20th Oct 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

Medical re-tests required for citizens of 31 countries

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THULHIJA 15, 1434 AH

Hasina invites Amir to visit Bangladesh

Viva Espana: Spain’s top 10 tourist Attractions

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United stumble again, Arsenal keep flying

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Kuwait may import power to cut production costs Oil worth $3bn consumed annually to produce electricity AMBASSADOR’S MESSAGE

Spain celebrates National Day

By Angel Losada Ambassador of Spain to Kuwait

S

pain commemorated on October 12 our National Day. The discovery of America was a unique event in the history of mankind. Never before had a single human undertaking enlarged the horizons of our world as Columbus and the Spanish Crown did with their journey into the unknown. But discovering a continent means much more than arriving there first. It means revealing it and incorporating it to the mainstream of world history. This is what we celebrate, together with our Ibero-American brothers and with the rest of mankind.

Today, Spain is finally turning around the corner of another historic challenge, namely the worst world recession for almost a century. With determined and sustained reforms, we are managing to regain competitiveness. We now have a current account surplus and Spain is attracting inflows of foreign investment.

Last week, international financial institutions revised upwards our growth projections for next year. The public finances have been brought back to sustainable levels and the resilience of the financial sector allows it to stand on its own two feet.

Much remains to be done, not least in the area of more integrated European economic governance, but the worst is clearly behind us.

This is reflected in our relationship HE Angel Losada with Kuwait. Due to the close ties of friendship between His Majesty the King and His Highness the Amir, the two governments enjoy excellent relations. Next year, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It is no coincidence that the ties between Spain and Kuwait focus more and more on strengthening economic exchanges. Twenty Spanish companies have volunteered to sponsor the events that we have organized in Kuwait around our National Day. Many more of our companies are opening branches here. I am proud of them, because they represent the best that our country has to offer from infrastructure to retailing, from renewable energies to telecommunications.

They come with an excellent group of qualified professionals that are eager to contribute to the development of this new partnership between our two countries.

For the same reasons, I am working to streamline and facilitate the visa procedures for the thousands of Kuwaiti friends that visit Spain each year, within the existing European norms and procedures. Just like Columbus discovered America, a few decades ago Kuwaitis discovered to the world the joys of Costa del Sol and other tourist attractions in Spain, and they have been returning ever since! I intend to continue to promote these exchanges as much as possible, in close coordination with our European partners, because I am convinced that it is in our interest to expand all opportunities at hand to improve the mobility for tourists, entrepreneurs, students and all our Kuwaiti friends. At the same time, I wanted to celebrate our National Day here bringing la Costa del Sol a little closer to Kuwait. We have prepared a wonderful reception at The Regency Hotel, where two excellent Spanish chefs, from one of the most prestigious in Marbella, the Villa Padierna, will be cooking for several days (Oct 21-25).

Let me end with a wish. On Oct 12 next year, we will be looking at half a century of intense diplomatic activity between our two countries.

Let us start working today to continue to develop a model of relationships based on mutual respect and affection, and geared to the satisfaction of mutual interests for the benefit of our peoples, so that the second fifty years will be even more fruitful than the first.

NABLUS: A Palestinian woman inspects a severely damaged olive tree near this West Bank city yesterday.

Palestinian farmers said that tens of olive trees were damaged by settlers from a nearby Israeli settlement. — AP

Hamas denies taking part in Egypt, Syria fighting GAZA CITY: The Gaza Strip’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya yesterday denied reports that his Islamist militant group was involved in fighting in the neighbouring Egyptian Sinai or in Syria. “We did not interfere in the affairs of any country and are not involved in the events or differences or internal conflicts of any country,” Haniya said. “This (is) our position regarding what has happened and is happening in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and all Arab and Islamic countries,” he said. “We are not involved in any incident,” he added.

“Neither in the Sinai or elsewhere. We only act in the Palestinian arena and our guns are turned only toward the Zionist enemy.”

He called on the media to stop their “baseless” accusations against Hamas, which he said “is proud to have taken from its first day a princi-

GAZA CITY: Hamas Prime Minister in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniya gives a policy statement in a televised address yesterday. — AFP

pled and moral position for the people and their suffering and their right to freedom, democracy and dignity.”

Haniya made the remarks during a speech marking two years since captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was exchanged for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, feted in Gaza as a victory for the “resistance.”

Relations between Cairo and Hamas have deteriorated since July 3, when the Egyptian army ousted president Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in which Hamas has its roots. Since then, the Egyptian army has destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the border with the Gaza Strip , which supplied the Palestinian territory with food and construction materials. On Friday Gazans said they received messages from the Israeli army seeking

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Max 36º Min 19º High Tide 13:12 Low Tide 06:23 & 18:57

KUWAIT: Kuwait is mulling importing electricity from neighboring Gulf states in a bid to save money spent on energy production at home, a local daily reported yesterday quoting Ministry of Electricity and Water sources.

There are seven power plants in Kuwait that produce electricity and desalinated water for a total population of 3.8 million on a daily basis, with plans to fully operate a new power plant in North Zour by 2015. Oil used to operate the power plants costs the country an average of KD 3 billion per year. The state has been improving daily electricity production annually in order to cope with the increasing demand on heavily subsidized energy. Production capacity was improved to 14,000 megawatts before this year’s summer which recorded the highest consumption rate in Kuwait’s history at 12,060 MW registered in July.

But the Ministry of Electricity and Water has been looking for alternative methods to increase production without using more fuel to power generators. And while renewable energy projects remain in research stages, ministry insiders revealed that there are discussions to ‘import’ electricity through an electrical grid system that connects distribution networks in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries. “Experts in the field insist that importing electricity through the GCC electrical connection system can save Kuwait a lot of money,” said the sources who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity.

According to the sources, the project can be profitable if Kuwait imports power from countries where electricity is produced at lower costs compared to Kuwait’s production rates. “Production costs in Kuwait are affected by the increase in capital expenses to establish power plants,” explained Hajjaj Bukhadour. He indicated that energy production has become a trade “and an economic commodity affected by supply and demand and can be imported and exported”. The report also quoted economic analyst Nayef Al-Enezy who Continued on Page 13

Unified Gulf contract for domestics eyed

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Gulf social affairs ministers have drawn a proposal that bans domestic helpers from entering and moving within the GCC countries if they leave their jobs contrary to the contract rules, or if they commit a crime in any of these countries. The ministers asked for an integrated memo that contains rules and standards required for the proposal in order to send it to the ministerial committee of interior ministers of the GCC. The unified contract for domestic helpers was sent to a specialized technical team for further study and the possibility of making its items agree with the ILO Treaty 189 regarding domestic helpers.

Tunisia says nine ‘terrorists’ killed Bombs seized TUNIS: Tunisian forces killed nine “terrorists” and seized explosives west of the capital in an area previously spared from Islamist militancy but where two policemen were killed this week, officials said yesterday. The birthplace of the Arab Spring has been locked in a political crisis for months, with the opposition accusing the ruling Islamist movement Ennahda of failing to stem a rise in jihadist violence since the overthrow of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

While authorities hailed a military “success” west of the capital, Ennahda and the opposition announced the start of negotiations next Wednesday aimed at ending Tunisia’s political crisis.

Tunisian forces killed the suspects in the Mount Taouyer area of Beja region, 70 km from Tunis, the defence ministry said, quoted by the official TAP news agency. The interior ministry said four members of the “terrorist” group were captured and two escaped during the militar y operation to hunt down a jihadist cell blamed for Thursday’s killing of two policemen. “ The operation is almost ended and we consider it has been a success,” interior ministr y

spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told a press conference. He said the cell belonged to the radical Salafist movement Ansar al-Sharia, which the authorities have branded a “terrorist” group although it denies resorting to violence.

Security forces, five of who were wounded in the operation, seized two houses serving as a hideout and two tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser, and pesticides used to make explosives, the spokesman said. “The terrorist threat still exists. There are sleeper cells and we expect losses in the ranks of the (security) forces because we are at war against terrorism,” said Aroui.

Since the 2011 uprising that sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia has seen a rise in attacks by jihadist groups formerly suppressed by Ben Ali. Some 15 soldiers and police have been killed since December in the hunt for militants allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda in the Mount Chaambi region along the border with Algeria, but yesterday’s operation was the first of its kind in Beja, which is much closer to the capital. The defence ministry has said it lacks the resources to combat militant Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Family and friends welcome pilgrims returning from the hajj at Kuwait International Airport. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Arab states urge Saudi rethink on UN protest UNITED NATIONS: Arab nations yesterday appealed to Saudi Arabia to reverse a decision to reject a seat on the UN Security Council. Arab UN ambassadors made the appeal after an emergency meeting on Saudi Arabia’s surprise announcement Friday that it would not take up a Security Council seat to protest the body’s handling of the Syria war and other conflicts. Saudi Arabia’s leaders should “maintain their membership in the Security Council and continue their brave

role in defending our issues specifically at the rostrum of the Security Council,” said a statement released by Arab states at the UN. The statement expressed “respect and understanding” for the Saudi position. It added however that it was crucial for Saudi Arabia to represent the Arab and Muslim world on the council “at this important and historical stage, specifically for the Middle East region”.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL

Papers highlight women sport

KUWAIT: Kuwait International Airport welcomed nearly 5,000 pilgrims who returned to the country Friday on 22 flights from the holy sites in Saudi Arabia. Airport officials said that nearly 4,700 more were expected to arrive soon. Airport staff scrambled during the weekend to welcome pilgrims following the end of Hajj season as well as travelers who chose to spend their 9-day Eid Al-Adha holiday abroad. According to newspaper reports yesterday, 36,000 travelers arrived on 103 flights Friday.

—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

KUWAIT: Local newspapers have been highlighting women sport domestically and abroad, shedding light on how important sport is for women in specific and society in general, a study showed.

Taghreed Al-Mulla, a professor at Mass Communications Faculty of Kuwait University, the author of the study, said women’s participation in sport activities was part of their contribution to society. “Women sport is one of the pillars of development and equality between female and male,” said Al-Mulla in her study, “Analyzing Press Coverage and Evaluation of readers of sport activity of Kuwaiti Woman,” published in the Arab Humanities Magazine.

The study, covering five local newspapers issued in 2009 and feedback of readers, said papers’ coverage of women sport news came first with 54.4 percent followed by foreign sport by 31.7 percent. Gulf sport followed with eight percent and then Arab sport last with 5.9 percent.

Turning to specific sports, the study showed that tennis occupied 16.2 percent of coverage, shooting 11 percent, equestrian 8.2 percent, 5.5 percent for each of basketball and football, while bowling and table tennis came last.

Al-Mulla said the newspapers highlighted government’s backing to women’s sport through media coverages. Papers were also highlighting names of sports women to further encourage them, she said.

The study surveyed 1,550 people and 60 percent of them believed Kuwaiti press were contributing to spreading awareness of women sport while the rest thought the opposite.

Those polled said sport would maintain healthy life style for females, second was contributing to equality between males and females, and then sport was important achieve good results in championships at all levels. Physical education for girls began in schools in 1948 and expanded in 1956-57.

Kuwaiti girls began exercising sport outside schools in 1973 when Qadsia SC started registering females for basketball and volleyball teams.

Senior female sport officials established a committee, offshooted from Kuwait Olympic Committee, in 1997 to organize women sport activities in the country, noted the study. —KUNA

MP demands efforts for ‘Kuwaitization’ Govt urged to show seriousness

By A Saleh KUWAIT: A parliament member called the government to put into effect Civil Service Council policies to replace expatriate labor forces in the public sector with Kuwaiti employees as part of efforts to tackle unemployment in the Kuwaiti labor market. “‘Kuwaitization’ of public posts is necessary along with steps to open the door to government jobs for Kuwaiti graduates,” MP Mohammad Al-Huwailah said in a

statement yesterday. The MP fur ther pressed on the government to “show seriousness” in effort to tackle unemployment which reached over 5 percent this year. He proposed steps “based on an integrated system” to address unemployment, including increased focus on improving the private sector “to create job opportunities for young citizens”.

In other news, several parliament committees announced topics that will be given priority when the new parliamentary

term opens later this month, including the legislative committee whose president Mubarak Al-Hurais identified five topics that include the judiciary independence law. Meanwhile, health committee member Khalil Al-Saleh said that his panel agreed on discussing draft laws to organize health insurance in Kuwait including a bill to establish a public authority to supervise health insurance.

The educational committee in the meantime identified four priorities which

include a draft law to regulate public universities and a bill to improve teachers’ levels, according to rapporteur Awdah AlRuwaei. In the meantime, rapporteur of the interior and defense committee Abdullah Al-Tamimi indicated that the panel plans to discuss today a draft law to reintroduce conscription, saying that while the Ministry of Defense hopes to put the law into effect by the beginning of next year, the panel is likely to ‘take its time’ in order to address any flaws found in the

draft law. Also yesterday, MP Hamdan AlAzmi said that an agreement has been reached between a number of Islamist MPs to revive the negative phenomena committee in the parliament through a request to be submitted during the inaugural session on Oct 29. On a related note, Al-Jarida daily reported yesterday that the Cabinet plans to approve its priorities’ list during its week ly meeting tomorrow, before a date is set to refer the list to the parliament.

NBK offers customers discount on breast cancer checkups KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK ) continues its “Be Aware” c a m p a i gn to r a i s e aw a re n e s s against breast cancer. NBK offers its female customers and employees a special discount on Bilateral Mammogram for early detection of breast cancer, in collaboration with Royale Hayat Hospital. This offer is valid until Dec 31.

NBK launched this campaign early this month as par t of its

continuous effor ts to increase social awareness against breast cancer and promote ways of prevention.

N B K h a s d i s t r i b u te d Pi n k R i b b o n s to a l l e m p l oye e s a n d customers in NBK’s branches to show support with women suffering from brest cancer. NBK also lights its head office in pink every night. This year, NBK extends the campaign to official NBK social

media channels NBK - Official Pa g e, Tw i t te r @ N B K Pa g e a n d Instagram @NBKPage by including daily tips and facts about the cause.

Th i s aw a re n e s s c a m p a i gn re f l e c t s N B K ’s co m m i t m e n t toward corporate social responsibility alongside many other activities and events that had been carried out to show its support the society and all its members.

Visual impairment detection program for KG students KUWAIT: The Health Ministry launched a national visual impairment detection program yesterday in kindergarten schools, part of its plans to improve preventive health care services, the Minister said Friday.

“The ministry of health is keen on preserving health of individuals and communities,” Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said in a statement. He said investing in health of human beings was the pillar of development of societies and their progress. “investment in health of our sons and daughters is the real investment ... It is important to strengthen their well being and prevent them from diseases ...,” he added.

Therefore, said Sheikh Mohammad, the ministry organized the visual impairment detection program, citing international studies which concluded that testing eyesight of 4-6 years old children contribute to early detection of visual impairment thus improve children’s ability to learn and succeed. The minister said a medical staff was trained to carry out eyesight testing for four-year-old children. If impairment detected, he explained, the child would be referred to special eye clinics.

He said children in all public and private kindergarten schools, or around 34,500 students, would be tested. Sheikh Mohammad said the ministry would also distribute flyers for parents to educate them over the program. —KUNA

Kuwaiti businessman Mustafa Boodai dies KUWAIT: Kuwaiti business icon Mustafa Jassim Boodai passed away on Friday at the age of 77 after a life full of contributions to the local banking, investment and insurance sectors.

Boodai contributed significantly to supporting his country’s national economy through his commitment to developing and expanding the role of privately-owned businesses.

His expertise in the Kuwaiti stock market and leading positions on the boards of several companies helped cement his reputation.

Of these positions was the 20-year membership of the board of the National Bank of Kuwait (19651986), in addition to leading positions in Kuwaiti European Holdings (1971), Investcorp and Kuwait Insurance Company. — KUNA

Al-Awadhi commends outcome of Strategic Studies Conference KUWAIT: Kuwait Ambassador to Cuba Bader Al-Awadhi has commended outcome of the first Conference on Strategic Studies, held in Havana over “Rethinking a World in Crisis and Transformation.”

During the Oct 16-18 conference, organized by the Cuban Center for International Political Research, Al-Awadhi gave a lecture about relations bet ween Kuwait and Cuba, relations between Cuba and Latin American countries and Caribbean in gener-

al, and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development’s role in boosting ties of “friendship and cooperation” between Kuwait and these countries, Kuwait Embassy said in a statement on Friday.

Thir ty-five researchers from around the world took part in the conference.

They discussed issued related to energy, water resources, epidemics, diseases, natural disasters, the situation in the Middle East, relations between the Arab Gulf countries and Latin and Caribbean

countries.

The participants also discussed securit y, defense, relations between US and Europe on one side and Latin and Caribbean countries on the other.

Al-Awadhi said he would cooperate with the Cuba center to host researchers and academics in Kuwait to par ticipate in future conferences to ultimately contribute to establishing permanent communication and cooperation mechanism bet ween the t wo countries. — KUNA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL Two Kuwaiti charities to sponsor 1,000 Syrian refugees’ schooling BEIRUT: Two Kuwaiti charities will be sponsoring the education of 1,000 Syrian refugee children in northern Lebanon under the supervision of the Abwab AlKhair Foundation, according to Zakat House yesterday.

As the project was being launched, head of the Kuwait Zakat House delegation Khaled Al-Sabihi told KUNA that the schooling will be provided at the infant level, adding that another 1,000 children will be targeted in an identical programme soon.

Three new schools have been opened across towns in the northern city of Tripoli, where there are currently 350,000 Syrian children refugees not receiving education, according to UN estimates.

Kuwaiti charities Al-Ghanim Mosque Waqf and Al-Othaman Mosque Waqf have come together to fund the programme,

KUWAIT: Balloons were released by citizens and expatriates in front of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad house in Shuwaikh, in celebration of balloons festival, on Friday. The celebration was under the patronage of the municipality and interior ministries. Many companies and restaurants participated in it. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Re-testing procedure applied to citizens of 31 countries Steps to prevent contagious diseases

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Some countries are considered a source of contagious and dangerous diseases and the possibility of spreading these diseases to other people are high, so the citizens of these countries are subject to medical tests before entering the country and every time thereafter while renewing their residencies in Kuwait. In general the medical test is required for all nationalities as part of visa requirements before issuing a visa or entering the country. Some expats contact infectious diseases before coming back to Kuwait from their vacations, which causes danger to other people who come in contact with them.

According to a local Arabic daily, the head of the ports and borders health department Dr Sami Al-Nasser announced the re-testing procedure will be applied to citizens from 31 countries who are residing in Kuwait after returning from their vacations. The test will take place at the time of iqama renewal. Nasser said the countries are Niger, Uganda, Cameron, Angola, Congo, Central Africa, South Africa, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Chad,

Togo, Tonga, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast, Mali, Malawi, Nigeria, Namibia, Somalia and India.

Nasser said the test is precautionary so that no infection is transferred to Kuwait from the above-mentioned countries, “as we always follow the necessary procedures to prevent transmission of infections and chronic diseases”.

Col Adel Al-Hashash, PR and Moral Guidance Director of the Ministry of Interior, told Kuwait Times that this decision was taken by the Ministry of Health and is applied on the citizens of the mentioned countries. “Before entering Kuwait, a visa applicant should have an official medical certificate from his home country approved by the Kuwaiti embassy in that country to get the visa. Then these expats will have to undergo a medical test here with every visa renewal. And if they don’t, their files will be blocked and they won’t be able to do any paperwork,” he stated.

45-year-old Moneta, an Indian citizen living and working in Kuwait for the last 17 years, said the new rule is ‘totally discriminatory’. This new rule will not help the authorities meet the objective of purging the country of contagious diseases or chronic ailments. Residents who re-

enter the country from the West also can spread such diseases and cause danger to the Kuwaiti population. It is also quite tedious and timeconsuming procedure and can put considerable financial burden on many expats if they are forced to do medical tests whenever they exit and reenter the country,” he pointed out.

Manal, 39, approves of this decision and even suggests increasing the number of countries to be added to the list of the above-mentioned 31 countries. “I think that these and other countries are dangerous as many infectious diseases are spread there due to different reason including poverty and low levels of education. Many of them even don’t realize they are sick and may infect other people. My friend’s maid from Sri Lanka has been working at her house for more than 8 years, and after her last vacation to her country, she was infected with HIV through her husband who suffered from this disease and didn’t even know it. Her sponsor only knew recently after she was injured and the hospital did a medical test on her to find out she has AIDS. The family suffered a lot as they had doubts of being somehow infected but thanks to God, they did tests and they came back negative,” she explained.

GCC chief praises Saudi position RIYADH: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr Abdullatif Al-Zayani commended yesterday Saudi Arabia’s call for reforming the UN Security Council.

The GCC chief also called for enabling the UNSC to carry out its duties and assume its responsibilities towards maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

Al-Zayani, in a press statement, underscored the importance of the

Saudi call to achieve fundamental reform in the system of the Security Council to support its role as a United Nations body responsible for all the consequences of the major issues of global peace and security, especially since today’s world is in dire need of the role of the Security Council and its international legitimacy under the breadth of cases of political and security unrest.

He added that despite the international stature of the UNSC member-

ship, Saudi Arabia’s apology to accept the membership is menifested in the UNSC’s inability to perform its duties and carry out its responsibilities, “especially towards our Arab issues”, stems from the Kingdom’s historical interest in the concerns of the Arab nations, stability of their regional neighborhood, as well as its interest in international issues and global stability, which are among the main responsibilities of the United Nations Security Council. —KUNA

Hope glimmers for demoralised Egyptian tourist industry CAIRO: Morale in Egypt’s tourism industry is at rock bottom; a summer of bloodshed has frightened away all but the bravest foreign visitors from Cairo and the pyramids, and things are little better in the Red Sea beach resorts. Yet if the business could survive the 1997 bloodbath at Luxor, when Islamist militants killed dozens of tourists at a pharaoh’s temple, it can probably recover from its current convulsions.

Already visitors are gradually returning after the worst civil violence in Egypt’s modern history, offering hope to an industry that has been brought to its knees, depriving millions of their livelihood and the economy of badly needed dollars.

However, Egyptians know that numbers can never climb back to anywhere near their 2010 peak as long as security crackdowns, street protests and militant attacks on the government persist.

Like other countries in trouble, Egypt could try an advertising campaign to lure back the Europeans, Asians, Americans and Gulf Arabs who are now largely holidaying elsewhere.

But for now it won’t even bother.

“There is really no point in trying to embark on a PR campaign,” said Karim Helal, an adviser to Egypt’s tourism minister. “If you cannot convey the feeling that it is safe, nobody will come,” said Helal, a dive company owner turned investment banker.

Egypt has endured almost constant upheaval since a 2011 popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, but things have got much worse since the army’s removal of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July and the bloodshed that followed.

As international media broadcast scenes of mosques and morgues filled with bodies, governments in the main tourist markets issued warnings on travelling to Egypt.

Visitors are a rare sight in Cairo

these days, even though October had always marked the start of the peak season when a gentle breeze from the Nile eases the stifling heat. In July, only about one in six of the capital’s hotel beds were occupied, according to research firm STR Global.

Even in the Red Sea resorts, largely shielded from the violence in the big cities, occupancy rates are drastically down. In Hurghada, a destination usually popular with Russians fleeing their bitter winters, only 11,000 of 50,000 hotel rooms are occupied, provincial governor Ahmed Abdullah told Reuters.

Nobody has felt the consequences more than the many Egyptians - from hotel workers to guides and gift shopowners - who rely for their living on tourism, traditionally a pillar of the economy and the second biggest foreign currency earner.

Horse carriage driver Ramadan Iraqi has lost hope that he will soon see tourists return to the five-star Cairo hotel which once gave him work. He cuts a lonely figure late at night in Zamalek, an upscale district on an island in the Nile, searching for a customer so he can feed his family of six. “I am an old man,” said Iraqi, 55.

“What am I supposed to do?” It’s been 20 days since anyone rode in his carriage along the Nile embankment.

Iraqi can scarcely feed his gaunt horse and can no longer afford medicine to ease severe pain in his knee.

Such individual misery is reflected at a national level. Tourism earned Egypt $9.75 billion in the 2012-2013 financial year which ended in June, before the worst violence erupted.

Even so, that was down from $11.6 billion in 2009-10, the peak before the overthrow of Mubarak.

In July and August, tourist arrivals crashed by 45 percent, Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said. He estimated losses since the army takeover at $1 billion per month. There are no

signs Egypt’s divisions will soon heal.

People continue to die in protests in cities and towns. Adding to foreigners’ anxiety, police and soldiers are coming under almost daily attack from Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula, site of the Sharm el-Sheikh resort. A Sinai-based group said it tried to kill the interior minister in September in Cairo in a suicide bombing, and earlier this month two rocketpropelled grenades were fired at a satellite station in a suburb of the capital. Anyone who wants to visit Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the rallying point for Egyptians during the 18-day revolt that toppled Mubarak, may think twice about going.

Soldiers manning armoured personnel carriers and riot police keep a close eye on it and try to keep members of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood from protesting. Only a few hundred metres away stands the Egyptian Museum, which houses some of the greatest pharaonic treasures including King Tutankhamen’s burial mask.

Nevertheless, Egypt has been here before. On Nov. 17, 1997 gunmen descended on Queen Hatshepsut’s temple near the Nile town of Luxor. In a short time they shot or hacked to death 58 tourists and four Egyptians in their campaign for what they regarded as a pure Islamic state.

The following Januar y and February, visitor numbers were down almost 60 percent from the previous year. Hotel occupancy rates collapsed from 70 percent just before the massacre to just 18 percent.

Yet the industry staged a remarkable comeback. In 1999 almost 4.5 million visitors came to Egypt, well up on the 3.7 million in 1997.

At that time Mubarak’s security apparatus was able to keep the streets much quieter than they are now.

Nevertheless, hope remains that the industry can again recover, if more slowly.—Reuters

which will sponsor the registration of the children, along with the salaries of the teaching staff, he explained.

The charities will benefit from their cooperation with the long-standing Kuwaiti centre in northern Lebanon, which houses branches for Zakat House and the International Islamic Charity Organization.

The programme is part of a broader initiative which is covering the needs of around 12,000 Syrian refugees - providing them with 50,000 meals and 30,000 blankets - along with USD 250,000 put towards supporting their urgent health needs.

For his part, the head of Abwab Al-Khair Foundation Shaykh Riyadh Obaid said that Kuwait’s generous contributions form an integral component of lifting the suffering off the refugees, commending the role of Kuwait’s Amir, government and people on this. —KUNA

Kuwait renews firm stand on WMD NEW YORK: Kuwait has reiterated its firm positions on issues bearing on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and international security out of its belief in the basis role of the UN in safeguarding world security and peace.

Speaking at a UN disarmament and international security committee meeting, Second Secretary of Kuwait’s UN Permanent Mission Abdulaziz Al-Ajmi said Kuwait had signed all international conventions and agreements on the prevention of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear ones.

But, he stressed the right of all countries to develop relevant research and studies and to possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes in line with the IAEA safeguards system.

In September 2013, Kuwait signed a technical cooperation agreement with the IAEA for the period between 2014 and 2019, which focused on coopera-

tion in such vital fields as healthcare, oil, subterranean water, environment and radioactive safety, he said.

On Israel, the Kuwaiti diplomat blasted that Israel ’s possession of weapons of mass destruction is a violation of relevant international legitimacy resolutions forcing it to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT ) and to allow its facilities to be put under the IAEA safeguards system.

On Iran’s nuclear program, he reaffirmed his country’s support for ongoing effor ts to resolve this issue by peaceful means and in a way that ensures the right of Iran and all other countries in the region to use peacef u l n u c l e a r e n e rg y. H e a l s o u rg e d Israel to fully cooperate with all international efforts to settle its controversial nuclear program peacefully and to commit to relevant IAEA resolutions. —KUNA

Seven held for illegal activities

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Capital police arrested three people in possession of 106 plastic bottles containing alcohol and four people with 1500 pornographic CDs. A policeman was injured while carrying out his duty.

Fire broke out in an Ahmadi home and was put out by Ahmadi and Fahaheel fire centers. The fire was in an annex and no injuries were reported.

A truck flipped over on Wafra road, and Mina Abdallah firemen rescued two people after being trapped in the truck and were taken by paramedics.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

Al-Anbaa

Changing economic priorities

Saudi rejects UN seat

By Amer Al-Tamimi

By Muna Al-Fuzai

A

kuwait digest

Ignorance of bigotry

By Dr Mohammad Al-Moqatei

T

he messenger of humanity Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent from among us, and from the Arab Peninsula, and in its language he conveyed the message to us. He said that “he who calls for bigotry does not belong to us, and he who fights with bigotry does not belong to us, and he who dies a bigot does not belong to us.” Among the signs of nations weakness is the spread of polarization, hate, backstabbing and gloating that emanates from bigotry that destroys the nation and dismantles the state, and its presence fractures all values of civilization and humanity.

I will point here to three examples of the ignorance of bigotry, and these are partnership, sectarianism and tribalism.

In the first category, which is partnership, I accounted for the resounding fall of Arab political and intellectual parties and factions since their establishment, and it was confirmed and increased as days went by and revealed their lack of national credibility and the collapse of all principles they claim or promote, as practices proved their alignment with the authorities against each other, being lead by narrow partisan interests, even provoking some of them against others and spreading rumors of corruption to make some private gains and distance others. There is no belief in the other opinion, rather it leans towards considering others as traitors and be the jailor. They make up things, and find the scenes of killing easy, for nothing other than satisfying their bigotry that ideological, political or partisan stances. Foes are removed from the political scene so they only see themselves or those who agree with them, and let those who do not agree be crushed, and this left behind a horrible heritage of ideological, political and physical liquidation that continues according to each country’s situation, but they all fell in the swamp of bigotry and ignorance.

The second category is sectarianism, be it Sunni or Shiite, and some of its indicators is the sectarianism of some Shiites as they remained for a long time showing their oppression by

Sunnis - be it regimes or people - as a means to feed sectarian loyalty. Iran has became a sectarian Shiite country since the past 35 years, and an example of sectarian zealousness by exporting it abroad, the domestic destruction of Sunnis in Iran and finally the killings in Syria. Iraq is an obvious example, as AlMaliki and his government since nine years have taken Iraq into consecutive pools of blood because of their sectarianism that is built on exclusion and liquidation. I also register stands of sectarian zealousness of Shiite personalities with liberal ideologies in Kuwait, as some of them support Syria, with great regret, out of sectarian not liberal considerations, and they criticize the Sunni political factions, but not the Shiite, and terrorism for them is Sunni only! Even human rights and its protection carry biasness towards the sect and is not objective, and their writings are witness to this, and I ask them, as well as others, to drop this bigotry.

The third category is the tribal zealousness that took us back to the dark era, even if it is alright for the human being to know his origins and be proud of it, but among the signs of strife and destruction is for the human being to build his jobs and decisions and maybe his life on the basis of tribal loyalty.

He does not go to remove an injustice nor will he demand a right, except for his tribe, and his loyalty is not for the state or its establishments or his work - not even for the religious and social values - but only to his tribe. His political affiliation, elections and demands are not his patriotic motivations, but rather tribal limitations, which shows bigotry and ignorance and its dangers.

Bigotry in all its forms spread strife that does not spare anything, and it is the reason behind the warning of the Prophet (PBUH) and him forbidding it. Our deep involvement in the bigotry and ignorance has left us with divisions and allowed our enemies to control us. Will each one of us regain his rationality, if he has any religion or patriotism left? — Al-Qabas

public survey carried out by the parliament showed that Kuwaitis demand that lawmakers focus on the housing issue as the top priority in parliamentary discussion.

There is no doubt that this issue rose significantly on the ladder of importance, especially knowing that there are more than 105,000 pending applications in the Public Authority for Housing Welfare records, and that the waiting period in some cases is 20 years. The PAHW clearly has a shortfall in executive performance resulting from bureaucratic and financial conditions as well as land scarcity.

While the housing case topped the list in the public survey, there are many other similarly important topics that need to be addressed including education, healthcare, infrastructure development, electricity and water shortage as well as traffic jams. These problems and others are the result of administrative and economic patterns that the state adopted since the beginning of oil production yet failed to since introduce significant improvements.

The rentier state and luxury philosophy that Kuwait adopted must come with consequences.

According to the first official census in 1957, Kuwait’s population was 250,000, including nearly 120,000 Kuwaitis. Since then, the responsibilities and costs must have improved significantly. It is true that the state’s financial capabilities have also improved due to the increase in oil prices and production, but the administrative capabilities in state departments remained subpar due to the traditional systems followed, whereas the private sector’s role remained marginalized.

The government’s inability to meet its responsibilities as a state is something that many Kuwaitis are certainly complaining today.

Many believe that the financial resources that Kuwait possesses qualify the government to tackle the challenges brought by those responsibilities. While the state has utilized funds on developmental programs including housing projects, money alone is not enough when it is not coupled with administrative and executive tools.

Meanwhile, it does not make sense for the state to continue bearing all responsibilities without utilizing the private sector’s capabilities.

It can make use of its administrative potential and improve its position by sharing responsibility over housing and healthcare, and in executing facilities’ management and infrastructure works on advanced bases.

If the state had to provide housing welfare to citizens, there are economic alternatives that can be more efficient, more feasible, and allow for better employment of diverse economic resources. And if the housing issue must be given priority, then the search must continue for new methods based on a different economic philosophy that ultimately leads to providing a house for every Kuwaiti family at affordable costs. It is important here to rationalize needs and housing demands in order to control costs related to infrastructure, and that to provide the best utilization of lands that are considered the main factor behind the increase in home costs in Kuwait.

Some of the issues mentioned above could be considered as priorities to the public, but it remains important to think of different policies as well as other tools and mechanisms to face their consequences. — Al-Qabas

muna@kuwaittimes.net

I

t was indeed shocking news when Saudi Arabia refused to accept a seat at the Security Council on Friday. The United Nations, key diplomats and the rest of the world were surprised to witness the denial of Saudi Arabia to take this highly coveted seat which I, like many Arabs, wished to see being occupied by a leading country like Saudi Arabia.

Although Saudi Arabia has all the right to accept or refuse any offer, it was clear that there is a mutual agreement by the countries around the world from east to west that no Arab country is better than Saudi Arabia that should and would do well by being a key player at the Security Council.

Let’s admit here that when it comes to foreign policies, Saudi Arabia’s strategy was always balanced, stable, clear and strong. Saudi Arabia gained the world’s respect for its views and decisions, even by those who disagree. Internal changes in Saudi Arabia never affected its position on key issues in the Arab world.

For example when Kuwait was invaded in 1990, the Saudi position was clear to the world, the same as its stance for the Palestinian case. Now in 2013, Saudi Arabia has been clear to support the Egyptian people in their fight against dictatorship and called for support. I really believe that the Saudi attitude gained respect and earned the salute of the world and that it why I wished to see Saudi Arabia take a key seat at the Security Council to bring many hot issues to the front, especially in times like now.

The Saudi decision came a day after it won the seat for the first time, and it appears to be unprecedented. Therefore we are entitled to be surprised and a little disappointed because for the last two years, we all were expecting this good news. So speculations over the reasons for this refusal are high and the denial was unpredicted.

This refusal has brought many speculations over Syria’s attitude and double standards. Many experts had expected that Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of a Security Council seat signaled a wish to be more public and assertive in its stances toward the Syrian civil war and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations Abdallah AlMouallimi was clearly elated after the General Assembly vote on Thursday. That same night the American ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power made a statement congratulating the five new nonpermanent members - Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. So, we are all entitled to be in a complete shock on this refusal.

I think the news came as a surprise and several countries had different views and comments such as Russia, China and many others because many Saudis had seemed thrilled at the prospect of a shift to a more public and assertive diplomatic stance. The statement made by the Saudi foreign minister on Friday struck a far different tone, calling for changes to enhance the Security Council’s contribution over the Syria issue.

I feel no other country can take the lead to be better than Saudi Arabia to resolve disputes by peaceful means via an international organization that takes all countries under its wings. I wanted to see the Saudis be at the center of world policy and at the front, but the world has to respect the Saudi decision even if they don’t agree with it.

I want to see an strong Islamic voice like Saudi Arabia be our presenter at this council. I trust them to make the right call for the right cause .

kuwait digest

Religion and morals

By Dr Ibtihal Al-Khateeb

I

posted a ‘tweet’ last Thursday in which I expressed pleasure about the calmness and serenity of that day.

At the same time, I pointed out the not-so-pleasant reasons that allowed that calmness to happen. In general, people in Kuwait give themselves the right to enjoy one or more days before or after every holiday. The serenity I felt on Thursday gives the impression that people have ‘extended’ their already long holiday.

My Twitter post contained this message: “How can we preserve morals when the simplest of which are violated around each occasion?” A user soon commented with the following: “What morals? People are busy preparing for Hajj and the holy season - these are a lot more important than morals”.

I honestly believe that the comment reflects a real problem which I am glad the user has helped reveal.

Internal conflict with raging waves that need to calm down at the shores of true realization of moral principles and their relationship with religion. The difficult question is this: Can the religious status contradict with the moral one? If contradiction happens, does the religious status remain the same? Or does it become stripped from its spiritual side? And if it is possible for the religious and moral statuses to contradict while the former retains its holiness, then should humans answer to their moral duties or religious call? This conflict usually creates a painful and violent case of self contradiction that either leaves a person lost or provides a vehicle by which he can justify actions to meet his desires or avoid his responsibilities.

Employees, students and others use religious occasions as an excuse to skip work or school, or to justify their shortcomings. Worshippers use the Friday prayers as an excuse to block the road so that they can park at the nearest point to the mosque. Husseiniya owners use religious practices as an excuse to justify building worship places in the middle of neighborhoods that become overcrowded

with cars and affected by loud microphones during religious occasions. Employees, students, worshippers, husseiniya owners and others who put religious practices ahead of public duties have likely failed to carry out a comparison between the reward of a religious practice and that of committing a duty.

It is likely that they have never thought about the contradiction between worship and neglect, or between religious practice and harming others. Maybe they did think about that, but grew weary of the contradiction or were forced to stop by interests. But what is for certain is that those ‘uncertainties’ put the country, its activities and ethics in prolonged periods of ‘rest’, during which work is delayed, morals are put in the fridge, people’s interests are suspended and the conscience would in most cases be at ease because all of that is done ‘in the name of religion’.

In order to avoid conflict between religion and morals within, we need to ask ourselves: Does prayer remain the same when practiced by someone who contributed to a traffic jam outside the mosque? Does worship remain the same when it is practiced by worshippers inside a husseiniya who left their cars blocking nearby roads? Does umrah remain the same when undertaken during the busiest time of the year, and does pilgrimage remain the same when it is performed year after year while other works and duties are neglected? Do these religious practices retain their spirituality, or do they become void and ‘mechanical’ practices once accompanied by neglect, selfishness and harming others?

In the comment to my Twitter post, the user indicated that visiting holy sites and preparing for Hajj are more important than morals. I wonder how can Arab Muslims finally achieve a state of marriage between their religion and morals, so as to know that religion cannot retain its holiness without morals, and that there is no such a thing as ‘sacrificing’ morals in favor of religion? — Al-Jarida

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL

Teen tries to kill officer with impounded ATV Duo questioned on mugging charges KUWAIT: A teenager was charged with attempted murder after he ran over a police officer who tried to foil his attempt to free his impounded all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The incident took place at the Zoor police station where the suspect and another teenager sneaked their way to a yard where impounded vehicles are kept. The two managed to drive an ATV that was impounded hours earlier, and they ran over an officer who tried to prevent their escape. A patrol vehicle went in pursuit of the ATV and forced the driver to pull over. The driver was placed under arrest while his accomplice managed to escape.

The driver was locked up after being charged with attempted murder. Three hours later, a Kuwaiti man arrived at the police station with his teenage son, and turned the kid over as the boy identified himself as the suspect’s accomplice. The officer was taken to the Razi Hospital for treatment.

Dive Team announces Ushairej Beach cleaning campaign KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team prepares to launch the seventh annual beach cleaning campaign at the Ushairej beach in Doha in partnership with state departments and volunteers. Team leader Waleed Al-Fadhl said in a statement yesterday that more than 50 tons of solid waste are expected to be removed during the five-day campaign.

Meanwhile, Al-Fadhl acknowledged state authorities for removing construc-

tions built on state property at the Ushairej beach, mentioning in specific works under ‘Phase One’ of cleaning operations which saw removing debris from a 35,000 square meters area.

He further announced that the National Committee for Removing State Priority Violations prepares to carry out ‘Phase Two’ which covers an area of 172,000 square meters at the Ushairej Port.

Drug addict A teenager was arrested inside his family’s house after his father called police when he grew tired of his drug addiction. The middleaged Kuwaiti man explained in the emergency call that his 19-year-old son started abusing drugs nearly a year ago, and his condition kept worsening despite multiple rehabilitation stints. The youngster was under the influence of drugs when he was placed under arrest. He was taken to the proper authorities for further action.

Jahra mugging Investigations are ongoing with two suspects arrested recently in Jahra with possible connection to mugging crimes after weapons were found in their possession. The first man was detained behind a shopping mall where an identity check revealed that he is wanted to serve a two-month jail sentence. Police found an amount of hashish, drug pills and a white powder suspected to be heroin inside the man’s car. They also found bullets for different firearms and two

pocketk nives. The second suspect was caught at a street in front of a shopping mall where he was driving wrong-side. He was placed under arrest after officers found that he was in an inebriated state. Police also found a 9mm gun, a brass knuckles, and cleaver.

Road accidents A man died in an accident repor ted recently on the Wafra Road. An emergency vehicle lost balance and overturned. An ambulance and police officers were dispatched to the scene. The driver, an Afghan national, was pronounced dead on the scene before his body was taken to the forensic department. An investigation went underway to determine the causes behind the accident.

Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti man was hospitalized in a critical condition following an accident reported in Salmiya. Police and paramedics had rushed to a street in the area where a sports utility vehicle (SUV) lost balance and turned over according to an emergency call. The driver was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital where he was admitted inside the intensive care unit. Meanwhile a case was filed to investigate the circumstances behind the accident.

Kidnap attempt Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest a man who failed to kidnap a woman in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh recently. The incident happened near a shopping mall where a man in traditional dress (dishdasha) reportedly tried to force the woman into his car.

The suspect escaped when the Filipina national resisted and screamed for help. The woman headed to the area’s police station and told officers that the suspect had first offered to give her a ride and then attempted to k idnap her when she refused.

Detectives are working on the case based on descriptions that the woman provided about the uspect and his car.

Fugitive held A man was arrested with possession of alcohol before an identity check revealed that he is wanted for attempted kidnap. The incident took place in Adan where the Kuwaiti man was pulled over before he was placed under arrest when three imported liquor bottles were found in his car.

Investigations revealed that the man faces attempted kidnap charges pressed at the Riqqa police station. He was referred to the proper authorities for further action.

Fahaheel scam Search is on for a man accused of stealing KD3,500 through scam. The case was filed at the Fahaheel police station where a Kuwaiti man told officers that the Arab national disappeared after he gave him the money to start a joint project. The complainant provided the signed contract and voucher for the payment that he said the suspect had received.

Suicide case A man leaped to his death in Khaitan recently in a case classified as suicide according to preliminary investigations. Crime scene investigators and forensic department officers arrived at the building where the man reportedly jumped from his fourth-floor apartment. Preliminary investigations indicate that the man committed suicide over unspecified family disputes. Investigations are ongoing in the case.

‘Imitator’ held A woman was charged with drug possession and ‘imitating the opposite sex’ following her arrest recently in Sabah Al-Salem. The woman was reportedly caught behind a restaurant where her appearance drew suspicion of two patrol officers. She was placed under arrest when the officers searched her handbag and found a plastic bag containing hashish, and then taken to the Drug Control General Department for further action.

EnerTech keen on achieving Amir’s directives for solar energy use KUWAIT: EnerTech Holding Company has affirmed its keenness to achieve the directives of His Highness the Amir of using wind power and solar energy for the production of one percent of Kuwait’s need for energy in 2015 and up to 15 percent in 2030.

EnerTech, owned by the National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Investment

Authority (KIA) added in a statement that in the framework of achieving the directives of HH the Amir, the company had recently concluded a training and consulting course for its employees in the United States in collaboration with the International Institute for Solar Energy in Colorado. It stated that this training program, which focused on ‘Effective Leadership for Renewable Energy’, saw the participation of a

number of architects of the Ministry of Electricity and Water and faculty members of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). For her part, EnerTech Director for Training Marwa Abul said prominent experts from the Colorado institute gave lectures to qualify the trainees to advanced levels of leadership and decision-making as well as to enhance professional efficiency in the field

of renewable energy. She noted that all participants got at the end of the program international certifications from the International Institute for Solar Energy that is internationally recognized, pointing out that the program provided an opportunity for participants to learn about the latest clean energy technologies and its applications, as well as economic and environmental returns. — KUNA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL

A well-known face worldwide, Sheikh Hasina is one of two daughters of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She survived the assassination of her father and 18 members of her family in 1975 to lead the Bangladeshi people and carry on with the march of a country that highly values Islamic values because the majority of its population is Muslim. On the other hand, they hold on to secularism.

Hasina:

By Adnan Al-Rashid and Mohammed Al-Husseini DHAKA: Sheikh Hasina expressed appreciation for Kuwait and for HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for his outstanding attitudes throughout the history of Bangladesh. ‘Since the days of my father,’ as she put it.

“I’m happy with the outstanding bilateral relations between our two countries. We are also proud of the role played by Bangladesh during the Iraqi aggression in 1990 and in liberating Kuwait. We look forward to cementing these relations and through your distinguished newspaper, I renew my invitation to HH the Amir to visit Bangladesh.

We express deep gratitude for Kuwait’s aid to us,” said Hasina.

Commenting on the current political crisis that poses a threat to the next parliamentary elections at the beginning of next year and the possibility of the army coming back to power like what happened in 2007 when the opposition insisted that the cabinet resign and a neutral interim one was assigned to supervise the elections, Hasina said that she strongly believes in democracy and enabling people’s rule.

“We strongly cling to democratic paths and I do not think what happened in 2007 will recur. We must go on applying and respecting the constitution,” she stressed, noting that her cabinet had run many parliamentary elections transparently and peacefully and that the opposition had won on many occasions. “Meanwhile, we all recall that when the National Party conducted the elections in 2004, over 250 people were killed and polling was scandalously forged and manipulated under the threat of weapons,” she reminded, underlining that no such incidents took place under her cabinet.

“We ensured having transparent polling lists after excluding the names of 12.3 million voters registered for the sake of forging the results. Today, voters come up with their pollingcards and their respective photos on them, which leaves no room for manipulation,” she said, explaining that transparent polling boxes were used in all stations.

“In 2007 we had no elections because of the situations and the president at that time, who was a National Party member, imposed a state of emergency. It was he who handed power over to the army, we don’t want to repeat what happened in 2007,” she stressed.

Hasina added that she was jailed along with the leaders

of her party when they insisted on returning to Bangladesh despite threats. She said that she insisted on defending herself to refute the false accusations in the court of law. “I was allowed to return, then was arrested and put in solitary confinement. Then what happened?

Even National Party members including chairlady Khaleda Zia were imprisoned and she has to learn her lesson from that,” warned Hasina.

Furthermore, Hasina wondered why her country cannot follow in the footsteps of the US, Malaysia or Australia and other countries where elections are systematically run. She also stressed that it was the opposition that is pushing to repeat what happened in 2007.

“But this will not happen because we hold on to democracy and will protect it. No one will stop the Awami League from defending our principles and constitution,”

We hold on to democracy Rahman who said: ‘Friendship with everybody and grudges for nobody’. It is also the policy of the Awami League led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that formed the first cabinet when Bangladesh won its independence in 1971. As PM twice, I follow the same foreign policy in building good relations with all countries.

And since it is of great importance to boost our relations with neighboring countries, I started boosting our bilateral relations and extended them to Asia and beyond immediately when I took office. Kuwait was one of the first countries I visited to show our good intentions. I also consider the Asia-Europe meeting an excellent opportunity to bridge the gaps between Asia and Europe. I think the meeting will have great benefits for Bangladesh and build more bridges with European and Asian countries which will open wide

highly significant. It is sometimes hard to forget disputes when bloodshed is involved and historically recorded. In 1971, the invading Pakistani troops massively annihilated over three million people and raped 250,000 women, many of whom committed suicide. How can one forget such atrocities?

Q: Your country is one of the largest regional Muslim countries. What have you done, on various levels, for the cause of Myanmar Muslims? What are the diplomatic measures you took to stop racial displacement of Rohingya Muslims?

A: During our independence struggle in 1971, over 10 million people were displaced from Bangladesh.

Many of them took refuge in neighboring India.

Therefore, we fully understand the sufferings of dis-

• Bangladesh witnessed 19 military coup attempts in 38 years • I invite HH the Amir, Bangladesh’s friend since the days of my father, to visit us • Rohingya problem lies with Myanmar government: PM Hasina she vowed, adding that Bangladesh had witnessed 19 military coup attempts over the past 38 years. “Such a state cannot be allowed to continue. We will supervise the elections and will not allow any manipulations.”

Q: Through your recent tours, Bangladesh seeks opening for cooperation with all countries such as China, Pakistan and India. You also took part in the Asian-European Forum. Do you believe that the open-door policy will grant Bangladesh the role it aims at playing amongst Asian countries?

A: Bangladesh’s foreign policy stems from the motto set by the Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur

Al-Anbaa deputy editor-in-chief, Adnan Al-Rashid presenting a memento to Hasina in the presence of Kuwait’s ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Al-Thafieri.

scopes of opportunities giving Bangladesh a significant role in cementing relations with neighbors, Asian and European countries and the whole world.

Q: What did your country achieve by participating in the 8th Islamic countries’ summit?

A: We believe that taking part in the summit’s meetings gives the opportunity to asses and understand the attitudes taken by participating countries towards the issues on the summit’s agenda. Such occasions also provide opportunities to hold side talks with other leaders to discuss issues of joint inertest. Hence I believe that our participation was

Kuwait’s ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Al-Thafieri shaking hands with PM Sheikh Hasina

placed people through our own experience. We have always agonized for the sufferings of the Myanmar Muslims who have been streaming into Bangladesh since the beginning of the 1990s to escape the violence in Myanmar. Right now, we have around half a million Rohingya refugees all over the country in addition to 29,000 in refugee camps near the borders with Myanmar. To solve this problem, I paid a state visit to Myanmar in 2010 where the government agreed to take back the refugees after verifying their IDs, but when the racial and religious attack on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state took place, many of them started returning to Bangladesh. In the past, we aided them with food, medicine and shelter, but now, when violence is less severe in Myanmar, we are helping them go back home. We feel that the problem lies in Myanmar and has to be solved by its government. It is racial and religious discrimination that if eliminated and Rohingya Muslims are granted citizenship like the other 138 minorities living there, the problem will be solved and displacement will stop.

We have explained our attitude to the Myanmar government and asked for other regional countries’ support as well as support from Muslim countries and international organizations like the UN, the NonAligned Movement and the Islamic Conference to convince the Myanmar government solve the problem. Our efforts will continue and I am sure the friendly neighbors in Myanmar will achieve justice and peace.

Q: Your country has strong relations with Kuwait and this was confirmed by participation of president Zillur Rahman in the first Asian cooperation conference. What has the summit given to your country?

A: Bangladesh considers the Asian Cooperation Dialogue Conference very important and that is why we asked our president at that time to take part in it.

It was a successful participation and I believe the conference reached better understanding of various issued discussed and brought participating countries closer in facing challenges in Asia and worldwide.

Bangladesh’s attitudes towards issues like climate change, immigration, labor in foreign countries and the Rohingya migrants were strongly supported at the conference.

Q: Political life in Bangladesh is dominated by

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LOCAL

From left Kuwait’s ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Al-Thafieri, Adnan Al-Rashid, Sheikh Hasina, Feryal Hammad and Al-Anbaa managing editor,

Sheikh Hasina presenting a token to Adnan Al-Rashid

Mohammad Al-Husseini two parties - the Awami League you preside and the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), who have been politically competing for over 30 years. Is there any resemblance to the Republican and Democratic parties in the US? A: The difference between the two parties lies in our attitude to the people and governance. Awami League is a political party that was formed 68 years ago by politicians and laborers to act as a platform for unified public struggle to achieve the people’s basic rights. BNP was formed those who were behind assassinating the founding father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 18 of his family members on August 19, 1975. General Ziaur Rahman, who led a military coup, took over power, became Commander in Chief and then president, was among those. With the absolute powers he took control of, he formed the BNP of leftist and rightist politicians with bad reputations and conducted forged elections and completely controlled the government.

Therefore, the huge difference between both parties is that the Awami League appeared as a political party from within the people whereas BNP appeared after violence and bloodshed and accordingly, both parties’ ideologies and governance are too different. I am sure you will never find two parties with so much dissimilarities anywhere in the world.

Q: Your country enjoys great potentials such as touristic attractions and huge human resources that can turn it into one of the greatest countries in Western Asia. What does your country need to make this dream - that you have stressed in your electoral campaigns - come true?

A: Bangladesh has a strategic location that acts like a bridge between south and south east Asia. With its closeness to the gigantic markets of India, China and other Asian countries, Bangladesh can act as a regional economic center. Such geographic channels can also help tourism prosper in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has many touristic attractions such as long golden beaches and the world’s largest man-

Q: August 15, 1975 is undoubtedly an unforgettable date in your life and in Bangladesh’s modern history. On that day, a group of officers assassinated your father and your family members. Can you overcome that history for the sake of a comprehensive and final national reconciliation in your country?

A: The assassination of my father and the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 18 of my fam-

Islamic nation, our relations with the GCC, the Arab world and all other Muslim countries are outstanding because of the common values and traditions we share.

Q: Despite the huge facilities your country provides, Arab investments are still below your aspirations. Do you have a plan to attract more Arab capital?

Sheikh Hasina’s bio • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

She was born in 1947 in Tongibari. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first post-independence president.

In the 1960s, she was a student and political activist Was imprisoned along with some of her family members by the Pakistani army In 1975, her father, mother and brothers were killed in a military coup She returned from exile in 1981 to lead the Awami League In 1990, she joined the BNP leader in deposing the dictator Hussein Mohammed Ershad She lost elections against Khaleda Zia in 1991 In 1996, she won the elections and became PM till 2001 She won the first legislative elections since 2001 She survived an assassination attempt in 2004 She was imprisoned in 2007 after the army-backed government accused her of corruption She was released in June, 2008 and left to self-imposed exile in the US She returned to Bangladesh in November 2008 to take part in the elections On December 30, 2008, she won a landslide victory in the elections against Khaleda Zia

ily members, including my mother, three brothers and two relatives on August 15, 1975 was absolutely the most horrible crime committed against one family in modern history. Ever since, it has been a dark part of Bangladesh’s history. The assassins, who were misled army officers, were later rewarded with money and high positions by the following tyrant military and semi-military governments till 1996. The majority

A: Bangladesh has the best investment systems in south Asia which is one of the best in the world. This is why Bangladesh has been attracting investors from many countries including Arab ones but they are still below potentials. When I became PM, I made visits to many Arab countries during which I invited Arab leaders and businessmen to invest in Bangladesh.

Ever since, more Arab businessmen have shown

political support for his newly-formed party BNP. Under the patronage of the dictator, many of these religious parties’ leaders who had been involved in crimes against humanity became stronger. In 1996, our Awami party won the election based on promises it made to hold these spies accountable for their crimes. At that time, we could not achieve much success due to the challenges they had imposed that weakened our efforts to establish democracy and take proper measures to prosecute them. After winning the 2008 elections after vowing to prosecute the war criminals, we made progress this time. We formed a criminal court according to international standards and tried a number of the main war criminals and their accomplices who later on became leaders of their religious parties. The government took those measures to meet public demands of people who had lost loved ones because of the direct or indirect involvement of those spies. Islamic parties have many new leaders now who were born after the establishment of Bangladesh 42 years ago and they are now doing their duties and responsibilities like other parties. Therefore, the claim that Islamic parties’ leaders are under pressure is untrue. It is only war criminals and those accused of crimes against humanity who are being tried according to judicial measures so that they could be penalized according to Bangladesh’s justice and laws.

Q: Some people mix up between your war on terrorism and terrorist groups and your political disputes with Islamic parties. Can you explain this point?

A: Bangladesh is a secular country where people from all religions co-live in peace and harmony but, unfortunately, in past years, we had a bad experience with terrorism and extremism. Our government has adopted a policy of ‘intolerance’ with terrorism and extremism but about 17 terrorist organizations including extreme elements from some religious parties appeared spreading destruction with their weapons, explosives and bombs that killed and injured many innocent people in the period of 2001-2006, when BNP ruled and allied with the government. Those organizations disappeared in the past four and a half years and our government’s policy succeeded in limiting their activities. We urge all political parties help us in fighting terrorism and extremism in Bangladesh.

Q: In early January 2012, your government stressed secularism in your country by removing a constitutional article about the Islamic nature of your country and its relations with Islamic countries. But the Supreme Court rejected reactivating secular principles in the constitution. How will this influence the future of your country?

A: Secularism is one of the pillars of Bangladesh’s constitution that was approved on independence in 1971. It has been a main one ever since. In the late 1980s, a religious amendment was made to the constitution but was later on withdrawn in our term. Our current constitution is close to the 1972 original one and has achieved peace and harmony to our society. I believe if we succeed in maintaining peace and harmony in Bangladesh, our future will be prosperous.

During the meeting with PM Sheikh Hasina grove jungle. In addition, we have huge human resources, mainly youth, as 60 percent of our 160 million population is below the age of forty. These people, be them working tirelessly at home or abroad and transferring money home, have been the main driving force of our comprehensive development.

Our government’s pragmatic policies ensure utmost utilization of our natural and human resources. Yet we need to achieve faster development and hence comes the significance of our good friends such as Kuwait’s support, especially in building infrastructures, exploring and utilizing our natural resources and making the best use of our youth and skilled or unskilled craftsmen. Our friends’ support will help us achieve our 2021 vision of becoming a country that ensures steady income for middle classes, which was the core of the agenda we adopted in our electoral campaign.

of our people cannot forget that horrible act and the period of tyranny that followed. Our country has been seeking justice and our supreme courts sentenced all the culprits to death. Some of them were executed while others are still at large and we must arrest them to make them get their due and fair punishment. Achieving this and forgetting the memories of that awful day require time.

Q: How would you describe your country’s relations with the GCC states and with the ‘Arab Spring’ countries?

A: Bangladesh is a democratic, secular and liberal country. In addition, our foreign policy is based on “Having friendship with everybody and grudges with none” that was set by the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangabandhu). Therefore, we have good relations with all countries. Being a country with a majority of Muslims and being part of the

growing interest in Bangladesh and their investments here are also growing. I have met many Arab business delegations on their visits to Bangladesh and I have a feeling that their investments will increase soon.

Q: Many Islamist observers accuse you of putting huge pressure on Islamic party leaders. Are any of these ‘media’ accusations true?

A: Although the majority of our population is Muslim, Bangladesh is a secular state that provides freedom of religion for all. Bangladesh was founded on this philosophy and the sacrifices of 3 million people. During our struggle for independence in 1971, a minority cooperated with the invading Pakistani army and helped them in killing fellow citizens. After independence, those people formed Islamic parties to escape punishment. And after assassinating the father of the nation, the military dictator General Ziaur Rahman licensed those parties in order to get

Q: Some independent Islamic research center reports suggest that Bangladesh is the world’s third largest Islamic country and the eighth in population with over 170 million, 95 percent of them Muslim while the others include Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. The reports also say that there are wide-scale missionary campaigns. How accurate is this report?

A: Bangladesh is a country with Muslims forming the majority of its 160 million population (88 percent) while the rest comprises of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. And yet Bangladesh maintains a secular policy that stems from religious coherence that had existed for hundreds of years in this part of the South Asian peninsula. It is also a democratic country and its people cherish its heritage and history that are different from those of many other countries worldwide.

Bangladesh Muslims are not less devoted to Islam than their peers in other Muslim countries. They share the same faith and I do not think a Muslim can convert to other religions and if this happens, these are very rare exceptions.

Q: Do you think that your country can witness a ‘spring’ similar to the Arab Spring?

A: Each people worldwide has its own characteristics that determine both the formation of its society and its future. That includes Islamic countries’ peoples, who despite the strength of their belief, have special characteristics to determine their aspirations. I think this applies to the people of Bangladesh which are moderate and willing to give up some wishes for the sake of peace and harmony. It is a people that despise all forms of violence that might bring instability to its quotidian life.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

Hollande extends hand to deported Roma girl

Argentine commuter train slams into station, again Page 9

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ALEPPO: An injured child reacts as he is treated in the Bustan Al-Qasr neighbourhood of Syria northern city of Aleppo yesterday, following an alleged shelling by government forces. The conflict in Syria, which erupted after President Bashar Al-Assad launched a bloody crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired democracy protests, is believed to have killed more than 115,000 people. — AFP

Car bomb, clashes kill over 30 in Damascus Civilians seek escape route BEIRUT: Syrian rebels blew up an army checkpoint outside Damascus yesterday and more than 30 combatants from both sides died in the blast and ensuing clashes, a monitoring group said. The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 15 rebels and at least 16 soldiers were killed.

Elsewhere near the capital, Syrian forces tried to storm the suburb of Mouadamiya, which the army has blockaded for months, leading to a rising death toll from hunger and malnutrition. The British-based Observatory said the checkpoint explosion, near the suburbs of Mleiha and Jaramana, was detonated by a suicide bomber from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. Nusra supporters on Twitter, however, said the bomber had intended to blow

himself up in the car, but instead got out before setting off the explosives inside. They said rebel forces had captured the checkpoint hit by the car bomb and were battling to take a second one nearby.

Syrian state television reported the blast but gave no death toll, saying only that several people had been killed or wounded in a “terrorist bombing”. The Observatory, which has a network of activists across Syria, said Syrian fighter jets retaliated by striking nearby opposition-held areas such as Mleiha.

Video uploaded by activists showed a huge column of smoke billowing up from the scene and the sound of fighter jets streaking overhead could be heard. Rebels also fired rockets into Jaramana, a suburb held by the govern-

ment, according to the Observatory. It said the air force carried out four strikes on adjacent rebel-held districts.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria’s 2-1/2-year-old conflict, which began with popular protests against President Bashar al-Assad before degenerating into civil war. In Mouadamiya, activists said they were facing heavy bombardment during an assault by Assad’s forces. The army had advanced, but had yet to enter the suburb, said Qusair Zakariya, an activist there.

“Our rebels are fighting hard to repel the regime ... We’ve been doing our best to try to evacuate civilians from the western front of the town because they’re now exposed to shelling and tank fire,” he said, speaking by Skype over

audible bursts of rocket fire.

Like most rebel enclaves in the suburbs that ring Damascus, Mouadamiya has been under an army-imposed siege for months, causing a particularly acute shortage of food and supplies. Doctors in the town have reported an increasing number of deaths from malnutrition, especially among children. The United States condemned the siege on Friday, saying the Assad government had only allowed a limited number of civilians to escape from Mouadamiya and that it must allow food, water and medicine to reach those still inside.

“We also warn the regime ... not to use limited evacuations of civilians as an excuse to attack those residents who remain behind,” it said. “The regime’s deliberate prevention of the

delivery of life-saving humanitarian supplies to thousands of civilians is unconscionable.”

Western powers have mostly backed opposition forces trying to end four decades of Assad family rule, but have hesitated to supply military aid to the rebels, fearing the rising influence of Al Qaeda. Russia and Iran have supported Assad unstintingly.

International efforts to stop the bloodshed in Syria have stuttered for months, but Russia and the United States are now planning to hold peace talks in Geneva next month.

The deeply divided opposition remains reluctant to attend, however, and Assad’s government has already said it will not consider any deal that requires the president to step down. — Reuters

Dubai to transform into Smart City: VP DUBAI: UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al-Maktoum declared yesterday a project that will transform Dubai into a Smart City, where government services will be accessible, quick and efficient, using hi-tech smart devices.

UAE news agency ( WAM) said that AlMaktoum aims through such project to harness the technology to improve living conditions through new form of development, noting that the fibre optic network and high-speed wireless Internet will form the backbone of a new life in the city of Dubai.

Al-Maktoum underlined that the project also intends to extend better services to children, youth, businesspersons and tourists to benefit from new form of quality life to all, adding that modern cities require new tools and innovations.

The Smart City project will enable the public to transact with public departments using their own smart phones any time and any day of the year. Citizens and residents of Dubai will be the focus of the current project through providing advanced infrastructure for them and linking them with the city administration systems via high speed networks in public places.

The project will also provide new information about the weather, traffic and transport, emer-

gency and Education and Health smart services.

For his part, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashed AlMaktoum said the directives by Sheikh Mohammad called for immediate implementation of the project to complement the smart government project.

Sheikh Hamdan noted that the population would be core of the current project through the provision of advanced infrastructure and the fibre optic network and high-speed wireless Internet. The Crown Prince said all the initiatives launched by Sheikh Mohammad over the last 10 years regarding the technology and the Internet, ushered in different services and new form of life in Dubai.

He added that Dubai will become one of the biggest world laboratories for interactive and government applications.

In October 2001, the government of Dubai began its online presence when it launched the e-Government program, linking government departments with their clients through the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The e-government system provided online portals for various government departments and enabled the public to transact with them online. — KUNA

BAGHDAD: A woman grieves for her sister, who died in a bombing Friday, while inspecting the site of the car bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. Police officials said the Friday night blast took place in the capital’s eastern Mashtal neighborhood.

Violence in Iraq has escalated sharply since April, 2013, following a deadly crackdown by security forces on a camp for Sunni protesters in the northern town of Hawija. — AP

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NY man charged with trying to support terrorists CENTRAL ISLIP: For 25 years Marcos Alonso Zea lived in America, working most recently as a clerk at a home improvement store on New York’s Long Island. But federal authorities have arrested the US-born man, charging him with conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, attempting to support terrorists and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and obstruction of justice.

Zea, who nodded at his parents as he was escorted into the court room at his arraignment Friday, pleaded not guilty and was detained without bail. “Despite being born and raised in the United States, Zea allegedly betrayed his country

and attempted to travel to Yemen to join a terrorist organization and commit murder,” U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch said.

Federal prosecutors accused Zea of planning to travel overseas to wage violent jihad on the perceived enemies of Islam, including Yemen’s secular government. They said he flew to London en route to Yemen in January to join Ansar alSharia, which the US has declared an alias for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. But he was rejected by customs officials in the United Kingdom and returned to the United States.

Once home, Zea continued participating in the conspiracy, providing money

and instructing co-conspirator Justin Kaliebe on how to evade electronic surveillance by law enforcement as he discussed Kaliebe’s plans to fight jihad, according to court papers.

Zea was inspired by terrorist propaganda, said George Venizelos, head of the FBI’s New York office. Among violent Islamic extremist materials found on Zea’s computer, authorities said, were issues of an al-Qaeda publication that promotes violent jihad. The publication contained articles such as “ Which is Better: Martyrdom or Victory?” “‘Why did I choose al Qaeda?” and “What to Expect in Jihad?”

Investigators said they also found an

al-Qaeda-produced video depicting detonation of an explosive device on a vehicle carrying western military personnel. After learning he was under investigation, Zea directed an associate to erase a hard drive on his home computer and gave an associate two more hard drives to destroy, though investigators recovered them anyway, authorities said.

Lynch said once investigators were on his trail, “he engaged in a desperate effort to cover his tracks by attempting to destroy evidence - a tactic that only confirmed his violent aims.”

Kaliebe, who was arrested in January as he tried to board a plane in New York to

go to Yemen, has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide support to terrorists and attempting to provide material support.

He told a judge at his plea hearing that he had brought money to give to the alQaeda group and he had discussed with others his desire to support the group by “providing money, equipment and ourselves.” A prosecutor said the government had audio recordings of Kaliebe expressing his desire to join al-Qaida in Yemen.

In a statement, US Rep. Peter King called the arrest “a vivid reminder of the threat we continue to face from domestic Islamic terrorists.” — AP

‘Freed’ Lebanese in Turkey awaiting Syria prisoner deal Rebels demand prisoners be transferred to Turkey

NEW YORK: In this undated photo from 2001 provided by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), female inmates play volleyball on the rooftop playground of the Bayview Correctional Facility, minimum security women’s prison in the Chelsea section of New York. The former women’s prison remains closed a year after Superstorm Sandy caused $600,000 in damages. — AP

Two killers registered as felons after their escape ORLANDO: As authorities search for two convicted killers freed by bogus paperwork, questions linger about who created the legitimate-looking documents that exposed gaps in Florida’s judicial system.

Within days of walking out of prison, Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker, who had been sentenced to life, traveled about 300 miles to a jail an Orlando and registered as felons. They signed paperwork. They were fingerprinted, and they were even photographed before walking out of the jail without raising any alarms.

Had one of the murder victim’s families not contacted prosecutors, authorities might not have known about the mistaken releases.

“We’re looking at the system’s breakdown, I’m not standing here to point the finger at anyone at this time,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said Friday as he appealed to the public to help authorities find the men. He said he believed they were still in the central Florida area.

In light of the errors, the Corrections Department changed the way it verifies early releases and state legislators promised to hold investigative hearings to figure out how the documents - complete with case numbers and a judge’s forged signature - duped the system.

Jenkins was released Sept. 27 and registered at the Orange County jail in Orlando on Sept. 30. Walker was set free Oct. 8 and registered there three days later. Felons are required to register by law.

When they do, their fingerprints are digitally uploaded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and a deputy at the jail verifies that they don’t have any outstanding warrants, said jail spokesman Allen Moore.

By registering as the law required, they likely drew less attention. “If there’s no hit that comes back, they’re free to go,” said Isaiah Dennard, the Florida Sheriff’s Association’s jail services coordinator.

If felons do not register, a warrant is put out for their arrest, Dennard said. The sheriff said there had been some sightings of the men, and “most” of their families were cooperating, but he didn’t go into specifics about either detail. Police were offering a $5,000 reward for help and billboards were going up in the area.

Authorities learned about the mistaken release when one of the murder victim’s families notified the state attorney’s office. Dennard said victims’ families are automatically notified when a felon is released, typically by a computer voicegenerated phone call. It’s not clear exactly who made the fake documents ordering the release or whether the escapes were related. Authorities said the paperwork in both cases was filed in the last couple of months and included forged signatures from the same prosecutor’s office and judge. Both orders also called for 15-year sentences.

“There’s reason to suspect that these aren’t the first occasions,” Demings said later of the releases. The state Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Corrections are investigating the error, but so far have not released any details.

Chief Circuit Judge Belvin Perry said there were several red flags that should have attracted the attention, including that’s it uncommon for a request for sentence reduction to come from prosecutors.

The Corrections Department said on Friday it verified the early release by checking the Orange County Clerk of Court’s website and calling them.

Corrections Secretary Michael Crews sent a letter to judges saying prison officials will now verify with judges - and not just court clerks - before releasing prisoners early.

Sen. Greg Evers, who chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, said he spoke to Perry on Friday and that the judge will offer a proposal in which judges review all early release documents before court clerks send them to prisons.

“They’re working on some fail safe plans,” said Evers, a Pensacola Republican. “If the court administrator put these plans in place throughout the state it will solve the problem.”

New measures were implemented in the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Office after workers there thwarted the release of a burglary suspect from forged paperwork in 2011. The changes included only accepting judge’s orders from the judge’s assistant and to treat them especially carefully, said Cindy Guerra, chief operating officer for the office.

“That situation in Orlando, that just doesn’t happen here,” said her colleague, Louis Tomeo, the office’s director of criminal courts. “Our clerks, I venture to say, would have picked up on that easily.”

As the Florida court system transitions into a paperless era, special email accounts have been set up for judges.

The deadline to go completely electronic is February, though it has already been moved back several times.

Across the country, prisoners have had varying success trying to escape using bogus documents. In 2010, a Wisconsin killer forged documents that shortened his prison sentence and he walked free, only to be captured a week later. In 2012, a prisoner in Pennsylvania was let out with bogus court documents, and the mistake was only discovered months later. Jenkins, 34, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1998 killing and botched robbery of Roscoe Pugh, an Orlando man.

State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton said he learned Jenkins had been released when Pugh’s family contacted his office. They reviewed the paperwork and found that it was a fake, then notified law enforcement. Later, they discovered Walker’s release documents were also fake.

“It is now clear that the use of forged court documents to obtain release from prison is an ongoing threat which all law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, court clerks and prison officials must address and stop,” Ashton said.

Walker, 34, was convicted of seconddegree murder in a 1999 slaying in Orange County. He told investigators that 23-year-old Cedric Slater was bullying him and he fired three shots intending to scare him. Farrington reported from Tallahassee. —AP

BEIRUT: Lebanon said yesterday nine Shiites reportedly freed by Syrian rebels have been transferred to Turkey and will only go home if some 200 prisoners are released from Syrian jails.

The pilgrims were snatched in May 2012 by rebels fighting to oust Syria’s regime, as they were heading home by road following a visit to Shiite holy sites in Iran.

Officials in Lebanon and Turkey said they were released yesterday in a deal that could also see two Turkish pilots who were abducted in Lebanon walk free.

But Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said that while the pilgrims were “on Turkish soil,” they had not yet been handed over to a general charged with securing their release.

General Abbas Ibrahim, who heads Lebanon’s Security Agency, had travelled to Damascus Friday to discuss a deal to free the hostages in exchange for the release from Syrian jails of some 200 prisoners, including dozens of women.

“An exchange operation will take place and a large number of Syrian men and women prisoners must come from Syria for this to happen,” Charbel told Al-Manar, the television of Lebanon’s powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah.

The rebels had demanded that the prisoners be transferred to Turkey for the exchange to take place. The release of Syrian prisoners was a key demand of the rebels after they abducted the Lebanese.

“We are working with the Syrian officials and, inshallah (God willing), the operation will be over soon,” said Charbel. The minister did not say who was holding the

BEIRUT: Relatives of some of the nine Lebanese Shiite pilgrims, who were kidnapped by a rebel faction in northern Syria in May 2012, sit at a shop under portraits of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, top left, and Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, top second left, as they wait for the latest news about their relatives release, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. — AP The reports they had been freed hours or days.” They had been pilgrims or reveal their location in Turkey. But he stressed that the was welcomed by Turkey, which snatched on August 9 by a group release of the Lebanese and the said the detention of two Turkish calling itself Zuwwar Imam al-Rida, Syrians “will take place concurrent- Airlines pilots kidnapped as they which demanded Turkey use its ly.” Earlier, Lebanese Prime Minister left Beirut airport for a city hotel in influence with Syrian rebels to secure the release of the nine Najib Mikati had said the pilgrims August was close to ending.

The pilots were abducted by a Shiites. were “in a secure place and are The relatives of the Lebanese ready to enter Lebanon,” describing previously unknown group, which their abduction as a “sad” episode said it had seized them to secure pilgrims have repeatedly denied the release of the nine Lebanese. responsibility for kidnapping the for his country.

Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled “Very favourable developments are pilots but accused Turkey of not al-Attiyah told Al-Jazeera television under way concerning the two doing enough to win the release of that Doha had mediated the Turkish pilots. This matter has been their family members.

The pilots were seized just outrelease of the Lebanese. Mikati said largely settled,” Turkish Foreign side the airport, in an area conAttiyah was in Turkey and would Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

Pilot Murat Akpinar and co-pilot trolled by Hezbollah, which also accompany the pilgrims back to Murat Agca could be freed “within denied any involvement. — AFP Lebanon.

Jihadists cowed but not beaten in Gao GAO: As patrols are stepped up against the jihadists who killed a Malian soldier in the northern city of Gao, fear stalks the streets for residents living under the watch of extremists.

Bintou Yattara with her three children tight by her side stood in front of a house which still bore the scars of the huge shell that almost killed them all. “We heard something crash and there was a lot of dust, but we didn’t know it had hit the house,” she said.

It was only when they ran out of their home to escape the cloud of dirt that had risen up that Yattara realised what had happened. “Since then my family has lived in fear. We no longer know what to do,” she told AFP. A Malian soldier was injured during the attack, claimed by Al-Qaeda splinter group the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) on October 7, during which rockets rained down on the city and damaged buildings. The soldier later died of his injuries and was buried on Wednesday, according to an army official.

The shelling was the first attack in months, though the group has been actively recruiting in West Africa and France. For months in 2012 MUJAO imposed a brutal version of Islamic law, carrying out amputations and executions for “non-Islamic” behaviour, and were removed only after a January intervention by the French army and Malian soldiers.

“The Malian army and security forces are an active presence in the area, we have been on patrol many times seeking out the perpetrators,” said Colonel Oumar Diarra, a commander with Malian forces in Gao. Diarra said the damage could have been far worse, as before October 7 the military had received information corroborated by more than one source of a range of “threats, infiltrations and attacks”.

A more serious attack was avoided “thanks to the people” of Gao, Diarra said. “This attack is a failure for the jihadists because they were preparing something much bigger, and it didn’t work, so they took themselves off, a certain distance away, to fire rockets on the city.” The population’s positive approach is echoed by Captain Nicolas of the French force deployed in Mali since January 11. “We just finished a patrol in the surrounds of Gao to make sure there was no hostile presence there,” he said.

“The people are very much in favour (of us); it went really well. We are in control of the situation, and we can attest that there has been no change in people’s attitude,” he added.

A French soldier was also injured conducting a routine patrol on October 12 while destroying a cache of weapons and ammunition. However, in the atmosphere of increased insecurity, a thousand of Gao’s inhabitants have staged protests in Independence Square, briefly renamed Sharia Square and used for executions by the jihadists during MUJAO’s occupation of the city in the days following the rocket fire.—AFP

BUENOS AIRES: Picture released by NA showing the commuter train that apparently failed to stop and crashed at the end of the line at the Once railway terminal in Buenos Aires, yesterday. Dozens were hurt, five seriously, in a train crash early yesterday of which officials said they could could not immediately determine the cause.

Television footage showed various railway cars that had left the track and were on the platform. — AFP

Argentine commuter train slams into station, again BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine commuter train slammed into the end of the line yesterday morning at the same station in Buenos Aires where 52 people were killed in a similar crash last year. This time there was no immediate report of deaths, but at least 58 people were injured.

A mob quickly formed, unleashing its fury at the train operators. Passengers chanted “murderer, murderer!” at the injured driver through the shattered cabin window. Officers intervened and the driver was soon hospitalized under police custody. Police in riot gear then took control of the Once (ohn-say) station after the angry crowd broke glass and threw stones in the street outside.

Altogether 58 people were injured, five of them with broken bones, but none of the wounds were life-threatening, said Security Secretary Sergio Berni. Some of the injured here hit by shattered glass from the train’s windows, he said.

Berni said it was too early to say why the train failed to stop, crashing through the bumper at the end of the line and ending up wedged between the floor and ceiling of the platform. One end of the huge iron hydraulic bumper that protects the end of the line was driven deep into the train car, while the other end was lifted over the

platform and jammed into the turnstiles.

Jorge Ramirez , a 47-year-old cook, entered the train’s second car nine stations before the end of the line. He told The Associated Press that the driver overshot several platforms and had to go in reverse before opening the doors, and that he bypassed one station altogether.

“It seems to me he must have been asleep,” Ramirez said. “This is all a tragedy. I saw people hurt, shouting, others thrown on the floor. The people in the first wagon ended up piled on top of each other.”

Berni said some of the injured were waiting on the platform and were hit by glass as the train’s windows shattered.

Firefighters, police and medical personnel evacuated the wrecked train, but many passengers didn’t wait, kicking out windows to escape cars whose doors were stuck.

The Sarmiento line is the busiest commuter rail line serving Argentina’s capital and is usually packed with passengers. The February 2012 crash killed 52 people and injured hundreds as the following cars crunched together behind the lead car.

Saturday’s accident caused less damage to other cars in the formation and happened shortly after 7 am on a weekend morning, so the toll was not as severe. —AP

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Mongolia’s ‘eco-Nazis’ target foreign miners ULAN BATOR: A silver swastika hanging around his neck, Boldbaatar Gombodorj points out his targets on a map of Mongolia like a World War II commander: little flags representing foreign mining firms that he and fellow “eco-Nazis” accuse of destroying their country.

Mongolia’s mining boom has brought the vast, sparsely populated country immense wealth but also inequality and ecological damage, and now fringe ultranationalist environmentalist movements are emerging in response.

Herders have roamed Mongolia’s steppe for centuries, while the country only threw off the Soviet yoke after decades of domination, creating fertile ground for a mix of communal land rights and nationalism that can turn into unashamed racism. “Here we want people with Mongolian hearts and Mongolian blood,” says Gombodorj. “Those who pollute the rivers and springs taint their purity, and they should be punished by death,” he adds, citing the revered Mongol warrior Genghis Khan, whose portrait adorns the walls.

Gombodorj, a 56-year-old retired soldier whose first name means “hero forged from steel”, sports a thick moustache and cauliflower ears from wrestling, the national sport. He says the swastika is an ancient Mongol symbol and that his group, Fight for the Security of Mongolia, does not support fascism. But oth-

er campaigners openly identify themselves as neo-Nazis and reference the Third Reich.

When Gombodorj joined the army he knelt on the ground, held a Mongolian flag to his forehead and “swore to defend every inch of our land. And now it is being sold into the hands of foreigners”, he says.

He is ready to embrace violence for his cause, he adds. A few weeks ago his group ended up in a tense standoff with armed guards at a South Korean-owned mine.

“We would have fired if they had,” says Gombodorj.

Mining makes up a fifth of Mongolia’s economy and it has enjoyed one of the world’s highest growth rates since the authorities invited in foreign companies to extract its gold, copper, coal and iron ore.

One of the biggest and most high-profile projects, Anglo-Australian giant Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi mine, is expected to produce an average of 430,000 tonnes of copper and 425,000 ounces of gold annually for 20 years, and generate up to one-third of the government’s revenue.

But it has been embroiled in a series of disputes and Mongolia’s foreign investment laws have since undergone a series of changes. “The foreigners dictate what the relationships should be within Mongolian society and they dictate what laws should or should not be

implemented,” says Mongolia’s best-known eco-warrior, Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, who heads the group Fire Nation.

In Tsagaan Khass, or “White Swastika”, the most radical group of all, members greet their leader Ariunbold Altankhuum with a Nazi salute while clicking their heels.

They dress in black, while some sport swastika tattoos and others wear rings adorned with the Germanic Iron Cross. In their office, tucked in the basement of a Soviet-era building in central Ulan Bator and overseen by a bust of Genghis Khan, Altankhuum told AFP the group was filling the role of local authorities who have failed to stand up to foreign firms.

Tsagaan Khass show up at sites unannounced to inspect licences, check on Mongolian workers’ wages and ensure that the revenues benefit locals, he says, and if dissatisfied with what they find, they sometimes sabotage operations, confiscating keys or puncturing vehicles’ tyres.

But, wearing a Gestapo-style black leather greatcoat, he insists: “We are not a gang of gangsters.” The mining firms “violate the rights of Mongolian citizens”, he says.

“They dig a hole and then leave behind terrible environmental damage.” The influence of such groups is difficult to gauge, with Tsagaan Khass claiming to have more than 3,000 supporters, and Gombodorj declining to say

how many people belong to Fight for the Security of Mongolia. Their hard-core approach has not gone mainstream, but Mongolians may become increasingly polarised if mining inequality persists, says Jargalsaikhan Damdadarjaa, a prominent economist, commentator and broadcaster.

“It is a matter of balancing environmental conditions and mining interests, and it is not always done properly.

Rules and regulations are not enforced as good as the people want,” he says.

“That brings this controversy amongst the population.” Munkhbayar, of Fire Nation, won the US-based Goldman Environmental Prize in 2007 for his work in shutting mines near the Ongi river, one of the country’s largest. But he has also spent time in jail and his group has resorted to force-firing at equipment at a mine in the southern province of Ovorkhangai, and shooting arrows at a government building when leaders refused to meet them.

“These are necessary methods when other means have proved unsuccessful,” Munkhbayar insists. “Over the past 20 years, more than 4,000 water sources have been identified as drying up and 1,300 have disappeared. “The main reason is mining activity,” he says.

“When we go into the countryside, we are welcomed like saviours.” — AFP

Hollande extends hand to deported Roma girl ‘I will not go alone to France, will not abandon my family’

MILAN: In this file picture taken on February 24, 2013 in Milan, Italian former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi leaves the voting booth before casting his ballot at a polling station. An Italian court yesterday ordered a two-year ban from parliament and elections for scandal-tainted former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi as part of a tax fraud case, Italian media reported. — AFP

Milan court sets two-year Berlusconi political ban MILAN: A Milan appeals court yesterday set Silvio Berlusconi’s political ban in his tax fraud conviction at two years, setting the stage for more wrangling over the future of the embattled politician who continues to wield political influence.

The appellate court was ordered by Italy’s highest court to determine the length of the political ban accompanying his tax fraud conviction and four-year jail term after prosecutors conceded sentencing errors in the original five-year ban. It is one of two political ban processes set in motion when Berlusconi lost his final appeal in August over his tax fraud conviction and a four-year jail sentence. Both political bans need to be approved by Parliament, prolonging the process.

“It doesn’t change the big picture at all. It is a reminder to him and to the world that he is a convicted criminal, which he doesn’t like being reminded of, that he will have to serve a sentence and now he has to deal with two obstacles that will seek to throw him out of office,” said James Walston, a professor of international relations at American University of Rome.

Berlusconi already is facing the loss of his Senate seat due to the conviction under a 2012 law stipulating that anyone convicted to more than two years in prison cannot hold or run for office for six years. A Senate committee has approved yanking his seat, but a vote by the whole chamber is pending and could come in the coming weeks.

Walston said it’s unlikely that the second, shorter ban would be pursued if the six-year one is finalized first. Nonetheless, Berlusconi’s defense lawyer, Nicolo Ghedini, immediately pledged to appeal the two-year ban to the nation’s highest criminal court. For now, the three-time former premier and his centerright forces have pledged to continue their support for Premier Enrico Letta’s cross-party government of long-time political foes on the left and the right. After triggering a government crisis by threatening to pull his party’s backing of the governing coalition, Berlusconi did a last-minute about-face to support the government in a confidence vote.

Angelino Alfano, head of Berlusconi’s party and deputy premier in Letta’s government, said Berlusconi remained “strong and determined, as always” to relaunch the center-right. The political bans would bar Berlusconi from participating in new elections for their length, but he could remain the titular head of his party without holding political office.

Berlusconi won’t do jail for the tax fraud case. The four-year term has been reduced to one year under an amnesty for crimes committed before 2006, and Berlusconi reportedly has requested to perform community service instead of house arrest. Berlusconi also faces a seven-year sentence and lifetime political ban after being convicted this summer of having paid a minor for sex and forcing officials to cover it up. He has two appeals.—AP

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande said yesterday a Roma schoolgirl whose controversial deportation sparked mass student protests would be allowed to come back, but without her family.

Leonarda Dibrani’s eviction caused an outcry because she was detained during a school trip before being deported with her family to Kosovo, and students took to the streets this week demanding the 15-year-old return and Interior Minister Manuel Valls resign.

“If she makes a request, and if she wants to continue her studies, she will be given a welcome, but only she,” Hollande said live on television, in his first remarks on an affair that burst into the limelight on Wednesday.

He cited the results of a formal probe published Saturday, which found that the deportation was lawful but that police could have used better judgement in the way they handled it.

Dibrani immediately turned down Hollande’s offer, speaking from the town of Mitrovica in Kosovo where she has been living with her family since their October 9 deportation from the eastern French town of Levier.

“I will not go alone to France, I will not abandon my family. I’m not the only one who has to go to school, there are also my brothers and sisters,” she said in fluent French. Her father Resat, 47, added that the family would not be divided and would return to France by any means.

“My children were integrated in France, we continue to fight as my children are strangers here (Kosovo)”, he said. Dibrani’s deportation only emerged into the public realm this week after it was brought to light by a non-governmental organisation.

Her parents and five brothers and sisters had lived in France for four years while their asylum bid was processed. It was eventually rejected in the summer.

Much of the anger surrounding the case has focused on how Dibrani was forced off a bus full of classmates during the school outing.

The ministry probe found that police had gone to the family home in the morning of October 9 to deport all members, but found the teenager was not there as she had slept at a friend’s house before the trip. French law bans any intervention on youngsters while they are at or near school.

The report found that while the bus was nowhere near Dibrani’s school, police “did not demonstrate the necessary discernment”. In his

televised appearance, Hollande said that from now on, any such intervention would be banned during school hours.

But critics nevertheless slammed his decision to invite Dibrani back alone. The “Left Party”, codirected by the figurehead of France’s far left Jean-Luc Melenchon, said it was a decision of “abject cruelty”. “The young schoolgirl has been told by the president to choose between living with her family or returning alone to France to continue her studies,” it said.

The case has raised the sensitive issue of young students in France who are threatened with deportation. By law, a minor on his or her own cannot be deported, and students are only evicted from France after they come of age or if their parents are also sent away.

It has also thrown the spotlight on the interior minister, whose popularity in France far exceeds that of his boss Hollande but who has attracted controversy in the past. Last month, he triggered an outcry when he said most of the

20,000 Roma in France had no intention of integrating and should be sent back to their countries of origin.

But a survey by polling firm BVA published yesterday in the Le Parisien daily showed that 74 percent of the French approved Valls’ position on the Dibrani controversy.

The case was further complicated by revelations that Dibrani’s father had lied about his family’s Kosovo origins to have a better chance to obtain asylum.

In an interview with AFP Thursday, Resat said only he had been born in Kosovo and that his wife and five of his six children, including Leonarda, were born in Italy.

The ministry probe also found that Leonarda and her sister were taken in by French social services after having accused their father of violence-a claim they later retracted.

Last year, 36,822 immigrants, many of them Roma, were deported from France, a nearly 12 percent rise from 2011. — AFP

MITROVICA: Leonarda Dibrani, 15, who was expelled from France the previous week, speaks to media in Kosovo’s northern town of Mitrovica on Friday. Under fire from the far left and members of his own party, Socialist President Francois Hollande said yesterday that the girl ,who was detained in front of her classmates and deported, can return to France. But the rest of the family cannot come with her. — AP

Maldives police block attempt at presidential vote MALE: The Maldives sank further into political disarray yesterday when police blocked officials from conducting a presidential revote, saying that holding the election would violate a Supreme Court order.

It’s the latest blow to this young Indian Ocean democracy,

which has only about three weeks before the end of the current president’s term. If his replacement is not elected by then it will spark a constitutional crisis.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan stepped in to resolve the impasse Saturday evening, saying he would propose that

MALE: Former Maldives President, Mohamed Nasheed, seated second left, sits in the middle of a road with supporters during a protest against the cancellation of a presidential revote in Male, Maldives, yesterday. — AP

the revote be held Oct. 26. He was to meet later Saturday with the elections commissioner and the candidates to discuss his proposal. “I am hoping that the election will be held as soon as possible,” Hassan told The Associated Press. “I hope that over that week any outstanding problems will be ironed out. I am trying to ensure that a president is elected and gets installed before Nov. 11.”

The top court annulled the results of the Sept. 7 presidential election, agreeing with a losing candidate that the voters’ registry included fictitious names and dead people, but it set conditions for a revote that police said elections officials did not meet.

Elections Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek attempted to hold the revote as scheduled yesterday, but he said in the morning that the ground floor of his building was full of policemen stopping his staff from carrying election material outside. He then called the vote off.

Officer Abdulla Nawaz, speaking for the police, said the election was stopped because the commissioner did not comply with a court order to have the voters’ list endorsed by all the candidates. Thowfeek accused the police of overstepping their legitimate role.

“We are very much concerned about what is going on in this country. The Supreme Court decision does not ask police officers to look into the voters’ list and check what is there,” he told reporters. “They kind of think they can be our bosses and we are an institution below them, and that they can dictate to us and control us,” Thowfeek said.

Officer Abdulla Nawaz said police acted after consulting Hassan, government security officials, the attorney general and the Home Ministry. Two of the three presidential candidates did not sign the voters’ list Friday, saying it needed to be verified for any irregularities, but Thowfeek had said their demands for double-checking the list were impossible to meet in time for the election.

The Supreme Court said in its ruling annulling the September election that a revote must take place before Sunday. It likely will need to issue a new ruling in order for an

election to be held before Hassan’s term ends Nov. 11.

Hassan denied having asked police to stop the revote. He said government security officials met Friday and discussed police concerns that it would amount to breaking the law if they provided security for an election boycotted by two candidates.

He said it was decided that “forcing an election” was not in the country’s interest because he feared the military and police would have to be deployed to conduct the vote.

Meanwhile, former President Mohamed Nasheed - who finished first in the September balloting but did not win the majority of votes needed to avoid a runoff - and his supporters held civil disobedience protests Saturday after the election was called off. They sat blocking a main road in the capital, Male, sipping tea, eating snacks and chewing spices.

Riot police were deployed in many parts of the city prepared to deal with protests. Nasheed had endorsed the voter list. The other candidates - Yaamin Abdul Gayoom, who is a brother of the country’s former autocratic leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and businessman Qasim Ibrahim, who challenged the first-round result in court - did not.

Thowfeek had announced earlier Saturday that he would hold the election on the court’s advice, despite the fact that not all candidates had endorsed the list of voters. However, he said later that the court did not specifically advise that he conduct the election, but instead asked him to follow the original guidelines, which are open to interpretation.

The Maldives became a democracy five years ago after 30 years of autocratic rule and has had a difficult transition.

Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected president, was forced to resign last year midway through his term after he ordered the arrest of a senior judge he perceived as corrupt and partial. Nasheed says he was forced out of power by a coup, though an inquiry commission has dismissed his claim.

Maldivian institutions including the judiciary, police and public service are often perceived as partial and dominated by those loyal to Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who lost to Nasheed in 2008. — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

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

India charges 33 aboard armed US ‘anti-piracy’ ship CHENNAI: India has charged 33 men aboard an armed ship operated by a US maritime security firm for failing to produce papers authorising it to carry weapons in Indian waters, police said on Saturday, a move that could trigger diplomatic tensions.

The captain and the chief engineer were not among those arrested in Friday’s action. The crew have been charged with illegal procurement of diesel and possession of arms and ammunitions without required documentation.

“The captain kept saying that he would produce the required documentation, but whatever was produced was inadequate,” a police officer, who did not wish to be identified, told Reuters from the southern city of Chennai.

Police are still checking the authenticity of the documents on the ship, Chacko Thomas, a spokesman in India for Virginia-based AdvanFort, which owns the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Seaman Guard Ohio, told Reuters.

India detained the ship last week and it was being held in the port of Tuticorin along with its crew and armed security guards, which included British, Estonian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals.

The US embassy in New Delhi could not be immediately reached for comment. The southern tip of India is close to major trading routes from Asia to Europe. Many cargo ships now travel with armed guards to deter pirates. Sri Lanka, close to Tuticorin, is a popular boarding point for private armed guards.

A diplomatic row erupted last year when two Indian fishermen were allegedly shot dead by two Italian marines serving as security guards on an Italian-flagged oil tanker off the Kerala coast. The marines are currently being prosecuted in India. The incident highlighted the loosely-regulated practice of placing private and military armed guards on ships for protection against pirate attacks. Pirate attacks cost billions of dollars every year as much as $5.7-6.1 billion in 2012, according to The Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group. — Reuters

Afghan assembly sets November date for decision on US troops Meeting of elders can decide on security pact: Karzai

ISLAMABAD: In this Aug. 26, 2013, file photo Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pauses during a joint press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Sharif is traveling to Washington for talks and a meeting Wednesday, with President Barack Obama. — AP

Afghan peace on the table as Pakistan PM heads to US ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif departed yesterday for talks in the United States, with the Afghan peace process and the prickly issue of Washington’s drone campaign likely to top the agenda.

Relations between Pakistan and the US, fractious allies in the “war on terror”, have been on the mend this year after lurching from crisis to crisis in 2011 and 2012.

Sharif meets President Barack Obama on Wednesday with Washington keen to press the Pakistani premier to help faltering efforts to secure peace between Kabul and the Afghan Taleban. Sharif will use the trip to seek help for his country’s ailing economy and dysfunctional energy sector.

Daniel Markey, a senior fellow at US thinktank the Council on Foreign Relations, said that since coming to power in May Sharif had impressed Washington with his willingness to be a partner. In the past Pakistan has been accused of being unhelpful in the Afghan peace process and of maintaining links with the Taleban, whose government in the 1990s Islamabad formally recognised.

The release of Afghan Taleban prisoners from Pakistani custody, including senior rebel leader Abdul Ghani Baradar last month, had gone some way to diminish these accusations, Markey said. He said Obama would likely appreciate any new ideas from Pakistan on how to jump-start the Afghan peace process as the United States and NATO prepare to withdraw combat troops next year.

“If the Pakistanis come armed with some ideas on that front, they may win some points. If there are specific things that they can offer, they can show themselves to be helpful,” said Markey, author of the new book “No Exit from Pakistan” on the two nations’ relationship.

Pervez Rashid, Pakistan’s information minister and spokesman for the government, told AFP the delegation would use the trip to raise the issue of drones. The CIA’s campaign of missile strikes from unmanned aircraft targeting suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas along the Afghan border has been a significant thorn in relations.

The drone strikes are deeply unpopular in Pakistan and Islamabad publicly condemns them as counter-productive and a violation of sovereignty, though previous governments are known to have given their tacit support to them.

The US regards the strikes as a highly

effective tool in the fight against Islamist militancy and Pakistani analyst Hasan Askari said there was little obvious room for progress on the issue.

“The US will refuse to stop these attacks, stressing that Pakistan must improve their control in the tribal areas, which Pakistan is unable to do at the moment,” Askari told AFP. Parts of the tribal areas are effectively beyond the writ of the Pakistani state and provide safe havens for militants attacking NATO forces in Afghanistan. A compromise could be reached, Markey suggested, in which the US restricts the number of strikes and coordinates with Pakistan to target only specific Al-Qaeda-linked figures.

But he said that any deal could hinge on the status of the Haqqani network, the militant force classified as terrorists by the United States, which in the past has said that the group is connected to Pakistani intelligence.

“Washington would have to be willing under those circumstances to effectively stop targeting Haqqani targets because the Pakistanis won’t allow that. They would never say that they qualify as an Al-Qaeda affiliate and so that may just be a fundamental stumbling block,” said Markey.

A senior US State Department official said drone strikes were “part of a very comprehensive conversation we have on security across the board” “One of the things we want to hear about are the Sharif government’s own plans for dealing with their domestic terrorism issues, and what they see as the future of engaging with the TTP (Pakistani Taleban), what the status is of potential peace discussions,” the official added.

Sharif is also expected to meet officials from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank as well as private investors as he seeks to make good on election promises to reinvigorate Pakistan’s flaccid economy.

The IMF warned Pakistan last month that economic growth could be worse than expected next year due to strict austerity measures built into a $6.7 billion rescue loan.

Growth has bumped along at three percent in recent years, far below the seven percent experts say is needed to absorb the growing young population into the workforce.

While Washington is likely to pledge support for the economy, Askari said, it is unlikely to promise new aid in addition to the money already being given under the Kerry-Lugar bill and Coalition Support Fund. — AFP

ADAMPUR: Relatives of an unidentified person died after drinking toxic liquor, wail near his body, in Adampur village, in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. A batch of toxic bootleg liquor killed at least 32 people, mostly poor laborers, and sickened dozens more in northern India, police said yesterday. — AP

KABUL: The future of US troops in Afghanistan after 2014 will be decided by an assembly of tribal elders in late November, its organisers said, setting a date for the verdict on a longdelayed bilateral deal held up by disputes over key provisions.

A draft pact known as the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) was hammered out in Kabul last weekend by US Secretary of State John Kerry. But he left without a final deal as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said only the assembly, the Loya Jirga, had the authority to decide contentious issues.

These include a US demand to retain legal jurisdiction over its troops in Afghanistan, which would give them immunity from Afghan law.

The request appeared to have been resolved this summer, but emerged as the main sticking point after Kerry’s visit.

“The BSA is very important, it has many details and has several chapters over 32 pages,” Sadeq Mudaber, one of the organisers, told a meeting with journalists and dignitaries. “Now it is time to present it to the people of Afghanistan with all its details and get their consultation on it.”

The United States says it cannot agree to a deal unless it is granted the right to try in the United States its citizens who break the law in Afghanistan. The tentative date set for the Loya Jirga, Nov 19-21, will further test US patience.

Officials previously said they wanted the BSA in place by the end of October to give the US-led NATO coalition of troops time to implement plans for 2015.

If approved by the assembly, the draft will be submitted to parliament. If it passes both as expected, the deal will pave the way for a decision on how many US and other troops remain in Afghanistan after next year.

If approval is not forthcoming, the United States has said it will pull out all of its troops by the end of next year, an outcome known as the “zero option”. US officials have in recent months raised the possibility, with an implicit warning that Afghan security forces are not ready to fight the Taliban-led insurgency without their help.

Doubts are beginning to appear that sticking points have finally been laid to rest. Few details have emerged from either side on the agreement reached on an Afghan request for protection from foreign aggression - an allusion to

attacks along its border with Pakistan.

This silence on the issue has prompted some Western diplomats to suggest that the deal may meet resistance on the Pakistani border issue rather than other matters.

The hand-picked assembly is, however, expected to align itself with the government and has previously indicated it favoured a deal with the United States. “Security was a part of the previous Jirga and has been already been decided on,” Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, a prominent figure in the Jirga, told the gathering.

“I told him (Karzai) that he can sign it and if there is any problem he can solve it with Americans by negotiating.” Some members have, however, already made it plain they will oppose the US request for immunity from Afghan prosecution.

“If this pact is signed, it means giving a licence to infidels to kill Muslims,” said Qazi Nazir Anafi, a lawmaker and senior member of the top religious panel, the Ulema Council. The collapse of similar talks between the United States and Iraq in 2011 - partly over the issue of immunity led to the United States completely ending its forces’ mission there. — Reuters

US to release $1.6bn in Pakistan assistance WASHINGTON: The US has quietly decided to release more than $1.6 billion in military and economic aid to Pakistan that was suspended when relations between the two countries disintegrated over the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden and deadly US airstrikes against Pakistani soldiers.

Officials and congressional aides said ties have improved enough to allow the money to flow again.

American and NATO supply routes to Afghanistan are open. Controversial US drone strikes are down. The US and Pakistan recently announced the restart of their “strategic dialogue” after a long pause. Pakistan’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is traveling to Washington for talks this coming week with President Barack Obama.

But in a summer dominated by foreign policy debates over the coup in Egypt and chemical weapons attacks in Syria, the US hasn’t promoted its revamped aid relationship with Pakistan. Neither has Pakistan.

The silence reflects the lingering mutual suspicions between the two. The Pakistanis do not like being seen as dependent on their heavy-handed partners. The Americans are uncomfortable highlighting the billions provided to a government that is plagued by corruption and perceived as often duplicitous in fighting terrorism.

Congress has cleared most of the money, which should start moving early next year, officials and congressional aides said.

Over three weeks in July and August, the State Department and the US Agency for International Development informed Congress that it planned to restart a wide range of assistance, mostly dedicated to helping Pakistan fight terrorism. The US sees that effort sees as essential as it withdraws troops from neighboring Afghanistan next year and tries to leave a stable government behind.

Other funds focus on a range of items, including help for Pakistani law enforcement and a multibillion-dollar dam in disputed territory. US-Pakistani relations have weathered numerous crises in recent years. There was a months-long legal battle over a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis, in addition to the fallout from bin Laden’s killing in the Pakistani military town of Abbottabad in May 2011. The Pakistani government was outraged that it received no advance warning of the Navy SEAL raid on bin Laden’s compound. Adding to the mistrust, the US mistakenly killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers in November 2011. Islamabad responded by shutting land supply routes for troops in Afghanistan until it received a US apology seven months later.

The State Department told Congress that the US hadn’t conducted any significant military financing for Pakistan since the “challenging and rapidly changing period of US-Pakistan relations” in 2011 and 2012. The department stressed the importance now of enhancing Pakistan’s anti-terrorism capabilities through better communications, night vision capabilities, maritime security and precision striking with F16 fighter jets. The department told Congress on July 25 that it would spend $295 million to help Pakistan’s military. Twelve days later it announced $386 million more. A pair of notifications arriving on Aug. 13 and worth $705 million centered on helping Pakistani troops and air forces operating in the militant hotbeds of western Pakistan, and other counterinsurgency efforts. The administration had until the end of September to provide Congress with “reprogramming” plans at the risk of forfeiting some of the money, which spans federal budgets from 2009-2013.

State Department officials said the renewal of aid wasn’t determined by any single event. But they noted a confluence of signs of greater cooperation, from Pakistan’s improved commitment to stamping out explosives manufacturing to its recent counterterror offensive in areas bordering Afghanistan that have served as a primary sanctuary for the Taleban.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk publicly about the aid relationship ahead of Sharif’s visit. They said the money would start reaching Pakistan in 2014 but take several years to disburse fully.—AFP

SCOTLAND: Malala Yousafzai (C), the Pakistani girl shot by the Taleban after campaigning for girls’ education, stands between British former prime minister Gordon Brown (L) and university Principal Professor Timothy O’Shea as she receives an honorary masters degree from the University of Edinburgh during the first Global Citizenship Commission meeting at the university in Scotland yesterday.— AFP

Bangladesh bans rallies fearing more violence DHAKA: Bangladesh police yesterday banned all rallies in the capital Dhaka, fearing violence after the opposition called for “armed” protests to force elections under a caretaker government.

The ban comes after an official from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) urged supporters to stage non-stop protests starting October 25 armed with machetes and knives.

All rallies, demonstrations and mass gatherings have been banned as a result of the opposition’s protest call, which could “lead to (the) deterioration of law and order and security” in the capital, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) chief Benazir Ahmed.

Police have imposed the ban indefinitely, DMP deputy chief Monirul Islam told reporters. The BNP and its Islamists allies have set the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina an October 24 deadline to agree to their demand to hold upcoming parliamentary elections under a neutral caretaker government.

Hasina on Friday proposed an all-party interim government in an effort to break the deadlock over the polls. The BNP has yet to respond to the proposal but the party has long threatened to boycott any elections held under a government or interim administration led by Hasina.

Yesterday the BNP blasted the police ban on protests. “This is a clear trampling of all sorts of democratic norms,” the party’s chief parliamentary whip Zainul Abdin Farroque told The Daily Star. The United States and the United Nations have urged Hasina and BNP leader Khaleda Zia-known as the ‘battling begums’ in Bangladesh for their bitter decades-long rivalry-to hold a dialogue and break the impasse over the elections.

Violence ahead of a cancelled election in 2007 killed dozens and led the country’s powerful military to step in and form an army-backed caretaker government. The BNP is leading in opinion polls ahead of the elections which must be held by January 2014. — AFP

PARGWAL: A Jammu and Kashmir policeman displays mortar shrapnel at a home in Najwal village in Pargwal sector of Akhnoor district, about 40 kms from Jammu yesterday. India expressed concern over cross-border firing by Pakistan’s troops in Kashmir amid reports two soldiers were injured in the latest military flare-up in the disputed Himalayan region. — AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

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

Australian authorities fear worsening wildfires SYDNEY: Firefighters battling some of the most destructive wildfires to ever strike Australia’s most populous state were bracing Saturday for worsening conditions, with higher temperatures and winds expected to intensify the danger in the coming days.

In the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, one of the worst-hit regions in fire-ravaged New South Wales state, 193 homes have been destroyed and another 109 damaged by the fire storm that peaked Thursday, the Rural Fire Service said.

The damage toll announced Saturday was more than double the count from the previous day and was expected to contin-

ue to rise as assessment teams and police move deeper into the destruction zone in search of survivors and victims. Homes have been reported destroyed in other regions, but numbers were not yet available.

With 68 fires still burning - 22 of them out of control - and dangerous weather conditions forecast through Thursday, authorities were expecting the worst. “We could see some very, very dire conditions ranging right across the Blue Mountains,” Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Nine Network television.

“The reason we are particularly con-

cerned is that we went into last Thursday with not too much fire. We’re going into some bad weather now with lots of fire and literally 500 kilometers (310 miles) of fire edge that needs to be dealt with, and that will present serious issues should we see that hot, dry, windy weather which is likely toward the middle of the week,” he said.

A 63-year-old man died of a heart attack Thursday while protecting his home from fire at Lake Munmorah, north of Sydney, and at least five people including three firefighters - have been treated in hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation, officials said.

Police are investigating allegations that two girls aged 12 and 13 tried to light a fire in a woodland on Sydney’s western fringe on Friday. Firefighters were able to extinguish a small fire in that area without damage to property.

Police said the girls were questioned and then released. No charges were filed, but an investigation was continuing.

Arson investigators are examining the origins of several of more than 100 fires that have threatened towns surrounding Sydney in recent days.

The wildfires have been extraordinarily intense and extraordinarily early in an annual fire season that peaks during the

southern hemisphere summer, which begins in December.

Around 1,500 firefighters have been back burning to contain blazes since winds and temperatures became milder on Friday. Several roads in fire-affected areas north, west and south of Sydney have been closed.

Wildfires are common in Australia, though they don’t tend to pop up in large numbers until the summer. This year’s unusually dry winter and hotter than average spring have led to perfect fire conditions. In February 2009, wildfires killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria state. —AP

14 Laos plane crash victims identified Country’s deadliest known air disaster

MANILA: Passengers look at the wreckage of another passenger bus following a seven-vehicle pile-up along the highway at Atimonan township, Quezon province, about 115 kilometers (72 miles) southeast of Manila, Philippines yesterday. — AP

20 killed, 44 injured in Philippine road accident MANILA: A truck carr ying hog feed smashed into the rear of a passenger bus on a remote downhill provincial road in the northern Philippines early yesterday, setting off a series of wrecks that left at least 20 people dead and injured 44 others, police said.

The bus driver lost control of his vehicle after the first collision and hit two buses and four vans coming from the opposite direction before toppling over on the narrow downhill road in Quezon province on Luzon island, about 115 kilometers (72 miles) southeast of Manila, Atimonan town police chief Jonar Yupio said. Parts of the bus pinned many of the victims, and others were killed by flying metal debris, including the engine.

All those killed - including four children, the truck driver and his assistant - were in either the truck or the first bus that was hit.

Social workers said a 1-year-old girl was among the survivors. Rescuer Jun Panuil said he found the baby muddied and covered in blood from other victims on the side of the road near the bus. He said the blood had made rescuers suspect the child was seriously hurt, but she had only a few scratches.

Yupio said it was dark and raining when the accident occurred early Saturday morning, shortly past midnight. He said the bus and truck involved in the first collision rolled over before stopping on their sides.

The injured, most of them passengers on the first bus that was hit, were brought to separate hospitals, Yupio said.

An investigation has been launched.

Road accidents are common in remote areas in the Philippines, largely because of poor vehicle maintenance and bad road conditions. — AP

Journalists among 10 hurt in Thai south blasts BANGKOK: A double bomb attack in Thailand’s restive south yesterday injured 10 people, almost half of them journalists including an AFP photographer, police said.

An initial explosion early yesterday in Narathiwat, one of several insurgencyprone provinces, apparently targeted an army patrol injuring six military personnel, police said.

Journalists who rushed to the scene were standing at a distance from the original bomb site when the second device exploded near them, said AFP photographer Madaree Tohala who was injured in the blast.

“We were chatting on the side of the road while we waited for authorities to do their jobs,” Madaree said. “I don’t know how it happened, I heard a big explosion which was not far from where I was standing and when I opened my eyes I saw my reporter friends lying on the street,” he said.

Almost a decade of conflict has left more than 5,700 people dead in the Thai south. Shadowy groups of Muslim militants, calling for autonomy for the region, have waged near-daily bomb and gun attacks, targeting security forces and civilians from both the Buddhist and Muslim

communities.

Madaree, who was hit by shrapnel in the back and ear, was being treated at a provincial hospital Saturday.

The other three reporters, including one woman, were believed to be from local television stations. None of them are thought to have been seriously hurt.

Three of the army personnel injured were said to be in a critical condition.

Violence erupted in the Muslim-majority region bordering Malaysia in 2004. As the conflict has continued, rights groups have also accused Thai authorities of alleged human rights abuses and efforts to weave the culturally distinct south into the kingdom.

People of both religions are considered targets of the militants for their supposed collusion with the state, with teams of troops flanking monks on their rounds and teachers as they make their way to and from school.

But attacks on journalists in the region are rare. Violence in the south continues despite several rounds of peace talks, hosted by Malaysia, between the Thai authorities and one of a network of rebel groups. —AFP

LOUAIN-LA-NEUVE: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi delivers a speech during a conference entitled ‘Charity and compassion in Europe’ at the UCL university in Louvain-la-Neuve, yesterday. — AFP

PAKSE: Lao Airlines yesterday said it had identified almost half of the 32 bodies so far recovered after a plane carrying dozens of people, many of them foreign travellers, plunged into the Mekong River.

In the country’s deadliest known air disaster, all those on board died when the Lao Airlines turboprop ATR-72 plunged into the swollen waters in stormy weather on Wednesday near Pakse airport in Champasak province.

More than half of the 49 passengers and crew were foreigners from 10 countries. Lao Airlines said that its team, in cooperation with Thai rescuers, investigators from the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer and local authorities, had identified 14 of the 32 bodies found so far.

Two Australian passengers, the Cambodian captain and several members of the crew were among those named so far. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this terrible tragedy,” the carrier said in a statement.

Volunteers have battled strong currents in their search for bodies from the plane, most of which has sunk and is believed to have broken up. In some cases, rescue teams have plucked the dead from turbulent waters many miles from the crash site.

A Chinese temple in Pakse has been turned into a makeshift autopsy centre, with experts flown in from around the world to help.

Jong-Pil Park, from South Korea’s national forensic department, said the crash was a huge challenge for impoverished Laos, with the damage to the bodies creating further hurdles in identification.

“They need to analyse DNA samples, finger prints and dental (records). They need to solve by cooperating with many countries,” he told AFP. He said it could take up to two weeks to finish conducting the autopsies.

In an updated statement late Saturday, Lao Airlines said some of

PAKSE: A Lao soldier stands guard as French investigators gather around the wreckage of a Lao Airlines plane that crashed Wednesday, in Pakse, Laos yesterday. — AP the bodies had been returned to their families, including the Cambodian pilot, whose body was flown back to Phnom Penh.

Families of those identified have already begun holding funerals for their loved ones. “This is the biggest loss in my life,” Souksamone Phommasone told AFP as he prepared to cremate his wife Chinda.

She died along with her mother and father as they returned in the ill-fated aircraft from a visit to see the couple’s daughter in Vientiane.

Thailand has said the recovery operation is being led by local authorities with the support of its navy, air force and volunteer rescue teams. Lao Airlines said the aircraft hit “extreme” bad weather while witnesses described seeing the plane buffeted by strong winds caused by

tropical storm Nari.

According to an updated passenger list from the airline, there were 16 Laotians, seven French travellers, six Australians, five Thais, three South Koreans, three Vietnamese, and one national each from the United States, Malaysia, China and Taiwan.

Aircraft manufacturer ATR said the twin-engine turboprop aircraft was new and had been delivered in March. Founded in 1976, Lao Airlines serves domestic airports and destinations in China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Impoverished Laos, a one-party communist state, has seen 29 fatal air accidents since the 1950s, according to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN). ASN president Harro Ranter said investigators working to

find a cause of the crash would look at weather forecasts given to the crew, indications on their radar and their own decision-making among other considerations.

“The investigation will show what caused the crash,” he told AFP, adding that propeller planes like the one involved “are not less safe in poor weather conditions per se”. Laos was last audited by the United Nation’s air safety arm, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, in 2010 and found to be just above world average for all factors except airworthiness and operations, which were just below. Previously the country’s worst air disaster was in 1954 when 47 people died in an Air Vietnam crash near Pakse, the organisation said. — AFP

Ex-leader’s son in focus as Malaysia ruling party votes KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s ruling party held elections yesterday with the son of former strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad seeking a top post that could put him on the fast-track to future national leadership.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is unopposed as president of the power ful United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), giving him more time to deliver on his cautious pledges to reform a party confronted by ebbing support after dominating Malaysia for 56 years.

But political observers say Najib’s reform plans face increasing resistance from conservatives, and that the contests for three vice presidential slots could indicate who has the upper hand.

All eyes are now on Mukhriz Mahathir, 48, a rising political star who is running for party vice president and whom analysts expect will seek to protect his conservative father’s legacy. “(UMNO conservatives) will vote not so much for Mukhriz but for his father, whom they see as representing the sentiments of the UMNO right-wing,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

A win by Mukhriz could signal a tough road for Najib’s reform agenda, he said. “Najib would be spending most of his time guarding his position (from conservatives), which will be under subtle but solid attack,” he said.

Mahathir, now 88 and retired, is revered by many in the Muslim Malay ethnic majority for championing their rights and overseeing rapid economic growth during his iron-fisted 19812003 tenure.

But he is loathed by opponents who accuse him of trampling civil rights and continuing to stir the politics of racial division after his supposed retirement. Mukhriz, whose appointment as chief minister of Mahathir’s home state of Kedah in May boosted speculation about his future, has been much less divisive.

He has said UMNO must transform to remain relevant to voters, but is believed to remain popular with right-wingers due to his pedigree and espousing of Malay interests. Analysts have

speculated a political deal could be in the works, with Mahathir and his conservative backers pushing for a promise that Mukhriz be made prime minister one day.

“His father is still very influential in UMNO. If he fails to win (on Saturday), he still has time to build up his career,” said Azizuddin Sani, an associate professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia. The Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, through which UMNO rules, has been winning elections by diminishing margins as voters tire of its race-based politics and authoritarian rule.

In particular, the sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities are increasingly resentful of UMNO’s decades-old practice of giving Malays advantages in education, housing, and economic opportunities.

The policies also are viewed by many economists as hindering national competitiveness.

Najib, now 60 and in office since 2009, has responded by positioning himself as a political and economic reformer.

But he has already backtracked on some key reform moves disliked by conservatives and is seen as under heightened pressure following May elections, in which Barisan was returned to power but put in its worst polls showing ever.

Last month, he announced fresh measures to benefit Malays despite an earlier pledge to reform the controversial affirmative action policy. His government also recently reinstated detention without trial.

A total of 146,500 party delegates were eligible to vote Saturday. Results were expected late in the evening. Hardline Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected to be re-elected as an UMNO vice-president, with other posts considered too close to call. — AFP

AMPANG: A voter marks her ballot during the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party elections in Ampang, in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Malaysia’s ruling party held elections, with the son of former strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad seeking a top post that could put him on the fast-track to future national leadership. — AFP

NEWS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

A rainbow is seen over the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against Southampton in their English Premier League match at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester yesterday. — AP

Muslim Brotherhood facing wave of trials CAIRO: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood faces a wave of trials unlike any it has seen in its history, threatening to put a large number of its senior leaders behind bars for years, even life, as military-backed authorities determined to cripple the group prepare prosecutions on charges including inciting violence and terrorism. The prosecutions are the next phase in a wide-ranging crackdown on the Brotherhood following the military’s July ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, who goes on trial next month.

Morsi’s trial, the most high-profile case, is setting a pattern for the others, aiming to show that the Brotherhood leadership directed a campaign of violence. Morsi is charged with inciting murder in connection to a protest during his year in office in which his supporters attacked protesters outside his palace. Leaders may also be charged with fomenting violence in post-coup protests by Morsi’s Islamist supporters demanding his reinstatement. Security forces have cracked down heavily on the protests, claiming some participants were armed, and have killed hundreds of Morsi backers. With each new round of protests and violence, prosecutors consider new charges that include incitement and arming supporters, Brotherhood lawyers say.

So far, at least nine and possibly more than a dozen cases are being put together, according to a prosecution official and Brotherhood lawyers. Each has multiple defendants. Four cases, including Morsi’s, have been referred to trial with a total of at least 34 defendants, though a few are being tried in absentia. Ahmed Seif, a human rights lawyer following the investigations, predicted around 200 Brotherhood leaders and senior officials could eventually end up in court.

Brotherhood lawyer Mohammed Gharib denounced the cases as simply “a fig leaf by authorities to cover over their scandal” - to justify the coup and the crackdown, pointing out that no police have been investigated for killing protesters. “They are going after their main political opponent,” he told AP last week. On Friday, the Brotherhood legal team said Gharib left the country for security reasons and has been replaced by another lawyer. Dozens of Brotherhood lawyers have already been detained. Gharib,

himself tried under previous administrations, represented the Brotherhood’s jailed top leader Mohammed Badie and other senior members.

Some 2,000 high- and middle-ranking Brotherhood figures have been detained, and Gharib estimated another 6,000 rankand-file members and supporters are also in custody, being questioned for material to use against the leadership. Among the biggest figures in custody are Morsi, Badie and his deputy Khairat el-Shater, and almost half the group’s main leadership council and many of its former parliament members.

Rights lawyers say they are struggling to keep track, given the high numbers jailed and prosecutors who are keeping a tight lid on information.

Even rights lawyers who see a strong basis for prosecuting Brotherhood figures over violence and abuses of power expressed concern over the scope of the projected trials. Rights advocates have called for a thorough program of transitional justice to address abuses from the time of autocrat Hosni Mubarak and through the past 2 1/2 years of Egypt’s turmoil since his ouster which would also mean trying police and military officials for killing protesters and other rights violations. Instead, they fear unfair trials with shoddy evidence will be used for the political aim of undermining the Brotherhood. “They want revenge,” Amr Imam, a rights lawyer with the Hesham Mubarak Legal Center, said of the current authorities. “ The rights of not only the Brotherhood, but many other Egyptians, will be lost because of arbitrary procedures.”

The Brotherhood, which despite being illegal grew in recent decades to become Egypt’s best organized political group, leaped to power in elections after Mubarak’s 2011 ouster. The presidency of Morsi, a Brotherhood member who became Egypt’s first freely elected leader, prompted a massive backlash from many in the public who saw the group as trying to monopolize power and impose its vision on the country. The military removed Morsi on July 3 after protests by millions against him. The group says the military has crushed the country’s fledgling democracy and will bring back Mubarak-style rule.

During its 85-year history, the Muslim

CAIRO: In this Oct 6, 2013 photo, supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi are detained during clashes with riot police. — AP Brotherhood has seen frequent waves of plotting violence, testimonies by victims of arrests. But this time is different. Under violence and weapons seized at two proMubarak, Brotherhood leaders at times were Morsi protest camps, according to the offijailed under emergency laws on accusations cial, who spoke to AP on condition of of belonging to a banned group, but were anonymity because he is not authorized to only occasionally brought to trial. Instead, talk to the press.

Morsi’s trial begins on Nov 4, with 14 oththeir detentions and releases were part of a political game, used by the regime to wrest er Brotherhood figures as co-defendants. concessions from the group, particularly Their case is rooted in an attack by ahead of elections. “We used to play chess Brotherhood supporters on an anti-Morsi with the previous regime,” said Gharib. “Now protest camp outside his palace in December, during his presidency, which it is straight out crushing.”

Gharib also noted another difference - in sparked clashes that left 10 dead. Morsi is the past 30 years under Mubarak, there was accused of inciting his followers to attack no attempt to associate the group with vio- the protesters, a charge that could carry the lence. The major exception was a high-pro- death penalty. Morsi has been held in a file military trial of Brotherhood figures secret military detention with no access to under Mubarak, in 2008, when 25 members, his lawyers and has refused to cooperate including senior leaders and financiers, were with investigators. In leaked reports of his sentenced to up to 10 years for money laun- interrogations, Morsi insisted he is the legitidering and terrorism. The case was initiated mate leader of the country. His family called after masked Brotherhood students held a the trial and accusations “laughable.”

The trial of Brotherhood leader Badie militia-style demonstration in Cairo, raising an investigation into whether the began in August. He, his predecessor Mahdi Brotherhood had resurrected its military Akef and senior deputies are charged with incitement in connection to an incident days wing.

A prosecution official said nine or 10 cas- before Morsi’s ouster, when Brotherhood es are so far being prepared on incitement members opened fire on anti-Morsi protestand other charges. Investigators are citing ers outside the Brotherhood’s Cairo headrecordings of conversations among leaders quarters, allegedly intent on storming it. At

Hamas denies taking part in Egypt...

Continued from Page 1 to undermine support for Hamas, accusing it of failing to provide for civilians. “Know that Hamas is spending millions of dollars on tunnels used for hostile and terrorist acts

against the state of Israel,” the messages said, according to Palestinians.

“This money should have gone to infrastructure, education and health projects.” A military spokeswoman yesterday confirmed to AFP that the army sent the text and telephone

messages. “We feel that it is important that the people of Gaza are aware of how the warped leadership of Hamas chooses the path of terror rather than the path of civil development,” she quoted chief spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner as saying. — AFP

Tunisia says nine ‘terrorists’ killed Continued from Page 1 groups and has struggled to contain them. On Friday, in a sign of rising frustration over the costly fight against jihadists, protesting security forces drove Prime Minister Ali Larayedh and President Moncef Marzouki away from a memorial service for the policemen killed in Beja.

Tunisia has been in a state of political paralysis since July, when prominent opposition lawmaker Mohamed Brahmi was shot dead by suspected jihadists, in circumstances similar to

the murder of another opposition figure, Chokri Belaid, six months earlier. Ansar al-Sharia has been implicated in the killings, with the interior ministry saying its leader, Abou Iyadh, is holed up in Mount Chaambi.

The opposition accuses the ruling Ennahda, which swept Tunisia’s first post-revolutionary elections, of failing to combat a rise in jihadist militancy.

The two sides said yesterday they will launch a repeatedly delayed national dialogue on Wednesday in a bid to resolve the dispute. The

announcement came two weeks after Ennahda agreed to stand down by late October as part of a roadmap to form a government of independents. But Ennahda reiterated yesterday that it will only stand down once a constitution is ratified, while the opposition is demanding the formation of a new government at the launch of the process. The roadmap is also aimed at introducing a new constitution, electoral laws and setting a timetable for fresh parliamentary and presidential elections to end the political deadlock. — AFP

least eight people were killed. In interrogation transcripts leaked to the press, the 85year-old Akef is questioned about testimony by a journalist at the clashes who claimed to have overheard a Brotherhood member talking to Akef on the phone, asking for more weapons. “These are lies,” Akef replied, saying the investigators should be tried for putting together “baseless” accusations, according to the Al-Fagr newspaper.

Badie is also being investigated in a separate case. A few days after Morsi’s ouster, his supporters rallied outside a Republican Guard facility where they believed he was detained. Authorities say they tried to break in after Badie and a prominent proBrotherhood preacher Safwat Hegazy urged protesters in public speeches to free the ousted president. In the ensuing violence, security forces killed 51 protesters, and a military officer and two policemen were allegedly killed by armed protesters. Hegazy is also jailed now under investigation in the case - and on trial in a separate one.

Gharib said that top Brotherhood figures were told by prosecutors during questioning that they were accused of trying to topple the regime, which he found ironic because the group considers Morsi to be the legitimate president. Another Brotherhood lawyer, Osamal El-Helw, said with each new instance of violence around ongoing protests, Brotherhood leaders are added to new investigations, presumably on incitement charges. He said Badie, who has been interrogated in over a dozen cases, will likely face more trials.

The question of how intensely authorities will carry out prosecution and trials is tied up in political considerations, rights lawyers say. Seif, who represented Brotherhood members in past cases, said he believes the aim is to win criminal sentences that would prevent Brotherhood figures from running in any parliament or presidential elections next year. Imam believes the flurry of investigations is a pressure tactic to force the Brotherhood to rein in more extremist allies, who have carried out attacks on churches, state facilities and troops in Sinai. “It is not the Brotherhood that are carrying the weapons,” he said. “ They are part of an alliance of radical groups who are, and the Brotherhood speaks for them now.” — AP

Arab states urge Saudi rethink ...

Continued from Page 1 Saudi Arabia won a prized two year seat on the 15 nation Security Council in a UN General Assembly election on Thursday. The government stunned the world the following day however by accusing the council of “double standards” in handling conflicts such as the 32-month-old Syria war. Many

diplomats and analysts have said the Saudi protest was a message to the United States that it wanted a tougher stance on Syria and was angry that Washington had opened contacts with Iran. Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one oil producer and a predominant Islamic power, is a major backer of Syrian opposition rebels and arch-rival of the Iranian government.

Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal from the council term starting on Jan 1 means that the Asia-Pacific group will have to find a new candidate for a new vote by the UN General Assembly unless the Saudis change their mind.

Saudi Arabia was elected to the council with Nigeria, Lithuania, Chad and Chile. All had stood unopposed in the election. — AFP

Kuwait may import power to cut...

Continued from Page 1 spoke about the financial benefits of importing electricity from nearby countries “where power plants are powered by natural gas compared to Kuwait’s which depend on heavy fuel”. “Importing electricity is a good option as long as it is taken as a shortterm solution while Kuwait continues to pursue new plants that operate on natural gas,” he said. Most electricity

generated in Kuwait goes to power air conditioning, which translates into overload in consumption in parallel with high temperatures that usually break the 50 C degrees mark multiple times in July each year.

Annual reinforcement and maintenance operations at power plants, transformers and distribution networks helped the ministry cope with the yearly increase in demand, but senior ministry officials have repeat-

edly indicated that a new power plant is necessary to avoid shortage crises in the future. Those concerns have so far failed to pacify political demands to investigate the contract to establish the North Zour power plant. At least one lawmaker identified ‘suspected irregularities’ in the tender process as the subject of a grilling motion planned after the beginning of the new parliamentary term on Oct 29.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

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Focus

Obama win has strings attached

By Julie Pace y most measures, President Barack Obama emerged far stronger than his Republican adversaries in Washington’s latest fiscal fight. He gave away virtually nothing and his hard-line tactics exposed deep divisions among Republicans and growing public frustration with the GOP. But Obama’s victory came with strings attached.

Under his watch, big swaths of the federal government were shuttered for 16 days, forcing hundreds of thousands of workers off the job and restricting many services. The nation was brought to the brink of a default for the second time in two years. And Congress’ last-minute deal generated yet another round of looming deadlines on the same issues, with no guarantee that Republican opposition to Obama’s objectives will be dampened in any way.

“What comes next is very unpredictable,” said Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist. “The notion that this group of people is going to be chastened by this, while it seems obvious, is uncertain.” Indeed, there’s little consensus among Republicans about how to proceed in the aftermath of the budget crisis. Some conservatives who demanded changes to Obama’s health care law in exchange for funding the government have signaled they’re ready to dig in for another fight. Among them is Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp, who said Republicans may have “lost the battle but we’re going to win the war.”

But other GOP lawmakers are demanding that their party make a course correction. “Hopefully, the lesson is to stop this foolish childishness,” said John McCain, the longtime Arizona senator. Republicans will have to quickly settle on a strategy. The deal that ended this month’s standoff only keeps the government open through Jan 15 and extends borrowing authority through Feb 7, though emergency measures may give the administration another month before reaching the debt limit. The agreement also requires bipartisan negotiators to issue a report by Dec 13 on broader budget issues like spending levels, deficit reduction and entitlement reforms - all matters over which the White House and congressional Republicans have long been at odds.

What happens during this next round of deadlines will help clarify whether Obama’s October win has done anything to alter the political dynamic in Washington or whether it was an isolated achievement. The White House said the president is entering the next phase of the debate with a similarly unyielding strategy. Aides said he is willing to make concessions as part of a larger budget deal but won’t let Republicans make funding the government or lifting the debt ceiling contingent on certain outcomes.

Some GOP leaders had assumed Obama would abandon that hardline stance during the most recent debate.

Many were taking their lessons from the last budget and debt fight in 2011, when Obama indeed made concessions to keep the government open and avoid a default. But Republicans misread how political shifts in Washington over the past two years had affected the president, and in particular how Obama’s resolve had been stiffened by the fact he doesn’t have to run for office again. Staunch conservatives also ignored warnings from more moderate Republicans, who argued that Obama would never agree to changes in the healthcare law that remains his signature legislative achievement.

“A fundamental flaw - and probably the biggest flaw was that they were negotiating for something that wasn’t really negotiable,” said Patrick Griffin, who served as President Bill Clinton’s legislative affairs director during the 1995 government shutdown. The start of the government shutdown coincided with the start of sign-ups for the “Obamacare” law’s health insurance exchanges - a rollout that was marred by widespread problems. In an ironic twist, the Republican insistence on shutting down the government in order to make changes to the law wound up overshadowing its glitches and a glaring embarrassment for the president. The result of the Republican miscalculations: a wave of public opinion polls showing that the GOP took the biggest hit as the budget war dragged on. A Washington Post-ABC News survey released Monday found 74 percent disapproved of the way the Republicans in Congress were handling negotiations over the federal budget, up 11 points since just before the shutdown began. Views on how Obama and congressional Democrats handled the budget battle tilted negative but did not change significantly over the course of the shutdown.

Despite their dour approval ratings, Republicans may again try to test whether Obama is willing to hold his hard line in the new year. But Obama - long a believer in the power of public opinion - is banking that the anger Americans aimed at Republicans in recent weeks will persuade them to shift course. “The Republicans recognize this was not a good strategy and seeing the horrible reaction from the American people, I’m pretty sure they’re not going to run this play again,” the president said. — AP

B

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

Awash in oil, US reshapes Mideast role

By Warren Strobel orty years after an Arab oil embargo throttled the US economy, surging North American energy production has brought the United States closer to a long-dreamed “energy independence” that is reshaping its goals and role in the Middle East.

On Oct 17, 1973, OPEC announced an oil embargo against the United States and any other country that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War. That use of oil as a diplomatic weapon has driven an American yearning for disengagement from the Middle East and its problems ever since.

Such a strategic divorce is unlikely to occur soon, current and former US officials say. Washington has too much invested in the region, from support for allies like Israel to the fight against Islamic militants. But the United States is less vulnerable to Middle East oil shocks, current and former US officials say, and may be less likely to station large ground and naval forces in the region in the future. More problematically, it will have to find a way to cooperate in the Middle East with energy-hungry China, they said.

And ties with Saudi Arabia, long nurtured by oil commerce, have been jolted by diplomatic disagreements over Iran, Syria and Egypt, and could fray further.

In the decades that followed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries embargo, “you could not make plans in the Middle East or involving Middle East crises, without keeping in mind the considerations of the oil market,” Henry Kissinger, who was Secretary of State during the 1973 oil shock, said on Wednesday. “But that is now changing substantially with the, I wouldn’t say ‘self sufficiency’ but narrowing the gap between supply and demand in North America, that is now of huge strategic consequence,” Kissinger said at a conference host-

F

ed by the group Securing America’s Future Energy.

The United States is less reliant each month on Middle East energy, thanks to increasing production of both oil and natural gas from technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which allows extraction of oil and gas from shale deposits. The country could be energy self-sufficient - producing enough to meet its own needs - by 2020, according to several analyses, and a debate has begun on whether to end an effective ban on US crude oil exports.

The growth of the United States as an energy power is already making a difference in foreign policy. Last year, Washington and its European allies orchestrated a partial boycott of Iranian oil, to compel Tehran to return to talks about its nuclear program. The sanctions against Iran took roughly 1 million barrels per day off world markets - without the oil price spikes many predicted.

Increased oil supplies from the United States, and elsewhere, “really helped us tremendously in our negotiations,” with potential partners, a senior State Department official said.

Weary of war after years of costly conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States is wary of intervening in crises like that in Syria, and took on a limited role in oil-rich Libya’s 2011 civil war. US oil production has helped dampen price spikes from disruptions in places such as Libya, officials and analysts said, and with it pressure for US intervention. Retired Adm. Dennis Blair, former US Director of National Intelligence, said that the United States’ increased energy output affords it the flexibility to reposition some military forces now in the Middle East “over the horizon,” where they could be called on in a crisis.

Blair did not suggest specifics, but said such a change would be a return to the traditional US defense posture before a buildup of US forces in the region that began with a major oil tanker

escort operation in the Gulf in the 1980s and increased with two wars with Iraq. “We have the opportunity to refine our policy,” he said. Publicly and privately, US officials increasingly are emphasizing that the United States has no plans to leave the Middle East or retreat into isolationism. “Reduced energy imports do not mean the United States can or should disengage from the Middle East or the world,” then-White House national security adviser Tom Donilon said in a speech in April. “We have a set of enduring national security interests” in the region, Donilon said, citing Israel’s security, the fight against terrorism and “our historic stabilizing role in protecting regional allies and partners.”

The United States is also the only country that has been able to bring Israelis and Palestinians together to negotiate peace, and provides security guarantees to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states. And America is still affected by global oil markets and the prices they set. The Saudis remain the key producer, with excess capacity to make up for unexpected supply shortages. A February report by Citigroup said that Gulf Arabs will continue to seek US security guarantees, particularly in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring” revolutions. But it warned there could be fresh tensions between the United States and non-democratic governments in the Middle East and elsewhere due to the change in energy balances.

By the end of the decade, the United States “could be freed from the shackles involved in sacrificing a values-driven policy focusing on human rights and democratic institutions in order to secure cooperation from resource-rich despotic regimes,” Citigroup said. Allies for decades, Washington and Riyadh find their interests now diverging on such key issues as how to support the rebels in Syria’s civil war, the intensifying US diplomacy with Iran and the military coup in Egypt. —Reuters

US ‘soft power’ takes hit over shutdown

By Paul Taylor picture spoke volumes about the United States’ loss of global prestige and influence due to the shutdown of its government in a partisan standoff over the federal budget and debt. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin beamed front and centre in the family photograph of Asian leaders at last week’s AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali. US Secretary of State John Kerry, standing in for an absent President Barack Obama, detained at home by protracted budget negotiations, waved forlornly from the edge, about as far from the centre as possible without falling off the platform.

For an administration that has focused its foreign policy on a “pivot” to Asia, the world’s most economically vibrant region, this may be more than a momentary setback. And not just in Asia. Joseph Nye, the Harvard professor who coined the term “soft power” to describe a nation’s ability to wield influence through its culture, values and governance rather than by force, said the United States had suffered a serious blow from the shutdown. “It’s clearly very damaging for American soft power in the sense that the reputation for effective management of government and of the world’s reserve currency are hurt,” Nye told Reuters.

Foreign governments and investors, from China to the Middle East, were bound to ask whether they should hold so much of their reserves in US Treasury bonds and dollars, he said. Obama and Congressional leaders agreed a temporary fix on Wednesday to keep the government running until January and raise the national debt ceiling, hours before it was set to lose the authority to borrow - a prelude to a potential default. The president acknowledged on Thursday that the 16-day shutdown had hurt Washington’s global position.

“Probably nothing has done more damage to America’s credibility in the world, our standing with other countries, than the spectacle that we’ve seen these past several weeks,” he said in a speech at the White House. “It’s encouraged our enemies, it’s emboldened our competitors, and it’s depressed our friends who look to us for steady leadership.” Nye said the fiscal crisis had compounded damage to trust in the United States from revelations about the National Security Agency’s tentacular global Internet surveillance by fugitive former intelligence consultant Edward Snowden. “On culture and values, we are doing pretty well,” he said. “But on government policies, whether on surveillance or on our management of the world’s most important reserve currency, that’s where the danger is.”

While Obama was marooned in the White House, Xi and Premier Li Keqiang swept around southeast Asia, dispensing goodwill, big investments and promises of surging

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trade, including with US allies such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua excoriated the United States for putting international financial stability at risk with domestic “political brinkmanship”. The lesson for America’s creditors was that “US Treasury bonds may no longer be a safe investment”.

Gloating over Washington’s paralysis, another Xinhua commentary said it was “perhaps a good time for the befuddled world to start considering building a de-Americanised world”. The risk of severe damage to the global economy from the US government paralysis and a possible debt default - now banished for a few months at least - dominated meetings of the Group of 20 world leaders in St Petersburg, Russia, last month and G20 finance ministers last week in Washington.

Putin berated the United States publicly over the uses and abuses of its power as he engineered a diplomatic deal to avert a US military strike on Syria. “Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy, but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan ‘you’re either with us or against us’,” he wrote in the New York Times on Sept 11.

Former US policy practitioners said the spectacle of a chronically divided political system unwilling to compromise on the big issues of taxation, public spending and borrowing had weakened the country’s international sway. “There is no question in my mind that this has a corrosive effect on American authority and influence in the world,” said

Samuel Berger, who was national security adviser to President Bill Clinton. “For the president not to be able to go to Asia for the East Asia summit is a blow, with President Xi being able to be there, be triumphant, announce a $50-billion development fund, makes other Asian nations very uncomfortable about our steadfastness,” Berger, who now chairs a global strategy consultancy, the Albright Stonebridge Group, told Reuters.

For US allies in the Arab world and Israel, acutely sensitive to any fluctuation in American engagement and deterrence, the signals have been both confusing and worrying. “When you look at how the Saudis are sensitive over this (US) flirtation with Iran, at what has happened in Syria and Egypt, the sense that the United States is the only superpower in the Middle East is slowly fading away,” said an Arab diplomat serving in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Arab governments and private fortunes are heavily invested in US Treasury instruments and the stock exchange, so there are financial as well as geopolitical grounds for anxiety. In a region where hard power counts for more than persuasion, Obama has presided over a US military withdrawal from Iraq and soon from Afghanistan, and avoided force against Syria over the use of chemical weapons, partly due to divisions in Congress.

That has fuelled doubts among Israelis, Saudis and others about his willingness to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability or wielding growing influence from

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Bali on Oct 7, 2013. — AP

Baghdad to Beirut.

With the United States increasingly independent of Middle East energy supplies due to its domestic shale gas bonanza, traditional clients fret that its commitment to their security is bound to diminish. Similar concerns have surfaced in Central America. Javier Trevino, a former Mexican deputy foreign minister who sits in the lower house of Congress, said the United States’ soft power was being compromised by the US legislature’s “myopic”, parochial outlook, and that US foes were benefiting. “By not being able to quickly resolve internal political issues, it opens a window of opportunity for the United States’ adversaries to push forward with their agendas,” he said. “The wrong signals are being sent to Russia, China, North Korea and Syria.”

For Europeans weary of being lectured by the United States about their tortured management of the euro zone’s debt crisis, and the risk it posed to the world economy, a little Schadenfreude was irresistible. “If this had happened in Europe, what wouldn’t they say about Europe?” Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, told the Euractiv news service. “Imagine that we would have a shutdown at the level of EU institutions. What would they say about Europe?

What caricatures there would be. What shaming there would be!”

Yet for all the criticism and hand-wringing, historical precedent suggests the damage to US influence may not be enduring, given the dynamism of its innovative economy and the attraction of its popular culture. The last US government shutdown in 1996, of similar duration in a similar standoff between a Republican-dominated Congress and a Democratic president, caused barely a hiccup in Washington’s global ascendancy, which was then at its peak five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “I tend to be with the Mark Twain line on this: that the reports of America’s decline have been grossly exaggerated,” said James Steinberg, a former deputy secretary of state who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations. “I teach history now and ... there have been other times in American history where polarisation has been great, where there have been deep divides and where we have been able to overcome them,” he said, citing the civil war of the 1860s.

One senior European policymaker, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, said the longer-term impact of this shutdown may be monetary rather than political, but with strategic consequences - should Beijing lose its appetite for holding dollar reserves.

“Because it is an enormous advantage to be a reserve currency, it seems madness to even consider creating uncertainty around that status,” Borg said. “For them (China), it must mean that at some time in the future they must leave the dollar.” — Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S P ORTS

Hend grabs Asian Tour lead MACAU: Australian Scott Hend upstaged four-times major winner Ernie Els by firing a brilliant eight-under-par 63 to take a four-shot lead after the third round of the Asian Tour’s Macau Open yesterday. Hend fired seven birdies and an eagle in his round for a 12-under total of 201 to open up a big gap on Els and Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman in tied second at the $800,000 event.

Hend had opened the tournament with a 74 but a 64 in Friday’s second round vaulted him up the leaderboard and his good work yesterday put him within reach of his third win of the year.

“I’ve set my goals I want to achieve. If I hit my targets, that’s all I can ask. If somebody else goes out and shoots 61 tomorrow, and I don’t shoot a good enough round, then well done to them,” Hend told the Asian Tour. “I can only control myself and what I do and that’s all I can ask of myself.

“The old adage is ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ and that’s pretty much what you’ve got to do out there. Just fairways, greens, and read the putts.

Don’t over-complicate it.” Els, twice British and US Open champion, also began the Macau event slowly with a disappointing 71 but a second-round 65 put him back in contention.—Reuters

Scherzer stands between Red Sox and World Series BOSTON: One victory to reach the World Series. And all that’s in Boston’s way is 21game winner Max Scherzer, with Justin Verlander on deck for a seventh game - if it gets that far.

“We all know what we are up against,” Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said on Friday after an offday workout to prepare for Game 6 of the AL championship series against the Detroit Tigers. “I expect it’s going to be another one of those tough games.”

A victory in Game 6 late yesterday would eliminate the defending AL champions and send the Red Sox to their third World Series since 2004. Scherzer will face Boston’s Clay Buchholz, a repeat of the Game 2 matchup that the Red Sox won 6-5.

Scherzer took a no-hitter and a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning, but the Red Sox rallied against the Tigers bullpen and tied it on David Ortiz’s eighth-inning grand slam. Now at least the Boston batters can say they’ve seen the likely AL Cy Young winner recently.

But Scherzer has a little more experience against them, too. “I don’t see him making too many adjustments,” Saltalamacchia said.

“There’s not many adjustments he needs to make.”

The Red Sox wrapped up a 4-3 victory over Detroit in Game 5 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

They arrived home early on Friday morning and worked out at Fenway Park in the afternoon.

The Tigers did not work out, instead opting to rest hobbled starters like Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila, who joined the injured after a home-plate collision with Boston’s David Ross in the second inning of Game 5. “We have to go to Fenway and we have to fight hard enough to win a game,” said Cabrera, who has been slowed by a variety of injuries since late in the regular season.

“If we do that, we have to keep fighting and

get the next one. We’ve done this before, and we’ve got great pitchers.”

Detroit’s starting rotation was its biggest advantage heading into the series, and it has lived up to the hype. Anibal Sanchez, Scherzer and Verlander all took no-hitters into the fifth inning in the first three games, though the Tigers won only one of them.

In all, Detroit’s starters had allowed only three runs in 27 innings through the first four games before Mike Napoli’s homer keyed a three-run second inning the second time around against Sanchez.

“They were pitching pretty well the first could of games. They shut us down,” Napoli said. “It’s been a great series all-around. But it’s not over yet. We’ve got to take care of business. We’ve got Buchholz going, and we’ve got all the confidence in the world in him.”

The Red Sox seem to be getting stronger as the series goes on, but the Tigers are more beaten up with each game. Avila, who has a history of concussions, was involved in a collision with Ross at the plate that left the Tigers catcher with a sprained left knee. He also took a foul ball - also by Ross - off his mask before leaving the game in the fourth inning.

Leyland said he would wait to see how Avila feels late yesterday before making a decision. “It will be a big factor, whether he plays or not, it will obviously affect us some,” Leyland said. “I don’t think there will be anything tricky. It will pretty much be using what we’ve used the last couple of days, depending on Alex’s health.”

Leyland did confirm that Jose Iglesias will play shortstop late yesterday . The 23-yearold Cuban started Game 1 before coming in as a substitute in the next two games; he was back in the lineup for Games 4 and 5. The Red Sox are also turning to a young infielder to boost their offense.—AP

Januzaj commits to United with new five-year deal

Pakistan recall all-rounder Hafeez

LONDON: Teenager Adnan Januzaj has signed a new, five-year contract with Manchester United, the Premier League champions said yesterday.

The Brussels-born 18-year-old, who scored two goals to dig United out of a hole at Sunderland in his first start in England’s top flight, will stay at Old Trafford until at least June 2018, the club said in a statement. “It’s a great thrill to be able to sign for Manchester United. Since arriving here I have always felt like this was the right club for me,” the midfielder said in the statement.

“This season has been great for me - going on the pre-season tour, making my debut in the Community Shield win at Wembley and then breaking into the team at Sunderland - it’s like a dream. “I want to work hard now and establish myself as a Manchester United player.” Januzaj joined United from Belgium club Anderlecht in 2011 but featured little for the first team and, according to British media reports, was almost sent out on loan before he managed to impress manager David Moyes during the pre-season.Belgium are keen to persuade Januzaj, whose parents are Kosovar-Albanians, to represent the country of his birth rather than Albania.—Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan have recalled all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez for their upcoming five match one day series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates . Misbah-ulHaq will skipper the 16-member squad for the matches from Oct. 30 to Nov. 11 in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

Hafeez returns after being dropped recently for the test series against the South Africans. Pakistan won the first test in Abu Dhabi by seven wickets on Thursday to end the South African’s near two year unbeaten run.

Senior batsman Younis Khan has again not been considered for the one-day series despite being a part of the test squad.

Also dropped from the ODI squad are openers, Khurrum Manzoor, the man of the match in the first test with a hundred, and debutant Shaan Masood who scored 75. “We are preparing the one-day squad keeping in mind the 2015 World Cup so there are some specialized players we are looking at,” a board official said.—Reuters

Cardinals cruise into World Series ST. LOUIS: Clayton Kershaw was long gone.

Michael Wacha kept Dodgers hitters down, ignoring the surprisingly big lead and pitching as if the opposing ace was still dealing.

The rookie left no doubt in a 9-0 rout Friday night that put the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series for the second time in three years and kicked Los Angeles’ high-dollar roster to the curb.

“Yeah, anytime you’re going to face Clayton Kershaw, you’re probably going to have to match zeros against him,” Wacha said after getting the best of Kershaw for the second time in the series.

“You know, our guys just battled out there today.

“It was so much fun to watch in the dugout.”

Matt Carpenter’s double capped an 11-pitch atbat that got a sellout crowd for Game 6 into the spirit of things and triggered a four-run third, and the St. Louis offense didn’t let up. He’d been just hoping to put the ball in play after striking out in the first.

“I don’t remember how many it was, but I just

kept fouling them off,” Carpenter said. “He finally made a mistake with the slider out over the plate.

“From then on, really, you’ve got to give all the credit to our offense.” Carlos Beltran’s RBI single put the Cardinals ahead, his latest postseason contribution. The Cardinals batted around in the third, then added five more runs in the fifth.

Kershaw is the majors’ ERA champion three years running and is the front-runner for NL Cy Young. He pitched the division series clincher against Atlanta but never recovered from the epic Carpenter at-bat.

To get out of the third he needed 48 pitches most in his career. “I don’t think you really think about it during the inning,” Kershaw said. “You’re just trying to get outs. I just didn’t enough of them, fast enough.” Wacha was named MVP of the series.

He threw seven innings of two-hit ball in the clincher and totaled 13 2-3 scoreless innings.

The Cardinals rebounded from a Game 5 loss and early on removed tension from last fall when

LOUISVILLE: Michaelee Harris No. 2 of the Louisville Cardinals is tackled by Brandon Alexander No. 37 of the Central Florida Knights during the game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. — AFP

they squandered a 3-1 NLCS lead and faded badly against the Giants.

They won their 19th NL pennant and will try for their third World Series title since 2006. The opener is Wednesday at the winner of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers.

“It just adds to the legacy of this franchise,” chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said during the champagne celebration in the clubhouse. “It’s a thrill to be involved with it, and to see these guys perform the way they did.” The Dodgers have the second-highest payroll in baseball at $220 million but haven’t been to the World Series since winning it all in 1988.

“Going through spring, the long season, and then it just comes to a crash,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “So, it’s disappointing for all of us.” It was 52 degrees at game time, a 23-degree drop from the previous Kershaw-Wacha matchup in Game 2 six days earlier, and Kershaw never warmed up. The lefty wasn’t in the mood to talk about a season in which he had a majors-best 1.83 ERA, either. For the first time all season, he failed to finish the fifth.

“If you don’t win, what’s the point?” Kershaw said. “It doesn’t really matter. All this stuff.” The 36year-old Beltran had three hits and two RBIs, giving him 37 RBIs in 45 career postseason games, and made a nice catch in right field. He’s about to play in the World Series for the first time in his 16-year career. Rookie Yasiel Puig also had a rough Game 6 for the Dodgers with two errors in right field to go with two strikeouts, and was booed throughout the game. Hanley Ramirez, a last-minute addition to the Dodgers’ lineup, went 0 for 3 while playing with a broken rib.

Wacha has a minuscule 0.43 ERA in three postseason starts, one of the gems coming in Game 4 of the division series at Pittsburgh to keep the Cardinals alive. In his last regular season start and the NL Central up for grabs, he no-hit the Nationals for 8 2-3 innings. Beltran was the star of the Cardinals’ 3-2, 13-inning Game 1 victory, driving in all three runs plus making a perfect throw home to keep it tied in extra innings.

Kershaw was charged with seven runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings Friday and has lost five straight starts against the Cardinals. —AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S P ORTS

NZ continue unbeaten run DUNEDIN: Flanker Sam Cane’s outstanding performance underlined the depth of the All Blacks squad as he helped them finish their domestic test season unbeaten with a 41-33 victory over Australia in their Bledisloe Cup clash in Dunedin yesterday.

The 21-year-old Cane was a late inclusion for Richie McCaw after the inspirational skipper suffered a calf injury at training on Thursday, though it failed to provide any disruption to the world champions’ performance. Cane was earmarked by Hansen last year as McCaw’s successor, though he had struggled to stamp his authority on games or indicate he was adjusting to the test level.

His performances this season, however, in which he had started five previous tests have been widely praised by the All Blacks management.

He provided the impetus for his side in yestrday’s third and final match against Australia, which was a ‘dead rubber’ after the All Blacks clinched the symbol of transTasman supremacy earlier in the year, with his defence, linking play, work at the breakdown and storming runs.

“He is just getting better and better with game time and experience and it’s nice to know we have got another one in the cupboard,” coach Steve Hansen said of Cane’s performance that ensured the All Blacks have now not lost a test at home since 2009, a run of 30 successive matches.

The victory also kept the Wallabies winless against the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2001. The All Blacks, who have won all 10 of their tests this year, have also now won 29 of their last 31 matches since the beginning of the 2011 World Cup and despite the closeness of the final score, the home side were too good for the visitors.

They were ruthlessly efficient at turning possession into points, either striking from deep or building phases down field, pro-

ducing four brilliant tries to Julian Savea, Cane, Aaron Cruden and captain Kieran Read.

“We had to work hard, I think we needed to show a bit of discipline and get our roll on,” Read said. “I think when we got down their end we got points and that was the key to it.”

Cruden added three conversions and four penalties before he was replaced by Beauden Barrett, who slotted a penalty that capped the home side’s scoring.

The Wallabies provided plenty of endeavour and kept playing until well after the final hooter despite the fact a converted try could not win them the game.

The difference, however, was they were restricted to ticking the scoreboard over in three -point increments, with Quade Cooper slotting three penalties and a drop goal in the first half before winger Adam Ashley-Cooper crossed for a try in the 40th minute.

The Wallabies were also unable to match the All Blacks ability to pass out of tackles and put their support players into space, with many of their attacking thrusts snuffed out and the ball turned over.

They went into the break 30-19 down and while they outscored the home side in the second half, Matt Toomua’s try was set up when Tevita Kuridrani intercepted a Savea pass as the All Blacks closed in on another try.

Kuridrani’s late try also made the scoreline close, though in reality Read’s try after a sustained buildup that swept back and forth across the field about 15 minutes earlier had put the game beyond doubt. “We never like to lose but we are proud of the effort the guys put in,” Wallabies captain James Horwill said. “We wanted to make sure that we were always trying to win the game and to keep on swinging no matter what the scoreboard said.” —Reuters

DUNEDIN: Isreal Folau of Australia is tackled by New Zealand’s Sam Cane (left) during the Bledisloe Cup rugby union match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Australia. —AFP

Aplon drops Springboks hint as Province win JOHANNESBURG: Gio Aplon raised his hand yesterday for a place in the Europe-bound Springboks squad as he helped Western Province reach a second consecutive Currie Cup final. The full-back won rave reviews from former national team coach Nick Mallett and fly-half Naas Botha after his try triggered a 33-16 victory over Lions in Cape Town.

Title -holders Province host Sharks next Saturday in a repeat of the 2012 decider after the Durban outfit won 33-22 at home to Cheetahs in the other semi-final.

Johannesburg-based Lions led twice early and were trailing by only one point late in the opening half at Newlands when Aplon made his mark. Receiving possession in a crowded midfield, the ‘Pocket Rocket’ found a way past several would-be tacklers before unleashing his pace to dive over in the corner. The superb solo score gave Province breathing space and after turning over 18-9 ahead, the were never seriously threat-

ened during the second half.

“Gio is a fantastic player who has great feet and constantly breaks the line,” 1999 Springboks Rugby World Cup coach Mallett said on the SuperSport TV channel.

Botha also lavished praise on the 31-year-old who scored five tries in 17 Test appearances, but has been constantly overlooked by current coach Heyneke Meyer.

“I cannot understand why Gio is not in the national squad-he is such a consistently good performer at Super Rugby and Currie Cup levels.”

South Africa play Wales, Scotland and France during November with the touring squad due to be announced two days after the Currie Cup final.

The flair of Aplon was a constant threat while fly-half Demetri Catrakilis punished Lions’ indiscipline with five penalties and also scored a try and kicked a conversion. A couple of penalties from substitute fly-half Kurt Coleman completed

the scoring for the record 32-time champions.

Playmaker Elton Jantjies slotted three penalties for Lions and full-back Marnitz Boshoff-the leading Currie Cup scorer with 92 points-converted a Warren Whiteley try.

Patrick Lambie, second-choice Springboks fly-half this season behind Morne Steyn, contributed 23 points for Sharks with a try, three conversions and four penalties.

A try each from two substitutes, veteran forward Jacques Botes and back Heimar Williams, completed the tally for the home side, who led 16-7 at half-time.

Former Springboks full-back and centre Francois Steyn, back after an injury lay-off since May, had a quiet game for Sharks.

Flanker ‘Lappies’ Labuschagne, centre Johann Sadie and prop Schalk van der Merwe scored Cheetahs’ tries, right-wing Riaan Smit kicked a conversion and fly-half Johan Goosen a conversion and a penalty.—AFP

Simpson sizzles in Las Vegas

INCHEON: Anna Nordqvist (center) of Sweden tees off at the third hole during the second round of the LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship. —AFP

Nordqvist, Hull-Kirk tied for lead in Korea INCHEON: Anna Nordqvist of Sweden shot a 2-under 70 to remain tied for the lead with Katherine Hull-Kirk of Australia after the second round of the KEB HanaBank Championship yesterday.

Nordqvist carded four birdies against two bogeys to move to 7-under 137 while Hull-Kirk had an eventful day with an eagle, a double bogey, five birdies and three bogeys in her 70.

“I played really solid today,” Nordqvist said. “I had a lot of opportunities and I putted a lot of good putts that seemed to go in. I had a couple really good shots that just caught the wind, but overall I’m in a good spot going into tomorrow so I’m very happy.”

Nordqvist is looking to break a fouryear winless drought. The Swede last made her way to the winner’s circle at the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship. HullKirk hasn’t won since the 2010 Navistar LPGA Classic. Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway carded a 69 to move into a tie for third with South

Korea’s Ju Young Pak and Amy Yang, who both shot 71.

“I expected to be in contention the way I’ve been playing, that’s all I can ask for,” said Pettersen, who is second on the money list. “We’ll see where I go out tomorrow, but I feel pretty comfortable with the position I’m in.”

Alison Walshe of the United States had seven birdies against three bogeys for a 68 to finish in a four-way tie for sixth.

South Korean star Inbee Park, who leads the money list and the player of the year rankings, struggled with her game and finished with a 73 that left her tied for 22nd with three others, including Na Yeon Choi of South Korea, who won here in 2009 and 2010.

Michelle Wie, who started the second round just two strokes off the lead, is tied for 15th after a 73. Since the tournament’s first year in 2002, a South Korean has taken home the title seven times. —AP

LAS VEGAS: Former US Open champion Webb Simpson wielded a red-hot putter as he piled up nine birdies to charge into a fourshot lead in Friday’s second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.

American Simpson, who teed off at the par-four 10th hole, had only one bogey on his way to an eight-under-par 63 at the TPC Summerlin in the second event of the PGA Tour’s 2013-14 season.

The North Carolina native, who won last year’s US Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco, birdied five of his last nine holes to post a 15under total of 127.

Fellow Americans Jeff Overton (68), Jason Bohn (64), JJ Henry (71) and Chesson Hadley (66) plus Australian John Senden (66) share second place four off the lead at 11-under.

Bohn matched Simpson’s nine birdies but carded a double bogey five on the penultimate hole to drop back. “ The ball was really going far,” Simpson, 28, told Golf Channel after hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation and needing only 24 putts.

“I was wondering why scores were so low yesterday but the course played a little shorter than I thought it would. “I just putted well and kept it going. I think guys are going to keep making birdies so I’ve got to keep the hammer down.”

The TPC Summerlin regularly yields low scores in the high Nevada desert where fine weather, thin air and smooth greens usually lead to birdies galore. American Ryan Moore won last year’s title

LAS VEGAS: Webb Simpson watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. —AFP with a 24-under total and also shot a 63 on Friday to move into a tie for seventh at 10-under.

“I think the one synonymous thing is patience, because the US Open you obviously have to remain patient because you’re not going to make many birdies,” Simpson said.

“But here it’s not like every hole is a birdie hole so you have to remain patient because birdie runs come. You have to stay patient because you’ll get on those runs too.”

Simpson finished on a high note with a birdie on his final hole, the

par-five ninth, despite a poor drive that forced him to lay up, before he struck a nice approach shot to nine feet.

Earlier, he rolled in a 25-footer at the par-four sixth, after hitting it to inside 10 feet at the previous hole.

While the world number 24 has not won since his US Open breakthrough, he has been in consistent form. He has not missed a cut since early June and is coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2013 season-ending Tour Championship.

Simpson also played on the US team that won the Presidents Cup earlier this month. “I haven’t won

this year, but my one goal every year is to get better, and I felt like I got better,” Simpson said.

“I was happy to finish the Tour Championship with a good, solid tournament. Getting better, so that’s all I care about.”

Among the surprises to miss the three-under cut were International team Presidents Cup members Graham DeLaet, Brendon de Jonge and Angel Cabrera while Cabrera’s Argentine compatriot Andres Romero went from second place with his 10-under 61 to a 10-over 81 to freefall out of the tournament. —Reuters

Ninyette leads in Perth PERTH: Local West Australian player Brody Ninyette shot a 5-under 67 yesterday to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Perth International.

Ninyette had seven birdies and two bogeys in a round which gave him an 8-under total of 208 in the European Tour event. He was a shot ahead of compatriot Brett Rumford, J.B. Hansen of Denmark and Jin Jeong of South Korea. Rumford shot a 65, Hansen a 66 and Jeong had a 69 to remain in contention at Australia’s richest tournament.

England’s Richard Finch and Ross Fisher were among a group of five players a further shot back. Defending champion Bo Van Pelt shot a 71 to drop back into a tie for 13th with overnight

leader Peter Hedblom of Sweden. Hedblom needs to win to keep his European Tour card, but only managed a 75 to fall shots off the pace.

The 26-year-old Ninyette, who is of indigenous Australian heritage, shot 69 in the second round and was even better yesterday. He said his close friend and local player Ric Edwards gave him advice about how to play the Lake Karrinyup Country Club course.

“He’s been a member here for most of his junior golf career,” Ninyette said. “He reads the greens well and knows the course well.”

Rumford, bidding for his third European Tour title of the year, three-putted the last hole to miss a chance of breaking the course record of 64 set last year by Michael Hendry and Alejandro

Canizares. In May, Rumford became the first Australian in 41 years to win back-to-back European Tour titles when he followed up his victory in South Korea with a win at the China Open. “Winning in front of your home crowd, there would be nothing better than that,” Rumford said. “Obviously it’s massive just to have won back to back this year.

“You win a couple of times and you think, ‘let’s go out and do it again’. But it doesn’t quite happen that way and you realize how hard it is to win out here. There’s so many great players, and the last nine holes of any championship can just swing so quickly. But I’ve got myself in position to win. I’ll be working hard and that’s what I’ll be focusing on for the next 24 hours.” —AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S P ORTS Photo of the day

AUSTRALIA: Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo of Spain powers his bike after hitting a seagull (behind front wheel) with the bike’s frame during the qualifying round of the Australian MotoGP Grand Prix at Phillip Island.—AFP

Lorenzo brushes off seagull incident to take pole spot MELBOURNE: Tyre problems have forced dramatic changes to today’s Australian Grand Prix where riders will have to change their bikes mid-race for the first time in MotoGP. Phillip Island’s new tarmac saw defending MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo clock a record lap during qualifying to take pole yesterday, but also contributed to excessive degradation to the Bridgestone tyres, stoking fears for riders’ safety.

Officials have shaved the race by a lap to 26 and ordered all riders to take a mandatory pitstop in an embarrassment for the tyre providers and organisers.

“We have been notified by Bridgestone that they are unable to guarantee safety of their rear slick tyres beyond 14 laps,” Race Direction said in a statement. “This means that a bike/tyre change before lap 12 will require a second bike/tyre change to finish the race.”

While certain to annoy riders and their teams, the overhaul will add intrigue to the battle between Lorenzo and champion-inwaiting Marc Marquez, who both eclipsed Casey Stoner’s 2008 lap record in an incident-packed qualifying.

Lorenzo, fighting to keep his title defence alive, survived a bizarre brush with a seagull early in the session and was forced to pit when the bird became lodged in the fairing of his Yamaha at the circuit’s Lukey Heights.

The Spaniard re-emerged later and was unflappable as he posted a scorching lap of one minute 27.899 seconds, smashing Australian Stoner’s 2008 mark by more than half a second.

“This lap is a lap you can only do with a PlayStation,” the affable Lorenzo told

reporters, referring to Sony’s popular video game console.

“I had an impact with a bird on the first few laps on the bike, luckily we could take it off and I could make a second attempt without a passenger, maybe because of this I went a little bit faster and was able to make pole position.

“It’s impressive how much faster we can go with new tyres. “We’re very proud of pole, but our most important thing is tomorrow.”

Rookie sensation Marquez, who leads the championship by a yawning 43 points with three races left, also bettered the 2008 mark but was 0.221 seconds adrift of his more seasoned compatriot.

Marquez can become the youngest world champion with victory at Phillip Island, provided the title-holder finishes no higher than third, but the 20-year-old Honda rider will be hard pressed to dislodge Lorenzo, who was runner-up last year and in 2010.

Having fallen from his bike heavily during free practice on Friday and taken another spill earlier in morning practice, Marquez was content just to be top of the grid.

“The goal was to finish in the front row and we did that,” he said. “The Yamaha guys were so strong today. “Tomorrow’s race will be difficult with the tyres but I will try to do my best.”

Lorenzo’s team mate Valentino Rossi also secured a front row position, with Alvaro Bautista, Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow lining up on the second. Officials have also shortened the Moto2 category’s race to 13 laps from 25 due to the tyre problems. —Reuters

Haas to meet Haase for title after Tsonga crashes VIENNA: Robin Haase upset top seed JoWilfried Tsonga 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) to earn a final today at the Austrian Open against German veteran Tommy Haas.

Haas reached his third Vienna final as furious opponent Lukas Rosol cracked a racquet in half when facing six match points, drawing a point penalty which handed his German opponent a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) win. Tsonga, competing in a fourth event in the last five weeks, was playing with a heavy strapping on the left knee which kept him out of tennis for nearly three months over the summer.

“Haase is a good player who gave me trouble on clay in Madrid,” said Frenchman Tsonga, who is trying to claim one of the four remaining places at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. “I’m not in the best of shape and it showed out there. But I have to keep playing if I want to make London. I had my chances but he was too good. I just have to keep fighting and trying to win matches.”

Haase, the world number 63, owns two trophies at the famed Austrian alpine resort of Kitzbuhel but both were on clay.

H a a s i s t h e s e co n d s e e d a n d w a s champion at the Stadthalle 12 years ago a n d l o s i n g f i n a l i s t i n 2 0 0 0 to Ti m Henman. “I first played here in 1997, so to be back in the final in 2013 is great, it’s very special,” said Haas. “I feel good

about it, I’m very happy.

“Overall I knew it would be a tough match, he’s the kind of opponent who once he gets some confidence can be very tough. That’s how it was.

“The tiebreak in the third set was key. I played it well and he gave me some unforced errors which helped. It came down to a few points.”

Rosol found himself trailing badly in the tiebreak against the 35-year-old Haas when his temper finally snapped.

The eighth-seeded Czech netted a forehand to hand Haas his handful of winning chances.

With that error, Rosol slammed his racquet to the ground and then snapped it over one knee. It was enough of an outburst to draw a point penalty, giving victory to Haas in just over one and three-quarter hours. Despite 18 aces from Rosol, Haas hung tough after dropping the first set in 24 minutes, recovering throughout the second and third sets to earn his 46th victory of the season against 19 losses.

The German also remains in the chase for eight-man season wrap-up starting in little more than a fortnight in London.

Tsonga is also chasing a spot, standing provisional ninth to the 12th of Haas.

Haas, winner of his 14th title last May in Munich, has never gone to the year-end event. —AFP

AUSTRIA: Czech Republic’s Lukas Rosol serves to Germany’s Tommy Haas during their semi finals match as part of the Vienna ATP 250 tennis tournament held in Vienna. —AFP

Hassan Mouti dives from the 27.5m platform on the Saint Nicolas Tower during the first stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, La Rochelle. —www.redbull.com

Stosur to play Halep at Kremlin Cup final MOSCOW: Samantha Stosur and Simona Halep advanced to the final of the Kremlin Cup with straight-set victories yesterday. Stosur proceeded to her second straight final by beating her doubles partner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-4, while Halep routed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-1 to advance to her fifth final this season.

In the men’s semifinals, qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstsn upset defending champion Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Kukushikin reached his first final since winning his only title in St. Petersburg in 2010, and will play either top-seeded Richard Gasquet or Ivo Karlovic.

Kuznetsova couldn’t hold serve once in the first set, winning just six of 23 points when serving, while Stosur was broken twice as well.

Stosur took a 5-1 lead in the second but then failed to serve out the match twice.

“At the start we were both struggling to hold serve and she had love-40 again on me and my second service again and I was able to get out of that,” Stosur said. “And I think that gave me a little bit of a head up and to win that first set 6-2 was good. It was still pretty tight all the way through with who was going to hold.” Stosur sealed the victory on her second match point when the Russian sent a shot wide.

“We know each other’s games pretty well. So I guess you’ve got to take your opportunities when you get them,” she said.

MOSCOW: Russia’s tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova returns a ball to Australia’s Samantha Stosur during the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament semifinal match. —AFP After trading sets, the 102ndStosur won her second title of match point when Pavlyuchenkova ranked Kukushkin took a 4-1 lead in the season and fifth of her career in double-faulted.

“The score, it looks like it was the decider and then served for the Osaka, Japan, last Sunday. The Australian was a runner-up to very easy, but it wasn’t,” Halep said. match at 5-3. Seppi broke back only “Today I moved very well and I hit to fall 40-love down on his serve in Caroline Wozniacki here last year.

The 18th-ranked Halep, who has the ball very strong. She didn’t the next game. Kukushkin broke won the first four titles of her career move very well today. Of course I’d again when the Italian sent a shot this season, jumped out to a 4-0 like to win my year’s fifth final but it into the net. Kukushkin is the first lead in both sets against will definitely be a hard task as qualifier to reach the final in Pavlyuchenkova. The Romanian Samantha (Stosur) is a top player in Moscow since Paul-Henri Mathieu won the title in 2002.—AP sealed the victory on her second a good form.”

Farrh wins in Champion Stakes ASCOT: Farhh brought some consolation at the end of a difficult season for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum when he won the £1.3 million ($2.1million) Champion Stakes in the Ruler of Dubai’s blue silks yesterday at Ascot.

The five-year-old horse moved to the lead early in the straight under Brazilian-born jockey Silvestre De Sousa and fought hard to resist the 2011 winner Cirrus Des Aigles and Epsom Derby champion Ruler Of The World.

Twice a wide-margin runner-up to Frankel last season, Farhh seized the opportunity to restore some gloss to Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin racing stable.

In May one of the sheikh’s trainers, Mahmood Al Zarooni, was banned for eight years after anabolic steroids were found to have been administered to 22 of his horses. Those horses were banned from racing for six months but Farhh was not in Al Zarooni’s care.

Farhh opened his campaign by winning the Lockinge Stakes on May 18, but has been unable to run since after dislodging a flake of bone from his ankle.

It was a fine training performance from Saeed Bin Suroor to bring the horse back to concert pitch after his five-month absence.

“This horse is very tough to train,” Bin Suroor said. “He gets injured every time he runs but his homework in the build-up was brilliant. “It is a great result at the end of the season and it gives

us a boost for the future. We needed that.”

Farhh’s finest racing moment was also his last.

He was immediately retired to the sheikh’s Dalham Hall Stud, in Newmarket, to take up stallion duties.

This was his fifth victory from 10 career starts, during which he never finished out of the first three. Victory in the showcase race on British racing’s Champions Day took Farhh’s prize-money earnings beyond £1 million.

Testing ground made the 2,000-metre Champion Stakes a demanding assignment but Farhh never flinched in a driving finish.

He held on by a scant neck from the late-closing French challenger, Cirrus De Aigles, who also finished second in the race to the all-conquering Frankel last year.

Cirrus des Aigles’ trainer, Corine BarandeBarbe, was philosophical in defeat for her sevenyear-old gelding who has won 18 of his 52 races and over 5million euros ($6.8million) in prize money. “My horse was drawn on the inside and had to race with horses around him from the start,” she said.

“Christophe (Soumillon, who rode the horse) couldn’t get a clear run when he wanted and you cannot catch a horse like Farhh if he makes his run before you. But I am pleased the horse ran well. He is not finished, as some people thought in the summer.”

Aidan O’Brien, who trained the third horse

home, Ruler Of The World, was delighted with his effort. “Hopefully we can look forward to seeing him race again next year,” O’Brien said.

Farhh’s triumph ensured Godolphin will end the season as leading owner in Britain for the ninth time in 17 years even though the stable’s Dawn Approach failed to justify his billing as favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes earlier on the card.

Dawn Approach got bogged down in the heavy ground en route to finishing fourth behind Olympic Glory, who ran away with the 1,600-metre (mile)contest by four lengths.

The winner is trained by veteran Richard Hannon, who effectively clinched the accolade of champion trainer in Britain for the third time in four years - and his fourth in all.

“It’s wonderful to have these good horses,” said Hannon. “It has been a great year for us and I am certainly old enough to appreciate it.”

Olympic Glory is owned by Sheikh Joan Bin Hamad Al Thani, brother of the Emir of Qatar, and crowned a magnificent season for the man who paid 5 million guineas ($8.38million) for a yearling filly-a world record for that category of horse-at public auction in Newmarket last week.

In addition to Olympic Glory, Sheikh Joaan owns unbeaten Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Treve and Toronado, who has official recognition as the best three-year-old racehorse in Europe this season.—AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S P ORTS

Real ease past Malaga

GERMANY: Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger (left) and Mainz’s Junior Diaz of Costa Rica (center) challenge for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match. —AP

Bayern close in on record BERLIN: Bayern Munich extended their unbeaten Bundesliga run to 34 games yesterday by coming from behind for a 4-1 home win over Mainz to go back top of the Bundesliga.

Having last lost in the German league back in October 2012, Bayern are now just two matches short of Hamburg’s 30-yearold, 36-match streak.

Bayern were punished for a poor firsthalf in Munich when Mainz striker Shawn Parker fired home after capitalising on a mistake by centre-back Jerome Boateng.

But Bayern roared back when Germany midfielder Mario Goetze came off the bench for the second-half and played a key part in the hosts’ first three second-half goals.

“We really, really struggled in the first half and we tended to lack concentration,” admitted Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

“It happens frequently after international breaks, and we need to get a grip on it as soon as we can. “ We switched things around a little after that and it paid off, but credit to Mainz, they made life very difficult for us.”

Goetze made the difference and his dream pass through to Arjen Robben allowed the winger to equalise on 50 minutes and two minutes later, Goetze combined with the Dutchman for Germany’s Thomas Mueller to fire home to make it 2-0.

With Bayern finally making their 80 percent possession pay off, Goetze fired in a cross for Mario Mandzukic to score their third on 69 minutes.

And when Bayern vice-captain Bastian Schweinsteiger was fouled in the area, Mueller stepped up to drill home the penalty for his second of the game eight minutes from time to make it 4-1.

“We were like a 1970s VW Beetle and you can’t dream of winning a race against a Formula One car,” admitted Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel.

Bayern’s win put them back on top of the Bundesliga after Bayer Leverkusen had briefly gone top on Friday thanks to a controversial ‘phantom’ goal in their 2-1 win at

Hoffenheim.

The German Football Federation (DFB) are set to investigate while Hoffenheim have called for a replay after Stefan Kiessling’s 70th-minute winner came in bizarre circumstances.

Replays showed his header only ended in the back of the net after flying through a hole in the side netting and a DFB sports court is set to meet tomorrow.

Hertha Berlin went fourth after their 1-0 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach with Colombia’s Adrian Ramos scoring the winner in the capital with a first-half header.

Schalke, who host Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday, needed a 91st-minute winner from Roman Neustaedter to seal a 3-2 win at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig.

Having only picked up their first win of the season a fortnight ago against Wolfsburg, Braunschweig gave Schalke an almighty scare before Germany ’s Neustaedter hit the winner.

Borussia Dortmund, who are at Arsenal on Tuesday in the Champions League, stayed second with a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Hanover 96.

Germany winger Marco Reus hit the winning penalty after just four minutes when Hanover’s Japan defender Hiroki Sakai fouled left-back Erik Durm in the area.

Sakai was shown a yellow card for the foul and Reus blasted home the spot kick as Dortmund picked up the three points. “I am happy with the result, we knew it would be difficult,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. “We started well, but then got weaker, but for me it was decisive that the lads dealt with the situation. “We can play better football and we will.”

Borussia stay second and level on 22 points with third-placed Leverkusen, just a point behind Bayern. Second-from-bottom Freiburg picked up a point with a goalless draw at Werder Bremen, while Eintracht Frankfurt drew 1-1 at home to Nuremberg.

Today, Hamburg host VfB Stuttgart and Augsburg are home to Wolfsburg.—AFP

Super sub Forrest rescues Celtic EDINBURGH: Substitute James Forrest rescued a point for Celtic as they warmed up for their midweek Champions League match against Ajax with a 1-1 draw with Hibernian at Easter Road.

Hibs took the lead in controversial circumstances in the 18th minute when Paul Heffernan, who looked offside, poked the ball through the legs of Fraser Forster after Kevin Thomson had sent him one-on-one with the keeper.

Kris Commons then missed a good chance to grab the equaliser before limping off with a hamstring injury that makes him a major doubt for the Ajax clash.

Celtic appeared to be heading to their first defeat in the Scottish Premiership this season before Forrest fired in an equaliser with a sensational strike in the 76th minute when Hibernian’s Ryan McGivern was off the pitch receiving treatment.

In the end only a superb save from Ben Williams denied Forrest a winner with the keeper expertly stopping his 88th minute volley.

It means Celtic extend their lead at the top of the table to four points over Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who play Partick Thistle on Sunday, and continues their record of having scored in every league match in 2013.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon cut a frustrated figure after the match. “We dominated the game and dominated the chances and their goal was clearly offside. We didn’t get what we deserved today, which was the three points,” Lennon said.

“I’m delighted with the attitude of the players and our reaction was good. We played very well and should have won the game but for the goalkeeper who made some magnificent saves we would have done.” His Hibernian counterpart was upset to have let the win get away.

“We had a great start with the goal and Celtic put us under a lot of pressure then and created some chances but we got some good blocks in and some great saves,” Pat Fenlon said.

“When you play Celtic if you can get a point you’ll always be happy enough but when you’re winning for so long you’re disappointed not to pick up all three.”

Injuries to Adam Matthews and Mikel Lustig had meant 19-year-old Darnell Fisher was handed his Celtic debut while Beram

Kayal and Georgios Samaras returned to the starting line-up.

Both sides failed to create any meaningful chances early on as they struggled on the slippery Easter Road pitch due to the torrential rain conditions in Edinburgh before Hibernian took a controversial lead.

A slack pass from Virgil van Dijk was intercepted by Thomson, who won a tackle with Scott Brown to prod the ball forward for Heffernan. The Hibs striker, who appeared to be offside, then sent an untidy finish through the legs of Forster, much to the anger of the Celtic bench.

The goal galvanised Hibs and a minute later Thomson tried his luck with a low drive from 30 yards, but his effort didn’t trouble Forster. Commons had a great chance for Celtic soon after as he beat the offside trap to collect Van Dijk’s long ball out of defence to go through on Williams but the forward sent his chip over the bar.

It was to be Commons’ last contribution to the match as he limped off with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Forrest.

The substitute was immediately involved as he rounded Williams, who had raced out of his box to close down the winger, and played the ball to Teemu Pukki in the box.

However, the Finnish striker dithered on the ball too long and McGivern was able to get back and block his shot.

Celtic started brightly after the break with a fizzing shot from Kayal producing a good save out of Williams with Michael Nelson getting in front of Samaras to clear the danger from the rebound.

Hibernian started to enjoy a decent period of possession with Owain Tudur-Jones and Liam Craig both forcing saves out of Forster.

McGivern picked up an injury and a booking after he fouled Fisher and while he was off the pitch receiving treatment Celtic took advantage of having an extra man to grab the equaliser. Forrest weaved his way in from the right before curling a wonderful strike into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from just inside the box to claim a point for the Hoops.

Elsewhere, Kilmarnock defeated Ross County 2-0 to claim their first win of the season, Aberdeen won 1-0 against Dundee United, Motherwell defeated bottom of the table Hearts 2-1 and St Mirren won 4-3 against St Johnstone. —AFP

MADRID: Gareth Bale got his first taste of being on a winning side at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid moved to within two points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with a 2-0 win over Malaga yesterday. Af ter Angel di M aria’s intended cross had found the back of the net to give Madrid the lead just after half-time, the Welshman was introduced for the final 13 minutes on his return from a thigh injury. And it was Bale who was brought down by Weligton in stoppage time to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to seal the three points from the penalty spot.

It was a much improved all round per formance from Madrid, who were only denied a far more comfortable margin of victory due to a series of wonder ful saves by Malaga keeper Willy Caballero.

“The game today was good, I liked the attitude of the team. We defended well, were more aggressive and compact,” said Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti. “ We had opportunities to score more goals and I hope in the games to come we can maintain the same intensity.”

The victory was a fine start to a hugely important week for Madrid as they host Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday before facing Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Bale had been kept in reserve from the start due to his lack of match practice, but Ancelotti believes he will be ready to play 90 minutes later in the week.

“He could star t, it is an option that we have, I don’t think he will have any problems playing from the start.

We will see what happens, but

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) misses a chance as he faces Malaga’s goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero (left) during a Spanish La Liga soccer match. —AP

we have three days to make a decision.”

And Ancelotti also confirmed that the French international duo of Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane should be fit in time to face Juventus.

In Benzema’s absence due to a calf injury, Alvaro Morata star ted up front and the Spanish under-21 international was highly involved in the first period as Madrid did everything but score.

Ronaldo saw a curling effort come off the top of the bar after just seven minutes and then ought to have opened the scoring when he skewed wide with just Caballero to beat. Morata headed straight at the Malaga keeper from Di

Maria’s cross and Caballero was again called into action by Ronaldo as the pressure continued to build.

The opener did finally arrive less than 60 seconds after the inter val in somewhat for tuitous circumstances as Ronaldo just failed to get on the end of Di Maria’s cross but the ball sailed into the far corner in any case.

Isco should have doubled the advantage moments later against his old club, but Caballero got down well to parry his effort to safety.

Morata then saw a glancing header flash between Ronaldo and the far post from Isco’s corner and the Por tuguese saw a free-kick clawed away

by Caballero as the hosts looked to put the game to bed. And the hosts were nearly made to pay for their profligacy when substitute Bobley Anderson’s fierce effort flew inches past Diego Lopez’s left hand post with 13 minutes remaining. Ronaldo was denied again by Caballero when it seemed easier to score four minutes later and the Argentine produced his best save yet seconds afterwards to turn Jese Rodriguez’s sweetly struck effort behind. However, he was powerless to stop R o n a l d o’s p e r fe c t p e n a l t y deep into stoppage time after Bale had induced a reckless challenge from Weligton inside the area. —AFP

Ibrahimovic, Cavani propel PSG back to Ligue 1 summit PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani both struck twice to inspire Paris Saint-Germain to a comfortable 4-0 victory over hapless Bastia and lift the capital side three points clear in Ligue 1 yesterday. Ibrahimovic opened the scoring after only 10 minutes and added a second three minutes later which broke the game wide open and put PSG in command against their Corsican visitors.

Cavani then added a brilliant third and a late penalty to carry Laurent Blanc’s unbeaten side to their seventh win in ten outings.

“We started really well and played a good match because the coach rested several players, so to win 4-0 ahead of the trip to Anderlecht (Champions League on Wednesday) is not too bad,” said PSG’s French midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

“We had some players suspended and others who came off the bench but we all gave everything for the team and it’s a great result.”

Sweden captain Ibrahimovic scored a trademark opener when he back-heeled the ball home from mid-air to give former PSG ‘keeper Michael Landreau little chance.

The former AC Milan and Barcelona marksman, who capped his maiden campaign in the capital with a league leading 30 goals, then took his tally this season to five in ten matches with a close range finish that appeared to go in off his shoulder following a good cross from Brazilian Lucas.

Blanc even had the luxury of bringing off his talisman early in the second half with one eye on the Champions League trip to Anderlecht, as last season’s quarter-finalists look to make it three

PARIS: Par’s Saint Germain player Edinson Cavani (center) battles for the ball with Bastia player Fethi Harek (right) during the French League One soccer match. —AP

wins from three in a group that also includes Benfica and Olympiakos.

Bastia came into the match having never won in 25 Ligue 1 trips to the Parc des Princes and their disastrous start ensured their winless run continued.

Cavani continued the rout with a superb individual effort on 63 minutes. The 26-year-old Uruguayan picked up the ball on the left wing, cut inside the box and beat two defenders as well as rounding Landreau before rolling the ball into an empty goal from an acute angle.

A late 89th minute Cavani penalty, confidently planted in the top right hand corner, gave

the scoreline an emphatic look.

Monaco who came into the weekend as leaders ahead of PSG on goal difference must now attempt to draw level on points when they travel to second-frombottom Sochaux today.

Four other matches are slated for later on Saturday including third-placed Lille at Montpellier, Nantes on the road at Ajaccio, Evian at home to Guingamp and fellow Brittany side Rennes taking on Valenciennes.

On Friday, Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina shrugged off his World Cup jet lag to star in Nice’s 1-0 win over Cote d’Azur rivals Marseille.

Marseille now lie fourth and

seven points off the pace as they prepare for their Champions League tie against Serie A gianst Napoli on Tuesday at the Velodrome.

Another South American, Argentine striker Dario Cvitanich, grabbed the only goal of the game in the 40th minute for Nice.

A minute’s applause was held before kick-off in memory of former Senegal coach and Nice player Bruno Metsu, who died of cancer earlier this week.

In the only other match on Friday, Toulouse edged Reims 2-1 thanks to a 87th minute penalty from Danish international Martin Braithwaite, his third goal of the season. —AFP

Cagliari defeat 10-man Catania MILAN: Cagliari celebrated a return to their home ground with a precious 2-1 win over 10-man Catania in Italy’s Serie A yesterday.

Reconstruc tion work at the Stadio Sant’Elia, which had not hosted a game since April 2012, had forced the Sardinians to play their home games at a number of other grounds.

The green light for Cagliari’s return was given after the dispute was resolved by the local council. And in front of a limited attendance of only 5000 fans-due to ongoing work at the ground-the hosts capitalised on defender Nicola Legrottaglie’s expuslion in

the 40th minute to record just their second win of the season.

Catania had opened the scoring after just five minutes when Gonzalo Bergessio’s bullet header from a corner beat M ichael Agazzi in the Cagliari goal.

However Cagliari were back on level terms on 26 minutes when Victor Ibabro used his physique to hold off a challenge and, on the turn, beat Alberto Frison with a powerful strike.

Catania’s chances of taking anything from the game appeared to disappear when Legrottaglie saw red for a rash challenge on

Ibarbo minutes before the half-time interval.

However Frison kept his side in the game when he saved Ibarbo’s penalty strike.

Catania looked to be heading for a share of the spoils when substitute Mauricio Pinilla failed to convert Ibarbo’s cross from just six yards out with 10 minutes remaining. But in the 84th minute the Chilean striker pounced on his own rebound from the post to beat Frison from close range to push Cagliari up to ninth ahead of the remaining weekend fixtures. AC Milan host Udinese in Saturday’s late game. —AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S P ORTS

Aguero sends City fourth

Soccer results/standings English Premier League results Arsenal 4 (Wilshere 18, Ozil 58, 88, Ramsey 83) Norwich 1 (Howson 70); Chelsea 4 (Hazard 33, 82, Eto’o 66, Oscar 78) Cardiff 1 (Mutch 10); Ever ton 2 (Mirallas 8, Pienaar 57) Hull 1 (Sagbo 30); Manchester United 1 (Van Persie 26) Southampton 1 (Lallana 89); Newcastle 2 (Cabaye 23, Dummett 56) Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 42-pen, Sturridge 72); Stoke 0 West Brom 0; Swansea 4 (Bardsley 57-og, De Guzman 58, Bony 64-pen, Chico 80) Sunderland 0; West Ham 1 (Vaz Te 58) Manchester City 3 (Aguero 16, 51, Silva 80).

Playing today Aston Villa v Tottenham Playing tomorrow Crystal Palace v Fulham English Football League results Championship Barnsley 3 Middlesbrough 2; Blackburn 0 Charlton 1; Blackpool 1 Wigan 0; Bolton 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1; Ipswich 0 Burnley 1; Leicester 2 Huddersfield 1; Millwall 2 QPR 2; Nottingham Forest 1 Bournemouth 1; Reading 4 Doncaster 1; Watford 2 Derby 3; Yeovil 0 Brighton 0.

Playing today Leeds v Birmingham Division One Brentford 3 Colchester 1; Crawley 1 Bradford 0; Crewe 1 Bristol City 0; Gillingham 1 Preston 2; Milton Keynes Dons 3 Rotherham 2; Oldham 1 Carlisle 0; Peterborough 1 Shrewsbury 0; Sheffield Utd 2 Port Vale 1; Tranmere 0 Leyton Orient 4; Walsall 2 Stevenage 1; Wolves 1 Coventry 1.

Played Friday Swindon 2, Notts County 0 Division Two Accrington 0 Oxford 0; Bristol Rovers 0 Wycombe 1; Cheltenham 1 Rochdale 2; Chester field 0 Bur ton 2; Har tlepool 1 Plymouth 0; Morecambe 1 AFC Wimbledon 1; Newport 3 York 0; Northampton 2 Dagenham and Redbridge 2; Por tsmouth 1 Bur y 0; Scunthorpe 0 Exeter 4; Torquay 0 Mansfield 0.

Played Friday Southend 2, Fleetwood 0 Scottish Premier League results Aberdeen 1 (Zola 54) Dundee Utd 0;

Hibernian 1 (Heffernan 18) Celtic 1 (Forrest 77); Kilmarnock 2 (Boyd 17, Irvine 71) Ross County 0; Mother well 2 (Moore 69, Hutchinson 83) Hearts 1 (Stevenson 62); St Mirren 4 (McLean 8, 76-pen, McGowan 60, Thompson 89) St Johnstone 3; (MacLean 17, Hasselbaink 61, Fallon 84).

Playing today Inverness CT v Partick Scottish Football League results Championship Cowdenbeath 5 Morton 1; Dundee 2 Queen of the South 1; Falkirk 1 Dumbar ton 2; Hamilton 1 Raith 1; Livingston 3 Alloa 2.

Division One Airdrie 0 Forfar 2; Ayr 2 Arbroath 0; Brechin 3 Rangers 4; Dunfermline 1 East Fife 2; Stranraer 1 Stenhousemuir 0.

Division Two Albion 0 Elgin 0; Berwick 0 Clyde 1; East Stirling 1 Queen’s Park 1; Stirling 3 Montrose 1.

German Bundesliga results Borussia Dortmund 1 (Reus 4-pen) Hanover 0; Bayern Munich 4 (Robben 50, Mueller 52, 82pen, Mandzukic 69) Mainz 05 1 (Parker 44); Werder Bremen 0 Freiburg 0; Eintracht Braunschweig 2 (Ademi 20, Bellarabi 59) Schalke 04 3 (Meyer 29, Goretzka 65, Neustaedter 90+1); Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Drmic 86) Nuremberg 1 (Kadlec 50); Hertha Berlin 1 (Ramos 36) Borussia Moenchengladbach 0.

Playing today Hamburg v VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg v VfL Wolfsburg Played Friday Hoffenheim 1 (Schipplock 88) Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Sam 26, Kiessling 70).

Spanish League results Real Madrid 2 (Di Maria 46, Cristiano Ronaldo 90+1-pen) Malaga 0; Valencia 1 (Pabon 90+2) Real Sociedad 2 (Griezmann 41, Pardo 58).

Playing today Granada v Getafe, Almeria v Rayo Vallecano, Real Betis v Elche, Valladolid v Sevilla.

Playing tomorrow Celta Vigo v Levante, Athletic Bilbao v Villarreal

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Arsenal 8 6 1 1 18 9 19 Chelsea 8 5 2 1 14 5 17 Liverpool 8 5 2 1 13 7 17 Man City 8 5 1 2 20 9 16 Southampton 8 4 3 1 8 3 15 Everton 8 4 3 1 12 10 15 Spurs 7 4 1 2 6 5 13 Man Utd 8 3 2 3 11 10 11 Hull 8 3 2 3 7 9 11 Newcastle 8 3 2 3 11 14 11 Swansea 8 3 1 4 12 11 10 Aston Villa 7 3 1 3 9 8 10 West Brom 8 2 4 2 7 6 10 West Ham 8 2 2 4 8 8 8 Stoke 8 2 2 4 4 7 8 Cardiff 8 2 2 4 8 13 8 Fulham 7 2 1 4 5 9 7 Norwich 8 2 1 5 6 13 7 Crystal Palace 7 1 0 6 5 13 3 Sunderland 8 0 1 7 5 20 1 English Football League tables Championship Burnley 12 9 2 1 22 7 29 QPR 11 8 3 0 14 4 27 Leicester 12 8 2 2 19 12 26 Nottingham 12 6 5 1 20 12 23 Blackpool 12 6 5 1 14 9 23 Reading 12 6 4 2 19 11 22 Watford 12 6 3 3 24 14 21 Derby 12 5 3 4 24 20 18 Bournemouth 12 5 2 5 19 25 17 Blackburn 12 4 3 5 17 14 15 Ipswich 12 4 3 5 18 16 15 Wigan 10 4 2 4 14 11 14 Huddersfield 12 3 5 4 14 12 14 Brighton 12 3 5 4 11 12 14 Leeds 11 4 2 5 10 13 14 Middlesbrough 12 2 6 4 19 21 12 Doncaster 11 3 3 5 11 16 12 Millwall 12 3 3 6 14 25 12 Birmingham 11 3 1 7 13 15 10 Charlton 11 2 4 5 9 14 10 Bolton 12 1 6 5 10 19 9 Barnsley 12 2 2 8 14 29 8 Sheffield 11 0 7 4 11 17 7 Yeovil 12 1 3 8 6 18 6 Division One Leyton Orient 12 10 2 0 31 8 32 Peterborough 12 10 1 1 24 8 31 Wolves 11 8 2 1 21 7 26 Preston 12 6 4 2 19 13 22 Bradford 12 6 3 3 21 10 21 Swindon 12 6 2 4 22 13 20 Keynes Dons 12 5 4 3 21 16 19 Crawley Town 11 5 4 2 18 14 19 Walsall 12 5 4 3 14 12 19 Rotherham 12 5 4 3 18 18 19 Brentford 12 5 3 4 16 16 18 Port Vale 12 4 2 6 14 18 14 Shrewsbury 12 2 6 4 12 14 12 Colchester 12 2 6 4 11 17 12 Carlisle 11 3 3 5 10 20 12 Crewe 12 3 3 6 11 25 12 Coventry 12 6 3 3 27 21 11 Oldham 11 3 2 6 14 16 11 Gillingham 12 2 3 7 14 21 9 Sheffield Utd 12 2 2 8 10 20 8 Stevenage 12 2 2 8 10 21 8 Tranmere 12 2 2 8 10 25 8 Notts County 11 2 1 8 13 21 7 Bristol City 11 0 6 5 15 22 6 Note: Coventry deducted 10 points for entering administration Division Two Chesterfield 12 7 2 3 18 11 23 Rochdale 12 7 2 3 18 12 23 Exeter 12 7 2 3 18 13 23 Oxford Utd 12 6 4 2 21 12 22 Fleetwood 12 7 1 4 20 14 22 Morecambe 12 6 4 2 20 15 22 Wycombe 12 6 2 4 18 14 20 Mansfield 12 5 5 2 15 11 20 Southend 12 6 2 4 14 10 20

Newport County 12 5 4 3 18 14 19 AFC Wimbledon 12 5 3 4 14 13 18 Burton Albion 12 5 3 4 17 17 18 Scunthorpe 11 4 5 2 13 12 17 Dagenham 12 4 5 3 17 17 17 Portsmouth 12 4 4 4 19 19 16 Hartlepool 12 4 3 5 14 14 15 Cheltenham 12 3 3 6 15 24 12 York 11 3 2 6 13 17 11 Plymouth 12 3 2 7 8 15 11 Bristol Rovers 12 2 4 6 10 16 10 Torquay 12 2 4 6 13 21 10 Bury 12 2 3 7 13 16 9 Northampton 12 2 3 7 10 17 9 Accrington 12 0 4 8 7 19 4 Scottish Premier League table Celtic 9 7 2 0 20 8 23 Inverness CT 9 6 1 2 15 8 19 Motherwell 10 6 1 3 13 12 19 Aberdeen 10 5 2 3 12 8 17 Hibernian 10 4 3 3 9 9 15 Dundee Utd 10 3 4 3 12 8 13 St Johnstone 10 3 3 4 15 13 12 Partick 9 2 4 3 8 10 10 Ross County 10 3 1 6 11 19 10 St Mirren 9 2 2 5 9 16 8 Kilmarnock 10 1 3 6 10 16 6 Hearts 10 2 2 6 7 14 -7 Note: Hearts deducted 15 points for entering administration Scottish Football League tables Championship Hamilton 10 6 3 1 14 5 21 Dundee 10 6 2 2 19 10 20 Raith 9 4 4 1 16 11 16 Falkirk 10 4 3 3 15 10 15 Alloa 10 4 2 4 12 11 14 Dumbarton 10 4 1 5 17 22 13 Livingston 9 3 2 4 15 18 11 Cowdenbeath 10 3 1 6 15 21 10 Queen of South 10 2 3 5 13 16 9 Morton 10 1 3 6 10 22 6 Division One Rangers 9 9 0 0 38 5 27 Stenhousemuir 10 5 2 3 17 22 17 Ayr 10 4 4 2 18 14 16 Dunfermline 9 5 1 3 20 17 16 Stranraer 10 4 2 4 13 15 14 Arbroath 10 4 0 6 18 24 12 Forfar 10 3 1 6 15 16 10 East Fife 10 3 1 6 8 20 10 Brechin 10 2 3 5 16 21 9 Airdrie 10 2 2 6 14 23 8 Division Two East Stirling 8 5 1 2 15 12 16 Elgin 9 3 4 2 17 15 13 Stirling 8 4 1 3 11 12 13 Clyde 9 4 1 4 9 11 13 Peterhead 8 3 3 2 14 12 12 Berwick 9 3 2 4 14 10 11 Annan Athletic 7 3 2 2 15 12 11 Montrose 8 3 2 3 14 12 11 Albion 8 3 2 3 11 9 11 Queen’s Park 8 0 2 6 8 23 2 German Bundesliga table Bayern Munich 9 7 2 0 19 4 23 Dortmund 9 7 1 1 22 7 22 Bayer Leverkusen 9 7 1 1 20 9 22 Hertha Berlin 9 4 3 2 15 9 15 Schalke 04 9 4 2 3 17 19 14 Borussia 9 4 1 4 19 14 13 Hanover 96 9 4 1 4 11 12 13 Werder Bremen 9 3 3 3 9 12 12 VfB Stuttgart 9 3 2 3 16 10 11 Hoffenheim 9 2 4 3 21 22 10 Eintracht 9 2 4 3 12 14 10 Augsburg 8 3 1 4 9 15 10 Mainz 05 9 3 1 5 13 21 10 VfL Wolfsburg 8 3 0 5 9 11 9 Hamburg 8 2 2 4 17 19 8 Nuremberg 9 0 6 3 10 18 6 Freiburg 9 0 5 4 9 18 5 Braunschweig 9 1 1 7 7 21 4

West Ham 1

Man City 3

LONDON: A masterful performance from Sergio Aguero saw Manchester City win 3-1 at West Ham United yesterday to claim their first away victory in the Premier League this season.

The Argentina forward scored either side of half-time before setting up David Silva for the clincher after Ricardo Vaz Te’s acrobatic overhead kick had given West Ham a glimmer of hope.

It was no more than the visitors deserved from a pulsating encounter in east London and moved last year’s runners-up into fourth spot.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was celebrating his 59th birthday and he used his programme notes to urge supporters not to expect too much, too soon from emerging midfielder Ravel Morrison.

The former Manchester United trainee took his place in the free-form 4-5-1 formation used to such devastating effect in last week’s 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, with Mohamed Diame once again deployed as a ‘false nine’.

Perhaps with the trip to play CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday in mind, City manager Manuel Pellegrini changed the entire defence used in the last match against Everton, with Samir Nasri also coming in for James Milner.

But the Chilean did keep faith in the burgeoning strike partnership between Aguero and Alvaro Negredo and they almost found an early breakthrough in the seventh minute when Negredo just failed to control a precise chip into his path. West Ham’s response was to surge up to the other end and Vaz Te was unlucky not to get to Mark Noble’s cross ahead of Joe Hart.

Nine minutes later, City took the lead as Negredo dummied a through ball from Fernandinho to fool James Tomkins and Winston Reid, allowing Aguero to take full advantage by slotting past Jussi Jaaskelainen. The home side

LONDON: West Ham United’s Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te scores with an overhead kick during an English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Manchester City at Upton Park. —AFP had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the game after that as he produced two saves to deny Aguero his second goal.

With Morrison pulling the strings, West Ham looked dangerous on the break and almost found a way through when Razvan Rat’s teasing cross was hacked clear by Matija Nastasic.

A moment of madness from the usually impeccable Reid then nearly gifted City a second before the break when he passed straight to Silva, but Jaaskelainen did well to keep out Yaya Toure’s curling effort. The visitors did not have to wait long to double their lead after half-time, however. Some more slack marking from Vaz Te allowed Aguero space to show superb technique to head in Silva’s left-wing free-kick in the 51st minute.

Far from give up the ghost, that goal seemed to inspire West Ham. Diame was denied by a sharp save from Hart before a brilliant overhead kick from Vaz Te pulled a goal back when City

Pienaar preserves Everton’s home record

LONDON: Liverpool’s English striker Daniel Sturridge (left) shoots at goal during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St Jamesí Park. —AFP

Newcastle hold Liverpool Newcastle 2

Liverpool 2

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United played for an hour with only 10 men but still managed to hold visitors Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining Premier League encounter yesterday.

Yohan Cabaye put the home side ahead with a fine long-range strike, but Steven Gerrard claimed his 100th league goal from the penalty spot to equalise after Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa had been sent off for holding back Luis Suarez.

Young defender Paul Dummett, sent on to shore up the home defence following YangaMbiwa’s dismissal, crowned his home league debut with a 57th-minute goal to restore Newcastle’s lead.

But Suarez crossed for Daniel Sturridge to head in an equaliser 18 minutes from time, taking the England striker’s tally of league goals to seven and provisionally lifting Brendan Rodgers’s side above Arsenal at the top of the table.

Newcastle, beaten 6-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, climbed one place to ninth.

Prior to kick-off, hundreds of Newcastle fans marched through the city centre protesting about owner Mike Ashley’s management of the club. The supporters are disgruntled about the appointment of the unpopular Joe Kinnear as sporting director and the club’s failure to significantly improve the squad during the close season.

Kinnear defended himself in the match-day programme, writing that Newcastle “cannot compete commercially with the very biggest global brands in football because the hugely lucrative deals will go their way”. As if to illustrate his point, Liverpool enjoyed the early running at St James’ Park, with Suarez and Martin Skrtel both threatening from corners, only for the hosts to take the lead in the 23rd minute.

Cabaye was given space to advance down the inside-right channel and from 30 yards he dispatched a vicious, dipping shot that flew past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet into the bottom-left corner.

An exchange of chances saw Mamadou Sakho and Suarez go close for Liverpool, with Cabaye shooting over and Mignolet saving from Moussa Sissoko in reply, before the visitors equalised three minutes before half-time.

Yanga-Mbiwa was adjudged to have held back Suarez as he raced in on goal and from the resulting penalty, Gerrard steered a shot into the bottom-left corner.

The goal saw Gerrard become the 24th player to have scored 100 goals in the Premier League era, following in the footsteps of his former Liverpool team-mates Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Robbie Keane, Nicolas Anelka and Emile Heskey.

Yanga-Mbiwa’s dismissal appeared to hand Liverpool the initiative and Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul had to claw away a low strike from fitagain visiting right-back Glen Johnson early in the second period.

However, it was Newcastle who struck next, with substitute Dummett ghosting in behind the Liverpool defence to volley a lofted free-kick from Cabaye past the exposed Mignolet.

Dummett, 22, had never previously scored for Newcastle, where he has been since the age of nine.

Krul saved from Suarez as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, but the Uruguayan would not be discouraged and in the 72nd minute he crossed from the left for Sturridge to head in a close-range equaliser. Sturridge appeared to have squandered a glorious opportunity to put his side ahead moments later when he slid the ball wide of an open goal, only for an offside flag to spare his blushes. Still Liverpool came, Suarez clipping the bar with a powerful half-volley and Sturridge miscuing from 12 yards before volleying wide from a deep Gerrard cross.

A foul on Suarez by Mathieu Debuchy gave the Liverpool number seven an opportunity to claim a dramatic winning goal deep into stoppage time, but his curling effort was palmed away by Krul. —AFP

Swansea thrash Southampton Swansea 4

Southampton 0

SWANSEA: Gus Poyet endured a dismal start to his reign as Sunderland manager as Swansea

romped to a 4-0 win at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.

Poyet was hired to replace the sacked Paolo Di Canio earlier this month, but the two-week international break had deprived the former Tottenham and Chelsea midfielder of the opportunity to work with his new players and they looked lost during a shocking second half collapse. The Swans had not won on home soil in eight

failed to clear a cross. City kept pouring forward and Negredo could not believe his luck when his effort cannoned back off the crossbar.

Jaaskelainen then produced yet more heroics to keep his side in the match when he denied Aguero his hat-trick before saving again from substitute Aleksandar Kolarov.

Allardyce threw on Matt Jarvis for a visibly disappointed Vaz Te, but despite finding space down the flanks, too often there was no one on the end of their final balls into the box.

City left Aguero as their sole striker and looked to play on the break, and it was another piece of sublime skill from the Argentine that finally settled matters 10 minutes from time.

Instead of shooting when he found space on the edge of the box, a glorious backheel into the path of the onrushing Silva allowed the Spaniard the opportunity to curl an exquisite shot into the net to complete a satisfying afternoon for the visitors. —AFP

games but a Phil Bardsley own goal, a Jonathan de Guzman strike, Wilfried Bony’s penalty and Chico Flores’ header gave them a convincing victory which kept Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the Premier League with only one point from their first eight matches.

Sunderland had been combative up until the opener, but they fell apart during the final half-hour to illustrate the task facing former

Brighton boss Poyet as he looks to lift the Wearsiders clear of the relegation mire. It was a dispiriting end to a day that had started brightly for Poyet as he watched Sunderland enjoy plenty of possession in the first half. Chico had to make a crucial tackle to prevent Adam Johnson racing clear after a terrible pass by De Guzman, while Steven Fletcher should have had the Black Cats ahead a few minutes later.

Swansea were caught sleeping at a corner as Johnson found Fletcher unmarked, but the Scotland forward could not control his half-volley and his shot flew wide. Swansea’s lethargy was summed up when Ben Davies, normally so reliable at left-back, allowed Sebastian Larsson too much room to get in a cross that Michel Vorm had to gather at the second attempt.—AFP

LIVERPOOL: Veteran South African Steven Everton 2 Pienaar scored with his first touch to secure Everton a 2-1 win over Hull in their Hull 1 Premier League clash yesterday.

The 31-year-old’s goal-just after he came on as a secondhalf substitute extended Everton’s unbeaten Premier League home record in 2013 to 13 games and brought to an end Hull’s four-match unbeaten run.

The hosts had got off to a cracking start with Belgian international Kevin Mirallas putting them 1-0 up after just eight minutes.

However, Hull goalkeeper, former Rangers stopper Allan McGregor, will not wish to see the replay as he let the gentle long range effort go by, thinking it was going wide. It was the first goal Hull had conceded in almost four hours of Premier League play.

The visitors suffered another blow just after the quarterof-an hour mark as Danny Graham’s wretched year continued, with the former Swansea star-who has failed to find the net in 16 matches-being stretchered off after falling awkwardly in a tussle for the ball with Gareth Barry.

Hull drew level though on the half hour mark as Ivory Coast international Yannick Sagbo scored his first goal in the Premier League, turning in Sone Aluko’s cross.

Hull tried to stifle Everton’s more expansive tactics in the second-half which worked for a while but eventually the home crowd were rewarded with a deserved second from Pienaar, who was set up by Mirallas. Everton should have extended their lead shortly before the final whistle as Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone was presented with an open goal, only to hit the crossbar. —AFP

Stoke and West Brom share spoils in draw S TO K E - O N -T R E N T: Stoke were left Stoke 0 lamenting a Stephen Ireland miss and West Bromwich Albion a disputed decision West Brom 0 after a goalless draw between the Premier League rivals at the Britannia Stadium yesterday. West Brom’s Youssouf Mulumbu was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after being clipped by Charlie Adam in the second half. Ireland could have made the Baggies even angrier moments later but blazed over the top of the bar and West Brom then had the last opportunity, in a game of few chances, to win the match only for Stephane Sessegnon to shoot straight at Asmir Begovic.

A largely uninspiring first half saw Sessegnon work his way into the Stoke box before a good challenge by the industrious Steven Nzonzi ended his run.

Sessegon saw a snap-shot go just wide of the post and nearly scored when he evaded two tackles following good work by Victor Anichebe and Saido Berahino before Begovic blocked his shot.

Begovic, fresh from helping Bosnia qualify for the World Cup in midweek, was then quickly off his line to smother a shot from French winger Morgan Amalfitano, played in by Sessegnon. Benin attacking midfielder Sessegnon was at the heart of the Baggies’ best work but Stoke, cutting off the supply line, gradually forced their way back into the match. Jonathan Walters had a long-range effort saved comfortably by Boaz Myhill and Adam headed well over from a corner. An increasingly fractious match saw World Cup final referee Howard Webb hand out several bookings, although Adam was fortunate to escape punishment for catching Sessegnon on the ankle.

But the Scot was even luckier 10 minutes into the second-half when he clipped Mulumbu’s heel inside Stoke’s box. Webb, however, dismissed the penalty appeal and Mulumbu’s overly-dramatic fall probably didn’t help his cause even though replays suggested he had been fouled.

Austria’s Marco Arnautovic then released Ireland with a fine through ball but the midfielder wastefully struck his firsttime shot high over the crossbar.—AFP

Real ease past Malaga

Stosur to play Halep at Kremlin Cup final

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

Newcastle hold Liverpool in English Premier League

Page 19

MANCHESTER: Southampton’s Rickie Lambert (centre) fights for the ball against Manchester United’s Robin van Persie (right) during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium. — AP

Saints add to Man United misery Man United 1

Southampton 1

MANCHESTER: Adam Lallana’s late equaliser saw Southampton to a 1-1 draw at Manchester United yesterday as David Moyes’s difficult start to life at Old Trafford continued.

Robin van Persie came off the treatment table to give United the lead. But Moyes, following in the giant footsteps of retired United manager Alex Ferguson, saw his side pegged back, with this result leaving the Premier League titleholders four points equidistant between the Champions League places and relegation.

Dutch striker van Persie’s opening goal was

the product of another sublime moment from winger Adnan Januzaj, whose recent meteoric rise through the United ranks resulted in a new five-year contract announced just before kickoff. However, an anxious United performance saw Southampton equalise a minute before fulltime.

James Ward-Prowse’s corner caused panic in the home defence. Croatia centre-back Lovren responded first, shooting powerfully goalwards before midfielder Lallana, stood on the line, got the final touch.

Earlier, the 18-year-old Januzaj showed again just what a precocious talent he is by instigating the move that saw United take a 26th minute lead. His stunning pass from the halfway line freed Wayne Rooney who surged clear of the Southampton back line and looked likely to score only for goalkeeper Artur Boruc to block his shot.

Van Persie, a doubt before the game due to

calf and toe injuries, collected the rebound alertly and calmly rounded Boruc before rolling the ball into the net from a wide angle-despite the presence of covering Saints defenders.

It was a lead United just about merited for their first-half endeavours although Southampton, who arrived at Old Trafford five places and four points above their hosts, certainly looked capable of adding to Moyes’s recent woes.

Twice in the early exchanges, Jay Rodriguez had promising headers without truly threatening the home goal before United began to settle and, after 10 minutes, van Persie latched onto Michael Carrick’s lofted pass into the area and chipped a fabulous left-foot volley just wide of the far post.

Van Persie was soon handed the first clear opening when Rafael combined with Nani down the right and the Portuguese winger picked out the forward, whose crisp shot was well held, at

Mourinho sent off as Chelsea thrash Cardiff Chelsea 4

Cardiff 1

LONDON: Jose Mourinho watched from the stands as Samuel Eto’o scored his first Chelsea goal in a 4-1 Premier League win over Cardiff City at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Mourinho’s side were forced to come from behind after Jordan Mutch gave the visitors a 10th minute lead in west London.

But Chelsea equalised through Eden Hazard’s 33rd minute effort and went on to win thanks to second-half goals from Eto’o, Oscar and another from Hazard.

Victory maintained Chelsea’s 100 percent home league record this season although the win was tarnished when manager Mourinho was forced to watch the final 20 minutes seated among Chelsea supporters, having been sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after reacting angrily to a series of decisions. While Mourinho’s frustration was at least tempered by victory, Cardiff manager Malky Mackay found little relief after a difficult two weeks.

Cardiff’s preparations had been overshadowed

by upheaval behind the scenes at the Welsh club amid reports of growing friction between manager Mackay and Vincent Tan, the club owner.

Tan’s decision to dismiss Iain Moody, the head of recruitment and a close ally of Mackay, and replaced him with Alisher Apsalyamov, a 23-yearold Kazakh who went to school with Tan’s son and had no prior experience in the role, angered the manager.

But Mackay insisted before this match he’d not been encouraged to resign and the manager’s popularity among Cardiff supporters was confirmed by the reaction he received when he took his seat in the dug-out.

The Scot responded with a clenched fist salute, and the bond between manager and supporters was strengthened even further when Cardiff took the lead after just 10 minutes.

Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall launched a goal-kick downfield and the ball broke loose to Blues midfielder Ramires, who directed an underhit back-pass towards Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.

David Luiz failed to react and Mutch nipped in to stroke the ball home. Chelsea pressed for an equaliser, with John Terry twice heading narrowly wide although they were forced to call on Cech to keep out Peter Odemwingie’s header.

But Cardiff may well have reached the interval with a confidence boosting lead had Marshall not been caught out by Eto’o who nipped in to poke the ball away as the keeper bounced the ball.

That freed Hazard inside the visitors’ area but

the second attempt, by Boruc.

There were still warning signs for United, who found it difficult to cope with the bold decision of Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino to drop England striker Rickie Lambert and opt for a packed, high-tempo midfield.

That pressing game almost paid off when Rooney was caught in possession deep inside his own half after 24 minutes by Lallana, who swung over an accurate ball for Dani Osvaldo only for his team-mate to rush his shot straight at United keeper David de Gea. It was a miss made all the more costly when Januzaj’s brilliance set up United’s opener.

The match might have been settled three minutes later when Nani found Rooney in the box only for his thunderous strike to hit the Southampton bar.

Southampton started the second half as impressively as they did the first, with van Persie

required to head off his line after de Gea appeared to have misjudged Lovren’s towering set-piece header.

United’s mounting frustration was reflected in a caution for Januzaj, booked for a trip on Nathaniel Clyne and Pochettino, sensing an upset, brought on Lambert.

United might have settled their nerves after 63 minutes when Rooney’s corner picked out van Persie, who headed against the bar.

Jonny Evans did well to reach the rebound, setting up Nani for a shot which Boruc saved well at the foot of his post. The Southampton keeper performed even more impressively a minute later when Januzaj unleashed a swerving 25-yard shot which Boruc somehow kept out with a twisting, one-handed diving stop.

Lallana, from 20 yards, shot directly at de Gea and Clyne’s low shot was then well-saved by the keeper as the Saints reminded United the game was far from over. — AFP

Ozil brace keeps Arsenal cruising Arsenal 4

Norwich 1

LONDON: Chelsea’s John Terry (top) heads the ball away from Cardiff City’s Peter Odemwingie during their English Premier League soccer match. — AP Chelsea still came close to spurning the chance when the Belgian attempted to tee up Eto’o who was caught in possession and relieved to see the ball break again for Hazard who finished from close range in the 33rd minute.

Back on level terms, the home side moved through the gears and always looked the likelier winners. Cardiff were forced onto the back foot from the start of the second half with Marshall quickly called into action to repel an Eto’o drive.

Then Juan Mata should have done better with an acrobatic volley from Ryan Bertrand’s cross. —AFP

LONDON: Mesut Ozil scored twice to keep Arsenal top of the Premier League table with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.

Jack Wilshere teed up the win with his opener, but another man of the moment, Aaron Ramsey, made sure that his midfield colleagues did not steal all the headlines as he carried on his red-hot form with another goal.

Transformed from the opening day of the season, when they lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa, the Gunners have remained unbeaten since.

Wilshere scored his second goal in as many games when he struck in the first half and Ozil got on the goal trail with a second-half header.

At times Norwich had rare skirmishes in the Arsenal half and went close through Robert Snodgrass and Lee Martin. Jonny Howson eventually found a way past home goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to grab a consolation and set up a tense final 20 minutes, but Ramsey and Ozil had the final say. The early groundwork for the

victory had to be done without Ramsey, Arsenal’s player of the month for the third time in a row, as he was rested. Spanish playmaker Santi Cazorla was drafted in alongside Wilshere and German star Ozil in an attacking trio full of flair and creativity. With a team crammed full of international midfielders, there was little wonder that Arsene Wenger’s side spent the majority of their time camped in Norwich’s half. Still, visiting goalkeeper John Ruddy was not tested as much as Wenger would have liked, as his side initially did a lot of work in midfield without any end product.

Right-back Bacary Sagna was allowed space and time to get down the flank past Martin Olsson, only to either overhit a cross or watch it cleared away. A change of approach was needed, and as soon as the Gunners went through the middle, they broke the deadlock. Cazorla carried the ball forward before picking out Wilshere in space just on the edge of the 18-yard box.

In turn the England ace played a neat onetwo with striker Olivier Giroud before coolly tucking the ball past Ruddy from the Frenchman’s flick. With Norwich struggling to get a foothold in the game, the only disappointment for Arsenal was the sight of midfielder Mathieu Flamini departing after a 30th-minute clash of heads with Alexander Tettey. Ramsey took his place.

As Arsenal pushed for a second, Ruddy showed his England credentials when he made a reaction save at his near post as Giroud attempted to turn home Kieran Gibbs’s cross from the left. —AFP

Business

California finds more instances of fracking Page 22 Kuwait could see KD12bn budget surplus in FY13/14 Page 23

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

S&P 500 pushes further into record territory

IMF urges Kuwait to put reforms on track Page 24

Page 25

LISBON: Protestors gather as buses bringing more cross Lisbon’s April 25th bridge, in the background, yesterday to take part in a demonstration called by Portugal’s main union CGTP, General Confederation of Portuguese Workers, against the government’s austerity measures. — AP

Huge anti-austerity rallies in Portugal, Italy Budget cuts, costs of economic crisis ignite widespread protests LISBON: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Italy and Portugal yesterday to protest against budget cuts and the social cost of the economic crisis, amid concern over possible clashes in Rome. “We are laying siege to the city!” a group of students chanted as they marched through Rome, while others waved rainbow peace flags and held up banners from a variety of leftist movements.

“We are protesting a one-way austerity that is bringing the country to its knees,” said Piero Bernocchi from Italy’s Cobas trade union group.

“And it hasn’t achieved what it was meant to by bringing down debt,” he said, adding:

“Meanwhile politicians continue with their privileges.”

Organisers said 70,000 people were taking part, while police put the number at around 50,000. Police also seized potential weapons including chains, helmets, clubs and cobblestones and detained 14 people ahead of the protest.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 police officers have been deployed for security, local media reports said. Thousands also gathered in Lisbon and Porto-the two main cities in Portugal-to protest austerity measures in the draft 2014 budget.

The slogan at the demonstration in Porto, the

India business chiefs warn of an ‘atmosphere of fear’ NEW DELHI: India’s top business groups have warned of an “atmosphere of fear” enveloping corporate circles and bureaucrats that could hurt economic recovery after police accused a leading industrialist of corruption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier in the week filed a case accusing Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of conglomerate Aditya Birla Group and one of India’s most respected business names, of conspiring to obtain a coal block for a cut-rate price eight years ago. “Reputations of institutions and individuals take years to build,” Kris Gopalakrishnan, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said. “Extreme caution needs to be exercised before any action is taken which jeopardizes reputations,” he said late Friday, adding, “creation of an atmosphere of fear is not desirable.” The case against Birla, viewed in the corporate world as a by-the-rules player, sent shock waves through the business community.

“Such developments dent the national psyche and dampen investor confidence,” said Gopalakrishnan. The corporate alarm comes as the economy has slumped, growing by 4.4 percent in the last quarter-half the nearly doubledigit rates seen in the last decade. Birla, 46, joins a string of senior business figures and civil servants being probed over various graft scandals that have rocked the Congress-led government and forced several ministers’ exits.

The billionaire was accused of conspiracy along with the former coal secretary, P C Parakh, over a scandal in which the national auditor accused the government of underpricing coalfields and giving away billions of dollars in windfall gains to firms. Both men have

denied any wrongdoing. The series of scandals have cast a shadow over the government’s reelection hopes in polls due by May. The president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Naina Lal Kidwai called the accusations against “industry icons” and bureaucrats “unfortunate”.

“Capable and highly regarded officers and business leaders cannot be made scapegoats of mere suspicion and misconstrued actions,” she said. Civil servants in the vast Indian bureaucracy, a legacy of British colonial rule commonly mocked for its red tape, have spoken about paralysis in ministries. Officials have said they are worried about taking decisions for fear of facing accusations of wrongdoing later. “We’re in a very, very uncomfortable situation as a nation” with industrialists and senior bureaucrats under investigation, D K Mittal, a former top finance ministry official, told a financial portal. If business and government cannot “work for the nation, how can we grow?” he asked.

Senior civil servants met on Friday to discuss ways they can be “protected for bona fide decisions” taken in the “line of duty”, local media reported. Business people have said they are hesitant to bid for contracts in case the transaction is questioned later and they face legal action. “We need to bring back a regime of courageous decision-making,” said Kidwai, adding that decisions involving no personal gain “are critical for growth”. Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily also expressed his unease. “India cannot become just like Russia where investors are not prepared to go and billionaires are put behind the bars,” he told reporters. — AFP

capital of the northern part of the country, was: “Against exploitation and impoverishment”. In Lisbon, protesters said they were planning to board 400 buses rented especially to get around an interior ministry ban on marching on foot across a bridge for safety reasons. Armenio Carlos from the CGTP union, which is close to the Communist party, said the ban was “an illegitimate and shameful political decision”.

This is the first major street mobilisation seen in Portugal since the government unveiled its budget plans on Tuesday, which will hit public servants and pensioners in their pocketbooks.

One of the most contested measures is a plan

to cut civil service salaries by between 2.5 percent and 12.0 percent, as well as reducing pensions for former civil servants by 10 percent. The cuts would not apply for salaries or pension payments that are below 600 euros ($820) gross a month.

The demonstration in Rome brings together various groups including migrant rights advocates, campaigners for affordable housing and protesters against a new high-speed rail link in the Alps. Some of the protesters had camped out overnight on Piazza San Giovanni square following a trade union demonstration and transport strike on Friday. They are planning another

unsanctioned protest camp on Saturday night close to the infrastructure and transport ministry which they blame for failing to build affordable housing and wasting money on large-scale construction projects.

Many shops in that area of the Italian capital have remained shuttered for the protest in a bid to minimize potential damage to property.

Reports suggest demonstrators may be planning to occupy buildings, including hotels, in protest over a lack of accommodation for poor families who have been hit hard by the recession, the longest Italy has suffered since the aftermath of World War II. — AFP

Obama urges Congress to ditch politics of crisis WASHINGTON: The US Congress must stop stumbling from crisis to crisis and join together to create jobs and get things done, President Barack Obama said yesterday in his weekly radio address.

Speaking just two days after Congress reached an 11th-hour accord to end a 16day government shutdown and avert a debt default by extending the Treasury’s authority to borrow money, the president said lawmakers have little to be proud of. “At a time when our economy needs more growth and more jobs, the manufactured crises of these last few weeks actually harmed jobs and growth,” he said. Economists say the shutdown cost the economy billions as furloughed workers cut back on spending and tourism was sapped, among other effects.

And the provisions of the last-gasp bill already have raised fears that another round of Washington-style brinkmanship and dysfunction may not be far off. The compromise plan hashed out in the Senate and passed by the House funds government only until January 15 and extends US borrowing authority until February 7. “And it’s understandable that your frustration with what goes on in Washington has never been higher,” Obama added.

He specified three areas where his Democrats and Republicans can work together productively. He said these were coming up with a budget that promotes both economic growth and fiscal responsi-

bility, immigration reform to get millions of undocumented foreigners out of the underground economy and paying taxes, and a farm bill to help rural communities. On immigration, he noted that the Senate has already passed a bill setting out a path to citizenship for such people, called on the House to pass it and said this should be

done by the end of the year. “I’ll look for willing partners from either party to get important work done,” Obama said. “There’s no good reason why we can’t govern responsibly, without lurching from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. Because that isn’t governing - it’s just hurting the people we were sent here to serve.” — AFP

BURBANK: Shopper Roxanna Garcia, middle, waits in line to pay for her over a $1000.00 gifts at the Target store in Burbank, California. Now that the US has averted a default on its debt that could have sent the economy into a tailspin, it seems retailers avoided a train wreck heading into the holiday shopping season. — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

BUSINESS Bayt.com weekly report

Handling performance appraisal of a not-so-great performer

California finds more instances of fracking

By Lama Ataya

W

ith the year in its last quarter, most managers would be gearing up on their team’s appraisal.

While most new managers are reluctant towards giving performance appraisals, it is not uncommon for many managers to share the same kind of discomfort, especially when giving bad news. But it is also vital to understand that even the best performers sometimes have rough patches. So to make sure that your appraisal is as fair, balanced and based on facts as much as possible, the HR experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading job site have suggested steps below to serve as a guide for new managers: Step 1: Your appraisal is only as fair as your appraisal system. It is important for HR to establish an unbiased system that takes into account not only aspects of the job on a macro level (company objective, values, mission statement), but also on the micro level (KPIs, job responsibilities). If you don’t have a systematized appraisal system in place, make your appraisal as empirical and objective as possible. Note down all the aspects of the job - micro and macro, and have a five point rating system (ranging from ‘below expectation’ to ‘exceeds expectation’). You should rate the employee on all parameters and the total average would correctly indicate how good or bad his/her performance has been.

Step 2: Hear the other side of the story. Make sure your appraisal system also includes a self-evaluation. Again, the self-evaluation system should take into consideration the factors similar to the ones described in step one. Ask your employees to cite specific examples when they rate themselves - this will make the system less subjective.

Self-evaluation will also help you know how well the employee understands his/her responsibilities.

Step 3: Arrange for a one-on-one and prepare. Once you have scheduled a one-on-one discussion, make sure that you read his/her self-evaluation and compare it against your report. This will help you prepare for the flow of discussion. If both the evaluations are similar in rating on most factors, this means that you both are on the same page and that your teammate is well aware of his/her shortcomings. In case both the evaluations are vastly divergent in rating, this indicates that there are deeper issues to address, such as understanding of job responsibility and job-role match. This process makes the appraisal system more transparent and makes communication more open, which is vital. In fact Bayt.com’s’Work satisfaction in the MENA’ poll (November 2012) shows that more than a quarter of professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region feel that communication channels are not open in their organization Step 4: During the one-on-one discussion. It’s the little things that can make this meeting more pleasant. Know that your employee is dreading it much more than you; it’s one thing to give feedback, it’s another to receive it.

Always begin by thanking the employee for the efforts and communicate the general highlights of the year’s performance. Then bridge with a question to open the conversation as related to the target inconsistencies. “I know you exerted a lot of effort, how do you feel about the results?” and “What could you have done to ensure consistency in achieving your targets?”. This will help keep the employee’s self-esteem intact will help acknowledge their performance challenges than to be told about them.

Step 5: Planning a roadmap to success. A good manager not only leads the team but also motivates them to achieve their fullest potential. Now that you have seen both sides of the story and communicated openly about the employee’s performance, you need to help them take their performance level a notch up. If time management is an issue help them plan their day or reallocate tasks. If insufficient knowledge or skills is the case offer them training options. Statistic available from Bayt.com’s’Work satisfaction in the MENA’ poll (November 2012) indicated that 20% of professionals agree that what they would most like to change about their job is their training and development path, thus offering training options is a step in the right direction.

However, at this stage you also need to set timelines for the coming months during which the employees performance will be evaluated on the lacking parameters. Be firm and diplomatic without being bossy and also communicate the consequences of bad performance.

If you follow a systematic, well-planned approach such as one above, you will definitely make it easier for all parties involved as well as more efficient.

Frequent in offshore platforms, manmade islands LONG BEACH, California: The oil production technique known as fracking is more widespread and frequently used in the offshore platforms and man-made islands near some of California’s most populous and famous coastal communities than state officials believed.

In waters off Long Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach - some of the region’s most popular surfing strands and tourist attractions - oil companies have used fracking at least 203 times at six sites in the past two decades, according to interviews and drilling records obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.

Just this year in Long Beach Harbor, the nation’s secondlargest container port, an oil company with exclusive rights to drill there completed five fracks on palm tree-lined, manmade islands. Other companies fracked more than a dozen times from old oil platforms off Huntington Beach and Seal Beach over the past five years. Though there is no evidence offshore hydraulic fracturing has led to any spills or chemical leaks, the practice occurs with little state or federal oversight of the operations.

The state agency that leases lands and waters to oil companies said officials found new instances of fracking after searching records as part of a review after the AP reported this summer about fracking in federal waters off California, an area from three miles to 200 miles offshore. The state oil permitting agency said it doesn’t track fracking. As the state continues its investigation into the extent of fracking - both in federal waters and closer to shore - and develops ways to increase oversight under a law that takes effect in 2015, environmental groups are calling for a moratorium on the practice.

“How is it that nobody in state government knew anything about this? It’s a huge institutional failure,” said Kassie Siegel, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. “Offshore fracking is far more common than anyone realized.”

Little is known about the effects on the marine environment of fracking, which shoots water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to clear old wells or crack rock formations to free oil. Yet neither state nor federal environmental regulators

have had any role in overseeing the practice as it increased to revitalize old wells.

New oil leases off the state’s shores have been prohibited since a 1969 oil platform blowout off Santa Barbara, which fouled miles of coastline and gave rise to the modern environmental movement. With no room for physical expansion, oil companies instead have turned to fracking to keep the oil flowing.

The state launched an investigation into the extent of offshore fracking after the AP report in August. California officials initially said at the time there was no record of fracking in the nearshore waters it oversees. Now, as the State Lands Commission and other agencies review records and find more instances of fracking, officials are confused over who exactly is in charge of ensuring the technique is monitored and performed safely.

“We still need to sort out what authority, if any, we have over fracking operations in state waters; it’s very complicated,” said Alison Dettmer, a deputy director of the California Coastal Commission.

Nowhere is the fracking more concentrated than in Long Beach, an oil town with a half-million residents and tourist draws such as the Queen Mary.

The city’s oil arrangement stems from a deal drawn up in 1911, when California granted the tidelands and other watercovered areas to the city as it developed its harbor. When oil was discovered in the 1930s, the money started coming in.

Long Beach transferred $352 million of $581 million in profits to state coffers in fiscal year 2013 from onshore and offshore operations, according to the city’s Gas and Oil Department.

Most of the oil recovery comes from traditional drilling while fracking accounts for about 10 percent of the work.

The department says fracking is safe. It has a spill contingency plan and monitors pipelines. Well construction designs are approved by state oil regulators. The designs can be used for conventional drilling and fracking. And the oil industry says offshore fracks are much smaller operations than onshore jobs, involving only a fraction of the chemicals and water used

on land.

City oil officials see themselves as partners with Occidental Petroleum Corp. - not regulators - though officials participate in the company’s internal audits and technical reviews by the state.

Occidental and the city briefly took a fracking timeout after passage of the state’s new rules. Long Beach oil operations manager Kevin Tougas said there are plans to frack again later this year. ccidental spokeswoman Susie Geiger said in an email the company doesn’t discuss its operations due to “competitive and proprietary reasons.” No one is tracking the amounts or precise composition of any fracking chemicals that enter the marine environment, though in September the state passed a law that starting in 2015 would require disclosure of agents used during the procedures.

Fracking fluids can be made up of hundreds of chemicals - some known and others not since they are protected as trade secrets. Some of these chemicals are toxic to fish larvae and crustaceans, bottom dwellers most at risk from drilling activities, according to government health disclosure documents.

Myriad state agencies that oversee drilling, water quality and the ocean said they did no monitoring of fracking chemicals during offshore jobs. Don Drysdale, a spokesman for the California Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, said the new regulations will include “extensive protections” for groundwater. The industry estimates that about half of the fluids used during fracking remain in the environment; environmentalists say it is much higher. Long Beach says it uses a closed system and there’s no discharge into the water. Instead, fluids are treated before being re-injected deep under the seafloor.

The Long Beach Water Department, which monitors well water quality annually, said there are no known impacts to residents’ water from fracking. “It’s our hometown,” said Chris Garner, a fourth-generation resident who heads the gas and oil department. “We have a vested interest in making sure the oil operations have been without harm to the city.” — AP

Kyrgyz crowd attacks gold miner’s office ALMATY: A crowd of about 200 people on Friday attacked the local office of ZExplorer, an Australian company developing a gold field in southern Kyrgyzstan, in what appeared to be another violent conflict over the privatization of the country’s resources. A subsidiary of Australian-listed Manas Resources, Z-Explorer discovered the Shambesai deposit in 2008 and in 2012 it received a licence to develop the field, which holds estimated gold reserves of 8.8 tons.

A bulldozer on its way to the deposit on Friday was met by an angry crowd, Jyldyz Akmatova, public affairs officer for Z-Explorer, said from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. The swelling crowd later moved to the company’s office in a nearby village and ransacked it, looting computers and other equipment, and burning seized documents, she said.

“They said they feared that our works could damage the environment and harm water supplies and their orchards,” Akmatova said, but expressed the company’s opinion that the real reason for the violence was probably political.

“Z-Explorer expresses its concern over this incident, in particular, over the participation of some deputies of the local council in these unlawful actions, which undermine trust in state power and have a negative impact on attracting investment,” Z-Explorer said in a statement.

The local police confirmed the incident had taken place, but none of the protesters or the government could be

A homeless person sleeps on a bench at the upscale Voukourestiou street in Athens on Friday. Greece battles a sixth year of recession and high unemployment from austerity measures in exchange for ongoing rescue loans from International Monetary Fund and the other 16 European Union countries that use the euro.—AP

Pakistan needs $76.19bn to pay off debts: IMF ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Fiscal Monitor Report estimates that Pakistan requires at least $76.19 billion or 30 percent of its GDP each year to pay off its maturing debt. Pakistan at top of the 27 developing countries where 29.9 percent of GDP is required in fiscal 2013-14 to pay off debts against the 25 percent of GDP in last financial 2012-13. According to IMF, gross financing needs in advanced economies, though still large, have stabilized at about 22 per cent of GDP. The size of Pakistan’s economy stands at $247.62 billion where $76.19 billion is required for the payment of the matured debts in the current fiscal 2013-14, placing Pakistan firmly at the top of the list of indebted emerging countries. Earlier, the board of IMF has approved a $6.7 billion loan package for Pakistan to help the nation revive its ailing economy, filling up

the reserves just in time as the central bank of Pakistan was left with $5 billion in foreign currency reserves. According to the estimates by Asian Development Bank, Pakistan needs $6 billion to $9 billion to meet its requirements including about $5 billion in outstanding debt as it averted a balance of payments crisis in 2008 by securing $11 billion IMF loan. The loans

by IMF generally come up with some conditions for economic reforms and Pakistani government had to cut down subsidies on electricity and send out notices to 10,000 delinquent taxpayers for the approval of the fund. Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world.

The government has recently imposed an average increase of more than 35 percent after including 17 percent GST to the consumers of higher slab who use more than 300 units of electricity per month. — KUNA

reached for comment. Violent riots over ownership of the country’s flagship venture - the Kumtor gold deposit in the Tien Shan mountains - flared up last week when protesters in the northern town of Karakol took the local governor hostage and threatened to burn him alive. Police were later able to free the official.

Last month the government signed a memorandum of understanding with Canada’s Centerra Gold paving the way for Kyrgyzstan to swap its 32.7 percent stake in Kumtor, Centerra’s core asset, for a 50 percent interest in a joint venture that would own the mine.

The opposition demands that Kyrgyzstan’s share be boosted to at least two-thirds or Kumtor should be nationalized, or it will call for a no-confidence vote in the government. Kyrgyzstan, a mainly Muslim nation of 5.5 million which hosts both US and Russian military air bases and lies on a drug trafficking route out of Afghanistan, has seen two presidents deposed in bloody revolts since 2005. The Central Asian nation is one of the poorest among the 15 post-Soviet countries, and violent attacks on investors and official buildings across the nation have exposed the power of local clans and tenuous control of central government. Shambesai is smaller than Kumtor, which was discovered by Soviet-era geologists. But Shambesai has symbolic significance for the Kyrgyz people, as it was the first gold field discovered after independence in 1991. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

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

2.878 4.647 2.672 2.163 2.924 231.500 36.585 3.642 6.574 9.072 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.684 77.982 737.170 753.820 77.292

COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 271.01 278.70 318.39 388.05 282.80 458.26 2.98 3.639 4.578 2.158 2.868 2.666 77.06 752.70 41.03 402.49 735.46 78.09 75.54

SELL CASH 272.000 279.000 318.000 390.000 285.500 462.000 3.000 3.700 4.820 2.500 3.300 2.760 77.400 753.500 41.100 407.500 741.500 78.500 75.800

Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.000 10.015 3.065 3.860 89.290

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

BUY

SELL

Europe Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

0.007366 0.448723 0.006648 0.047494 0.379246 0.043353 0.081774 0.008124 0.039966 0.306721 0.140278

0.008366 0.457723 0.018648 0.052494 0.386746 0.048553 0.81774 0.018124 40.044966 0.316921 0.147278

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lira Morocco Dirham

42.900 40.717 1.324 173.730 400.790 1.904 3.083 35.025

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound Canadian dollar Turkish lira Swiss Franc Australian Dollar US Dollar Buying

283.700 390.000 458.350 279.510 143.090 317.870 274.050 282.500 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

248.000 125.000 65.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound

Selling Rate 283.150 276.220 456.285 385.340 312.980 747.655 77.070 78.620 76.375 399.145 41.040 2.155 4.553 2.669 3.640 6.551 695.475

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee

Australasia 0.259152 0.229085

0.270652 0.238565

America 0.268140 0.279300 0.279800

0.276640 0.283650 0.283650

Asia 0.003260 0.044844 0.034466 0.004365 0.000020 0.002825 0.003408 0.000253 0.085039 0.002937 0.002526

0.003860 0.048344 0.037216 0.004766 0.000026 0.003005 0.003408 0.000268 0.091039 0.003107 0.002806

Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.006415 0.000069 0.223432 0.022498 0.001827 0.009525 0.008703 Arab 0.745268 0.038500 0.000078 0.000183 0.395501 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022687 0.001200 0.730072 0.077133 0.074937 0.001929 0.168969 0.140278 0.076178

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

0.006695 0.000075 0.229432 0.030998 0.002407 0.009705 0.009253

0.753268 0.041600 0.000080 0.000243 0.403001 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046687 0.001835 0.735752 0.078346 0.075637 0.002149 0.176969 0.147278 0.077327

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.150 387.000 455.450 275.600 4.625 41.075 2.161 3.640 6.565 2.670 754.150 77.150 75.650

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait could see KD12bn budget surplus in FY13/14 Crude prices fall back as geopolitical tensions ease NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT

Employees of the Spanish appliance maker Fagor Electrodomesticos protest in Arrasate Mondragon northern Spain on Friday. Fagor, which claims to be Europe’s fifth-largest appliance maker and has nearly 6,000 employees, has filed for bankruptcy protection after years of economic crisis caused a dramatic drop in sales. The company, part of the Basque region’s Mondragon cooperative, has said it was unable to find financing to pay off an unspecified amount of debt. —AP

Obamacare’s rocky debut obscured by shutdown WASHINGTON: Technical problems have hobbled the website design to sign up millions of uninsured Americans for healthcare, but they have largely been overshadowed by a 16-day government shutdown.

The government’s healthcare.gov website launched on October 1 was supposed to spearhead President Barack Obama’s sweeping healthcare reform, known as Obamacare.

The federal website serves 36 states, with the 14 other US states managing the system locally with their own websites. But the websites have struggled with overloads, glitches and crashes, in a big embarrassment for the program.

“What breaks my heart... we’re overshadowing how badly Obamacare has been rolled out,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told ABC television’s “This Week” program.

Until Congress ended the federal government shutdown in an eleventh-hour vote late Wednesday, the budget and debt crisis that paralyzed Washington largely obscured the health reform’s troubled debut, even as Republican lawmakers were fighting to have it overturned. “Government shutdown: Obamacare dodges a bullet,” the Los Angeles Times summed it up in a headline earlier this week.

The site launch was a “gargantuan failure,” said health industry consultant Bob Laszewski of Health Policy and Strategy Associates. He estimated that during the federal website’s first two weeks, only 10,000 Americans enrolled for insurance, with the websites in states handling their own exchanges getting mixed results.

According to The Washington Post, about 185,000 people had signed up by Wednesday on the statebased exchanges. That’s a far cry from the seven million Americans expected to enroll within the first year, according to estimates by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

And more than 50 million Americans lack health care overall. “ The health insurance industry is shocked and extremely concerned,” Laszweski told AFP. “These people who are enrolling are their customers and (insurance companies) are very concerned that there will be service problems as we go forward and that they will be blamed for it... They are the ones that would have to lose the money.”

Amid all the criticism, the Obama administration has so far refused to reveal how many Americans have signed up for insurance on its website, promising monthly data starting next month.

“This is one of the largest and most complex things we have ever done. Typically, a company launches a project like this in a city, then a few cities,” said independent technology analyst Jeff Kagan.

“They figure out what doesn’t work right and they fix it before they roll it out nationwide. Why the government thinks it doesn’t have to follow the same rules of common sense is a mystery.”

Laszweski warned that unless the Obama administration moves fast to fix the technological glitches, people will lose confidence in Obamacare and the program could fold. “Only the sickest people, who are willing to put up with all of the problems-wait online for the website, wait on the phone for hoursonly the sickest people will sign up for the program and there won’t be enough healthy people signing up to pay the costs of the unhealthy people,” he said.

“The range of possibilities is anything between they get it fixed shortly to problems causing the entire program to collapse.”

But White House spokesman Jay Carney stressed that Obama’s reform extends far beyond the websites, and claimed that healthcare.gov had seen more than 17 million unique visitors since its launch.

“Although the glitches are unacceptable, so is the idea of leaving millions of Americans on their own, including families across the country who now have access to health care that they did not have,” he said.

“Despite the glitches that we acknowledge and that absolutely must be fixed, people are getting on and enrolling. They are finding an enormous array of options available to them that weren’t available to them in the past.” Obamacare supporters recall that major social programs such as Medicare health coverage for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor also faced difficulties at first but have since known solid success.

Aneesh Chopra, Obama’s former chief technology officer, said the administration had expected about 60,000 people to sign up for an account-and ended up getting about 250,000.

“They’re looking to find ways to expand that capacity at that account creation step. It will be resolved over the next several weeks. I’m very confident of that,” he told CNN. “Hopefully, this will be a footnote in the challenges when we look back on the process.”

On the very day the site launched, Obama pointed to tech giant Apple as an example. “Consider that just a couple of weeks ago, Apple rolled out a new mobile operating system,” he said. “And within days, they found a glitch, so they fixed it. I don’t remember anybody suggesting Apple should stop selling iPhones or iPads-or threatening to shut down the company if they didn’t.” — AFP

KUWAIT: Oil prices fell through September, reversing the gains made through August.

The decline was partly driven by geopolitical events, including the receding prospect of US military intervention in Syria.

Non-OPEC supply is gearing-up for another large increase in 2014. This may leave OPEC having to cut its own output significantly to prevent prices from weakening next year.

An oil price of between $104 and $106 pb in FY13/14 could generate a budget surplus for Kuwait of between KD12 and 14bn this fiscal year, following the KD13bn surplus recorded last year.

Crude oil prices fell back through September, reversing the gains made in August. The price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) fell from a peak of $110 per barrel (pb) in early September, to below $105 by the end of the month. Nevertheless, the average price through September of $107 was still the highest since February. Brent crude prices followed a similar pattern, falling from a peak of $117 in early September to $108 by the start of October.

The price of the main US benchmark - West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - also fell, though WTI’s discount to Brent remained small by the standards of the past few years, averaging just $5 pb (compared to $22 at the end of 2012) in September.

The decline in prices appears to have been driven largely by political factors, particularly the receding prospect of military intervention by the US in Syria. An easing of tensions between the US and Iran whose oil sector is still under-deployed due to international sanctions - has also helped.

Seasonal factors may also have played a role: oil demand in the GCC (particularly in Saudi Arabia) tends to decline as temperatures fall in the post-summer months, releasing more crude for export. Finally, the market was under pressure from the expectation (subsequently unrealized) that the US Federal Reserve would start to reduce its monetary stimulus, which would dampen economic growth prospects.

As we enter 4Q 2013, prices have in fact held-up well this year despite a number of headwinds: moderate demand growth, elevated crude production in the GCC and a continued surge in non-OPEC supplies.

Aside from the geopolitical issues men-

tioned above, a key offsetting factor has been persistent weakness in OPEC supplies from outside the Gulf. Libya, Iran and Nigeria have all witnessed large shut-ins (for different reasons), while output in Iraq has grown less quickly than some expected. There is the potential for oil market fundamentals to weaken in 1H 2014 as demand falls away due to seasonal factors

Oil supply outlook Crude output of the OPEC-11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) dropped by a huge 722,000 bpd to 28.9 mbpd in August, according to data provided by ‘direct communications’ between OPEC and national sources. The vast majority of the decline was linked to the well-publicized plunge in Libyan output, where production fell to 0.7 mbpd from 1.2 mbpd in

and non-OPEC supply continues to grow. If so, OPEC may have to cut production aggressively in order to support prices next year, especially if some of the temporary supply restrictions of 2013 go into reverse.

July on protests that affected key oil infrastructure. Libyan officials hope that production will return closer to its capacity of 1.6 mbpd soon, though the episode appears to have unnerved some large foreign oil companies active in the sector. Elsewhere, production in Nigeria fell by 120,000 bpd in August on a combination of ‘industrial scale’ oil theft, sabotage and technical problems.

These declines were partially offset by a further rise in Saudi Arabian oil output by 0.2 mbpd to what - by some measures - was a modern day high of 10.2 mbpd. In addition, Iraqi crude production reportedly rose 0.2 mbpd to 3.2 mbpd, as output was boosted ahead of planned maintenance works in September.

Non-OPEC supplies are projected to increase by a sizeable 1.3 to 1.5 mbpd for 2013 as a whole, including a 0.2 mbpd rise in output of OPEC natural gas liquids. Most of this is a result of rising US oil production.

Combined with an expected increase in OPEC crude output of 0.7 mbpd, total oil output could rise by more than 2 mbpd in 2013. Next year, non-OPEC supply could rise

Oil demand outlook Analysts’ forecasts for global oil demand growth in 2014 have remained broadly unchanged over the past month, with incremental demand seen slightly above the moderate level expected for 2013. The International Energy Agency (IEA) sees demand growing by 0.9 million barrels per day (mbpd), or 1.0 percent, this year, and 1.1 mbpd (1.2 percent) in 2014. The Center for Global Energy Studies, meanwhile, sees growth at a slightly stronger 1.0 mbpd this year, rising to 1.1 mbpd next year. Demand growth in the developing world is expected to edge higher in 2014 following a recent soft patch. Demand in the developed world is expected to decline once more, but by a smaller amount than in 2013, in line with improving economic prospects in North America and Europe.

by even more than in 2013, potentially setting the stage for a further large increase in total global supplies.

Price projections Thanks to strong supply gains, oil output should exceed demand for the second year in a row this year, causing inventories to rise once more. Against that backdrop, a further large increase in non-OPEC supplies in 2014 could start to put prices under pressure.

Using the consensus forecast of a 1.1 mbpd increase in global oil demand in 2014 and a large 1.4 mbpd increase in non-OPEC supplies, OPEC may be left needing to cut its output in order to balance the market. If it implemented only marginal production cuts, the price of KEC would edge down from $108 in 4Q 2013, to $106 in 1Q 2014 and lower thereafter.

If, on the other hand, demand growth next year ends up 0.2 mbpd stronger than expected, the rise in inventories would be smaller and oil prices would rise. In this scenario, the price of KEC climbs steeply to around $120 pb by the end of 2014.

Alternatively, a rise in non-OPEC supplies next year of 0.3 mbpd more than expected driven by higher production in the US or the Former Soviet Union - could see oil prices fall sharply. In this case, the price of KEC declines to $103 in 1Q 2014 and below $90 by end-year. These last two scenarios would likely prompt OPEC to adjust its output in order to prevent prices moving too far in either direction.

Budget projections The three scenarios above generate oil prices in the narrow range of $104 to $106 in the current fiscal year, with the full effect on prices not felt until FY2014/15. With average oil production more or less unchanged, this generates government budget revenues of between KD32.0 and 32.7 billion this year, either flat or slightly higher compared to last year. If government spending, as expected, comes in 5-10 percent below its official target of KD21.0 billion, the budget would see a surplus of between KD12.0 billion and KD13.8 billion before allocations to the RFFG. This would equate to 24 percent-27 percent of forecast 2013 GDP, compared to the government’s ultra-conservative KD2.9 billion projected deficit.

US stocks pull back from precipice NEW YORK CITY: On Tuesday markets were staring at a global economic debacle because of the US budget and debt ceiling showdown. By Thursday it was a new record for the S&P 500, and another on Friday. It took Wall Street only a few hours to get past the political brinkmanship in Washington that had stirred worries of a US debt default and havoc in the global financial system.

After the government went through 16 days of partial shutdown, and on the eve of the day the Treasury said it would run out of cash to pay the country’s bills, politicians late Wednesday finally struck a deal to fund the government and raise the borrowing ceiling.

Investors were quick to buy the good news, and continued to buy through Friday, sending the S&P to another record, with the help of a huge rise in Google shares. But some disappointments in blue chip third quarter earnings reports kept a damper on the more narrow Dow Jones Industrial Average.

For the week, the Dow added 1.1 percent to 15,399.65. The S&P put on 2.4 percent, setting the closing record Friday of 1,744.50, and an intra-day high of 1,745.31.

The Nasdaq, which had fallen the most during the political crisis, surged 4.3 percent, reaching its highest since September 2000.

The return of the bulls seemed to exculpate the Republican politicians that held the government and the US credit rating hostage for goals never achieved.

Wall Street figures berated Washington through the crisis for sending shivers into the markets, but forgot quickly. “ Talk about rewarding bad behavior,” said Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.

“Perhaps the most remarkable aspect to the whole sorry spectacle surrounding the debt ceiling debacle is how well behaved markets were, seemingly confident that the adults would ultimately save the day.” There were varied opinions over the impact. Most economists said the shutdown, which took an

estimated $25 billion out of the economy, would trim around 0.5 percentage points from fourth quarter growth, leaving it at a sluggish annual pace of about 2.0 percent.

Some expect a bounceback in the first quarter of 2014, but others noted the same issues and the same political standoff over the budget could return in January, when the interim fiscal 2014 funding runs out again.

“Although the US dodged a bullet this week, this month’s events dealt a blow to fourth-quarter GDP,” said economists IHS Global Insight in a client note. “But with the next fiscal deadline only three months away, yields on 3- and 6-month Treasury bills remain somewhat elevated compared to September levels.

“If policymakers in Washington decide to reprise this month’s performance in January, the US runs the risk of a credit downgrade.”

Such a prospect though would likely see the Federal Reserve continuing its huge bond-buying stimulus to shore up economic growth-sustaining the easy-money flow that Wall Street likes. Attention will be on third quarter results and the release of delayed data next week, including the September jobs report. So far company results have been a mixed bag, with notable disappointments from Goldman Sachs and United Health, among others, the reason the Dow is lagging.

On the other hand, Google’s stellar report drove Friday’s market surge, its own stock gaining 13.8 percent to soar past the $1,000 mark, pulling Facebook and Amazon up in its wake. Analysts expect next week’s data releases be less than indicative of where the economy lies, given the turmoil of the past weeks that they will not cover.

The September employment report will be released on Tuesday, with expectations that the jobless rate will remain at 7.3 percent on a modest number of jobs created. There will also be data on home sales and durable goods orders. — AFP

Romanians protest Chevron fracking plans PUNGESTI, Romania: Around 1,000 protesters rallied yesterday in the northeastern Romanian village of Pungesti against plans by US energy giant Chevron to drill for shale gas. The protesters, including villagers in national dress, chanted “Chevron, go home” and “We say no to shale gas.” Chevron on Thursday suspended activities in the region after three days of protests. But villagers have continued to occupy the site where the company plans to drill its first exploration well. “We have won a battle but not the final victory. I want my seven great-grand-children to grow up in a safe environment,” Emil Dobarteanu, 88, told AFP. The protesters are afraid of the environmental and health impact of the highly controversial drilling method used to unlock shale gas,

called hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’.

The technique consists of pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into deep rock formations to free oil and gas, with environmentalists warning the process may contaminate ground water and even cause small earthquakes. Film-maker Lech Kowalski, author of “Drill Baby Drill”, a documentary about a Polish village fighting against Chevron’s shale gas drilling plans, was among the participants.

Several hundred people also protested in the eastern city of Barlad, forming a human chain around the town hall. They called for Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s resignation, blaming him for reneging on his campaign promise to ban shale gas drilling. —AFP

MINSK: People buy cabbage at a street market in the town of Novogrudok, 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Minsk yesterday. Local authorities organize frequent autumn street markets to encourage a steady supply of vegetables to the local population. —AP

JPMorgan in $4bn deal with US housing agency WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase & Co has reached a tentative $4 billion deal with the US Federal Housing Finance Agency to settle claims that the bank misled government-sponsored mortgage agencies about the quality of mortgages it sold them during the housing boom, according to a person familiar with the matter. JPMorgan and the FHFA, which is pursuing claims on behalf of finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have agreed on the amount as a tentative part of a potential $11 billion global settlement with government agencies, including the US Department of Justice.

The $4 billion figure was first reported on Friday by the Wall Street Journal. A spokesman for JPMorgan declined to comment as did a spokeswoman for the FHFA. The bank and the Department of Justice have discussed a broader deal under which JPMorgan would pay $7 billion of cash and $4 billion of consumer relief, to cover claims from the FHFA and other government agencies.

JPMorgan is seeking a single settlement to resolve all claims from federal and state agencies over its mortgage-related liabilities stemming from the bust in house prices. Baring a complete breakdown in talks with the Department of Justice, a final deal between the bank and the FHFA is unlikely to happen outside of a broader pact, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

Earlier this week, others familiar with the talks said negotiations continued between

the Justice Department and JPMorgan, with the bank circulating several proposals.

The FHFA has sued JPMorgan over mortgage loans totaling some $33 billion. A $4 billion deal would amount to about 12 cents on the dollar, less than the 20-cent rate under an earlier settlement by Switzerland-based bank UBS AG, said Josh Rosner, managing director of Graham Fisher & Co, a New York research consultancy. At first glance, the tentative settlement looks like “a great deal for JPMorgan,” Rosner said. He cautioned that it is unclear how comparable the deals are because the loans at issue have different origins and differences between the balances owed are not known. CEO Jamie Dimon went to Washington to meet with US Attorney General Eric Holder on Sept. 26 to advance those discussions, but a deal has not been forthcoming.

Though Dimon is intent on getting the legal issues behind the bank, a sore spot with him and other JPMorgan directors has been how much the company will have to pay for bad mortgage deals done by Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns, two troubled institutions that JPMorgan took over during the financial crisis with the encouragement from bank regulators.

JPMorgan reported its first quarterly loss under Dimon on Friday as the company recorded a $7.2 billion hit from litigation expenses largely to build its reserves to settle lawsuits over mortgages. The bank said all of its legal reserves now amount to $23 billion. — Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

BUSINESS

IMF urges Kuwait to put reforms on track ALSHALL ECONOMIC REPORT 1. Financial Stability Report 2012 Last week a report from the Financial Stability Office at the Central bank of Kuwait (CBK) was issued explaining the finance stabilization status and level in 2012. It is the first of its type and included details we are not used to. Therefore, it is an appreciated effort, respected and commendable. One paragraph is not enough to cover its contents in our weekly report. We shall perhaps report its other components in other future reports. However we shall briefly review its key points. Its significance will not be affected by some criticism to its direction like the interference of colors and letters with graphs and the later reminder of the necessity of containing some details.

The report portrays a positive picture of the banking sector’s conditions in 2012. The sector as a whole witnessed annual rise in its assets value by 7.5 percent and scored KD52.9 billion. This annual rise is the highest in 4 years, ie since the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2008. Deposits annual value rose by 11.6 percent to KD39.85 billion.

Capital sufficiency rate equaled 18.2 percent which is quite high though it is below 18.5 percent scored in 2011 though it is higher by 50 percent than Basel current requirements.

Percentage of default loans declined from about 7 percent in 2011 to about 5.2 percent in 2012, with 66.4 percent of which went to traditional banks (their share of total loans was 61.9 percent) and about 3 percent only of default loans relating to the troubled eurozone where the exposure of the Kuwaiti banking sector to the Euro zone crisis

declines because 6.5 percent only of its total investments and 7.6 percent of its loans are linked to that zone, as the report stated.

The sector’s net income, after tax deductions, achieved a relatively annual growth rate by about 1.25 percent and scored about KD574.9 million and about 13.4 percent of which came from branches, banks and affiliate companies abroad. The sector’s profits as a whole are equal to their half amount in 2007, i.e. before the global economic crisis.

Share of Islamic banks out of the sector’s profits rose from 22 percent in 2011 to 26 percent in 2012 mainly due to reduction of

Islamic banks provisions during 2012 by 17.7 percent. The fact that both the financial situation and the positive developments in the situation of the banking sector, calls for serious thought in the removal of the deposit guarantee law, and to start directing efforts to the other partner in the financial sector (The investment companies), which more than its half is unable to continue.

What the report wanted to convey is that the Kuwaiti banks position is secure and 2012 was a good start in the post-crisis period practicing their main business, i.e. granting credit which grew in the first year by 7.5 percent after a plain growth by 2 percent since 2008. The banks’ assets growth is steady and their defaulting credits are decreasing. That is all true and deserves appreciation to the bank. The report however needs some details. The State’s financial

to 13.2 million barrels per day in 2014, which supports a weak outlook for oil market, the Energy Information Administration believe that the United States has lost the title of the largest importer of oil to China in last September. Even in the consumption side, the United States reduced its oil consumption from 20 million barrels per day in 2003, to 18.7 million barrels per day in 2013.

position is comfortable but its economic position is fragile. While the financial position is linked to out of control variable, namely the oil market, the local economy imbalances remain an internal affair and a cause of concern that render economic stability unsustainable if left without remedy.

Some details to the main credit components are necessary. The real estate market and installed and consumer loans capture 45 percent of banking credit size. Real estate market is two markets; one threatens of a bubble, the investment real estate, and

another one in the end of its downfall cycle, the commercial real estate. Its financing trends need some details.

The highest absolute growth rates of lending went to the installed and consumer credits, which is unhealthy and risky engulfed by political intervention attempts though secure in terms of the financial aspect. Finally, there is no big meaning for assuring banks from their exposure to the Euro Zone. If an essential relapse occurs there, no investment or loan anywhere else in the world will be safe or secure.

We have to reemphasize that the report in terms of content and quality is good and

commendable precedence. Criticizing it is not to belittle its significance but to appreciate it and to contribute even slightly to the building of the second report.

2. The Local Real Estate Market According to the latest data from the Ministry of Justice-the Real Estate Registration and Authentication Department for September 2013 trading (weekly data from 1 until 26 September 2013, calculated as a monthly rate, total value of sales of both contracts and agencies scored about KD315.1 million, up by 32.8 percent from August liquidity level of about KD237.2 million, while it rose by approximately 57.3 percent compared with that of September 2012.

Quarterly data indicate a rise in the real estate market activity, measured by the slight rise in its liquidity in the third quarter of the

year compared with the second quarter by about 2.5 percent and scored approximately KD1009.7 million. The outcome of the third quarter sales were distributed as KD949.6 million in contracts and about 60.1 million in agencies. Within this trading, sales of private housing, both contracts and agencies, scored about KD497.3 million, or 49.3 percent of total sales. Value of investment housing sales amounted to KD371.8 million, or 36.8 percent of the total sales value. Therefore, the private housing and investment housing captured 86.1 percent of the real estate market liquidity, leaving about 13.9 percent of liquidity for the commercial real estate trading (13.3 percent) and 0.6 percent for the warehousing activity.

Total value of contracts and agencies trading in the first quarter of this year amounted to KD842.6 million, rose in the second quarter to about KD985.3 million, and rose again to about KD1009.7 million in the third quarter. Most of the rise came in July. Total value of sales of the real estate market in the past nine months of the year amounted to KD2837.6 million, higher by about 17.1 percent than the liquidity value in the first three quarters of 2012, which implies that the liquidity of the real estate market is increasing.

Assuming real estate market liquidity would continue during the remainder of the year, the fourth, at this level, value of real estate market trading -contracts and agencieswould score about KD3783.5 million, which is KD448.9 million higher, or 13.5 percent, than the trading value in 2012 which scored KD3334.6 million.

It should be noted that there is a change in the characteristics of this trading.

Concentration on private and investment housing trading fell slightly the first nine

months of this year to approximately 50.4 percent and 36.9 percent respectively of sales value versus 55.2 percent and 37.7 percent respectively for the first nine months of last year. Perhaps, it is a change in the positive direction. The high rise in investment housing prices coupled with a drop in return threatens of inflating its bubble. The commercial activity, particularly offices, continued their low rent rates, which are perhaps in the final stage of its low cycle.

Dividing sales of residential, investment and commercial sales each on the number of its deals, we note a rise by 25.4 percent in the average unit value of the sold unit for private housing vis-‡-vis the registered counterpart in the first nine months of last year and a rise in the average of the sold unit of the investment housing by 3.2 percent and a decline by -19.8 percent for the commercial activity.

This consolidates our foregoing conclusion.

3. IMF Report on Kuwait The IMF issued its final 2013 report about the Kuwaiti economy, which came within the framework of the periodic IMF mission visit to Kuwait. The report included a number of positive and negative remarks, perhaps the most important of which is the Fund’s reference to the delayed implementation of the Development Plan which covers the period 2010/2011-2013/2014 as well as its reference to the strength of the financial position of the banks under a disciplined policy imposed by the Central Bank of Kuwait which seemed stringent sometimes albeit it is correct.

In details, the final report included 28 remarks such as the weak real growth of the non-oil sector in 2012 by about 2.2 percent(11.7 percent for the oil sector) with expectations of 3 percent and 4.4 percent annual growth in 2013 and 2014 respectively, (-2 percent and 0 percent for the oil sector) after a weaker growth in 2011 by 0.9 percent (14.2 percent for the oil sector) and a contraction in the period 2008-2010. This means there is room to reduce dependence on oil, but it is not sustainable due to expectations of weak oil market. In this regard the report

said that, according to the IMF calculations, the Fund, the budget’s parity price (exclusive of investment income), the price at which the Government revenues are equal to its spending otherwise deficit, is in fiscal year 2013/2014 about $70 per barrel. This is what drives the Fund to maintain its projections that the accumulation of financial surpluses for the Kuwaiti Government will stop by the fiscal year 2017/2018. The report referred to the need for political reconciliation between the Government and the Parliament to put the development plan on its correct track and achieve the desired structural economic reforms.

The Fund calls the structural economic reforms which it advocates. On the labor market level, the report called for curbing employment and high wages in the public sector on the one side, and on the other it called for diversifying the sources of income through expanding the non-oil sectors that provide job opportunities for Kuwaitis, including the industrial sector.

The IMF pointed to the government spending to support national labor employment in the private sector which began as a temporary program to support the employment of Kuwaitis in the private sector but it still gets bigger and consumes more public spending. The report reiterated its call to redirect the support for basic goods and services, more specifically electricity and fuel, which reached more than 6 percent of GDP, so that the support goes to those who deserve, together with ensuring an adequate safety network to low income people. On taxation field, the Fund called for the expansion of the unified tax on foreign companies, 15 percent, to include local companies so as to increase non-oil revenues. As for the Fund’s remarks, we refer to a distinctive issue which pertains to public administration, its call to support the independence of the Central Bank in the face of the direct influence of the Government, as a guarantee for good financial management and prudent handling of crises.

We however disagree with the IMF estimates for the break-even price of the general budget without including the investment income. We believe it is close to S$90 a barrel assuming the spending of all the estimate. In a report issued by the Energy Information Administration of the US government, on October 04, 2013, it expects that the joint production of oil and gas equivalent in the United States will exceeds 2013 production of around 12.2 million barrels per day, rising

4. KFH Financial Results Kuwait Finance House (KFH) announced results of its financial operations for the first six months of the current year 2013 which indicate the bank’s net profits, after deducting KFAS, national labor tax, zakat and reversal of directors fee, scored about KD65.4 million, up by KD14.8 million or 29.2 percent versus KD 50.6 million in the same period 2012. When we deduct the non-controlling interests, the profit for the bank equity holder scored KD49.8 million versus KD42.1 million in the same period 2012, a rise percentage by 18.2 percent or KD7.7 million. The main reason for this rise of about KD14.8 million, as we said, resulted from the increase in operations income associated with less rise in total expenditures.

In details, operations incomes increased

by KD66.6 million, 16.9 percent, to KD461.1 million (KD394.4 million in the same period 2012) as a result of a rise in the item of financing incomes by KD37.7 million to KD287 million vis-‡-vis KD249.4 million in the same period of 2012.

Likewise, item of investment incomes rose

by KD 18.6 million to KD95.5 million (KD76.9 million in June 2012). Item of fees and commissions incomes rose by KD 9.5 million to KD41.7 million (KD32.1 million in June 2012).

Item of net gain from foreign currencies rose

by KD3.5 million and scored KD 15 million (KD11.5 million in June 2012). While the item of other incomes declined by KD 2.7 million and scored KD21.8 million (KD24.5 million in June 2012).

On the other hand, the bank’s total operational expenses and estimated distribution to depositors rose and with a less percentage by 15.1 percent, from KD342.8 million in June 2012 to KD394.7 million. The item of estimated distributions to depositors increase by KD15.6 million, 22.8 percent, to KD84.2 million, versus KD68.6 million in the same peri-

od 2012. Item of staff costs rose by KD14.7 million, 23.6 percent, from KD62.1 million in June 2012 to KD76.8 million now. Item of financing costs also rose by 62.2 percent to KD32.2 million in June 2013 compared withKD 20 million in June 2012. Similarly, item of general and administrative expenses rose by KD15 million to KD65.6 million (KD50.6 million in June 2012). As such, the net profit margin rose to 14.2 percent up from 12.8 percent in June 2012.

The bank’s financial statements indicate that total assets rose by KD1230.2 million, 8.4 percent, to KD15933.5 million (KD14703.3 million in the end of 2012). Total assets rise scored KD1918.7 million, 13.7 percent, compared with KD14014.7 million in the same period last year. Item of receivable value increased by KD89.5 million, 1.3 percent, to KD 6742.4 million (42.3 percent of total assets) vis-‡-vis KD6652.9 million in December 2012 (45.2 percent of total assets).

It rose by 658.6 million, 10.8 percent, compared with KD6083.8 million in same period 2012 (43.4 percent of total assets). Item of short term murabaha rose by KD 858.8 million, 72.4 percent, to KD2044.6 million (12.8 percent of total assets) vis-‡-vis KD1185.7 million (8.1 percent of total assets) in December 2012, and rose by KD 433.2 million when compared with KD1611.3 million (11.5 percent of total assets) in June 2012.

Item of cash and balances with banks and financial institutions increased by KD239.3 million and scored KD1053.6 million (6.6 percent of total assets) vis-‡-vis KD814.3 million in the end of 2012 (5.5 percent of total assets) and increased by KD323 million, 44.2 percent, from KD730.5 million (5.2 percent of total assets in June 2012).

Analysis of financial statements calculated on annual basis indicates that all KFH profitability indexes rose. Return on average equities relevant to the banks shareholders (ROE), rose slightly to 5.5 percent (5.4 percent in June 2012). Return on average assets (ROA) rose to 0.9 percent compared with 0.7 percent in June 2012 and the return on average capital (ROC) rose also to 38.9 percent up from 36.2 percent in June 2012. EPS for the bank’s shareholders scored about 14.9 fils (12.7 fils in June 2012). Price multiplier to earning per share (P/E) scored 44.3 times (58.3 times in June 2012) due to the drop in the share price by 10.8 percent compared with its level on 30/06/2012 and the rise in the earning per share by 17.3 percent versus June 2012 level. Price multiplier to the book value (P/B) scored 1.3 times (1.4 times in June 2012).

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

BUSINESS

Market priced for perfection as data flow NEW YORK: A US data clog will begin to clear next week and payrolls figures will land just as more than one-quarter of S&P 500 companies report earnings.

But equities, at record highs, have already surpassed expectations for the year and could begin to drift sideways.

The S&P 500 closed Friday at 1,744.50, an all-time high, making it safe to say the bulls are in control on Wall Street. Neither the four-month rise in benchmark Treasuries yields that topped in September nor the government shutdown and near-technical default on US debt earlier this week could derail the rally.

“Investors may be feeling a bit invincible, having survived the rise in rates and the shenanigans in D.C.,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

He said, however, the consequences of the rise in interest rates and the evidence of an economic slowdown could take a toll, and investors could begin to cash in on a good year as fourth-quarter outlooks dim.

Expectations for earnings growth in the year’s last quarter are now at a lofty 10.3 percent, though they are expected to fall. “I’m not so concerned about the

WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK third-quarter earnings numbers as those are likely to come in without much fanfare. I’m more concerned about what analysts do with fourth-quarter earnings numbers,” Jacobsen said. “I think we could have a topping market here.”

Positive third-quarter earnings from Google and Morgan Stanley helped the S&P close at a record on Friday. For the week, the Dow rose 1.1 percent, the S&P was up 2.4 percent and the Nasdaq advanced 3.2 percent.

Here comes the data September payrolls numbers, expected two weeks ago, will be released on Tuesday to start a flow of economic data delayed because of the 16-day government shutdown that ended on Thursday. The September data won’t be corrupted because of the delay, but October data may be. The Federal Reserve has repeated that its decision regarding when and by how much to reduce its $85 billion a month stimulus is

data dependent, and the trend may not be reliable next month.

“Professional investors are pretty well aware of the new schedule, but that may not be the case for retail,” said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.

“When we get the non-farm payrolls next Tuesday, the focus may shift to ‘what is the Fed going to do with its stimulus program’ since we’ve moved away from the whole Washington drama for now.”

Adding to the data question mark, the economic headwinds stemming from the recent disarray in Washington have all but ensured the Fed’s quantitative easing will not be reduced until next year.

Earnings galore About 28 percent of S&P 500 components will report earnings next week. The list includes Dow components Caterpillar, McDonald’s, Boeing, Microsoft, UPS , AT&T and DuPont, among others, alongside

crowd favorites Netflix and Amazon.com. Overall earnings growth on the S&P 500 is expected to be 2.1 percent for the third quarter, down from an estimate of 4.5 percent at the beginning of October and 8.5 percent in July.

In terms of revenue, 53 percent of the nearly 100 companies that have reported have beaten expectations and 46.9 percent have missed. In a typical quarter going back to 2002, 61 percent of companies beat revenue estimates and 39 percent missed.

“It’s going to pull us back to earth a little bit.

Earnings are important but what I am looking at is revenue,” said Brad McMillan, chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial in Waltham, Massachusetts.

“There are a couple of companies that are doing well, and God bless them, but is that the rule or the exception?”

At 14.6, the S&P’s forward price-to-earnings ratio is near its highest in four years and slightly under the long-term mean of 14.9. The P/E multiple has risen throughout the year as earnings growth has remained stagnant, and forecasts are likely to fall in coming months. Without improved growth, that P/E will start to look expensive. — Reuters

S&P 500 pushes further into record territory

SAN FRANCISCO: With the BART transit system on strike, traffic is backed up for blocks on Battery Street leading to an artery of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during the evening commute on Friday in San Francisco. — AP

San Francisco rail workers strike Commuting thrown into chaos SAN FRANCISCO: Commuter rail workers in the San Francisco Bay Area walked off their jobs on Friday after talks on a new contract broke down over pay and workplace rules, throwing the day’s commute into chaos in the trafficclogged region. The walkout by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers shut down a rail system that carries about 400,000 passengers a day, transporting commuters back and forth between Oakland, San Francisco and outlying suburbs.

“I am mad as hell. It’s a big hassle - thanks to BART,” said Jurgen Ware, who lives in the Bay Area suburb of Dublin and had to carpool to his job in San Francisco. He also blamed rail workers, saying they “have a stranglehold on the city.” The walkout was the second this year.

BART workers went on strike for four and a half days in July, forcing some people to miss work and others to endure commutes of three hours or more.

For months, BART management and employee unions have been at loggerheads over pay and benefits for more than 2,000 train drivers and other union workers who are demanding large pay raises, in part to offset being asked to contribute to their pensions and pay more for healthcare.

Under the terms of the last contract offer that has been made public, BART said it offered a 12 percent pay raise over four years to workers, who management says earn on average $79,000 a year, plus benefits. The unions put the average worker’s salary at $64,000.

Union leaders have justified their demands for higher pay in part by pointing out that San Francisco and nearby Oakland are among the 10 most expensive US cities in which to live.

After negotiating until late every day this week, the unions said the sides had finally reached an overall understanding on pay and benefits, but were at odds over workplace rules that the unions said BART had proposed at the last minute. BART management disputed that, saying no agreement had yet been reached on wages. Management said federal mediators helping in the talks had proposed a model that management accepted, which included an economic package coupled with work rule changes.

“The unions grabbed the salary offer but balked at the work rule changes. While BART and the mediators were still at the table, union leaders announced a strike to the media,” BART General Manager Grace Crunican said in a statement.

The proposed workplace rules at issue included allowing same-day schedule changes, eliminating marginal pay increases for certain senior custodial staff and scrapping practices including guidelines for how injured workers would be re-integrated onto the job, Service Employees International Union spokeswoman Cecille Isidro said.

Unions announced the strike on Thursday, and a federal mediator in the negotiations said he was ending efforts at conciliation because there was no more he could do.—Reuters

NEW YORK: Investors shifted their focus from politics to profits on Friday and liked what they saw, pushing the Standard & Poor’s 500 index further into record territory. Two days after Congress struck a lastminute deal to keep the US from a devastating default on its debt, investors were bidding up stocks on surprisingly good profits from companies in industries both old and new.

General Electric and Morgan Stanley rose after reporting higher earnings than financial analysts had expected. Google surged nearly 14 percent, topping $1,000 a share for the first time. “We’ve moved from the dysfunction of Washington to the reality of the global economy, and it looks pretty good,” said Ron Florance, deputy chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. Investors were also encouraged by a rebound in Chinese economic growth in the latest quarter. The rise in stocks follows a budget standoff in Washington that kept hundreds of thousands of federal workers from their jobs for 16 days and could have forced the government to miss payments on its debt. Congress agreed Wednesday to fund the government and allow it to borrow through early next year. The S&P 500 set a record for the second straight day. The broad index of 500 companies, up 22 percent this year, added 11.35 points, or 0.7 percent, to a record 1,744.50. The gain this year is the index’s best since 2009, when it began its bull run.

Since its recession low in March of that year, the S&P 500 has soared 158 percent, driven largely by a rebound in earnings, a housing recovery, greater investor confidence and the economic stimulus program by the Federal Reserve.

The Nasdaq composite was up 51.13 points, or 1.3 percent, at 3,914.28. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 28 points, or 0.2 percent, to 15,399.65, and is 277 points below its own record. Christine Short, a senior manager at S&P Capital IQ, said investors are relieved that Washington pulled back from the abyss by extending the US borrowing authority until Feb 7.

But she’s not so sure how long the celebratory mood might last. “We just bought ourselves a little more time, and the market seems to like that,” she said.

“But we’re likely to go through the same cycle again in three months.” Another concern is earnings.

Despite good reports from a few big companies Friday, the third-quarter reporting season has just started and most companies aren’t expected to post blowout results. Earnings for S&P 500 companies are expected to have grown 3.4 percent from a year earlier, the smallest quarterly increase in a year, according to S&P Capital IQ. At the start of 2013, third-quarter earnings were expected to grow at nearly triple that pace. What’s driven stock prices up this year hasn’t been earnings as much as investors’ willingness to value them more. At the start of the year, stock buyers were paying $14 for every $1 of S&P 500 earnings,

according to S&P Capital IQ. Now, they are paying more than $16.

Investors will have a better idea of the US corporate profit picture next week when several big companies report results, including McDonalds on Monday and Boeing and Caterpillar on Wednesday and Ford on Thursday. Google jumped $122.61 to $1,011.41 Friday. It reported a 36 percent jump in earnings after the stock market closed Thursday. An erosion in Google’s ad pricing was more than offset by a big increase in the frequency of clicks on

next-best performing bank stock, Citigroup.

Nine of the 10 industries in the S&P 500 rose, led by information technology companies, up 1.8 percent. Stocks in the health-care industry fell 0.4 percent.

The Chinese government reported Friday that the world’s second-largest economy grew by 7.8 percent in the three months ending in September, a pickup from the previous quarter. Investors have worried that slower growth would not only hurt big commodity exporters like Brazil and Australia but drag

NEW YORK: Joseph Lawler (left) works with fellow traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Stronger economic growth in China and a pickup in US corporate earnings are sending the stock market mostly higher in early trading. —AP Google’s ads.

General Electric rose 87 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $25.55, after topping analysts’ expectations for net income, excluding charges for shedding its media and banking operations. Stock of GE, which makes jet engines and other industrial products, is the highest it’s been since the start of the financial crisis in September 2008, when some investors doubted the company could survive intact.

Morgan Stanley rose 76 cents, to $29.69, a gain of 2.6 percent. The investment bank reported that its earnings nearly doubled on strong results in stock sales and trading, beating analysts’ estimates.

Morgan Stanley is up 55 percent this year, the most among major banks and nearly twice the gain of the

down the global economy, too.

Among other stocks making news: Chipotle Mexican Grill jumped $70.67, or 16 percent, to $509.74, the biggest gain in the S&P 500. The company reported that its third-quarter earnings rose 15 percent on higher traffic to its 1,500 restaurants.

Voxeljet, a 3-D printing company from Germany, more than doubled in its debut offering, jumping $15.80 to $28.80. The company makes printers that build 3-D objects by layering plastic and other materials atop each other. It raised $84.5 million in its initial public offering. In bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 2.59 percent. — AP

SABIC brings ‘chemistry that matters’ to life at K Show 2013 At K 2013, Hall 6, Stand D42, SABIC is showcasing a broad and relevant portfolio of materials technology applications and solutions that underscore the company’s deep understanding of the latest trends and challenges that customers in its target industries face.

Whether it’s lightweight technology that enables efficiency, materials that enable greater safety without sacrificing performance, solutions that are designed with sustainability in mind or material applications that perform reliably over the long-term, SABIC is continually developing solutions from chemistry that enable its customers to achieve their commercial ambitions and stay ahead of the competition.

K2013 attendees visiting the SABIC booth will see the iconic Volkswagen XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid, complete with a two-component injection-moulded solution for the stylish side windows.

The windows use SABIC’s EXATEC plasma coating technology on LEXAN polycarbonate resin and CYCOLOY PC/ABS (acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene) resin. Use of these materials lightens the side windows by 33 percent compared to conventional glass, while delivering a high quality optical appearance and scratch-resistance surface. SABIC provided full application development support to Volkswagen in the design, engineering and production of the side windows.

The booth will also feature a molecular sculpture made from a variety of films from SABIC’s diverse polymers portfolio. SABIC has a broad selection of PP, HDPE and LL-LDPE resins, for use in BOPP, blown and cast films as well as extrusion coating which offers our customers several benefits including cost efficiency, barrier properties and puncture resistance. These unique technology solutions can provide our customers the safety and performance they require.

“We are committed to powering our customers’ ambitions by providing them with the right solutions, at the right time and in the right place, helping them solve some of the biggest challenges in their industries through Chemistry that matters(tm).

Globally, our people work closely with our customers to understand the key forces of change and demand they face in their respective industries, in order to provide them with the most relevant material innovations to help them respond to their customers’ needs and ultimately enjoy sustained commercial success,” says Koos van Haasteren, Vice President, SABIC Europe.

Other stand highlights include a display of SABIC VestolenA RELY and SABIC PP RELY pipes. As urban populations continue to grow, driving a demand for enhanced municipal infrastructure, these pipe applications have been chosen for municipal water and other important projects around the world for their long-term reliability and durability.

“Whether it’s designing lightweight solutions, delivering enhanced safety and performance in materials, or enabling design freedom in new applications, SABIC will continue to innovate for, and collaborate with our customers to help them stay ahead of their competition and propel their industries forward,” says van Haasteren.

Design + Sustainability Modern design is focused on delivering long-lasting materials that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable. In the con-

sumer electronics and packaging industries, for example, incorporating sustainability in design has become a priority as these industries strive to develop more sustainable consumer goods.

SABIC recently collaborated with Canon to incorporate more recycled content in its Inkjet Printer, leading to a closed loop recycling program. SABIC’s recycling initiative helped convert parts of used copiers into raw material that is then reused in ink-jet printers. The most recent generation, the NORYL(tm) GN390 resin, was launched in 2012 to help Canon become registered with EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool.

SABIC delivers a wide range of material solutions that give customers the freedom to create exciting new designs which enhance performance without sacrificing sustainability. One examples is SABIC’s POM highly crystalline copolymer. It is suited ideally to fluid control applications that require dimensional stability and offers very low moisture absorption when in contact

with water while easily tolerating a wide range of chemicals. This advanced material will be used to create a model of SABIC’s headquarters, which will be on display at the show.

Light + Efficient For many industries, reducing the weight of their products through efficient design is important. For example, the mass transportation industry is continually seeking ways to reduce weight in order to save fuel and enhance sustainability.

To meet the demand for light and efficient materials, SABIC offers a wide range of solutions, which will be on display at K 2013. This includes GRAMMER Railway Interior GmbH new seat back shells which, use SABIC’s LEXAN(tm) FST resin. This innovative material not only helped GRAMMER reduce weight by replacing traditional materials like metal, it is helping the company stay ahead of the regulatory curve meeting fire requirements for the highest hazard level (HL3) under EN 45445-2, two years before implementation.

Safety+Performance For SABIC’s customers, safety and performance are not optional. SABIC engineers material solutions to meet continually evolving requirements without sacrificing performance. For example, SABIC has recently optimized the production of its extrusion coating grade SABIC LDPE nExCoat5, which has resulted in customers benefitting from an improved performance and high quality consistency of this grade. Customers have the opportunity to reduce inventory costs and to simplify processes, as well as significantly reducing the carbon footprint of their products because nExCoat 5 has a 15-20% lower carbon footprint in comparison to standard market grades. Along with this innovative solution SABIC also has a range of packaging technologies that are helping food and beverage packagers meet important safety requirements. In Europe for example, the Plastics Regulation (EU) 10/2011 (PIM) has been developed to further increase the safety of packaged foods.

Among the requirements, producers of plastics must include more stringent testing on products that are used in food packaging. SABIC is one of the first producers to have all its food contact declarations updated in line with these changes, three years ahead of the required 2016 deadline.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

BUSINESS

A collector’s masterpiece of engineering and design Lamborghini Veneno Roadster

A

s a further highlight of its 50th anniversar y year, Automobili Lamborghini is presenting one of the most exceptional super sports cars of all time. The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is an open racing prototype with an extreme design and breathtaking performance. And it is one of the world’s most exclusive automobiles-not more than nine units will be built during the course of 2014 and sold at a price of 3.3 million Euros (excl tax).

The Veneno Roadster is extreme and guarantees an intense driving experience because open means truly open.

There is no roof, just a strong rollover bar for optimum safety.

The design is focused on optimum aerodynamics and stability through fast corners-with handling akin to that of a racing prototype. Yet it is fully road legal.

With a maximum output of 552 kW / 750 hp, the Veneno Roadster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds and top speed stands at 355 km/h.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is driven by a twelvecylinder engine with a displacement of 6.5 liters and is equipped with the extremely fast-shifting ISR transmission with five modes, permanent allwheel drive and a racing chassis with pushrod suspension and horizontal spring/damper units.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster brings the aerodynamic efficiency of a racing prototype to the road. Every detail of its form pursues a clear functionexceptional dynamics, optimum downforce with minimal drag

and perfect cooling of the highperformance engine. Therefore the Veneno Roadster is unmistakably a Lamborghini; it sticks firmly to the consistent design philosophy of all the super spor ts cars from Sant ’Agata Bolognese. That includes the extreme proportions, as well as the powerfully arrow-shaped front end and the interplay between razor-sharp lines and precise surfaces. Automobili Lamborghini SpA. The entire design of the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster has been laid out for perfect airflow and downforce. The front end works as a large aerodynamic wing. The visual division of the rear fenders from the car body is a reference to the world of racing cars and optimizes the aerodynamic flow. The smooth underbody transitions into a substantial diffuser framing the four sizable exhaust pipes divided by a splitter. Large openings serve to ventilate the engine

bay and direct airflow to the rear wing. The design of the adjustable rear wing is the product of motorsport experience and extensive aerodynamic simulation to ensure optimum airflow in the interaction of the rear wing with the rear diffuser.

The design of the exclusive alloy wheels is also determined by aerodynamic functionality-a carbon-fiber ring around the wheel rim works like a turbine to deliver additional cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs. The intense paint color ‘’Rosso Veneno’’ was developed exclusively for the Veneno Roadster, although each single customer will be able to individualize his own vehicle to suit his personal preferences.

The Veneno Roadster is further proof of Automobili Lamborghini’s unique competence in CFRP-based lightweight design. A monocoque made from carbon-fiber rein-

forced polymer forms the basis of the Roadster. All ex terior parts are made from CFRP. The Veneno Roadster meets all safety and registration requirements worldwide, and naturally also incorporates a full complement of safety systems from airbags through to the adapted ESP handling system.

Carbon fiber dominates also the interior of the Veneno Roadster. The carbon fiber monocoque is visible inside the car around the central tunnel and the sills.

The two lightweight bucket seats are made from Lamborghini’s patented Forged Composite. The woven carbonfiber CarbonSkin is used to clad the entire cockpit, part of the seats and the headliner. Like a hi-tech fabric, this extremely fine-looking carbon-fiber matting fits perfectly to any form and reduces the weight of the vehicle.

The systematic, carbon-fiber,

lightweight design of the Veneno Roadster is not only visible, it is also evident on the scales: with a dry weight of just 1,490 kilograms (3,278 pounds), the Veneno Roadster benefits from a power-to-weight ratio of just 1.99 kg/hp (4.38 lbs/hp) which guarantees a performance that is nothing short of

mind-blowing. Even the stunning acceleration figure of 2.9 seconds cannot adequately describe it. Despite an aerodynamic setup configured for extreme downforce, the Veneno Roadster possesses exceptionally low wind resistance which allows it to reach a top speed of 355 km/h (221 mph).

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons campaign with AC Delco Batteries ends Customer wins 2013 Chevrolet Cruze in raffle draw

Your last chance to win a Fiat with ABK’s A Plus account KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait launched an exclusive offer whereby students had a chance to win a Fiat 500C either by opening an A Plus account or by depositing into their existing account. This is the last chance to avail this exciting opportunity, as the offer ends on October 25.

Stewart Lockie, GM, Retail Banking said, “ This Fiat A Plus promotion has so far proved very successful, and we are gratified to be able do something special and value-

added for our customers across all segments. Students, hurry up as these are the last few days for your to be able to win a fabulous Fiat 500C through the A Plus account as this offer is valid only till the 25th of October.”

For more information please visit any of ABK’s branches or call our customer service centre on 1899899, or chat with an ABK representative via the “Ahli Chat” service found on our website www.eahli.com.

Etihad Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo exchange cargo capacity KUWAIT: Etihad Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo have agreed to exchange confirmed cargo capacity on services operated by both airlines from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow and Frankfurt.

The agreement enables Etihad Cargo to offer capacity to Singapore Airlines Cargo on one of its weekly freighter services from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt, in addition to access to its cargo network to the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. Singapore Airlines Cargo will in turn offer cargo capacity on its freighter services to London Heathrow that are operated via Abu Dhabi.

Singapore Airlines Cargo launched a weekly Boeing 747-400 freighter service from Singapore to London Heathrow via Abu Dhabi in June this year. A second freighter service on the same routing is planned to commence on October 31. David Kerr, Etihad Airways Vice President Cargo, said: “This year we have strengthened our cargo operations by expanding the freighter fleet, launching new destinations, increasing frequencies, and by working with partner carriers such as Singapore Airlines Cargo. We look forward to

working with Singapore Airlines Cargo to further enhance cargo access and network connectivity for our respective customers.”

Tan Tiow Kor, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Singapore Airlines Cargo, said: “We are very pleased with this capacity exchange with Etihad Cargo. It will offer customers of both airlines more choice of flights to ship their cargo and improve access to the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Germany.

We look forward to further strengthening our relationship with Etihad Cargo.”

Etihad Cargo’s freighters include three Boeing B777F, one Boeing 747-8F, one Boeing 747-400ERF, one Boeing 747-400F, three Airbus A330-200F, and a remaining freighter delivery - an Airbus A330-200F will arrive in spring 2014.

The average age of Etihad Cargo’s fleet is now just 3.3 years, and 1.3 years for Etihad Cargo’s six owned freighters. The airline’s three Boeing 747 freighters are leased from Atlas Air (2) and KLM (1) respectively. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2012 carried 10.3 million passengers.

KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons, the distributor of AC Delco batteries in Kuwait, launched a “Scratch & Win” and “Raffle draw” campaign on AC Delco Maintenance Free batteries. The campaign ran all summer from July 1 until September 30, 2013. Customers won exciting gifts ranging from the new Samsung Galaxy S4, iPhone5, LED TV, laptops, iPad Mini and thousands of more gifts including the grand prize that was recently won by a lucky customer, a brand new 2013 Chevrolet Cruze on October 10, 2013. For every maintenance free battery purchased, the customer received a “Scratch & Win” coupon as well as another coupon to enter the draw. Every customer stood a chance to win any of the valuable prizes whenever they replaced their vehicle’s battery with a new ACDelco maintenance free battery, distributed by Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons. The “Scratch & Win” coupon and the raffle draw coupon were located inside the battery box, a factor that allowed customers to instantly discover if they might be the lucky winner of any of the thousands of gifts.

ACDelco batteries from Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons are available at all Alghanim spare parts outlets

(Shuwaikh, Sharq, Fahaheel, Canada Dry St, Shuwaikh Makhfar street and Jahra) in addition to over 500 puncture shops in all the areas and governorates of Kuwait.

ACDelco offers a complete and comprehensive range of Maintenance Free batteries suitable for all car makes including

American, Japanese, Korean, and European. ACDelco uses state-ofthe-art quality processes and the best materials to ensure a long life that far exceeds that of the average battery sold in the Middle East market and are engineered especially for the hot climate of the Middle East. Standing behind the quality of

all its batteries, ACDelco also offers a 12-month international warranty throughout the Middle East. Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive will continue to launch new initiatives to meet and exceed customers’ expectations, and reward them for their loyalty and trust in the company’s products and services.

Gen Next to share common platform with retail leaders Middle East Retail Forum 2013 in Dubai DUBAI: Generation Next of Retail to share a common platform with Retail stalwarts at the annual Middle East Retail Forum (MRF) on 28 and 29, October 2013 at the JW Marriott Marquis - the world tallest hotel in Dubai, UAE. The MRF and Images RetailME Awards 2013 are being sponsored by Line Investment, a subsidiary of Lulu Group.

Young business heads Shafeena Yusuff Ali (CEO of Tablez Food Company), Muna Al-Gurg (retail director - Esa Saleh Al Gurg), Joy Ghossoub (managing director, Jas Group) and Nisha Jagtiani (business head - Iconic), will lead discussions at the forum on hot topics like ‘breaking gender boundaries in retail’, ‘unboxing ideas for retail innovation from young and dynamic retail entrepreneurs’, to name a few.

MRF, the region’s most awaited retail event, hosts the largest gathering of ideas, innovations, concepts and minds in the business of retailing.

This two-day forum will see who’s who of the retail industry discussing sustainable development of retail in the Middle East, through fostering innovation and best practices. The event is being organized by Images RetailME, the only B2B publication dedicated to the retail sector in the region. “MRF acts as a great platform bringing together retailers as well as representatives from the public sector to share values and vision to boost retail growth in the region As part of the retail business community, we wholeheartedly support this initiative,” said Nilesh Ved, chairman and founder, Apparel Group.

“Retail developments across the region are all

over the news demonstrating the progress of real estate and economy in general. Today, leading developers are looking into the industry’s evolving needs and sustainability objectives. Majid Al Futtaim Properties looks forward to sharing its best practices at MRF. As a key player in the market, we are committed to strengthening the government’s vision of making Dubai the leading business destination that focuses on tourism, global events and attractions,” said Dimitri Vazelakis, executive managing director, shopping mall at Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

The forum will also feature the following panelists - Alexander John Andarakis (founder and managing director of Andarakis Advisory Services), Wassim Kabbara (industry head at Google based in Dubai), Steve Odak (CEO of iMarketVend), His Excellency Prof Dr Ali Mohamed Al Khouri (director general, Emirates Identity Authority), Nilesh Ved (chairman and founder of Apparel Group), Mohammad Alawi (CEO of Red Sea Markets Co), Saeed Mohammad Mesam AlFalasi (director strategic alliances division, Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment) Mohammad ARS Al-Madani (chairman & CEO Al-Madani Group), Emanuele Savona (principal, AT Kearney), Nisreen Shocair (president, Virgin Megastore Middle East), Avishesha Bhojani (Bates PanGulf Group), Prakash Vivekanand (managing director, Amusement Services International), Dareen Charafeddine (owner and managing director, Book Munch CafÈ and Bookshop), Avijit Yadav (general manager, Marketing & Operations - GLA Property

Management Company LLC), Mona Ataya (founder and CEO, Mumzworld.com), Dimitri Vazelakis (executive managing director, shopping malls for Majid Al Futtaim Properties) to name a few.

Stressing on the importance of the forum, Amitabh Taneja, chairman of the IMAGES Group says, “MRF presents a holistic perspective of the retail industry and an overview of the latest and futuristic retail trends that could impact the retail industry. MRF is a platform created to network with the top executives of the retail industry and learn what is relevant for the development of retail business in the Middle East.” “We see young talent taking part in the forum this year, which marks the growth of a new era in retail in the Middle East.”

Over 750 delegates have confirmed their participation at the forum as well as the awards. The evening of October 28 will host the annual Images RetailME Awards 2013 honouring retailing excellence in the Middle East.

The Images RetailME Awards 2013 has received overwhelming number of nominations coming in for 24 categories - from Fashion, Gold & Jewellery, Footwear & Accessories, Sportswear, Children’s wear, Beauty & Wellness, Pharmacy & Healthcare, Home & Office Improvement, Consumer Electronics, Entertainment, Leisure, Luxury, Food Service, to best marketing campaign, best social media campaigns, retail launch, store design, rising star, online retailer of the year, store manager of the year, CRM initiatives, Responsible retailer of the year , International retailer of the year and the Middle East retailer of the year.

SONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

TECHNOLOGY

Facebook becomes Google advertising ally SAN FRANCISCO: Google-owned online ad-placing service DoubleClick on Friday announced that the way has been cleared to include space at Facebook.

Google had previously been shut out of the social network’s advertising network, with no reasons given for the exclusion or the change of heart.

Word that the Internet titan’s online advertising reach would extend to Facebook came as Google shares breached $1,000 for the first time.

Google stock was priced at $1,011.41 at the close of the Nasdaq on Friday and continued to climb in after-market trades.

Facebook shares also hit a new all-time high on Friday and closed at $54.22 a share.

“Partnership has been key to Google’s success as a rising tide lifts all boats,” DoubleClick senior product manager Payam Shodjai said in a blog post.

“So we’re excited to announce a new way to help

our clients succeed by working with Facebook to participate in FBX, their real-time bidding exchange.”

DoubleClick Bid Manager is a way for marketers to buy online ad space at websites across the Internet.

Prior to Friday, Facebook did not permit the Google-owned service to sell ad space at the world’s leading social network. “Starting in a few months, clients will be able to buy inventory on FBX via DoubleClick Bid Manager,” Shodjai said.

Shares of Internet search and advertising titan Google soared past the $1,000 mark after a quarterly earnings report showed that it was smoothly building its presence in the mobile area while advertising earnings rose all around, with particular help from Google’s YouTube website.

Meanwhile, on Thursday Facebook allowed

teenagers to share their posts on the social network with anyone on the Internet, raising the risks of minors leaving a digital trail that could lead to trouble. The change announced Wednesday affects Facebook users who list their ages as being from 13 to 17.

Facebook will warn minors opting to be more open that they are exposing themselves to a broader audience. The warning will repeat on every post, as long as the settings remain on “public.” The initial privacy settings of teens under 18 will automatically be programmed so posts are seen only by friends.

That’s slightly more restrictive than the previous automatic setting that allowed teens to distribute their posts to friends of their friends in the network.

In a blog post, Facebook said it decided to revise its privacy rules to make its service more enjoyable for teens and provide them with a more powerful

megaphone when they believe they have an important point to make or a cause to support.

“Teens are among the savviest people using social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism, or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard,” Facebook wrote. The relaxed standards also may help teens spend more time on Facebook instead of other ser vices, such as Snapchat, that are becoming more popular hangouts among younger people. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, though, says that the company’s internal data shows its social network remains a magnet for teens.

Giving people more reasons to habitually visit its social network is important to Facebook because a larger audience helps sell more of the ads that generate most of the Menlo Park, Calif., company’s revenue. — Agencies

Button location sets LG’s G2 apart

DORAL: In this Monday, Oct. 14, 2013 photo Alicia Menendez, center foreground, host of the “Alicia Menendez Tonight” show on Fusion, an English-language television network targeting millennial Hispanics, holds up a “selfie” with her production team as they pose for a photo in Doral, Fla. — AP

Finding football online can be tough NEW YORK: Getting your sports fix can be tough if you don’t root for the home team. When my husband and I moved to New York from Detroit, we were faced with the challenge of how to watch our beloved Tigers, Red Wings and Lions, along with college football teams. Bars can get expensive - and are impractical with a kid.

I looked to the Internet for help, but found my options for football to be limited. It’s better with baseball and hockey.

PRO FOOTBALL Most out-of-market NFL games are available only through DirecTV, which pays about $1 billion annually for the rights to show them. A basic NFL Sunday Ticket subscription costs $225 for the season. But if you want to watch games on your computer, smartphone or tablet, you’ll need to pay an additional $75 for NFL Sunday Ticket Max. If you don’t have DirecTV service, you can still sign up for an online and mobile subscription, but it’ll cost you $300 for the season, the same price DirecTV satellite TV subscribers pay for Sunday Ticket Max. It is pricey, but nice for cable TV subscribers to have that option.

After I installed the Sunday Ticket app on my iPad, I was able to easily flip back and forth between games. All of the day’s scores are displayed on the left. If you touch one, it brings up live coverage of that game. Unfortunately, users can only log in to one device at a time, which means I can’t watch the Lions on my iPad while my husband catches the Saints game on his phone. There also isn’t an option for a split screen, as there is with the TV version of Sunday Ticket.

Other features, such as standings, player stats and a list of game highlights, are displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can also switch to full-screen mode and use the entire tablet screen to watch the game.

Watching on the iPad is like watching on a small TV. The picture was sharp, and I could tell who had the ball. The video was sharp on my iPhone 4S, too, and I could follow the action. But it grew tiring after a while. Football isn’t meant to be watched on a tiny screen.

The app works on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. You can watch games on a traditional computer, too, which could be nice if you’re stuck at the office on a Sunday afternoon.

One alternative to DirecTV is the official NFL Mobile app. The basic version is free and includes news, scores, team information and alerts. For $5 a month, Verizon Wireless subscribers can upgrade to a premium version that includes live video of the Thursday, Sunday and Monday night games.

This can be great if you’re running around town or don’t get TV through a cable or satellite provider. Only the Sunday night game is broadcast over the air for free, on NBC. As with the DirecTV app, video on NFL Mobile is remarkably clear. However, Verizon’s license to stream the games is good only for smartphones, so watching on your tablet isn’t an option, even

though the app itself works there.

The NFL does sell an audio-only package. It’s $25 for the season for one team’s game, or $30 for the entire league. There are also packages ranging from $30 to $70 that give you access to video replays of NFL games, but no live audio or video coverage.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL Watching college games online is cheaper and easier, especially if you already pay for cable or satellite TV. The free Watch ESPN app lets you watch anything being shown live on a handful of ESPN channels, as long as your T V provider participates.

But ESPN doesn’t show every big game. My husband, a football-crazed Louisiana State University graduate, was out of luck recently when he wanted to watch LSU’s thriller of a game against Georgia while at my sister’s wedding reception. There was no TV to watch it on CBS, and he didn’t know its free sports app streamed the game.

Some of my Michigan State games are shown on the Big Ten Network, which I pay my cable provider extra to receive.

As part of the deal, I get access to the channel’s BTN2Go app, which offers live streaming video. Michigan State also has its own free app that supplies streaming audio of football games and other sports.

In short, it’s hit or miss. Fans of the big schools will have an easier time finding their games online than fans of smaller, unranked teams.

BASEBALL AND HOCKEY Fortunately, it’s a lot easier to watch other sports online. For the past two baseball seasons, my husband and I have been happy to pay for MLB TV so we could watch the Detroit Tigers. A basic subscription costs $110 for the full season. That lets you watch pretty much any out-of-market major league game live in high definition on your home computer.

You also get game highlights and stats. For an additional $20 a season, you can watch games through your tablet or smartphone or on your T V through streaming devices such as Apple TV and Roku. Radio broadcasts are also available, which can be great if you’re worried about battery life or out for a long walk.

Fans of out-of-town teams benefit most. Video broadcasts of local and nationally broadcast games are blocked, so if your team is playing nearby or on national TV, you’re going to have to find a TV. Radio broadcasts aren’t affected.

The video blackouts include the playoffs that are going on right now. There’s a separate package for minor league baseball. For hockey, the NHL’s GameCenter Live offers many of the same features as baseball. It currently sells for $150.

Although tuning it to watch my favorite teams may not be as easy as it was when I lived in Michigan, today’s online offerings make it a lot easier and might even help me drag my super fan of a husband away from the TV. Now if the Tigers can just win their series against the Red Sox and head back to the World Series, I’ll be really happy. — AP

SEOUL: LG’s flagship mobile gadgets - the G2 smartphone and the G Pad 8.3 tablet - are great mobile devices that have fantastic screens, top-end cameras and ample processing power.

But making an impressive Android device is not enough to stand apart from the crowd in the ultra-competitive mobile market, which probably pushed LG Electronics Inc. to make some bold design decisions in a bid to differentiate its G series from Samsung’s Galaxy line and Apple’s iPad Mini.

The G2 was released last month in the US, while LG said Thursday it will start selling the G Pad in the US on Nov 3. For the G2, LG moved the power and volume controls to the back of the phone. For the G Pad, LG added a full HD screen. The resolution on the G Pad’s 8.3 inch screen, measured diagonally, is better than what’s on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 and Apple’s iPad Mini, though Apple is expected to refresh its lineup next week.

Slightly smaller, 7-inch tablets from Google and Amazon have full HD screens comparable to LG’s.

LG’s design choices set the G2 and the G Pad apart from “me, too” Andevices trying to catch up with Samsung and Apple, but they might also limit their appeal.

Not everyone will be pleased with having to change the basic habits of smartphone operation. They will scratch their heads looking for those buttons just as I did.

It took a couple of days before my index finger ceased pressing a volume key when I intended to press a power key. But after that, I realized having a power button on the back makes it easier to use a big handset with one hand. The G2 has a 5.2-inch screen.

LG came up with a double-tap gesture to activate the phone. I found it easier and quicker than pressing a home button and then sliding to unlock as with my iPhone 4S. This double-tap to start also applies to the G Pad. LG removed the physical home button on the front for the G2 and the G Pad. Instead, virtual buttons for back, home and menu actions appear when the screen is activated. I preferred these virtual buttons over physical ones because I could touch them with the same gesture and pressure I applied to the touch screen. One downside of Samsung’s Galaxy devices is that the touch screen and the three buttons for home, back and menu options all need a different level of pressure to be activated.

LG’s vir tual buttons rotated with the screen when I tilted the G2 or the G Pad to a horizontal, landscape mode. That made them easy to access when I watched a movie in the landscape mode with the G Pad. Removing the physical home button also gives the screen more space in the phone.

But the design elements that make the G2 and the G Pad different from rivals stopped there. LG has packed the G2 with other features, but many of them were no better than what is already available. For example, a feature called Task Slider allows multitasking by swiping the screen with three fingers to hide or reopen an application. But Android users are familiar with an extended press of the home button to bring up a list of applica-

tions in use, which is quick and more intuitive. The G2 will be a great choice, but only for people who don’t mind re-learning how to use a smartphone.

In the US, the G2 smartphone is available at $200 with a two-year service contract or $600 without a contract from a carrier.

Although the tablet is offered at 550,000 won ($515) in South Korea, the US price will be just $350. That’s comparable to the $329 for the iPad Mini and $400 for the Note. It’s a decent choice - for the better screen - but wait to see what Apple announces next week before deciding. — AP

PARIS: Children play with digital tablets yesterday, during the “Kidexpo” show at the Porte de Versailes exhibition centre in Paris. This family event, running until October 23, offers workshops and discovery areas to children aged from four to fourteen years old. — AFP

PARIS: Children play with digital tablets yesterday, during the “Kidexpo” show at the Porte de Versailes exhibition centre in Paris. — AFP

Former CEO Ollila concedes mistakes in Nokia’s downturn HELSINKI: Former Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila, who steered the Finnish company to become the world’s biggest maker of cellphones, has conceded that several mistakes were made during his tenure, including a failure to predict changing customers’ needs and developing new software.

In his memoir, which translates from the Finnish as “An Impossible Success,” Ollila says that after 2001 Nokia was unable to sustain its role as the main innovator in the wireless industry because of tough competition both from the smartphone sector and makers of cheaper handsets in Asia.

Several Nokia models flopped and the company failed to sense popular trends such as touch screen models and folding clamshell phones, which Ollila describes in his 450-page memoirs as “predators.”

At the book publication on Thursday, Ollila said that Nokia became “painfully aware” that its cellphone platforms lagged behind US soft-

ware and that it was unable to meet challenges posed by the iPhone.

He also pointed a finger at American service providers who felt that Nokia’s 20 percent market share in North America was too great.Even as they told Nokia that there was no demand for smartphones that cost more than $300, Apple was in the process of launching the iPhone with a price tag of more than $600.

“Apple, though, had managed to create something completely new; an excellent user experience and a solution in which the phone was a key to the ecosystem of services and applications,” Ollila says in the book. “A whole new ecosystem was born which Nokia had been unable to create.”

Ollila had joined the former maker of paper, gum boots and cables in 1985 and headed the company for 14 years, steering it from home electronics to wireless technology. In 2006, when its global cellphone market share peaked at 41 percent, Ollila felt tired and wanted to

step down although he remained an active member on the board.

He was succeeded by longtime Nokia team member Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who was unable to turn round Nokia’s fortunes and Ollila found himself with the task of finding a new CEO in 2010.

Microsoft Corp. executive Stephen Elop was chosen to replace Kallasvuo, though he had not been Ollila’s first choice. Nokia’s woes continued under Elop, and in 2011 Nokia announced cooperation with Microsoft to replace its older software with the Windows platform. However, the handsets haven’t sold well and last month the two companies announced a new $7.4 billion deal in which Microsoft is buying Nokia’s smartphones and a portfolio of patents and services. Ollila described the planned sale to archrival Microsoft as “dramatic and brave” on the part of the board, adding that “it was a sad to see how more than 40 years of Finnish engineering is being sold abroad.” — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

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

Health habits tied to heart disease, arthritis risk NEW YORK: Older women who exercise regularly and don’t smoke may have a substantially lower risk of late-life disability than their peers with lesshealthy habits, say UK researchers.

They found that among women in their 60s and 70s, behaviors like smoking, drinking and exercise could account for up to 17 percent of a woman’s risk for disabling conditions like heart disease, arthritis and difficulty walking.

“We set out to quantify the influence of current lifestyle on subsequent disability,” Lois Kim, lead author of the study and lecturer in medical statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said.

More than 2,500 British women between the ages of 60 and 79 filled out surveys as part of the British Women’s Heart and Health Study. The questionnaires asked about the women’s smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption and eating habits. Seven years later, the women reported on whether they had developed any of several disabling health problems.

The study found that women who never exercised were about twice as likely to get arthritis and had about double the risk of developing problems walking; they were also more likely to develop heart disease.

Women who smoked currently or in the past also developed heart disease at more than twice

the rate of those who had never smoked. “ This study provides more information - more ammunition - in support of the benefits of exercise as we age,” said David Watts, an associate professor of geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was not involved in the study.

“We know from other work that exercise is the most proven intervention to prevent not only physical decline, but also the cognitive decline so often associated with aging,” he said.

The study found no influence on disability from eating fruit, and only a slight benefit from moderate alcohol consumption, but that effect was small enough to be due to chance.

Together, the four lifestyle factors analyzed explained 17 percent of a woman’s overall risk for disabling conditions at the seven-year follow-up, the researchers report in the journal Age and Ageing.

Exercise alone accounted for 9 percent of the risk for walking problems, 5 percent of heart disease risk and 4 percent of arthritis risk, they note. They also acknowledge those numbers mean behavior changes in old age might make a relatively small difference in disability risk.

Watts cautioned as well that the study “does not answer the question as to whether healthy habits need to be continued lifelong. That is, can you start exercising at age sixty, or do you

need to start much earlier to get a benefit?”

Other research and common sense would suggest “that a lifelong commitment to exercise is probably most beneficial,” he added.

It’s possible that the women who did not exercise at the first survey did not do so because they had pain or other limitations, and therefore may already have been “headed for higher rates of disability,” Watts noted.

Watts agreed with other researchers, however, that healthy habits are important for long-term wellbeing and they have few drawbacks.

Recommendations to eat well and exercise “are generally safe and inexpensive, and likely have

benefits on multiple mental health status, cognition, and cancer risks,” said Terri McCarthy, an assistant professor of geriatrics at the University of Minnesota, who also was not involved in the study.

Getting older shouldn’t discourage people from adopting new habits, which may be beneficial even if adopted later in life, according to Gerald Pankratz, an assistant professor of geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

“I would certainly advocate that healthy lifestyle choices should be lifelong, but I would never say it is too late to make a change,” Pankratz said. “Older adults are frequently under that misconception.” — Reuters

Argentines link host of health problems to agrochemicals Uncontrolled pesticide applications

NEW YORK: Food and lifestyle expert Katie Lee tastes Tirza’s Tangy Cilantro & Garlic Sauce created by Tirza Diaz De Villegas, left, the winner of the Red Robin Savory Scholar Gourmet Dipping Sauce Contest at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Blue Moon Burger Bash, on Friday. In addition to a $5,000 scholarship, Diaz De Villegas’ gourmet dipping sauce may be served in more than 480 Red Robin restaurants in the US and Canada as an accompaniment to Red Robin’s Signature Bottomless Steak Fries. —AP

Dolphin killings rise in Peru due to Asia shark fin sales LIMA: Peru has dramatically increased its sales of shark fins to Asia, triggering the slaughter of about 15,000 dolphins a year used as bait, officials said yesterday.

Shark fin is viewed by many Asians as a delicacy and is often served as a soup at expensive Chinese banquets.

Most of Peru’s shark fin exports, which jumped 10 percent in recent years, go to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian Nations, the Production Ministry said.

Although shark fin is authorized when regulated, some fishermen are engaging in “criminal activity” by fishing illegally, and must be punished, Fisheries Deputy Minister Paul Phompiu told reporters.

“We are outraged by this situation. Peru condemns the illegal fishing of dolphins and sharks because they are a protected species,” he said.

The Mundo Azul protectionist group said this week that 15,000 dolphins are slaughtered each year in Peru and their meat is used as bait to catch sharks.

More than 545 artisanal vessels are equipped to perform this type of fishing along the Peruvian coast, making at least half a dozen excursions a year and killing

up to six dolphins each time, it added.

Only 72 shark fishing boats are currently registered with authorities, but there are not official figures on illegal boats.

Phompiu said that stopping the slaughter of dolphins requires going to the root of the problem and controlling the commercialization of shark fins, which is considered an aphrodisiac.

Peru has thus launched a national plan of action aimed at “firmly” punishing sharkrelated infractions, he added.

Among the measures to be adopted are the temporary restriction of shark fishing and commercialization, seen as the main incentives for overfishing of dolphins.

And in “extreme cases,” Peru will issue a ban on fishing dolphins and sharks, Phompiu said.

According to the action plan, the Sea Institute will identify areas where fishing occurs indiscriminately and the characteristics of the fishing fleet, along with breeding areas.

Although mackerel and squid are also used to hunt sharks, fishermen prefer to use dolphin meat, because its strong odor of blood is said to attract sharks.—AFP

Victories, challenges in war against Polio NEW YORK: Poliomyelitis was one of the most feared diseases in the world. Even just 25 years ago the virus infec ted m o re t h a n 3 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e, c a u s i n g paralysis and irreversible disfigurement.

Thanks to vaccines and a tremendous international effort, today that number is down to just a few hundred cases globally. Still, for ever y person who shows the characteristic signs and symptoms of polio, 100 or more individuals carry the virus and can spread the disease without their knowledge. And t h e a r e a s w h e r e p o l i o re m a i n s a re among the most remote and unstable corners of the planet. The road before us isn’t easy, but we cannot rest until polio is truly and completely wiped out for good.

In the early 1980s, when polio cont i n u e d t o b e w i d e s p re a d i n t h e Americas, there were those who said eradication could not be done, that the o b s t a c l e s w e r e i n s u r m o u n t a b l e.

Nevertheless, on May 14, 1985, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced its audacious goal to eradicate the disease in the region by 1990.

A m o n g o u r m a ny o b s t a c l e s, c i v i l unrest threatened to undermine our efforts to stop the spread of polio in Central America, Peru and elsewhere.

Some health workers feared for their lives where warring factions threatened their safety. But polio doesn’t balk in the face of armed conflict. It isn’t hindered by the same logistical challenges that deter vaccinators from reaching children where roads stop and transport becomes next to impossible.

To beat polio in the Americas, we had to ensure that all children, even the hardest to reach, received polio vaccines-not just once, but several times-

until the threat of polio had passed. For example, in El Salvador, we called on UNICEF, the Red Cross and even the Cat h o l i c C h u rc h to i n te r ve n e s o we could gain political (and rebel) support, which was absolutely necessary if we were to succeed.

After many months of deliberations between government and guerilla forces, we successfully negotiated a cease-fire. During these brief “days of tranquility,” warring parties laid down their arms so that health workers could safely and effectively carry out nationw i d e i m m u n i z a t i o n c a m p a i g n s.

Eventually three days of tranquility were held every year from 1985 to 1991, and they served as a bridge for peace in the re g i o n . Pr a c t i c a l l y e ve r y c h i l d i n E l Salvador was vaccinated each year, until peace was achieved in the early 1990s.

The situation in Peru was more complicated, and negotiating a cease-fire with the ruthless Shining Path guerrilla movement proved unsuccessful. But we would not let this setback stop us from re a c h i n g o u r e r a d i c a t i o n g o a l. We organized a series of mop-up campaigns-door-todoor immunizations in specific focal areas-to help limit polio to just a few areas. We used the media and other public events to appeal to everyone-including the guerrillas-to cooperate with these vaccination effor ts. I would like to note that when key guerrilla leaders were captured by government forces, several of those individuals we re re c o g n i z e d a s h a v i n g d i re c t l y assisted the vaccination campaigns.

It was in Peru that the last case of p o l i o w a s r e p o r t e d i n t h e We s t e r n Hemisphere, in 1991. The World Health O r g a n i z a t i o n ( W H O ) d e c l a re d t h e Americas polio-free in 1994.

BASAVILBASO, Argentina: Argentine farmworker Fabian Tomasi was never trained to handle pesticides. His job was to keep the cropdusters flying by filling their tanks as quickly as possible, although it often meant getting drenched in poison.

Now, at 47, he’s a living skeleton, so weak he can hardly leave his house in Entre Rios province.

Schoolteacher Andrea Druetta lives in Santa Fe Province, the heart of Argentina’s soy country, where agrochemical spraying is banned within 500 meters of populated areas. But soy is planted just 30 meters from her back door. Her boys were showered in chemicals recently while swimming in the backyard pool.

After Sofia Gatica lost her newborn to kidney failure, she filed a complaint that led to Argentina’s first criminal convictions for illegal spraying. But last year’s verdict came too late for many of her 5,300 neighbors in Ituzaingo Annex. A government study there found alarming levels of agrochemical contamination in the soil and drinking water, and 80 percent of the children surveyed carried traces of pesticide in their blood.

American biotechnology has turned Argentina into the world’s third-largest soybean producer, but the chemicals powering the boom aren’t confined to soy and cotton and corn fields.

The Associated Press documented dozens of cases around the country where poisons are applied in ways unanticipated by regulatory science or specifically banned by existing law.

The spray drifts into schools and homes and settles over water sources; farmworkers mix poisons with no protective gear; villagers store water in pesticide containers that should have been destroyed.

Now doctors are warning that uncontrolled pesticide applications could be the cause of growing health problems among the 12 million people who live in the South American nation’s vast farm belt.

In Santa Fe, cancer rates are two times to four times higher than the national average. In Chaco, birth defects quadrupled in the decade after biotechnology dramatically expanded farming in Argentina.

“The change in how agriculture is produced has brought, frankly, a change in the profile of diseases,” says Dr. Medardo Avila Vazquez, a pediatrician and neonatologist who co-founded Doctors of Fumigated Towns, part of a growing movement demanding enforcement of agricultural safety rules. “We’ve gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects, and illnesses seldom seen before.”

A nation once known for its grassfed beef has undergone a remarkable transformation since 1996, when the St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. promised that adopting its patented seeds and chemicals would increase crop yields and lower pesticide use. Today, Argentina’s entire soy crop and nearly all its corn and cotton are genetically modified, with soy cultivation alone tripling to 47 million acres (19 million hectares).

Agrochemical use did decline at first, then it bounced back, increasing eightfold from 9 million gallons (34 million liters) in 1990 to more than 84 million gallons (317 million liters) today as farmers squeezed in more harvests and pests became resistant to the poisons. Overall, Argentine farmers apply an estimated 4.3 pounds of agrochemical concentrate per acre, more than twice what U.S. farmers use, according to an AP analysis of government and pesticide industry data. Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s popular Roundup brand of pesticides, is one of the world’s most widely used weed killers. It has been determined to be safe, if applied properly, by many regulatory agencies, including those of the United States and European Union. On May 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency even raised the allowable levels of glyphosate residues in food, conclud-

ing that based on studies presented

by Monsanto, “there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to the general population or to infants and children from aggregate exposure.” Argentina’s 23 provinces take the lead in regulating farming, and rules vary. Spraying is banned within 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of populated areas in some provinces and as little as 50 meters in others. About one-third of the provinces set no limits at all, and most lack detailed enforcement policies. A federal environmental law requires applicators of toxic chemicals to suspend or cancel activities that threaten public health, “even when the link has not been scientifically proven,” and “no matter the costs or consequences,” but it has never been applied to farming, the auditor general found last year.

In response to soaring complaints, President Cristina Fernandez ordered a commission in 2009 to study the impact of agrochemical spraying on human health. Its initial report called for “systematic controls over concentrations of herbicides and their compounds ... such as exhaustive laboratory and field studies involving formulations containing glyphosate as well as its interactions with other agrochemicals as they are actually used in our country.” But the commission hasn’t met since 2010, the auditor general found.

Government officials insist the problem is not a lack of research, but misinformation that plays on people’s emotions.

“I’ve seen countless documents, surveys, videos, articles in the news and in universities, and really our citizens who read all this end up dizzy

less time and money that farmers can reap more harvests and expand into land not worth the trouble before.

But pests develop resistance, even more so when the same chemicals are applied to genetically identical crops on a vast scale.

So while glyphosate is one of the world’s safest herbicides, farmers now use it in higher concentrates and mix in much more toxic poisons, such as 2,4,D, which the US military used in “Agent Orange” to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War. In 2006, a division of Argentina’s agriculture ministry recommended adding caution labels urging that mixtures of glyphosate and more toxic chemicals be limited to “farm areas far from homes and population centers.”

The recommendation was ignored, according to the federal audit.

The government relies on industry research approved by the EPA, which said May 1 that “there is no indication that glyphosate is a neurotoxic chemical and there is no need for a developmental neurotoxicity study.”

Molecular biologist Dr Andres Carrasco at the University of Buenos Aires says the burden from the chemical cocktails is worrisome, but even glyphosate alone could spell trouble for human health. He found that injecting a very low dose of glyphosate into embryos can change levels of retinoic acid, causing the same sort of spinal defects in frogs and chickens that doctors increasingly are registering in communities where farm chemicals are ubiquitous.

This acid, a form of vitamin A, is fundamental for keeping cancers in check and triggering genetic expression, the process by which embryonic

with a tractor or a crop-duster without taking into account the environmental conditions and threats that stem from the use of the product.”

Out in the fields, warnings are widely ignored. For three years, Tomasi was routinely exposed to chemicals as he pumped pesticides into the tanks of crop-dusters. Now he’s near death from polyneuropathy, a debilitating neurological disorder, which has left him wasted and shriveled. “I prepared millions of liters of poison without any kind of protection, no gloves, masks or special clothing,” he said. “I didn’t know anything. I only learned later what it did to me, after contacting scientists.”

“The poison comes in liquid concentrates, in containers with lots of precautions to take when applying it,” Tomasi explained. “But nobody takes precautions.”

With soybeans selling for about $500 a ton, growers plant wherever they can, often disregarding Monsanto’s guidelines and provincial law by spraying with no advance warning, and even in windy conditions.

In Entre Rios, teachers reported that sprayers failed to respect 50meter limits at 18 schools, dousing 11 during class. Five teachers filed police complaints this year.

Druetta also filed complaints in Santa Fe, alleging that students fainted when pesticides drifted into their classrooms and that their tap water is contaminated. She is struggling to get clean drinking water into her school, she said, while a neighbor keeps a freezer of rabbit and bird carcasses, hoping someone will test them to see why they dropped dead after spray-

QUIMILI: Empty agrochemical containers including Monsanto’s Roundup products lay discarded at a recycling center in Quimili, Santiago del Estero province, Argentina. Instead of a lighter chemical burden in Argentina, agrochemical spraying has increased eightfold, from 9 million gallons in 1990 to 84 million gallons today. Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup products, is used roughly eight to ten times more per acre than in the United States. Yet Argentina doesn’t apply national standards for farm chemicals, leaving rule-making to the provinces and enforcement to the municipalities. The result is a hodgepodge of widely ignored regulations that leave people dangerously exposed. —AP and confused,” Agriculture Secretary Lorenzo Basso said. “I think we have to publicize the commitment that Argentina has to being a food producer. Our model as an exporting nation has been called into question. We need to defend our model.” In a written statement, Monsanto spokesman Thomas Helscher said the company “does not condone the misuse of pesticides or the violation of any pesticide law, regulation, or court ruling.”

“Monsanto takes the stewardship of products seriously and we communicate regularly with our customers regarding proper use of our products,” Helscher said.

Argentina was among the earliest adopters of the new biotech farming model promoted by Monsanto and other US agribusinesses.

Instead of turning the topsoil, spraying pesticides and then waiting until the poison dissipates before planting, farmers sow the seeds and spray afterward without harming crops genetically modified to tolerate specific chemicals.

This “no-till” method takes so much

cells develop into organs and limbs.

“If it’s possible to reproduce this in a laboratory, surely what is happening in the field is much worse,” Carrasco said. “And if it’s much worse, and we suspect that it is, what we have to do is put this under a magnifying glass.”

His findings, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology in 2010, were rebutted by Monsanto, which said the results “are not surprising given their methodology and unrealistic exposure scenarios.”

Monsanto said in response to AP’s questions that chemical safety tests should only be done on live animals, and that injecting embryos is “less reliable and less relevant for human risk assessments.”

“Glyphosate is even less toxic than the repellent you put on your children’s skin,” said Pablo Vaquero, Monsanto’s corporate affairs director in Buenos Aires. “That said, there has to be a responsible and good use of these products because in no way would you put repellent in the mouths of children and no environmental applicator should spray fields

ing. Buenos Aires forbids loading or hosing off spraying equipment in populated areas, but in the town of Rawson, it’s done directly across the street from homes and a school, with the runoff flowing into an open ditch.

Felix San Roman says that when he complained about clouds of chemicals drifting into his yard, the sprayers beat him up, fracturing his spine and knocking out his teeth. He said he filed a complaint in 2011, but it was ignored.

“This is a small town where nobody confronts anyone, and the authorities look the other way,” San Roman said. “All I want is for them to follow the existing law, which says you can’t do this within 1,500 meters (of homes). Nobody follows this. How can you control it?”

Sometimes even court orders are ignored. In January, activist Oscar Di Vincensi stood in a field near a friend’s house waving a ruling against spraying within 1,000 meters (1,100 yards) of homes in his town of Alberti. A tractor driver simply ignored him, dousing him in pesticide.—AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

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

Traveling Hints and Tips “We are physicians from different specialties with a specific interest in public health advocacy and promotion. We, also, aim to increase awareness among the Kuwaiti public regarding a variety of diseases and conditions and to rectify the misconceptions they may have. Since our group consists of multiple physicians we decided to write under the pen name of L’homme en Blanc.”

I

n the present day, people travel further distances than they ever have; however, they are usually sedentary in their transport and this has led to a few problems. In contrast, in the past, people did not travel distances of this magnitude in such a short period of time and they were mostly physically active while travelling as a result of the then available methods of transport.

People travelling for long hours have to stay seated throughout the entire trip, this entails a certain risk for the individuals involved. For instance, people travelling by plane for more than 7 hours need to take certain precautions to prevent blood clots in the leg (A.K.A Deep vein thrombosis or DVT) that can travel to the lung (A.K.A Pulmonary embolism or PE). These precautions include staying hydrated to decrease the viscosity of blood and moving around, even if it is walking down the air-

plane aisle to the bathroom and back. This is because if we stay in our seat without moving for a long time we increase the stagnation of blood in our deep veins which leaves us at a higher risk of both DVT and PE. Another problem with traveling long distances is jet lag or desynchronosis. This is the worst feeling a traveler could have. So how does jet lag develop? Our bodies have their own internal clock that can tell day from night and this system depends on hormones in the human body, namely melatonin. Melatonin is released from the hypothalamus when eyes perceive darkness; however, the hypothalamus cannot readjust its schedule instantly; it takes several days. Because of the huge shift in time zones our internal clock system does not recognize this time zone (this is due to the delay in hypothalamic schedule adjustment as previously mentioned) so it still wants to sleep at the time of

the country of departure. Various methods have been proposed to prevent this problem, but none have really succeeded. My advice is just get as much rest as you can, stay hydrated, and avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Melatonin supplements have also been suggested to help alleviate jet lag symptoms, but not enough medical evidence exists to fully support these claims.

People who have various medical problems need to prepare a list of these problems prior to travel and they should have their medical records with them, just in case there an unfortunate event may occur while traveling that requires evaluation of a physician. The presence of these records will be of great benefit to both physician and patient. In addition, people who need to take pills need to make sure they have taken the right amount for the duration they are staying in that country. This decreases

the chance of you running out of medications and the hassle of getting new ones while you are travelling. My last advice is that not everyone is fit to travel. There are people with various conditions that are advised not to travel whether this advice be permanent or temporary. It is difficult to give advice in this area since this decision is tailored individually to each patient, for this reason the best person to consult would be your regular physician. But just a small hint, pregnant women should avoid travelling by plane once they reach 34 weeks of gestation. However, for this subject I urge everyone to check with their doctor about their safety while travelling. In the end I wish everyone a safe flight and hope that you all return home soundly.

Enjoy your holidays and travels and stay healthy Kuwait!

L' Homme en Blanc

Diet, exercise key for improving heart health NEW YORK: The American Heart Association wants to improve the heart health of all Americans by 20 percent by 2020.

To meet that goal, treating unhealthy habits will be just as important as treating high blood pressure and cholesterol, it said.

Those habits include having a poor-quality diet, eating too much, not exercising enough and smoking, according to a position state-

ment published in Circulation. Researchers said few US adults are in good heart health based on a measure that considers seven factors: diet, exercise, smoking, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, mandates insurance companies cover intensive behavioral treatment for unhealthy habits without

co-pays. But it will take more than that to significantly improve Americans’ heart health, according to the AHA. “We call on practitioners to encourage patients toward healthy lifestyle change, while recognizing that many systems changes needed to facilitate provision of such counseling are not under the clinician’s control,” the recommendation states.

“Consequently, we also call on the healthcare system, insurance companies, employers, and educational institutions to institute policies that align to help shift all sectors of the population toward a healthier lifestyle.”

Tackling unhealthy habits will need to be a team effort. That means insurance reimbursement policies should be improved so registered dieticians, psychologists and others can

become part of the primary care team, according to the AHA. That team could then link patients to community diet and exercise resources and sort through new health apps and other technologies to see which might be helpful. From a policy angle, the AHA says doctors will need simple ways to measure diet and exercise and should be paid for helping patients meet their goals.—Reuters

W H AT ’ S O N

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LAIF Church holds its annual convention SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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

Announcements Pravasi drama competition he pravasi theatre troupes in Kuwait registered for participating in Pravasi Amateur Drama Competition to be conducted by the Kuwait Chapter of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi (KSNA) are requested to submit their scripts on or before October 31, 2013. Three copies of the scripts, type-written and in PDF format, can be submitted along with filled in registration form either to KSNA Ad Hoc Committee or to Program Committee, a press release issued by KSNA Kuwait said. The duration of the play must not be less than one hour while it should not exceed 2 hours. The Pravasi Amateur Drama Festival slated to be held on February 25,26,27, 2013 in Kuwait, has been organized to identify the best pravasi theatre artistes in the Gulf and confer on them the Kerala state government awards. For details contact, email ksnakuwait@gmail.com or Tel: 97977317/99293929/97322614.

T

Issue of online visa

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

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Kerala Association holds short film fest

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erala Association, Kuwait and UFM Kuwait jointly held Kaniyapuram Ramachandran memorial short film festival on Oct 18, at Pravasi Auditorium, Jleeb. Eraser, a film from Bahrain and directed by Ranjish Muntackal won the grand jury award.

Kuwait Dreams by Justin Mathew of Kuwait won the best expat film award and Friday Holiday by Siyad Noor won the audience award. 15 films participated in the competition. Bergman Thomas, Muhammad Rafeeq and Reshmy Krishnakumar were the judges. Kerala Association president Saby M Peter presided over the function and Unnimaya Nampoothiri presented a paper on the late CPI leader Kaniyapuram Ramachandran.

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ife Abundant International Fountain (LAIF Church) recently held its annual convention at the NECK premises Kuwait City and Family House in Fintas. The 3-day anointing and fun pack program featured praise worship, anointing services, bible teachings and cultural displays from Indian, Sri Lankan, Kenyan, Nigerian and Ghanaian communities in Kuwait.

There were bible teachings from pastors and other Men of God across the globe. Speaking on the occasion, the host pastor, Bishop Jonathan Njoku urged Christians to live a life worthy of emulation according to the teachings of Christ. He thanked the Kuwait government for promoting peace, harmony and religious tolerance in the region.

Spanish sensation at The Regency

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n conjunction with the Embassy of Spain, which will hold their National Day celebrations at The Regency, the hotel has grasped the opportunity to showcase the flair, flavors and style of Spanish cuisine by hosting a Spanish Culinary Festival from 21st - 25th October 2013. Chefs, Manuel Navarro Mena and Juan Miguel Gallardo Perez come from Malaga and Cadiz in Spain and are currently leading the brigade of chefs at the Villa Padierna Palace in Marbella. Combining Mediterranean flavors with imaginative creativity the pair will introduce more culinary excitement to the Regency.

Featuring favorite “tapas”, stews, fish dishes and exotic beef specialties, the Spanish Festival will also present live cooking stations and demonstrate the distinctive regional varieties that make Spanish cuisine so special. “We are delighted to, once again, be introducing exciting new developments to our extensive culinary offering Our Silk Road Restaurant, through the weekly themed evenings, hasbroken new ground in Kuwait and, through our friends at the Spanish Embassy, we are delighted to be able to present yet another five star variation currently not available anywhere else in Kuwait”said General Manager, Aurelio Giraudo The Spanish Culinary Festival runs from 21 - 25 October and tables may be booked on 25766881 or email FandB.office@theregencykuwait.com

Harley-Davidson Open House

Sabu M Peter, the founder general secretary and the present president of Kerala association, Kuwait

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

arley-Davidson Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has announced its 2013 schedule for the Open House Days in MENA region under the theme “Come Together, Change Lives” as it gathers riders in support of the United Nations World Food Program for the third consecutive year while unveiling the iconic new 2014 models.

The Open House will be held on the October weekend falling between the 24th and 27th, and will be attended by Harley and non-Harley riders in countries across the GCC, Levant and North Africa. As in 2012, the Open House will feature a parade ride to build camaraderie and community while coming together for an excellent cause. In Kuwait, the “Come Together, Change Lives” Open House will be held on October 25. The line up will include motorcycles by Project RUSHMORE, a comprehensive effort by Harley-Davidson to fundamentally improve every aspect of the riding experience for owners of its Touring motorcycles.

After years of imagining, planning, styling and engineering, and countless hours of riding with and talking to its customers, Harley-Davidson’s Project RUSHMORE presents the full range of 2014 Touring and Trike models that are smart, comfortable, responsive and simply stunning. “Come Together, Change Lives” event will take place in support of the UN World Food Program (WFP),

the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, which feeds over 90 million people in 80 countries on average each year. Riders will be invited to purchase Harley-Davidson pins, with proceeds going to WFP. “We are delighted to be able to welcome riders and non-riders to Harley-Davidson’s 2013 Open House, where we will introduce them to our new 2014 models.

This year, we are particularly excited because we’re unveiling new motorcycles upgraded by the customerdriven Project RUSHMORE, which transforms the riding experience through category-leading technologies.

And as in previous years, the community of riders in Kuwait will join up for a celebratory ride while also coming together to support the fight against child hunger,” said Elsa Abi Nader, Harley-Davidson Marketing Manager for MENA. 2014 is an exciting year for Harley-Davidson Motor Company; as it reveals a new motorcycle line that includes seven Touring, Trike and Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) models transformed by Project RUSHMORE, a customer-driven effort by Harley-Davidson to fundamentally improve every aspect of the riding experience. Additionally there is a limited-production factory-custom CVO Softail Deluxe model, the restyled Dyna Fat Bob model, and the introduction of ABS (Anti-lock

Braking System) for all Sportster models (excluding Iron 883). With additional enhancements across its motorcycle product range, Harley-Davidson enters 2014 poised to retain its position as America’s leading motorcycle manufacturer.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINE For the Argentinean citizens who had not already enlisted in the embassy’s electoral register, and taking in consideration the elections which was held on Sunday 11/08/2013, it is necessary to justify they no vote by presence at our embassy which located in (Mishref - Block 6 - Street 42 - Villa 57) and should present the DNI and/or the Argentinean Passport. The Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the State of Kuwait avails itself of this opportunity to renew the assurances of its highest consideration. nnnnnnn

Thousands celebrated holiday at TEC facilities

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he Touristic Enterprises Company celebrated Eid Al-Adha with thousands of visitors who enjoyed special programs featured in its facilities throughout the holiday. On that regard, Vice President for Entertaining Affairs Khalid bin Sabt expressed gratitude to visitors for choosing the TEC to spend their holidays ‘and have the opportunity to enjoy special activi-

ties including the ‘Peter Pan on Ice’ show performed at the Ice Skating Rink’.

Bin Sabt’s statements were quoted in an official press release by the TEC which also quoted Agailah Beach Supervisor Abdullah Shuaib who said that hundreds of visitors enjoyed the ‘Tele Match’ program that took place at the facility’s swimming pool. Miseelah

Beach Supervisor Mohammed Al-Ablani also indicated that special activities hosted there saw strong response from visitors. Meanwhile, the Entertainment City welcomed visitors from 12:00 pm to 2:00 am throughout the holiday with special entertaining programs featured on the facility’s theater.

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

EMBASSY OF CANADA

Mohammed Al-Ablani

Abdullah Shuaib

Khalid bin Sabt and Omar Al-Samerai

The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to inform that submission of the documents for tourist visa is temporary closed (from August 26 till September 26). Within the above-mentioned period, the visa will be issued only in the case of emergency. In the case of planning travel to Ukraine, please apply for visa before August 20. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US

The US Embassy in Kuwait has new procedures for obtaining appointments and picking up passports after visa issuance.

Beginning August 9, 2013, we now provide an online visa appointment system, live call center, and in-person pick-up facilities in Kuwait.

Please monitor our website and social media for additional information. This new system offers more flexibility for travelers to the US and to meet the increase in demand for visa appointments.

The general application steps on the new visa appointment system are: 1. Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/kw (if this is the first time on ustraveldocs.com, you will need to create a profile to login).

2. Please complete your DS-160 Online Visa Application which is available at ceac.state.gov/genNIV. 3. Please print and take your deposit slip to any Burgan Bank location to pay your visa application fee.

4. Schedule an appointment for your visa interview online at www.ustraveldocs.com/kw or by phone through the Call Center (at +9652227-1673).

5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy to other applicants. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website - kuwait.usembassy.gov - as it is the best source of information regarding these changes. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VATICAN The Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066.

Email: nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

03:15 America’s Cutest Pets 04:05 Too Cute!

04:55 Animal Cops Houston 05:45 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 My Cat From Hell 08:15 The Most Extreme 09:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 10:05 Going Ape 10:30 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 11:00 The Most Extreme 11:55 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 12:50 America’s Cutest Pets 13:45 America’s Cutest Pets 14:40 America’s Cutest Pets 15:35 America’s Cutest Pets 16:30 America’s Cutest Pets 17:25 Too Cute!

18:20 Animal Airport 18:45 Animal Airport 19:15 Swamp Brothers 19:40 Swamp Brothers 20:10 Gator Boys 21:05 Sharks Of Palau 22:00 North America 22:55 Snow Leopards Of Leafy London 23:20 Snow Leopards Of Leafy London 23:50 Untamed & Uncut 00:45 Gator Boys 01:35 Animal Cops Houston 02:25 Sharks Of Palau

03:00 Alan Partridge’s Mid-Morning Matters 03:25 The Fat Fighters 04:15 Robin Hood 05:00 Mr Bloom’s Nursery 05:20 Teletubbies 05:45 3rd & Bird 05:55 Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll 06:15 Mr Bloom’s Nursery 06:35 Teletubbies 07:00 3rd & Bird 07:10 Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll 07:30 Robin Hood 08:15 Little Britain 08:45 Lead Balloon 09:15 The Weakest Link 10:00 Gavin & Stacey 10:30 Rock & Chips: Special: Easter 2011 11:30 Monty Halls’ Island Escapes 12:30 The Weakest Link 13:15 Robin Hood 14:00 Doctors 14:30 Doctors 15:00 Doctors 15:30 Doctors 16:00 Doctors 16:30 Monty Halls’ Island Escapes 17:30 Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead 18:30 Roger & Val Have Just Got In 19:00 Gates 19:30 My Family 20:00 Mistresses 20:50 Waking The Dead 21:40 Bedlam 22:25 Live At The Apollo 23:10 Last Of The Summer Wine 23:40 Gates 00:05 My Family 00:35 The Weakest Link 01:20 Mistresses 02:10 Doctor Who: Planet Of The Dead

03:20 Homes Under The Hammer 04:15 Homes Under The Hammer 05:05 Cash In The Attic 05:35 Cash In The Attic 06:00 Come Dine With Me: Supersize 07:30 Design Rules 07:55 New Scandinavian Cooking

08:20 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey: Christmas 09:15 Food Glorious Food 10:00 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill 10:30 Food & Drink 10:55 Come Dine With Me: Supersize 12:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 13:30 Antiques Roadshow 14:20 Antiques Roadshow 15:15 Antiques Roadshow 16:05 Antiques Roadshow 17:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 19:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 20:00 Design Rules 20:30 Come Dine With Me: Supersize 22:05 Antiques Roadshow 22:55 Bargain Hunt 23:40 Marbella Mansions 00:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 01:20 Cash In The Attic 02:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials

03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:50 Mans 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:55 20:45 21:35 22:25 23:15 00:05 00:55 01:45 02:35

03:00 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 Jones 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20

How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Fast N’ Loud Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up River Monsters Deadliest Catch Deadliest Catch Aircrash Confidential Destroyed In Seconds Destroyed In Seconds How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made Baggage Battles Baggage Battles Baggage Battles Baggage Battles Baggage Battles Border Security Border Security Border Security Border Security Border Security Mythbusters Mythbusters Ben Earl: Trick Artist North America North America North America River Monsters River Monsters River Monsters

Fatal Encounters Nightmare Next Door Deadly Sins Dr G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth...

True Crime With Aphrodite Solved Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls

15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 Jones 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40 00:30 00:55 01:20 02:10

Who On Earth...

Disappeared Solved Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Dr G: Medical Examiner Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Deadly Women On The Case With Paula Zahn Ripped From The Headlines Dates From Hell Dates From Hell Dr G: Medical Examiner Deadly Women

03:35 Thunder Races 04:25 Thunder Races 05:15 The Gadget Show 05:40 The Tech Show 06:05 Oddities 06:30 Oddities 07:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 07:50 Deadliest Space Weather 08:15 Deadliest Space Weather 08:40 The Gadget Show 09:05 The Tech Show 09:30 Space Pioneer 10:25 Space Pioneer 11:20 Space Pioneer 12:10 How The Universe Works 13:00 How The Universe Works 13:50 How Do They Do It? 14:20 The Gadget Show 14:45 The Tech Show 15:10 Sci-Trek 16:00 X-Machines 16:55 Unchained Reaction 17:45 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 18:10 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 18:35 Building The Future 19:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:20 Deadliest Space Weather 20:45 Deadliest Space Weather 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Tech Show 22:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:50 Deadliest Space Weather 23:15 Deadliest Space Weather 23:40 Prank Science 00:05 Prank Science 00:30 How Do They Do It? 01:00 Sport Science 01:50 Sport Science 02:45 Sport Science

03:25 Greatest Human Achievements 04:20 Greatest Human Achievements 05:10 Out Of Egypt 06:05 Man On Earth With Tony Robinson 07:00 Surviving Extreme Weather 07:50 Discovery Saved My Life 08:45 Decoding Disaster 09:35 Decoding Disaster 10:30 Cruise Ship Disaster: Inside The...

11:20 Collapse: When Structures Fail 12:10 Leaning Tower Of Pisa 13:05 American Car Prospector 13:55 American Car Prospector 14:50 American Car Prospector 15:45 The Hunt For The Samurai Subs 16:40 Doomsday - World War I 17:35 War Horse: The Real Story 18:25 Ultimate Warfare 19:20 Curiosity: Nefertiti - Mummy Queen...

20:10 Mummy King Mystery 21:05 Altered Statesmen 22:00 Curiosity: Nefertiti - Mummy Queen...

22:55 Mummy King Mystery 23:50 Crime Scene Wild 00:45 I Was Bitten

BACKDRAFT ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

01:35 I Was Bitten 02:30 Collapse: When Structures Fail

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

14:30 16:00 Movie 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:30 Movie 01:00 02:45

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas Los Angeles Jonas Los Angeles Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake And The Neverland Sofia The First A.N.T. Farm Shake It Up That’s So Raven Good Luck Charlie Dog With A Blog Gravity Falls Jessie My Babysitter’s A Vampire A.N.T. Farm Hercules Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Dear Dracula That’s So Raven Shake It Up Dog With A Blog Hercules A.N.T. Farm Dog With A Blog Dog With A Blog Dog With A Blog Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Dear Dracula Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm That’s So Raven Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas Los Angeles Jonas Los Angeles Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

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 The Hive 08:45 Doc McStuffins 08:55 Zou 09:10 Justin Time 09:25 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 09:35 Henry Hugglemonster 09:50 Henry Hugglemonster 10:00 Sofia The First 10:25 Doc McStuffins 10:40 Art Attack 11:00 Doc McStuffins 11:15 Art Attack 11:40 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 11:55 Art Attack 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 Justin Time 14:10 Doc McStuffins 14:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 14:45 Higglytown Heroes 14:55 The Hive 15:05 Sofia The First 15:30 Art Attack 15:50 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 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 Justin Time 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

Dragon Hunters Puppy In My Pocket: The Snow Day Beethoven Dragon Hunters Puppy In My Pocket: The Teo: The Intergalactic Hunter Beethoven

04:00 Winx 06:00 Frankenweenie 08:00 The Odd Life Of Timothy Green 10:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked 12:00 People Like Us 14:00 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island 16:00 The Odd Life Of Timothy Green 18:00 Puss In Boots 20:00 50/50 22:00 Cash

JACK AND JILL ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY 02:25 Special Agent Oso 02:40 Special Agent Oso 02:50 Imagination Movers

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 Dude, That’s My Ghost 09:55 Camp Lakebottom 10:20 Ultimate Spider-Man 10:45 Marvel Avengers Assemble 11:15 Marvel Avengers Assemble 11:40 Kickin’ IT 12:05 Lab Rats 12:30 Slugterra 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:15 Phineas & Ferb: Across The Second Dimen 14:35 Camp Lakebottom 14:55 Phineas And Ferb 15:05 Phineas And Ferb 15:20 Phineas And Ferb 15:30 Phineas And Ferb 15:45 Dude, That’s My Ghost 16:10 Camp Lakebottom 16:35 Kickin’ IT 17:00 Lab Rats 17:30 Slugterra 18:00 Dude, That’s My Ghost 18:25 Camp Lakebottom 18:50 Kickin’ IT 19:15 Lab Rats 19:40 Slugterra 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 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Scaredy Squirrel 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:30 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:50 Basics 13:15 Basics 13:40 Basics 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:25 16:55 17:25 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:55 20:20

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Unique Eats Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Chopped Amazing Wedding Cakes Unwrapped Unwrapped Everyday Italian Everyday Italian Everyday Italian Everyday Italian Aarti Party Aarti Party Aarti Party Aarti Party Symon’s Suppers Symon’s Suppers Symon’s Suppers Symon’s Suppers Charly’s Cake Angels Charly’s Cake Angels Barefoot Contessa - Back To Barefoot Contessa - Back To Barefoot Contessa - Back To The Big Cheese The Big Cheese Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Amazing Wedding Cakes Charly’s Cake Angels Charly’s Cake Angels Iron Chef America Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Food Wars Food Wars Tastiest Places To Chowdown

20:45 Tastiest Places To Chowdown 21:10 Chopped 22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:50 Amazing Wedding Cakes 23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Recipes That Rock 00:55 Recipes That Rock 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Charly’s Cake Angels 02:10 Charly’s Cake Angels 02:35 Amazing Wedding Cakes

03:00 The Colbert Report 03:30 Saturday Night Live 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 Two And A Half Men 08:00 1600 Penn 08:30 Friends 09:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 10:00 Seinfeld 10:30 Two And A Half Men 11:00 The Simpsons 11:30 Guys With Kids 12:00 The Office 12:30 Friends 13:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 14:00 1600 Penn 14:30 Seinfeld 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 Friends 16:00 Cougar Town 16:30 Guys With Kids 17:00 The Office 17:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 18:00 The Colbert Report 18:30 1600 Penn 19:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 Cougar Town 21:00 Guys With Kids 21:30 Modern Family 22:00 Parks And Recreation 22:30 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 23:00 2 Broke Girls 23:30 New Girl 00:00 Veep 00:30 Girls 01:00 The New Normal 01:30 Parks And Recreation 02:00 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 02:30 2 Broke Girls

03:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 12:30 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 Parenthood Covert Affairs Emmerdale Coronation Street Covert Affairs 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street The X Factor U.S. Covert Affairs Psych Zero Hour C.S.I. True Blood Scandal 24

04:00 Layer Cake 06:00 Nick Of Time 08:00 The Da Vinci Code 10:45 Tombstone 13:00 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part Two 14:45 Jesse Stone: Benefit Of The

Doubt 16:45 19:15 21:15 Doubt 23:15 01:45

Tombstone Burden Of Evil Jesse Stone: Benefit Of The Backdraft Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines

04:00 Nick Of Time 06:00 The Da Vinci Code 08:45 Tombstone 11:00 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part Two 12:45 Jesse Stone: Benefit Of The Doubt 14:45 Tombstone 17:15 Burden Of Evil 19:15 Jesse Stone: Benefit Of The Doubt 21:15 Backdraft 23:45 Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines 01:30 End Of Days

04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00

Jack And Jill Shark Tale A Thousand Words Envy Jack And Jill Best In Show Envy Lying To Be Perfect The Ringer Flypaper Girl Walks Into A Bar The Ringer

04:30 06:00 09:00 World 11:00 Me 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:00

The Wishing Well Treasure Island You Got Served: Beat The

03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 00:15

Surveillance Joyful Noise School Ties Night Falls On Manhattan L’amour C’est Mieux A Deux Would Be Kings Love Takes Wing L’amour C’est Mieux A Deux Blue-Eyed Butcher Schindler’s List The Firm

Katy Perry The Movie: Part Of Five One Angry Juror Second Chances Morning This Must Be The Place Buried Second Chances

03:45 Midnight In Paris 05:30 Superman vs. The Elite 07:00 Arthur 3: And The War Of Two Worlds 09:00 We Bought A Zoo 11:15 Midnight In Paris 13:00 One Life 15:00 Barnyard 16:30 We Bought A Zoo 18:45 The Bourne Legacy 21:00 Lawless 23:00 The Rum Diary 01:00 Rabbit Hole 02:45 The Bourne Legacy

04:15 06:00 08:00 10:00 11:30 13:00

Blue Elephant 2 Quest For A Heart Teo: The Intergalactic Hunter Snow Day Super Buddies Daddy Day Camp

00:30 The Daily Show 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 The League 03:00 Ben And Kate 03:30 Ben And Kate 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 All Of Us 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 All Of Us 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 All Of Us 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 The Mindy Project 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 Parks And Recreation 20:30 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Veep 22:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 The League 23:30 Parks And Recreation

03:00 Currie Cup 05:00 ITM Cup 07:00 Darts Grand Prix 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Champions League Twenty20 14:30 Total Rugby 15:00 Inside The PGA Tour 15:30 European Tour Weekly 16:00 Live PGA European Tour 20:00 Trans World Sport 21:00 Live Darts Grand Prix 01:00 Total Rugby 01:30 Amlin European Challenge Cup

05:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 06:00 UFC - Unleashed 07:00 The Rugby Championship 09:00 ICC Cricket 360 09:30 NRL Full Time 10:00 Futbol Mundial 10:30 Total Rugby 11:00 Darts Grand Prix 15:00 UFC - Primetime 2011-13 15:30 UFC Prelims 17:30 UFC - Maia vs. Shields 20:30 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 21:45 Live Amlin European Challenge Cup 00:00 Live PGA Tour

03:35 05:10 07:00 08:55 10:45 13:50 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 01:45

Speedway Young Tom Edison The Swan Sweethearts Doctor Zhivago The Women The Searchers Lust For Life Seven Days In May Mccabe And Mrs. Miller Sunday In New York Mccabe And Mrs. Miller

03:00 Off Limits 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 10:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 11:00 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 11:30 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 12:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 13:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 14:00 Inside Luxury Travel - Varun Sharma 15:00 Luxury Uncovered 15:30 Luxury Uncovered 16:00 Luxury Train Journeys In India 17:00 Luxury Trains 18:00 Luxury Uncovered 18:30 Luxury Uncovered 19:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 20:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 20:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 21:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 21:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 22:00 Descending 23:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle

Classifieds SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI THE BUTLER (DIG) NO FRI DIANA (DIG) DIANA (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) SHARQIA-2 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) RUSH (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) SHARQIA-3 BADGES OF FURY (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) RUSH (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) MUHALAB-1 ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA (DIG) (TELUGU) NO TUE+WED BOSS (DIG) (HINDI) TUE+WED QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) MUHALAB-2 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 KHUMBA (DIG) CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 ( DIANA (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) MUHALAB-3 ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) RUSH (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) FANAR-1 BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) DIANA (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) DIANA (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) FANAR-2 KHUMBA (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 4:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM

KNCC EID AL ADHA PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY

KHUMBA (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC)

5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-3 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 ( RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) NO TUE+WED BOSS (DIG) (HINDI) TUE+WED RUSH (DIG) NO TUE+WED BOSS (DIG) (HINDI) TUE+WED RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) MARINA-1 THE BUTLER (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) DIANA (DIG) DIANA (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) MARINA-2 QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) RUSH (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

AVENUES-1 THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:15 PM

7:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

1:45 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2 BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG)

9:00 PM 11:30 PM

360ยบ- 1 QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

4:45 PM

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM

RUSH (DIG) RUSH (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM

360ยบ- 2 THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG) THE BUTLER (DIG)

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

360ยบ- 3 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) KHUMBA (DIG-3D) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG)

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

AL-KOUT.1 RUSH (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) RUSH (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG) ESCAPE PLAN (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 DIANA (DIG) DIANA (DIG) DIANA (DIG) DIANA (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG) BADGES OF FURY (DIG)

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

ACCOMMODATION Sharing in Farwaniya for decent Filipino only, block 1, st 122 near Gulf Mart/Nesto hypermarket, rent KD 85. Mob: 97805614.

(C 4537) Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non smoking. Amman street, opposite to Al Rashid hospital. Please contact: 66232356.

(C 4538) 20-10-2013 FOR SALE Toyota XA 2005, maroon color, full options, 100,000 km, excellent condition. KD 1300. Tel: 50994848.

(C 4539) 20-10-2013 Mitsubishi Galant model 2000, full condition.

Contact: 94033908.

15-10-2013

Mitsubishi jeep Nativa model 2011, white color, alloy rim, 6 cylinder engine, 4 wheel drive, automatic gear, excellent condition, installment possible. Cash price KD 2900, negotiable.

Tel: 66507741.

(C 4533) SITUATION VACANT A family is looking to hire a driver. 94026500.

(C 4536) 20-10-2013

Indian Computer Engineer, B.Tech (information technology), networking, CCNA certified, 3 years experience in Kuwait, Article 18 visa seeks job. Contact: 99561274, email: mahesh88.gv@gmail.com (C 4535) 12-10-2013 CHANGE OF NAME I, Mohammed Ali Khan, S/o Hussan Sha Khan, date of birth: 05.06.1973, Passport No. E9102180 residing at No. 3/58, Periya Pallivasal Street, Mel Kavarapet Post 607 112, shall henceforth be known as MOHAMMED ALI. (C 4534) 12-10-2013

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

SITUATION WANTED

04:30 05:49 11:34 14:51 17:18 18:35

No: 15961 AL-KOUT.3 KHUMBA (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) KHUMBA (DIG) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC) QALB AL ASAD (DIG) (ARABIC)

1:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG) CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 THE BUTLER (DIG) MAN OF TAI CHI (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 KHUMBA (DIG-3D) CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM

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

Airlines BBC QTR JZR JZR MEA MRJ RJA FDB THY ETH GFA UAE MEA ETD FDB CLX RBG MSR GFA UAE QTR MEA KAC JZR THY DHX FDB KAC JZR BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY MEA IAW FDB IRA QTR ETD GFA MEA IRC FDB JZR JZR UAE MSR KAC KAC THY JZR KAC QTR

Arrival Flights on Sunday 20/10/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 410 BEIRUT 4817 MASHAD 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 8063 DUBAI 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 408 BEIRUT 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 67 DUBAI 610 LUXEMBOURG 555 ALEXANDRIA 612 CAIRO 2211 BAHRAIN 3857 DUBAI 138 DOHA 406 BEIRUT 544 CAIRO 335 NAJAF 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 406 BEIRUT 1526 NAJAF 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 6666 AHWAZ 8055 DUBAI 165 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 742 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 766 ISTANBUL 257 BEIRUT 672 DUBAI 140 DOHA

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

FDB SVA KNE OMA KAC SYR RJA QTR JZR ETD UAE IRC ABY UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR NIA KAC KAC KAC QTR KAC FDB JZR GFA AXB MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI AFG FDB OMA ABY MEA JZR JZR KAC KAC KLM ALK UAE QTR KAC ETD GFA JAI FDB AIC JZR JZR UAL JZR DLH JAI MSR THY

57 500 472 645 789 341 640 134 787 303 857 6507 127 982 215 510 777 177 251 502 542 786 144 166 63 175 219 393 606 102 618 674 572 415 61 647 129 402 243 481 562 514 417 229 859 136 172 307 217 576 59 981 239 185 981 135 636 574 614 772

DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH MUSCAT JEDDAH LATAKIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DOHA RIYADH ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI SHIRAZ SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DUBAI ALEXANDRIA BEIRUT CAIRO JEDDAH DOHA PARIS/ROME DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE LUXOR NEW YORK/LONDON DOHA DUBAI MUMBAI KABUL DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH BEIRUT AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA SABIHA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA TEHRAN AMSTERDAM COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA FRANKFURT ABU DHABI-INTL BAHRAIN COCHIN/ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI CAIRO ISTANBUL

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

Airlines AIC MSC AXB JAI UAL DLH MSR JZR BBC MEA FDB MRJ THY THY ETH MEA UAE FDB RBG MSR ETD QTR CLX MEA UAE GFA QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA THY JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB IAW KAC MEA ETD IRA KAC QTR KAC KAC GFA KAC MEA IRC FDB JZR KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Sunday 20/10/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 2404 ALEXANDRIA 490 MANGALORE/COCHIN 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 334 NAJAF 44 CHITTAGONG/DHAKA 411 BEIRUT 8064 DUBAI 4816 MASHAD 773 ISTANBUL 765 SABIHA 621 ADDIS ABABA 409 BEIRUT 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI-INTL 139 DOHA 852 HONG KONG 409 JEDDAH 3858 DUBAI 2212 BAHRAIN 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 7 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 1525 NAJAF 117 NEW YORK 407 JEDDAH 302 ABU DHABI-INTL 602 SHIRAZ 773 RIYADH 133 DOHA 741 DAMMAM 501 BEIRUT 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 6667 AHWAZ 8056 DUBAI 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 480 SABIHA

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

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

JZR KAC JZR MSR THY UAE FDB JZR QTR JZR KAC KAC KNE OMA SVA KAC SYR KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR ABY IRC UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR JZR NIA QTR FDB GFA JZR KAC AXB MSR JAI FDB ABY AFG OMA MEA DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC KAC QTR GFA FDB KAC JAI KAC KAC KAC

786 785 176 611 767 872 58 174 141 242 673 561 473 646 503 617 342 513 641 238 135 304 538 128 6508 858 216 511 982 184 266 252 145 64 220 134 283 394 619 571 62 120 415 648 403 171 417 308 230 860 343 301 137 218 60 205 575 351 411 415

RIYADH JEDDAH DUBAI CAIRO ISTANBUL DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI DOHA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA JEDDAH MUSCAT MEDINAH/JEDDAH DOHA LATAKIA TEHRAN AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL CAIRO SHARJAH SHIRAZ DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH JEDDAH MUSCAT BEIRUT BAHRAIN DAMMAM/AMSTERDAM ABU DHABI-INTL COLOMBO DUBAI CHENNAI MUMBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD ABU DHABI-INTL/COCHIN COCHIN BANGKOK/MANILA KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA

12:50 13:00 13:20 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:40 15:45 15:45 16:15 16:20 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:00 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:30 18:40 19:00 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:45 20:55 21:15 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:50

34

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

s ta rs CROSSWORD 343

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES Your happiest time is a day like this day, when you spend time with friends in group activities. Spiritual practices and some charity work may be involved in making this a rewarding time. You could be most persuasive with others today. The situation is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your own special ideas and thoughts. A good conversation with those you love is possible. You may find yourself spending much of the day with your friends. This could be involvement in group sports, golf, fishing, tennis, etc. There is an appreciation for ideas and thoughts that are quite otherworldly. It is easy for you to love and be compassionate and to value what life offers. You have a sense of unity and brotherhood that will stay with you.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Rewarding days like this day makes up for all the stress that comes with the challenging days of your week. This is a time in which you can grab the attention. You and a friend may decide to take in the new museum in town or perhaps an art show this afternoon. If you are working, it is possible to leave work a little early. This entertainment today is most likely a guest concert or lecture. A movie, books and all forms of escape could prove enjoyable. Romance is very possible later today. This is just one of those days where everything is running smoothly and many opportunities are available to adventure out into the world to enjoy the company of friends or family. Compromises are important where finances are concerned.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A light touch or stroke.

4. White Southerner supporting Reconstruction policies after the Civil War usually for self-interest.

12. 30 to 300 gigahertz.

15. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

16. Relating to or having the nature of illation or inference.

17. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand.

18. Absence of light or illumination.

20. Ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance.

22. A unit of weight used in some Spanish speaking countries.

23. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

25. Writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay).

26. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

27. A thick fatty oil (especially one used to lubricate machinery).

29. A burn cause by hot liquid or steam.

32. (law) Lacking any legal or binding force.

33. Set down according to a plan.

37. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

40. Swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue.

41. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

42. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

43. A health resort near a spring or at the seaside.

46. Rate of revolution of a motor.

47. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.

50. The decade from 1880 to 1979.

53. Of or relating to or functioning as a clause.

54. Of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air.

55. A mouth or mouthlike opening.

58. A metric unit of volume equal to one tenth of a liter.

61. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

62. An accountant certified by the state.

64. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

69. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

72. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

73. Generalized edema with accumulation of serum in subcutaneous connective tissue.

76. An associate degree in applied science.

77. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

78. Leisure time away from work.

79. Government agency created in 1974 to license and regulate nuclear power plants.

80. An affirmative.

81. A collection of excerpts from a literary work.

82. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

DOWN 1. An informal term for a father.

2. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

3. The basic unit of money in Ethiopia.

4. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

5. Clear to the mind.

6. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord.

7. Baked dish of layers of lasagna pasta with sauce and cheese and meat or vegetables.

8. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

9. A midwestern state in north central United States.

10. A statement asserting the existence or the truth of something.

11. Wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed.

12. Expel, as of gases and odors.

13. Socks and stockings and tights collectively (the British include underwear as hosiery).

14. Of a temperature scale that registers the freezing point of water as 32 degrees F and the boiling point as 212 degrees F at one atmosphere of pressure.

19. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

21. A piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed.

24. An ocean trip taken for pleasure.

28. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

30. An outstanding Spanish cellist noted for his interpretation of Bach's cello suites (1876-1973).

31. Jordan's port.

34. The lofty nest of a bird of prey (such as a hawk or eagle).

35. Be imminent or about to happen.

36. A young unmarried woman.

38. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

39. A raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip).

44. Soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants.

45. Advanced in years.

48. A board with the alphabet on it.

49. A chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers.

51. A period of time equal to 1/24th of a day.

52. Language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense.

56. King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975 (1906-1975).

57. Wear away through erosion or vaporization.

59. Tropical American trees with palmately compound leaves and showy bell-shaped flowers.

60. An Indian tree of the family Combretaceae that is a source of timber and gum.

63. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

65. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

66. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

67. In or relating to or obtained from urine.

68. A native or inhabitant of Scotland.

70. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.

71. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (1880-1957).

74. (British) Your grandmother.

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

Although you shy away from challenges, you cannot escape facing a few of them. Challenges are what help us grow, learn about others and ourselves and improve problem-solving skills—today may be challenging. An irresistible force meets an immovable object—proceed with caution! There are appropriate times to express your feelings but today your problem-solving skills lean toward learning how to stay out of a sticky situation. There is a lot of energy available for disciplined work—do not push. You may have a sense that there is a lack of support from those around you.

This situation is temporary and problems could be avoided through efforts to busy yourself and lower your expectation of others for now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This morning you are in the mood to clean and clear away any of the clutter, whether it is inside or outside your living area. You are in a determined mood to make things look neater. Clear thinking and visual balance are important just now. Vacation time could be enjoyed soon; the planning has come to an end. Regardless of where you are, you have more than just the gift of gab. Your words and ideas can transport and enchant listeners, carrying them beyond the world as they know it into the world as they wish it could be. You may decide today is the day to really put your energies into environmental concerns—recycling, perhaps. Your sense of what connects all of life is felt in the way you communicate.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Making this a harmonious day may depend on your willingness to tend to someone else’s needs. Your turn will come soon, but for now a patient attitude will be most important. Unconventional hobbies and other forms of self-expression that break from the norm play a big part in your life this afternoon. You may help an interested child learn secrets about a mutual hobby. A child may be ahead of his or her time. You may find that you have intuitive and psychic abilities that have never surfaced before. You may feel religious emotions in very strong ways today. Refrain from religious discussions for now—you could become emotionally involved in trying to prove a point. Recreation takes an unusual turn with ordinary expectations. You are lucky today.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You could have some fun times with young people this today. You are very imaginative when it comes to other people and relationships of all kinds. You have an almost otherworldly feeling that you bring to your partnerships, social or private. If professional advice is needed, today and tomorrow are the most productive times to seek that advice. Faith untested is not worth bothering with: that’s the lesson that takes center stage in your life. This is apt to be a time of analyzing religious, philosophical or ideological beliefs—becoming more aware of their logical shortcomings. Legal, political or educational experiences require serious thought and planning. This afternoon you could be plotting your next move to success—take notes.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Today and tomorrow are the best times to begin a diet or new health plan.

You may have trouble getting moving, but once rolling, others better move aside. Your dreams and imaginings keep bumping into the real and the actual process of life. You continue to imagine that you have graduated and are above going through this sensitive and personal material, but it keeps happening. The blood-and-guts parts of life do not suit your self-image. Tension results from this struggle between dreams and reality—let it flow and let it go. You may find that your own growth may depend upon how you can handle the very sensitive psychological material that may be coming to your attention this afternoon. A special meal is called for tonight.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Making peace with the past and coming to terms with karmic debts are some of the issues that confront you now. Failure to face these things can cause setbacks and put obstacles in your path. Learn to look beyond the personal or you will get in over your head. Unusual ideas and novel ways of expressing them play a bigger than usual part in your life now. A neighbor could play a part in this or perhaps a brother or sister.

You have a lot of energy for improving your surroundings or life situations. You are very motivated to improve. There could be some hard feelings, especially from young people if you become too aggressive—maintain low tones. You have a strong drive to bring people together and simplify problems.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Today you will enjoy the art of communication. You have more than just the gift of gab. Your words can transport and enchant listeners, carrying them beyond the world as they know it into the world as they wish it could be. You have a love affair going with the mind and you value its entire offspring: words, ideas, thoughts and such. You love to learn new things. In particular you appreciate good conversation and you feel that stimulating mental adventures, either alone or with others, are among the most exciting experiences that life offers. You have a built-in sense of discrimination when it comes to the intellect—all mental activities. You may decide to take risks and dare to be unconventional. You will prosper through an independent point of view.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Everything catches your eye and you seem to want everything you see.

Walk away for a while when you begin to feel this way. You could risk your finances if you don’t. The store will continue to be on the corner but it may take months to bring your bankbook back into balance. Take some time this afternoon to reflect and understand your own situation, just how you feel about yourself. Friends may be the best boost to your ego today. This is a good time, a time when you come to a new understanding. A love relationship may be undergoing some strain. Do not put a lot of importance on this—it will pass soon enough. Young people that have presented some problems for you lately seem to have solved their dilemmas. Enjoy a quiet evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Faith, optimism and a yearning to explore all kinds of new horizons are some of the focal points in your life at this time. Travel, education and other ways to stretch your horizons open new doors of opportunity. Religious, philosophical and cultural matters are likely to have special appeal for you now; transmitting ideas on a broader scale brings gain. You may be moved to appreciate and discover the beauty in your life and in those around you. At the same time, everything could take on added value and importance. Be careful that you do not overspend or indulge too much just now. You draw emotional sustenance and a sense of security from ideals, friends and a social involvement now. There is a need for change—to break with the outdated.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You draw emotional sustenance and a sense of security from ideals, friends and social involvement. There is a need for change and a desire to break with old patterns of the past . . . A longing for the new, the different, the unique. New technology has your attention and you may decide to go to a trade show or an exhibit to learn and try a little hands-on application. A young person may seek you out for your guidance regarding very personal and emotional issues today. You will be able to be understanding and handle this very volatile material. You are able to cut through the red tape and get at what is beneath and behind. The person with the power is the one that pays the bills, including the insurance on a car and the food on the table.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 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

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

lifestyle G O S S I P

Kylie Minogue, Velencoso only had ‘seven dates’ T

he ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ hitmaker’s five-year relationship with the Spanish model recently came to an end, with the distance between them and their working commitments playing a big part. A source told The Sun newspaper: “It’s usually a very lucky number by Kylie’s seven dates with Andres proved to be the opposite. They only went out seven times over the last 12 months. “That made them realize how little they were seeing each other. Kylie works relentlessly on her music and touring. “And Andres has been working on getting into acting, so there was just no time to take care of their relationship. They both realized it was pointless to carry on if they couldn’t see more of each other.” The break-up is said to have been “amicable”, but Kyle is reportedly still upset after losing the man she thought was “the one”. The insider added: “Her split with Andres was amicable but it’s really hurting her. She just wants to settle down and had said Andres was ‘the one’. “Now she’ll have to start all over again.”

Sarah Harding finds Nadine Coyle’s pregnancy ‘weird’

Simon Cowell’s girlfriend wants him to quit smoking

T

he ‘Insatiable’ singer is expecting her first child with Jason Bell and her former Girls Aloud bandmate admits she and the rest of the group were stunned to hear the news. Sarah said: “Who’s have thought she’d have been the first one of us all to get pregnant. Me and Cheryl were like, ‘Oh my God, can you believe it?’ It is good, though I couldn’t believe it when I saw those pictures! She’s actually got a bump. I thought, ‘This is weird’.” Sarah - who is dating producer Mark Foster admitted she only now feels like a “grown-up” because she isn’t in the band any more. She explained: “I’m actually starting to feel like quite a grown-up. I suppose you don’t really have the chance to grow up when you’re in a girl band. When there’s five of you, you think you can get away with murder but now the pressure’s on! I do feel more responsible.” And the blonde beauty is amazed at how The Saturdays - whose member Frankie Sandford is pregnant with her first child, while Rochelle Humes and Una Healy are both married with daughters - juggle their careers with marriage and parenthood.

T

he music mogul is expecting his first child with Lauren Silverman and the brunette beauty has begged him to at least reduce his 40-a-day habit when their baby arrives. A source told heat magazine: “Lauren’s demanding that Simon gives up smoking, or at least cuts down. “She’s already tried to ban him from smoking when he’s with her and wants him to cut down on alcohol as well, in time for the baby’s arrival.” However, a spokesperson for ‘The X Factor USA’ star insists he has no plans to give up his deadly habit just yet. They said: “Simon’s still smoking - he’ll probably just go in the garden when the baby is born.” Simon has previously admitted to going on a major health kick so he could feel better about his drinking and smoking habits. He said: “I had to go on a health kick because I have to balance smoking and drinking, which I do like. And then on the other side I exercise and then I have vitamin shots. “Like last night for example, I had a litre of injections being poured into me through a drip and at the same time I was having a couple of vodka and sodas. So it kind of makes it bearable!”

Sir Paul McCartney’s surprise London show

T

he Beatles legend gave fans a lunchtime treat when he performed a 15 minute set in Covent Garden as a preview for his latest record ‘New’.

Although the square is usually full of street artists, the Daily Mirror newspaper reports it was unusually quiet by 11am, before a tweet from Paul saw it quickly fill up. He wrote: “I’m getting ready to pop up in Covent Garden at 1pm today. Oh baby!” The ‘Hey Jude’ hitmaker kicked off his set at 1.15pm - with his children Stella, 42, and James, 36, in attendance and encouraged fans to film their preview of the album. He said: “Just going to do a few songs from my new album so get your phones out ... Oh, you already have!” The 71-year-old icon thanked the assembled crowd - and looked surprised to see so many turn out for the surprise show - and joked during The Beatles’ time he wouldn’t have been awake to perform so early. He laughed: “It’s a change from the 60s because we would’ve just been coming in from the clubs now.”

Daniel Radcliffe struggling with his gay sex scenes

T

he ‘Kill Your Darlings’ actor shares some intimate moments with his costar Dane DeHaan and insisted it’s not a “big deal” when all you can see is his bottom. He told The Sun newspaper: “I f***ed a horse on stage when I was 17 but gay sex is more of a big deal! “One of the reviews I saw very early on called the sex scene ‘graphic’. There’s nothing graphic about it. I mean, you see a bit of bum.” The ‘Harry Potter’ star suggested maybe people still find “sex with a man” surprising on the big screen, and he knows his past in the wizarding saga will give them preconceptions going into the movie. He added: “It is just the fact that it’s sex, and it’s sex with a man, I guess. It’s amazing how shockable the world still is. And it’s Harry Potter.” Daniel, 24, has recently explained his decision to take on the role despite his early success, and noted people’s reactions to the “beautiful” sex scenes may be unwarranted. He previously said: “I felt like I was breaking new ground. Most actors grow up doing a lot of small movies and then get something big, but I started on the biggest film in the world. “So it’s an experience that I haven’t had.

I’m sure some people will be slightly ... err ... startled by the gay sex scene though ... It’s actually not graphic. You don’t actually see anything.

Chloe Sevigny blasts Oprah Winfrey to auction personal items for charity Hollywood actresses T T he 38-year-old actress thinks too many of her contemporaries rely too much on stylists and refuse to take any risks when it comes to dressing for big events. She said: “I do feel there’s a lack of imagination when it comes to actresses and red-carpet dressing. There’s all that fear. You can feel they’ve been styled. I think they could be wilder if they got to dress themselves.” However, Chloe admits she still get upset when her own fashion choices come under fire. She told Britain’s Grazia magazine: “If I’m going to an event and there’s a red carpet thing, then whoever is helping me - which is usually my publicist because I don’t work with a stylist - we always say ‘Is this a ‘what-was-she -thinking dress?’ “ The tabloids in America have always put me in that category. But,, you know, it hurts a little. And the worst part is that even when you’re standing on the red carpet, you can hear all those criticisms. It makes the whole process of having to do these things not fun. “I wish I could let go and not worry about it, but I always feel like my head spins and I spiral into a bad place. But I’m trying to get over that.”

he legendary talk show host is hoping to raise funds for her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation College Fund - which benefits graduates of her school for girls in Africa as they try to get into universities around the world - by selling collectables from her homes from all over the United States, including residences in Chicago, California, Indiana and Hawaii.

Among the items up for auction are poster prints from her hit 1985 film ëThe Color Purpleí, which the 59-year-old star has autographed, electric bikes, several paintings, a childrenís doll and even a Britishinspired post box. Oprah is also auctioning off numerous home furnishings such as glamorous chandeliers, a marble bathtub, and a side table which is thought to be from the late 18th Century or early 19th Century. The items will be sold by Karminski auction house on November 2. It was recently reported that Oprah has reached out to troubled basketball player Lamar Odom and offered to help him get his life back on track amidst rumors his marriage to Khloe Kardashian Odom is on the rocks and allegations of a cocaine addiction.

37

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

LIFESTYLE

ABC and Univision’s love child bursts to life he long-awaited DNA exchange between ABC and Univision emerges from the test tube this month, aiming to stretch the limits of traditional network programming. The English-language television network, called Fusion, will target millennial Hispanics and their BFFs as it attempts to capitalize on a generation for which cultural fusion is the norm and digital media is king.

The network will provide something of a grab bag: a mix of hard news, commentary, sports and irreverence aimed at 16- to 30-year-olds.

Sure, there will be nightly news programs, but also an animated puppet news and entertainment show by David Javerbaum, former head writer of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Think Comedy Central, the hipster online magazine Vice.com, ABC and Univision, all in one. “Not everyone will get it; and that’s sort of the point,” Univision News President and now Fusion CEO Isaac Lee wrote in a memo to staff earlier this month. To “get” what Fusion is attempting, it helps to tour its home and meet the players:

T

Afghan-born US novelist Khaled Hosseini poses after an interview to promote the release of his book “And the Mountains Echoed” in Milan. — AFP

Writer Hosseini condemns Western ‘fortress mentality’ W riter Khaled Hosseini called for more tolerance for the plight of refugees, as the author of the bestselling “The Kite Runner” spoke to AFP about his latest book “And The Mountains Echoed”. “There is a kind of fortress mentality in the West,” said the Afghan-born American novelist, whose new novel has a complex plot spanning from Kabul to Paris, a Greek island to California.

“I think it’s important for us to remember the humanity of these people,” he said during a visit to Milan after twin shipwreck tragedies off Italy in which over 500 asylum seekers are feared dead. “Nobody says you have to open your door and the whole world can come and settle in your country.

Refugees have not chosen their fate, their fate has been forced upon them,” Hosseini said.

The author regularly travels to his wartorn homeland as an ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) but said he wanted his new book to be “less Afghan-centric”. The book begins with a disturbing folk take about a devil kidnapping children in Afghan villages. The first setting is an Afghan village in the 1950s and the conclusion is in California where Hosseini, a trained physician, now lives.

It revolves around the story of two children from a poor family who are forced into a heart-rending separation that will forever mark their lives. The writer said the book had a “non-linear, un-traditional” plot with

lots of characters. “The war in Afghanistan is not such a looming presence in the book.

The impact on a lot of characters is less pressing, less urgent. “It’s more a personal story having more to do with human struggles,” he said, adding that the characters he wanted to create were “morally ambiguous” and “not quite so black and white”.

The award-winning novelist is a literary phenomenon whose star shows no sign of fading. His first two books, “ The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, sold 38 million copies worldwide. His latest book has already sold three million copies since first coming out in the United States in May and is due to be translated into 40 languages including Malaysian and Icelandic. While the writer said the book had less of a focus on Afghanistan and its future, he is certainly not forgetting his homeland and chief inspiration.

“I feel I have a debt to Afghanistan because of my success. I think it obligates me to be socially conscious but the books are written for very personal reasons,” Hosseini said. “Books are always about some kind of human enigma, some truth I’m trying to get out,” said the writer, who pointed out that he has not lived in Afghanistan for 33 years although he travels there. “It’s neither my intention nor my ambition to alter thought in Afghanistan. I want to be very respectful of the fact that if any significant change comes in Afghanistan it will not be spurred by an Afghan in exile,” he said. — AFP

THE STARTUP The green and blue mood-lighting of the warehouse-turned-news hub known as Newsport suggests Miami Beach club over newsroom. Like millennials who can’t afford to move out on their own, Fusion shares the cavernous space with Spanish-language parent Univision News. Senior staff members gather for brainstorming sessions in brightly painted and glass-walled rooms overlooking the newsroom.

On a recent afternoon, Lee strode across the floor like the head of a Silicon Valley startup, sketching flow charts of Fusion’s evolution. As he talked, one millennial staffer wrestled a ping pong ball from the mouth of Chocolate, Lee’s brown Labrador. Others chimed in on the essence of the network that goes live Oct. 28.

As befits a project geared to a generation used to downloading the latest mobile update, Fusion has been beta testing in plain view. In 2011, Lee brought together a group of recent journalism school graduates to work on an English-language Tumblr for Univision. The young journalists created original news, curated stories and produced short documentaries. Lee learned what worked (humor) and what didn’t (direct Univision translations). The approach bought him time to win over holdouts at Univision, a company that built its brand on Spanish-language affinity.

THE PROS “I hate ties. They are really useless. Why do I have to have a piece of cloth hanging from my neck every day?” fumed Jorge Ramos, the silverhaired veteran Univision anchor with piercing blue eyes, one of a handful of journalists to join Fusion. As Ramos jogged up the stairs, he yanked the offending garment out of his bag and held it up to his neck. “This is my Univision uniform,” he said, then dropped his arm and grinned, “and this is Fusion.” Ramos, who cohosts Univision’s popular nightly newscast with Maria Elena Salinas, will pull double duty. He frankly acknowledges his own millennial kids don’t watch his Univision newscast, or any other.

He is also blunt about the limits of his native language. “It is very frustrating many times to have

a great interview on the Sunday news story, and no one (in Washington) is paying attention simply because it’s in Spanish,” he said. Ramos doesn’t plan to dumb things down. He does plan to mention Mexico - the country sharing 2,000 miles of the United States’ southern border almost as much as he mentions Syria. One of his first interviews is with Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who earned attention and a US Department of Justice investigation for his aggressive attempts to crack down on illegal immigration.

THE FEMALE FACTOR Alicia Menendez describes her new Fusion show as a mix of sex, money and politics. Isn’t everything? “Yes, but most people won’t admit it,” Menendez shot back. The 30-year-old gained early exposure to politics as the daughter of US Sen

Photo shows a large newsroom for the Fusion TV network, a joint venture between Univision and ABC that will cater to young English-speaking Latinos is shown in Miami. — AP Robert Menendez, D-NJ. She’s anchored programs for HuffPost Live and Sirius XM but says Fusion is the first network to speak to her generation. Her first show: millennials’ lack of monogamy and how self-inflicted singledom affects home purchasing.

Fusion describes itself as “Championing a smart, diverse and inclusive America.” But Menendez’s show notwithstanding, when it comes to gender, Fusion resembles Silicon Valley startups more than its tagline: it’s stocked with talented women on the news floor but has virtually none on its senior creative and executive team.

THE PARTNERSHIP ABC News President Ben Sherwood compares Fusion to the web of highways California built back in the 1950s. “No one could understand why you would build a freeway with six lanes. But the visionaries of California knew that if you built these freeways, people would come,” he said. Like California’s freeway system, the plan is to scale up, starting with 20 million homes and expanding to 60 million in the next few years. It was a logical move for the Disney-owned ABC, which has no cable news counterpart and provides Fusion

‘Carrie’ returns, with A crowd gathers to view Banksy’s latest work in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. — AFP

Buy it or hate it, New Yorkers flock to

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shadows. “He’s sort of like Batman,” Matt Adams, a Williamsburg resident, said as he photographed the Japanese-themed stencil. “No one knows who he is, he does his work under cloak of darkness and everyone in New York is looking for him.”

VANISHING ACTS The New York Daily News reported this week that the New York Police Department is searching for the artist to charge him with vandalism. An NYPD spokesman would not confirm or deny a Banksy manhunt but said the department’s vandal squad investigates all graffiti complaints. New Yorkers have flocked to Banksy’s art, eager to view pieces before they are defaced or removed, possibly by rival artists or those who think Banksy’s work is shallow and his fame undeserved. “I will hand it to him that it’s clever, but it’s one step away from really smart marketing,” said New York radio DJ AndrewAndrew, who works with a DJ partner also named Andrew.

The DJ duo - both of whom are contractually obliged to use the name AndrewAndrew criticized Banksy’s work on the air last week as less skilled and less meaningful than some other American graffiti artists like Shepard Fairey, who designed the red-and-blue “Obama Hope” poster. An image of the Twin Towers destroyed in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that had been spray-painted by the artist on a wall in Brooklyn Heights was removed Thursday night after less than a week in place. It is unclear who was responsible. Last Sunday, Banksy set up a table in Central Park selling small canvases with his trademark image of a rat for $60 apiece, according to his website.

Six people, unaware of the art’s worth, bought canvases, including a Dutch tourist who bargained the price down to $30, according to Banksy’s website. Banksy’s art has sold for as much as $1.87 million, according to Sotheby’s auction house. Among the hundreds who arrived to see Banksy’s art on the Williamsburg wall was Evan Mannell, an Australian musician visiting New York who has rushed to three Banksy images. —Reuters

THE COMPETITION Fusion has competitors. Participant Media launched Pivot TV this summer, promoting social advocacy among millennials. Sean Combs’ new music focused Revolt TV debut’s this month. Still, Morley Winograd, a University of Southern California fellow and author of books on media and millennials, says Fusion has the right ingredients for success and a huge potential market for advertisers. “The two earliest cable channels specifically targeted at millennials were the ABC Family Channel and the Disney Channel,” Winograd said.

“It’s not surprising then that a ‘Fusion’ of Univision and ABC decided upon Latino millennials as their market. Each side of the partnership knows a great deal about one half of that audience combination.” Lee insists Fusion will take some time to find its footing. MSNBC took years to settle on its left-of-center brand.

Fox News Channel wasn’t the nation’s most popular cable news network out of the gate.

“Nobody’s doing what we are doing,” he said, “so there’s one way to find out what works and what doesn’t.” — AP

Titanic violin sold for world record $1.4m

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Banksy’s art C

amously jaded New Yorkers are getting swept up in the hype over Banksy, the renegade graffiti artist who is leaving his mark across the city this month. Known for his anti-authoritarian black-and-white stenciled images, which have sold at auction for upwards of $2 million, the British street artist is treating New Yorkers to a daily dose of spray-painted art - while eluding the police and incurring the wrath of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“Graffiti does ruin people’s property,” Bloomberg said in a press conference Wednesday. Reactions from other New Yorkers to the pieces - which appear overnight, usually on side streets in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn - have ranged from the defacing of images to offers of huge sums for walls Banksy has painted.

“Somebody offered me a million dollars if I took down the bricks,” said Jose Goya, the manager of a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, building that Banksy spray-painted Wednesday night. Goya turned the buyer down and had Plexiglas placed over the Japanese-themed image of a man and a woman crossing an arched bridge.

The art has a black squiggle spray-painted over it, the work of an apparent Banksy hater who, according to Goya, was stopped mid-defacement by a group of men who tackled him.

The mysterious Banksy is calling his month in New York his “Better Out Than In” residency.

Among his works so far: the image of a Ronald McDonald statue getting his red clown shoe shined, which appeared in the Bronx on Tuesday, and a livestock truck adorned with children’s stuffed farm animal toys - a mobile installation Banksy calls “Sirens of the Lambs.”

Every morning, he announces the location of each piece on his website and invites people to call a hotline for droll descriptions of the artwork’s inspiration. The art is defined in part by the artist’s mystique. It is still uncertain whether Banksy, who remains unidentified since emerging in England in 1993, is one artist or a group.

In the 2010 documentary about Banksy, “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” which received widespread critical praise, the artist is always shrouded in a head covering or his face is hidden in

broad distribution through its cable and satellite contracts. It can also share news content with minimal investment. ABC has sent staff to work with Fusion on content and production, and Fusion’s vice-president of news Mark Lima came from ABC’s “Nightline.”

For Univision, Fusion poses a greater risk, but the company has the financial wherewithal to weather initial bumps. Its prime-time broadcasts ruled July sweeps ahead of the other four major networks among coveted 19-49 viewers. In Fusion, it’s looking ahead to the second- and third-generation Latinos who get their news in English. Nearly two-thirds of the 52 million Hispanics living in the US are native born. Still, the experiment hasn’t been without awkward moments. As Fusion prepared to go live, top staffers were quoted sniping about the ages of their older counterparts at Univision.

arrie White, one of the most complex female villains of the horror film genre, is back in a new movie adaptation of Stephen King’s cautionary tale of teen isolation and revenge, this time with a feistier actress, more blood and a dose of modern technology. “Carrie,” out in theaters on Friday and based on thriller writer King’s first published novel from 1974, follows the story of an alienated high school girl with telekinetic powers, who rains down destruction on her tormenters after being doused by a bucket of blood at her high school prom.

The novel was adapted into a 1976 film by Brian De Palma, with Sissy Spacek in the starring role. The new film, the third feature from director Kimberly Peirce, stars 16-year-old “Kick-Ass” star Chloe Grace Moretz in the title role. Julianne Moore plays her religious, fanatical and overprotective mother.

Unlike the 1976 film, which begins with Carrie menstruating for the first time in the girl’s locker room at her high school, the latest adaptation starts at the beginning of Carrie’s fraught, dysfunctional relationship with her mother, Margaret. “I chose the fundamental concept of Carrie and her mother as a fight to the death because her mother is afraid that Carrie might be evil, and she’s afraid that Carrie exposes her own sin,” Peirce said in an interview.

Many of the scenes in Peirce’s remake harken back to the 1976 original - the yellowtiled showers in the locker room where Carrie has her first period appear in Peirce’s version, as does the bloody handprint on the gym teacher’s shorts, along with Tommy Ross’ “to the devil with false modesty” line when the handsome high school athlete persuades Carrie to vote for the two of them as king and queen of the school prom. The 37-year-gap between adaptations allows Peirce to put her own modern stamp on the classic story, she said. One example is when school bullies film Carrie’s hysteria from her first menstruation on their cell phones and upload the video on YouTube - a link to modern-day teenage cyber-bullying.

The use of technology allowed the director, whose 2008 movie “Stop-Loss” dealt with

Carrie White the problems of a soldier returning from Iraq, to place Carrie in a modern scenario. But the bullying faced by the character is as vicious as in the 1976 version and there is even more blood. “This movie is being made when there is different violence in our culture, it was very important to me that Carrie was not a wanton murderer,” Peirce said. “I put in a very strong culprit narrative, that’s old-fashioned revenge, American justice, she’s just trying to track down the people who hurt her.”

CHLOE AS CARRIE Moretz has already carved a noteworthy career with a range of diverse roles, including a smart-mouthed child in 2009’s “(500) Days of Summer,” the pre-pubescent potty-mouthed vigilante girl in 2010’s R-rated “Kick-Ass,” and a moody teenager in 2012 vampire comedy “Dark Shadows.” With so many feisty young female roles under her belt, Moretz said it was a challenge to play someone as introverted, timid and naive as Carrie. “I myself am very confident, I’m very attuned with my emotions and I’m fine with myself,” she said. “I feel older than I am because I feel like I’ve dealt with more emotions at a young age. So finding the vulnerability in Carrie was interesting.” —Reuters

he violin played by the bandmaster of the Titanic to calm passengers as it sank sold at auction for £900,000 ($1.45 million, 1.06 million euros) yesterday, a world record fee for memorabilia from the doomed liner.

The instrument belonging to Wallace Hartley was found strapped to his body after he drowned with his seven bandmates and some 1,500 others on board the supposedly unsinkable ship in 1912. It was sold to a British collector after a feverish 10-minute battle between telephone bidders at Titanic specialist auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, southwest England.

The instrument carries an inscription from the 33-yearold’s fiancee Maria Robinson to mark their engagement and was sold with its leather luggage case, initialed W.H.H, in which it was found. For decades the violin was believed lost but it was found in the attic of a house in northwest England in 2006, prompting a debate about its authenticity, which experts only recently resolved. “We’re absolutely overjoyed,” Christine Aldridge, a spokeswoman for the auction house said.

“It was sold to a UK collector who was bidding by telephone. The whole sale only took about 10 minutes.” She said the final price including premiums paid to the auction house was £1,050,030. Hartley’s band played the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” to try to calm passengers while they climbed into lifeboats as the Titanic sank beneath the icy waves in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg. Hartley and his seven fellow band members all died after choosing to play on.

Bidding started at just £50 for the violin, with principal auctioneer Alan Aldridge joking that he was setting the price so low so that two of his friends could bid. But within a few minutes it had passed the previous world record of £220,000 for a Titanic piece as competition between four telephone bidders hotted up. There were gasps from the 200 people at the auction house as the price reached £350,000 and then a tense silence as the battle for the instrument narrowed to two telephone bidders. It had a reserve price of £200,000 to £300,000. —AFP A picture shows the violin played by bandmaster Wallace Hartley during the final moments before the sinking of the Titanic. — AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

lifestyle

Viva Espana 10 top tourist attractions in Spain

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pain is a surprise to those who have the image of having to fight for towel space at one of its crowded beaches or sipping sangria while watching a bull fight or flamenco. From the ancient monuments left by the Romans and Moors, the medieval castles of the interior, the white villages in inland Andalucia or the vibrant cities of Barcelona and Madrid, there is a great mixture of cultural attractions in Spain. The landscape varies just as widely. The evergreen estuaries of Galicia could hardly be more different from the deserts of Almera or the rugged mountains of the Sierra Nevada. And then there are the countless glittering beaches that dot the Spanish coast. Although busy in summer even along the coast of the big tourist Costas some enjoyable beaches can easily be found. The top tourist attractions in Spain:

PALACIO REAL The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain although it is only used for state ceremonies. The Royal Palace was built between 1738 to 1755 and King Carlos III took up residence in the palace in 1764.

RUNNING OF THE BULLS Pamplona is a city in Navarra, famous for its San Ferm festival held each year from July 6th - 14th. At the heart of the festival is El Encierro, the Running of the Bulls, an activity that involves running in front of a dozen bulls that have been let loose, on a course of the town’s streets.

CUENCA Situated between Madrid and Valencia, Cuenca is a marvelous example of a medieval city, built on the steep sides of a mountain.

The many “hanging houses” are built right up to the cliff edge, making Cuenca one of the most striking towns in Spain, a gem in the province of Castilla La Mancha.

AQUEDUCT OF SEGOVIA The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the best-preserved monuments left by the Romans in Spain. The ancient aqueduct carries water 16 km (10 miles) from the river to Segovia and was built of some 24,000 massive granite blocks without the use of mortar.

Probably constructed around 50 AD it still provided water to the city in the 20th century.

LA CONCHA Protected from strong winds by steep cliffs and islands, La Concha in San Sebastian is said by many to be one of the best city beaches in Europe, let alone Spain. Here you can go surfing, walk along the promenade in search of good restaurants and enjoy the beautiful views of the beach.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

lifestyle

SAGRADA FAMILIA The Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still as yet not finished.

EL ESCORIAL Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was the political center of the Spanish empire under King Philip II. Philip appointed Juan Bautista de Toledo as the architect in 1559 and together they designed El Escorial as a monument to Spain’s role as a center of the Christian world. Today it functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school.

MEZQUITA OF CORDOBA The Mezquita (Spanish for “Mosque”) of Cordoba is a fascinating building famous for the forest of pillars and arches inside the main hall. The site was originally a Roman temple, then a Visigothic church, before the Umayyad Moors built the Mezquita. After the Spanish Reconquista a cathedral was built into the center of the large Moorish building.

ALHAMBRA Part fortress, part palace and part garden the Alhambra is situated on a plateau overlooking the city of Granada in southern Spain.

The palace was constructed in the 14th century by the Nasrid sultans. The Alhambra is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions and many visitors come to Granada just to see the Alhambra.

Attractive destination for foreign investment

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pain has traditionally been an attractive destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and is ranked 9th by UNCTAD for received FDI stock.

Spain is in 15th place among the world’s economies in terms of FDI received in 2011 and the eighth European economy, according to the Global Investment Trends Monitor Report 2011 prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Spain is home to 11,000 foreign capital companies that employ more than 1.3 million people and representing 6.6% of the national total. But why invest in

Spain rather than one of its neighboring states?

Spain’s geostrategic location, as a platform for international business, is one of the primary advantages of investing Spain, with access to more than 1.3 billion consumers in the EMEA region (Europe, North Africa and the Middle East) and Latin America.

INVESTMENTS BENEFITS Spain also has a strong industrial sector and excellent transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructures, which makes it an attractive destination for foreign companies looking for ways to minimize

investment risk while doing business in an excellent environment for services and high returns. Spain is one of the least restrictive economies in terms of direct foreign investment. It has a young, highly qualified workforce. It also offers very competitive labor, public service, rental service and telecommunications costs.

From a taxation standpoint, Spain offers excellent Corporations Tax deductions to businesses and provides attractive fiscal incentives for R&D+i, among the best of all the OECD countries, to encourage investments from large corporations, as well as from small

and medium companies. Spain is known for being one of the economies with the fewest restrictions in the IED, and is the seventh most open economy to foreign investment according to the OECD FDI Restrictiveness Index. Undeniably, Spain offers an excellent quality of life and a warm welcome to foreign citizens, which has led the country to become the world’s number three in terms of visitor numbers.

IBIZA Ibiza is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Spain. The island is one of the most popular party destinations in all of Europe. During summer, the island’s population doubles as tourists flock to Ibiza to enjoy the night clubs, beach bars and restaurants.

Spain tourist attractions

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013

ghost towns in the world Hashima Island, Japan

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alloween is synonymous with costumes, an abundance of bite-sized candy, and adorable photos of children dressed as cartoon characters, super heroes and creatures. However, the spirit of Halloween can also influence your travels. Rather than focusing on haunted destinations, the members and editors of VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) have compiled a list of those places that have been abruptly abandoned, their emptiness and the signs of people up and disappearing making them spooky and eerie. From an abandoned Greek village in Turkey to a former disaster site in the Ukraine, here are VirtualTourist’s “Top 5 Ghost Towns.”

ashima Island, located 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) off the port of Nagasaki, once had the highest population density in history, with more than 5,000 full-time residents, despite the island being only 480 meters (1,575 feet) long and 150 meters (492 feet) wide. The island served as a coal mine and was built with housing to accommodate workers and their families, making it resemble a battleship and earning the location the nickname “Gunkanjima,” or “battleship island” in Japanese. When the mine was closed in April 1974, residents had to vacate and the island remained closed to the public for many years, slowly deteriorating from typhoons and lack of upkeep. In April 2009, a

newly constructed boat dock made it possible for tour boats to land at Gunkanjima, and the 45 minute tours of the island are becoming more and more popular. In addition to visiting the ruins, the 50-minute boat ride between Nagasaki and Gunkanjima provides great views of the city of Nagasaki and its port from the water.

Kayakoy, Anatolia, Turkey

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estled into the hills of the Taurus Mountains, the village of Kayakoy is approximately eight kilometers (five miles) south of the larger and coastal city of Fethiye. At one time, the village was inhabited by 2,000-plus Greek Orthodox citizens, who referred to the town as Levissi or Karmylissos, despite its location in Turkey. In 1923, following World War I and the GrecoTurkish War, Greece and Turkey agreed to a compulsory population exchange based on religious ideology, forcing Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of

Greece to move. The citizens of Kayakoy were forced to move and were repatriated to Greece. When they left, the village subsequently was abandoned. Today, the village serves as a museum and historical monument, illustrating fallout from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire that many travelers were not even aware of.

Prypiat, Ukraine

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hile the name Prypiat isn’t particularly well-known to many travelers, the catalyst for it being abandoned is a name few citizens will soon forget: Chernobyl. Prypiat falls within the “zone of alienation” in northern Ukraine, the area within 30 kilometers (18 miles) of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The city was originally founded to house workers of the power plant and was only three miles from the plant. On April 26, 1986, the entire city was evacuated due to an explosion and subsequent radiation leak at Chernobyl. Today, it requires a day pass issued by the Ukrainian government to visit Pripyat, Chernobyl, and the surrounding villages, that can be easily

obtained and tours of the region are growing in popularity, particularly among European travelers. The abandoned buildings, classrooms, and structures are a living museum to the late Soviet era, with photographs from the region being particularly powerful.

Jerome, Arizona

Royal Gardens Subdivision in Kilauea, Hawaii

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he American West is scattered with abandoned mining towns, but Jerome, Ariz, is unique in that it is both a quick stop from some of Arizona’s most popular tourist destinations and historically haunted. Once a booming copper camp, it was the fourth-largest city in Arizona in the late 1920s. When the mines closed in the mid-1950s, the population plummeted to only 42 residents, and it became wellknown for its paranormal activity such as items inexplicably moving on their own and glasses sliding off tables on their own. Now, the destination is widelyregarded for its great photographic setting and quaint artist studios and galleries. Only a 40-minute drive from Sedona, it’s a great historic destination to add to any jaunt to Arizona.

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long the Big Island’s southeastern shore and in the shadow of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the site of the former Royal Gardens Subdivision can barely be made out. In the early 1980s, the land was seen as highly valuable with its beautiful view of the volcano and the ocean.

Few seemed to worry that it was a short six km from the Kilauea Volcano’s vent. By March 1983, the first house in the subdivision was destroyed by a lava flow, but a few inhabitants remained until the final house was destroyed almost 30 years later in 2012. Under favorable weather conditions and when active flows are present, visitors can see

them at the end of the Chain of Craters Road within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or from the County Viewing Area at Kalapana. The Lava Viewing Area at Kalapana is free to the public and accessible from Route 130. Whether you want to visit an abandoned island or a former disaster zone, these five “ghost towns” will definitely add some variety and Halloween-inspired spookiness to your next getaway.— MCT