holding various sessions of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali yesterday. — AFP

US paralysis perturbs APEC summit Obama no-show, a big disappointment: Singapore PM in the

news

Saudi Jarir Marketing beats Q3 forecasts DUBAI: Saudi Arabian retailer Jarir Marketing said yesterday its third-quarter net profit climbed 15.9 percent, beating analysts’ forecasts, mainly due to increase in sales of office supplies and smart phones at its stores. The retailer said in a bourse statement that its net profit for the quarter was 186.2 million riyals ($49.65 million), compared with 160.7 million riyals for the year-ago quarter. The results beat average forecast of nine analysts in a Reuters poll who expected quarterly profit of 183.4 million riyals.

Almarai Q3 profit rises 5.7 percent DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Almarai reported a 5.7 percent rise in third-quarter net profit yesterday, missing analysts’ estimates despite what the company described as “the strong performance of core dairy and juice categories”. The dairy producer made a net profit of 475.6 million riyals for the three months to Sept. 30, up from 450 million riyals in the year earlier period, according to a statement to the Saudi bourse. Analyst polled by Reuters on average forecast Almarai would make a quarterly profit of 483.3 million riyals ($128.87 million).

Ajman Bank sacks chief executive DUBAI: Ajman Bank has sacked its Chief Executive Mohammed Zaqout, less than six months after appointing him to lead the United Arab Emirates’ lender, a bourse statement said yesterday. The Islamic bank said it had terminated the services of Zaqout with effect from Sunday, with Chief Financial Officer Seifeldin Abdelkareem becoming acting CEO. Ajman Bank, one of the smaller lenders in UAE, announced it had hired Zaqout as chief executive on April 8. The bank, listed on the Dubai Financial Market since 2008, is 25-percent owned by the government of Ajman, one of the seven emirates of the UAE.

GCC stock exchanges to foster integration RIYADH: The ministerial committee of GCC capital market chiefs concluded its fourth meeting here yesterday which focused on recommendations to speed up integration of Gulf capital markets. Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain and chairman of the current session Rasheed Mohammed Al-Maraj said the meeting addressed recommendations on a number of issues, including the draft unified regulation for the issuance of investment funds in GCC countries; the unified regulations for the control of trading in the capital markets of GCC countries; and the unified regulations for the issuance of bonds and instruments in the capital markets of GCC countries.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia: The US government warned yesterday that business in America was suffering from the federal shutdown as concern about Washington’s policy paralysis was voiced at an Asia-Pacific summit marred by the enforced absence of President Barack Obama.

The first government closure in 17 years has directly affected hundreds of thousands of federal employees, but Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said companies were also starting to hurt, not least from her department’s inability to collate vital economic data. “The shutdown is not good for business. It’s not good for the economy,” Pritzker told reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on the Indonesian island of Bali, which Obama has been forced to skip to deal with the political crisis gripping Washington.

“And we need to move on with the business of doing business in the United States.

So, I am hopeful this gets resolved soon. It’s obviously having an impact,” Pritzker said.

Her remarks on the economic impact came after Secretary of State John Kerry warned at the APEC meetings on Saturday that the standoff was “reckless”, and would

weaken America’s diplomatic standing abroad if it did not end soon. Apart from APEC, Obama is also missing a separate East Asian summit this week and scheduled trips to Malaysia and the Philippines. His failure to come coincides with a diplomatic push

by China in Southeast Asia featuring highprofile visits by President Xi Jinping, who is at APEC. Speaking at a Bali meeting of APEC business leaders which Obama had also been scheduled to address, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the president’s no-show was “a very big disappointment to us”. “Obviously we prefer a US government that is working to one that is not.

And we prefer a US president who is able to travel and fulfil his international duties to one who is preoccupied with national domestic preoccupations,” he said.

While expressing sympathy for Obama’s domestic travails, Lee said “no other country can replace” US engagement in Asia. “Not China, not Japan, not any other power. That is something which we continue and encourage at every opportunity.”

At the same APEC business gathering, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said the

United States had to confront its fiscal problems “in a better way than they are doing it now with shutting down the government”.

US goals in doubt Philippine President Benigno Aquino, who will now play host in Manila to Kerry instead of Obama, proffered understanding for the president’s decision to stay home by underscoring the potential spillover of the US crisis. “The world economy obviously is not in a position to withstand too much shock at this time when we are just recovering as a global economy. We perfectly sympathise,” Aquino said in Bali.

At APEC, Obama had been set personally to push for the “Trans-Pacific Partnership”, a US-led free-trade pact that involves 12 countries but excludes China, which is a key player in a proposed 16-nation accord centred instead on Southeast Asia.

APEC host Indonesia, which has been reluctant to join the TPP, said any regional agreement would benefit from China’s inclusion. “China is very important for the Southeast Asian economies, like it or not,” Finance Minister Chatib Basri said.

Japan, a traditionally protectionist trading power that has joined the TPP drive,

said Obama’s goal of clinching an agreement by the end of the year was achievable.

But Pinera said the TPP talks were hobbled by disagreements over intellectual property, and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the end of the year was a “very tight timeline”. Analysts say the bitter bipartisan divide in Washington is distracting the White House from key foreign policy goals such as the TPP, which forms part of a broader strategic “pivot” towards the AsiaPacific region as China flexes its muscles.

The US closed all but its essential operations on Tuesday when Republican lawmakers refused to approve money for government operations without first delaying or defunding a new health care law commonly known as Obamacare. Obama is refusing to negotiate with the Republicans over the budget issues until they pass a temporary bill to reopen the government.

He said they must also agree to raise the $16.7 trillion US statutory borrowing limitwithout which Washington could default on its debts for the first time ever starting on October 17. For many abroad, that is a far bigger cause for fear than the present shutdown. — AFP

Pentagon orders civilians back to work despite shutdown WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said yesterday it will recall most of its furloughed employees as a US government shutdown continued with no signs of an end to the impasse. President Barack Obama used his weekly radio address to demand that Republican lawmakers “end this farce” and approve a budget to keep the government running.

But Republican leaders charged it was the president’s refusal to negotiate that was to blame for the continuing stalemate. The US government closed all but its essential operations Tuesday when Republican lawmakers refused to approve money for government operations without first delaying or defunding the new health care law, commonly known as Obamacare. With public discontent building, the House of Representatives held a rare Saturday meeting and voted 407 to 0 to pass a measure to retroactively pay the hundreds of thousands of federal workers forced to stay home during the crisis. US

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that most of the estimated 400,000 furloughed Pentagon employees will be called back to work next week.

Hagel said Pentagon lawyers had concluded the law allows employees “whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members” to be exempted from the shutdown. The moves reflected deepening concern over the impact of the first federal government shutdown in 17 years, but both sides continued to point fingers at each other.

“Take that vote. Stop this farce. End this shutdown now,” Obama exhorted the Republican-controlled House in his weekly radio and video address. Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House, said the impasse could be worked out but Obama “seems to be unwilling to sit down and talk with us.”

“It doesn’t make any sense if the president has an ax to grind with the oppos-

ing party, why he would want to put the American people in the middle of that,” he said. Neither chamber of Congress was scheduled to meet yesterday. There were growing fears that the budget battle focused on Obama’s health care law will merge with a related, and potentially more damaging, fight over raising the US debt ceiling. Obama is refusing to negotiate with Republicans over the budget issues until they pass a temporary bill to reopen the government and agree to raise the $16.7 trillion US statutory borrowing limit-without which Washington could default on its debts for the first time ever starting on October 17.

“For as reckless as a government shutdown is, an economic shutdown that comes with default would be dramatically worse,” Obama said. The US Senate has already approved a budget, and “there are enough Republican and Democratic votes in the House of Representatives willing to do the same, and end this shutdown immediately,” Obama said. — AFP

BEIJING: A Chinese worker sleeps on his bicycle cart under an advertisement for a new building development as a man passes in Beijing. Five years after the financial crisis, the Chinese are struggling as economic growth slows to a two-decade low. —AP1

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

BUSINESS Dimah report

Join the rotation, out of bonds and into equity

By Hayder Tawfik

T

wo indicators in the financial markets never lie, price and volume.

The big sell off in US treasury bonds and other government bonds were on the back of significant volume according to data released recently. At the same time figures have shown that a big inflow of money into equities has indeed started. These two indicators always been correct and have indicated the future direction of those two asset classes for the coming years. I believe that the Great Rotation out of bonds into equity has already started. My advice to bond investors is don’t be fooled by rising yields, this can be a trap.

At any time, there is more money invested in bonds than equities. So, when the yield on US Treasury bond rises from the lows of 1.5 percent to closer to 3 percent this requires huge amount of liquidation and the opposite is correct with the equity indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial averages or the S&P 500. Over the last few years billions of US$ were invested in bonds.

Some of that money came out of equities and some were switched from cash. The sell-off in bonds in the last few months has lots more to go to be able to reverse all that money invested in bonds since 2008.

I have to admit that the recent money flow data could be reversed quickly but my advice to investors is not ignore the early signs of changes, as these early signs

become sustainable then turn to a long term trend. It is always advisable to catch the early signs and ride the trend. Historical data proves that equity markets always rely on retail investors and bond investments depend on institutions. So, if I am correct then those who have been selling bonds are the big institutional investors and the flow of money into equity markets coming from the retail investors. A very sure sign that retail investors’ faith in the equity markets is back and surely backed with big money flow.

The money flow data also shows that not only the rotation has started but also there has been a shift from US equities into global equity funds. This is a positive sign for nonUS equities. At the start of the year, Japanese equities attracted the most but recently the emerging markets and the euro-zone has become popular again. A clear sign of the attractiveness of the valuations in those markets.

Domestic equity investors usually wait for foreign buyers and overseas money flow to start investing in their domestic markets.

The encouraging signs came from Japanese and European domestic cash retail investors as yet to see the actual switch by bond investors into equities.

We will be looking back in the coming months and years and for sure we will be determining with more accuracy the turning point in this great rotation from bonds into equities. Global equity investors should know that the rally in equity prices is real and backed by good fundamental and heavy volumes.

Hayder Tawfik - Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah CapitalHT@dimah.com.kw

Gulf mixed as Saudi rebounds from dip MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Gulf markets were mixed yesterday as investors were cautious ahead of third-quarter earnings reports and Eid holidays that could coincide with major developments in the US government’s crisis over its funding and debt ceiling. Saudi Arabia’s bourse sank as much as 1.7 percent on what traders said was pre-holiday profit-taking, before closing down just 0.2 percent.

Gulf markets will be wholly or partially closed next week for Eid Al-Adha, with Saudi Arabia shut for the entire week. While most investors are not gravely worried by the US political turmoil, expecting it to be resolved before major damage is done to the US economy or markets, the holidays will leave them exposed during a critical period. Shares in Saudi dairy producer Almarai slipped 0.5 percent after its third-quarter net profit fell marginally short of analysts’ estimates.

Saudi retailer Jarir Marketing, on the other hand, climbed 0.8 percent after reporting results that were slightly better than estimates. In Dubai, the main index fell 0.3 percent to 2,815 points after after 14-day momentum posted a negative divergence - a classic technical sign of a pause in an uptrend.

The index has immediate chart support around 2,750 points, where it peaked in August.

The government’s plans to boost the Islamic finance sector, announced on Saturday, had a mixed effect on stocks in the sector. Dubai said it would focus on developing its Islamic re-insurance sector, which it believes has lagged the growth of Islamic insurance.

Dubai Islamic Bank gained 0.8 percent and Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance Co was up 1.0 percent. But Dar Al Takaful fell 1.2

percent and Takaful Emarat was down 2.8 percent. Shares in Gulf Finance House jumped after it announced the departure of chairman Essam Janahi and named Ahmed al-Mutawa named as his replacement. The Bahrain-listed shares rose 7.7 percent, the Kuwait listing was up 6.5 percent and in Dubai, the stock surged 10.6 percent.

Egypt’s main index rose 0.6 percent on the view that the country’s transition to democracy is progressing, despite the difficulties.

Foreign investors were net buyers of stocks by a considerable margin, according to bourse data. “Due to the improvement of the political situation in Egypt we see more investor interest in the Egyptian equity market,” said Ali Adou, portfolio manager at The National Investor in Abu Dhabi.

SAUDI ARABIA * The index slipped 0.2 percent to 8,003 points.

DUBAI * The index fell 0.3 percent to 2,815 points.

ABU DHABI * The index rose 0.3 percent to 3,868 points.

KUWAIT * The index gained 0.4 percent to 7,655 points.

QATAR * The index fell 0.3 percent to 9,732 points.

EGYPT * The index gained 0.6 percent to 5,726 points.

OMAN * The index rose 0.1 percent to 6,656 points.

BAHRAIN * The index edged up 0.01 percent to 1,194 points. — Reuters

Gulf Bank’s CMO among ‘50 Most Talented CMOs’ The World Marketing Summit recognizes Magnacca KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced that its Chief Marketing Officer Mark Magnacca has been recognized as being among the ‘50 Most Talented CMO’s’ at The World Marketing Summit, ‘BETTER WORLD THROUGH MARKETING’ ; a Philip Kotler initiative. The summit was held in Malaysia from 28th - 30th September 2013, at Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

The World Marketing Summit is the brainchild of Philip Kotler, S C Johnson and Son distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Chicago. The selection of the ‘50 Most Talented CMO’s’ is assessed across a number of areas, namely: Strategic Perspective & Business Goals, Management, Business Ethics & Compliance, Team Orientation & People Management, Customer Focus & Networking, and Performance Management & Achieving Excellence.

Mark Magnacca, Chief Marketing Officer at Gulf Bank, said: “It’s an honor to receive this prestigious award.

At Gulf Bank we have sought to develop a world-class marketing strategy and approach to complement the Bank’s overall

corporate strategy. Our success in this has been possible only through strong team work and the commitment of the entire marketing team.

Of course, our world class partners BBDO Impact Echo Kuwait, OMD Dubai, Khayal Consultants and IPSOS among others ensure we go to market in the most competitive manner possible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for working hand-in-hand with me to deliver the results we have achieved. I would also like to thank the judging panel for selecting me.”

The World Marketing Summit is a segment of The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); eight international development goals that all 189 United Nations (UN) member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. It is the culmination of Professor Dr. Philip Kotler’s professional odyssey transforming his lifelong passion for marketing into serving society. The event included the presence of marketing professionals, representing international corporations and organizations from different continents who share common interests and concerns about marketing.

Mark Magnacca - Chief Marketing Officer receiving his award

Morocco’s unemployed march to demand jobs RABAT: Some 2,000 jobless Moroccans marched through the capital yesterday, demanding the government sort out the nation’s unemployment by giving them jobs in public sector. Like the rest of North Africa, youth unemployment, especially among university graduates, is a persistent social woe that successive governments have been unable to tackle. Though the official unemployment rate is only 9 percent in this North African country, it is nearly double for university graduates, and 30 percent for those under 34. For the past several years, there have been nearly daily protests in the capital by groups of unemployed university graduates ask-

ing for public sector jobs.

“The solution for unemployment is to create government jobs, especially for those with university degrees,” said Jawad Karoom, who graduated with a degree in nuclear physics in 2012.

Most of the marchers, who came from all across the country, dismissed the idea of getting a job in the private sector. “The private sector is not well organized and there are no guarantees for wages or good benefits - the public sector guarantees dignity,” said Youssef Ben Ibrahim, who holds a Master’s degree in French literature and has been unemployed since his graduation two years ago.

Past governments have appeased the unemployed graduates by handing out a certain number of government jobs every year, but the Islamist-led government currently in power said government bureaucracy was swollen with useless jobs and the practice is over.

Protesters also denounced the government practice of insisting on exams to determine the skill level of job applicants. The government has been under increasing pressure over a faltering economy and efforts to cut expensive fuel subsidies. Moroccan university education, which is free, has also been criticized for not preparing graduates for the job market. — AP

RABAT: Unemployed university graduates from across Morocco parade through the capital Rabat during the National Day of the Unemployed to protest the lack of jobs yesterday. — AP

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

2.899 4.554 2.673 2.154 2.841 226.800 36.561 3.639 6.524 9.065 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

75.630 77.927 736.650 753.290 77.237

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT 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 CASH 269.49 278.05 317.62 386.74 282.90 461.87 2.96 3.653 4.546 2.145 2.840 2.675 77.09 752.96 41.04 402.63 735.72 78.12 75.57

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

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lira Morocco Dirham

41.700 40.679 1.323 173.080 400.510 1.903 1.308 34.914

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.500 Euro 384.430 Sterling Pound 460.400 Canadian dollar 274.820 Turkish lira 141.040 Swiss Franc 313.780 Australian Dollar 266.350 US Dollar Buying 282.300 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

244.000 124.000 64.000

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 Japanese Yen

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.224606 0.022422 0.001828 0.009519 0.008763

0.230606 0.030922 0.002408 0.009699 0.009313

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 0.745533 0.038373 0.000078 0.000183 0.395643 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022699 0.001200 0.730332 0.077160 0.074963 0.001930 0.169031 0.140328 0.076205 0.001288

0.753533 0.041473 0.000080 0.000243 0.403143 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046699 0.001835 0.736012 0.078373 0.075663 0.002150 0.177031 0.147328 0.077354 0.001368

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY SELL CASH Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

SELLDRAFT Europe 0.007369 0.447753 0.006653 0.047418 0.379042 0.043370 0.081803 0.008129 0.040050 0.306314 0.140328

0.008369 0.456753 0.018653 0.052418 0.386542 0.048570 0.81803 0.018129 0.045050 0.315814 0.147328

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Australasia 0.259387 0.229855

0.270887 0.239355

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.270231 0.279400 0.279900

0.278731 0.283750 0.283750

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 Sierra Leone

Asia 0.003162 0.044861 0.034479 0.004338 0.000020 0.002823 0.003364 0.000254 0.085494 0.002938 0.002471 0.006418 0.000089

0.003762 0.048361 0.037229 0.004739 0.000026 0.003003 0.003364 0.000269 0.091494 0.003108 0.002751 0.006698 0.000075

Selling Rate 283.250 278.480 456.730 385.620 312.710 748.116 77.095 78.650 76.400 399.285 41.051 2.153 4.606 2.665 3.637 6.564 695.720 3.905

10.030 3.085 3.845 88.405

Al Mulla Exchange CurrencyTransfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

282.900 386.450 455.650 277.000 4.596 40.985 2.155 3.636 6.550 2.668 753.300 77.050 75.550

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Political uncertainties cause dollar to weaken NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Events in Washington and the partial government shutdown have dominated the news in global markets last week and are likely to continue in the week ahead. The fact that we are at a point where the House wants to negotiate the spending bill and debt limit together, it is likely the impasse goes closer to the October 17 debt ceiling deadline. In consequences, market reaction is likely to intensify going into that date with the USD extending its slide against the other reserves currencies such as the Euro, Swiss and the Yen. In consequence, Foreign exchange markets have been considerably slower than the regular month end trading that would keep volumes higher in normal circumstances. At the contrary, Washington’s continued political impasse remains the main theme driving markets, with mainly a softer dollar and soft global equities as the Democrats and republicans seem to be drifting apart every day, while markets are watching the show. For now, hope is the name of the game with newspaper reported on Thursday “With attention shifting to potential consequences of not increasing the debt limit, one House Republican said that Boehner has told colleagues that he was determined to prevent a federal default and was willing to pass a measure through a combination of Republican and Democratic votes.

On the European front, the news was more cheerful with decent European PMIs and the final composite hitting its highest level since June 2011. A solid German reading, albeit slightly soft was accompanied by expansion in the French and Italian composites. Spain was the laggard with PMI service indicator suggesting that the sector was still in contraction.

In Asia, Japan Prime minister adviser Honda suggested the bank of Japan will probably find itself with no choice but to act after the tax hike that Kuroda was ready to implement. Also, Honda added the regime change could “fall apart” unless the BoJ kept showing appropriate policy stance and perhaps started buying more exchange traded funds, Japanese Government bonds, and also begin mort-

gage back securities purchases In summary, the euro had a strong week supported by Italian politics and the ECB press conference on Wednesday, which delivered no negative surprises. As releases of major US economic figures have being delayed due to the shutdown, investors kept pumping money into the euro for its reserve status. The Euro reached a high of 1.3646 on Thursday, to end the week at 1.3556. The Sterling Pound started the week on a positive note, reaching a high of 1.6260 amid the US political turmoil. the currency however traded down by the end of the week mostly on profit taking and investors’ belief that the pair has run out of steam after two months of continued outperformance. The Sterling pound closed the week at 1.6010 against the USD. The Japanese yen continued to gain ground against the USD this week, after the BoJ kept their asset purchase program at status quo at 60-70 trillion yen annually. After reaching a high of 98.73 at the beginning of the week,the Yen closed near the lows on Friday at 97.47.

In the commodity complex, Gold could not sustain gains over the week despite the weakness of the USD. The market still feels directionless, and as yet, the safe-haven bid around the US debt ceiling remains absent, which gives a worrying signal for the precious metal complex.

Healthy economy September manufacturing ISM rose 0.5 points to 56.2 as production (62.6 vs. 62.4) and employment (55.4 vs. 53.3) improved in the month. The latter is the highest level on manufacturing employment since June 2012 (55.7). In other details of the report, new orders (60.5 vs. 63.2) slipped modestly but remained firmly in growth territory.

New export orders (52.0 vs. 55.5) fell slightly on the other hand. However, the Q3 average (53.7) is up modestly from the prior quarter (53.2) which points toward a positive contribution from exports in Q3.

On the other hand, September’s nonmanufacturing ISM fell 4.2 points to 54.4 on the back business activity (55.1 vs. 62.2) and employment (52.7 vs. 57.0). The latter

the most important subcomponent of the series and now stands at the lowest level since last May. Jobless claims Jobless claims eased to 308k as economists had expected 315k. The data could provide some of the strongest guidance this week on the health of the US economy as a partial government shutdown delays the release of economic data, including the monthly employment report, which was also scheduled to be released last week.

Europe & UK As expected, Draghi struck a dovish tone at the ECB press conference this week, consistent with the message in the forward guidance regime. He did state they have a vast array of instruments, excluding none.

Draghi’s rhetoric on the recovery deteriorated calling it “weak, fragile and uneven”. On the Foreign exchange, the ECB will be “attentive to developments. The hint of new LTROs became more formal, but it does not feel like the Council is ready to act anytime soon.

Liquidity “accidents” will be avoided, implying the maturing 3Y LTROs will be addressed, while the statement that “liquidity is not a replacement for capital” may

imply a low appetite for new LTROs before the stress tests are published in mid-2014.

The Italian government’s stability over the medium term does not seem guaranteed despite Berlusconi supporting Letta’s Government. Such stability is a necessary but not sufficient condition to improve Italy’s very low potential GDP growth. In short-term, Italy’s relatively low external vulnerability and the likely cyclical improvement will probably quell investors’ concerns.

However in the long run, the market remains pessimistic and skeptical over the implementation of structural reforms.

According to the Bank of Spain, Spanish banks’ bad loans rose to a new high of 12 percent in July from 11.6 percent in June as more households and small companies struggled with debts. The rise in loans in arrears dragged on Spanish banks’ earnings in the first half of 2013, even though in the second quarter some reported a slower rate of increase in bad loans. UK manufacturing growth eased slightly in September from a two year high in august. The Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped to 56.7 from Augusts’ 57.1, weaker than the rise to 57.3 economists had predicted. UK economic data surprises reached new highs, but part of this seems to be due to this year’s beauti-

fully warm British summer. According to analysts, there is a remarkably tight fit between temperature and data surprises, suggesting plenty of scope of mean-reversion in coming months and weaker UK data BoJ ready to Act Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic adviser called on the head of the Bank of Japan to commit to take action should the economy suffer a sudden slump after the sales tax is raised next year. Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda on the other hand urged the government to proceed with the hike, saying the central bank could deal with a potential economic slowdown that might come in its wake.

During this week’s BoJ press conference, Kuroda advised that the government stimulus package is still appropriate and gives significant boost to Japan’s GDP growth. He also mentioned while Abe’s economic package is a big plus for Japan’s growth; the CPI has turned positive and will continue to rise. When asked whether the Bank of Japan will ease further if the US debt stalemate severely hits the global economy, Kuroda said: “we will make necessary policy adjustments, depending on upside and downside risks, but for now we see Japan’s economy making steady progress towards achieving the BoJ’s 2 percent price goal even when taking into account various risk factors.”

Gold under pressure As mentioned earlier in the report, Gold could not sustain gains over the week despite the weakness of the USD. According to analysts’ reports, the incessant selling by producers and hedgers have overwhelmed the near-term demand, at increasingly lower price levels. So even though the gold price has made an impressive recovery from a two-month low this week, the rebound could come to zero if the hedgers reappear.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28265 The USDKWD opened at 0.28265 yesterday morning.

As developed countries improve, BRICs stumble People retrench in face of tough times

SEOUL: A South Korean clerk enters a clothing store located near Hongik University in Seoul yesterday. South Korea’s jobless rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in July, Statistics Korea said on August 14, after new employment openings in education and social services offset losses in the manufacturing sector. — AFP

German economist: Fear to dog investors for years NEW YORK: Investors around the world have retreated from risk before. But this time is different.

So says Arne Holzhausen, a senior economist at Allianz, an insurer based in Munich. He says what’s keeping people from returning to taking chances with their money is not just a fear of loss, but a mistrust of the financial system. His prediction: Investors will remain cautious for several years to come.

Depending on your view, Holzhausen is qualified either to understand this new cautious world, or to exaggerate its impact. A German, he shares with his countrymen a reluctance to gamble with money even in the best of times. He also has seen the damage when the appetite for risk swings from one extreme to the other: He lived and studied in Japan in 1989-1990 when overconfident investors pushed stock prices to a record, then in 1994-1995 after many had sold at a loss and the economy had entered a two-decade slump.

In an interview, Holzhausen, 46, explained the psychological “scarring” that has kept people from buying stocks in the past five years, how living in Japan during its boom and bust shaped his views, why Germany is not the model economy widely assumed, and why he, like many Germans, has stayed away from stocks.

Some economists talk about “scarring” from the financial crisis. What do they mean by that term?

Holzhausen: If you have a bad experience in your young, formative years, you don’t easily forget. In the beginning of the (last) decade, there was the tech bubble, then came the financial crisis.

The generations in their 30s and 40s will keep cautious. It’s not so much about value. People are deeply skeptical about the fairness of financial markets - heads the banks win, tails you lose.

Q: People have been burned before, but they always come back. The ‘70s were terrible for investors, yet they ended up buying stocks the next decade, and borrowed more and spent.

Holzhausen: After the oil shock of the 1970s, I don’t think there was such mistrust. That was seen as an external shock. (Now) people think something is rotten in the financial system. People see financial markets as a casino.

When I started (as an economist) in the ‘80s, the mood was you have to buy stocks. You heard it even in China, “To get rich is glorious.” Now, people don’t feel that anymore. People want to get as much distance as possible from the financial system. They want to be in control of their financial

matters.

Q: How much longer do you think households will continue to spend slowly, sell stocks and shun debt? Is it five years? Ten years?

Holzhausen: That’s hard to predict, but look at the Japanese: They have not been in the mood (to spend and invest) for more than two decades. That might be an extreme case, but with low growth in the foreseeable future (in Europe) and a rapidly aging society, the revival of animal spirits is certainly not around the corner. Five years at least.

Q: In the US, investors are starting to inch back into stocks. The Japanese stock market is up 45 percent in nine months. Some households there are buying again, too.

Holzhausen: There is some movement on the margins. People are repositioning their portfolios to try to take advantage of recent equity booms.

But overall, the stance is very cautious.

Q: What about in Europe?

Holzhausen: People in Europe are talking about a “great rotation” (back to stocks), but it’s still early.

Is this really the return of the risky investor or is it a false dawn? There’s slow improvement. But the euro crisis is not yet over. People are still too fearful to get back into the markets. There is still a lot of angst. There is a lot of mistrust.

Q: What have you done with your money?

Holzhausen: I bought stocks back in the ‘90s, and lost a lot of money in the dot-com bubble and decided to get rid of them. Most of my money is in life insurance and in real estate.

Q: You lived in Japan twice, in the late ‘80s when the real-estate and stock markets hit records, and in the mid-’90s.

Holzhausen: It was really eye opening, if you came from Europe. Asia was the future. It was more dynamic. It was richer. I couldn’t afford anything. There really was exuberance, then there was pessimism. People don’t believe in a better future, in a bright future, that Japan will return to high growth.

Q: Germany is seen as a model for other countries. Unemployment is low, and Germans never borrowed too much. You have a different view of this.

Holzhausen: Our performance looks good, but only in comparison to other European countries.

Private investment is very low. Most companies are overly dependent on banks, and banks are reluctant to (lend). The market for equity and bonds for small and medium-size companies has not taken off. People are looking for safer assets. There is a lack of capital. —AP

NEW YORK: The developing countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China recovered quickly from the financial crisis five years ago. Their spending helped keep a global recession from becoming a global depression. Now they’re stumbling.

Indians are buying fewer cars for the first time in a decade. Chinese are struggling as economic growth slows to a two-decade low. Even bigspending Brazilians, who like to buy everything from shoes to dental work on credit, are turning thrifty - and angry. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in June to protest rising prices and shoddy public services.

The timing is unfortunate. The economies of the United States, Europe and Japan have gained some momentum in recent months. It seemed that both developed and developing countries would finally be strengthening together as they did before the crisis. Now, hopes for a healthier worldwide economy have been dashed. The reasons for the slowdown in the BRICs, as the four biggest developing countries are known, are myriad, from a pullback in bank lending in China to crumbling infrastructure and rampant corruption in India. One constant: The cost of living is rising fast, sapping spending power and the spirits of even those who’ve done well since the crisis. Wang Yonghui, a hotel worker in Shijiazhuang, China, bought an apartment in 2006 that has almost doubled in value. But the price of nearly everything else has risen, too, outstripping his and his wife’s monthly income of 8,000 yuan ($1,300).

“So our net worth goes up, but our savings goes down,” says Wang, 51, adding that he no longer has the appetite, or the cash, to dabble in stocks as he used to. In Russia, Daria Ivashkevich, 42 and a mother of two, paid off a loan for her Moscow apartment a few years ago, and no longer borrows to buy smartphones, computers and other items. Still, she’s had to cut back on food and travel to make ends meet. “Our income hasn’t gone down but because of inflation we have less money to spend,” she says.

Consumer prices in Russia have risen an average 9 percent a year since the financial crisis, according to Haver Analytics, a data provider.

When the crisis struck in the fall of 2008, exports from developing countries to developed ones plunged, as did stock markets from Beijing to Moscow. But the developing countries snapped back, thanks to a mix of massive government stimulus programs, a flood of bank loans to businesses and consumers and a rebound in prices for commodities, a big source of exports for some of the countries.

Now, the Chinese government is pulling back from its loose-credit policy to rein in excessive borrowing, which is slowing growth. Falling prices for commodities have hobbled Brazil and Russia. Indian consumers have slowed spending because of high inflation. A jump in US interest rates since May is hurting, too. Investors attracted to those higher rates are pulling money out of developing countries, slamming their economies.

The tougher times are forcing many people to retrench. “I’ve started to ask myself, ‘Do I really need this?’” says Antonio Guedes, 33, a clothing designer in Rio de Janeiro. “... I think people of my generation are going to have a much more

MUMBAI: An Indian man walks past an advertisement for a foreign currency exchange at a bank office in Mumbai. —AP uncertain financial life than our parents’ genera- first time. “This newer generation...they want to tion.” To be sure, there’s plenty of reason for opti- buy the latest model car, the largest-screen TV, mism about the developing world. In Brazil, 40 or a big new fridge,” says Vipul Soni, 34, owner of million people, a fifth of its population, joined a chain of gift stores based in Mumbai. “The the middle class in the past decade. The Chinese spending is to acquire a lifestyle. It’s all aspiranow buy more cars and cellphones than tional.” For all their promise, though, the BRICs Americans. And while two-thirds of India’s 1.2 can only help support the global economy, not billion still struggle in poverty, the growing mid- drive it. “They’re just too small to become an dle class is spending enough to convince the engine of demand for the world’s economy,” says likes of Starbucks and IKEA to open stores for the Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff. —AP

Never on a Sunday?

Shopping ban splits France PARIS: It is one of those things about France that sometimes leaves visitors scratching their heads.

And now, it seems, a growing number of the French are themselves starting to question the laws that mean shopping is all but banned on Sundays. The issue came to a head in recent weeks with a series of court rulings upholding bans on late night and Sunday openings for non-food retailers.

These have infuriated those workers who want the Sunday hours and drawn criticism that the laws are archaic and ill-suited to a time of economic hardship. The controversy comes at a time when the euro-zone’s second economy is grappling with record unemployment of more than three million and growth has stagnated. France’s Socialist government, which has promised to balance austerity with growth, has so far backed the legislation in its current form.

“There is no question of touching the principle of a Sunday rest,” Labour Minister Michel Sapin said.

However, the government has appointed the former head of the country’s postal services Jean-Paul Bailly to look into the weaknesses of the present legislation and present proposals by the end of November.

“I am ashamed. I find it scandalous that in this country we do not give people the right to work.

And then we are surprised that there is unemploy-

ment,” said Elisabeth Armani, a Paris resident who shops on Sundays. Paris missing out on ‘economic manna’ of Sunday shopping Nathalie KosciuskoMorizet, the candidate for Paris mayor from the centre-right opposition UMP party, warned the measures were causing huge losses in one of the world’s most-visited cities. “The employees want to work and businesses make at least 20 percent of their weekly turnover on this day,” she said in an interview to Metro News, a freesheet. “We have to keep this economic manna in the capital,” she said. “Take into account the fact that tour operators are organizing an exodus of tourists (from Paris) to London on Sunday so that they can do their shopping. Some shops have received special permission from sympathetic local authorities to open on Sunday, but several home improvement stores just went ahead and opened anyway.

Unions filed lawsuits and last month two leading DIY chains Castorama and Leroy Merlin were ordered by courts to close several Paris region stores on Sunday. Both defied the ban despite a fine of 120,000 euros ($162,000) per shop and per day, and planned to flout the ban again.

A survey on Thursday showed that 66 percent of 933 people polled by Tilder-LCI-Opinionway on October 2 and 3 approved of their defiance. —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Spain’s bad bank close to big land sale MADRID: Spain’s “bad bank” is about to start its biggest sale so far of land taken over from bailedout lenders, as property prices in some of the countries worst hit by the euro zone crisis show signs of recovery. The Sareb agency, set up to

cleanse troubled Spanish banks of real estate holdings that went sour in the crisis, is taking advantage of growing interest from professional investors to catch up from a slow first six months of operations.

The government-backed vehicle, known by its Spanish acronym, aims to put a package of about 80 plots of developed land up for auction, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Sareb values the portfolio at around 350 mil-

lion euros ($477 million), which will be the starting point for price talks, the source said, adding: “It is close to coming onto the market, likely in the coming days.” Sareb declined to comment. But one private equity investor said: “It’s got the market excited in that they are going to set the floor on a lot of asset classes.”

Investors said Sareb, created as a condition of a 41 billion euro rescue for Spanish banks with European money, was selling off its best assets first and may struggle to get rid of its poorer quality properties ever, especially undeveloped land.

Nevertheless, the private equity investor praised its “Herculean effort” following Spain’s banking crisis, brought on by a 40 percent dive in property prices from a 2007 peak.

The planned sale includes land ready for construction in the Madrid area as well as in the northeastern region of Catalonia, Galicia in the northwest, and in coastal areas.

In recent weeks Sareb put at least seven portfolios on the market.

These contain stakes in tourist resorts and a shopping centre, seven prime office buildings, over 2,000 homes and chunks of syndicated loans to property developers.

Investors’ interest in property is rising again across Europe as many countries emerge from recession.

Ireland’s bad bank is speeding up sales of real estate loans, and in August house prices there rose at the fastest pace in six years. Real estate companies have flocked back to the markets this year, with LEG Immobilien’s German stock exchange listing in January the biggest float in Europe for 2013 so far. British property agents Foxtons and housebuilder Crest Nicholson have also listed.

Sareb started life earlier this year with 51 billion euros’ worth of assets transferred from state -rescued lenders such as Bankia, at varying discounts. It is 51 percent owned by private investors, aiming to reduce the burden on stretched state finances. The private equity investor, who declined to be named, said sales so far had been small. “They’ve sold a lot more in a shorter time span than any other bad bank I’ve seen,” he said. “Still, there are a lot of assets there that they will never sell ... and will still be there in 15 years.”

Sareb is aiming for a 13 to 14 per-

cent annual return over its 15-year life. Some investors and bankers believe this is too ambitious, and have warned it could face losses on some of its worst assets which could eventually leave it short of capital.

However, Sareb is now close to reaching this year’s revenue target of 1.5 billion euros, having already raised 1.2 billion, largely through selling homes piecemeal.

Sareb closed its first property portfolio deal in August with investment firm HIG Capital, which took a 51 percent stake in a package of close to 1,000 homes around Spain, worth about 100 million euros.

Investors, who had been frustrated until then with the slow pace of disposals targeted at property funds and distressed real estate specialists, said these were now picking up.

“There will be plenty more in the coming months. They took their time to do the first portfolio deal but at least they did some good work structuring it,” said one Madrid-based fund manager, who declined to be named.

The joint-venture structure used with HIG Capital, which has tax advantages for foreign investors, is one Sareb wants to repeat with other housing portfolios on the market.

International investors such as Cerberus Capital Management, Lone Star and Centerbridge Partners are among those interested in assets as they start building up businesses to manage soured loans and real estate in Spain.

Sareb started with nearly 15,000 plots of land on its books, bought at an average discount of nearly 80 percent. It is likely to get better offers for land in urban or coastal areas that is ready for construction than for undeveloped plots which may turn out to be worthless.

About 80 percent of its land are plots that have been prepared for building and have the necessary permits. It is also trying to sell just over 30 plots of undeveloped land all over the country. This disposal is aimed at large investors as well as local buyers, including farmers, who can browse for the parcels on Sareb’s website. A portfolio of 2,000 properties, containing many second homes, could be among other deals to close in the next few weeks, two sources familiar with that deal said. — Reuters

Sous Chef Maya Lovelace prepares quail at Beast Restaurant in Portland, Ore. The Institute for Supply Management issued its US non-manufacturing (service-sector) index on Thursday. — AP

GCC markets end the week mixed KUWAIT: The week ended with the GCC financial markets each having different returns. The biggest gainer this week was Dubai’s DFM Index, which gained 3.15 percent for the week. The market that dropped the most was Kuwait’s Price Index, which dropped 2.09 percent for the week.

The week had news concerning the collective GCC sectors current state and outlook released. As for Capital Expenditure, in 2013, it is expected that spending will increase 8.2 percent from 2012. In the case of the GCC fertilizer industry, it is expected that the growth in this industry is sustainable due to a growing global population and planned strategic expansions. The insurance market is set to see rapid premium growth. The GCC insurers have seen annual revenue growth of 16.8 percent in the past 6 years and will increase significantly in the near future. As for the loans and financing markets, 2.7 percent growth in personal loans by end of Q1 2013 compared to the same period in 2011 with the UAE garnering close to 50 percent of those loans. Also, Islamic banks have seen more growth than their conventional peers. The GCC markets are planning a common water grid to supply the growing population of the council nations and due to the expansion of their non-oil sectors. The GCC healthcare market is experiencing annual growth of 11 percent and is expected to reach $43.9 billion in 2015, compared to $25.6 billion in 2010.

In the UAE, strong oil prices and increased production is expected to culminate in a large fiscal surplus in 2013. Also, US$ 690 billion worth of infrastructural projects are planned in the UAE due to rapid expansions in the economy.

As for Qatar, real growth in GDP is expected to slightly slowdown to 6.0 percent in Q2 yoy compared to 6.2 percent in Q2.

In Kuwait, the 3 indices all logged losses for the week. The Kuwait 15 dropped 1.59 percent, the Price Index dropped 2.04 percent and the weighted index dropped 1.33 percent. Economic growth is expected to increase to 2.9 percent next year. Bank credit growth is up 5.9 percent yoy in July. Also, it is expected to reach 7 percent in fiscal 2013.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Families hoard cash five yrs after crisis Investors still spooked, refuse to take a chance

TOKYO: A woman stands in front of an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo on Friday. Uncertainty about how long the partial shutdown of the US government will last kept stock markets on edge. — AP

US budget gridlock puts markets on storm alert PARIS: The US budget crisis began as a side issue for financial markets, but is now centre stage and could get worse before a lastminute solution averts deep damage to global recovery, analysts say.

The deadlock and shutdown of many federal services, described by US President Barack Obama as a reckless “farce”, ran for a fourth working day on Friday. And by the end of the week there was increasingly evident concern about the possible damage to the US economy and repercussions across the world. Operators and experts on financial markets so far do not lend much credence to warnings of the worst possible outcome, in the form of bankruptcy for the US federal state. But the failure of a series of marathon talks between Democrats and Republicans in Washington are raising the stakes in financial circles which are increasingly worried that the crisis could drag on.

Today and tomorrow, markets in New York and Tokyo took a sanguine view of the emerging close-down of federal activities.

They took the attitude that a solution would soon emerge, and stock markets in Europe were encouraged by the collapse of an attempt in Italy to bring down the government. But by Wednesday, the US budget problem was becoming a headache and most world markets fell in response.

Then on Thursday, the US Treasury struck an alarm bell, to push the US Congress towards raising the ceiling on the US debt, warning that refusal to do so could have a “catastrophic effect”.

The Treasury said that if the debt limit were not raised by the deadline of October 17, the country risked a debt default and being thrown into a worse recession than the one which struck after the financial crisis exploded in 2008. At Barclays Bourse in Paris, investment manager Renaud Murail said: “The closer we get to the critical deadline of October 17, the more the tension will rise.”

In taking investment and trading positions, people on financial markets had to navigate through “verbal exchanges which will become increasingly sharp,” he said, adding that Obama “has every interest in seeing Wall Street fall to add to the pressure on the Republicans.”

But Murail also said that “there is a consensus view that beyond this dangerous political game” and despite “a feeling that the Republicans are being overtaken by events because of their most extreme

members”, there would be an agreement in the end. “It seems too much to think that after all these injections of cash for months by the Federal Reserve (US central bank) that there will be such a clash that growth of the US and world economy could be endangered,” he said. Singapore-based Phillip Futures also warned that the effects of the crisis could become more acute, saying in a note: “We expect market tension particularly in the form of weakening dollar and declining equities to continue and intensify respectively.”

‘Sanity’ could bring deal At IG Markets in Melbourne, analyst Chris Weston said: “Is sanity starting to prevail in the US? Not yet, but there are signs that Washington will avert a worst-case scenario.”

But he also said: “It is also becoming apparent that US banks are starting to load up ATMs (cash dispensers) with cash in preparation for a worst-case scenario”.

At Berenberg Bank in London, senior economist Christian Schulz said: “ We expect Democrats and Republicans to strike a last-minute deal... If they do, and if the deal does not contain excessive fiscal cuts, confidence should bounce back quickly.” Credit Agricole CIB bank economist Frederik Ducrozet took a similar line regarding attitudes on the sovereign debt market. “The consensus is broadly in favour of a solution,” he said.

Few investors were worried “about the long-term solvency of the United States, even allowing for the crisis,” he said. Trading on the sovereign debt market was relatively calm this week and on Friday the yield on 10-year debt issued by the United States, Germany and France was generally steady.

The only evident tension emerged on the shortest maturities of US debt, and particularly for four-week instruments for which the effective yield rose from minus 0.02 percent to plus 0.11 percent during trading on Friday. One problem for analysts on Friday was that the monthly figures for employment in the United States in September, a key indicator, was not published because of the shutdown of administrations. “The most damaging effect is the absence of the figures which could have consequences in terms of monetary policy,” Ducrozet said, commenting that the Federal Reserve might not have enough information to take decisions in time. — AFP

NEW YORK: Five years after US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, triggering a global financial crisis and shattering confidence worldwide, families in major countries around the world are still hunkered down, too spooked and distrustful to take chances with their money.

An Associated Press analysis of households in the 10 biggest economies shows that families continue to spend cautiously and have pulled hundreds of billions of dollars out of stocks, cut borrowing for the first time in decades and poured money into savings and bonds that offer puny interest payments, often too low to keep up with inflation. “It doesn’t take very much to destroy confidence, but it takes an awful lot to build it back,” says Ian Bright, senior economist at ING, a global bank based in Amsterdam. “The attitude toward risk is permanently reset.”

A flight to safety on such a global scale is unprecedented since the end of World War II. The implications are huge: Shunning debt and spending less can be good for one family’s finances. When hundreds of millions do it together, it can starve the global economy. Some of the retrenchment is not surprising: High unemployment in many countries means fewer people with paychecks to spend. But even people with good jobs and little fear of losing them remain cautious.

“Lehman changed everything,” says Arne Holzhausen, a senior economist at global insurer Allianz, based in Munich. “It’s safety, safety, safety.”

The AP analyzed data showing what consumers did with their money in the five years before the Great Recession began in December 2007 and in the five years that followed, through the end of 2012. The focus was on the world’s 10 biggest economies the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Italy and India which have half the world’s population and 65 percent of global gross domestic product.

around the world. “A whole new generation of adults has come of age in a time of diminished expectations,” says Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo, the fourth-largest U.S. bank. “They’re not likely to take on debt like those before them.”

Or spend as much.

After adjusting for inflation, Americans increased their spending in the five years after the crisis at one-quarter the rate before the crisis, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. French spending barely budged. In the UK, spending dropped. The British spent 3 percent less last year than they did five years earlier, in 2007. High unemployment has played a role. But economists say the financial crisis, and the government debt crisis that started in Europe a year later, has spooked even people who can afford to splurge to cut back.

Arnaud Reze, 36, owns a home in Nantes, France, has piled up money in savings accounts and stocks, and has a government job that guarantees 75 percent of his pay in retirement. But he fears the pension guarantee won’t be kept. So he’s stopped buying coffee at cafes and cut back on lunches with colleagues and saved in numerous other ways.

“Little stupid things that I would buy left and right ...

I don’t buy anymore,” he says.

Even the rich are spending cautiously. Five years ago, Mike Cockrell, chief financial officer at Sanderson Farms, a large US poultry producer in Laurel, Miss., had just paid off a mortgage and was looking forward to the extra spending money. Then

Key findings: RETREAT FROM STOCKS: A desire for safety drove people to dump stocks, even as prices rocketed from crisis lows in early 2009. Investors in the top 10 countries pulled $1.1 trillion from stock mutual funds in the five years after the crisis, or 10 percent of their holdings at the start of that period, according to Lipper Inc., which tracks funds.

They put more even money into bond mutual funds - $1.3 trillion - even as interest payments on bonds plunged to record lows.

SHUNNING DEBT: In the five years before the crisis, household debt in the 10 countries jumped 34 percent, according to Credit Suisse. Then the financial crisis hit, and people slammed the brakes on borrowing. Debt per adult in the 10 countries fell 1 percent in the 41/2 years after 2007. Economists say debt hasn’t fallen in sync like that since the end of World War II. People chose to shed debt even as lenders slashed rates on loans to record lows. In normal times, that would have triggered an avalanche of borrowing.

HOARDING CASH: Looking for safety for their money, households in the six biggest developed economies added $3.3 trillion, or 15 percent, to their cash holdings in the five years after the crisis, slightly more than they did in the five years before, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The growth of cash is remarkable because millions more were unemployed, wages grew slowly and people diverted billions to pay down their debts.

PENDING SLUMP: To cut debt and save more, people have reined in their spending. Adjusting for inflation, global consumer spending rose 1.6 percent a year during the five years after the crisis, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, an accounting and consulting firm. That was about half the growth rate before the crisis and only slightly more than the annual growth in population during those years.

Consumer spending is critically important because it accounts for more than 60 percent of GDP.

MADRID: Benigno Ferrer, 59 years old, carries his belongings as he leaves the camp next to the apartment that he was evicted from, one and half weeks ago, in Madrid on Saturday. Benigno Ferrer, and his family members, unemployed and some on state benefits for the disabled, had been living in the apartment of the State City Hall Housing Company (EMVS) for 24 years. EMVS informed them that they have to move out. The eviction was executed despite of the resistance of dozens of Victims’ Mortgage Platform (PAH). The family moved to a house provide by family in solidarity. —AP

More importantly, economists cite psychological “scarring,” a fear of losing money that grips people during a period of collapsing jobs, incomes and wealth, then doesn’t let go, even when better times return. Think of Americans who suffered through the Great Depression and stayed frugal for decades.

Although not on a level with the Depression, some economists think the psychological blow of the financial crisis was severe enough that households won’t increase their borrowing and spending to what would be considered normal levels for another five years or longer.

To better understand why people remain so cautious five years after the crisis, AP interviewed consumers around the world. A look at what they’re thinking - and doing - with their money: Rick Stonecipher of Muncie doesn’t like stocks anymore, for the same reason that millions of investors have turned against them - the stock market crash that began in October 2008 and didn’t end until the following March. “My brokers said they were really safe, but they weren’t,” says Stonecipher, 59, a substitute school teacher.

Americans sold the most in the five years after the crisis - $521 billion, or 9 percent of their mutual fund holdings, according to Lipper. But investors in other countries sold a larger share of their holdings: Germans dumped 13 percent; Italians and French, more than 16 percent each.

The French are “not very oriented to risk,” says Cyril Blesson, an economist at Pair Conseil, an

DEVELOPING WORLD NOT HELPING ENOUGH: When the financial crisis hit, the major developed countries looked to the developing world to take over in powering global growth. The four big developing countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China recovered quickly from the crisis. But the potential of the BRIC countries, as they are known, was overrated. Although they have 80 percent of the people, they accounted for only 22 percent of consumer spending in the 10 biggest countries last year, according to Haver Analytics, a research firm. This year, their economies are stumbling.

Consumers around the world will eventually shake their fears, of course, and loosen the hold on their money. But few economists expect them to snap back to their old ways.

One reason is that the boom years that preceded the financial crisis were fueled by families taking on enormous debt, experts now realize, not by healthy wage gains. No one expects a repeat of those excesses.

This combination of file photos from 2012-2013 shows from top left, a vegetable vendor counting rupees at a market in Allahabad, a shopper standing by a sale sign in London, a woman carrying bags with food in Barcelona, and a shopper browsing at a Sears store in Henderson, Nevada. An analysis of households in the 10 biggest economies shows that families continue to spend cautiously in the five years since the US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, triggering a global financial crisis. — AP investment consultancy in Paris. “Now, it’s even worse.” It’s gotten worse in China, Russia and the UK, too. Fu Lili, 31, a psychologist in Fu Xin, a city in northeastern China, says she made 20,000 yuan ($3,267) buying and selling stocks before the crisis, more than 10 times her monthly salary then. But she won’t touch them now, because she’s too scared. In Moscow, Yuri Shcherbanin, 32, a manager for an oil company, says the crash proved stocks were dangerous and he should content himself with money in the bank.

In London, Pavlina Samson, 39, owner of a jewelry and clothes shop, says stocks are too “risky.”

What’s also driving her away may be something that runs deeper: “People feel like they’re being ripped off everywhere,” she says. Holzhausen, the Allianz economist, says the crisis taught people not to trust others with their money. “People want to get as much distance as possible from the financial system,” he says.

The crisis also taught them about the dangers of debt. After the crisis hit, Jerry and Madeleine Bosco of Tujunga, Calif., found themselves facing $30,000 in credit card bills with no easy way to pay the debt off. So they sold stocks, threw most of their cards in the trash, and stopped eating out and taking vacations. Today, most of the debt is gone, but the lusher life of the boom years is a distant memory.

“We had credit cards and we didn’t worry about a thing,” says Madeleine, 55. In the US, debt per adult soared 54 percent in the five years before the crisis. Then it plunged, down 12 percent in 4 1/2 years, although most of that resulted from people defaulting on loans. In the UK, debt per adult fell a modest 2 percent, but it had jumped 59 percent before the crisis. Even Japanese and Germans, who weren’t big borrowers in the years before the crisis, cut debt - 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

“We don’t want to take out a loan,” says Maria Schoenberg, 45, of Frankfurt, Germany, explaining why she and her husband, a rheumatologist, decided to rent after a recent move instead of borrowing to buy. “We’re terrified of doing that.” Such attitudes are rife when it has rarely been cheaper to borrow

Lehman collapsed, and he decided to save it instead. “I watched the news of the stock market going down 100, 200 points a day, and I was glad I had cash,” he says, recalling the steep drops in the Dow Jones industrial average then. “That strategy will not change.”

The wealthiest 1 percent of US households are saving 30 percent of their take-home pay, triple what they were saving in 2008, according to a July report from American Express Publishing and Harrison Group, a research firm.

After years of saving more and shedding debt, the good news is that many people have repaired their personal finances. Americans have slashed their credit card debt to 2002 levels. In the UK, personal bank loans, not including mortgages, are no larger than they were in 1999. In addition, home prices in some countries are rising. So more people have the capacity to borrow, spend and invest more.

But will they? Sahoko Tanabe of Tokyo, 63, lost money in Japan’s stock market crash more than two decades ago, but she’s buying again. “Abenomics,” a mix of fiscal and monetary stimulus named for Japan’s new prime minister, has ignited Japanese stocks, and she doesn’t want to miss out. “You’re bound to fail if you have a pessimistic attitude,” she says.

But for every Tanabe, there seem to be more people like Madeleine Bosco, the Californian who ditched many of her credit cards. “All of a sudden you look at all these things you’re buying that you don’t need,” she says.

Attitudes like Bosco’s will make for a better economy eventually - safer and more stable - but won’t trigger the jobs and wage gains that are needed to make economies healthy now.

“The further you get away from the carnage in ‘08-’09, the memories fade,” says Stephen Roach, former chief economist at investment bank Morgan Stanley, who now teaches at Yale. “But does it return to the leverage and consumer demand we had in the past and make things hunky dory? The answer is no.” — AP

South Africa union ends auto components strike JOHANNESBURG: South African trade union NUMSA said it had reached a deal to end a four-week strike in the auto components sector that has crippled production. It said workers returned to factory floors yesterday.

Union officials told a news conference yesterday that workers would receive a 10 percent pay increase in the first year of the accord and wage hikes of eight percent in the second and third years covered by the agreement.

The strike in an industry that accounts for 6 percent of GDP is one several this year threatening to hamper growth and further dent investor confidence in Africa’s largest economy. “The strike was very hard for us,” Irvin Jim, the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), told the news conference. A four-week strike by more than 30,000 workers at major auto makers including BMW, Ford,

Nissan and General Motors ended last month and cost the industry $2 billion in lost output.

But as workers on the assembly lines came back to work, tens of thousands of those at suppliers walked out. The auto sector has been a bright spot for the ruling African National Congress (ANC), facing national elections next year. It has used protectionism to grow the sector and provide relatively well-paying manufacturing jobs in a country where unemployment has been stuck at around 25 percent for years.

But some car makers have been considering how much to invest in South Africa, where wage hikes have not been met by higher productivity and labor relations are ranked as among the world’s worst in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report Germany’s BMW said last week it was no longer considering expanding production in South Africa because of

the labour unrest. NUMSA leadership dismissed the move as brinkmanship and said the German car maker must seek the union’s approval before trying to increase the size of its operations. “The blackmail by BMW is rejected with the contempt it deserves,” Jim said.

Simmering labor unrest in mining and manufacturing has been cited as a factor by major credit global ratings in the past year when they downgraded South Africa’s rating. Economists have said a long-standing governing alliance between the ANC and unions has led to laborfriendly legislation which has made the jobs market overly rigid and is eroding the country’s competitive edge. Since 2000, real, after-inflation wages have risen 53 percent, while productivity has fallen by 41 percent, according to South African government data. The central bank has been worried about the damage caused by labour strife that has slowed production in mines

and factories, especially after South Africa’s trade shortfall unexpectedly widened to 19.05 billion rand ($1.90 billion) in August, the biggest gap in seven months. The rand has also suffered, losing nearly 19 percent this year.

Workers at Anglo American Platinum, the world’s top platinum producer, have been on strike for more than a week in protest to planned job cuts the company says it needs to return its operations to profit. Amplats has said it is losing an average of 3,100 ounces of production a day from the strike. Gold producers and unions agreed to wage hikes of up to 8 percent last month, ending a three-day strike. A wave a violent strikes in the platinum belt that started last year slowed production of the major export commodity and led to the deadliest security incident in the post-apartheid era when police shot dead 34 strikers last year at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine. — Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

BUSINESS

DS takes a further step forward in China Local DS5 production begins

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he DS brand is consolidating its activity in China with the market launch of its flagship DS5 model, produced locally in Shenzhen. PSA Peugeot Citro’n and its partner Changan are inaugurating a new production plant in the megalopolis of more than 12 million inhabitants. The site will initially be dedicated to the production of the DS5.

Launched in 2012, the DS5 proposes a new take on the premium segment. Designed to meet the expectations of the worldwide market, the DS5 is a bold and elegant car featuring a unique, cockpitinspired driver’s station for intense on-road thrills.

In addition to Sochaux, France, the DS5 is now produced in China, helping to speed the growth of the DS brand on the world’s largest automobile market and the second-largest market for premium models.

The brand’s growth will also be fuelled by: * A network that will total 50 DS Stores covering 40 of China’s major cities by the end of the year. DS

Store showrooms will host all of the models in the DS line, namely the DS3, DS3 Cabrio, DS4 and DS5.

Customers belong to the latest generation of the modern Chinese elite, who are looking for the fresh offer in the premium segment provided by DS * An innovative offer of services personalised for every customer, unmatched worldwide * DS World, the DS brand’s first ever institutional showcase in the world, inaugurated last spring on Nanjing Road, the most prestigious thoroughfare in Shanghai. DS World invites its visitors to discover a world inspired by the finest in French luxury and the heritage of the legendary 1955 DS * A high-profile communications campaign, starring Sophie Marceau as the DS5’s ambassador in China.

The DS brand may already be well placed to ramp up its development in China, but its ambitions do not stop there, since two more locally produced models - a three-box saloon and an SUV - will be launched in the C segment in 2014.

Dewan to participate in Cityscape Global 2013 Firm to showcase latest projects across Mideast

D DOHA: A group photo taken during the Family Business Network GCC (FBN-GCC) meeting headed by Chairman Abdulaziz Al-Ghurair in Doha.

FBN-GCC organizes meeting on family business in Qatar DOHA: The Family Business Network GCC (FBNGCC) headed by Chairman Abdulaziz Al-Ghurair recently organized a gala dinner for a group of prestigious Qatari families attended by various leaders and decision makers involved in local family businesses as well. Organized at St. Regis Doha, the event was the first initiative of its kind aimed at strengthening communication channels among family business owners in Qatar and across the Gulf.

The meeting was hosted upon the special arrangement of Al-Fardan Group in support of the initiatives of the Network. FBN-GCC has had great success in encouraging dialogue on joint mechanisms to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship, excellence, corporate governance, and transparency among family businesses which have become mainstays for advancing economic and social development in Qatar and Arabian Gulf. The event served as an ideal interactive platform for exchanging experiences among owners of Qatari family businesses that have had a clear imprint on national economic growth in the past decades. It also facilitated discussions on ways to apply best international practices while maintaining family values in business to ensure the success and continuity of the sector for generations to come with the help of the network’s continued support for Gulf families via various strategic initiatives.

The results of the discussions will significantly contribute to the development of future strategies and plans of family businesses in Qatar and across the Gulf. This comes at a time when family businesses are playing increasingly major roles as powerful economic agents within the GCC markets. The region currently hosts 5,000 family-owned companies with total revenues collectively worth USD 600 billion according to figures released by the Institute for Corporate Governance (Hawkamah).

Omar Hussain Alfardan, President and CEO of Alfardan Group, welcomed FBN-GCC led by Al-Ghurair, a prominent leader among the Gulf’s family businesses. Alfardan hailed Al-Ghurair as a model of excellence and business leadership, adhering to the values ??of trust and commitment, making Al Ghurair Group one of the most influential corporate entities in the UAE and the region. Omar Alfardan also explained the important role of family businesses in the region, as they form an integral part of local commercial history and act as key development pillars in various industries. He also discussed the sector’s vital role in improving economic performance and preparing a new generation of competent leaders guided by values such as leadership, excellence and creativity, all while maintaining cultural and historical heritage and passing these on to the next generations.

Alfardan highlighted that the success of family businesses in the Gulf is a result of decades of traditions, values and ideas that have been handed down from generation to generation, from fathers to their sons; these values and success stories serve as examples to follow to this day in terms of entrepreneurship and perseverance in achieving success and excellence despite numerous challenges. These models have effectively contributed to the region’s rise as a leading global economic power; pointing out that family businesses in Qatar have the flexibility and the ability to cope with local, regional and global changes and compete with the largest international companies in providing the best services in similar areas. Such businesses can also create new job opportunities for young people and a suitable environment that encourages innovation and nurtures emerging talents to complement the broader efforts towards sustained growth and overall development.

He pointed out that the success of Qatari family businesses is attributed to the continuous government support under the wise and

strong leadership of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and his government. This ongoing support has made a huge impact in providing an appropriate environment to promote the growth of family businesses and maximize their participation in achieving the goals of National Vision 2030 aimed towards building Qatar’s future, especially since the continued success of family businesses in Qatar is anchored on the visionary and ambitious strategy embedded in the country’s wise leadership which has constantly provided unique opportunities for local companies.

Alfardan also asked Qatari family businesses to implement policies that are developed within the framework of governance that facilitate investments into human capital. He also urged them to widely adopt the principles of governance and transparency to further expand family-driven economic activities, develop the competencies of new family leaders, and open promising prospects to keep pace with the rapid developments within the regional and global markets.

During the event, Abdulaziz Al-Ghurair discussed the goals and initiatives of FBN-GCC, which was founded in 2012 as a private nonprofit organization to represent the leading family businesses in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE. He highlighted the vision of the Network towards encouraging and facilitating knowledge transfer and the dissemination of best practices that ensure continuity among family businesses and maintain professional values ??and social responsibility across generations.

Al-Ghurair pointed out that family businesses have become major economic drivers constituting 75 per cent of the economy of the Gulf States, according to studies conducted by the American Corporate Governance Institute Hawkamah Institute and Booz Allen. The retail sector accounts for almost 72 per cent of the total business of family-owned companies, the financial sector 64 per cent, and real estate 56 per cent.

Al-Ghurair lauded the interest shown by the attending families on the agenda of FBN-GCC, which he explained aims to help face potential challenges and continue success at the local and regional levels. He praised the leading position achieved by the Qatari families present at the ceremony as models of the success of family businesses. Al-Ghurair emphasized the Network’s commitment to cooperate with prestigious family businesses in Qatar through strategic research support and guidelines for members, in addition to the organization of annual meetings to exchange experiences and opinions. He added that the Network strives to create a suitable work environment for family businesses and prepare them to recruit qualified future leaders.

FBN-GCC is a part of Family Business Network International, an organization established in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland to boost the growth and sustainability of family businesses throughout the world. The Network’s goals are achieved through the creation of direct channels for exchanging best international practices and the latest innovative ideas as well as instilling family values ??among the new generations. The organization also reveals effective methods for competing strongly within the local, regional and international markets.

Family Business Network International currently has more than 6,500 members from 57 countries. It focuses on organizing international networking events and disseminating new knowledge via the Internet. It also provides high-level training for new generations that will take over the leadership of family businesses in the future. The Network conducts regular meetings for members twice a year, one of which was hosted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

ewan Architects & Engineers, one of the region’s leading architectural and engineering consulting firms, has announced that it will be participating at Cityscape Global, the Middle East’s largest international real estate development and investment event, which is taking place from 8-10 October 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The announcement comes as the UAE construction industry continues to see a positive turnaround. The country is witnessing massive investments from both public and private enterprises in the construction sector and the market, which was estimated at $39.4 billion (Dh144.6 billion) in 2012, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 9.5 per cent until 2016.

The company, ranked 2nd in the Middle East and 49th Globally by the prestigious UK-based industry publication “Building Design Magazine”, is expanding regionally and has undertaken numerous projects across the GCC region, growing its portfolio most notably in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq. A number of these developments, including The Basra Cultural Center, and Al Bayt Khobar Mixed-Use Complex will be showcased at Cityscape Global.

Commenting on the company’s participation in the event, Mohamed Al-Assam, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Dewan said,

“We have a long and distinguished history of contributing towards the development of signature projects within the GCC region, and we are pleased to be able to continue contributing

Mohamed Al-Assam through designing projects that are high on aesthetics, functionality, and environmental sensitivity. We will highlight some of our latest proj-

ects at this year’s event.”

Dewan Architects & Engineers has also been instrumental in the rebuilding of Iraq, where it has been involved in a number of significant projects. Commenting on its involvement in that country, Mohamed Al-Assam, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Dewan said, “It was our desire to actively participate in the rebuilding of Iraq and the revival of the country’s architectural heritage. We have been privileged to participate in a number of key projects, including the 145 Square Km Madinat AlNakheel Master plan and will also be showcasing these in Dubai.”

Dewan Architects & Engineers is a regional architectural and engineering design firm with more than three decades of industry successes across GCC countries, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The firm has offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, the Philippines, and India and has received many awards for excellence.

Dewan Architects & Engineers will be celebrating their 30 year anniversary at the beginning of 2014 marking a major milestone for the firm within the region. Major projects undertaken successfully by Dewan include the Yas Island Viceroy Hotel and Al-Bateen School in Abu Dhabi, Ibn Batutta Shopping Mall and Green Community in Dubai, UAE, and the Vision Tower located in the Business Bay area of Dubai.

Burgan Bank announces daily winners of Yawmi account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Tahani Faisal Abdulaziz Al-Sabah 2. Fahad Abdulkareem Mohammad Al-Qattan 3. Abdullah Saif Alhaq Youkai 4. Mansour Mansour Alamam Qandeel 5. Abdulaziz Husaain Ali Safar With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter

the draw stands at KD10. The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services. Customers can also log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

TASWEEK returns to Dubai Cityscape Global with robust portfolio

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ASWEEK Real Estate Development and Marketing, an advisor and solutions provider serving the real estate markets, will once again reveal its attractive international portfolio and discuss key local, regional and global market opportunities and trends at this year’s Cityscape Global - the Middle East’s largest annual real estate event.

Running from October 8 to 10, 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Cityscape Global will showcase the latest and best in international real estate. It will gather 25,000 regional and international investors, developers, architects and designers, governmental authorities, key decision makers and senior executives. TASWEEK will use the event as a platform to introduce its new projects and follow up on existing ones - including the upcoming residential community project it presented at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2013 last April.

“Cityscape Global is an excellent follow-up platform to our highly successful participation in Cityscape Abu Dhabi a few months ago. The projects and market reports we presented then were positively received, helping us to further reinforce TASWEEK’s image as an industry leader with a firm

grasp of market movements. For the existing event, we intend to further expand our regional and global presence while forging stronger ties with industry members, stakeholders, investors and customers from around the world especially with the growth interest and demand for Dubai market and the UAE,” said Masood Al-Awar, CEO, TASWEEK Real Estate Marketing & Development.

Cityscape Global 2013’s unrivaled program includes the Cityscape Global Exhibition, the Global Real Estate Summit, the MENA Mortgage and Affordable Housing Congress, the Future Cities Conference, and the special closed-door Sector Series. Complete event details are available at http://www.cityscapeglobal.com.

TASWEEK Real Estate Development and Marketing is a one-stop shop for property development founded on the core competencies of networking and know-how to deliver the right solutions to the right clients. The company offers services on Purchase and Sale of Strategic Assets; Asset Management; Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances; and Marketing Consultancy. TASWEEK’s participation in Cityscape Global reaffirms its growing stature in global real estate.

Masood Al-Awar

Majnoon oilfield output rises to 175,000 bpd BAGHDAD: Production from Iraq’s Majnoon oilfield, run by Royal Dutch Shell, has risen to 175,000 barrels per day (bpd), Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussein Al-Shahristani said yesterday.

Majnoon is one of four giant southern fields vital to Iraq’s ambition to at least double output that is now around 3 million bpd. The 12 billion barrel oilfield was pumping about 45,000 bpd when Shell took over in 2010, but the AngloDutch major later suspended operations to carry out maintenance work.

Baghdad sent a letter of complaint to Shell in August for missing start-up dates. “Production

from this field will be 200,000 bpd during the next few days and the production of al-Gharraf field of 100,000 bpd to be added to it, meaning 300,000 bpd will be added to Iraq’s crude production and exportation,” Shahristani said at a ceremony marking the occasion. OPEC’s secondbiggest producer expects its output to rise by 400,000 bpd by the end of this year, with Majnoon - which straddles the border with Iran providing a big part of that. Shell has built a strong position in southern Iraq as operator of Majnoon, junior partner with ExxonMobil at West Qurna-1 and a partner in a natural gas project.

Baghdad’s oil revival, which got under way in

2010, has slowed this year due to infrastructure and security problems, keeping output far below projected targets and sometimes even below last year’s average of 3 million bpd.

Iraq signed a series of service contracts with major oil companies such as Shell, BP, Exxon and Total at the end of 2009 to develop its oilfields, neglected for decades due to wars and sanctions.

The development of the neighboring Rumaila, Zubair and West Qurna-1 oilfields has already added 600,000 bpd.Gharraf oilfield in the south, developed by Malaysia’s Petronas and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co Ltd, started production of 35,000 bpd earlier this month. —Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

technology

LG showcases world’s first curved OLED TV

By Islam Al-Sharaa

DUBAI: (From second left to right) James Park, President of LG Electronics, MEA, Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and D Y Kim, President of LG Electronics, Gulf FZE at the launch of the LG Curved OLED TV at GITEX Shopper 2013.

Product Highlight: OLED TV Vivid Color Vibrant images LG’s advanced 4 Color Pixel technology • Brighter pictures with wide range of colors and accuracy • True to life images

Infinite Contrast Self-lighting pixel technology • TV can range from blazing white to the darkest black • Greater sense of realism and depth on all content

Stunningly curved New possibility of style and design • Depth of only 4.5mm thick at its thinnest point • With just two layers, the TV is unbelievably lightweight and paper-thin Smart TV Inspired by You • Access premium content providers like Hulu Plus®, Netflix® and YouTube® direct from your TV

Magic Remote Simple and fun way to choose what you want to watch • Pointing, Gesture, Wheel, Voice, and Universal Control; the most convenient and advanced TV remote

DUBAI: GITEX Shopper came to a halt as LG Electronics (LG) unveiled for the first time in the UAE, the world’s first curved OLED TV. The revolutionary display caught the attention of all attending GITEX Shopper including Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

Captivated by the depth of the display and the unique television-shape, The Sheikh was treated to a product overview that highlighted the innovative product features of the curved OLED TV. The Sheikh then made his way to one of LG’s pocket sized innovations, the game-changing LG G2 mobile phone. With both products hitting the UAE market this month, the UAE will soon be a regional hub for all things LG. Crowds gathered to admire the cur ved OLED TV (55EA9800) which features perfect contrast, absolute motion clarity and a display that produces a pristine image no matter the viewing angle. The television shared the spot light with only one other product on display this weekend, the innovative LG G2, the first mobile with rear-buttons and the slimmest bezel in the market. The electronics company also showcased its ultra HD TV (LA9700), completing a product line -up that signals the brand’s commitment to premium design and ground-breaking technology.

“The Home Entertainment sector is fueled by constant change and growth with new products entering the market every day. LG is committed to lead that growth, offering the latest and innovative entertainment products to enhance your entertainment experience in the UAE and abroad,” said Mr. D.Y. Kim, President of LG Electronics, Gulf FZE. “We’re in a strong market position globally, carving out a reputation of delivering technology solutions that matter to you. The user experience with both the curved OLED TV and the LG G2 is unique to anything else in the market right now.

Our main goal was and is to deliver products that make life better for you.”

Ushering in the new HD experience Spanning a total of 77 inches diagonally, the largest curved HD OLED screen features an IMAX-like curvature that fills the viewer’s field of vision more completely than a flat-screen TV. The 77inch ULTRA HD curved OLED TV combines LG’s exceptional WRGB OLED and ULTRA HD technologies, enabling it to produce infinite contrast ratio and resolution four times greater than regular FULL HD. The design of the television won the Red Dot design: best of the best award in March followed by multiple Quality and Performance awards from TUV Rheinland and Intertek to name a few. The full ULTRA HD OLED TV line-up will be available for consumers in 2014.

LG will continue to solidify its position as a provider of “first ever” products by developing a range of industry leading OLED TVs including the wall mountable Gallery OLED TV. Accelerating the ultra HD TV Market By introducing a comprehensive range of ultra HD TVs, LG gives consumers more choice and invigorates the global next generation TV market. The new premium 55- and 65-inch ultra HD TV were on display at GITEX shopper and will be on store shelves in over 50 countries by the end of 2014.

Not to be missed The televisions on display at GITEX Shopper may have had the larger screen size, but the 5.2

DUBAI: James Park, (right) President of LG Electronics, MEA explains the features of the OLED TV at GITEX Shopper 2013 to Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (left).

DUBAI: Officials from Al-Babtain Electronics (Kuwait) and LG during the launch.

DUBAI: LG officials are seen with Kuwait’s media delegation during the launch. inch LG G2 held its own fans as they were treat- was designed to reflect how people use their ed to a demonstration of the smartphone. mobiles every day, featuring an industry-first Delivering the same innovative concepts and Rear-Key, a 5.2 inch Full HD display screen, and a quality that LG’s latest TVs display, the phone 13MP Optical Stabilizer (OIS) camera.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

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

Hunt for perfect mix of diet, exercise to beat diabetes Billions in health care costs LONDON: The largest study of its kind is to be carried out to find the right lifestyle to prevent Type 2 diabetes, which is threatening to become a medical “disaster” in Britain. Experts aim to work out not only the best way to eat, drink and exercise but even how to sleep. It could lead to people at risk of developing the condition being given a detailed diet and exercise regime, much like a prescription, to help protect themselves.

Prof Anne Raben, the project’s chief coordinator at the University of Copenhagen, said: “We would like to find out if our current dietary and exercise recommendations are optimal or whether another lifestyle and regimen is more effective.

“It could save billions in health care costs for

society if we are able to find a formula for how to best prevent Type 2 diabetes.”

The three-year study will start at the end of the year and involve 2,300 adult volunteers and 200 children aged from 12 to 18.

Eight countries will be involved including the UK, where the trial will be run by the University of Nottingham and Swansea University.

Prof Raben said: “We already know that a diet which follows current dietary guidelines can prevent diabetes. What’s unique about this project is that we are testing two diets against one another to find out if there might be a more effective alternative. “We will include two types of exercise to determine if there is one that is more suitable. Finally we

will also study the importance of stress and sleeping patterns.” We already know that a diet which follows current dietary guidelines can prevent diabetes. What’s unique about this project is that we are testing two diets against one another to find out if there might be a more effective alternative Trial participants will follow a specific lifestyle programme, based on one of the two diet types, and one of two forms of exercise. One diet is based on high carbohydrates, lots of fibre and a moderate protein intake and the other includes high protein intake and less, but more slowly absorbed carbohydrates. One fitness programme involves moderate exercise such as a brisk walk for 150 minutes a week and the other high-intensity exercise such as jog-

ging for 75 minutes a week.

Last month, Diabetes UK warned that Britain is heading for a diabetes “disaster”. The number of people with the condition is expected to hit five million by 2025 - up from 3.8 million today. Yet less than a third of people realise that Type 2 diabetes can lead to heart attacks, strokes and even amputations.

Dr Matthew Hobbs, head of research at Diabetes UK, said: “We welcome this large scale study into Type 2 diabetes prevention. “We already know that the best way to reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight by combining being regularly physically active with eating a healthy balanced diet.” — AP

Stars join global vigils over activists arrested in Russia

BALI: US Secretary of State John Kerry chats with Aditya Utama Surono, program director for the Fishing and Living Program - an NGO supported by USAID - and Indonesia’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Syarief Tjitjip Soetardjo as they visit a port in the fishing village of Benoa on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali yesterday ahead of the leaders’ summit for the Asia-Pacific Econmic Cooperation in nearby Nusa Dua. — AFP

High pollution levels hit Beijing BEIJING: A cloud of pollution descended over Beijing at the weekend, shrouding the city and its famous cultural landmarks in a thick haze amid a US warning against physical activity outdoors.

The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center said on its website Sunday that pollution levels in the city’s six core districts was at 225-245.

According to a table carried in the state-run Beijing News daily, such a reading corresponds to Level 5 on the pollution scale. Anything above 300 is Level 6, China’s highest. Readings posted by the United States embassy, however, were much higher.

In an email message to American citizens Sunday morning, the embassy said that readings on its Air Quality Index (AQI) “have averaged over 300 in the 24-hour period beginning at 8:00 pm on October 4, and were over 400 overnight”. The embassy added that based on recommendations by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), AQI levels surpassing 301 “are considered hazardous” with the EPA recommending that amid such readings “everyone should avoid all physical activities outdoors”.

A photo on the front page of the Beijing News showed the city’s Forbidden City-once home to China’s emperors and a major tourist siteenveloped in thick haze on Saturday.

The pollution comes as China’s annual Golden Week national holiday approaches its final day Monday and while Beijing and environs are host-

ing major international sporting events.

The final of the China Open tennis tournament was set for Sunday in Beijing, while the Reignwood LPGA Classic women’s golf tournament was scheduled to enter its final round.

Separately, Sunday also marks the opening ceremony for the East Asian Games athletics meet in Tianjin, 135 kilometres (84 miles) southeast of the capital. Cities across China have been hit by intense air pollution in recent years, much of it caused by emissions from coal-burning power stations, with levels of small particles known as PM2.5 reaching as high as 40 times World Health Organization limits this year.

China’s pollution problems are blamed on rapid urbanisation, dramatic economic development and climatic factors. Pollution tends to worsen as winter approaches. Earlier this year, pollution levels soared with the US embassy’s AQI soaring above 500. Pollution has been linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, and has tarnished the image of Chinese cities including Beijing, which saw an almost 15 percent drop in tourist visits during the first half of this year.

China vowed in September to reduce levels of atmospheric pollutants in Beijing and other major cities by as much as 25 percent to try to improve their dire air quality. China’s State Council, or cabinet, said at the time that “concentrations of fine particles” in the capital’s air will fall by “approximately 25 percent” from 2012 levels by 2017. — AFP

Tips for healthy aging NEW YORK: You are never too old to add heart-healthy years to your life.

Our concept of aging has changed. Instead of worrying about how long we will live-our life span-we now understand that how long we can live a healthy life may be more important. This is the concept of “health span.”

Because heart attack and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability in older age, doing everything you can to lower the likelihood of developing these “cardiovascular events” increases your health span. Ideally, the process should start in childhood and last throughout life. More often, awareness begins with thoughts of retirement.

“People wonder, ‘What will my life be like after I retire? How many years of good health will I have?’” says Dr. Richard Lee, co-editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter. “How you approach growing older can mean the difference between years or decades of good health.” There are many things you can do to lower your cardiovascular risk: stay active, make healthy food and beverage choices, and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Systolic blood pressure (the first, or top, number in a blood pressure reading) is created by the contraction of the heart muscle. As blood vessels grow stiffer and the heart muscle thickens with age, systolic blood pressure goes up. Rising systolic pressure is a major cause of heart attack and stroke.

“If anything, blood pressure control becomes more important as you age, not less important,” says Dr. Lee. “Getting your blood pressure taken yearly is not enough. You should be monitored more often, and learn how to track your own blood pressure at home. As your systolic pressure starts to go up, talk with your doctor about medical and lifestyle ways to reduce it.”

Keeping cholesterol levels in check is also necessary. The best way to do this is by following a heart-healthy diet. Even so, many people need to add a cholesterol-lowering drug such as a statin to keep their cholesterol levels under control. Although side effects from statins may increase with age, there is no defined age at which these drugs are no longer effective at reducing cardiovascular

events. “The benefits of cholesterol lowering begin so quickly that age isn’t an issue,” says Dr. Lee. Some people are reluctant to take a statin because of fear of side effects such as muscle weakness. But most people never experience side effects, and lowering the dose, changing the dosing schedule, or switching to a different statin can often help resolve the problem. No matter your age, it’s never too late to work on having a long and healthy life.

“Your chronological age is not really that important. It’s your physiological and functional age that matter. I know 60-year-olds who will have short health spans, and I know 80-year-olds who can look forward to having many years of good health, because they are fit and active and have tried hard to remain healthy,” says Dr Lee. Tips for healthy aging. A long health span doesn’t just happen. Here are some tips for protecting your physical and mental health after age 50 from Helpguide.org, a nonprofit resource collaborating with Harvard Health Publications: * Learn to cope with change. Focus on the things you’re grateful for, look for silver linings, acknowledge and express your feelings, take one small step each day to deal with life’s challenges. * Find activities you enjoy: Try a new hobby, learn something new (a foreign language or a musical instrument), take a class, write your memoirs. * Stay connected. Spend time with friends and family, make new friends, volunteer, find support groups to help you cope with illness or loss. * Sleep well. Have a regular bed time, make sure your bedroom is dark or use a sleep mask, turn off the TV and other screens at least an hour before going to bed. * Eat well. Eat lots of fiber-rich whole grains and vegetables, drink plenty of fluids, make meals social events. * Exercise matters. Find at least one activity you like enough to do regularly, take brisk walks every day. * Keep your mind sharp. Try new recipes, work harder crossword puzzles, learn new skills.

MOSCOW: Rock stars and celebrities joined a worldwide vigil yesterday in support of 30 Greenpeace activists whose jailing by Russia after a protest against Arctic oil drilling sparked a new row between Moscow and the West.

British actor Jude Law, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, The Clash guitarist Paul Simonon and Damon Albarn, frontman of British band Blur, joined about 1,000 people gathered outside the Russian embassy in London, as other protesters rallied in cities across the world.

Pressure has been mounting on Russia from activists and governments shocked by Moscow’s decision to level piracy charges against Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise crew.

“Sherlock Holmes” star Law voiced support for his friend Frank Hewetson, one of the activists.

Law said the activists “probably knew there would be an arrest involved and the threat of a conviction is probably part and parcel of the act of drawing attention to the drilling in the Arctic which we all know is an international problem which needs confronting.”

He called the piracy charges “ludicrous”.

But Russia displayed little inclination to show leniency Saturday as it hit out at both Greenpeace and the Dutch government under whose flag the environmental lobby group’s ship sailed. “Everything that happened with the Arctic Sunrise is a pure provocation,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov.

Russian authorities impounded the 950tonne icebreaker last month after it approached the world’s first oil rig in the pristine Barents Seathe focus of energy companies from around the world.A court in Russia’s northwestern region of Murmansk has since charged all the crew members-who come from 18 countries including Britain and the United States-with offences that carry jail terms of up to 15 years.

The incident has set off a burgeoning diplomatic effort to secure the activists’ release despite Russia’s tough stance.

The Netherlands broke more than two weeks of silence about the case Friday by starting legal action under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea aimed at quickly freeing the crew.

Russia’s Meshkov fired back Saturday that the Dutch had been repeatedly warned about the dangers of the ship’s actions.

“In the past year-and-a-half, Russia has asked the Dutch side on many occasions... to forbid this ship’s actions,” Meshkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. But several governments now appear ready to add the Greenpeace detentions to their growing log of complaints about Russia’s treatment of human rights issues under

BUENOS AIRES: People hold a banner reading “Freedom for the 30 of the Arctic” as they gather during the Global Action Day to protest against the arrest of 30 environmentalists by Russian authorities, in Buenos Aires yesterday. Thousands of people in 140 cities in all the world joined the protest. — AFP President Vladimir Putin. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had expressed concern about her country’s crew member during talks with another Russian deputy foreign minister on the sidelines of a regional forum in Bali. The US State Department also said it was “monitoring the case very closely”. At a protest in Sao Paolo, the mother of a Brazilian biologist who was among those jailed, urged President Dilma Rousseff to help secure her daughter’s release. “I am making an appeal to our president so that she can intercede with Russia to secure the release of Ana Paula (Maciel) and her return home,” the mother, Rosangela Maciel, said.

The global day of solidarity kicked off on the sandy beaches of Australia and stretched across swathes of Africa and Europe before its expected conclusion outside Moscow’s science and culture centre in Washington.

Greenpeace said hundreds gathered at Hong Kong’s main harbour to form a human banner reading “Free the Arctic 30”.

Russian activists dressed in bright yellow sailing jackets held a small vigil near Moscow’s Gorky Park during which they held up posters with photographs of the detainees.

About 300 activists in Paris witnessed a large

yellow banner proclaiming “Free the Climate Advocates” being lowered from a crane over the Place de la Republique and attached to the arm of a giant statue at the centre of the square.

Another 1,000 Greenpeace sympathiserssome of them dressed in pirate costumes-gathered outside the Russian embassy in The Hague for a noisy demonstration featuring whistles and drums. “If they were pirates, then we are proud to be pirates too,” 39-year-old demonstrator Erik Mekenkamp told AFP before the crowd set off for a rally outside the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.

About 500 Greenpeace supporters also came out for a two-hour rally in Stockholm. In Helsinki, another 1,300 people protested, and dozens came out on the public squares of Warsaw and Rome as well as Vienna and other European cities. Greenpeace also tweeted photographs of vigils in the South African cities of Durban and Cape Town, as well as North American cities of Montreal, Toronto and San Francisco.

In Latin America, more than 100 people turned up in central Sao Paolo, holding banners including “Free our activists,” “Free the Arctic 30” and “Justice for Greenpeace” to pulsating samba beats. —- AFP

Twincredible solution to kidney donor crisis LONDON: Identical twins could hold the key to solving Britain’s kidney donor shortage after a ground-breaking transplant ‘deal’.

In the first case of its kind, Roger and Andrew Corke both offered a kidney to a stranger - in the knowledge that should one of them need a replacement in the future, the other will be a compatible donor because they share the same genetic footprint.

‘I only volunteered to be a donor because I knew I had an identical twin and therefore had back-up,’ says Roger, 58. He was eventually chosen as the donor due to his proximity to the London teaching hospital where the operation took place ten days ago.

‘Everyone kept asking me “What if you need your other kidney?” but Andrew has agreed to give me his if I do. And if one of his fails, he still has another. It seems to be the perfect solution.’

There are currently 7,180 patients waiting for an organ transplant in Britain, according to NHS Blood and Transplant. Of those, almost 6,000 need a new kidney.

While the majority of the 1,220 kidney transplants last year were from deceased donors, 387 came from those still living - and a growing number are so-called ‘altruistic’ donations when the donor does not know the recipient.

This first altruistic kidney donation took place in 2007 and there have been 73 so far this year.

Roger was moved to donate after discovering the plight of people needing dialysis, while Andrew, a vicar from Dorset, has a friend who needed two liver transplants.

Friends and family were initially horrified by the risks and Roger’s wife Lynn, a retired solicitor, was worried that he had opted for a serious operation he did not need. But Roger was unconcerned. ‘Now I know how safe kidney donation is, I’d give one even if I wasn’t a twin,’ says Roger, a documentary film-maker from North London. ‘People can function well on one kidney and the chances of me needing Andrew’s are lower than average, as you’re only allowed to give a kidney if you’re very healthy.

‘There was a 3,000-to-one chance of me dying during the operation, but that is much better odds than the one-in-800 chance of me

LONDON: Identical twins Roger, left and Andrew Corke, 58, both offered a kidney to a stranger knowing that they had a genetic backup should one of them need a replacement in the future. dying in the next 12 months from cancer or a ic. ‘Targeting twins could be a very useful way to heart attack.’ After ten hospital visits and a vast boost organ donations,’ says Tim Spector, a proarray of tests, including a psychological assess- fessor of genetic epidemiology who heads the ment, Roger was accepted as a donor in August. Twins Research Centre at St Thomas’ Hospital in He is now recovering at home after the five- London.

‘There are plenty of twins in Britain and they hour operation. Andrew is equally unperturbed by the health risks. ‘I’m the insurance policy and each have a ready-made personal organ donor.

I’m not worried about me. I’m a Christian and We shall be informing those on our register and feel I’m looked after. You’re meant to put others hopefully this will lead to more recruitment before yourself. We hope it will encourage oth- nationwide.’ At present, three people a day die ers.’ The success of transplants between twins is while waiting for an organ transplant and it can well documented - 28 UK operations have take as long as four years to identify a suitable involved a twin donating an organ directly to a donor - or even longer for patients with a rare sibling. But this is the first known case where blood group.

Roger will be absent from work until the New twins have offered a kidney without knowing Year, though the NHS will reimburse his loss of the recipient.

Medical experts are watching with interest earnings. The twins are not allowed to know the and are now keen to enlist other identical twins full outcome of the transplant or who received to help cut waiting lists. With 250,000 pairs of the kidney, but they have been told that the identical twins in Britain, the potential is dramat- organ has started working.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E ‘Low salt’ still the dietary rule HARVARD: Even though there are reports of possible danger from extremely low sodium intake, Harvard experts agree: Less salt is better. Don’t believe everything you hear-especially if you’ve heard you no longer have to worry about sodium, the too-much-is-bad-foryou part of salt.

Last spring, many media reported the toogood-to-be-true news that salt isn’t all that bad for your heart, and that lowering sodium intake too far could even be harmful.

The source of these news stories was a report from an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee. The panel was asked to look at whether people who reduced their intake of sodium to the very low levels recommended by the American Heart Association really did have better health outcomes. Does reducing sodium to less than 1,500 mg a day really result in less disease and longer life?

The panel found very few studies that measured health outcomes in people who managed to get their sodium intake down to 1,500 mg or less. They did find European studies of people getting an unusually extreme fluid-restriction treatment for heart failure not used in the United States. When these people also reduced their sodium intake to very low levels, their heart failure got worse.

“So we saw no evidence for better outcomes in people going from low to very low levels of sodium,” says Nancy Cook, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Cook is a clinical trial expert at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital and was a member of the IOM panel.

Just because the IOM panel couldn’t link better outcomes to very low salt consumption doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you. In fact, people who do achieve very low sodium levels have significantly lower blood pressure.

“Reducing sodium to the lowest level should lower blood pressure and reduce coronary artery disease risk,” Dr. Cook says. “But it is very hard to get down to those levels [1,500 mg per day]. People may have been told to go to those levels, but few achieve them.”

Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, has studied the link between salt intake and heart disease.

“From a public health point of view, I think there is enough evidence that lower salt consumption is better, but we cannot be 100% convinced,” he says.

And what of those European studies suggesting that very low sodium may actually harm people with heart failure?

These studies are based on people who received more aggressive treatment than one normally finds in the United States. These studies may not be relevant to the great majority of people in the United States.

As further evidence that very low salt consumption is not harmful, the Yanomamo people of the Amazon rain forest get by on just 200 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day, and have little heart disease.

The average American consumes about 3,500 mg of sodium a day. The AHA recommends a much lower target-the “very low” level of 1,500 mg per day. Official US guidelines suggest the same level for over half the population: people over age 51, African Americans, and people with diabetes, kidney disease, or certain other chronic conditions. Everyone else is urged to get sodium intake below the “low” level of 2,300 mg per day.

Only 1% of Americans consume as little as 1,500 mg of sodium per day, and only 9% have sodium levels below 2,300 mg per day, Dr. Cook says. —MCT

Genes associated with unhealthy liver function WASHINGTON: A groundbreaking study of nearly 2,300 extremely obese diabetes patients, led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), has identified genes associated with unhealthy liver function.

This is believed to be the nation’s first large-scale genome-wide association study in overweight patients with diabetes.

Results of the study, done in conjunction with the Geisinger Health System, will be presented at the 64th annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Nov. 1-5 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The study-Genome-wide analysis identifies loci associated with total bilirubin levels, steatosis, and mild fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-looked at how genomic factors affect the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It was selected for presentation from among a record 3,139 submittals from around the world proposed for what also is known as The Liver Meeting 2013.

“These genetic factors could help us identify patients who are most at risk of developing non-alcoholic forms of fatty-liver disease (NAFLD), and which patients may be more likely to progress to severe forms of NAFLD, such as steatohepatitis (NASH),” said Dr. Johanna DiStefano, the study’s principal investigator and lead author. Dr. DiStefano is Director of TGen’s Diabetes, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Division.

NAFLD is the build up of extra fat in liver cells, not caused by alcohol. It is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease.

NASH is liver inflammation and damage

caused by a buildup of fat in the liver, not caused by alcohol. “Our results showed evidence for new genetic loci that may play a role in the biological mechanisms of NAFLD and NASH,” said Dr. Glenn S. Gerhard, a faculty member of the Geisinger Obesity Institute and a co-investigator of the study.

“We discovered genes that may help identi-

fy those patients most at risk for the types of liver disease so severe that they could require transplants,” said Dr. Gerhard, Administrative Director for the Institute for Personalized Medicine at Penn State University-Hershey.

Patients included in this study were those with extreme obesity enrolled in a bariatric surgery program.

TOKYO: Some 30 protestors chant anti-shark hunting slogans “Stop selling shark fin soup” in front of a store of the Muji supermarket chain in Tokyo yesterday. The environmental group members protested against the killing of blue sharks, now classified as near-threatened on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. — AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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

Announcements KKIC to hold Islamic students conference

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uwait Kerala Islahi is planning to conduct Second Islamic Students Conference (ISCON) on November 1 and 2 at Grand Mosque. Scores of students had participated in last year’s students’ workshop and other various activities. The two-day program will commence with inaugural ceremony on Friday evening. Renowned guests from the Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Heritage Society in addition to renowned educationists, experts, guest lecturers from in and out of Kuwait will participate in the conference. Several sessions will be held under students workshop, parenting and butterfly meets with support of presentations. A souvenir will be released on this occasion. Students will be admitted only through registration. For details call on 50775545, 66977038, 99392791.

Oula Fuel Marketing concludes First Aid Workshop ula Fuel Marketing Company announced the conclusion of its training workshop entitled “First Aid Basics” that was organized by the Training & Administrative Affairs Department. The training was held at the company’s headquarters in the Kuwait Business Town Tower from September 17-19, 2013.

The workshop, which was held in cooperation with one of the leading consultancy centers, lasted for three days and acquainted 60 station managers with the safety procedures and first aid basics required in the case of an emergency.

In accordance with the strong emphasis Oula places on maintaining public safety, and as a confirmation of the company’s commitment to implementing the highest of safety standards; the workshop came in line with a series of similar training programs regularly organized

by Oula for its managers and employees. Through such workshops, stations managers are provided with all the necessary information and skills to efficiently handle both humanitarian cases and emergencies that may arise during a customer’s presence at any of the stations. In addition, employees are equipped with the appropriate means required to prevent or minimize any amount of human and material losses that may occur.

Upon completion of the workshop, and as proof of the stations managers’ qualification and readiness to carry out first aid procedures and early intervention, Oula distributed certificates approved by the Management of Medical Emergencies. Participants also received a license from the Health Care Association, the American Heart Association and the American Hospital Management Company.

Such efforts represent Oula’s genuine keenness on implementing its core strategy founded on constantly developing its products and services, along with ensuring that all health and safety standards are met in hopes of pleasing customers and maintaining the safety of citizens and station workers.

Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait - Fintas celebrates Eid Al-Adha

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rue to its commitment of providing guests a genuine Arabic hospitality experience, Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait has prepared an ensemble of special packages that will guarantee guests an exceptional Eid AlAdha Holiday celebration. Bring friends and the whole family to Safir Fintas and take advantage of the special rates on luxury rooms and furnished apartments with their modern and elegant facilities.

At Safir Fintas you can also enjoy fine international and Arabic cuisines at our restaurants.

The rates include a full breakfast served at Flavors Restaurant, complimentary use of the outdoor roof-top swimming pool and gym, access to the spacious beach garden, free high speed WiFi connection and a designated area for children’s outdoor activities located at the beach garden.

Delight the whole family with our delicious international buffet or an extensive ala carte menu served in a scenic setting overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

Start with Flavors Restaurant where you can enjoy an extensive international buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Kuwaiti food lovers can visit Al-Roshinah Restaurant, where authentic Kuwaiti dishes are served. Chit Chat Caf & Restaurant is offering great deals on

meals and refreshments in addition to appetizing sweets. Children under the age of 6 can dine free of charge at the restaurant, and those between the ages

of 7 and 12 years will get a 50 percent discount. This Eid Al-Adha, choose to stay at Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait for an unforgettable family holiday.

GUST hosts Chinese Photography Exhibition

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n collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) hosted the Chinese Photography Exhibition, the first event in a series organized by the Chinese Embassy to celebrate the Chinese National Day. The event was opened by Ambassador Jianchun Cui, Dr Donald Bates, GUST President, Dr Ghassan Aouad, GUST Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr Sabah Quaddoumi, GUST Vice President for Academic Services, Dr Salah Al-Sharhan, GUST Vice President for Planning and Development and the Chinese Embassy Cultural Attache Jianying Cao. The exhibition consisted of photographs taken by various esteemed Chinese photographers showcasing different cultural, education and industrial aspects of China.

Dr Bates welcomed all those in attendance to view the exhibition and emphasized on the ever growing partnership between China and Kuwait and that GUST is always keen on building on the educational relationship with Chinese institutions. Dr Bates thanked the ambassador and

the embassy for organizing the event that reflects on the depth of the relationship between the university and the embassy.

Jianchun Cui said at the event: “We chose to collaborate with GUST with this first event celebrating China’s National Day, due to its outstanding capabilities and experience as the first private university and to expand the cooperation and exchange between China and Kuwait and make an impact on the younger generations. These photos are a small representation of China’s growing environmental achievements and are a good way for the younger generation to be introduced to the Chinese culture and encourage them to visit.”

Dr Ghassan Aouad noted that:”The exhibition demonstrates extraordinary Chinese talent through which one can learn a little bit more aboutthe culture ofthis friendly country.” He expressed his enthusiasm about the event itself with the attendance of the Ambassador and many of the GUST community and highlighted that the university

ensures welcoming such educational and important events to add to its students’ knowledge of other cultures and people from all over the world.

Dr Salah Al-Sharhan stressed on the close cooperation between GUST and the Chinese embassy, where the University has a clear strategy to promote cultural cooperation. The university has had many events with the Chinese Embassy in the areas of academics and education and has constructed several courses to teach the Chinese language on campus.

The Chinese Cultura AttachÈ noted that the exhibitions that we organize as a cultural office aim to introduce students and Kuwaiti citizens to the Chinese culture and civilization and so we are always keen on these cooperations.

This exhibition had a strong attendance of students, staff and faculty ready and eager to learn more about the Chinese culture and civilization. GUST ensures to help its students enhance not only their academic experience but their cultural and social experiences as well.

Enjoy 3 nights at Starwood hotels for 2 urgan Bank announced yesterday that its XChange card holders can benefit from the bank’s new offer when travelling within Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Customers can book for two nights to receive a third night for free in more than 230 Starwood Hotels such as Sheraton, Le Meridien, W Hotels and many more. This offer is valid until July 31, 2014.

The X-Change card comes in seven different currencies: the US dollars, euro, British pound, Saudi riyal, UAE dirhams, Egyptian pound as well as the Filipino peso.

The card, which provides its users with easy access to online shopping, ticket booking and hotel reservations, comes with a unique key feature which is the ability to capture and hold the value of the exchange rate at which the card was bought to enable customers to capitalize on their preferred currency rates and withstand future currency fluctuations.

Burgan Banks latest promotion is part of their long term commitment to provide customers with innovative benefits that go beyond their banking needs. To find out more about Burgan Bank’s X-Change card, or any of its products and services, customers can visit any of the bank’s branches, or contact the call center.

B

KERA painting competition for children rnakulum Residents Association (KERA) is organizing a Drawing/Painting Competition named KERA MAZHAVILLU 2013 as part of their Onam celebrations, for children aged below 16years, of Ernakulam residents of Kuwait. The competitions will be conducted on Friday, 11th October 2013 at the United Indian School, Abbassiya from 01:30 PM onwards. KERA officials have welcomed everyone to the program and mentioned that the subject matter of the competition is “Thiruvonam”, the national festival of Kerala.

Rules and regulations of the competition will be as follows. Children of age group from 3-7 years will compete in the Sub-juniors group and will have to paint the A4 size picture provided during the competition within the fixed time, with Crayons/Colouring pencil. Children of age group from 8-11years will compete in the Juniors group and will have to paint the A4 size picture provided during the competition within fixed time, with Water color.

Children of age group from 12-16years will compete in the Seniors group and will have to draw picture based on the theme announced, on an A3 sized paper provided during the competition and then paint the picture within fixed time, with water colour.

Painting materials like Crayons, Colour pictures, water colour, Paint Brush etc. are to be brought by the participants.

1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners of the competition will be prized during the Vasantholsavam” program of KERA. Those who are interested to participate in the competition shall contact KERA write to kera2011ekm@gmail.com to register their names on or before 7th October 2013.

E

TIES Center announcements

TIES Center cordially invites all those interested to all the following events or some of them: Quran quotes and Tafseer class by Hassan and Nejoud: After reading specified Quranic verses aloud and explaining them very briefly, Hassan and Nejoud will explain the various connotations of some words and phrases to show the literary beauty and miracle of the Quran. After that, attendees will be asked to participate in a discussion on the topic and other related issues. The class will involve an open discussion in a casual setting with the aim of reflecting and pondering verses from the Glorious Qur’an as well as learning how to recite some short surahs. Today at 7:00 pm, we will discuss Surat Al-Kafiroun (The Disbelievers), which is among the virtuous surahs in the Quran.

A lecture entitled, “Contributions of AfricanAmericans to the spread of Islam in America,” By Imam Al-Amin Abdullatif on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 7:00

pm. On that topic, we would like to welcome Imam AlAmin Abdullatif, a dynamic Muslim leader and speaker, who has been working in the field of da’wah (spreading knowledge about Islam) for over 40 years since he embraced Islam in 1969. He is well-known in New York as the founder and former president of the Islamic Leadership Council (Majlis Ash-Shura) and the pioneer in establishing the dawah programs in the New York State prison system. He has traveled extensively as an activist and teacher of Islam within and outside of the United States.

A three-day course on how to cook healthy food by Karin Andersson. Come along and get some inspiration to healthy cooking! In Karin’s demonstration classes, she will prepare the menu while trainees will be watching. Attendees will be provided with step-by step procedures, tasting the food and recipes. Learn how to turn simple nutritious ingredients into a flavor-

ful healthy dish. This relaxed format encourages informative discussions to help you prepare the dishes with confidence at home.”

Karin Andersson is a Certified Nutrition Adviser and nurse. She has worked in the field of nutrition and health for a long period of time in Sweden and in Kuwait. For her, it is extremely important to inspire and help people to achieve better health where diet plays a vital role. She is convinced that with the knowledge of how to prepare the food in a tasty and healthy way, combined with physical exercise, we can lead a happy, healthy life. According to her, food must taste good and be healthy at the same time. This passion for food and health that she has is expressed in her book “Food to enjoy & remember”. Please join us at the TIES Center on November 26, 27 and 28 at 6:30 pm.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

International Women’s Group gather for first meeting

Embassy Information

Mexicanisimo Group are seen performing Mexican folklore dances at the IWG first monthly meeting in Radisson Blu yesterday. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

By Velina Nacheva

T

he first monthly meeting of the International Women’s Group - a multi-national group of women from more than 50 countries - was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday. The International Women’s Group (IWG) President Rima Khalidi, wife of the Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait, made a few opening remarks at the event welcoming the members at the first meeting for this year.

At the event DeNeece Tueller, wife of the American ambassador to Kuwait, spoke about a Breast Cancer Awareness seminar that will be organized jointly by the American Women’s League and the US embassy in Kuwait on October 26 at the Regency Hotel. Tueller, who is an Honorary President of the American Women’s League, and a cancer survivor herself, explained that the seminar called “United Against Cancer” will be open to the public.

Mexicanisimo Group featuring seven Mexican dancers entertained the IWG members with two Mexican folklore dances from different parts of Mexico.

IWG member Narjis Al-Shatti who is in charge of Public Relations at the IWG explained that in the 21st history of the IWG in Kuwait this will be the first time a wife of an Arab ambassador is holding the president’s portfolio. Al-Shatti said that during the first meeting, all new members are being welcomed to the group.

Narjes said that soon the organization will witness the departure of the spouses of the ambassadors of India and the Czech Republic.

Wife of the Armenian ambassador to Kuwait Anna Nalbandyan the former President of the International Women’s Group, attended the event yesterday. The network of women in Kuwait has members from all continents and being part of it is “an enriching experi-

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-augcc.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

The International Women’s Group President Rima Khalidi, wife of the Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait, is seen making her opening remarks at the event yesterday.

DeNeece Tueller, wife of the American Ambassador to Kuwait, is addressing the women at the event.

ence” that provides a glimpse of other cultures, members of the group said. The IWG is an all-women multinational group of ladies who gather to exchange cultural tips, share knowledge about the different countries they hail from and to make friendships. The members are diplomats’ wives, business women from Kuwait, local entrepreneurs and foreign women who reside in Kuwait.

IWG, is a non-profit group, which was formed with the objective of providing a forum for ladies to meet, form friendships and learn about each other’s culture and that of Kuwait. While it is not a charitable organization, the group does occasionally raise funds for specific and immediate disaster relief projects.

The IWG Kuwait chapter is a branch of the Denmark-

based International Women’s Association, which has branches worldwide, all of which organize similar programs and activities. Some of the activities in Kuwait include visits to traditional venues, museums and places of interest. The members of the organization are also entertained by various cultural activities and cross-cultural programs that aim to introduce the different cultures of the organization’s members. The IWG has a regularly scheduled monthly meeting on the first Sunday of every month. Apart from these meetings, they also organize trips to museums and various touristic places around Kuwait.

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 INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Oct 13, 2013, Sunday on account of Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami). Holiday for Eid Al-Adha will be intimated after declaration of the same. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US

IWG President Rima Khalidi, wife of the Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait, Narjis Al-Shatti (middle) and wife of the Armenian ambassador to Kuwait Anna Nalbandyan with the Mexicanisimo Group.

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 +965-2227-1673).

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 BHUTAN The Royal Bhutanese Embassy in the State of Kuwait would like to inform all concerned that its chancery has shifted to its new premises in South Surra, Al-Salaam, Block 3, Street 308, House 3.

Telephone:25213601- 25213602,Fax: 25213603 and Email: bhutankuwait@gmail.com. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed from Monday to Thursday, October 14-17, 2013 on the occasion of Holy Eid-ul-Adha.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

03:15 North America 04:05 Amazon Abyss 04:55 Animal Cops Houston 05:45 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Monkey Life 07:25 My Cat From Hell 08:15 The Most Extreme 09:10 My Cat From Hell 10:05 Big Five Challenge 11:00 Animal Cops Houston 11:55 Animal Battlegrounds 12:20 Call Of The Wildman 12:50 ER Vets 13:15 ER Vets 13:45 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 14:40 Big Five Challenge 15:30 Baboons With Bill Bailey 16:00 Monkey Life 16:30 The Most Extreme 17:25 Breed All About It 18:20 Great Ocean Adventures 19:15 Monkey Life 19:40 Call Of The Wildman 20:10 Animal Battlegrounds 20:35 Baboons With Bill Bailey 21:05 Big Five Challenge 22:00 World’s Ugliest Dog Competition 22:55 Bad Dog 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:45 Ocean’s Deadliest 01:35 Untamed & Uncut 02:25 Big Five Challenge

03:30 Bedlam 04:15 The Weakest Link 05:00 Tweenies 05:20 Boogie Beebies 05:35 The Large Family 05:45 Nina And The Neurons 06:00 Jackanory Junior 06:15 Tweenies 06:35 Boogie Beebies 06:50 The Large Family 07:00 Nina And The Neurons 07:15 Jackanory Junior 07:30 2 Point 4 Children 08:00 Gates 08:30 The Weakest Link 09:15 Big Bear Diary 09:45 Doctors 10:15 The Fat Fighters 11:05 Casualty 11:55 2 Point 4 Children 12:25 The Weakest Link 13:10 Gates 13:40 Big Bear Diary 14:10 Doctors 14:40 Casualty 15:30 The Fat Fighters 16:20 The World Of Stonehenge 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 The Weakest Link 19:00 My Family 19:30 Little Britain 20:00 Waking The Dead 20:50 Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle 21:20 The Fixer 22:05 32 Brinkburn Street 22:50 Roger & Val Have Just Got In 23:20 My Family 23:50 The Fat Fighters 00:40 Little Britain 01:10 Eastenders 01:40 Doctors

03:15 Antiques Roadshow 04:05 Antiques Roadshow 05:00 Food & Drink 05:25 Come Dine With Me: Supersized 07:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 07:40 Bargain Hunt 08:25 Antiques Roadshow 09:20 Come Dine With Me:

Supersized 10:55 Masterchef: The Professionals 11:20 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:15 Celebrity MasterChef 12:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:25 Antiques Roadshow 14:15 Holmes On Homes 15:55 Bargain Hunt 16:40 Cash In The Attic 17:30 Antiques Roadshow 18:20 Marbella Mansions 19:10 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 19:35 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 20:30 Come Dine With Me 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Cash In The Attic 23:45 Marbella Mansions 00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 Celebrity MasterChef 02:20 Britain’s Dream Homes

03:25 Fantom Works 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Extreme Fishing 08:40 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 09:30 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 09:55 Auction Hunters 10:20 Baggage Battles 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How It’s Made 11:35 Fast N’ Loud 12:25 Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans 13:15 Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up 14:05 Border Security 14:30 Auction Hunters 14:55 Baggage Battles 15:20 Ice Cold Gold 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 Baggage Battles 21:10 How Do They Do It? 21:35 How It’s Made 22:00 River Monsters 22:50 Deadliest Catch 00:30 River Monsters 01:20 Deadliest Catch

03:00 03:45 04:30 04:55 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

On The Case With Paula Zahn LA: City Of Demons I Was Murdered I Was Murdered Dr G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth...

On The Case With Paula Zahn Solved Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives

03:00 03:25 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10

I Was Murdered I Was Murdered I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Nightmare Next Door Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Solved Disappeared

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 23:40 00:30 01:20 02:10

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 On The Case With Paula Zahn Nightmare Next Door I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab On The Case With Paula Zahn

03:35 Sport Science 04:25 Sport Science 05:15 The Gadget Show 05:40 How Tech Works 06:05 Deadliest Space Weather 06:30 Deadliest Space Weather 07:00 Prototype This 07:50 Under New York 08:40 The Gadget Show 09:05 How Tech Works 09:30 Finding Bigfoot 10:25 Superships 11:20 Scrapheap Challenge 12:10 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 13:00 Under New York 13:50 Sci-Fi Science 14:20 The Gadget Show 14:45 How Tech Works 15:10 Prototype This 16:00 Sport Science 16:55 Superships 17:45 Thunder Races 18:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Prototype This 20:20 X-Machines 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 How Tech Works 22:00 Prototype This 22:50 X-Machines 23:40 Dark Matters 00:30 Sci-Fi Science 01:00 The Gadget Show 01:25 How Tech Works 01:50 Prototype This 02:45 X-Machines

03:25 04:20 05:10 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:35 10:30 11:20 11:45 12:10 13:05 13:55 14:50 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:25 19:20 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50 00:45 01:35 02:30

Mummy Autopsy Biblical Mysteries Explained Who Was Jesus?

Jesus: Man Behind The Myths When Disaster Strikes Victory By Design Ancient Inventions True Stories Greatest Tank Battles Hero Factor Hero Factor Speed Dynasties Jesus: Man Behind The Myths Decoding Disaster Crime Scene Wild Greatest Tank Battles Out Of Egypt How We Invented The World Survivorman: Ten Days Commander In Chief American Car Prospector Ultimate Warfare Commander In Chief Baker Boys: Inside The Surge Murder Shift Ultimate Warfare Commander In Chief Baker Boys: Inside The Surge

03:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody

ELFIE HOPKINS ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

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 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 14:25 14:35 15:00 15:25 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 00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas Jonas Los Angeles Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin And Ally Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Sofia The First Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Shake It Up Shake It Up Girl vs Monster Cars Toons My Babysitter’s A Vampire That’s So Raven Gravity Falls Jessie Violetta Dog With A Blog 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 Shake It Up That’s So Raven Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck

03:20 Handy Manny 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Special Agent Oso 04:00 Timmy Time 04:10 Imagination Movers 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:00 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Higglytown Heroes 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 08:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 08:50 Doc McStuffins 09:05 Doc McStuffins 09:20 Zou 09:35 Henry Hugglemonster 09:50 Henry Hugglemonster 10:00 Sofia The First 10:25 Mouk 10:40 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 10:55 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 11:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:45 Mouk 12:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 12:05 Higglytown Heroes 12:20 The Hive 12:30 Doc McStuffins 12:45 Doc McStuffins 13:00 Zou 13:15 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 13:30 Henry Hugglemonster 13:45 Henry Hugglemonster 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 14:45 Higglytown Heroes 14:55 The Hive 15:05 Doc McStuffins 15:20 Zou 15:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 15:50 Mouk 16:05 Art Attack 16:30 Goof Troop 16:55 Tarzan 17:20 Quack Pack 17:45 Lilo And Stitch 18:10 Henry Hugglemonster 18:25 Henry Hugglemonster 18:35 Sofia The First 19:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 19:05 Pajanimals 19:25 Doc McStuffins 19:40 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 19:45 Zou 20:00 Pajanimals 20:15 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 20:30 Goof Troop 20:55 Tarzan 21:20 Quack Pack 21:45 Lilo And Stitch 22:10 Sofia The First 22:35 Doc McStuffins 22:50 Pajanimals 23:05 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 23:50 Zou 00:10 Doc McStuffins 00:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 00:50 Jungle Junction 01:10 Handy Manny 01:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 01:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 02:00 Little Einsteins 02:25 Special Agent Oso 02:40 Special Agent Oso 02:50 Imagination Movers

04:15 Titan A.E. 06:00 Mandie And The Secret Tunnel 08:00 Tony Hawk: Boom Boom Sabotage 09:45 Free Birds 11:15 Titan A.E. 13:00 Emperor’s Secret 14:45 Princess Sydney: The Legend Of The Blue Rabbit 16:15 A Very Fairy Christmas 18:00 Free Birds 20:00 Rookie Of The Year 22:00 Princess Sydney: The Legend Of The Blue Rabbit 23:30 A Very Fairy Christmas 01:00 Tony Hawk: Boom Boom Sabotage 02:45 Free Birds

04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 Days 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00

Gnomeo & Juliet Beware The Gonzo Surf’s Up Best In Show Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Crisis Point Surf’s Up Larry Crowne The Watch Insidious Crisis Point Larry Crowne

08:30 The Presidents Cup 15:00 Champions League Twenty20 18:00 Trans World Sport 19:00 The Presidents Cup Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 Live Darts Grand Prix 02:00 Trans World Sport

SHADOW DANCER ON OSN MOVIES HD

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:10 Scaredy Squirrel 06:35 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 07:00 Max Steel 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Slugterra 08:15 Crash & Bernstein 08:40 Kickin IT 09:05 Kickin IT 09:30 Phineas And Ferb 09:55 Phineas And Ferb 10:20 Lab Rats 10:45 Lab Rats 11:10 Kick Buttowski 11:35 Max Steel 12:00 Zeke & Luther 12:25 Zeke & Luther 12:50 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 13:15 Scaredy Squirrel 13:40 Pair Of Kings 14:05 Pair Of Kings 14:30 Phineas And Ferb 14:40 Phineas And Ferb 14:55 Phineas And Ferb 15:05 Phineas And Ferb 15:20 Pokemon Bw: Adventures In Unova 15:45 Max Steel 16:10 Pair Of Kings 16:35 Crash & Bernstein 17:00 Lab Rats 17:30 Kickin IT 18:00 Kickin IT 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 18:50 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 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 21:45 Phineas And Ferb 21:55 Phineas And Ferb 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Scaredy Squirrel 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

03:25 Unique Eats 03:50 Food Crafters 04:15 United Tastes Of America 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Unwrapped 06:35 Unwrapped 07:00 Unwrapped 07:25 Unwrapped 07:50 Tastiest Places To Chowdown 08:15 Kid In A Candy Store 08:40 Jonathan Phang’s Caribbean Cookbook 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:30 The Next Iron Chef 10:20 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 10:45 Aarti Party 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Unique Sweets 12:00 Amazing Wedding Cakes 12:50 Reza’s African Kitchen 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 13:40 Charly’s Cake Angels 14:05 Siba’s Table 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Symon’s Suppers 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Siba’s Table 19:30 Charly’s Cake Angels

19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:25 22:50 Feasts 23:40 00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 Feasts

Recipes That Rock Chopped Chopped Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Andy Bates American Street Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Food Wars Tastiest Places To Chowdown Outrageous Food Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Andy Bates American Street

03:00 New Girl 03:30 Veep 04:00 Girls 04:30 The New Normal 05:00 The Simpsons 05:30 Cougar Town 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 07:30 All Of Us 08:00 The Neighbors 08:30 Friends 09:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 10:00 Seinfeld 10:30 All Of Us 11:00 The Simpsons 11:30 Guys With Kids 12:00 Modern Family 12:30 Friends 13:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 14:00 The Neighbors 14:30 Seinfeld 15:00 All Of Us 15:30 Friends 16:00 Cougar Town 16:30 Guys With Kids 17:00 Modern Family 17:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 18:00 The Colbert Report 18:30 The Neighbors 19:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 Last Man Standing 21:00 Community 21:30 Modern Family 22:00 Parks And Recreation 22:30 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 23:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 23:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 00:00 South Park 00:30 Legit 01:00 The New Normal 01:30 Parks And Recreation 02:00 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 02:30 The Daily Show Global Edition

03:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00

Scandal 24 Switched At Birth Suits Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Suits 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Suits Once Upon A Time Revenge The Blacklist Boardwalk Empire Scandal 24

04:00 Sultanes Del Sur 06:00 The Presence

08:00 10:00 Life 12:00 14:00 16:15 Life 18:00 19:45 22:00 00:00 02:00

Iron Sky True Justice: One Shot, One Deadly Hope John Carter True Justice: One Shot, One Justice League: Doom John Carter Beverly Hills Cop 2 The Corruptor Elfie Hopkins

04:00 The Presence 06:00 Iron Sky 08:00True Justice: One Shot, One Life 10:00 Deadly Hope 12:00 John Carter 14:15True Justice: One Shot, One Life 16:00 Justice League: Doom 17:45 John Carter 20:00 Beverly Hills Cop 2 22:00 The Corruptor 00:00 Elfie Hopkins 02:00 Beverly Hills Cop 2

04:00 Turner & Hooch 06:00 Falling Star 08:00 Snowmen 10:00 The Wish List 12:00 Turner & Hooch 14:00 Scrooged 16:00 The Wish List 18:00I Don’t Know How She Does IT 20:00 The New Guy 22:00 How To Make Love To A Woman 00:00 Friends With Benefits 02:00 The New Guy

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:30 01:30

The Chorus Dead Lines And Soon The Darkness Will Tricks Of A Woman Virtual Lies Would Be Kings A Better Life Remember Sunday Margaret Best Laid Plans A Better Life

03:30 05:45 07:45 10:30 12:00 14:00 15:45 17:15 19:15 20:45 22:45 01:30

Anonymous Reign Over Me Neverland Every Jack Has A Jill Something Borrowed Here On Earth Loosies Something Borrowed Heavy Duty The Debt Troy Dead Again

03:15 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 06:15 Playdate 08:00 Tim Richmond: To The Limit 09:00 The Makeover 10:45 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 13:30 Perfect Plan 15:00 Now Is Good 17:00 The Makeover 19:00 Shadow Dancer 21:00 Prometheus 23:15 50/50 01:00 Shark Night

OSN Sports 2 HD 04:00 NRL Premiership 06:30 Total Rugby 07:00 Champions League Twenty20 10:00 NRL Premiership 12:30 The Rugby Championship 14:30 The Rugby Championship 16:30 ICC Cricket 360 17:00 Currie Cup 19:00 UFC - Unleashed 20:00 NHL 22:00 Futbol Mundial 22:30 WWE Bottom Line 23:30 This Week In WWE 00:00 The Presidents Cup Highlights 01:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 02:00 Champions League Twenty20

03:20 05:05 07:00 08:55 10:55 12:55 14:30 16:00 17:35 19:25 20:40 22:00 00:00 01:30

Speedway The Honeymoon Machine Ninotchka The Hanging Tree The Yellow Rolls-Royce Suzy Summer Holiday Father Of The Bride White Heat San Quentin Little Caesar Splendor In The Grass Double Trouble Splendor In The Grass

03:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 03:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 04:00 Departures 05:00 Descending 06:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Departures 09:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 09:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 10:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 11:00 Xtreme Waterparks 11:30 Xtreme Waterparks 12:00 Ultimate Braai Master 13:00 Bizarre Foods America 14:00 International House Hunters 14:30 International House Hunters 15:00 International House Hunters 15:30 International House Hunters 16:00 Hotel Impossible 17:00 Soul Seeker 18:00 Ultimate Braai Master 19:00 Bizarre Foods America 20:00 International House Hunters 20:30 International House Hunters 21:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 22:00 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 22:30 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 23:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 23:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 00:00 Xtreme Waterparks 00:30 Xtreme Waterparks 01:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 02:00 Off Limits

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

Dead Or Alive Crocodile King Fish Warrior Dangerous Encounters Croc Invasion Zambezi Fish Warrior Dangerous Encounters Croc Invasion World’s Deadliest Killer Three Monster Fish Shocking Sharks World’s Weirdest Croc Labyrinth Caught Barehanded Dangerous Encounters

Classifieds MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-2 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

SHARQIA-3 RUSH (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) RUSH (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

MUHALAB-1 MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) BESHARAM (DIG) (HINDI) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (03/10/2013 TO 09/10/2013) RUSH (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-5 THE SMURFS 2 THE SMURFS 2 GETAWAY TOM & JIMMY (ARABIC) GETAWAY NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

MARINA-1 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

MARINA-2 RUSH (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-6 EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG)

3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

360º- 1 EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

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

360º- 2 MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

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

360º- 3 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.1 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-2 KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

MARINA-3 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

MUHALAB-3 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

AVENUES-1 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-1 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-2 RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) GETAWAY (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-2 KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-3 PLANES (DIG) BESHARAM (DIG) (HINDI) PRISONERS (DIG) BESHARAM (DIG) (HINDI) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-4 MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

12:30 PM

AVENUES-5 RUSH (DIG)

FANAR-4 RUSH (DIG)

RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM

AL-KOUT.2 EMPIRE STATE (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) MALAVITA (THE FAMILY)(DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG) BATTLE OF THE YEAR (DIG) EMPIRE STATE (DIG)

LOST

CHANGE OF NAME From Adeb Shams - as per the birth certificate - 15days-old to Adeb Ibrahim.

Tel: 66993190.

(C 4530) 6-10-2013

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.3 KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) PRISONERS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.4 MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) RUNNER RUNNER (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

I, Livina Fatima Baretto, resident of Goa and holder of Indian Passport No. K4654795 issued at Kuwait, hereby change my surname to Da Costa. Hence I will be called Livina Fatima Da Costa from now onwards.

(C 4528) 5-10-2013 I, Shahjahan Malek Ali Sadek D/O Sayyed

Original document Policy No. 6330029847 of Waqas Azam by the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan, Gulf Zone is reported to have been lost.

Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with State Life Office Kuwait Tel: 22452208. (C 4529) 5-10-2013 MATRIMONIAL Orthodox parents in Kuwait invite marriage proposals for their son, 27yrs/177cm/70kgs, MBA

employed in a reputed bank in Kuwait from Orthodox/Jacobite/Martho ma parents B.Tech/MCA/MBA/M.Com God fearing and religious minded girls 23-25 yrs employed in Kuwait.

Contact email:

thekalloors@gmail.com (4531) Australian/Lebanese man invite proposal from God fearing Arab women, single or divorce. Contact email: gulfinportexport@hotmail.com (C 4532)

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

Airlines QTR JZR JZR FDB THY ETH GFA AFG UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR THY BBC DHX FDB QTR BAW FDB UAE ABY KAC UAE FDB QTR ETD GFA IRC MSC SYR UAE MSR MSR THY QTR FDB MPH SVA KAC JZR SVA OMA KAC RJA QTR ETD UAE ABY GFA SVA NIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 7/10/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 8063 DUBAI 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 416 JEDDAH 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 5086 JEDDAH 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 6130 DOHA 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 55 DUBAI 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 213 BAHRAIN 6521 LAMERD 403 ASYUT 341 DAMASCUS 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 579 SOHAG 766 ISTANBUL 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 93 AMSTERDAM 500 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 257 BEIRUT 500 JEDDAH 645 MUSCAT 788 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 134 DOHA 303 ABU DHABI-INTL 857 DUBAI 127 SHARJAH 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 251 ALEXANDRIA

Time 00:05 00:20 00:40 01:10 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:15 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:15 03:30 04:35 04:00 05:10 05:50 06:35 06:30 07:45 08:25 08:50 08:15 08:25 09:15 09:25 09:30 10:40 11:45 11:35 12:05 12:45 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:30 14:15 14:30 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:55 16:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 18:00

QTR RBG FDB GFA MSC JAI KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA MSC JAI OMA ABY MEA MSR AXB OMA FDB MEA MSR AXB MSC ALK UAE QTR ETD GFA ALK UAE QTR ETD GFA JAI FDB AIC FDB JZR JZR TAR JAI MSR JZR KLM THY DLH PIA JAI MSR KLM THY

144 553 63 219 405 572 774 618 774 742 674 618 219 405 572 647 129 402 618 489 647 61 402 618 489 401 229 859 136 307 217 229 859 136 307 217 576 59 975 59 185 239 327 574 614 135 411 772 636 205 574 614 411 772

DOHA ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN SOHAG MUMBAI RIYADH DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN SOHAG MUMBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA COCHIN MUSCAT DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA COCHIN ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL BAHRAIN COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI CHENNAI DUBAI DUBAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA TUNIS MUMBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM ISTANBUL FRANKFURT LAHORE MUMBAI CAIRO AMSTERDAM ISTANBUL

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

Airlines AIC QTR JAI UAL DLH MSR JZR FDB THY ETH AFG UAE FDB MSR ETD QTR BBC QTR JZR FDB GFA THY KAC JZR QTR BAW FDB JZR JZR JZR ABY KAC UAE FDB ETD QTR UKL GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR KAC MSC IRC KAC SYR JZR MSR MSR

Departure Flights on Monday 7/10/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 6131 BEIRUT 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 502 LUXOR 8064 DUBAI 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 621 ADDIS ABABA 416 KABUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 5086 DHAKA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 545 ALEXANDRIA 164 DUBAI 6131 DOHA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 530 SOHAG 534 CAIRO 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 4077 BEIRUT 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 6522 LAMERD 785 JEDDAH 342 DAMASCUS 176 DUBAI 580 SOHAG 611 CAIRO

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

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

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

767 872 58 141 673 93 646 617 501 773 741 641 238 304 135 538 128 858 511 216 184 266 252 554 145 64 220 134 283 404 571 62 120 331 648 351 403 619 171 402 308 230 860 301 137 301 218 205 60 205 575 411 328

ISTANBUL-ATATURK DUBAI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL MUSCAT DOHA JEDDAH RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN AMMAN ABU DHABI DOHA CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA ASYUT MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT KOCHI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI MUMBAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI ISLAMABAD ABU DHABI BANGKOK DUBAI

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

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 333

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES You are favored today. Good luck and positive actions are in the forecast.

Overall, this is a good day. Romance and other things that tug at the heartstrings come your way as a new cycle begins. A child or lover may come to mean everything. This is a great time to deepen or seal a love relationship. This is also a creative period for you, a time to take a chance, a time to be appreciated. You will be very hopeful during this time, able to see the unity that binds the entire world together. Your happiest times all month are the days, like this day, when you spend time with friends or loved ones in group activities. Spiritual practices and some charity work may be involved in making this a rewarding time. Vacation time is recommended.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) If there is a request for a loan in your plans soon, you might consider making the loan a short-term one. This way you will not continually be searching for money.

This is a good time to create a plan. You could be composing music or creating poetry this afternoon. You have real vision and insight into the unity that binds. Your brilliant imagination and enchanting manner transports all who meet you beyond the mundane and into the extraordinary regions where you spend a lot of your time. You are a seer, in the true sense of the word, and possess a waking experience of that part of humanity that is mystical and dreamlike. You find new ways to bring people together and to unify situations. Exercise your creative side today.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A support placed beneath or against something to keep it from shaking or falling.

5. A cart drawn by a dog.

12. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

15. Rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos.

16. A department of Greece in the central Peloponnese.

17. 4-wheeled motor vehicle.

18. Goddess of spring and wife of Bragi.

19. Any of numerous low-growing cushionforming plants of the genus Draba having rosette-forming leaves and terminal racemes of small flowers with scapose or leafy stems.

20. A Bantu language spoken by the Kamba people in Kenya.

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

24. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

26. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

27. Any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.

30. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

32. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

33. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

34. Beyond what is natural.

37. Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy.

40. A chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints).

42. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

45. Type genus of the Apidae.

46. Small creeping evergreen shrubs.

49. King of Denmark and Norway who forced Edmund II to divide England with him.

52. The administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma.

53. Covered with paving material.

54. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (trade names Advil and Motrin and Nuprin) used to relieve the pain of arthritis and as an analgesic and antipyretic.

56. A very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses.

57. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

59. Someone who bakes commercially.

61. A state in northwestern North America.

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

66. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

69. The products of human creativity.

71. The person who delivers personal property (goods or money) in trust to the bailee in a bailment.

74. A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically.

77. A mistake resulting from inattention.

78. Gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden bars supported on uprights.

79. The capital and largest city of Kenya.

81. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part

of an organism.

82. A rounded thickly curled hairdo.

83. Change from a crossed to an uncrossed position.

84. Payment due by the recipient on delivery.

DOWN 1. A folded part (as a fold of skin or muscle).

2. Measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects.

3. A small body that contains the female germ cell of a plant.

4. Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases.

5. An informal term for a father.

6. Canadian hockey player (born 1948).

7. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

8. A small tent used as a dressing room beside the sea or a swimming pool.

9. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

10. A state in New England.

11. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

12. Electronic warfare undertaken to prevent or reduce an enemy's effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

13. A small cake leavened with yeast.

14. (informal) Exceptionally good.

21. Type genus of the Alaudidae.

23. Related to or located at the back.

25. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

28. A deep bow.

29. In bed.

31. Old or New World straight-billed game bird of the sandpiper family.

35. A trite or obvious remark.

36. Marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell.

38. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

39. Any plant of the genus Erica.

41. United States Film actress and daughter of Henry Fonda (born in 1937).

43. A long noosed rope used to catch animals.

44. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.

47. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

48. A public promotion of some product or service.

50. Radiation lying in the ultraviolet range.

51. A skeletal muscle arising from the tibia.

55. (folklore) A corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living.

58. Being a bard or relating to a bard's poetry.

60. A high-crowned black cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey and Iran and the Caucasus.

62. Fiber from an East Indian plant Hibiscus cannabinus.

64. A mountain peak in the Andes in Argentina (21,654 feet high).

65. 16 ounces.

67. The basic unit of money in Ethiopia.

68. In addition.

70. A unit of pressure equal to 0.001316 atmosphere.

72. The capital and largest city of Norway.

73. Having been read.

75. (Babylonian) The sky god.

76. A toilet in England.

80. A bachelor's degree in science.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Your current appreciation for just about everything may lead you to overspend or indulge too much. While shopping today, use a list or a main idea of what you want to guide you so that you do not veer off the path. There may be a party in the works for later today. Your home environment, friends and surroundings in general get attention and receive encouragement. Your work or career is in real harmony with the rest of your life and because of this, you may feel free to make changes in your living condition. Setting goals is an important part of the planning process. If you are not entertaining this evening, you may be looking into a real estate proposition. You teach organization and the ability to use your creative mind in positive ways.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is the best time to begin a new habit—perhaps a diet. Radical changes in self-care may be forthcoming. Cut through the unessential and superficial and get to the core in matters of food and health—attend to the details of your life. You might consider a hair analysis that will tell you where you need to concentrate your healing energies. This is a period when the new, different and unusual will be big influences on you—both psychologically and physically, a kind of personal revolution. Friendships are in a state of transformation now—old ones are either revitalized or else they come to an end; new ones are formed. Fate seems to bring you your friends and to deepen your relationship with them. Fun times can be enjoyed with friends today.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are pleased at the progress you have made this year! You draw emotional nourishment from your accomplishments. You may have promised yourself that you would read a certain number of books or learn a special skill and you are well on your way to exceeding your goal. Discipline is important to you, as though you want to prove a point. Rejoice in this day of relaxation. A visitor this afternoon may compliment you on your tastes or belongings. This is a good time to enjoy your friends or family. Get to know who they are and teach them about setting and achieving goals through your own example of success. You can do this without appearing pushy. There is a great satisfaction in helping someone to achieve, as much as in helping yourself.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) As you listen today, you understand and add to your learning. There is guidance today where you least expect it. Being consistently late could be a control issue and may send out the opposite signal to those you may want to impress. You decide that today is the time for a change and you work to become more aware of the way you use the time you have been given for your lifetime. If you find yourself at a convention or you are watching a performance with other people, it may be wise to get out-of-doors for a few minutes of fresh air, during an intermission. As you can see, today has the potential of being an action-packed learning day with most of the activity geared toward inward learning—and it is all positive.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Something unusual may happen today that will give you better insight into a love relationship. This may mean that you discover some new dream or goal that a loved one has kept a secret. This is not a negative but a positive and a fun way to have insight into the next gift you give. You are a gracious gift-giver and relish any opportunity to get an inside view of what someone you care about would enjoy receiving as a gift.

You express your practical side today and seem to enjoy helping others with complicated issues. Solving riddles and planning trips or visits may make up a part of this day. After the chores and shopping are done this afternoon, you might find yourself at the movies with friends. The best part of the movie seems to be the socializing.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may not be interested in impressing others, but you are interested in gaining other people’s attention. This could mean you have a contest, a lecture, a presentation or some other achievement to declare. As the solid-citizen type, you could be called upon for some political office. Perhaps this is as simple as a park officer or being on the town council. Now is the time to decide about the people you might want to help you get your name circulated. You have a lot to say and have good insight into future development of many different subjects such as ecology, education, animal control, etc.

When your willpower is directed at yourself, you perform magic. Now is the time for personal changes. Just give the political field a little consideration.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Bringing order to chaos may be the energies expressed today. You look around your living quarters and may decide that this is the day to paint a room, clean a closet or organize a drawer. Others are so impressed at your motivation that they pick up the idea and do the same thing. You can praise each other and keep going or celebrate your accomplishments this afternoon. Work with others makes time move quickly; however, if you are by yourself you can enjoy a different sort of celebration. You might celebrate with a movie or you could show off your achievements to a great friend or neighbor. This evening you settle down to plan next week’s activity. Short-term goals are the right path to long-term achievement. Real estate is a positive in your life now.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You enjoy chatting about angels with friends. Although angels seem to have particular jobs, yours is with you to encourage your activity in a variety of charities. You feel the passion to help others, now is the time to act on the ways you can be helpful. This may mean you train an elderly neighbor’s animal or escort an elderly person, transport heavy equipment or rock a sick baby at the nearby hospital—good for you! Now is a good time to reassess your social obligations. You could be asking yourself if the cost is worth the time and involvement. Being the social butterfly, you may only decide to eliminate one or two events from your calendar as it will help to free up some important time.

Remember, you do influence and encourage others through your actions.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A journey or little trip to the country provides some mental and physical refreshment today. A loved one or neighbor may enjoy coming along as well. Laughter and talk about the physical changes you may see are ways to change the everyday into more positive energies. A country vegetable stand, auction, tour, flea market just adds to the fun and creates some good bonding moments. Building good memories is the glue that binds relationships and today is a good day for building strong relationships. Your skills and talents are in demand at this time. This evening you may find yourself playing the piano for a little background sound or cooking for a family, solving computer problems or teaching a young person how to balance a budget. Smile!

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Endurance and muscle tone exercises will keep you feeling good physically and mentally. Consider a routine day that includes exercise. Perhaps a friend would like to join you in this process. There is a bout of philosophy or even a little religion now that could have an enormous effect on your career in the future. Lasting values can guide you.

You will find yourself opening up avenues that have remained blocked—a new understanding—new goals. Reputation, achievement and talent are all things that come into play when you consider these goals today. You set your mind to the changes and then you set your pace. Others may find you especially witty and eccentric this evening. You may enjoy some sort of group involvement.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 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

36

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Miley Cyrus

rules ‘SNL’ as host and musical guest

Berry, Martinez welcome baby boy I

t’s a boy for Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez.

A representative for the 47-year-old actress confirms that the couple welcomed their son on Saturday. Publicist Meredith O’Sullivan Wasson offered no other details.

E! News reports Berry delivered the baby at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

This is the second child for Berry. She has a 5-year-old daughter with her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry. The two settled their custody battle over the child in 2012. This is the first child for Martinez. The French actor and Berry married in July.—AP

File photo shows US actress Halle Berry poses with her fiance, French actor Olivier Martinez, during a photocall upon their arrival for the “Toiles enchantees” event.—AFP

Photo released by NBC shows cast member Taran Killam, left, and actress-singer Miley Cyrus during a promo for the upcoming “Saturday Night Live,” in New York.—AP

M

iley Cyrus cautioned viewers she wouldn’t be twerking on “Saturday Night Live.” But she commanded the stage on this week’s edition of the NBC sketch comedy show, serving as both host and musical guest. And she did some shimmying as an over-sexed Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in a parody video about the government shutdown.

Cyrus seized attention and criticism in August for her sexually charged MTV Video Music Awards performance, which featured the singer in scanty garb while exhibiting suggestive twerking gyrations. During Saturday’s open, Cyrus made sport of the hubbub surrounding her racy display. She joked that she used to think twerking was cool, but changed her mind now that white people are doing it. Besides participating in several sketches, she performed two songs. Her album, “Bangerz,” is out tomorrow.—AP

Italian luxury firm Loro Piana defends takeover, eyes expansion

Penn sponsors 5 Haitians to run in NYC marathon

S

ean Penn is ecstatic that his relief organization will sponsor runners from Haiti to participate in the New York City Marathon next month. “We’ve got five Haitian runners, 10 runners total, running for the team representing Haiti and our organization J/P HRO coming to the New York City Marathon - the marathon. So we’re really looking forward to it,” Penn said. The 53-year old actor, who spoke to the Associated Press on Saturday night, expressed satisfaction that the organization continues to rebuild Haiti with its medical, relocation, structural and community development programs -but also that it brings hope to the island nation.

“It’s rewarding. I just came back from Port-au-Prince, where I visited our Haitian marathon runners, and to see that great discipline that Haitians have and that great spirit and the excitement that they have visiting New York for the first time.” Penn started the J/P Health Relief Organization after a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake ripped through Haiti in January 2010, killing more than 100,000. They set up camps for displaced residents and facilitated medical clinics. It continues to save lives and brings sustainable programs to benefit the nation. Penn acts as CEO and Chairman of the Board for the organization.

When asked if his efforts to make a meaningful and lasting impact in Haiti made him proud, Penn responded: “I’ve got a group I’m very proud of and really inspired by. Let’s say I’ve been granted a fortunate ticket in.” The two-time Oscar-winning actor made the comments at the world premiere of his film, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” at the New York Film Festival. Penn stars alongside writer-director Ben Stiller. The 26-mile (42-kilometer) New York Marathon takes place on Nov 3.—AP

Sean Penn attends the New York Film Festival premiere of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” on Saturday.—AP

A

mid controversy and angst over foreign takeovers of well-known Italian companies, the head of Italian luxury textile maker Loro Piana has argued the case for selling a family business, in an interview with AFP. Loro Piana, bought by French giant LVMH for 2.0 billion euros ($2.7 billion), is now eyeing further global expansion, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, chairman and chief executive of the once family-run business, said. The takeover was no act of betrayal and would help retain jobs as well as develop the company, he insisted.

“The life of a business is not like a football team! We are not taking part in an ItalyFrance game or against Germany,” he said in an interview.

“We are trying to do our best for our company and for Italy,” he said. The business goes back six generations and embodies classical Italian luxury, with its roots in tradition and the community where it started out in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. It started out in its current form in 1924 in Quarona, a small town at the foot of the Alps. Specializing in the production of rare textiles such as cashmere, vicuna, merino or lotus flower, it has also expanded into high-end fashion.

LVMH has said it is buying 80 percent of Loro Piana—its most recent in a series of purchases including Bulgari, Fendi and Emilio Pucci. Kering, another French giant in the sector, also owns the Italian brands Bottega Veneta, Sergio Rossi, Brioni and Pomellato.

These buyouts are part of growing foreign involvement in a variety of Italian business from food and drink to telecoms to the airline industry. The national press has portrayed the takeovers as a symptom of economic decline. But the 62-year-old Loro Piana, said that the jingoism makes no sense. The latest case is Spanish group Telefonica’s plan to increase its stake in Telecom Italia which contributed to the departure of the chief executive of the Italian firm on Thursday.

Being owned by LVMH will lead to “a

more rapid and also maybe more solid development that would not have been possible for a company like Loro Piana on its own,” he said. “Markets that were not an immediate priority for us can become ones that are since there will be more resources available,” he said. Not that the company, which employs 2,500 people, has much to complain about, he said. The group is “in complete contrast with the national economy”, which has been in recession for two years.

Turnover was 627 million euros ($847 million) in 2012 and is due to increase to 700 million euros this year. “I don’t think LVMH will want to significantly change the strategy of Loro Piana and I don’t think that they would have bought it otherwise,” he said. Loro Piana and his brother Sergio, 65, will hold on to their executive positions, which they rotate every three years, as well as 20 percent of capital. “If Loro Piana develops further in the years to come, we will have made the right choice for Italy, for ourselves and for the LVMH group,” he said.

Marco Fortis, a professor of economics at Cattolica university in Milan said companies that have been taken over like Loro Piana are “major businesses but not big enough to grow more on the global market”, particularly in emerging markets.

“In Italy, we are always complaining about foreigners buying companies”—even though it can also work the other way round, he said.

The strategy of Loro Piana and other luxury companies that have been bought

by LVMH or Kering is actually “mutually advantageous”, he explained. France “has few businesses but a lot of capital and Italy has a lot of businesses but little capital”, he said. In any case, there will always be new generations of brands rising, he said, giving the example of fashion businesses Brunello Cucinelli, Cruciani or Lardini.

“There are always new, youth brands in the luxury sector that will be big brands in the future,” he said.—AFP

A file photo taken on September 8, 2013 shows the chief executive officer and chairman of Italian luxury textile maker Loro Piana, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, in Quarona, a small town at the foot of the Alps.—AFP

French fine jeweler Mauboussin opens its new store in ‘The Avenues – Phase 3’

Beleganza Chrono Lady: Split-second precision with a Balmain’s styling appeal

A

mong the many pleasures that await Miss Switzerland 2013 is a striking Balmain wristwatch called Beleganza Chrono Lady. Like every chronograph, it measures short time spans – up to 30 minutes here – as well as showing the time of the day. But unlike typical chronographs, this design displays a full measure of engaging charm.

Born in the exclusive world of Parisian High Fashion and founded by Pierre Balmain, the noted Haute Couture master, Balmain brings to time longstanding traditions of taste and elegance.

Today its distinctively original spirit drives a watch brand backed by a leading Swiss watchmaking group – the source of invaluable technical and marketing advantages benefiting Balmain timepieces.

Barely 38 mm across, water-resistant to 50 m, with some models enhanced with 76 diamonds, its polished steel case holds a reliable Swiss-made quartz movement. The dial, for its part, features a date window and three sub-dials: one for the running seconds, another for the tenths of a second and the last

one for chronograph minutes, protected by a clear sapphire crystal.

As with every Balmain timepiece, some dials carry classic arabesques –Pierre Balmain’s favorite ornamental design – on a silvered background. Other dials are available with white mother-of-pearl or polished black lacquered finish.

For this year’s Miss Switzerland and for every busy modern woman, a Beleganza Chrono Lady provides the enduring reliability of a Swissmade instrument enlivened by the engaging appeal of a Balmain.

Technical specifications

:

•

Swiss quartz chronograph movement Case in polished 316L steel, 38 mm, some models set with 76 Wesselton diamonds Sapphire crystal Choice of dials: white mother-ofpearl or polished black lacquer finish or silvered finish with arabesque motifs at center Bracelet in 316L steel, black satin strap Water resistance: 50 m

•

• •

• •

M

auboussin, the renowned Place Vendôme jewelry house, announces its foray into the Middle East, with locations in UAE, Kuwait and Lebanon. The official opening in Kuwait was held at Mauboussin’s new boutique that is located in the Prestige section at The Avenues – Phase 3 on October 1, 2013 in the presence of the Mauboussin’s president Alain Nemarq.

After New York, Singapore, Tokyo, Beirut and Dubai, the Parisian luxury brand has turned its interest to Kuwait, marking a new milestone for the brand’s international presence. Alain Nemarq, President of Mauboussin stated, “We are delighted to be launching Mauboussin’s universe of artistic, modern jewelry for the region’s

discerning luxury customers. We are confident that our signature creativity and distinguished color combinations will captivate the women of Kuwait with a sense of femininity, luxury and romance.

After all, at Mauboussin we believe that luxury should be the universal language of emotion,” added Nemarq.

Since 1827, the House of Mauboussin has distinguished itself with its unique color combinations, contrasts of materials and exceptional capacity for renewal: bold, creative and accessible, the creations of this master artist jeweler have marked the world of jewelry globally. In addition to being considered the ultimate jeweler of color, Mauboussin has today become the symbol of modern jewelry and a reference in creativ-

ity, addressing contemporary, urban and worldly women.

From rings to pendants, the brand lists several symbols: The star symbolizes beauty; the triangle, the divine; the flower, harmony; the oval, eternity; the diamond, humanity. With evocative names such as “Tu es mon soleil,” “Vertige de toi,” “Parce que je l’aime” and “Saphir de toi,” Mauboussin’s collections are set to offer women in Kuwait a flair of Parisian glamour and sophistication. Now, Mauboussin is exclusively available in Kuwait at the Mauboussin boutique located at the Prestige section in Phase 3 of The Avenues mall.

37

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Indian film

‘Kill the Rapist?’ explores women’s revenge

A

s India debates how to halt a rising tide of violence against women, two filmmakers are tackling the subject head on with a Bollywood movie called “Kill the Rapist?” The film was inspired by the fatal gang-rape of a student in the capital New Delhi late last year, which triggered widespread outrage and national soul-searching over the treatment of women in India. The new film aims to make “every rapist shiver with fear before even thinking of rape”, according to its Facebook page, which has already notched up more than 40,000 supporters.

With a modest budget and a largely unknown cast, “Kill the Rapist?” is due for release in December, one year after the Delhi attack in which a gang of six savagely attacked a 23-year-old physiotherapy student and her male friend on a bus. “The brutality of that crime shook me up. It reminded me that we are such a hypocritical and selfish society,” Siddhartha Jain of iRock Films, who produced the movie, told AFP. “Through this film we want to amplify the debate on the issue and show that there is no one solution.” The student died two weeks later from internal injuries inflicted during the attack, and four men were sentenced to death in September—a punishment aimed, in part, at deterring wouldbe sexual predators. Despite the outpouring of anger over the incident which led to a tougher rape law, sex crimes across the country continue to be reported daily in the Indian media.

“Kill the Rapist?” looks at how a victim of such an attack might act out her own revenge. “As a society, we don’t have much reverence or confidence in the legal system so if you happen to be the victim of a rape attack, what do you do?” said director Sanjay Chhel. “Our film explores what the girl goes through physically, mentally, her journey and the people around her. We have put a question mark at the end of the title because we don’t want to preach or take a legal stand.”

While the filmmakers want the movie to shock and unsettle the audience, they say it is not meant to be sensational. The rape itself is never shown and the plot revolves around three female flatmates, who each offer a different perspective on the options available when a rapist attacks one of them. “At some point the hunter becomes the hunted. The story unfolds in a 12-hour time frame during which power shifts and the girls face dilemmas on how to deal with this rapist,” said Jain, who funded the film with contributions from two female private equity investors.

Jain also plans to set up an anti-rape foundation using some of the film’s profits, to spread awareness and raise funds for charities working on women’s issues. Another Indian director inspired by the Delhi attack is Shahid Kazmi, whose film “Damini (Lightning) - The Victim” premiered in the northern city of Jammu this month. The title refers to the name given to the victim by the media, which cannot use her real name for legal reasons.

An upcoming Bengali film by director Milan Bhowmik, titled “Nirbhoya”, is also said to be based on the attack. While these alternative films may be tackling the subject of sex crimes, commercial Indian movies have often been accused of objectifying women—itself a subject of heated debate since the Delhi gang-rape. In the 1960s and 1970s, a typical narrative often involved a woman rejecting the overtures of a male suitor, who then pursued her almost to the point of stalking until she finally relented.

In modern movies, song-and-dance routines known as “item numbers”, with scantily-clad women and titillating lyrics, have also come under fire.

One playwright since the gang-rape has called Bollywood “a monster that has gone horribly wrong”. But others in the industry have defended their films, saying Bollywood has become a soft target that cannot be blamed for inciting violence—especially as on-screen rapists are often brought to justice by the heroes. The makers of “Kill The Rapist?” hope their film will show that movies can sometimes empower, as well as entertain. “We usually make more youth-centric, fun films but I thought we must balance it with some responsibility and make a movie which is also positive, motivational and insightful,” said Jain.—AFP

Stiller premieres

W

An Indian protester holds a banner during a rally in New Delhi.

An Indian schoolgirl holds a lighted candle and placard as she takes part in a rally in Ahmedabad, after the death of a gangrape victim in the Indian capital New Delhi.

Director sees drama migrating from the big screen to TV

‘Walter Mitty’ at NY film festival

Kristen Wiig, left, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor-Stiller attend the New York Film Festival premiere of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.—AP ith its playful mingling of fantasy and reality, James Thurber’s beloved short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” has seemed the stuff of movies since its initial publication in 1939. But it has proved a tough nut to crack, having been made into an unloved 1947 film with Danny Kaye that Thurber himself decried and having led to numerous attempts that fizzled before they got started. Whether Ben Stiller has finally succeeded was greeted as a matter of debate.

Stiller premiered his contemporary version of “Walter Mitty” at the New York Film Festival on Saturday. The film screened for press and film industry members ahead of its evening red carpet premiere at Lincoln Center. The centerpiece of the NYFF, it was a hometown launch for the New York-native Stiller, whose film is also set in the Big Apple. While the festival platform offered a prestigious debut for “Walter Mitty,” the movie started on rocky ground with critics. The film, which Stiller directed and stars in, was met by decidedly

Indian bystanders look at a banner featuring images of ‘government and rapists’ as it lies on a road in New Delhi, after the cre mation ceremony for a gangrape victim. –AFP photos

This film image released by 20th Century Fox shows Ben Stiller in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”—AP

mixed reviews that partly diffused the assumed Oscar hopes of the film. 20th Century Fox will release the movie in the heart of awards season on Dec 25.

Stiller stars as Mitty, a daydreaming Life magazine photo editor (“a negative asset manager” is his official title) who’s uneventful, workaday life is contrasted by his vivid imagination. When the magazine is bought and moved online, Mitty is forced to pursue an intrepid photographer (Sean Penn) and grow closer to a colleague he’s long admired from afar (Kristen Wiig). In one memorable dream sequence, he imagines a reverse-aging future like “Benjamin Button,” another hard-to-adapt short story from the early 20th century. But his flights of fantasy gradually give way to actual adventures in Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas.

Stiller wrestled over balancing the story’s many daydreaming sequences throughout the process, he said in a Q&A following the screening Saturday. “When you have fantasies that stop the story, an audience

naturally wants to see the story unfold,” said Stiller, who previously directed the comedies “Zoolander” and “Tropic Thunder.” “So it’s very challenging to keep the momentum going and have the fantasies play out.”“Originally, we had envisioned these much more elaborate fantasies that went on a lot longer,” he continued. “As we developed the script and worked on the script, we realized that we had to keep paring them down. That process sort of continued through the editing of the movie, finding that balance of how you could keep the momentum of the story going, but also having enough of the fantasies in there to give you a sense of what’s going on inside Walter and just have fun.”

Some more elaborate daydreams had to be cut before production started. One began in the mold of “Lawrence of Arabia” before culminating in a song-and-dance routine from “Grease,” Stiller said. “I don’t know why we cut that,” said Stiller, before remembering the hard realities of a shooting budget. “It was money, basically.”—AP

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ix-time Oscar-nominated Irish director Jim Sheridan said yesterday that Hollywood’s fixation with making money from the international box office had moved drama off the big screen and onto television. “We’re in a transition period worldwide,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the 18th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the largest in Asia. “I think Hollywood is making movies for China and India and Brazil and Russia.

So they don’t want dialogue movies. They don’t want dramas. They’ve migrated the drama to TV.” International box office receipts have been outpacing Hollywood over the past few years, led by a Chinese market that is enjoying growth of around 30 per cent per year. Industry analysts are predicting that China—which collected an estimated $2.8 billion in box office takings last year, compared with Hollywood’s $10.8 billion—will at the current rate of growth become the world’s dominant market by 2020. Major US studios are increasingly looking for ways to appeal to the Chinese cinemagoer, with films such as this year’s blockbuster “Pacific Rim” featuring Chinese characters and scenes set in the country. Sheridan is part of a delegation of five Irish directors in the southern South Korean city of Busan, among them Oscar-winner Neil Jordan (“The Crying Game”). Their films are screening as part of a “Rogues, Rebels and Romantics” focus on the cinema of their country. The director will on Tuesday host a “My Life, My Cinema” Master Class while

there is also a contingent in town from the Irish Film Board looking both to promote its industry and open the doors to international co-productions.

Sheridan, 64, famous for the gritty dramas “My Left Foot” and “In the Name of the Father”, said it had become increasingly hard for an international film to find distribution if it had not first screened in the United States. “Basically, there is no movie industry,” he said. “There’s a TV industry.

And if you can go on American TV and in a 30-second ad convince people to leave their homes and go to the cinema, then you’re getting into the cinema industry. “It’s virtually impossible to release a movie outside America that hasn’t released in America. You have a one-town industry and basically that’s destroying its own independent cinema.” American directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg recently warned that rising costs might herald the “implosion” of the film industry, and the Irish director echoed their words. The problem had partly been of Hollywood’s own making, he said. “You have to acknowledge that ‘Jaws’ and ‘Star Wars’ created the opening weekend and created that television advertising,” said Sheridan. “So the cost of making movies kept going up until it was unsustainable. It’s like the housing industry. “And the only movies that are working are the high-rise movies. Huge investments with no dialogue, no drama.”—AFP

Irish film directors Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan during a hand printing event at the 18th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan yesterday.—AFP photos

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE

5 free

T r a v e l

things to do in

Richmond

W

ith terrain varying from the mountains to the coast, Virginia offers an array of fall colors for leaf-peepers.

But before or after your drive along one of the state’s many scenic byways, consider a fix of Southern city living with a visit to the state capital, Richmond. Located along Interstate 95, it’s an easy stopping-off point. And whether you like the outdoors, art or history, there’s plenty to do here — and you don’t have to spend a dime.

Canal Walk/Brown’s Island/Belle Isle Find out why Outside magazine readers voted Richmond the nation’s most livable river town in 2012 by taking in the scenic James River. Canal Walk runs more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) through downtown Richmond along the river and the banks of the city’s canals, with monuments and exhibits along the way highlighting Richmond history.

With various access points around the city, Canal Walk eventually leads to Brown’s Island, a popular venue for concerts and festivals located between the canals and the river. It has a series of walking trails and bridges, including one that takes you to the middle of the river. Just steps away, a pedestrian bridge suspended under the Lee Bridge takes visitors over the river to Belle Isle, where you’ll find locals exploring the

54-acre (29-hectare) island and resting on its rocky shores.

Belle Isle was first explored in 1607 by Capt John Smith, who helped establish England’s first North American settlement in Virginia. The island was once home to a granite quarry and hydroelectric plant. It was also used as prisonerof-war camp during the Civil War. It features several bike trails, a rock climbing wall, and tons of off-the-beaten-path areas to explore. Canal Walk is open 24 hours a day. Brown’s Island and the Belle Isle access bridge are open sunrise to sunset.

The Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corp leads a procession during dedication ceremonies for the newly renovated Capitol at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A sculpture by internationally renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly in the sculpture garden of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.

Virginia State Capitol The State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson in the Monumental Classical style, has housed state government since 1788.

The wings of the building were added between 1904 and 1906. The Capitol reopened in 2007 after a $104.5 million restoration and expansion project that began in 2004. Statues of Virginia historic figures dot the grounds. Also onsite is the historic Bell Tower, which houses a state welcome center and, at the other corner of the grounds, the Virginia Executive Mansion, where the governor’s family lives.

The Capitol building is open MondaySaturday, 8 am -5 pm, and on Sundays 1 pm -5 pm. You can tour on your own or with a guide.

File photo shows the moon rises over the state Capitol in Richmond, Va. Photo shows a visitor looking over a work titled “Brainwaves” by Katie Grinnan in an exhibit area of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.—AP photos

File photo shows flags wave on the roof of the State Capitol in Richmond.

Hollywood cemetery The cemetery along the James River is named for its plentiful holly trees. But while the Hollywood Cemetery isn’t a graveyard for famous actors, it has its own who’s who from Virginia history. The cemetery opened in 1849 and has grown to more than 135 acres (55 hectares) with more than 80,000 people buried there, including Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler (who was William Henry Harrison’s vice president and became president in 1841 after Harrison died), as well as Confederate President Jefferson Davis and numerous Virginia governors. The first battle casualty of the Civil War is buried there along with more than 18,000 Confederate soldiers interred beneath a 90-foot (28-meter) granite pyramid.

The cemetery is open daily with historic walking tours Monday-Saturday at 10 am, April through October.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses more than 33,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years of world history. Highlights include Faberge objects, Art Nouveau and Art Deco collections, Asian and African art, and paintings ranging from French Impressionist to modern and contemporary American. With a recent

expansion, the museum encompasses 640,000 interior square feet (59,000 square meters), and has a sculpture garden, casual dining area and restaurant.

The museum is open Saturday-Wednesday, 10 am-5 pm, and Thursday-Friday, 10 am-9 pm.

The Virginia Historical Society is next door and offers free parking and admission.

Maymont This 100-acre (40-acre) estate was given to the Richmond community by James and Sallie Dooley, who lived there in a 33-room mansion from 1893 to 1925. The grounds feature elaborate Italian and Japanese gardens, an arboretum, butterfly trail and other smaller gardens that feature cactus, herbs and daffodils. A wildlife exhibit includes animals native to Virginia, such as black bears, bison, white-tailed deer, bobcats, bald eagles and other birds of prey. A children’s farm features goats, cows and other animals.

Entrance to the gardens, visitors center and wildlife exhibits is free. The mansion, nature center and children’s farm have suggested donations of $5 or less. The grounds are open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., but some areas are closed Mondays.—AP

Graves of some of the 80,000 people buried in Hollywood Cemetery on the James River near downtown Richmond.

A bicyclist riding on a bridge suspended under the Lee Bridge over the James River to Belle Isle.

Myanmar’s

39

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

ancient temple city faces modern danger

This file picture shows a tourist cycling around pagodas in the early morning in the ancient city of Bagan in northern Myanmar.

This file picture shows hot air balloons carrying tourists above pagodas as the sun rises in the ancient city of Bagan in northern Myanmar.

T

he spires of Bagan have survived wars, earthquakes and centuries of tropical sun, but in recent years Myanmar’s ancient capital has faced a distinctly modern threat—scaffolding and cement. The temples, some of which are around 1,000 years old, are one of the country’s most treasured religious sites and a top attraction for foreign tourists flocking to the country as it emerges from decades of military rule.

While many have largely withstood the ravages of man and nature, haphazard renovation work has also seen new temples built on the foundations of crumbling structures, and experts say they bear little resemblance to the originals. “Several hundred monuments have been completely rebuilt. It has obviously damaged the historical landscape,” architect Pierre Pichard, a former UNESCO consultant, told AFP. “It is totally contrary to what is accepted internationally in terms of good practice.”

Pichard helped restore the temples after a huge earthquake struck the region in central Myanmar in 1975, but was forced to leave the site in the early 1990s when the rulers effectively closed the country to the outside world. After asking Buddhists for donations, the junta then started rebuilding the temples, many of which were just piles of bricks. Around 2,000 have so far been renovated, many with hastily done stone and plaster work, using bright orange bricks and other modern materials.

A huge number of trees have also been planted across the vast plain dotted with pagodas and temples.

“One of the characteristics of Bagan in the past was to be able to see hundreds of monuments in the middle of fields, and now we see them less,” said Pichard. “These trees are an aberration in terms of the environment because the climate is very dry and they need to be watered during the dry season.” Today new building works have been halted, but some structures are still being renovated, and archaeologists have been allowed back into the country to oversee the work. Experts warn that much of the damage cannot be reversed, and could threaten Bagan’s chances of winning World Heritage status.

‘Waiting for the next earthquake’ One engineer who worked at the site after the 1975 earthquake, but stopped when the foreign experts left, said a lot of the restoration work was done quickly and cheaply to maximise the profits of local building firms. “People donated to get a close relationship to the generals,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity. “Most of the new reconstructions are by the road where they can be easily seen. Those in the centre have been badly reconstructed, as no one visits them.” “We are waiting

for the next earthquake. The new ones will fall down as they used very poor mortar.”

Over the centuries, the buildings have deteriorated in the tropical weather, been damaged by successive earthquakes and looted by light fingered visitors.

“These pagodas were built a long time ago, and the rain water has managed to get between the bricks and damage them, so we are filling up the holes,” said U Kyain, who is overseeing restoration work on the roof of the Dhammayazika Pagoda.

In its heyday Bagan was one of the most important centres for learning in Asia, if not the world. The Burmese kings and rulers built thousands of temples, more than 3,000 of which are still standing today. The structures are mostly built from brick, and over the years gold leaf roofs have been added to some.

Renovations ‘a tribute to Buddha’ Constructed in 1197 by King Narapatisithu, after he received four holy relics from the king of Sri Lanka, the Dhammayazika pagoda is one of the most impressive in the whole of Bagan, and survived largely unscathed in the 1975 earthquake. Since that fateful July day, U Kyain has helped rebuild many of the temples. “The people of the world might see the renovations as us destroying the original form of the ancient monuments. As a Buddhist in Myanmar, seeing these old piles of brick it is not graceful or respectful to Buddhism.”

The temples, he added, are still in use by pilgrims who come to pray. “The new generation of Buddhist people in Myanmar renovate and rebuilt the pagoda to show their respect to the old people who built these pagodas and to express their emotion to Lord Buddha.”

The restoration work does not seem to put off visitors, who start arriving early each day as haze rises from the spires of thousands of temples against a backdrop of distant hills bathed in the morning sunlight.

More and more foreigners are coming every year, often passing the newly built structures to visit their more ancient neighbors. And despite the controversial renovations, Bagan could still win World Heritage status one day, said Tim Curtis, head of the culture unit at UNESCO’s office in Bangkok.

“Quite a bit of the restoration would not have been what we would have recommended,” he told AFP. But it was also important to recognize that Bagan—which is on a tentative list to be considered for the coveted status—is a living heritage site, he said. “These temples are places of worship. They are not just heritage sites or archaeological sites—they are living cultural expressions.”—AFP

This screen grab taken off an AFPTV report shows newly-rebuilt temples in the ancient city of Bagan in northern Myanmar.—AFP photos

This picture shows trustee of the Dhammayazika Pagoda, Kyain, as he oversees the restoration work at the pagoda in the ancient city of Bagan in northern Myanmar.

Publishing start-ups crowd world’s biggest

A

rush of publishing start-ups and ever new ways to lure readers in an industry with Amazon breathing down its neck will be a central theme at the world’s biggest book fair, opening in Germany on Wednesday. Faced with competition from the online giant, publishers face an “imperative to be big”, organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair say, pointing to this year’s merger to create Penguin Random House. But the flipside is that start-ups are springing up as continental Europe now follows in the footsteps of Britain and the US, with all eyes on the newcomers shaping the future and hunting for a viable business model.

“The dividing line is no longer between old and new, print and e-books, analogue and digital,” the fair’s director Juergen Boos said. “Instead it runs between those who have a passion for content and who want to provide access to it, and those who don’t really care what they’re selling.”

In Germany, the pioneering spirit is seen in innovations such as Tolino, an e-reader produced by bookshop chains and Deutsche Telekom, and Flipintu, an online reader community sharing tips and recommendations, hoping to do for books what Spotify did for music. Katja Boehne, the fair’s spokeswoman, said the mushrooming of start-ups in digital publishing mirrored the switch to smartphones in mobile communications.

From initially offering books in digital format, the range of services around books and content now encompasses self-publishing, 3D educational products with interactive graphics, platforms for interactive reading and new ways of Internet shopping, she said. “The possibilities of

Tourists walking past an under-restoration temple in the ancient city of Bagan in northern Myanmar.

book fair

buying books in the classic ways of bookselling are becoming constantly smaller,” she said. “Accordingly, new solutions for the distribution of books on the Internet are being worked on everywhere,” Boehne added.

‘Parents investing in children’ More than 7,000 exhibitors will descend on the western German city which annually hosts the five-day showcase of international publishing and its cross-over into film, video games and merchandising. Brazil’s literature, arts and culture will take pride of place, represented by around 90 writers, and backed by a 900,000-euro ($1.2-million) government program for 2011-13 for the translation of Brazilian works. The publishing sector is in “relatively good” shape compared to other industries, with children and youth literature a driving force, and school books also doing well, Boos told reporters.

“Parents are investing in their children,” he said. But the environment is changing with the scale of runaway successes such as “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the 2011 erotic blockbuster by E L James. It was the first part of a trilogy that has been translated into 50 languages and sold over 70 million copies worldwide.

Not only does it pose questions about the diversity of what people read but also drives up the price of translation rights, Boos said. “Everyone wants a certain bestseller, they all want the next Harry Potter, or the next Fifty Shades of Grey or Dan Brown... everyone’s lusting after it,” he said. Blurring

the lines between reality and fiction in today’s storytelling is another topic for discussion at the fair, where US-Lebanese director, cameraman and author Ziad Doueiri will reveal how he shifts between Hollywood and Lebanon.

Doueiri has worked with director Quentin Tarantino and will receive the fair’s 10,000-euro prize for the Best International Literary Adaptation for his film “The Attack”, based on Yasmina Khadra’s novel about a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

Doueiri said in April that the Lebanese authorities had banned his award-winning film from cinemas in his home country because it was partly shot in Tel Aviv using Israeli actors. The debate about e-books and whether they sound the death knell for print books seems to have been laid to rest, with both finding their place and acceptance in parallel.

Bookstores nevertheless face the need to be inventive. For hints on how bookshops may look in the future, fair organizers point to initiatives in Britain, such as “The Bookshop Band” which writes literature-inspired songs and plays them in stores. Meanwhile the blog “Bookshelf Porn” has been aiming to give “people a sudden urge to read” since 2009 by showing the best bookshelf photos from around the world. “Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading,” enthused one tweet by a fan.—AFP

Myanmar’s ancient temple city faces modern danger

39

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013

Fort Worth museum to open exhibit on color photos

Sargent portrait comes to Fort Worth museum

A

This undated photo provided by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art shows a photograph

by Joaquin Trujillo entitled “Jacky.”

A

museum exhibit illustrating how color changed the nature of photography opens this weekend at a Fort Worth museum. “Color! American Photography Transformed” opens Saturday at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The exhibit, which includes more than 70 photographs, will be on display through Jan 5. It will then travel to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens

This undated photo provided by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art shows a photograph by Alex Prager entitled “Crowd #1 (Stan Douglas).—AP photos

in Memphis, Tenn, for showing from Jan 19 through April 23.

The exhibit begins with a rare directcolor photograph made in 1851 by Levi L. Hill, who could neither capture a full range of color nor replicate it. Not until the mid-1970s did fine art color photography finally gain full acceptance with the work of Memphis photographer William Eggleston.—AP

Texas art museum has acquired a painting rarely displayed in public by John Singer Sargent of Edwin Booth, the renowned 19th-century actor and brother of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. The Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth announced the acquisition Friday. The portrait from 1890 was commissioned by members of The Players, a private club for actors founded by Booth and his friends. It remained there until 2002, when it was sold to a private collector. The painting is now on its first extended public display in the Amon Carter’s main gallery.

In the portrait, which museum officials said was purchased for about $5 million, Booth is seen in the full-length portrait posing in a dark, three-piece suit in front of the grand fireplace in the club’s hallway.

The painting is alluring because it was commissioned during the peak of Sargent’s career and because of its subject, a noted Shakespearean actor and brother of John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln in 1865, said Andrew J. Walker, director of the Amon Carter.

“There’s this wonderful sense of layered history in the subject matter,” said Walker, who noted that the portrait is “perhaps the most important acquisition the museum

has made in the last 20 years.”

Sargent, one of the most admired portrait painters in the US and Europe, captures the seriousness that Booth was known for as an actor, said Erica Hirshler, a curator of American paintings at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston. She said the painting was significant and a “great acquisition” for the Amon Carter.

“One thing I like about this one is Booth’s intensity is very quiet and it’s sort of echoed by the fact that there embers in the fireplace behind him. The setting sort of enhances the mood of the painting,” Hirshler said.

“I like the combination of capturing a public figure in a private moment.”

The painting has only gone on public display twice before: for about a month in 1926 at Sargent’s memorial exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and from late November 2003 to late February 2004 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Amon Carter was established by the will of Texas newspaper publisher, philanthropist and art collector Amon G. Carter.

The museum opened in 1961, six years after Carter’s death. The Booth portrait joins another Sargent in the museum’s collection, an 1888 portrait of Alice Vanderbilt This image of oil on canvas from 1890 provided by Shepard.—AP the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, shows Edwin Booth and was painted

by John Singer Sargent.—AP

Mexico Inside Out

‘M

Themes in Art Since 1990

exico Inside Out: Themes in Art Since 1990’ is a tour de force of ambiguity. As a show with work by 23 artists connected to Mexico it runs the risk of being a politicallycorrect art-ghetto based on geographical stereotypes. At the same time, though, with artists hailing from Belgium, the United States, and England working in Mexico, and Mexican artists working internationally around the world, it tells us that this threat is a stalemate.

One resounding message of this show is that contemporary Mexican artists communicate within and to a global audience. And they succeed, or seem to think they are succeeding, by way of the pedantic, self-righteous, and leaden vocabulary that we all know too well as conceptual art.

The conceptualism of this exhibition is in fact its ticket.

Contemporary Mexican art’s official entrée into the international art market is its irony, self-reflexivity, and sometimes confusing and paltry materials. Contemporary Mexican art has arrived. It has become the West, and we can thank the paternalism of conceptual art for getting it there.

The reference, for example, to Robert Smithson in Melanie Smith’s Spiral City, a rather stunning black-and-white video of an aerial view over the grid of Mexico City, is overkill. The movingimage work stands perfectly fine on its own without mentioning this father figure. And Miguel Monroy’s Equivalente (2005) confuses the viewer in a tedious and tried way. It is a series of framed receipts

that without the aid of the title and information plaque are but a replay for the umpteenth time of that old conceptualist saw of detritus + everyday life = art (think here Dan Graham, Joseph Beuys, or Marcel Broodthaers). The accompanying information plaque redeems the piece by way of a humorous idea, showing that the receipts are for the exchange of 1,000 pesos from dollars to pesos until the fee brings the amount to nothing. Or does it? The framed receipts are, in this instance, a familiar conceptual parasite on the necessary bureaucracy of explaining a work of art. Or maybe it’s the other way around.

The takeaway here is, to put it simply: Art is in its death throes yet again. While political themes concerning Mexican aspirations toward modernity, the fortune and misfortune of neighboring the 800-pound gorilla up north, and narco-violence are strong and consistent, the physical presence and form of the art is not. Thomas Glassford’s Not yet titled (work in progress) (2013) is an enormous, many-tiered installation of castaway broomsticks. Their careful organization by color creates a shrewd while at the same time bruised sense of rational order. While contrapuntal to the verticality of the broomsticks, a long braid of colorful melamine plates dangles from the ceiling, reinforcing a theme of bright regional colors and care-worn everyday life.—www.artsandculturetx.com

In this undated picture courtesy of the Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth, a mixed media piece titled “Time Divisa 148” by Mexican artist Jose Antonio Vega Macotela is on exhibit at an unknown location.—AP photos