14th Nov 2013 by Kuwait Times

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Morsi says he was kidnapped before being removed by army

Outrage in France over new slur on black minister

150 FILS

Largest orange diamond fetches record $35.5m

www.kuwaittimes.net

Uruguay crush Jordan 5-0 in World Cup playoff

First MERS virus case discovered in Kuwait

40 PAGES

NO: 15986

MUHARRAM 10, 1435 AH

47-year-old Kuwaiti man in critical condition

Loan sharks on prowl in seas of debt By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Debtors who need their loans to be paid off so that they can take fresh loans from banks are illegally assisted by individuals or small companies who buy off the loans for more than a fifth of their value. For a 20 percent commission, the debt-purchasing entity buys off the debt of a client so that he can apply for a new loan at the bank - a scheme that bankers say is illegal yet widely advertised on social networks. Calling the service debt rescheduling, a loan-purchaser who advertised on Instagram explained the

modus operandi of the “debt rescheduling” scheme to a prospective client. Claiming that the operation is legal he insisted, “When a debtor needs money and he is already paying installments to the bank for a loan, the bank will not give him another loan because there is a certain limit to an amount that can be deducted monthly from the debtor’s income. In such cases, many beneﬁt from the service I provide.” He then explained the steps that are taken. The loan purchaser secures an aﬃdavit of debt signed by the client. The client calculates the total value of the debt and the cash amount he needs to determine the

amount of the new loan he will take. He also adds the amount he will pay the debt rescheduler as commission. Other factors such as the debtor’s salary, the amount of the loan and the period he had taken the loan for are also considered. The client will then go to the notary department of the Hawally Court and sign an affidavit of debt of the total amount which he will be given by the loan shark including his commission. “After I receive the affidavit, I pay off the individual’s total loan and financial commitments,” he added. The client is then eligible to apply for a new loan from the Continued on Page 15

TACLOBAN, Philippines: Typhoon survivors cover their mouth from the stench of dead bodies yesterday. — AP (See Page 7)

Kuwait to send $10m aid to Philippines $3m marked for Somalia too KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday ordered that $10 million in urgent relief aid be sent to typhoon-ravaged Philippines, where thousands of people are feared dead. “In sympathy with the victims of the destructive typhoon that ravaged the Philippines ... the Amir ordered $10 million in urgent relief aid to help face this humanitarian catastrophe,” the oﬃcial KUNA news agency cited State Minister for Cabinet Aﬀairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah as saying. The Amir also ordered urgent assistance worth $3 million for Somalia follow-

ing the recent ﬂoods and storms witnessed across the country that left hundreds of people dead and wounded. The Kuwait Red Crescent Society was tasked, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Aﬀairs and international agencies, with securing the dispatch of the humanitarian supplies hastily to those in need. The UN has launched an appeal for more than $300 million in aid for typhoon victims in the Philippines. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told reporters in Manila the money was needed for “food,

health, sanitation, shelter, debris removal and also protection of the most vulnerable”. The United Nations estimates 10,000 people may have died in the city of Tacloban alone, where five-metre waves flattened nearly everything in their path as they swept hundreds of metres across the low-lying land. However, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said late Tuesday he believed that number was “too much”, adding that 2,500 “is the figure we’re working on”, despite the rapidly climbing toll and the bodies still littering the streets of Tacloban. — Agencies

Max 23º Min 14º High Tide 09:37 & 21:40 Low Tide 03:18 & 15:29

KUWAIT: Kuwait has discovered its first case of the MERS coronavirus for a citizen who is in “critical condition”, the health ministry said yesterday. “The first case of coronavirus has been discovered in the country for a citizen who was moved to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in critical condition,” the ministry said, quoted by the official KUNA news agency. The patient was a 47-year-old man who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, said the statement. It did not say how he might have been infected. His infection makes Kuwait the fifth state in the Gulf to repor t cases of MERS, which has already killed 64 people worldwide, the majority of them in Saudi Arabia. Two fatalities have been reported in Qatar and one in Oman. The World Health Organisation said on its website on Monday that it has been informed of 153 laboratory-confirmed MERS cases worldwide so far, including Dr Musab Al-Saleh the 64 deaths. The chief of the disease control unit at the health ministry Dr Musab AlSaleh urged the public to employ maximum hygienic practices such as washing hands with hot water and soap, coughing and sneezing in tissue paper and keeping one’s surroundings always clean. Experts are struggling to understand the disease, for which there is no vaccine. It is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died. Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from a temperature, coughing and breathing difficulties. But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure, and the extremely high death rate has caused serious concern. In August, researchers pointed to Arabian camels as possible hosts of the virus. And the Saudi government said on Monday that a camel in the kingdom has tested positive for MERS, the first case of an animal infected with the coronavirus. A camel owned by a person diagnosed with the disease had “tested positive in preliminary laboratory checks,” the health ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency. The ministry said it was working with the ministry of agriculture and laboratories to “isolate the virus and compare its genetic structure with that of the patient’s”. If the virus carried by the camel and that of the patient “prove to be identical, this would be a first scientific discovery worldwide, and a door to identify the source of the virus,” it added. The camel was diagnosed in the western province of Jeddah, it said. — Agencies

Central Bank mulls fees on remittances KUWAIT: Well-informed banking sources said that the Central Bank is considering imposing fees on expatriates’ money remittances through a system yet to be set and enforced by local forex companies. The sources added that the fee to be deducted would depend on the total sum transferred. “This measure is already applied in Saudi Arabia, UAE and some regional countries,” stressed the sources. — Al-Anbaa

Riyadh officially rejects UN Security Council seat

Assembly forms panel to probe ‘illegal deposits’

Jordan set to step in

MPs form committees for bedoons, housing

UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia officially told the United Nations on Tuesday that it would not be taking up a UN Security council seat - opening the way for Jordan to take the place. Saudi envoy to the United Nations Abdullah Al-Mouallimi wrote to UN leader Ban Ki-moon to inform him of the move and reaffirm a Saudi protest over the way the council has acted over the Syria conflict. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky confirmed that a letter had been received about the Security Council seat, but did not give details. “The matter is now one for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Security Council and the member states to consider,” he said. Saudi Arabia won a seat on the Security Council for the first time last month. But the following day the Saudi government stunned leading powers by announcing it would not take up the place. Western diplomats now say Jordan will take up the seat. Jordanian officials have confirmed that the move is being discussed but not confirmed the country will

take up the seat. Jordan did however withdraw its candidacy from the race for a UN Human Rights Council position so that Saudi Arabia was guaranteed a place in an election held on Tuesday. Jordan is believed to be wary of taking up the seat because of its sensitive position on the frontier of the Syrian civil war. A new UN General Assembly election will have to be held to allow a new country to take up the two year seat that Saudi Arabia should have started on Jan 1. “I wish to inform you that the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has decided to advise you that Saudi Arabia will regrettably not be in position to assume its seat in the Security Council to which it was elected,” Mouallimi wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP. Attached to the letter was a copy of a Saudi foreign ministry statement issued last month which slammed the Security Council’s failure to act over the 32-month-old Syria war. Continued on Page 15

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday overwhelmingly approved a decision to form a parliamentary committee to investigate “inﬂated bank accounts” of suspected MPs between 2006 and 2012. Thirty-nine MPs voted for the decision to form a seven-member panel, two voted against while eight lawmakers abstained. MPs Talal Al-Jallal, Saadoun Hammad, Ali Al-Omair, Mubarak AlHarees, Riyadh Al-Adasani, Abdullah AlTuraiji and Mansour Al-Shemmari were elected to the panel. According to a proposal submitted by 19 MPs, the committee will have one month to produce an old report over KUWAIT: MPs attend a session at the National Assembly yester- the issue that shocked Kuwait in Sept day. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 15

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

LOCAL

Scrapping parts of grilling ‘costly step’

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah met yesterday the newly appointed Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Abdulrahman Mohammad Al-Othman. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah was present in the meeting.

KUWAIT: Several MPs criticized the Cabinet for putting key parts of the prime minister’s grilling up for voting, which ultimately saw them scrapped by an overwhelming majority. The MPs believe that the step, while constitutionally correct, has ‘weak basis’ in the constitution or the parliament’s internal regulations to support it, and sets a precedence for ‘serious repercussions’ in the future. Meanwhile, a government source indicated that Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah chose to exercise this right “because the Cabinet will not commit mistakes of the past or allow unconstitutional grillings”. The Cabinet demanded that portions which formed the bulk of MP Riyadh Al-Adasani’s grilling be removed over the suspicion that they might be unconstitutional. “The constitution is the scale that we vowed to protect,” said the source who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity. “This is our approach and we will not change it. The Cabinet deals with any grilling in accordance

with the constitutional court’s interpretation of interpellations.” The source concluded his statements by revealing that a Cabinet reshuffle is “imminent” without providing a specific date. Observers meanwhile believe that the Cabinet went with an ‘unfortunate tactic’ when it had several other options “with less political cost”. “The Cabinet could have referred the grilling to the [parliament’s] legislative committee to verify its constitutionality, or even resort to the constitutional court,” the observers said. They further indicated that the scenario seen on Tuesday “declawed” the parliament “which is a step that the Cabinet and MPs who voted in its favor will bear the repercussions of”. In the meantime, other quarters said that the vote only helped the Cabinet “delay the inevitable”. “This step does not stop Adasani from filing his grilling over and over again until the Cabinet reaches a point when it would be unable to avoid confrontation,” they said. Adasani later filed a new grilling against the

prime minister as well as another against Minister of Housing Salem Al-Othaina. While the content, timing and motives of Adasani’s grilling have been topics of much debate since he filed his motion a few weeks ago, this does not give the Cabinet the right to ‘neutralize’ the grilling tool without providing details about the areas which the prime minister deems unconstitutional, according to observers who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity. “The Cabinet already secured parliamentary majority which should have been utilized in a more professional and less politically costly way,” they argued. Leading oppositionist Ahmad Al-Saadoun describing what happened as an “unconstitutional sham”, and “manipulation of internal regulations”. “I urge the prime minister to resign because he should not stay as the state’s premier after what happened.” the former speaker said during a seminar hosted by the Gulf University for Science and Technology on Tuesday.

Labor assessment powers provide loophole for visa traffickers KUWAIT: The lack of regulations or controls to determine the maximum number of employees a local company can hire opens the door for visa traffickers to exploit and bring labor forces illegally to Kuwait. This was reported by a local daily yesterday quoting ‘informed sources’ in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. Every labor department in Kuwait’s six governorate has an office called ‘labor requirement assessment’. Employees there have the task to assess the number of labor forces a local company requires, and based on this, the company is given a cap on the number of work permits they can issue. Employees in ‘labor requirement assessment’ offices have exclusive authority to set the cap or raise it based on their own estimates, but there are no clear regulations based on what the evaluation process can be made. “There is no way the ministry can take control as long as labor assessment in the private sector remains up to the personal evaluation of the [labor requirement assessment] officers,” the sources said. They added that when you combine this with the discovery of errors in the software protection system for the ministry’s database, “you have a loophole to alter data and create job openings for companies”. The sources who spoke to Al-Jarida on the condition of anonymity refer to incidents in

which the database is hacked - often in cahoots with ministry employees - to raise the maximum cap for the number of employees that companies can hire. This creates job openings for a company that has reached its maximum level, for example. Visa traffickers utilize those openings by issuing work permits that they sell to labor forces looking to work in the oil-rich Arabian Gulf region. Since these workers are not actually needed by the company in whose name they were issued visas, they soon find themselves with no jobs once they reach Kuwait. Those laborers are often left with little choice but to accept hard labor and eventually end up living without valid visas. There are nearly 90,000 people living illegally in Kuwait according to official figures, and these along with workers handling menial jobs are often referred to in government rhetoric as ‘marginal labor forces’. This term was mentioned by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra Al-Rashidi in March when she announced a plan to deport 100,000 foreigners every year as part of a scheme to cut the country’s expatriate population by one million within a decade. Local authorities then launched extensive campaigns from April against ‘residency violators’, or people without valid visas, during which thousands of expatriates were arrested and deported. In the meantime, little efforts were

taken to identify and arrest visa traffickers. MP Riyadh Al-Adasani said in a statement this week that 82,000 companies are guilty of visa trafficking in Kuwait, including 39,000 ‘fake’ companies or firms with nonexistent offices. Meanwhile, a report earlier this week quoted a labor ministry insider who revealed that visa traffickers have been able to issue work permits ‘through legal means’ by exploiting a loophole in the law which allows a company that owns a trademark to recruit foreign workers freely. The ministry had closed foreign recruitment in 2007 in efforts to restore the country’s demographic balance. Kuwait is home to 2.6 million expatriates who make 68 percent of the country’s 3.8 million population. The affairs of expatriate labor forces in Kuwait is organized through the sponsorship system, which has fallen under pressure in the past few years and is continuously blamed for injustice workers complain from. The parliament passed a bill earlier this year to establish the Public Labor Authority, and a report last month suggested that the gover n men t could l a unc h i t a f te r t he beginning of the new fiscal year on April 1, 2014. The new authority is hyped as a ‘natural replacement’ for the sponsorship system by exclusively handling the affairs of expatriate labor forces including hiring in local companies.

Praise for Al-Babtain Foundation’s efforts BRUSSELS: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union (EU), Dharar Abdul Razzak Razzooqi praised yesterday the success of the Euro-Arab dialogue conference which organized by the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain for Poetic Creativity and the European Parliament on Nov 11 and 12. He noted that the dialogue had been very successful and was appreciated by the large

number of participants. Razzooqi said that the opening speech by Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim at the conference stressed that the Euro-Arab dialogue should focus on real applications of enhancing dialogue rather than theory. He also noted that this conference coincided with the anniversary of the establishment of the Kuwaiti Constitution on Nov 11, 1962.

Ambassador Razzooqi lauded the great efforts made by the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain for Poetic Creativity headed by Abdulaziz Al-Babtain for the success of this conference. The 13th session of the Foundation of Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain’s Prize for Poetic Creativity concluded a seminar here late Tuesday with a proposal to establish an international organization for dialogue and reconciliation. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Eight Iraqis were recently arrested for infiltrating through the northern borders with the possession of 50 shotguns, said security sources.

Kuwaiti cultural body organises Arab-African art gallery KUWAIT: A modern art gallery organised by Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters brought together fine arts from Arabia and Africa depicting the history of these cultures. The event is being held in Kuwait a week ahead of the third African-Arab Summit, which begins here on Nov 19. Exhibits also included a photograph exhibition organised by the Arab world’s renowned Kuwait-based cultural magazine, Al-Arabi, with theme of these pictures shedding light on Africa.

Meanwhile, art on display featured artists from Egypt, Morocco, Senegal and Sudan. The gallery was inaugurated by Madagascar ’s Minister of the Crafts Industry and African regional representative to the World Crafts Council Elisa Zafitombo Alibena, along with National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters Secretary-General Ali Al-Yoha. The event will continue for a week’s time, coinciding with the African-Arab Summit among its various supplementary functions. — KUNA

KFSD takes part in Qatar Civil Defence Conference

SARAJEVO: Kuwaiti non-resident Ambassador Abdulrahman Al-Bader pictured with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo Anwar Hoja yesterday.

Kosovo, Kuwait promote bilateral ties SARAJEVO: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo Anwar Hoja expressed aspirations to develop bilateral ties with the State of Kuwait at all levels in order to achieve common interests. The minister made this remark when he received Kuwaiti non-resident Ambassador Abdulrahman AlBader at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in the capital Pristina. On his part, Ambassoder Al-Bader said that he had handed a written letter from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to Hoja expressing similar interest in promoting bilateral relations. Kosovo and Serbia signed a historic peace agreement in 2013 to normalize relations between the two neighbors, ending 14 years of war. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Heading Kuwait’s delegation to Qatar’s 4th Civil Defence Conference, Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD)’s director, Maj Gen Yousif Abdullah Al-Ansari praised the progress achieved by Qatar civil defence services. He also stressed that the Ras Laffan College for Emergency and Safety, that was opened at the sidelines of the conference, had outstanding training programs and courses to qualify firefighters working in oil and gas fields, petrochemical factories, industrial and commercial facilities, civil defence, civil and military aviation, researches and many other related fields.

Al-Ansari also met the first secretary at Kuwait’s embassy in Qatar, Torki Khaled AlMekrad in the presence of KFSD’s deputy director for financial and administrative affairs, Brig Khaled Al-Terkait and PR manager Col Khalil Al-Amir. Notably, Kuwait’s rescue delegation headed by Capt Ayman Al-Muffareh is due to take part in a joint 10-hour drill with participants from GCC states, Jordan, Russia, New Zealand and Singapore who will all undergo a training on rescue operations in supposedly destroyed school, hotel and a shopping mall devastated in an earthquake.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

LOCAL

Filipinos clueless of real situation of their families By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Six days after Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines, many Pinoys abroad are still clueless of what the real situation of their families back home. In Kuwait, many Filipinos are still hoping for good news to come of their families. Joylyn Seva, a housemaid in Salmiya, has been in the dark about the situation of her family in Palo, Leyte. News reports show her town was almost completely devastated by the typhoon. “I am worried about my family. I have no communication with them. I used to receive messages from them, but now, I am completely unaware about their situation,” Joylyn said. Joylyn married her husband in 2004, who was from Palo Leyte. Her clan is from Negros Occidental, a few hours away from Leyte. When she got married, her husband brought her to Leyte and they had three children. “My children are with my husband and I don’t know what’s the news about them. I want to go home, but I don’t have valid residency,” Joylyn cried. “I hope anyone who could have knowledge about my family there, please help me, I cannot sleep. I have been thinking about them since my town is completely devastated,” she said. “I want to send them money, but I don’t have any contact of any of my husband’s relatives. It’s been five days now,” she said. Joylyn’s children - Mark Anthony Seva (7), Geronimo Seva (5) and Jenny Ann Seva (3), are all in the care of their father Luisito “Nonoy” Seva in Leyte. Dindin Fonferrada, a sales attendant at a big retail shop in Kuwait, is also clueless about her family. “Communication lines are not yet restored in my place. So I haven’t got any news from my family,” said Dindin. Her family lives in Barugo, Leyte, where devastation is reportedly indescribable. “Just before the typhoon, we were exchanging text messages, but on Friday, I lost my contact with my family. I am scheduled to return to my province in the first week of December as part of my annual leave, so I cannot just leave now. But if I have a chance, I will fly back to the Philippines now,” a teary-eyed Fonferrada said. “I really want to know the situation of

my family back home,” she added. Fonferrada was born and raised in Samar, Leyte. She’s been totally clueless on the situation of her parents and five of her young siblings. “Besides my immediate family, I have nephews and nieces there - I don’t know what happened to them. I am completely lost, and I’ve been crying every day. But I hope they are all safe,” she said. “For me, a small message that they’re okay would be fine, but I haven’t got any, so I’m worried, I cannot sleep properly thinking about their condition,” she said. Angelica Tuboso, also a sales attendant in Kuwait, left yesterday for Manila when she heard three of her nieces died. Her friend Rechar Maceda Oporto said: “She left with a heavy heart. She had been crying very much since she heard the news about the death of her nieces from her sister, who lives in Manila.” Pastor Gil Bantugan also expressed concern for his wife’s relatives who are in Tacloban, a city which was almost wiped out by the super typhoon. “My wife’s clan is from Tacloban. We’ve been talking about their situation there - she’s in Antipolo (Manila) because we have a house there, but her clan is from Tacloban. We are clueless as well, waiting for any news about her family. So far, to this date, there’s no news. I just talked to my wife, and she’s been crying. But we are praying they are all safe and sound,” Bantugan said. Initial reports estimated that the death toll could reach up to 10,000 or even more, although recent body counts stood at more than 2,000 as of yesterday. There are many towns still unreached by the government, and President Aquino admitted that more than 20 towns need to be checked by his team. Complaints of a slow government response have been rising since the devastation and many putrefying bodies are still unclaimed and litter the streets of Tacloban and Leyte. Yesterday, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ordered donation of $10 million worth of urgent aid to the Philippines to help the nation cope with heavy losses caused by Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines.

KRCS offers aid to Sri Lankan workers KUWAIT: Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) provided aid and food supplies to 450 Sri Lankans who are set for deportation, said an official here yesterday. Head of disaster management at the KRCS Yousif Al-Meraj said that the Sri Lankan nationals were residing at their country ’s embassy, adding that their deportation was due to violations against

laws here. The KRCS, said the official, provided necessities to the Sri Lankans who were living under dire conditions at the embassy. He indicated that KRCS Director Barjas Al-Barjas and Sri Lankan Ambassador to Kuwait C.A.H.M. Wijeratne discussed measures to facilitate the departure of the Sri Lankans. — KUNA

Mehta sees new momentum to India-Kuwait relations Envoy bids farewell to Kuwait media By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s recent visit to India has added a new momentum to the deep-rooted India-Kuwait relations, said Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta on Tuesday. Addressing media representatives during a farewell meeting hosted at the Indian Embassy, the outgoing ambassador said, Kuwait and India signed five new agreements during HH the premier’s four-day visit that also held out promises of more Kuwaiti investments inflow into India. “What you see today is a mood that is quite upbeat. We see a new momentum and a new level of engagement between the two countries,” the ambassador said. Ambassador Mehta hosted the meeting in order to bid farewell to the Kuwaiti media fraternity as he is leaving Kuwait next week after completing his diplomatic tenure in the country. Sunil Jain, who is currently the Indian ambassador to Turkmenistan, will take over as India’s new envoy to Kuwait. New impetus Giving an overview of the HH the premier’s visit and the impetus the visit has generated in further pushing the bilateral engagement, Mehta said, ”You will see a lot of things happening between the two countries in next few months.” Close on the heels of the high-level state visit, a team from Kuwait’s health ministry has travelled to India for attending meetings of the joint working group on health in New Delhi. An Indian finance ministry delegation, headed by Ravi Mathur, secretary (Home department), has already arrived in Kuwait yesterday. The director general of the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) will visit India next week heading a high-level delegation. Similarly, a ministerial delegation will arrive in Kuwait from India on the invitation of HH the Amir to attend the Kuwait Africa summit. Transfer of prisoners In a significant development, India and Kuwait reached an agreement on transfer of sentenced prisoners that will enable a convicted Indian prisoner in Kuwait to serve the term in Indian prisons. According to the Indian embassy, the number of convicted Indians who serve jail terms in Kuwait is less than 200. “It is the choice of the prisoner. Once the agreement comes into effect, the prisoner can opt to be transferred to India to serve the rest

US Embassy, Access students celebrate American Thanksgiving

KUWAIT: The US Embassy in Kuwait held an American Thanksgiving lunch event this week with over 80 students who participated in the English Access Microscholarship Program, coordinated by AMIDEAST, their parents, and other guests at Beit al-Othman Museum. US Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller welcomed attendees as they shared in a traditional American Thanksgiving meal including turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. “Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of many Americans. And while we often celebrate it away from home, Thanksgiving is a reminder to all of us to give thanks for our health, for opportunities, and for our great friendships,” he

said. Samar Khleif, AMIDEAST Country Director, also commented on the great opportunity for cultural exchange as a basis for English language learning that celebrating cultural traditions like an American Thanksgiving presents. The English Access Program is a U.S. Department of State funded two-year English language program for Kuwaiti students administered by AMIDEAST. In addition to language studies, students engage in cultural and leadership activities, community service, and discussions about educational opportunities. Since its establishment in Kuwait in 2004, the Access Program has worked with over 1,000 Kuwaiti students ages 13-15.

KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta addresses the journalists at the Indian Embassy. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

of the term in India,” the ambassador explained. Mehta informed that India and Kuwait have agreed to set up a joint venture in petrochemical industries. Kuwait has also evinced interest in bolstering its investments in key sectors in India. Kuwait investments in India have jumped to $3 billion today. The bilateral trade between the countries also has touched a staggering $17.5 billion today which was $10 billon four years ago. During the high-level visit, India and Kuwait signed a number of agreements including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on youth affairs in order to enhance interactions between the youths and sports departments of the countries. Agreements also have been reached on further bolstering engagements in the fields of culture and education. The Foreign Services Institute (FSI) of India and the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute signed an agreement facilitating the institutes to conduct joint training courses and exchange programs for diplomats. Eye-opener The ambassador lauded the Kuwaiti media

for its constructive role and continuous support in sharing the embassy’s “views and impressions.” “I look back with great satisfaction that our bilateral relationship has grown remarkably well during the last two years and four months of my tenure in Kuwait. It is also a matter of great contentment and pride that HH the Premier’s important visit took place during my tenure,” the ambassador said. “I’m going back with great memories and a heavy heart,” he said with a tinge of sorrow. “I never served in the region before and it was my first posting in the Gulf. The first and foremost thought that comes to mind is the tremendous warmth that I have received from so many of my friends in Kuwait. It was an eye-opener for me that India enjoys tremendous goodwill in this part of the world,” he added. Incidentally, Indian Embassy First Secretary (Media) K Vinodkumar, who left Kuwait yesterday after completing his term, also bid farewell to the journalists. Deputy Chief of Mission Subhashis Goldar and other embassy officials were also present at the meeting.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

The day of Ashura

Game of cat and mouse By Labeed Abdal

he ‘game of cat and mouse’ is an idiom that dates back to 1675 and is based on a situation in which a small and weak mouse is being followed by a larger and stronger cat in an endless chase. The chase involves endless attempts from the mouse to escape death, run away quickly, or being frozen in its place from extreme fear. This idiom comes to my mind while reading reports about Kuwait’s plan to cut its expatriate population by one million in ten years. First of all, I believe that the decision is important to tackle the increase in the number of labor forces who fell victims to visa traffickers. Visa traffickers continue to make fortunes out of workers’ miseries despite the government’s efforts to tackle this crime through regulations and amendments to criminalize selling work visas. Regulations in this regard were passed even before laws to criminalize vote buying in the election law. While visa trafficking has significantly contributed to increasing the number of expatriates and becoming nearly double the number of

The presence of a large expatriate community in Kuwait should not be seen as a ‘burden’ or justification to mistreat foreign workers. It is impor tant to differentiate between unskilled and unproductive workers, and those who were born and raised in Kuwait and have never lived in any other country aside from this land. They grew up side by side with us, and it is time to give them the opportunity to give back to this land limitlessly. Meanwhile, using sudden procedures to terrify expatriates who left their home countries seeking better opportunities in Kuwait is not a solution. Kuwaitis, I believe that efforts to reduce this number must not affect a considerable number of expatriate labor forces who have made vital contributions to the country’s development process. Expatriates already face restrictions in the form of fees for treatment, electricity, water, etc as well as fines paid by traffic offenders and others. All those are necessary procedures that every government should take, but I believe that the Kuwaiti government should make immediate efforts to close fake companies that continue to play an active role in worsening Kuwait’s demographic imbalance. The presence of a large expatriate community in Kuwait should not be seen as a ‘burden’ or justification to mistreat foreign workers. It is important to differentiate between unskilled and unproductive workers, and those who were born and raised in Kuwait and have never lived in any other country aside from this land. They grew up side by side with us, and it is time to give them the opportunity to give back to this land limitlessly. Meanwhile, using sudden procedures to terrify expatriates who left their home countries seeking better opportunities in Kuwait is not a solution. Some people who we have worked with and have became our friends might consider taking their savings and invest them in a nearby country when they feel that they are mistreated in Kuwait. We should be working to make our country more attractive to professional and skilled workers, not the other way around. Arab and non-Arab labor forces with distinguished capabilities are supposed to find a welcoming environment in Kuwait, and appreciation of their efforts and contributions. There is no way that these workers would accept being involved in an endless game of cat and mouse, and will definitely leave the playing field for someone else.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

Al-Anbaa

muna@kuwaittimes.net

kuwait digest

The Egyptian experience By Suad Fahad Al-Mojel

he Egyptian experience in trying presidents is new to our Arab world. So, what is taking place in Egypt is complete and pure justice? The Arab Spring toppled four Arab presidents in different ways. Tunisian President Zain El-Abidin withdrew and left the battleground before escaping. The fall of Yemen’s president took place in a semiagreement that did not settle the matter completely and the president’s influence is still clear in the flow of events in Yemen. The demise of Gaddafi was tragic and brutal that agreed with his brutal and violent rule. Then comes Egypt, the heart of the Arab nation, attempting to pay attention to the previous examples to impose some sort of legality to the toppling of the president. The importance of the trials of former president Mohamed Morsi and former president Hosni Mubarak is because there are attempts to establish the state of law in the trials of both presidents, and authorizing justice to be the judge and not the street or the individual will as the case was with Gaddafi, for example. Before the Egyptian experience, there was a similar experience in Iraq during the trial of Saddam Hussein, as the court and judges were authorized to issue the verdict on Saddam based on documented cases, but the Iraqi experience was controlled with sectarian and tribal alliances that reduced its efficiency as an example of pure justice. The importance of the Egyptian experience is it’s the first Arab one to apply punishment and reward principles legally, that is through civil courts and lawyers and according to written legal texts and documented events. This may not achieve that sought-after integration, but we definitely hope that it continues. Because the problem politically and socially in the Arab world is in the absence of reward and punishment principles, which led to a scary drop in people’s trust in the judiciary and justice in general, and this explains the emergence of many groups that adopted extremism in their ideologies and set their conditions and justice in a way that we see daily in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Tunis and other countries that were torn into factions. Regardless of whether we agree or differ over Morsi, the Egyptian experience in trying both presidents is a new experience in our Arab world which lacks justice as a social base justice according to a written law that organizes people’s affairs and preserves their lives, money and gains. Human rights groups see Morsi’s trial as politicized and a dangerous threat to justice in Egypt, and there may be some people

Before the Egyptian experience, there was a similar experience in Iraq during the trial of Saddam Hussein, as the court and judges were authorized to issue the verdict on Saddam based on documented cases, but the Iraqi experience was controlled with sectarian and tribal alliances that reduced its efficiency as an example of pure justice. The importance of the Egyptian experience is it’s the first Arab one to apply punishment and reward principles legally, that is through civil courts and lawyers and according to written legal texts and documented events. This may not achieve that sought-after integration, but we definitely hope that it continues. who find some truth in that, but as an Arab society that is monitoring the Egyptian condition, we say the trial of President Morsi constitutes the first step of interim justice. What is going on in Egypt is not justice in its full form, but it is a good step to authorize the law and make it the judge in organizing people’s affairs. But there are many steps remaining for Egypt before full justice replaces chaos! - Al-Qabas

e may think we know enough about the day of Ashura. But no matter how much you think you know, I would advise everyone to try harder to learn more about this day. This is not only a day to sit at home and relax. This is a day to recall all those who scarificed their lives and made history. This is a day of sorrow for all humanity - of suffering, pain and agony. I now see the wisdom of this day. I made a recent visit to a husseiniya in Kuwait and found out that I only knew only a little about this day and what it means for the Shiites and how our education system doesn’t allow us to ask any questions about this day except the ones it allows! For all those who don’t know much about this day, this article is for them. The Day of Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, which is today. Shiites close their shops on this day and businesses stop as well. It is a sad day for them and they spend the day to recall the sacrifices that were made and the injustices that occurred. It is a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Battle of Karbala on 10th Muharram in the year 61 AH. As for Sunni Muslims, it is the day they fast. According to Muslim tradition, Ibn Abbas narrated that when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on the tenth day of Muharram, he asked, “What is this?” They said, “This is a good day - this is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moses fasted on this day.” So he fasted on this day and told the people to fast too. As we can see, the day of Ashura is holy and it is in the book of histories. I recently visited a husseiniya one night. It was not as some think with ladies in black screaming and shouting. It was a large room with a big TV and we all listened to the mullah giving a lesson about death, life and wisdom. I learned new things by listening to this man and see no harm attending more of these gatherings. It was about an hour-long sermon, and at the end, we were given some sweets and exchanged smiles and good talks. On our way out, young boys were roaming giving us sweet drinks. They were even helping the crowd to move easily and smoothly bearing in mind the large number of cars. It was a colorful and informative as well as an educational journey for me. I enjoyed every minute of it. I thank Allah who made my trip in this life and this visit so comfortable. I went home with a basket of sweets, and have kept some for good memories while the rest were enjoyed by my family. I will miss this day, and will always recall its wisdom and lessons. I shall call other Sunnis and encourage them to do the same.

kuwait digest

Protector of foreigners By Hamad Al-Sraeaa

hen you enter the fish, vegetable or meat market, you will see with your own eyes who really controls it and controls the prices in it, and now the Kuwaiti owner of sheep cannot sell any part of his herd before approval by the Asian expat. Arab and Asian traders control all the necessities of daily life of the Kuwaiti citizen when it comes to food, though they are under their sponsorship due to the collusion of the government and Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Assistant Undersecretary for Laborers’ Affairs Jamal Al-Dousary. They must look into the Kuwaiti citizen’s rights before they defend the rights of the laborer, who as soon as he starts a commercial project, is hit with impossible conditions. The Kuwaiti citizen starts a small project to get an addi-

tional income for his family which nearly reaches KD 500, only for government decisions that are on the side of the worker to stand in his way, such as a tax on every transaction for the shop or the worker which is definitely paid by the sponsor. Even fines that are imposed on the worker are paid by the sponsor. The social affairs ministry asks for a monthly list of workers’ salary transfers to approve any transaction, and on the other hand, what about if this worker decides to quit, although he has received all his rights, because another trader lured him with a salary increase? The social affairs ministry prevents the sponsor from filing an absconding complaint against the worker until after six months, and does not know how his rights will be preserved if a crime was committed or if he was harmed. The

labor department claims to protect the sponsor without an official letter. What about if he commits a crime and the police asks the sponsor to bring him? Who bears the responsibility of his absence unofficially, because the ministry refuses to provide the sponsor with any letter that states the worker had left his job?! The strange thing is that the social affairs ministry receives the absconding worker’s complaint, although he escaped and works somewhere else, with its knowledge, so what are the steps it takes against who harbors and employs the worker without justification and in violation of social affairs and municipality laws? As I said before, the social affairs ministry has become the protector of foreigners rights against the Kuwaiti citizen, in his own country. — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

New initiative for reform By Abdul-Aziz Al-Kandari

n incompetent government and a phony parliament. This is the best way to describe what Kuwait has been suffering from for years. Crisis after crisis, and no actual achievements in return. The biggest loser in the meantime is Kuwait as deterioration continues to affect the health sector, education, housing and other fields. The government continues to help those afar and ignore those nearby. It presented billions to the leadership in Egypt while it could have waited, especially with recent Western analysis that indicate that the coup there is ‘dying’. What would Kuwait’s position be if that happens? Kuwait donated around $12 billion to Arab governments in less than a year, while young people in Kuwait wait for 20 years for a house, the last public hospital was

established thirty years ago, and we still have only one public university. The government has been living in a honeymoon for the past two years, which is the period in which the opposition boycotted parliamentary elections. Has the government been able to build any new projects during this period? The answer is no. Not only that, but the government also admitted that the development plan is a failure, and that the welfare state must end! And as soon as MP Riyadh Al-Adasani filed to grill the prime minister, lawmakers raced with filing grilling motions in fear of dissolution . MP Abdurrahman Al-Jeeran stated that the government sent messages to lawmakers that it is willing to dissolve the parliament in retaliation to escalated tensions. This statement is the best example to support the

argument that the parliament is ineffective. I believe that it is time for launching the ‘National Instrument for Parliamentary Government’, which is the opposition’s initiative for political reform. But before that, the opposition needs to play a greater role to spread awareness on why this initiative is important. A parliamentary government enjoys protection in the parliament from elected MPs, and works as per a work program announced during the elections. Furthermore, it does not fear returning back to the people at any time because they truly represent the public. The road to reform is long and difficult, but it has to be taken as a national duty because Kuwait gave us a lot and deserves our sacrifice and struggle. Political reform is necessary and can be achieved today when Kuwait

enjoys financial surpluses, especially when there is agreement that the country suffers from financial, political, economic and administrative corruption. I believe the annual State Audit Bureau’s reports is the best way to confirm this. Why is reform important? Because the national budget reached KD 21 billion and the state enjoys large surpluses, while public sector salaries and subsidies cost KD 10 billion and KD 5 billion annually. It is worth mentioning that diesel fuel subsidization was KD 8 million at one point but is now KD 800 million. The projects’ budget is estimated at over KD 2 billion in the national budget. Despite this, we find failure in most state departments. We need the parliamentary government because all previous solutions proved to be a failure. — Al-Rai

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: More than 500 students from 11 schools participated in a beach cleaning campaign organized by the Environment Voluntary Foundation at the Kuwait Towers beach. The four-month campaign was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Kuwait Municipality, the Touristic Enterprises Company and the Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company.

GCC countries seek joint social services for military personnel DOHA: GCC retirement institutions are jointly seeking to expand social services to include military personnel, said the Deputy Director General of Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security (PISS) yesterday. Hamad Meshari Al-Humaidhi, in remarks on sidelines of the World Social Security Forum (WSSF), praised existing coordination among these institutions of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, and hailed in particular the effective law for serving civilians. These institutions have formed a work team that meets every three months to “follow up on the common law for including the military personnel,” Al-Humaidhi said. The GCC joint team is seeking to “tackle some obstacles that hinder its implementation,” he said, alluding in particular to divergent regulations and systems, in effect in each of the GCC countries, adding that a report about problems facing further integration in this realm among the council countries would be submitted to chairmen of these institutions at an upcoming meeting. There have been steady steps on the merger path at this level, and including the military personnel will be part of updating the whole system. The PISS was established in 1977, replacing

an old system that had been in effect since 1955. The old regime was modified in 1963. The upgraded system in 1977 covered all sectors, including Kuwaitis abroad. Elaborating, Al-Humaidhi said that the PISS has encouraged identical institutions in the other GCC countries to join ESCWA, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. The council countries are seeking guidance from the organization to develop employees’ tasks, map out future strategies and help resolve some problems. Meanwhile, representatives of the GCC countries held a meeting prior to the conference, during which the GCC joint social service system that has been in effect since 2006 was examined. This system stipulates regulations for GCC citizens working in any council member country. Al-Humaidhi explained that according to this regime, a Kuwaiti national, for example, can work in Qatar, without any concern about his (her) social security. The conference is the first of its kind to be held in the Gulf region. The convention, that convenes every three years, groups policymakers, experts, representatives of public, private and grass-root associations and authorities. — KUNA

Troika meeting witnessed unanimity on issues Arab-African partnership KUWAIT: A number of Arab and African diplomats participating in the meeting of the Coordination Committee of the ArabAfrican Partnership (Arab and African Troika countries, the Arab League and the African Union Commission) affirmed here yesterday that the participants unanimously approved topics of the meeting’s agenda.The diplomats said in separate statements that the meeting discussed the recommendations that will be submitted to the meeting of senior officials in the Arab and African countries which precedes the third Arab-Africa Summit to be held next week in Kuwait. For her part, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the AU and (UNECA) Kongit Sinegiorgis said the the participants have agreed on all topics and issues raised during the meeting that aim to strengthen the bonds of cooperation between the Arab and African sides. She expressed her deep gratitude to His Highness the Amir for his insightful vision in organizing this global event and praised the excellent organization of the summit and the various meetings as well as the warm hospitality. For his part, representative of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Director of Africa in the General Secretariat of the League Ambassador Samir Hosni said today’s meeting saw a consensus on all the issues raised, indicating that the conferees have shown keenness on the success of the summit, which is a milestone in the march of the relationship

between the two regions. Hosni added that today’s meeting discussed the working papers and draft resolutions that will be submitted to the senior officials meeting preceding the Ministerial Council meeting which will be held in preparation for the 3rd Arab-African Summit. He said that the signs of success of the third Arab-African Summit emerged in the Arab-Africa Troika meeting, praising the positive spirit and cooperation shown by the two sides, which reflected on the conclusion of the meeting in a record time. In turn, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the Arab League Ambassador Aziz Al-Daihani said that today’s meeting was an extension of previous meetings held in Addis Ababa, Cairo and Kuwait which had approved numerous issues on the agenda. He stressed the importance of such meetings, which were the focal point for meetings of senior officials in the upcoming Arab and African Summit, the Ministerial meeting of the Arab and African countries, the Arab League and the African Union. He said that all the participants in the meeting were keen to achieve the aspirations and ambitions of the Arab and African countries’ leaders to translate the directives of the State of Kuwait for the third Arab-African Summit to be the summit of development and investment for the two regions. — KUNA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Jahra municipality teams recently inspected some summer camps at Sulaibiya desert where sand and tire barriers used to fence camps were removed during a cleanup operation. The team leader, Faisal Al-Otaibi said that the campaign resulted in removing 20 truckloads of debris, sand and tires.

Daiya resident claims ‘spy’ plane ownership Man stabbed in Salmiya fight KUWAIT: A Daiya resident approached local authorities to report losing a radio-controlled aircraft, one night before the same plane was put on display inside the parliament amid spying claims. MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan demanded an investigation during a parliament session Tuesday into a ‘spying’ case, and showed a remote-controlled plane that he said had fallen within the perimeter of a husseiniya in Daiya. Al-Rai reported yesterday that a Kuwaiti man living in the area approached local police officers the night before and informed police that he lost the plane while testing it after purchasing it from a local store. The description given by the plane’s owner matched those of the one that Duwaisan showed during the parliament’s session, said a security source quoted in the report. Forged papers A man was arrested in Subhan when he presented forged papers to officers at a local vehicle inspection office. The Asian man was

asked to enter the manager’s office when the officer discovered that the 8 transactions he forwarded were forged. The man claimed that he was sent by a Kuwaiti man to finalize the transactions, and gave the citizen’s cell phone number to police. The Kuwaiti man was contacted and he showed willingness to report for questioning, but police found his phone switched off when they contacted him again an hour later. The Asian man was referred to the authorities for further questioning while investigations are ongoing in search for the Kuwaiti man. Scam A search is on for a man accused of stealing KD 15,500 through a scam. Investigations are underway after a man reported to Adan police station officers that the suspect escaped after collecting the money which he paid to finance a joint project. The man accused his alleged business partner of scam and investigations are ongoing to put him under arrest.

Man stabbed A man was hospitalized with a stab wound following a fight at a coffee shop in Salmiya. Police and paramedics headed to the scene in response to an emergency call which reported that a man was attacked with a knife during a fight. The injured man was put in an ambulance and taken to Mubarak Hospital, while police searched the surrounding area for the stabber who escaped. A case was filed for investigations. Heart attack A man died in South Surra after suffering a heart attack. Paramedics and police headed to a government building following an emergency call reporting finding a man dead inside a room. The 55-year-old Egyptian national was pronounced dead at the scene before preliminary tests revealed that he suffered a heart attack. The body was taken to the forensic department after criminal investigators examined the scene and found no evidence of foul play.

IMF warns Dubai of property market exuberance DUBAI: Dubai’s government has to make sure its property market is driven by fundamental factors, not speculation, and be ready to act if it sees very rapid increases in asset prices, a senior International Monetary Fund official said yesterday. “When you begin to see very rapid increases in any asset prices then you just need to be prepared to act,” said Masood Ahmed, the IMF’s director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The government of Dubai is already beginning to act.” House prices in the emirate have jumped over 20 per cent in the last year, prompting the IMF to warn in July of the risk of another bubble forming after a crash of Dubai’s inflated property market in 20082010 nearly caused state-linked companies to default. In September this year Dubai, one of seven United Arab Emirates, said it would double a registration fee charged on real estate transactions to four per cent to prevent excessive speculation. Its land department chief told Reuters last month that Dubai will strictly enforce existing rules and if necessary set new ones to prevent another property bubble. “Singapore has a one-time tax of 15 per cent if you resold the property within six

Milano mayor meets Kuwaiti Consul MILANO, Italy: Kuwait’s General Consul to Milano Abdulnasser Boukhaddour and Mayor of Milano Giuliano Pisapia have examined preparations for the planned international exhibition, “Expo Milano 2015,” and means of promoting Kuwaiti-Italian economic cooperation. Pisapia, who received the Kuwaiti diplomat at his bureau in the historic Marino Castle, discussed with him the preparations for the upcoming fair, namely Kuwait’s participation in this international exhibition. The mayor, who congratulated Boukhaddour on assuming the diplomatic post recently, discussed with the General Consul the growing and excellent ties between the two countries, means of developing the mutual economic and cooperation. A spacious space is being specialized at the fair ground to erect the Kuwaiti pavilion, adjacent to the main Italian section. Mayor pisapia predicted that the Kuwaiti pavilion would make great success and attract millions of visitors. Moreover, website of “Expo Milano 2015” is forecast to be scanned by more than a billion of people round the world, for it will promote products of global concern such as food commodities, power and environmental systems. Also during the meeting, the mayor expressed hope the meeting would signal start of fruitful cooperation between Kuwait and Italy. For his part, Boukhaddour expressed keenness on cooperation with the local authorities to ensure success of the major fair and stressed on desire to broaden commercial and cultural cooperation. — KUNA

months,” Ahmed told a news conference in Dubai. “So there are instruments that can be done...Going forward, just make sure that fundamentals continue to drive it, do not let yourself be overtaken by a degree of exuberance.” Since 2012, state-linked developers have dusted off projects shelved during Dubai’s 2009-2010 debt crisis and unveiled new ones. Some $51 billion worth of projects is estimated to have been announced in January-September. The UAE central bank imposed limits on mortgage loans last month and its governor said repeatedly that he was not worried about a new house price bubble. Farouk Soussa, Citigroup’s chief economist for the region, told the same event that a coordinated plan by state-linked property developers was needed to prevent another crash. “That’s what we have lacked in the runup to 2008. There was too much competition between the big state developers and that’s what I fear we are running into again,” he said. “The question about whether or not to construct 500,000 or a million new units over the next five years has to be separate from the question of whether or not you have speculative demand,” he added.

Kuwait to host three legendary athletes KUWAIT: Chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al- Sabah, affirming keenness on encouraging youth in Asia to practice sports, declared that Kuwait would host three legendary athletes in line with this approach. The OCA is determined to fulfill its social responsibility towards the Asian continent communities, Sheikh Al-Fahad said in a statement on Wednesday. This can be achieved by instilling principles and ideal sports concepts among athletes and young people of Asia to contribute to development of their communities. The council has established an academy, tasked with promoting sports and social messages through principles of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Char ter which affirm spor ts’ role for establishing peace and strengthening bonds of friendship among peoples, he said.

The academy is cooperating with the OCA sectors and the International Olympic Committee, the Union of National Olympic Committees and other international sports organizations to recruit star athletes of various sports in order to transfer their experience to young athletes in the Asian continent. It will implement this experience in Kuwait, in cooperation with the American University in the country, where three of the most outstanding athletes in the world would meet students and present their experience and explain positive outcome of exercising. The sports’ stars, expected in Kuwait, are winner of the world best player title (1990), Lothar Matthaus, the former captain of the German soccer team, and the former swimming world champion, Rania Alwani, and the legendary vault pole champion, Sergei Bubka (the Ukraine). — KUNA

Kuwaiti ambassador holds talks with India’s home minister NEW DELHI: Kuwaiti ambassador to India Sami Al-Sulaiman met India’s Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde discussing outcome of His Highness Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah’s visit to the Asian nation. Al-Sulaiman said his talks with the Indian official, held late on Tuesday, dealt with bilateral relations and cooperation in security and home affairs. “I have pointed out satisfaction with regulating the status of the Indian residency in Kuwait and over the contribution of a large number of Indians in the progress of Kuwait,” Al-Sulaiman said. Shinde had signed, during His Highness the Premier’s visit, an agreement with Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad AlSabah over convicts’ extradition between the two countries. Apart from that, the ambassador said the two sides discussed suggestions of enhancing the cooperation between the home ministries of India and Kuwait. Sheikh Jaber and his accompanying delegation of senior officials, ended the two-day visit to India, on Nov 10, and proceeded to Pakistan, the second and final leg of an Asian tour. During his stay here, His Highness held talks with top officials and stated that the historic bilateral relations bounding the two states “would boom.” The two sides, also during the visit, signed five agreements and memos of understanding for cooperation in various domains. — KUNA

Al-Enizi wins one year student allowance with NBK KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced the fifth winner of its “Win 12 months allowance campaign” for Al Shabab customers. Minor Abdulla Adel Al-Enizi won a year’s student allowance. The promotion allows existing or new Al-Shabab customers who transfer their allowance to NBK the chance to win cash 12 months student allowance. There are 15 total winners in this campaign. 10 winners will be selected the last draw that will be held in January 2014. Existing Al-Shabab customers who transfer their student allowance to NBK will have one chance in each draw and two Chances in each draw for new Shabab customers who transfer their student allowance during this promotion which runs till December 2013. The winner expressed his gratitude and

appreciation, explaining that Al-Shabab account is the first choice for youth who want to save money and organize their finances. NBK seeks to reward its Al Shabab customers with the best offers and promotions. Al-Shabab customers enjoy a modern lifestyle and expect the best. NBK continues to meet those expectations by providing the most exclusive offers and benefits. Al-Shabab is a youth account that caters to the various financial, social and lifestyle needs of college and university students between the ages of 17-23 years. Students can open an Al-Shabab account by visiting any NBK branch in Kuwait. For more information log onto nbk.com or contact Hala Watani on 1 801 801, or follow NBK on Twitter @NBKPage, and on Instagram @NBKPage.

Gulf states face food insecurity due to unrest in Middle East KUWAIT: A report issued by Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, warns that the Gulf States are facing food insecurity due to the volatile political situation in the Middle East, as well as Iran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. The report shows that imports in the Gulf countries typically account for between 80-90 per cent of the population’s food consumption. Most of these imports arrive through the Suez Canal in Egypt and the Strait of Hormuz. It also suggests that more that 80 per cent of the wheat consumed in the Gulf passes through the Suez Channel, while about 80 per cent of rice imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, the report concludes that food security is directly related to politics. And according to the report’s findings, “ The 2011 Arab uprisings, the continued instability in Egypt and Syria, trade sanctions against regional neighbours, threats by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz and repeated spikes in international food prices - have heightened these concerns.” Iran actually threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz back in 2012 in the case that it was attacked by the west. Turmoil in Egypt also affected marine services in the Suez Canal.

The writer of the report, Rob Bailey, argues that the Gulf States would face a serious import problem if any conflict erupted in the region and caused the closure of the Suez Canal. “The worst-case scenario is conflict in the wider Middle East and North Africa region that disrupts multiple import routes for a sustained period,” he writes. If the Suez Canal was closed for any reason, he suggests that all imports from North and South America, Europe and the Black Sea would have to go through the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. But if both the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz were closed together, Bailey warned, the Gulf States would face a serious food problem. Bailey pointed out that the governments of these countries “can hedge supply risks through strategic storage and investments in port and rail infrastructure to create a regional import and transport network.” He said that “land-based investments in food-insecure countries with weak governance and poor rural infrastructure do little to manage price or supply risk.” Instead, he suggested that “overseas investments are better targeted at existing farm operations in key trade partners.”

KD3m grant for Somalia micro projects KUWAIT: The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed a grant agreement worth KD 3 million to Somalia for the funding of small and micro projects in the agribusiness sector. The grant was taken out of the Generous Lifestyle Fund, announced by HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the 2009 World Islamic Economic Forum. The deal was signed in Kuwait on the

sidelines of the Africa/Arab Economic Forum on Tuesday. Signing on behalf of Somalia was Minister of Finance and Planning Mohamud Hassan Suleiman Awil and the Central Bank of Somalia governor, with Director-General Abdulwahab Al-Bader signing it on behalf of the KFAED. The grant aims to contribute to achieving food security and the increase of food production through providing loans to the public for small to micro-sized projects.

With the agreement, KFAED would have provided Somalia three state grants, after a most recent worth USD 10 million for the funding of an airport and a university. Kuwait has also provided the East African nation with two batches of technical assistance worth a combined KD 471,000, along with another allocated share in the Generous Lifestyle Fund, bring the total contributions to around $13 million. — KUNA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

US blacklists Boko Haram as terrorist organization

‘Enjoy rape’, says top Indian investigator

Page 8

Page 12

Philippine typhoon survivors loot Earlier death toll estimate based on ‘emotion’: Aquino TACLOBAN: Desperation gripped Philippine islands devastated by Typhoon Haiyan as looting turned deadly yesterday and survivors panicked over delays in supplies of food, water and medicine, some digging up underground water pipes and smashing them open. Five days after one of the strongest storms ever recorded slammed into cities and towns in the central Philippines, anger and frustration boiled over yesterday as essential supplies dwindled. Some survivors scrawled signs reading “Help us”. Controversy also emerged over the death toll. President Benigno Aquino said local officials had overstated the loss of life, saying it was closer to 2,000 or 2,500 than the 10,000 previously estimated. His comments, however, drew scepticism from some aid workers. Some areas appeared to teeter near anarchy. ANC Television said security forces exchanged fire with armed men amid widespread looting of shops and warehouses for food, water and other supplies in the village of Abucay, part of worsthit Tacloban in Leyte province. Military officials were unable to immediately confirm the fighting. Eight people were crushed to death when looters raided rice stockpiles in a government warehouse in the town of Alangalang, causing a wall to collapse, local authorities said. Other looters still managed to cart away 33,000 bags of rice weighing 50 kg (110 lb) each, said Orlan Calayag, administrator of the state-run grain agency National Food Authority. Warehouses owned by food and drinks company Universal Robina Corp and drug company United Laboratories were ransacked in the storm-hit town of Palo in Leyte, along with a rice mill in Jaro, said Alfred Li, head of the Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industr y. Tacloban city administrator Tecson John Lim said 90 percent of the coastal city of 220,000 people had been destroyed, with only 20 percent of residents receiving aid. Houses were now being looted because warehouses were empty, he said. “The looting is not criminality. It is self-preservation,” Lim told Reuters. Some survivors in Tacloban dug up water pipes in a desperate bid for water. “We sourced our water from an underground pipe that we have smashed. We

don’t know if it’s safe. We need to boil it. But at least we have something,” said Christopher Dorano, 38. “There have been a lot of people who have died here.” Resident Rachel Garduce said the aid - 3 kg (6 lb) of rice and 1 litre (34 ounces) of water per household a day - was not enough in her ravaged Tacloban neighbourhood. Her aunt in Manila, 580 km (360 miles) to the north, was travelling by road and ferry to bring supplies. “We are hoping she won’t get hijacked,” she said. The government has been overwhelmed by the force of the typhoon, which decimated large swathes of Leyte province where local officials have said they feared 10,000 people died, many drowning in a tsunami-like surge of seawater. Aquino, who has been on the defensive over his handling of the disaster, said the government was still gathering information from various storm-struck areas and the death toll may rise. “Ten thousand, I think, is too much,” Aquino told CNN in an interview. “There was emotional drama involved with that particular estimate.” “We’re hoping to be able to contact something like 29 municipalities left wherein we still have to establish their numbers, especially for the missing, but so far 2,000, about 2,500, is the number we are working on as far as deaths are concerned,” he said. Officials said Aquino referred to estimated deaths. Official confirmed deaths stood at 2,275 yesterday, with only 84 missing, a figure aid workers consider widely off the mark. “At this time it is definitely not 10,000,” Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras told a news conference. “There has been a body count based on the dead lying in the streets but we can’t be accurate because there is still, some people say, there are people buried in certain areas.” Some aid workers cast doubt over Aquino’s estimate. “Probably it will be higher because numbers are just coming in. Many of the areas we cannot access,” Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross, told Reuters. The preliminary number of missing, according to the Red Cross, is 22,000. Pang cautioned that figure could include people who have since been located. Google, which has set up websites to help people share and look

TACLOBAN: People cover their noses from the stench of dead bodies in an area affected by Typhoon Haiyan yesterday. — AP for information about missing persons during catastrophes, currently lists some 65,500 people as missing from the typhoon. The Person Finder website allows anyone to list a person missing and to search the database for names. But Google staﬀ warned against reading too much into the data, pointing out that a similar website set up after the Japanese tsunami in 2011 listed more than 600,000 names, far higher than the ﬁnal death toll of nearly 20,000. Medical facilities were stretched. Maricel Cruz sat on a bench in a Tacloban hospital, cradling her decomposing 5-

month-old baby wrapped in a black jacket. The infant was sick before the typhoon. After the storm, she sought medicine, but there was none. Her baby, she said, convulsed and died. “No one is helping us,” she said on ABS-CBN television. More the 670,000 people have been displaced by the storm and nearly 12 percent of the population directly aﬀected, the United Nations said. The World Health Organisation said teams from Belgium, Japan, Israel and Norway had arrived in the Philippines to set up ﬁeld hospitals. It said other countries were expected to provide medical teams. — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

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

Hamas marks ’versary of 2012 Israel conflict GAZA CITY: Thousands of Hamas security men staged a military parade in the Gaza Strip yesterday in a massive show of force marking the anniversary of an eight-day battle against Israel last year. Despite suffering heavy losses, the Islamic group has claimed victory and vowed yesterday to continue its violent struggle against Israel. Hamas’ Interior Minister Fathi Hamad, who commands the security forces in the coastal Palestinian strip, called on Arabs in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Israel to unite in a holy war to “uproot the Jews” from Israel. “A third intifada is approaching,” he said, using the term for past Palestinian uprisings against Israel. “Liberation is coming and victory is coming.” The hostilities began when Israel assassinated Hamas’ military commander, Ahmad Jabari, on Nov 14, 2012, in response to an increase in rocket attacks out of Gaza. Over the next week, Israel carried out hundreds of airstrikes on militant targets, while Hamas and other armed groups fired hundreds of rockets into Israel. In all, 161 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, were killed, while five Israelis died. It was the fiercest fighting between the bitter enemies since an even more intense three-week Israeli offensive in early 2009. Some 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and 13 Israelis were killed in that conflict. The sirens of police cars sounded throughout the city during yesterday’s parade, while military vehicles carried huge posters of Hamas leaders killed by Israel. Police men raised their assault rifles in tribute, and in an attempted show of unity, the

forces displayed Palestinian flags, not green Hamas banners. The smaller Islamic Jihad militant group held its own rally, where 6,000 masked fighters marched through the downtown area. The group

GAZA CITY: Members of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas’ security forces march along the streets in Gaza City yesterday. — AFP

Iraq attacks kill 27 as Shiites mass for Ashura BAGHDAD: Violence across Iraq, including bombings against Shiites, killed 27 people yesterday as worshippers massed in a shrine city on the eve of major commemoration rituals often targeted by militants. The bloodshed was the latest in a monthslong surge in unrest that has forced Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki to appeal for US help in combatting militancy as Iraqi action has failed to stem the unrelenting wave of attacks. Bombings mostly struck north and west of Baghdad, targeting Shiite Muslims and members of the security forces. On the outskirts of Baquba, north of the capital and one of Iraq’s most violent areas, three coordinated bombs struck a gathering of Shiite pilgrims marking Ashura. Eight people were killed and 28 others were wounded in the blasts, security and medical officials said. Millions of Shiites from Iraq and around the world mark Ashura, which this year climaxes today, by setting up procession tents where food is distributed to passers-by and pilgrims can gather, or by walking to Karbala, which is home to

displayed various weapons, including rifles, anti-aircraft missile launchers and mobile rocket launchers. In a show of unity, top Hamas military commanders attended the parade.

a shrine to Imam Hussein. Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) , was killed by the armies of the caliph Yazid in 680 AD and his death in Karbala has over time come to symbolise the split between Islam’s Sunni and Shiite sects. Tradition holds that the venerated imam was decapitated and his body mutilated. Throngs of modern-day Shiites beat their chests and self-flagellate during Ashura to show their historic guilt for not coming to Hussein’s aid. Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda, who regard Shiites as unbelievers, often step up their targeting of Iraq’s majority community during Ashura and the subsequent rituals of Arbaeen. In past years, pilgrims have been targeted by deadly bombings. As a result, security measures are stepped up with more than 35,000 soldiers and policemen currently deployed to Karbala and surrounding areas, with concentric security perimeters barring vehicles from entering the city while helicopters hover overhead.—AFP

Hamas has ruled Gaza since ousting the forces of Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007, who now governs in the West Bank. The sides have been unable to reconcile, leaving the two Palestinians areas divided between rival governments. Hamas initially appeared to gain strength after the conflict. The Israeli onslaught failed to weaken the group’s military capabilities, and an Egyptianbrokered cease-fire promised greater acceptance of the group and increased movement and trade across their shared border. But the gains were short lived as a military coup in Egypt ousted the country’s Islamist president. The new military government has cracked down on Hamas and closed a system of smuggling tunnels that had been a key lifeline for the group. Gaza is now suffering from high unemployment and painful fuel shortages. Ashraf Abu Zaed, an organizer of another rally planned today said the gatherings sent a “clear warning to the occupation leaders that the resistance is ready to protect our people.” On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops stationed along the southern border with Gaza, where he boasted of a 98 percent drop in militant rocket fire over the past year. “There is no doubt that significant deterrence has been achieved,” Netanyahu said. “However, we are not deluding ourselves. We know that Hamas and the other terrorist organizations US blacklists Nigeria’s Boko Haram as terror groupare continuing to arm themselves in various ways.” — AP

US blacklists Boko Haram as terrorist organization Islamist group seen as Nigeria’s biggest security threat WASHINGTON: The State Department formally designated the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram as a “foreign terrorist organization” yesterday, congressional sources and others briefed on the matter said. The designation is significant because it directs US law enforcement and regulatory agencies to block business and financial transactions with Boko Haram, which wants to impose Islamic law in northern Nigeria and has ties to Al-Qaeda. The move makes it a crime under US law to provide “material support” to the group. A State Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boko Haram and other splinter Islamist groups are seen as the biggest security threat in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and top oil exporter. In May, President Goodluck Jonathan increased a military campaign against Boko Haram. His government said last week that it has killed 70 civilians. The House Foreign Affairs

Committee, which a source said has been notified of the decision, has scheduled a hearing on the group for Wednesday. “The likelihood of more hearings on this issue may have been a final straw in encouraging the State Department to acknowledge something which has been apparent for some time - the growing relationship between Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,” said US Rep Patrick Meehan, a Pennsylvania Republican who convened his own hearing on the issue. “Major concern” Meehan chairs a Homeland Security subcommittee, not a Foreign Affairs committee, and has not been briefed by the State Department. “Boko Haram is of growing influence and of major concern,” he said. Last year, the Justice Department’s senior top national security official, Lisa Monaco, sent a letter to the State Department arguing that Boko Haram met the criteria to be listed as a

“foreign terrorist” group because, she said, it either engages in terrorism that threatens the United States or has a capability or intent to do so. Monaco is now President Barack Obama’s top White House counter-terrorism advisor. Although the State Department later designated three alleged Boko Haram leaders as terrorists, it stopped short of a more sweeping declaration against the organization. For two years, Meehan and Rep. Peter King of New York have pressed the State Department to put Boko Haram on its list of terrorist groups alongside the likes of Al-Qaeda and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. They have warned that an August 2011 attack on a UN building in Abuja, Nigeria, marked a turning point as a threat to US interests. Meehan has noted that the United States did not perceive Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as a threat to US interests until after the attempting downing of an airliner by a Nigerian near Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009. — Reuters

Syria conflict draws rising numbers of German jihadists BERLIN: German jihadists are heading for Syria in increasing numbers, unencumbered by travel formalities and able to integrate quickly into foreign militant groups where Arabic is not needed, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence said. Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the Bundesamt fuer Verfassungsschutz since 2012 (BfV), said intelligence officers knew of 220 German citizens fighting in Syria, but the actual number could be much higher, and had risen sharply this year. “For young people wanting to wage jihad, Syria is very interesting,” he said in an interview. “It is easy to get to, you only need an identity card, a flight to Turkey then a domestic flight to the border.” “Once you are there you can be quickly integrated into brigades, and you can fight alongside people with the same language,” he told Reuters, noting that in the past a lack of language skills particularly among converts had made it difficult for German Islamists to join other wars. Syria’s 2-1/2-year-old conflict began as a wave of peaceful protests against four decades of rule by the family of President Bashar Al-Assad, but it has transformed into a full scale civil war which has cost at least 100,000 lives. The BfV wrote in its 2012 annual report that the number of radical Islamist Germans heading to Afghanistan or Pakistan had declined sharply as those areas were now seen as too risky due to pressure on militants. Egypt and Syria by contrast were drawing greater numbers, after strong media attention on Syria. Germans travelling to Pakistan and Afghanistan required a

ALEPPO: This citizen journalism image shows a Free Syrian Army fighter resting during a battle against the government troops loyal to President Bashar Assad yesterday. — AP passvport, which German authorities can withdraw from people who are considered a potential security hazard. For Turkey, the simple identity card that all Germans carry suffices. Turkey has a 900-km (560 mile) border with Syria, which foreign fighters have been able to cross undetected in many remote areas. Ankara said last month it would build a wall along part of the frontier. Assad is from Syria’s minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, which has largely stood behind him. Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority has led the uprising. Fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra

Front and the Islamic State for Iraq and the Levant, which is heavily comprised of foreign jihadists, have also joined the conflict. Last week the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service MI5 said the number of British Islamists fighting in Syria was in the low hundreds. Berlin fears young German Islamists could bring knowledge learned in Syria back home and plan attacks on German soil. Intelligence officials estimate there are 4,500 ultra-conservative Salafists active in Germany, a tiny proportion of Germany’s 4 million Muslims, but which grew from 3,800 in 2011.—Reuters

Iran’s Arak reactor: New route to a nuclear bomb? VIENNA: Iran’s nuclear reactor being built at Arak figured highly in recent failed talks between Tehran and six world powers in Geneva, with France in particular wanting work there stopped. The so-called “heavy water” reactor is of concern because, in theory, it could provide the Islamic republic with plutonium-an alternative to highly enriched uranium used for a nuclear bomb. Once completed, Iran could extract from Arak’s spent fuel between five and 10 kilogrammes (10-20 pounds) of weaponsgrade plutonium a year, enough for one nuclear weapon, experts estimate. Iran denies wanting to do any such thing, saying the reactor in western Iran, known as the IR-40, will be used to produce medical isotopes and for research. Israel, widely believed to have nuclear weapons itself, has refused to rule out bombing Arak, as it is assumed to have done to an Iraqi reactor in 1981 and to a Syrian facility in 2007. But experts say that the reactor, plagued by delays in construction, is a long way from being even close to as much concern as uranium enrichment. Iran has almost enough uranium enriched to purities of 20 percent-close to weapons-grade-for a bomb’s worth, if it chose to further enrich to this level. At present, such a “break out” would be detected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog. But with the uranium stockpile growing and Iran installing more and more centrifuges, some more modern and faster, the worry is that one day it could do this so quickly that the IAEA would not notice in time. The IAEA, which monitors Arak, said in August that a planned start-up in the first quarter of 2014 was no longer achiev-

able, and it remains unclear when it will come into operation. Once it is, it needs to run for 12-18 months to produce spent fuel that could be used to extract plutonium, said Shannon Kile from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Moreover, Iran does not have a declared reprocessing facility to extract the plutonium, and a secret one would quickly be detected. “Reprocessing facilities are large and produce radionuclide gaseous products which can be detected by environmental sampling, and that’s true whether you have (IAEA) inspectors on the ground or not-it can be done by airborne means for example,” Kile told AFP. Many analysts believe therefore that world powers at the next meeting in Geneva on November 20 should tolerate Iran completing and operating the IR-40 provided there are additional agreements. These could include an undertaking by Iran to remove spent fuel from Arak to a third country or converting it to a less alarming “light water” reactor. “The powers, including France and Israel and everyone else, could live with Iran completing and operating the reactor,” if such safeguards are in place, Mark Hibbs from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told AFP. “Arak represents a long-term proliferation risk, not a near-term risk, and it can be addressed in the ‘final phase’ of negotiations” between Iran and the six world powers, said Daryl Kimball from the Arms Control Association. “France and the other P5+1 powers would be making a mistake if they hold up an interim deal that addresses more urgent proliferation risks over the final arrangements regarding Arak,” he said. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

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

Ukraine parliament delays vote on ex-PM’s release KIEV: Deputies in Ukraine’s parliament failed yesterday to find common ground for the release of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, a move sought by the European Union to clear the way for signing landmark agreements on trade this month. Accords on association and free trade, due to be signed at an EU-Ukraine summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, offer the former Soviet republic the chance of a historic shift westwards away from Russia. But they hinge on whether President Viktor Yanukovich releases ex-prime minister Tymoshenko, his fiercest opponent. She was jailed in 2011 for seven years for abuse of office after a trial which the EU says was political. Though he has

refused to pardon her, he has said he is ready to break the impasse by signing a draft law to allow her to go to Germany to be treated for chronic back pain. But at a special session yesterday, proYanukovich deputies and Tymoshenko’s supporters in parliament failed to agree on any such draft and blamed each other for seeking to undermine the signing of the accords in Vilnius on Nov 28. EU foreign ministers are due to hold a pre-summit meeting on Nov. 18 to assess whether Kiev has met key democratic criteria. One of these is an end to “selective justice” which the EU says was applied against Tymoshenko. Two EU envoys, Irish politi-

If they become an official European political group, they would benefit from subsidies, offices, a communication budget, seats on committees and speaking time in parliament proportional to their number. Wilders warned last month that “parties such as the FN and the PVV could make the europhile elite sing a different tune.” There is already a euro-sceptic parliamentary group called the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD), led by Nigel Farage of Britain’s UK Independence Party, but it only has 32 seats. Not all right-wing parties welcome A Le Pen-Wilders far-right alliance could include the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, Italy’s Northern League and the Freedom Party of Austria. Right-wing parties in eastern Europe, including Hungary’s Jobbik and Slovakian, Bulgarian and Romanian nationalist parties would be excluded because of their perceived racism. Farage’s UKIP has in turn ruled out joining the alliance, considering some of Wilders’ policies too extreme. The PVV lost out in a Dutch general election in September 2012, with its seats almost halved to 13, but the party has been riding high in opinion polls, largely thanks to anti-EU policies. Le Pen and Wilders have many similar policies, from immigration to protectionism, but Wilders reportedly wanted to keep his distance until now because of the anti-Semitism of Le Pen’s father, FN founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. For her part, Le Pen is banking on Wilders’ proIsrael stance to buff up her own international image, an analyst told Dutch daily NRC Next. — AFP

Taubira hated for legalizing gay marriage PARIS: A weekly newspaper with a front page comparing a black government minister to a monkey hit newsstands in France yesterday, despite legal objections and a nationwide outcry over the racist slur. Amid mounting concern over similar recent incidents, the far-right satirical publication Minute went on sale with a cover featuring a picture of Justice Minister Christiane Taubira and headlines which read: “Crafty as a monkey” and “Taubira gets her banana back.” The text is deliberately ambiguous: the term “crafty as a monkey” in French can be used as praise while getting your banana back is roughly the equivalent of recovering the spring in your step. But the provocative cover page was also an obvious reference to two other recent cases of Taubira being publicly likened to a monkey, incidents which have triggered much soulsearching among liberal commentators over a perceived surge in intolerance. Taubira herself warned last week that the country’s social cohesion was under threat from a disintegration of long-standing taboos on the expression of overtly racist ideas. Minute’s front page provoked an outcry amongst politicians with many of them calling for the magazine’s editor and publisher to be prosecuted for incitement of racial hatred. Even the far-right National Front (FN), branded the coverage “extremely shocking and unacceptable.” Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault registered a formal complaint with the Paris prosecutor over the contents of the magazine. The move triggered the opening of a preliminary investigation but, in light of France’s strong tradition of freedom of expression, legal experts indicated there was little the government could do to prevent the 40,000 copies of the magazine that have been printed from reaching the public. A spokesman for the distributor, Presstalis, said it could only block the magazine’s distribution on the basis of a court order, which had not been issued. Taubira is a hate figure for some on the right in French politics, partly as she was the minister responsible for the legalisation of gay marriage earlier this year. At the end of last month, a group of children

‘Spy in bag’ died in accident: UK police British spy a transvestite? LONDON: A British spy, whose naked, decomposing body was found padlocked in a bag in his bathtub, probably died accidentally on his own, police said yesterday, rejecting conspiracy theories that his bizarre death was the work of foreign agents. In May last year, a coroner concluded that Gareth Williams, who was working for Britain’s external intelligence service MI6 when he was found dead at his home in August 2010, was probably killed unlawfully by another person. His spy background and the fact that expensive, unworn women’s clothes were found at his flat provoked a wide range of “weird and wonderful” theories, London Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said, but further investigations now suggested it was more likely he had not been murdered. “Most probably, it was an accident,” Hewitt told reporters. “I’m convinced that Gareth’s death was in no way linked to his work.” Williams, 31, worked as a code breaker at the Government Communications Headquarters but was on a three-year secondment to MI6, which deals with foreign espionage matters. The remains of the math prodigy were found curled up inside a zipped and padlocked red hold-all at the London flat - an intelligence service “safe house” - close to MI6’s headquarters. His body was badly decomposed after remaining in the bag in the August heat for a full week until he was discovered. Tests found no traces of alcohol, drugs or poison in his body. Detectives found no palm prints on

Gareth Williams the side of the bath nor any traces of his DNA on the padlock. Instead, they found make-up, a long-haired wig and unworn women’s clothes and shoes worth around 20,000 pounds ($31,900). They also found images of transvestites, a picture of Williams wearing only boots, and evidence of visits to sexual bondage websites on his computer. Theories and speculation “This is a case where there’s been

enormous theorising and speculating...and weird and wonderful stories,” Hewitt said. Hewitt admitted the original police investigation had been flawed and after the inquest they pursued new lines of inquiry. But detectives found no evidence anyone had been in the flat when he died. Hewitt rejected suggestions the flat could have undergone a “forensic clean” to remove traces of any killers. He ruled out any suggestion that Williams interest in women’s clothing or his work as a spy had played a part, and said they did not believe he had meant to take his own life. Despite the fact that there had always been doubt that someone could have locked themselves in a bag - a number of experts tried and failed - Hewitt said they now believed this was what Williams had done. “It’s theoretically possible for someone to do that. It is a more probable conclusion that there was no other person present,” said Hewitt, who agreed Williams’s interest in escapology might have been a factor. He could not categorically rule out anyone else being involved and said any new evidence would be followed up. In a statement, Williams’s family said they still believed the coroner’s conclusions more accurately reflected what had happened, and repeated their anger that MI6 had failed to report Williams missing for days after he did not show up at work. Hewitt denied suggestions Britain’s spies had simply staged an elaborate cover-up. “I do not believe I have had the wool pulled over my eyes.” — Reuters

Charles ready for pension LONDON: Prince Charles is readying the paperwork to claim his pension when he turns 65 today, but he still hasn’t started the job he was born to do. The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II has been heir to the throne since his mother became monarch in 1952, when he was 3. He is the longest-waiting heir apparent in Britain’s history, overtaking Queen Victoria’s son, Edward VII, two years ago. Charles became a grandfather earlier this year with the birth of Prince George, the first child born to Prince William and his wife Kate. Palace officials said yesterday that Charles will contribute the government pension to a charity that helps elderly people. The future king is entitled to about 110 pounds ($175) per week because of his service in the Royal Navy and voluntary contributions he has made. As Prince of Wales, he certainly doesn’t need the pension fund. He enjoys control of the lucrative Duchy of Cornwall, a vast holding established in 1337 by King Edward II to provide income for his heir. It brings Charles

introduction of European standards which is a path that Yanukovich’s authorities do not want,” said Vitaly Klitschko, the world boxing champion who heads the opposition UDAR (Punch) party. Olexander Yefremov, head of the proYanukovich Regions Party faction, accused the opposition of sabotaging the signing, saying its representatives had not cooperated in drawing up an agreed law for her release. Yanukovich’s supporters want her to be simply released to Germany for treatment and then to return to Ukraine to complete her sentence. The opposition is pushing an option under which her sentence could be wiped out after treatment. — Reuters

Outrage in France over slur on black minister

French, Dutch far-right chiefs discuss euro-sceptic alliance THE HAGUE: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Dutch anti-Islamic leader Geert Wilders met in The Hague yesterday in a new step towards forging a pan-European political bloc. Hoping to strike an alliance ahead of next year’s European elections, Le Pen was greeted by Wilders, who heads the Party for Freedom (PVV), at the Dutch parliament before attending a debate. Known for his platinum-blonde hair and anti-Islamic views, Wilders said last month he and Le Pen would explore building ties ahead of next May’s European Parliament elections, held against a backdrop of discontent over Europe’s economic woes. Both Le Pen’s National Front (FN) in France and Wilders’ PVV have said they would like to unite euro-sceptic rightwing parties, as a way to challenge the European Union from within. Protest against ‘dangerous alliance’ A small group of around 20 people protested loudly outside parliament as the two leaders met, banging drums and blowing air horns. “We are here to protest against racism, which is what both Le Pen and Wilders’ parties stand for,” said a protester who asked not to be named, brandishing a placard with Le Pen’s face covered by a no-entry sign. “This alliance is dangerous,” said demonstrator Ewout van den Berg, 26. “We’re against Wilders, against Le Pen and against all those who want to polarise society,” he said. In order to form a far-right anti-European bloc, Wilders and Le Pen would have to find like-minded politicians in at least a quarter of the EU’s 28 member states and see 25 members elected to the 766-seat European Parliament.

cian Pat Cox and former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, who have been on a shuttle mission from Brussels to Kiev to nail down a compromise, attended the special parliament session. They were due to return to Brussels and give a news conference on their findings yesterday evening. But they did not appear to have a summitsaving formula in the bag. “What will they report? Mission not accomplished? The key objective has not been achieved,” said one diplomat who has closely monitored the Tymoshenko case. “The closer we get to the summit, the clearer it becomes that the authorities do not want to sign because the association agreement means the

millions each year. The prince will mark his milestone birthday representing his mother at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka after spending part of the day in India. For decades, the queen has attended the meeting, and Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said that Charles saw taking her place as “quite a momentous occasion.” Stepping in for the queen has become more common in recent years as Elizabeth, 87, has greatly reduced her international travel. Her husband Prince Philip, 92, has also reduced his public appearances following a series of medical setbacks. Over his decades as heir, Charles has become known for his strong opinions on topics such as education, architecture, religion, the environment, organic food and homeopathy. Little said the prince was enjoying his relative freedom to speak out before he becomes king, a role that will require him to be much more cautious in his pronouncements. —AP

PARIS: This picture shows a person holding a reproduction of the front page of French farright weekly magazine “Minute” with a picture of French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira entitled “Maligne comme un singe, Christiane Taubira retrouve la banane” (“Clever as a monkey, Taubira gets her bounce back”). — AFP attending an anti-Taubira/anti-gay marriage demonstration were filmed chanting “monkey, eat your banana”. That came shortly after an electoral candidate of the National Front was expelled from her party for writing on her Facebook page that she would prefer to see the minister “swinging from the branches rather than in government”. ‘A verbal lynching’ Taubira’s government colleague Yamina Benguigui yesterday described such abuse as “worthy of the Ku Klux Klan”. “Today it is a verbal lynching, tomorrow what will it be?” the minister for relations with other French-speaking countries told Nice Matin. “I never thought I would hear the things I am hearing today.” In a front-page editorial, Le Monde said there were real reasons for concern over the “abject” attacks on

Taubira. “It shows that the expression of a pure and hard form of racism ... far from having disappeared, is, on the contrary, becoming commonplace,” the influential daily said. “Little by little, dykes have been broken, taboos have been lifted, inhibitions have disappeared. “And the incessant attacks on... ‘political correctness’ have awoken some old and hateful reflexes...” Founded in 1962, Minute was once one of the biggest-selling weeklies in France with its appeal based on a cocktail of right-wing politics, initially centred on opposition to France’s retreat from its former colony Algeria, cartoons and show business coverage. It’s fortunes have declined considerably since the 1970s with its focus narrowing to an exclusively farright agenda and it has a record of publishing highly provocative articles with the apparent aim of drumming up publicity. —AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

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

Washington Post writer slammed for ‘racist’ column LOS ANGELES: Longtime Washington Post opinion writer Richard Cohen has come under fire again for racial remarks in his column, this time about NYC mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s family. Cohen on Monday wrote that the GOP “is not racist,” but that “people with conventional views must repress a gag reflex when considering the mayor-elect of New York - a white man married to a black woman and with two biracial children.” He added: “Should I mention that Bill de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, used to be a lesbian?” WaPo executive editor Martin Baron would not comment on the article, telling TheWrap: “I don’t have anything to do with the opinion page and have a policy of never commenting on any editorials or op-ed

columns.” Neither Cohen did not respond to requests for comment, but outgoing publisher Katharine Weymouth tweeted that she thought the column was “brilliant.” Outcry was swift and strong. The Atlantic’s TaNehisi Coates replied: “Right. I’m not racist. I just don’t recognize my country. Also, the sight of you, and your used-to-be-lesbian black wife, and your brown children make me sick to my stomach. It’s not like I want to lynch you or anything. “ Salon called for Cohen to be fired for his “disgustingly racist column.” Slate, which is owned by the Washington Post Company, suggested that WaPo’s new owner Jeff Bezos “reconsider whether regularly publishing racist op-ed

columns is a wise business strategy.” And one of Cohen’s own co-workers, Ezra Klein, provided a few statistics to show that the “conventional” view was firmly in favor of interracial marriage: 87 percent of Americans approve of marriage between blacks and whites, according to a recent Gallup poll. Editorial page editor Fred Hiatt took the blame for outrage, telling TheWrap: “Anyone reading Richard’s entire column will see he is just saying that some Americans still have a hard time dealing with interracial marriage. I erred in not editing that one sentence more carefully to make sure it could not be misinterpreted.” “I think he is a terrific columnist,” Hiatt added. “I’m very happy to have him in the Post.” Yet this is far from

Cohen’s first brush with accusations of racism in his work. In July, he wrote about the George Zimmerman trial, in which a man was acquitted for shooting an unarmed black teenager in self-defense, saying “I also can understand why Zimmerman was suspicious and why he thought Martin was wearing a uniform we all recognize ... the public knows young black males commit a disproportionate amount of crime.” “If the police are abusing their authority and using race as the only reason, that has got to stop,” Cohen said of New York’s controversial stop and frisk program that disproportionately targets minorities. ... But if they ignore race, then they are fools and ought to go into another line of work.” — Reuters

Storm death toll rises to 140 in Somalia’s Puntland Mogadishu pledges $1m in aid BOSASSO: The death toll from a tropical cyclone that hit Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region at the weekend has risen to 140 but the final figure could total 300, the government said yesterday. The government has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international aid to help the tiny Horn of Africa region, which is rich in energy

resources and is being sized up by oil explorers. Weather experts at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the cyclone, which made landfall on Saturday, was characterised by unusually heavy storms. Latest rainfall data shows the cyclone has subsided after flooding the coastal town of Eyl, Dangaroyo and the

JOWHAR: Women and children sleep in a makeshift hospital erected at an AMISOM military camp to help those affected by recent flooding and clan conflict. — AFP

Puntland capital Garowe, though heavy rains are still expected inland. “So far we have confirmed the storm killed 140 people. We are afraid the death toll may reach 300 because many people are still missing. Roads have been cut and the only access to those areas is by air,” Abdullahi Ahmed, Puntland’s interior minister, told Reuters late on Tuesday. The government said it needed clean water, non-perishable foods, medicines, shelter materials and blankets. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose country is struggling to rebuild after two decades of civil war, has pledged to send $1 million dollars to the storm-hit region. Flash floods Puntland said in August it had cut ties with Mogadishu, accusing it of refusing to share power and foreign aid. The region spans the north of Somalia and has largely escaped the worst of the country’s upheaval over the last 20 years. Foreign powers advocating a loose federal political system for Somalia have held Puntland up as a possible model. The cyclone’s heavy torrential rains caused flash floods that led to the loss of about 100,000 livestock and fishing boats that were swept into the Indian Ocean. The FAO said about 65 percent of Somalia’s population depends on livestock, a sector that has seen sharp growth since Arab Gulf States lifted a nine-year ban on Somali livestock exports. Half of these exports pass through the port of Bosasso in Puntland. Famine has added to Somalia’s woes in the last three years. “Knowing that livestock and fisheries are key livelihood activities in the affected regions, we anticipate the storm to heavily hurt coastal communities,” said Rudi Van Aaken, the acting head of FAO in Somalia, pledging help for the survivors. — Reuters

Chileans expected to elect leftist Bachelet SANTIAGO: Chile is set to take a moderate turn to the left in elections on Sunday with the popular and charismatic ex-president Michelle Bachelet almost certain to win a triumphant return to power. Bachelet has promised to redress inequality by hiking taxes and putting cash into education and health, as well as rewriting the country’s dictatorship-era constitution. Chile’s free-market economy and rapid copper-fuelled growth have made it a Latin American success story in the last two decades. As it looks to join the ranks of developed nations, however, there are growing calls for its wealth and opportunities to be more equitably shared. Still, most voters want tweaks rather than wholesale change, and Bachelet’s center-left proposals, as well as the evidence from her first term, suggest she will not adopt radical policies. “The societal model is not in play,” said political analyst Guillermo Holzmann. Although voters are cool towards both Bachelet’s leftist Nueva Mayoria coalition and the incumbent conservative Alianza bloc, Bachelet herself enjoys strong approval ratings. One recent poll suggested the 62-year-old may get the 50 percent she needs for a first-round victory over Alianza’s Evelyn Matthei and seven other candidates on Sunday. That hasn’t been done in 20 years. The poll said support for Bachelet was at 47 percent while Matthei polled 14 percent, although a different poll had Bachelet at 32 percent and Matthei at 20 percent. Chile switched from compulsory to voluntary voting last year. The move has made polling more complex, and could lead to a low turnout, surveys suggest. If there is no outright winner on Sunday, the two front-runners go through to a run-off on Dec 15. Pollsters think Bachelet should easily win a second round against Matthei, with supporters of the largely antiestablishment minor candidates likely to throw their weight behind her or abstain. Bachelet, a physician-turned-politician and a single mother, was the first woman to lead Chile, running the country between 2006 and 2010. Barred under the constitution from seeking immediate re-election, she has returned to Chile after leading the United Nations’ gender equality body, UN Women. Her promise of sustaining economic growth while doing more to redistribute wealth appeals to many Chileans, said Katie Micklethwaite, an analyst at Control Risks Group. “Just growth on its own - well, people in Chile have had that for a long time and haven’t necessarily seen that much improvement for it.” Congress vote crucial When the 60-year-old Matthei was chosen as Alianza’s candidate in July, the stage was set for an intriguing showdown between two women whose families were caught up in the bruising events of the 1970s, when socialist Salvador Allende was overthrown in a bloody coup by General Augusto Pinochet. Bachelet and her father were victims of torture during the Pinochet years, while Matthei’s father was a general in the dictatorship’s junta. The two men - both in the air force - had been friends since being posted to the same military base in the 1950s, where their daughters played together as children. Matthei, a brusque former labor minister, has struggled to win over voters but even a heavy defeat for her would not necessarily mean that Alianza is thrust into the political wilderness. All 120 lower house seats and 20 out of 38 senate seats are also being contested on Sunday. Chile’s electoral system - a Pinochet-era legacy that Bachelet wants to change - effectively gives the second-placed party an overweight representation. Unless Bachelet is able to overturn that disadvantage by persuading voters to back her coalition’s congressional candidates in large numbers, Alianza will have the power to block substantive reforms. Changing the electoral system, for instance, would need the backing of three fifths of the Senate, or 23 senators. Nueva Mayoria currently has 20 in its bloc, while Alianza has 16, with two right-leaning independents.—Reuters

CHICAGO: This security camera image shows a woman with a two-foot-long alligator aboard a CTA Blue Line train. Authorities are searching for the woman, who they believe discarded the reptile at O’Hare International Airport. The two-foot-long alligator was captured hours later after a maintenance worker found it under an escalator in a baggage claim area. — AP

Republicans ask: What GOP crisis? WASHINGTON: As a Republican, freshman Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida cares about the Republican Party’s image and fate. But what he especially cares about is a tiny sliver of the GOP: about 22,000 primary voters who lean heavily conservative and who secured his spot in the House. Yoho is hardly alone. Many other House Republicans owe their elections to similarly small and ideologically intense electorates. These GOP lawmakers pay far less attention to the party’s national reputation. And that deeply frustrates activists trying to build broad, national coalitions to elect a Republican as president in 2016 and beyond. Yoho and his fellow tea party-backed House members essentially say, “Not my problem.” “I ran on what I stood up to do,” Yoho said after defying party leaders and voting against a bipartisan measure to raise the debt ceiling and end last month’s government shutdown. “And I got elected on that,” he said. Yoho and many colleagues were elected by a conservative subset of a conservative subset of a conservative subset. It helps explain why they often stick to hard-right positions their party leaders oppose, and why they shrug off polls showing the overall Republican Party’s approval ratings plummeted during the shutdown episode. First, the Republican-controlled Florida government redrew Yoho’s district - after the 2010 census and national House reapportionment - to be safely conservative for any GOP nominee. In last year’s primary, Yoho won with 21,717 votes, edging 12-term incumbent Cliff Stearns. That’s about one-ten thousandth of all U.S. adults. And it’s roughly one-six thousandth of the Americans who voted in the last presidential election. Once Yoho ousted Stearns, the general election was never in doubt. He won with 65 percent of the vote. The story is similar in many House districts, where the Republican primary is the only election that really matters. And all primaries - Republican and Democratic - tend to draw comparatively small numbers of voters who are more ideological than the overall electorate. Finally, Yoho - like any House candidate in a safely drawn district - needed only a plurality of those primary voters. In Yoho’s case, he won 34 percent of the total, or 21,717 votes to Stearns’ 20,960. Two other candidates shared the rest. Most House members win larger numbers of votes in primaries, and they often are unchallenged. But even the biggest primary totals are small fractions of the 121 million Americans who voted in all 435 House races last year. In 2010, the first big tea party-influenced election, three conservative South Carolina Republicans won primary runoffs that catapulted them to the House. Their runoff vote totals ranged from 37,353 to 54,412. Once they secured the GOP nomination, none of these candidates took less than 62 percent in the November general election against Democrats. When a Republican House candidate needs only 22,000 to 54,000 votes - cast in a conservative-dominated primary - perhaps it’s small wonder that he or she worries less about the national party’s image. It also helps explain why 60 percent of House Republicans joined Yoho in voting against the bill that reopened the government and raised the debt ceiling. Republican consultant John Feehery has little patience for House Republicans who ignore national surveys showing that the debt-and-shutdown issue badly hurt the GOP’s reputation. Most of those lawmakers, Feehery said, “represent the 27 percent of the country who approve of how Republicans have handled the shutdown.” The others, he said, “simply don’t care about polls.” Texas-based Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak said of GOP House members: “Sure, they care about the party. But they were elected by their constituents.” And in that regard, many House Republicans appear on solid footing. When most House Republicans refused to open the government or raise the debt ceiling unless President Barack Obama’s health law was defunded, “we would get nothing but ‘attaboys’ from my constituents,” said Rep. John Fleming, R-La. “The national media predicated that Republicans would be hit hard and would be blamed,” Fleming said, and that indeed happened. But most House Republicans, he said, listen to “our actual constituents. And they were all saying, ‘Look, to us this is a terrible law, and you do anything you can to slow it down.’” Another Louisiana Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, noted that his party thrived in an Oct. 19 special congressional election, at the height of the debt-and-shutdown debate. Two Republicans will hold a runoff after claiming the top two spots in the state’s 14-candidate, all-parties primary to replace retired Rep. Rodney Alexander.“The conventional wisdom in Washington is that Republicans are going to get all the blame and pay a price at the polls,” Scalise said. —AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

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

‘Enjoy rape’, says top Indian investigator NEW DELHI: Rights campaigners yesterday demanded that the head of India’s top investigation agency resign after he said during a panel discussion on sports ethics that “if you can’t prevent rape, you enjoy it”. Ranjit Sinha, director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which tackles corruption and other high-profile cases, apologised for the remark, but it was roundly criticised. The issue of sexual violence has been in the spotlight since the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a Delhi bus last year sparked nationwide protests. “Do we have the enforcement?” Sinha said at a CBI conference in New Delhi on Tuesday about whether sports betting should be legalised. “It is very easy to say that if you can’t enforce it, it’s like saying if you can’t prevent rape, you enjoy it.” Sinha sought to explain his comments, which civil

Ranjit Sinha

campaigners and opposition politicians said risked trivialising rape and raised questions over the CBI’s ability to investigate serious sexual assault cases. “I regret any hurt caused,” Sinha said in a statement after the original remarks dominated news channels. “I gave my opinion that betting should be legalised and that if the laws cannot be enforced, that does not mean that laws should not be made. “This is as erroneous as saying that if rape is inevitable one should lie back and enjoy it. I reiterate my deep sense of regard and respect for women and my commitment for gender issues.” Kavita Krishnan, an activist with the All India Progressive Women’s Association, called for Sinha to step down. “How can he remain the head of India’s premier investigation agency?” she said. Nirmala Sitharaman, spokeswoman for the main opposition group, the

Bharatiya Janata Party, called the remarks “shocking”. “Wonder if his colleagues in the Bureau, his family and well-wishers approve of his view,” she wrote on Twitter. There were more than 24,000 reported rapes in India in 2011, but activists say the real number is many times higher. Following a public outcry over the Delhi attack, India introduced tougher rape laws in March, which include the death penalty for repeat offenders and for those whose victims are left in a “vegetative state”. The row comes at a bad time for the CBI, widely accused of acting as a tool for the government to pressure political rivals. It’s very legality is also being challenged in court. The CBI, which is similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, was set up to fight corruption by government employees, but also investigates other important cases, including murder, rape and terrorism. — Reuters

Putin in Seoul pushes new ‘Silk Road’ via North Korea North’s nuke ambitions pose obstacle SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin was in South Korea yesterday, pushing a pet project for a new trading route linking Asia and Europe by rail that requires prying open North Korea. The ambitious scheme envisages an “Iron Silk Road” uniting the rail networks of South and North Korea and connecting them to Europe via the Trans-Siberian Railway. But it faces huge political obstacles, given the volatility of inter-Korean relations and the international community’s struggle to contain the North’s nuclear ambitions through UN sanctions. Speaking to a South Korea-Russia business conference during his one-day visit, Putin acknowledged the difficulties but said they were outweighed by the project’s potential advantages. “I hope political problems will be solved at an early date, as South Korea, North Korea and Russia will reap great economic benefits when it’s completed,” Putin said, urging South Korean investors to come on board. “This project, if accomplished, will help make a great contribution to the establishment of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula,” he added Russia took a first step in September, when it completed a 54-kilometre (33-mile) track from its southeast border town of Khasan to the North Korean port of Rajin. Located in the far northeast, where the borders of North Korea, Russia and China converge, Rajin offers a warm-water port for the North’s two giant neighbours. Putin wants to see the rail link extended through North Korea, across the world’s last Cold War frontier, and all the way down to the southern South Korean port of Busan. Media reports say Russia is looking for South Korea to take a 34 percent share in the project, with Moscow holding 36 percent and Pyongyang 30 percent. Steelmaker Posco, train operator Korail and Hyundai Rotem have been suggested as possible members of a consortium to take on the South Korean share.

Putin’s visit saw the two sides sign a memorandum of understanding in support of the project, but Andrei Lankov, a Russian expert on North Korea who teaches at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said he remained “very sceptical” about the entire undertaking. “The idea itself makes perfect sense from a trade and economic viewpoint,” Lankov told AFP. “But this is clearly going to cost billions of dollars and what companies are going to risk that much investment with North Korea in the current climate?” “I’m sure North Korea will be keen, because once it got started, it would provide Pyongyang with a new project to manipulate and use to pressure others,” he added. Lankov said the same financial and political risks applied to plans to build a pipeline to supply both Koreas with Russian natural gas. Observers highlight the precedent of the Kaesong industrial zone jointly run by North and South Korea, which Pyongyang unilaterally shut down in April as military tensions surged. The zone reopened in September, but South Korean factory owners said they lost a small fortune during the five-month closure. Both the rail and gas projects were brought up in Putin’s talks with South Korean President Park Geun-Hye. The two leaders also discussed North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme amid signs that Pyongyang, despite UN sanctions, is moving ahead on all fronts to acquire a credible nuclear deterrent. Russia is a member of the stalled six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme, along with China, the United States, Japan and the two Koreas. China and North Korea have been pushing to get the dialogue back on track and Putin told a joint press conference with Park that Moscow also favoured an “early resumption” of the talks. Seoul and Washington insist Pyongyang must first show some genuine commitment to denuclearisation. — AFP

SEOUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with South Korean President Park Geun-hye during their meeting at the presidential Blue House yesterday. — AP

COLOMBO: Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid (second from left) looks out from a window as he arrives for the Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday. — AP

Outcry over Lanka clouds Commonwealth summit India, Canada leaders boycott meeting NEW DELHI: The palm-flecked island nation of Sri Lanka plays host this week to leaders from dozens of Commonwealth nations at a summit it hopes will generate enough good will and photo opportunities to eclipse three decades of grim history massive civilian deaths, persistent media harassment and gangster-style politics. Instead, as tomorrow’s opening approaches, global focus remains trained on the country’s 27-year civil war and alleged atrocities committed by both rebels and soldiers who, despite a sustained international outcry, have been spared from investigations and prosecutions since the war ended in 2009. The leaders of Canada and India are boycotting the summit. Others have had to justify their plans to attend by promising to bring Sri Lanka’s government to task. Queen Elizabeth II, who is 87, is not going, but her son, Prince Charles, is presiding over the meeting. “It’s a shame the Commonwealth has come to this,” said former Caribbean diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders, now part of a Commonwealth panel charged with recommending reforms in the organization. Choosing Sri Lanka as a summit venue, which gives it the Commonwealth chairmanship for two years, “suggests we are not serious about Commonwealth values. ... That makes it a hypocritical organization.” Sri Lanka denies any rights abuses were committed by its forces. It balks at demands for an independent investigation, and in response to a question on Tuesday the foreign minister scolded the boycotting nations. “There is no room for judgmental positions, for some countries to sit in judgment over other countries,” GL Peiris said. The country’s leaders also accuse journalists of fabricating allegations of atrocities, and stands staunchly by a clan-like government that has alarmed many democracies in the West. President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s family has held a vice-like grip on power since 2005, with one Rajapaksa brother serving as the economy minister, another holding the defense secretary title and a third serving as speaker in a parliament firmly controlled by Rajapaksa’s coalition. For the 53-nation Commonwealth - which has espoused democracy and human rights as its core values since its founding in 1931 - the poor publici-

ty threatens to greatly overshadow the meeting unless it can persuade Sri Lanka to cooperate with international demands for an independent war investigation. Despite representing about a third of the planet’s population, the group of Britain and its former territories has battled accusations of irrelevancy for years. Sri Lanka, seeing the summit as a coming-out party after a long and costly civil war with the Tamil Tiger rebels, has tried to sidestep the controversy while busily building roads, expanding its harbor, polishing monuments and gutting slums. “We are delighted to have you in our peaceful country, and also to showcase the ever-growing opportunities in our economy,” President Rajapaksa said Tuesday in opening a Commonwealth business forum. Sri Lanka was expected to keep tight control over anti-government protests in the seaside capital of Colombo. Small pro-government protests were staged Monday as Commonwealth delegations began arriving. Foreign ministers were met yesterday and will meet today, while national leaders begin their three-day summit tomorrow. Leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron have said that engaging Sri Lanka at the summit is preferable to isolating and shaming the country into submission. That engagement includes pressing Sri Lanka to account for thousands of civilians who disappeared in the final months of the war when government forces crushed resistance by Tamil rebels fighting for an ethnic homeland. A UN report in August suggested Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese-dominated armed forces may have killed up to 40,000 minority Tamils, while the rebels killed civilians, used them as human shields and forcibly recruited child soldiers. But Sri Lanka has remained defiant, snubbing the report by the UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay, who said she saw no effort by the country to properly investigate despite repeated demands by the UN human rights council. The government’s position “has actually gone in the opposite direction” from what the Commonwealth hoped, former Indian diplomat KC Singh said. “Sri Lanka’s government has used the external pressure to grab more authority and create paranoia within the country.”

Nepal disillusioned by top Maoists’ taste for luxury KATHMANDU: When Nepal ousted the monarchy and voted in a Maoist-led government in 2008, few anticipated that, five years on, the former guerrillas would come under fire for living like kings. Commentators and former rebels say the party’s leadership has swapped its revolutionary ideals for corruption-fuelled luxury, with the strongest criticism reserved for chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by the nom-de-guerre Prachanda. The Maoists came to power promising social change, economic growth and lasting peace for a country devastated by a decade-long civil war. Since then, Nepal has seen several coalition governments come and go, with none able to agree on a constitution to finalise the peace process. Meanwhile, the Maoists have witnessed a mutiny, with a splinter group threatening to disrupt next week’s national elections. Former guerrilla Bishnu Pariyar took up arms aged 14. By the time he was 22, he had survived gunshot wounds to become one of Prachanda’s personal aides. “The rich used to treat us like dogs and I thought our war would liberate the poor,” Pariyar said. Soon after he began working for the Maoist chief, he noticed Prachanda’s taste for luxury brands and imported whisky-a fondness that has not escaped the attentions of local media.” That family just loves to spend, whether it’s Prachanda blowing money on hair gel or Rolex watches, his wife buying saris all the time or his son Prakash, obsessed with changing his mobile phone every two weeks,” Pariyar told AFP. Prachanda’s lifestyle first attracted criticism when news emerged in January 2012 that he had rented a

15-room mansion in Kathmandu, a property he still occupies, despite promises to vacate it. The estate-its gate decorated with Hindu religious motifs-includes parking space for more than a dozen vehicles, a building to house 70 guards and a table tennis room. The news rankled many in Nepal, one of the world’s most unequal and impoverished countries, where nearly 25 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, according to the World Bank. Two months later, another scandal erupted when the Maoist-led government acknowledged offering $250,000 to Prachanda’s son Prakash Dahal to climb Mount Everest.

And, in April 2012, clashes broke out in a UN-monitored camp for former Maoist soldiers when troops accused the party of stealing funds owed to them. By the end of the year, simmering discontent saw a former chef, Padam Kunwar turn into a hero when he slapped Prachanda in the face at a public function. “I kept reading about him, his fancy lifestyle. Meanwhile, my family lost everything in the war,” Kunwar, whose siblings are former guerrillas, told AFP. He was beaten up by furious Prachanda followers and arrested, but many Nepalese rallied behind him, launching Facebook fan pages and tweeting their support. —AFP

KATHMANDU: Former Nepalese Maoist member Padam Kunwar (right), a Constituent Assembly election candidate, greets supporters as he campaigns from door to door in Kirtipur on the outskirts of Kathmandu ahead of elections. — AFP

Troops remain heavily deployed throughout the northern Tamil heartland on the teardrop-shaped island off southwest India. Provincial elections held in September were seen as a step toward granting Tamils more autonomy, but also drew criticism for falling far below what is needed for postwar reconciliation. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will stay away from the meeting, saying his country was disturbed by ongoing reports of intimidation and incarceration of politicians and journalists, reported disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings. Australia’s Premier Tony Abbott says he’ll attend, though Australian Sen. Lee Rhiannon accused Colombo of trying to “shut down” scrutiny of war crimes after she and a New Zealand lawmaker were detained and questioned for three hours Sunday after preparing a news conference on human rights in Colombo. Cameron over the weekend said Sri Lanka had “serious questions” to answer, after he watched a Channel 4 documentary that shows soldiers executing naked Tamils and other gruesome footage from the war’s 138-day final offensive. Sri Lanka dismissed the video as fake footage and false journalism. India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was opaque on why his foreign minister would be leading the Indian delegation, but observers concluded he was bowing to Tamil politicians so incensed over the summit they passed assembly resolutions in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state demanding the boycott.The Commonwealth has seen members fail to meet its standards before. Pakistan, which has long struggled with democracy, was suspended in 1999 and again in 2007, while Robert Mugabe’s dictatorship over Zimbabwe led the country to withdraw altogether after its 2002 suspension. But the Sri Lanka situation is unique, experts said, in that the country was chosen to host the summit even while the international outcry was mounting for a war crimes investigation. “The summit’s success now depends on what Sri Lanka does next,” said South Asia expert Gareth Price of the Londonbased independent think tank Chatham House. “That is one of the justifications used by leaders who are going, that the media is going to shine a spotlight on these issues.” — AP

UNICEF steps up emergency response in Philippines after typhoon Haiyan MANILA/NEW YORK/COPENHAGEN: UNICEF is rushing emergency supplies to areas of the Philippines ravaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan on November 8, as the latest estimates indicate that up to 4 million children could now be affected by the disaster. Therapeutic food for children, health kits, water and hygiene kits to support up to 3,000 families in the affected areas have already been mobilized from supplies available in the country, with distribution prioritized for the Tacloban area as soon as access is possible. “We are rushing to get critical supplies to children who are bearing the brunt of this crisis,” said UNICEF Philippines Representative Tomoo Hozumi. “Reaching the worst affected areas is ver y difficult, with limited access due to the damage caused by the typhoon to infrastructure and communications. But we are work ing around the clock to find ways to get these supplies to children as quickly as conditions allow.”

UNICEF’s warehouse in Copenhagen is airlifting $1.3 million worth of additional supplies for another 10,000 families, including those affected by the recent earthquake in Bohol. The shipments contain water purification tablets, soap, medical kits, tarpaulins, and micronutrient supplements. Children who have escaped the terrible damage of Haiyan still need urgent assistance to survive the aftermath of the storm. Particular concerns include health, due to the impact of the typhoon on water supply and sanitation systems. Children also need safe and protected spaces to be able to play and resume studying while adults work to recover their homes and livelihoods. “As we get a better picture of the impact of this devastating crisis, it is clear that even more children are affec ted than first thought,” said Hozumi. “UNICEF is doing all it can to reach these children, as quickly as possible with critical supplies, to protect their health, safety and wellbeing in the difficult days ahead.”

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

ANALYSIS

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait. E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

FOCUS

Prostitutes and payoffs: US Navy rocked by scandal By Dan De Luce

he US Navy is reeling from a bribery scandal featuring prostitutes and payoffs for classified details on fleet movements, amid concerns the spiralling investigation will ensnare more senior officers. Three officers have been charged in recent weeks and two more are under scrutiny in a corruption case threatening to turn into one of the biggest scandals in the Navy’s history. Officials acknowledge the full extent of the case has yet to be revealed and that other members from top echelons of the navy could have taken part in an alleged scheme to provide multi-million dollar ship service contracts to a Singapore-based firm. “We believe that other naval officers, and perhaps some Navy civilians, may be implicated in this scandal,” Navy spokesman Admiral John Kirby said. “We are going to let the investigation take us where it may,” he told AFP, declining to offer more details pending the outcome of the probe. Officials say the case could rival the Tailhook sexual assault scandal that shook the Navy and the Marine Corps in 1991 and focus a spotlight on recurring fraud linked to the Pentagon’s vast network of contractors. The case centers around contracts to provide food, water, fuel, trash removal and other services to American ships visiting ports in Asia. Prosecutors accuse Francis Leonard, CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia, of conspiring to bribe naval officers and officials with prostitutes, luxury travel and other perks to secure the contracts. The Malaysian businessman, known as “Fat Leonard” by naval officers, allegedly persuaded the commanders to have their vessels visit ports served by his firm. He also allegedly had moles in the navy’s investigative service, paid to inform him about criminal probes into his company’s dealings. Leonard then bilked the navy, overcharging for services or fabricating expenses, sometimes with the knowledge of his partners in the military, authorities allege. In return, Francis allegedly arranged female escorts, posh hotel rooms and even Lady Gaga concert tickets for officers visiting Singapore or Malaysia, according to the charges. “Yummy . . . daddy like,” one officer, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, allegedly wrote in a Facebook message after he was told in emails of the prostitutes on offer. Sanchez, arrested last week, is accused of alerting Francis that officials were questioning more than $100,000 in expenses billed by his company for a port visit, according to the Washington Post. Sanchez and others are also suspected of passing on classified details of ship movements and planned port visits to help the defense contractor. In Oct 2011, Francis allegedly asked Sanchez to help him seal a deal for his firm to sell fuel to a US naval ship visiting a Thai port. “Ask and you shall receive,” Sanchez emailed him back, according to prosecutors. “We worked this out this morning.” The Navy purchased fuel from Glenn Defense Marine for one million dollars, more than twice the going market price, according to the allegations. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for years harbored suspicions about Francis but could not nail down enough evidence. But he was lured to the United States in a sting operation, officials said, and arrested in San Diego in September. And in a rare move, prosecutors have even charged a supervisory special agent in the NCIS in the case. Among the naval officers charged is Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, who was best known previously for his background as a refugee from the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia and his adoption by an American woman. Misiewicz’s emotional return to his native Cambodia as a naval officer was widely covered in the media. But investigators allege that, while he was grabbing headlines, the officer was wooed by Francis to help his contractor firm. The case comes despite vows by naval leaders to crack down on bribery and corruption after a 2011 scandal that involved kickbacks worth $10 million. In that case, a naval civilian employee was accused of approving work for a contractor which then funneled money back to him. As a result, officials set up a special panel to prevent future fraud. — AFP

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

Action to determine fate of China ‘reform’ By Kelly Olsen he Chinese Communist Party’s latest “reform” message juggles numerous contradictions with suggestions of significant change, but meaningful action will be needed before history can judge it as transformative, analysts say. Ending a four-day Central Committee meeting, the party released a communique via state media promising to establish a special “leadership group” on change - but while its makeup will be a key indicator of the party’s direction, no details were provided. The meeting, known as the Third Plenum, is closely watched because the party has used previous gatherings - most notably in 1978 when it embarked on fundamental economic reforms - to signal seismic changes. Sometimes, mere semantic alterations can indicate such shifts. As expected, the party went big on generalities, calling for “comprehensively deepening reform” and letting the market “play a decisive role in allocating resources”, compared with previous terminology that often described its part as “basic”. At the same time it reiterated the “core role” of the ruling party as well as dollops of old-style Marxist jargon pushing the role of the state-owned economy. It set a deadline of 2020, but only for the achievement of “decisive results in the reform of key areas”. “It looks like on the direction of reform maybe there is strong agreement, but how to push ahead, maybe not,” Wang Qinwei, China economist at Capital Economics in

London, told AFP. Wang said the document appeared to exude “a degree of compromise” and included potential obstacles to change. Kenneth Lieberthal, a China expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, noted that the communique emphasised balance. Assertions were made and then quickly cancelled out lines later. “In that sense it’s kind of like a US president’s State of the Union address,” he told AFP. “Every key constituency gets a sentence and the fact that they don’t really add up is not important because everybody has a sentence they can point to.” While details were thin throughout the lengthy statement - widely seen as only a summary with a far longer document expected in coming days - some analysts saw promising morsels. “We can find some useful implications such as judiciary reforms and some land reforms from the communique, but the communique may not make this Third Plenum a watershed event,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists Lu Ting and Zhi Xiaojia wrote in a report. They dismissed the rhetoric on the role of the market as a “not so meaningful semantic change”. “For us Chinese native speakers with years of intensive training in Chinese, we found it very difficult to tell the real difference,” they said. Key omissions, they noted, were any mention of reforms to China’s one-child policy or to its hukou residency system, which denies people who have migrated from the countryside to the cities equal access to benefits. Nevertheless, some saw the document as largely positive, saying it sug-

gested a level of sophistication that is required to move ahead. Authorities would need to centralise much of the power to make decisions in order to push forward economic reforms, ANZ bank economists Liu Li-Gang and Zhou Hao wrote in a report. “Practically, they will also give the markets an important role so that all types of resources can be better allocated for greater efficiency,” they added. “This shows that the new leadership does understand China’s political realities and reform challenges.” The plenum came a year after China embarked on a once-a-decade leadership change, with Xi Jinping taking over as party chief in November and then as state president in March this year. Andy Xie, a Shanghai-based independent economist formerly with Morgan Stanley, said that reining in corrosive government corruption, a campaign Xi has already launched, would have more immediate impact than longterm institutional changes. “The only way to diminish the distortions in the economy is to tie the hands of the government officials,” Xie said, adding: “That is why the anti-corruption campaign is central to any economic reform.” Ultimately, it will be action in the future that determines how the meeting’s pronouncements are judged, analysts said. “We think that the plenum that just concluded has the potential to mark a new beginning of positive changes,” Hong Kong-based Societe Generale economist Yao Wei wrote in a report. “Now having said what needs to be said, the new leaders should do what needs to be done. The real test has just started.” — AFP

Yemen fightingc deepening sectarian rifts By Sami Aboudi deadly assault by Shiite Houthi rebels on a Salafi Islamic school planted in their mountain heartland could ignite wider sectarian conflict in Yemen, where instability has already helped Al-Qaeda militants to take root. The Houthis, who belong to the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam, have bombarded the sprawling Dar al-Hadith seminary in Dammaj village for two weeks, killing at least 100 people. Late on Tuesday, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) pledged revenge for the assault. Political rivalries may have helped to start the violence, but the struggle over a Salafi outpost deep in Houthi territory is also part of a regional contest between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia that has been sharpened by the war in Syria. Zaydis have for years been alarmed by young Sunnis flocking to Dar al-Hadith, in the northern province of Saada, to study ultra-orthodox Salafi doctrines that cast Shiites as heretics. Houthi militants, whose rebellion is fuelled by the accumulated grievances of many Zaydis, dominate Saada after fighting government forces on and off for nearly a decade. They detest Dar al-Hadith, proclaiming on Oct 30 that the Salafis had “turned Dammaj into a launch-pad for their criminal actions and a training centre (for) thousands of armed foreign elements from more than 120 countries”. Dar al-Hadith’s leaders, who deny any such activities, have condemned Al-Qaeda, but some militants, including the “American Taleban” John Walker Lindh, have been through the school, and its founder was linked to a 1979 Islamist uprising in Makkah. The Dammaj fighting is one of many crises besetting Yemen, where state failure could further empower an Al-Qaeda wing that has targeted Western ships and airliners in the past. Yemen’s best hope may lie in national reconciliation talks begun in March to draft a new constitution and defuse threats from Houthis, southern secessionists and Islamist insurgents. That effort followed the negotiated removal of veteran President Ali Abdullah Saleh after mass protests against his rule that began even before a wave of Arab revolts in 2011. Under the deal, interim President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi must hold elections next year and try to reach a workable compromise among Yemen’s myriad tribal and political factions. The Houthis’ onslaught on Dammaj may be a gambit to strengthen their bargaining power before any such deal. “We are coming

Yemeni women train at a marksmanship club in Sanaa yesterday. — AFP to the conclusion of the dialogue and each party is trying to consolidate its presence on the ground,” said Yemeni analyst AbdulGhani Al-Iryani. “Dammaj is deep in Zaydi territory. The Houthis are trying to capture it militarily.” Houthi-Salafi strife could further poison the once-relaxed relations between Shiites and Sunnis in Yemen, already strained by Iranian-Saudi rivalry and feelings heated by the sectarian hatred that now imbues Syria’s struggle between Sunni Islamist rebels and a president whose Alawite sect derives from Shiism. “Yemenis don’t hate each other for sectarian reasons,” Iryani said. “But that does not preclude this outcome, down the line, if this crisis is not fixed quickly.” Saleh, the former president, exploited sectarian sentiments during his successive wars with the Houthis, according to Ibrahim Sharqieh, a Yemen expert at Doha Brookings think-tank. “This conflict did not start last week,” he said. Zaydis dominate the rugged highlands of Yemen, which their imams ruled for 1,000 years until a 1962 military coup. They are well-represented in Yemen’s political, military and tribal elites, but have generally kept their faith out of national politics - even as Salafi influence began to rise in mosques funded by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf neighbours. The Houthis emerged in the north in the 1990s in response to economic deprivation

and waning Zaydi political influence, as well as Salafi inroads in the area, symbolised by Dar al-Hadith. Saleh’s military attempts to crush the Houthis from 2004 to 2010 prompted Iran to adopt their cause as fellow-Shiites, albeit from two very different branches of the sect, although Tehran denies Saudi accusations that it armed them. In 2009 Saudi Arabia even fought a brief war with the Houthis, who control territory just over its southern border. Riyadh’s links to Yemen go deep. It has long subsidised the government, as well as funding unruly tribes in a complex quest for influence in its impoverished and more populous neighbour. Wealthy and often wellconnected donors from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have bankrolled Sunni religious centres in Yemen, including Salafi ones such as Dar al-Hadith. The seminary’s founder, Sheikh Muqbil Al-Wadi’i, studied in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s after converting from Shiism. He fell in with radical preacher Juhayman Al-Otaybi, who led the two-week seizure of Makkah’s Grand Mosque in 1979 by militants seeking an Islamist revolution. Otaybi and dozens of his followers were beheaded after the revolt was crushed. Sheikh Muqbil, who did not take part in the attack but was accused of writing a statement for Otaybi, was deported to Yemen, where he set up Dar al-Hadith. Within a few years it began drawing thou-

sands of Yemeni and foreign students. According to Mohammed Al-Ahmadi, a Yemeni expert on Salafis, up to 7,000, including hundreds from the United States, Canada, Europe and southeast Asia study there, some living with their families on the compound in Dammaj, a complex of whitewashed concrete buildings in a lush valley surrounded by mud houses. Former students describe a monkish lifestyle of memorising the Holy Quran and studying the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The books of medieval theologian Ibn Taymiya, those of the founder of Wahhabism, Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abd AlWahhab, and of Sheikh Muqbil himself, fill the seminary’s library. While many students pay for their education, donations by Gulf businessmen helped fund Dar al-Hadith, although these were curbed after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on US cities. Gulf backing for Sunnis and Iranian support for Shiites may suggest outright sectarian conflict, but Salafis and Houthis represent radical ideologies in Islam’s two main wings, not mainstream Sunnis and Shiites, and they share some views. Both advocate a return to the early teachings of Islam guided by sharia law and both call for a restored caliphate, a single entity ruling the whole Muslim world. “They may be enemies, but they both reflect the hardline creed of their faiths,” Iryani said. — Reuters

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

In this natural color mosaic image provided by NASA Tuesday shows Saturn eclipsing the Sun taken by the Cassini spacecraft on July 19, 2013. With both Cassiniís wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras aimed at Saturn, Cassini was able to capture 323 images in just over four hours. This final mosaic uses 141 of those wide-angle images. This image spans about 651,591 kilometers across. — AP

Morsi says he was kidnapped before coup CAIRO: Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said yesterday he was kidnapped by the Republican Guard the day before the army announced his removal and was later held at a naval base for four months. Few details had previously emerged on Morsi’s whereabouts since army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi overthrew him and announced plans for elections. Lawyer Mohamed Damati read on television what he said was a letter from the Islamist leader, who is still being detained, to the Egyptian people. For the ﬁrst time, Morsi indicated he was held against his will as early as July 2, a day before the army announced his removal following mass protests against his rule. “The kind Egyptian people should know that I have been kidnapped forcibly and against my will since July 2 and until July 5 in a Republican Guard house until I and my aide were moved again forcibly to a naval base belonging to the armed forces for four full months,” Morsi was quoted as saying. The Republican Guard is an elite military unit that protects the presidential palace and other govern-

ment sites. Morsi and other Islamists appeared in court on Nov 4 on charges of inciting violence in connection with the death of about a dozen protesters at the presidential palace in December. Most were members of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. The letter marked the ﬁrst time outside the courtroom that the authorities have allowed Morsi, who accuses the army of staging a coup, to tell his side of the story. “Egypt will not recover until everything that happened due to this coup goes away ... and the holding to account those who spilled blood everywhere on the nation’s land,” Morsi said. “I salute the Egyptian people who rose up against this coup, which will fall by the power of the Egyptian people in their jihad for the sake of their rights and freedoms.” He said Sisi had violated his oath of loyalty and committed “treason against God” and “treason against the whole nation by driving a wedge among the people of Egypt”. He also said Egypt will not see stability until “the military coup is eliminated and those responsible for shedding Egyptians’ blood are held accountable.”

Assembly forms panel to probe ‘illegal... Continued from Page 1 2011 and led to the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Nov 2011. According to statements by MPs and after investigations, at least 13 MPs in the 2009 National Assembly were accused and later interrogated on charges that they received over KD 90 million from the government to support the former prime minister in crucial votes in the Assembly. The funds were deposited in cash into the local bank accounts of the lawmakers and this is why the scandal is known as the “deposits” case. The 13 lawmakers were interrogated by the public prosecution after complaints by local banks that their bank accounts were highly inflated. After a few months, the public prosecution said it could not press charges against any of the MPs because of a lack of the required legislation to indict the lawmakers and accordingly shelved the case. The prosecution however never acquitted the MPs. The opposition-dominated Assembly elected in Feb 2012 formed a probe committee which worked for several months and interviewed dozens of senior officials including the former finance minister, governor of the Central Bank and others over the issue. It however could not submit its report on the case because the constitutional court scrapped the Assembly in a landmark ruling on June 20, 2012, just four months after the election. MP Adasani, who was a member of the probe committee that conducted the interrogations, told the Assembly yesterday that the panel had prepared its report and included all the details and names of those involved with the amounts of money they had received. He added that all is needed now is to allow the new committee to open the boxes of the files of the investigations and bring out the report and submit it to the Assembly. However, a number of MPs proposed that the investigation should be expanded to start from 2006 instead of just focusing on the incident of 2009. The Assembly approved the proposal. The session witnessed a heated argument between

Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem and MP Safa Al-Hashem who said that the Assembly had already received a memo from the public prosecution on the names of the inflated bank account holders. “Noting has arrived yet, and it seems you are finding it hard to understand it has not arrived,” retorted Ghanem. This provoked Hashem, who shouted: “The justice minister said it was referred to parliament”. “Sit down and don’t shout. Ask for permission to speak,” warned Ghanem, before Hashem angrily responded: “Mr Chairman, don’t yell at me. You had accused lawmakers of being paid to vote and grill ministers.” The Assembly also approved a proposal to form a temporary committee to resolve the issue of stateless people amid warnings by MPs that the bedoon issue is a time bomb and must be resolved as soon as possible in order to spare the country its dangerous consequences. The committee was formed despite objections from the government which said that the issue should remain in the hands of the Assembly’s interior and defense committee. MPs also unanimously agreed to form a committee to resolve the housing problem without any objection from the government. Meanwhile, Ghanem yesterday announced that he had officially received two grilling motions filed by Adasani against Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and Housing Minister Salem Al-Othainah. “The PM will take the podium,” he stressed. Separately, former MP Musallam Al-Barrak reaffirmed his previous statements that “Kuwait is being robbed and liquidated”. “In collaboration with some MPs, the government is currently plotting a crime to violate public funds through the amendments suggested to the BOT law,” he stressed, noting that if approved, such amendments would enable some influential people including ruling family members to usurp public land. He warned that the amendments would allow sheikhs and influential VIPs to control and use lands for a hundred years instead of a maximum of fifty years as per the law set by late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. “This is why the former US ambassador warned that Kuwait would end by 2020 because it is being robbed by these people,” said Barrak.

Riyadh officially rejects UN Security... Continued from Page 1 The Saudi government said the 15-country’s deadlock over Syria was “irrefutable evidence and proof of the inability of the Security Council to carry out its duties and responsibilities.” The government also complained about lack of progress in eﬀorts to end the

Israel-Palestinian conﬂict. The Saudi ambassador has since stepped up calls for reform of the Security Council. Diplomats and analysts say the Saudi protest was aimed at US policy over Syria and the Middle East as much as toward the Security Council. US Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi monarch King Abdullah last week in a bid to patch up strains in relations. —AFP

Loan sharks on prowl in seas of debt Continued from Page 1 bank. After the client takes the new loan, he pays back the loan shark along with his commission. He then keeps the remaining cash amount that he needs. “All the transactions done by me are through bank transfers. In this way, the client has proof and evidence he paid back the debt to me through a bank statement in case of any doubts from his side,” the loan shark explained. According to him, there is nothing illegal about the service he provides. “This service is considered a help to a friend. You need money, I will lend you, and then you will pay it back to me. I have contacts in all banks who will simplify the procedure of the new loan for my client. For this reason, I will send the client to a certain branch of a bank where he will ﬁnish his paperwork,” the loan shark explained. A PR employee at a well-known local bank who wish to stay anonymous described this service as illegal. “The providers of this service are known as loan sharks and this service is an international phenomenon which is not limited

to Kuwait only. According to different reports from Western countries, this phenomenon is behind suicides committed by many debtors due to their inability to pay the debts, and strict laws have been issued to fight it. The so-called rescheduling of the loan is not in the favor of the client, which is exploiting their needs. The providers of this service charge the client a large commission that in some cases reaches about 30 percent. The client here is paying an additional amount as he again receives a loan plus the commission for the service provider,” he pointed out. According to him, such service providers most likely are not bank staff. “These people are advertising their services on social media, so if they were bank employees, it would be easy to identify them. In our bank, we have not faced any similar cases as far as I know, and if we do, such an employee will be subject to sanctions for this illegal act. This phenomenon creates a black market for loans, so it’s illegal. I can’t assure that in some banks cases like this have occurred through employees colluding with these people,” the employee stressed.

Security forces have mounted a crackdown against the Brotherhood, which won every election held since a popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested, including the group’s leaders. A court has banned the organisation. A court has ruled a three-month state of emergency be lifted, a step that may help the army-backed government restore a semblance of normality. But the government moved closer to passing a law on demonstrations that the opposition says could be a new way to curb protests. The government imposed emergency and nightly curfews on Aug 14, when security forces forcibly dispersed two Cairo sit-ins by Morsi supporters, touching oﬀ the worst domestic bloodshed in Egypt’s modern history. Although Morsi remains deﬁant, the clampdown has dramatically weakened the Brotherhood, which accuses the government of reviving a police state. The group no longer seems capable of getting huge numbers onto the streets to protest in support of Morsi. Yesterday, a police armoured

personnel carrier ran over a pro-Morsi student who was protesting outside a state-run university in the southern city of Assiut, a security source said. The incident was ﬁlmed and posted on Facebook. The source said he was in hospital in a serious condition. Police ﬁred teargas to disperse the demonstrators. Western powers want the government to create an inclusive political process to bring stability to Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel and controls the strategic Suez Canal. Morsi said that while in detention, he had only met European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, an EU delegation and four prosecutors whose questions he refused to answer. “What happened is a military coup and for there to be stability and reconciliation in Egypt, the people of Egypt need to take a stand and that this coup is treason and a crime,” Morsi said.Damati said Morsi refused to recognise the court that is trying him at a police academy - the same site where Mubarak is on trial on similar charges. If convicted, Morsi could face a life sentence or the death penalty. — Agencies

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

S P ORT S

Klose, Mertesacker injured

Botha happy as mentor

Messi in fitness race

BERLIN: Germany forward Miroslav Klose has been ruled out of their friendlies against Italy and England while defender Per Mertesacker will also miss Friday’s game in Milan before returning for next week’s trip to Wembley. Klose, who resumed playing in October after a month-long injury break, picked up a shoulder injury in Lazio’s 1-1 draw at Parma in Serie A on Sunday. “The current situation is Miro Klose will not be able to play in the two games,” Germany coach Joachim Loew told reporters on Wednesday. “He injured his shoulder and will be out for two or three weeks.” “Per Mertesacker will remain in London and will join us when we are there for the game (on Tuesday),” he said of the Arsenal central defender. Mertesacker’s club mate Mesut Ozil, who has had a flu virus, has been passed fit for both friendlies, Loew said. Loew assured Klose and his fellow injured forward Mario Gomez they remained his first choice for Germany, who have qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, if injuries did not upset their rhythm early next year. “It is part of our job to build up players who can fill gaps,” said Loew, who will coach his 100th international on Friday, becoming only the fourth Germany manager to reach a century. He said Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Max Kruse and Bayern Munich’s Mario Goetze are his favoured strikers to cover a shortage up front. “Obviously, it is a pity that Mario and Miro are out but I do not see a problem. For me, January is the cut-off date. If a player starts the new year normally after completing winter training and then plays through then I am certain he will join us in good form.” —Reuters

EDINBURGH: Veteran South Africa lock Bakkies Botha is enjoying his mentoring role within the Springbok squad although he has yet to make up his mind on a long-term future with the team. The 34-year-old has hinted his commitments at French Top 14 side Toulon may be the deciding factor in whether his stay is a brief one or not, but for now he is revelling in his role as experienced leader. “Coming out of the Toulon set-up where they ask a lot of the player to here... I am just taking it week by week, I don’t want to make any longterm decisions,” Botha said at a press conference in Edinburgh yesterday. Botha was called up by coach Heyneke Meyer not only as a backup option in the second row, but also because the coach believes he can help the development of the side’s locks, notably exciting youngsters Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth. “I know there are some big players coming through and for now as long as I can rub off some of my experience on to the youngsters and they feed off it, that is the role I want to play. “I know I don’t have another four or five years left in me, the body is getting older, so for me it is a privilege to play that role to PieterSteph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth.” Wing Bryan Habana, a World Cup winner with Botha in 2007 and now a clubmate at Toulon, has hailed the impact of a player whose physicality on the field made him a feared opponent. “Having played with Bakkies for a long time now and also recently going over to Toulon, to see the presence that he still has within the squad is immense,” Habana said. —Reuters

MADRID: Lionel Messi will be working “full time” to shake off the hamstring injury sustained on Sunday that will sideline him for six to eight weeks, Barcelona’s Argentine World Player of the Year said on Tuesday. In his first public remarks since he was forced off early in Barca’s 4-1 La Liga win at Real Betis, Messi said his priority was to return as soon as possible so he could contribute to the Spanish champions’ quest for silverware. “As many of you know, over the next few weeks I will be working full time on the recovery from this latest injury,” Messi said on his Facebook page. “For me it is a pity not to be able to play with my team right now,” added the 26-year-old. “Now the most important thing is to recover well so I can help my team mates and reward all the support you’ve given to me in the best way I know how to do, playing football.” Messi was substituted in the 19th minute in Seville after pulling up following a sprint for possession and a tangle with his markers. It was his third thigh injury of the campaign and followed a similar muscle problem towards the end of last season. His absence is perhaps not as serious as it might first appear as he will likely return before Barca face title rivals Atletico Madrid in January and they have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. In Brazil forward Neymar, signed from Santos in the close season, Barca have a player with a similar ability to turn a game and the 21-year-old will be expected to justify his 57 million-euro ($76.6 million) price tag while Messi is out. —Reuters

Panthers snap losing streak SUNRISE: Brad Boyes scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Tim Thomas stopped 32 shots as the Florida Panthers snapped a nine-game losing streak Tuesday with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Scottie Upshall and Shawn Matthias also scored for the Panthers, who earned their first win under new coach Peter Horachek and ended Anaheim’s five-game winning streak. Upshall also had an assist to help Florida rally from two goals down. The Panthers won for the first time since beating Minnesota 2-1 on Oct. 19. It was their first victory in three games under Horachek, who took over when Kevin Dineen was fired last Friday. Hampus Lindholm and Andrew Cogliano scored for the Ducks (15-4-1), who lead the NHL with 31 points. Frederik Andersen made 22 saves but lost for the first time in seven career starts.

Clint Hurdle

Hurdle, Francona named as managers of the year NEW YORK: Clint Hurdle was named National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after leading Pittsburgh to their first postseason berth in 21 years, while Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians took home the American League honors. Hurdle steered the playoff-deprived Pirates to a 94-68 record in 2013, which also marked their first winning season since 1992, to claim a wild card playoff berth following a 79-83 mark in 2012. The Pirates manager won the vote over Don Mattingly of the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers and NL East-winning manager Fredi Gonzalez of the Atlanta Braves. Hurdle received 25 of the 30 first-place votes and was named second on the other five ballots to win by a wide margin. Mattingly was runner-up and Gonzalez third in the balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Pirates faded after a strong first-half in 2012, but finished strong in the 56-yearold Hurdle’s third year at the helm of the Pirates. “From an organizational standpoint, we are a competitive team and we have big dreams,” Hurdle said. “It’s not enough to just show up and play hard. “It’s a bit overwhelming. It’s humbling,” added Hurdle. “All I tried to do every day was to be positive.” Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, won his first Manager of the Year award after taking Cleveland into the postseason with a wild card berth in his first season in charge of the Indians. In a tight American League race, Francona, whose Indians went from 68-94 to 92-70, collected 16 first-place votes to 12 for John Farrell, who led the Red Sox to a World Series title. Last year’s winner, Bob Melvin of the AL West-winning Oakland Athletics, finished third and received the other two first-place votes. Voters submitted their ballots before the start of the postseason. “It gives me a chance to brag for our organization,” Francona said. “It’s a representation of the

organization. This was one of the funnest years I ever had.” Francona, who had never received a first-place vote in previous balloting, and Farrell go back a long way together having been team mates on the 1988 Indians club. Francona was manager when Boston ended an 86-year World Series title drought in 2004 with a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. He had Farrell as his pitching coach in 2007 when Boston swept another

Terry Francona World Series over the Colorado Rockies. “I think I’d trade the award for what he did, any time,” Francona said about his friend Farrell’s winning this season’s World Series. “I actually called John this morning. I thought it was hilarious that in 1988 we were both struggling to survive with the Cleveland Indians and that 25 years later we’d be going against each other for this award.” — Reuters

BEIJING: Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina competes in the Women’s 200-meter backstroke final at the FINA Swimming World Cup at National Aquatic Center. — AP

SABRES 3, KINGS 2 Cody Hodgson scored two goals, Ryan Miller made 43 saves as Buffalo beat Los Angeles to avoid matching the worst home start in NHL history. Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis scored in the shootout for the Sabres (4-15-1) and Miller stopped both Los Angeles shooters. Buffalo was winless in its first nine home games, one short of the NHL record set by Pittsburgh in 1983-84. Justin Williams and Dwight King scored in regulation for the Kings (11-7-0), who had won their previous two games. Despite the loss, Los Angeles was the dominant team and controlled most of the play. The Kings outshot the Sabres 45-17 for the game, holding a 15-4 advantage after one period and 30-7 after two. SHARKS 3, FLAMES 2 Brad Stuart scored 1:13 into overtime to propel San Jose to a victory over Calgary that snapped a five-game winless streak. Stuart joined the rush and broke for the net and had Joe Thornton’s shot deflect off him and past Reto Berra for the winner. Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau also scored for San Jose. During their skid, they had three shootout losses and one loss in overtime. San Jose dominated play throughout the game, outshooting Calgary 35-13. The Sharks were particularly strong in the first two periods, building a 2-0 lead with a 28-6 edge in shots. Mike Cammalleri and Kris Russell scored for Calgary in the third period. The Flames are winless in their past four. COYOTES 3, BLUES 2 Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored 56 seconds into overtime and Mike Smith made 37 saves to give Phoenix a victory over St. Louis. Ekman-Larsson, who had an assist on Phoenix’s first goal, took a pass from Mike Ribeiro and beat goalie Jaroslav Halak with a shot from just inside the blue line. Smith had faced the most shots of any NHL goalie coming into the game (516). He saw another 39 in this one, including 13 in the third period. David Moss and Mikkel Boedker had the other Phoenix goals. Maxim Lapierre and Roman Polak scored for the Blues. Halak made 16 saves. DEVILS 3, RANGERS 2 Dainius Zubrus netted the tiebreaking goal with 2:55 left, Ryan Carter scored his first two goals of the season as New Jersey snapped New York’s three-game winning streak. Zubrus put in a loose puck after his shot was blocked by defenseman Dan Girardi for his third goal. That was enough to give Martin Brodeur a third straight win. Girardi had gotten the Rangers even at 2 when he scored his first of the season with 7:42 left. Girardi banked in a shot from the blue line off the skate of Devils defenseman Adam Larsson, who turned 21 on Tuesday. Brodeur, who earlier this season conceded his starting job to newcomer Cory Schneider started and won for the third time in four games. His previous two outings resulted in shutouts. The 41-year-old Brodeur, who made 33 saves, also allowed a second-period goal to Marc Staal in earning his NHL-record 674th win. CAPITALS 4, BLUE JACKETS 3 Alex Ovechkin put in a rebound 1:34 into overtime to lift Washington over Columbus. Ovechkin’s 14th goal of the season came when he was perched by the crease to stuff in the puck after Marcus Johansson’s shot was saved by Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Washington’s Mikhail Grabovski sent the game to overtime by getting his stick on a

SUNRISE: Anaheim Ducksí Bryan Allen (55) watches as Florida Panthersí Marcel Goc (57) goes for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game. — AP

loose puck with 1:45 remaining in regulation, capping a back-and-forth third period. John Carlson and Joel Ward also scored for the Capitals, who have won five of seven and five straight at home. Braden Holtby made 24 saves. Brandon Dubinsky, Jared Boll and Cam Atkinson scored for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped six of seven. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 shots.

in the shootout to give Winnipeg the win against Detroit. Bryan Little and Zach Bogosian scored for Winnipeg in regulation. Ondrej Pavelec made 41 saves. Pavel Datsyuk scored twice for Detroit. Jimmy Howard stopped 19 shots. Daniel Alfredsson scored in the shootout. Datsyuk’s second power-play goal of the game, with 6:49 remaining in the third, tied it 2-2.

HURRICANES 2, AVALANCHE 1 Jordan Staal and Patrick Dwyer each had a goal and an assist as Carolina handed Colorado its first loss in seven road games this season. Carolina goalie Justin Peters stopped 33 shots, while Colorado’s Semyon Varlamov stopped 26. Carolina has points in four straight games (3-0-1), all at home, since snapping a five-game losing streak. Paul Stastny scored his seventh goal of the season for Colorado.

LIGNTNING 2, CANADIENS 1 Valtteri Filppula scored the only goal in the shootout as Tampa Bay topped Montreal in their first game without Steven Stamkos. The Lightning were without Stamkos, their leading goal scorer, who broke his right leg after crashing into the net against the Bruins on Monday. Stamkos had surgery Tuesday and is expected to miss several weeks. Ryan Malone scored in regulation for Tampa Bay (13-5-0), while Ben Bishop stopped 28 shots. Daniel Briere scored for Montreal (98-2) and Carey Price made 44 saves.

ISLANDERS 3, PREDATORS 1 John Tavares, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Okposo scored, and Kevin Poulin made 32 saves as New York beat Nashville to snap a four-game losing streak. The 23-year-old Poulin was sharp throughout as the Islanders (7-9-3) played a strong game following a dismal road trip during which they lost four games without recording a point. Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist ruined Poulin’s shutout bid with his fifth goal of the season with 5:30 remaining. JETS 3, RED WINGS 2 Devin Setoguchi and Andrew Ladd scored

FLYERS 5, SENATORS 0 Jakub Voracek scored twice, Steve Mason made 24 saves as Philadelphia shut out Ottawa. The Flyers have back-to-back wins and have scored nine goals in the two games, marking just the third time this season they have scored more than twice in a game. Matt Read, Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn also scored for the Flyers (6-10-1), while Claude Giroux added two assists. It was Mason’s first shutout of the season and the 20th of his career. Craig Anderson stopped 26 of 31 shots in his first start in more than a week after injuring his neck in a loss to Dallas on Nov. 9. — AP

NHL results/standings Buffalo 3, Los Angeles 2 (So); NY Islanders 3, Nashville 1; New Jersey 3, NY Rangers 2; Washington 4, Columbus 3 (OT ); Carolina 2, Colorado 1; Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 (So); Philadelphia 5, Ottawa 0; Winnipeg 3, Detroit 2 (So); Florida 3, Anaheim 2; Phoenix 3, St. Louis 2 (OT); San Jose 3, Calgary 2 (OT). Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF Anaheim 15 4 1 68 Phoenix 13 4 2 63 San Jose 11 2 5 66 Vancouver 11 7 2 54 Los Angeles 11 6 1 52 Calgary 6 9 3 49 Edmonton 4 13 2 48 Central Division Colorado 14 3 0 55 Chicago 12 2 4 66 St. Louis 11 2 3 54 Minnesota 10 4 4 48 Winnipeg 9 9 2 53 Dallas 8 7 2 46 Nashville 8 8 2 38 Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Tampa Bay 13 5 0 56

GA 48 58 43 54 44 64 75

PTS 31 28 27 24 23 15 10

30 49 37 40 57 52 57

28 28 25 24 20 18 18

Boston Detroit Toronto Montreal Ottawa Florida Buffalo

11 5 1 48 30 9 5 5 47 51 11 6 0 51 40 9 8 2 49 42 7 7 4 53 56 4 11 4 40 66 4 15 1 36 63 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 11 6 0 50 40 61 55 Washington 10 8 1 NY Rangers 9 9 0 41 49 Carolina 7 7 4 34 49 New Jersey 6 7 5 38 46 NY Islanders 7 9 3 54 61 Philadelphia 6 10 1 31 44 Columbus 6 10 1 44 50

23 23 22 20 18 12 9 22 21 18 18 17 17 13 13

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

S P ORT S

Bullying has become latest issue for NFL NEW YORK: Even by NFL standards, the bash Aldon Smith threw last year at his mountain home in California was a wild one. By the time the party ended, two people had been shot and the San Francisco 49ers linebacker had been stabbed. Prosecutors would later bring assault weapons charges against Smith, who also faces DUI charges after being arrested in September in a separate incident. No one was shot in the locker room of the Miami Dolphins, though there were threats of murder and mayhem that weren’t actually carried out. The way Richie Incognito talked was so frightening to teammate Jonathan Martin that he quit his job and left town on the first plane he could find. That the NFL can be a violent place is no secret. The league has prospered greatly by glorifying it between the lines on Sunday, even as evidence mounts that players risk long-term damage to their health and their brains every time they take the field. It’s a tough place to make a living because only the tough survive to play. Martin was tough enough to be trusted to open holes and block 300-pounders intent on doing damage to his quarterback, but apparently not tough enough to handle the abuse that Incognito threw his way. Listen to Incognito defend himself and you have to wonder what world he lives in. In a society where the types of things he says are not tolerated, how can there be a place where they are encouraged? “All this stuff coming out, it speaks to the culture of our locker room, it speaks to culture of our closeness, it speaks to the culture of our brotherhood,” Incognito said in a weekend interview with Fox Sports. OK, we get it. They live in a different world than the rest of us, where the rules of normal society don’t always apply. They’re warriors on a mission for greatness, something that those who don’t play the game simply don’t understand. It’s utter nonsense, of course. The locker room mentality of having your teammate’s back is all well and good, but just how that translates into racial slurs or texts about killing family members is incomprehensible. Certainly, athletes in other sports don’t take it to those levels. If that’s the culture - and in Miami it certainly seems to have been - then it’s time to change that culture. Bullying and racism need to be tackled with the same -albeit belated - enthusiasm the NFL is now showing for concussion research. There’s a difference between a tight locker room and a place where players act like animals just released from

their cages. The rules of normal civilization should apply, even in an abnormal world where young men who have been idolized all their lives for what they can do with a football think they don’t. The Dolphins took the field Monday night with an offensive line depleted by the absence of Martin and Incognito, and the results were predictable. Tampa Bay won its first game of the season, and the Dolphins running game was nearly non-existent with a franchise record-low 2 yards in 14 carries. Equally predictable was their owner going on national television at halftime to declare how shocked he is about things that went on under his watch. “The world has changed,” Stephen Ross said. “One thing that will not change: there will not be any racial slurs or harassing or bullying in that locker room and outside the locker room.” That’s the kind of talk that should be coming from commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been strangely silent on the scandal. Goodell did appoint a New York lawyer as a special investigator to probe locker room misconduct, but so far seems content to let that play out before taking a stand. That might be because the league is so hugely popular that a little locker room bullying won’t hurt it at all. The same is true for the growing controversy over the Redskins nickname, any number of player arrests, and reports about former players who can’t remember what team they played for or what they had for dinner the night before. But for a commissioner who has talked about changing the culture of the league both with concussions and Bountygate, this might be the best opportunity to change one more culture that has no place in any league. Stop the rookie hazings, and do away with the $15,000 dinner bills. Ban the N-word for good, no matter the color of the skin of the player who might use it. And while you’re at it, give Incognito a year off without pay. There’s not a lot that can be done in a brutally violent sport to keep players from being hurt on the field. But they shouldn’t be afraid among their own teammates, and they should understand that workplace protection applies to the NFL just like it does any company office. NFL players don’t need to prove they’re tough in the locker room or at the dinner table with teammates. They do it week in and week out, sacrificing their bodies while knowing it can all come to an end on any play or any Sunday. In a league grappling with a lot of issues, this doesn’t have to be one of them. — AP

MACAU: This file photo taken on November 22, 2009 shows cars of the 56th Macau Grand Prix Formula Three race leaving the starting line. — AFP

Macau GP shows no signs of slowing down HONG KONG: It started as a motorised treasure hunt, but then grew to become one of the world’s most respected races, nurturing some of Formula One’s greatest champions along the way. And as it celebrates its 60th edition, the Macau Grand Prix-one constant in a time of rapid change for the Chinese territory-is showing no signs of slowing down. Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel are just a few of the drivers who have braved the twisting, hilly street circuit. It is Asia’s version of the famous Monaco Formula One track, complete with the casinos, and it is recognised as one of the toughest challenges in racing. Central Macau shuts down during grand prix week, this year spread over a fortnight to commemorate the 60th race since its humble beginnings in 1954. Roads are fenced off and barriers go up to form the 6.2-kilometre (3.9 miles) Guia circuit, mixing long, harbor side straights with chases up and down Macau’s steep, narrow back streets. “The track is a freak of nature and it’s a miracle. If God ever built a racetrack, it would be the one in Macau,” former driver and TV commentator Matthew Marsh told AFP.Macau, an hour’s ferry from Hong Kong, is the culmination of the Formula Three season, bringing together the best drivers from the category’s various series around the world. Brazil’s Senna won the inaugural Formula Three race in 1983, and Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton also went from Macau to winning the F1 world championship. Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas are others among the current F1 drivers who have raced in Macau, testament to its enduring place in the sport. But Macau also features, uniquely, motorcycle racing, as well as touring car and sportscar series such as the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, coordinator of the grand prix committee, said the race had grown with the city on its journey from sleepy backwater to world-lead-

ing gambling hub. “The Macau Grand Prix, like the city, continues to grow and develop,” Antunes told AFP, adding that it remains the “place to spot the brightest talent” in motorsports. It is “the only time the leading drivers from the various national and regional F3 championships compete against each other,” he added. The event began without fanfare in 1954, when local car enthusiasts decided to hold a treasure hunt in the Pearl River Delta territory then controlled by Portugual. Championed by businessman and future Formula One team owner Teddy Yip, a founder of Macau’s casino and tourism industry, it quickly blossomed as a race despite rudimentary facilities including bamboo fencing.Motorcycle racing was added in 1967, adding extra cachet to an event that is well known to motorsports fans the world over. The event has also retained its prestige during Macau’s transformation to the world’s biggest casino centre with revenues vastly outstripping Las Vegas. Although Macau’s wealthy casinos now host international golf, boxing and other sports, the historic grand prix remains one of the main events of the year. “The grand prix actually is more important than ever because it’s almost like the only thing that isn’t gambling in Macau,” said Marsh. Key to its success is the Guia circuit-one of the world’s few street tracks-and the sheer challenge it gives drivers used to racing in more sanitised conditions. The narrow track, surrounded by high walls and fences with few run-off areas, leaves little room for error. Marsh said he nearly “crashed every corner” when he raced there. “It’s bloody hard and racing drivers usually love the most difficult race track,” he said. Fatalities have been few but last year, Portuguese motorcyclist Luis Filipe de Sousa Carreira and Hong Kong touring car racer Phillip Yau died in crashes on consecutive days. This year’s programme features six days of racing culminating in the Formula Three race on Sunday. — AFP

Photo of the day

Dawid Godziek performs a 360 doublebarspin at his backyard in Suszec, Poland on October 23, 2013. — www.redbull.com

Stenson eyes No. 1 spot DUBAI: Despite a persistent wrist injury, Henrik Stenson is hoping his purple patch of form will last one more week as he aims to win the DP World Tour Championship and the honor of becoming Europe’s new No1 player. The 37-year-old, who is aiming to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and the Race to Dubai on the European Tour in the same year, is leading the standings going into the final week of the season. He is one of the three players in control of their own destiny, while the next eight players have a mathematical chance of overtaking him. Stenson, a long-time resident of Dubai before shifting to Florida earlier this year, enjoys a lead of 213,468 euros over second-placed Justin Rose, while No3 Graeme McDowell is behind by 321,800 euros. But with the top prize this week worth 985,476 euros, the Swede is well aware of the challenges he faces. Stenson, who finished tied seventh last week in Turkey in a tournament where his closest rivals Rose and No4 Ian Poulter were in contention, said: “I felt lucky last week. “I thought it could have been a whole lot worse for my positioning in Turkey, but things worked out pretty well there, so I am still leading. “(Being European No1) is always one of the things that I would have liked to achieve in golf. Growing up on the European Tour and playing here for many, many years, it would mean a lot to be the overall winner of Race to Dubai. “To have a chance to do it together with winning the FedEx Cup is probably something I’m not going to have a chance to do again, and it’s going to be hard for some of the other guys to have a chance to do it, as well. “It’s one of those things that I really want it, but if you want something too much, that’s going to make some trouble for you. “It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that I want that to happen, but I have to put that aside and focus on playing the best I can with my circumstances this week. We’ll then see where that takes us.” Stenson has been suffering with a wrist injury before the start of the Final Series —

the BMW Masters in Shanghai — but he is hoping the two days of complete rest and physio work after Turkish Open will help him squeeze in another week before making a decision about the rest of the year. “Right now, I’m just focusing on getting through this week and then I will have to take a further look on my schedule. I’m scheduled to play a couple of weeks in the next month, and I will have to look and see if that’s going to be possible.” Meanwhile, McDowell reckoned the fact that he did not have a very good history at the Earth course will not hamper his chances, as he has

been getting better with every year. McDowell, who finished tied 11th last year for his best result at the venue, said: “I do feel like every year I’ve come back, I’ve kind of got the hang of the Earth course. “It’s typically come down to putting for me on this golf course. I come here with an open mind this week. I come here certainly as a player who I feel is getting better and learning, and I’m experienced enough to not write myself off around a golf course until I’ve had a few rounds under my belt.” The $8 million tournament star ts today. — AFP

Henrik Stenson

Manila Masters to go ahead despite typhoon disaster MANILA: The inaugural Manila Masters golf tournament will go ahead this week, despite the unprecedented disaster caused by Typhoon Haiyan, the Asian Tour said yesterday. The super typhoon, one of the strongest storms ever recorded, killed thousands and displaced 670,000 people, leaving them with no access to food, water or medicine. The storm flattened Tacloban, coastal capital of Leyte province, where several local officials have said they feared 10,000 people died, many drowning in a tsunami-like surge of seawater. The Tour consulted with local golf associations, authorities and relief agencies and decided to continue with the $750,000 event to be held at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club from today. “The people in this country are resilient and they have shown countless times that they are able to bounce back stronger,” Stephen Reilly, chief operating officer of title sponsors Resorts World Manila, said in a statement. “Through this tournament, we want to show that the Filipinos are survivors and we’ll get back on our feet quickly.” Organisers also plan to raise funds

and support relief authorities through the event. “We feel for the people affected by this unfortunate tragedy and hope that through the staging of this tournament, and through our support of aid and relief programmes, we will be able to help in whatever way possible,” Asian Tour Chief Executive Mike Kerr added. Two-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra said the players wanted to do their bit for the affected people. “I’ve always wanted to play at Manila Southwoods again and furthermore, I thought the Philippines needs help right now,” Chopra, who is born to a Swedish mother and Indian father, said. “It was an easy decision for me to make between playing here or back on the PGA Tour in Mexico. We’ve got the Red Cross here this week so hopefully some of the players here can provide some sort of support financially to help the victims.” Local hope Angelo Que also promised help. “Unfortunately, the typhoon has to happen but we’re all good to help. I think it’s a good thing that all players get together and help out,” Que, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, said. — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

S P ORT S

2015 World Cup targets families SYDNEY: Cricket fans will be able to pick up tickets for the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand for as little as A$5 ($4.66) for children and $20 for adults as organisers bid to get more than 1 million people through the gates. Having learned the lessons of the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean, where high ticket prices meant many of the matches were played in front of sparse crowds, organisers have made affordability for families a key consideration. Children’s tickets costing A$60 will be available even for the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the most expensive adult ticket will cost A$395. “We want to put on an event which makes everyone who loves the game feel included,” Cricket World Cup chief executive John Harnden told a news conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. “Cricket is a family game and like any sport, we want to inspire the next generation. We want kids to keep playing cricket, or if they are not currently playing cricket, to start. “With $5 children’s tickets for every pool match, and adult tickets from $20, we believe we will attract people from around the corner and around the globe.” Organisers are also hoping to engage immigrant communities in the 14 host cities to help fill the grounds and provide what they hope will be a carnival atmosphere, particularly at the 42 pool matches. “It’s about 14 teams, if Australia and New Zealand do well, that’s the icing on the cake,” Harnden added. “We’ve got a community engagement programme and we are working very, very hard to effectively make every match for every team a home match. “We need to capture the hearts and minds of all the communities and populations in those 14 cities and, if we get that right, I really do think a lot of the rest of it looks after itself.” Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 14 next year but fans can pre-register their interest online at www.cricketworldcup.com. The 2011 World Cup in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka set an imposing standard for ticket sales with 1.2 million spectators attending matches, but Harnden was confident at least two thirds of the 1.5 million available for next year would be taken up. “We believe over a million people will attend,” Harnden said. “At the start of the journey, more than a million is realistic but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.” The 10 full member nations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) will take part in the Feb. 14March 29 tournament along with Ireland, debutants Afghanistan and two other qualifiers. The final two teams will be decided in a qualifying tournament in New Zealand early next year. — Reuters

Heat scorch Bucks MIAMI: LeBron James scored 33 points and sat out the fourth quarter, while Michael Beasley scored 19 off the bench as the Miami Heat had little trouble in beating the Milwaukee Bucks 118-95 Tuesday. Mario Chalmers finished with 15 points and seven assists for the Heat, whose previous biggest victory margin was a 12point triumph over Chicago on opening night. Chris Bosh scored 10 for Miami (5-3). John Henson and Gary Neal each scored 18 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 for Milwaukee - all three of them putting up those points off the Bucks’ bench. Caron Butler was the only double-digit-scoring starter for the Bucks (2-4), finishing with 10. Miami played without Udonis Haslem (back) and Ray Allen (ill). Shane Battier started in Haslem’s place. MAVERICKS 105, WIZARDS 95 Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points to pass Jerry West on the NBA’s career scoring list and help Dallas beat Washington. Nowitzki hit consecutive 3-pointers late in the third quarter, the second one putting him at 25,194 points for 16th place, two ahead of West. Trevor Ariza led the Wizards with 27 points, including five 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds and four steals. Monta Ellis started slowly from the field before scoring 10 in the fourth quarter to help the Mavericks improve to 4-0 at home this season. Ellis matched Nowitzki with 19. Nowitzki ended up 8 of 19 from the field with eight rebounds, two assists and steals. He has 25,197 points for his career. Reggie Miller is 15th on the scoring list with 25,279 points. LAKERS 116, PELICANS 95 Jordan Hill had a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds in his first start of the season, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and eight rebounds in Los Angeles’ victory over New Orleans. Nick Young scored 17 points for Los Angeles, which lost five of its last seven before trouncing the Pelicans, who beat them handily last week in New Orleans. Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry scored 15 points apiece for the Lakers, who led by 20 points in the first half before coasting to their 12th win in their last 13 regular-season meetings with New Orleans. Eric Gordon scored 17 points for the Pelicans, who have lost on the first two stops of their threegame West Coast road trip. WARRIORS 113, PISTONS 95 Stephen Curry had 25 points and eight assists to help Golden State build a 19-point first-quarter lead before sitting out the final 12 minutes of the win over Detroit. David Lee added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Klay Thompson had 14 points for the Warriors, who have won five straight over the Pistons. Curry scored 12 points as part of a 19-4 run in the third quarter then sat out the entire fourth quarter when Golden State coach Mark Jackson emptied his bench. Detroit’s Andre Drummond had 16 points and 14 rebounds for his second straight double-double and fourth in seven games. — AP

MIAMI: Milwaukee Bucks’ Gary Neal (12) drives to the basket as Miami Heat’s Chris Andersen (right) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

NBA results/standings Miami 118, Milwaukee 95; Dallas 105, Washington 95; Golden State 113, Detroit 95; LA Lakers 116, New Orleans 95.

Philadelphia Boston Toronto NY Knicks Brooklyn Indiana Chicago Cleveland Milwaukee Detroit Miami Atlanta Charlotte Orlando Washington

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 4 4 .500 4 4 .500 3 5 .375 2 4 .333 2 4 .333 Central Division 8 0 1.000 3 3 .500 3 5 .375 2 4 .333 2 5 .286 Southeast Division 5 3 .625 4 3 .571 3 4 .429 3 5 .375 2 5 .286

GB 1 1 1 4 5 5 5.5 0.5 1.5 2 2.5

Oklahoma City Portland Minnesota Denver Utah Phoenix LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Sacramento San Antonio Houston Dallas Memphis New Orleans

Western Conference Northwest Division 5 1 5 2 5 3 2 4 0 8 Pacific Division 5 2 5 3 5 3 4 5 1 5 Southwest Division 7 1 5 3 5 3 3 4 3 5

.833 .714 .625 .333 0

0.5 1 3 6

.714 .625 .625 .444 .167

0.5 0.5 2 3.5

.875 .625 .625 .429 .375

2 2 3.5 4

McCullum fires NZ to victory

SYDNEY: England Ashes Test cricketer Ian Bell (right) fields close in as batsman Ryan Carters (left) plays a shot during the tour match against a Cricket Australia Invitational XI. — AFP

Carters and Nevill blunt England attack in tour game SYDNEY: Ryan Carters and skipper Peter Nevill frustrated England’s bowlers with an unbroken 178-run stand for the Cricket Australia Invitational XI yesterday in the tourists’ final match before the Ashes. England had the invitation side reeling on 93 for five, but wicketkeepers Carters and Nevill hit back to blunt their attack on the opening day of the four-day match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. At the close the Invitational XI were 271 for five after being sent in to bat, with Carters unbeaten on 94 and Nevill not out 76. The pair defied the England attack for 348 balls and were doing so easily as the pitch flattened out during the day. With established stars Usman Khawaja, Phil Hughes, Adam Voges and Steve O’Keefe pulled from the match, some unheralded New South Wales players had the chance to prove themselves and Carters and Nevill seized the opportunity. “It’s really satisfying. We always backed ourselves to have a really good crack at the English and I think we showed today we’ve got some fight in us,” Carters said. “Nev’s a really quality first-class player. He’s been doing it for a few years now and today he showed he can also do it against international opposition.” Stuart Broad had bowled England into a strong position with three wickets. But the tourists were denied any further breakthroughs after the pair came together, just over a week before the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane. Broad was by far England’s best bowler and finished the day with three wickets for 36 off 20 overs. And he was happy with his day’s work and expressed confidence his bowling teammates would lift. “It’s hugely exciting we have such a choice. I genuinely feel whoever goes into that seamer’s spot will do a fantastic job,” he said. “Boyd’s (Rankin) bounce is exceptional, Finny (Steven Finn) has a fantastic strike rate in Test cricket and (Chris) Tremlett has won games for England in Test cricket with his huge frame and consistency. All the guys add a huge amount, it’s a tough call to make.” Paceman Finn grabbed the other two wickets but was far more expensive, giving up 79 runs in 22 overs. Fellow quick Rankin claimed no wicket for 60 from 20 overs.Test spinner Graeme Swann toiled for 22 wicketless overs and conceded 66 runs. With spearhead James Anderson rested, Broad took the new ball and worked up a good pace and bounce. He had Aaron Finch caught behind for four and

trapped Callum Ferguson leg before wicket for eight. Then Finn had Kurtis Patterson well caught at first slip by skipper Alastair Cook for five to leave the home side on 37 for three. Finn removed former Australia Test opener Ed Cowan for 51 off 93 balls with nine fours shortly after lunch, and Broad had Ben Rohrer caught by Michael Carberry for 19 in the only wickets to fall in the middle session. Cook had won the toss and chose to field, deciding that his bowlers needed a workout because of time lost to poor weather earlier in the tour. Kevin Pietersen was included in the England team after having a cortisone injection for a troublesome knee, while Ian Bell returned to the batting line-up. Wicketkeeper Matt Prior was left out for Jonny Bairstow as he receives treatment for a calf strain. The five-Test Ashes series begins on November 21 in Brisbane. —AFP

HAMBANTOTA: Nathan McCullum smashed 22 runs off the final four balls to lift New Zealand to a thrilling fourwicket win over Sri Lanka in the rain-hit second one-day international in Hambantota on Tuesday. The Black Caps, set a revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 198 in 23 overs, replied with 203-6 as McCullum hit spinner Rangana Herath for three sixes and a four to seal a last-ball win. The victory was set up by a superb 86 off 68 balls from opener Tom Latham and a quickfire 49 by Luke Ronchi, the pair adding 93 from 57 deliveries for the fifth wicket. Both batsmen fell in the 21st over bowled by Nuwan Kulasekara, but McCullum steered the Black Caps home with an unbeaten 32 off nine balls. Latham’s knock contained 12 boundaries and a six, while Ronchi hit seven fours and a six. Earlier, Sri Lanka made 138-1 from 23 overs in between a rain interruption of more than four hours. Sri Lanka, who won the toss and elected to bat, were 117-1 in 20.4 overs when bad weather hit the southern coastal town. When the game resumed, it was curtailed to 23 overs which allowed Sri Lanka to add a further 21 runs in the remaining 14 deliveries. Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 55 not out and Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten 71 off 59 balls, the duo adding 126 for the unbroken second wicket after opener Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed for four. New Zealand’s reply began on the wrong foot when Kulasekara dismissed Anton Devcich and Rob Nicol off successive balls in the second over. Both batsmen fell to catches behind the stumps by wicket-keeper Sangakkara, who also stumped Grant Elliott off Sachithra Senanayake to reduce the Black Caps to 34-3. Kulasekara finished with four for 34 and Senanayake took two for 31. The first match on Sunday at the same venue was rained out with New Zealand on 13-1 in 4.2 overs in reply to the home team’s 288-9. The third and final one-dayer in Dambulla on November 16 will be followed by two Twenty20 internationals in Pallekele on Nov 19 and 21. No Tests are scheduled on the short tour. — AFP

SCOREBOARD HAMBANTOTA: Scoreboard from the second one-day international between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Hambantota on Tuesday: Sri Lanka: D. Karunaratne c Neesham b Mills 4 T. Dilshan not out 55 K. Sangakkara not out 71 Extras: (b1, lb2, w4, nb1) 8 Total (for one wicket, 23 overs) 138 Fall of wicket: 1-12 (Karunaratne) Bowling: Mills 5-2-16-1 (nb1), Milne 3-0-20-0, Neesham 3-0-25-0 (w1), N. McCullum 4-0-23-0, Devcich 5-0-31-0 (w1), Nicol 2-0-12-0 (w1), Ellis 1-0-8-0 (w1) New Zealand (revised target of 198 runs): T. Latham c Senanayake b Kulasekara 86 A. Devcich c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 1 R. Nicol c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0 G. Elliott st Sangakkara b Senanayake 7 C. Munro c Thirimanne b Senanayake 15 L. Ronchi c Dilshan b Kulasekara 49 J. Neesham not out 5 N. McCullum not out 32 Extras: (lb5, w3) 8 Total (for six wickets, 23 overs) 203 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Devcich), 2-8 (Nicol), 3-34 (Elliott), 4-68 (Munro), 5-161 (Ronchi), 6-165 (Latham). Bowling: Malinga 5-0-42-0(w3), Kulasekara 5-0-34-4, Mathews 5-0-35-0, Senanayake 4-0-31-2, Dilshan 1-013-0, Herath 3-0-43-0 New Zealand won by four wickets (Duckworth-Lewis method).

SCOREBOARD SYDNEY: Scoreboard at the close on the opening day of the four-day tour match between a Cricket Australia Invitational XI and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday: CA Invitational XI 1st innings: Aaron Finch c Bairstow b Broad 4 Ed Cowan c Trott b Finn 51 Callum Ferguson lbw b Broad 8 Kurtis Patterson c Cook b Finn 5 Ben Rohrer c Carberry b Broad 19 Ryan Carters not out 94 Peter Nevill not out 76 Extras (lb7, w2, nb5) 14 Total (5 wkts; 90 overs) 271 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Finch), 2-27 (Ferguson), 3-37 (Patterson), 4-90 (Rohrer), 5-93 (Cowan) Bowling: Broad 20-7-36-3 (2nb), Rankin 20-4-60-0 (1w), Finn 22-4-79-2 (3nb, 1w), Swann 22-5-66-0, Trott 5-1-22-0, Root 1-0-1-0.

SRI LANKA: New Zealand’s Tom Latham watches the ball after playing a shot during the second one-day international cricket match against Sri Lanka in Sooriyawewa. — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

S P ORT S

Was 1993 FSU-ND college football’s best game ever? NEW YORK: Exactly 20 years after one, the very idea of a “Game of the Century” sounds so, well, last century now. Maybe because these days, it’s seems like there’s one on TV every week. And maybe it’s not all hype. By any measure, college football has never been bigger: the number of fans, teams, dollars rolling in, bowl games; take your pick. But two decades later, it’s still open to debate whether the game ever had a better afternoon than on Nov. 13, 1993. So rewind the tape - check that, go to YouTube and check out the highlights from then-No. 1 Florida State at No. 2 Notre Dame. The Seminoles arrived with two dozen future NFL draft picks, soonto-be Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, and a deserving coach, Bobby Bowden, still chasing his first national championship. If you bought what Notre Dame’s Lou Holtz was selling, all the Irish had was their mystique. “Perfect seasons at stake, a game in a perfect place, a collision in history,” Bob Costas said as NBC came on the air. But soon after the football went up, Notre Dame raced out to a 24-7 lead. The Irish scored their first touchdown on an improbable 32yard reverse by Adrian Jarrell, a part-time receiver and full-time punter making his first rushing attempt of the season, and just the third of his career. Full-time safety Jeff Burris ran for two more. “I thought we had it under control a few times,” Holtz recalled ruefully. “But that’s what makes great fights. They kept getting up off the ground.” Out of timeouts, but back within 31-24, Ward marched FSU down to the Notre Dame 14 with three seconds left. Flushed from the pocket on the final play, he rolled left and took dead aim at the left corner of the end zone. “It’s sounds funny now,” Irish cornerback Shawn

Wooden said. “But they’d scored on a tipped pass just before that, so on the sidelines, coach was yelling at the defense, ‘quit trying to intercept it! Just knock the ball down.’” Wooden did exactly that - at the goal line. “Knocked away!” announcer Charlie Jones howled a heartbeat later. “The ghost of Knute Rockne is living! And he is smiling!” But not for long. The following week, Notre Dame was caught looking ahead and lost its last regular-season game, at home, to 19th-ranked Boston College. Florida State went unbeaten the rest of the way, and all the other dominoes in their path to a title game toppled just right. “What do I remember,” Bowden asked. “One is how poor ole’ Charlie Ward was running for his life all afternoon. “The other thing,” he chuckled softly, “is that we lost that battle but won the war.” As fate would have it, Wooden’s knee, weakened earlier in the game, was shredded right after the final play when a pack of teammates jumped on his back. He recovered and - like 20 of his teammates that day - went on to play in the NFL. But when Wooden runs into Bowden on the charity circuit in south Florida, there is still only one topic of conversation. “I love Coach Bowden,” Wooden said, “but every time I see that ring on, I remind him only half of it belongs to him. The other half, that should have been ours.” College football revenues are up a whopping 347 percent in the 20 years since that game, totaling about $3 billion a year. Over that same span, expenses have increased 324 percent, to $1.8 billion. Even more money awaits just down the road, beginning with the game’s first-ever playoff in 2015. By then, the Bowl Championship Series’ computers will be in storage and all the lobbying by coach-

es and players will matter only so much. But at the end of that appropriately gray afternoon, Florida State receiver Matt Frier created quite a stir by pleading with poll voters not to forget the Seminoles. “I wasn’t trying to take anything away from Notre Dame,” he said. “I was just frustrated because we didn’t finish the deal. Charlie was a good friend of mine, too, and all of us who came in in 1989 - we were the No. 1 recruiting class that year - were frustrated. We always seemed to come up a play short. Those memories kind of came rushing back. “Then someone stuck a microphone in front of me and asked, ‘How far do you think you should drop?’ All I said was, ‘I don’t think we should fall farther than No. 2,’” Frier recalled. “By the time I got back, my answering machine was full of messages from fraternities in Lincoln (Nebraska) and West Virginia. I can’t repeat some of what was said, but the gist was ... their teams were still unbeaten.” Frier is lucky Twitter wasn’t around at the time. In a few campus towns, he was dubbed “Matt Crier,” but Frier got the last laugh. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated, one of three that singular game generated, and still has plenty of souvenirs from Florida State’s 18-16 win the following Jan. 1 over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. “At first, I was kind of like the public - ‘I wished he wouldn’t do that,’” Bowden said. “It sounded like begging. “But you know what? He and his brother both played for me; they did a lot to help build the program. And most of all,” he added, “things turned out all right.” The plea also turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. With the same cartel that morphed into the BCS just starting to take control of the postseason and TV networks throwing around cash, the

jockeying for position only became more intense. The power conferences began trying to pick off schools from one another, sacrificing long-established loyalties and-or rivalries to gain even more power. Every school scrambled to get a piece of the growing pie, none more than the 19 that paid a king’s ransom step up into major college’s top division and play against the big boys. “College football was always a big business, but everything about that weekend felt new,” ESPN “College GameDay” host Chris Fowler recalled. “We’d taken the show on-site for bowls before, but that was the first time we convinced the bosses to do it for a regular-season game. We’ve done it every weekend of every season since. ... “I remember how high the grass was cut, how they were still putting fertilizer on it late in the week, to slow Florida State down. I remember we’d put the set up inside the athletic center, in front of the trophy case, because we needed some control over the surroundings. I remember the wild pep rally and how some guys who picked Florida State - I won’t mention names - asked if they could change their picks. “And then,” Fowler added, “I remember Coach Holtz marching out of his office nearby after the game and onto the set right in the middle of a live segment. We put a mic on him and just went with it.” These days, much of the chaos on “GameDay” is carefully choreographed. But that’s far from the biggest difference. “The single-biggest change I see is the spread offense,” Holtz said. “What an equalizer that’s been. It’s why you don’t see a lot of great defenses anymore and how, all of a sudden, an Appalachian State is capable of beating Michigan. It’s opened the game up to a lot more folks.” Yes and no. —AP

Ronaldo takes on Ibra in European playoffs

SWEDEN: (Left to right) Sweden’s midfielder Sebastian Larsson, forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, defender Per Nilsson and defender Pierre Bengtsson attend Sweden national football team’s training session in preparation for theFIFA 2014 World Cup playoff football match. — AFP

Valcke says April-May too hot for 2022 World Cup GENEVA: With momentum building toward a November kickoff for the 2022 World Cup, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says April-May is too hot to play the tournament in Qatar. “Let’s not lose time on this. AprilMay is not an option because of the temperature,” Valcke said yesterday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. Valcke is leading FIFA’s consultation to suggest which months to play after president Sepp Blatter rejected the traditional June-July World Cup period because of Qatar’s searing desert heat. Blatter has suggested a November start, though spring is supported by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of the influential European Club Association. Qatar hosted the Under-20 World Cup for FIFA in April 1995, and its 2022 organizing committee insists it can still fulfill a promise to host in midsummer in air-conditioned stadiums, training camps and public areas. However, FIFA’s own research into expected temperatures in Qatar seems set to rule out a World Cup in May, which would cause less disruption to the European season than stopping for most of November and December. “The climate studies for April and May are quite similar” to June and July, Valcke said. “ The best option is between mid-November and midJanuary.” This year, temperatures recorded in Doha reached 41 degrees (105.8F) on May 11, while April daytime peaks ranged from 26 to 38 degrees (79 to 100F).

Though Qatar staged the 2011 Asian Cup from Jan. 7-29, Blatter has removed the January 2022 option as “totally disrespectful to the Olympic family” ahead of the Winter Olympics scheduled that February. “We have also consulted our economic and media partners,” Blatter said on Sunday in Doha, after meeting with

Jerome Valcke

the Emir of Qatar, who is a longstanding fellow member of the International Olympic Committee. “So many different partners are with FIFA and the Olympic Games so we cannot have the partners in two competitions at the same time.” Valcke is expected to outline a “road map” for FIFA’s consultation process following a Dec. 4-5 meeting of its executive committee in Brazil. European clubs and leagues are expected to be among the strongest voices in a process which is expected to run into 2015. — AP

SWEDEN: Two of world football’s biggest names will meet Friday in the playoffs to determine Europe’s final four World Cup qualifiers. Ever since last month’s draw pitted Portugal against Sweden, the matchup has been billed as a head-tohead between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It will take something special to budge them from the spotlight, but Iceland is attempting to do just that. A Nordic nation better known for fishing and freezing temperatures than football, Iceland would become the least populous nation to play at a World Cup if it can get past Croatia. “This is the most important game in the history of the Icelandic men’s team,” Iceland midfielder Olafur Ingi Skulason said. In the other two-leg matches, it’s Ukraine against France and Greece vs. Romania. The second legs take place on Tuesday, when the 13 qualifiers from Europe will be finalized. Owning two of the biggest egos in football, Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic have dominated the build-up to the most anticipated of the four playoffs. Both players are in supreme form, with Ronaldo having scored 16 goals in 13 league games for Real Madrid this season and Ibrahimovic netting a string of brilliant goals for Paris Saint-Germain in the French League and Champions League. They both belong on world football’s biggest stage, but one will not be making the trip to Brazil. “With the squad and the individuals they have, Portugal is naturally the favorite,” Ibrahimovic said in an interview with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. “But we finished second in a group with Germany, which I consider the strongest squad in Europe, while they finished second in a group they should have won. “So I think we deserve to go to Brazil more than they do.” In Sweden, local media have republished the famous picture of Ronaldo crying after Portugal’s loss to Greece in the 2004 European Championship final, suggesting he might shed more tears next week. “Let’s hope he looks like that after Nov. 19,” said Sweden defender Mikael Lustig, who will be tasked with marking a forward he describes as the “best football player in the world right now.” Portugal is at home for the first leg. In Iceland, excitement is rising. Other sports organizations have changed their schedules to avoid clashing with one of biggest occasions in the history of Icelandic sport. It has been a logistical slog to get the field prepared at the Laugardalsvollur national stadium, which has never hosted a match so late in the year, because of Iceland’s unique climate. Preparations started last week to get the field as gameready as possible, with a special fabric placed over the grass with hot air blowing under the cloth. The forecast for Friday is 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) with sleet and snow, and referee Alberto Unidiano Mallenco will arrive a day earlier than planned to determine whether the field is playable due to the weather. Win or lose on Friday, Icelanders will celebrate. “I cannot say that we have been successful yet, but we’ve done pretty well, and it is great to go into two playoff games and have a chance to get to Brazil,” said Iceland coach Lars Lagerback, who led Sweden and Nigeria at previous World Cups. Trinidad and Tobago, with about 1.2 million inhabitants, is currently the least populous nation to qualify for the World Cup, in 2006. Iceland has about 320,000. The Iceland match will mark the coaching debut of Croatia’s 42-year-old Niko Kovac, who stepped up from the under-21 team after Igor Stimac was following the national team’s failure to qualify directly for the World Cup. France, which has reached two of the last four World Cup finals, has the highest profile of the eight countries remaining but must qualify from the playoffs for the second straight campaign. Four years ago, the French got past Ireland because of an infamous handball by Thierry Henry in extra time, earning the striker and his team the ire of world football. They will be hoping for a more straightforward passage to the final tournament this time around, against a team it has never lost to in seven meetings.—AP

OBIDOS: Portugal’s team captain Cristiano Ronaldo (center) and his teammates arrive for a training session yesterday. Tomorrow the Portuguese soccer team will face Sweden in a qualifying play-off match for the 2014 World Cup. — AP

WCup venue Cuiaba in race against time CUIABA: Just like its 11 fellow venues, Cuiaba, located some 2000 kilometers northwest of Rio, will be ready to host the World Cup come June, organisers say. But with a little over six months to the tournament and a December 31 FIFA deadline fast approaching, the city stadium has neither a pitch nor seats; there is a shortage of hotel beds and many planned improvements in local transport infrastructure have yet to materialize. The city’s airport is undergoing a thorough overhaul and the roads leading to it are clogged due to construction of a light rail system. “Cuiaba is getting a real facelift,” says Silval Barbosa, the governor of Mato Grosso state, of which Cuiaba-population 600,000 — is the capital. State secretary for World Cup-related affairs, Mauricio Souza Guimaraes says this is a huge challenge but one to which the city is rising admirably. “We are undertaking 56 projects and many experienced delays-but they will be completed according to schedule,” Guimaraes insists. Yet polls of residents show many doubt the “transformation” will ever be completed. According to councillor Dilemario Alencar, a member of a panel monitoring the progress of World Cup-related projects, “there has been a lack of planning, everything is more expensive and now we are racing against the clock.” What should be the pitch at the $235-mil-

lion Arena Pantanal, scheduled to host four World Cup matches, is currently a mass of sand. That, coupled with a midday temperature touching 40 Celsius, calls more to mind a desert rather than a pristine playing surface. The stadium structure is in place-but the final touches are proving tough to nail down. As of Tuesday, the stadium was 87 percent complete but FIFA says its December 31 deadline must be met ahead of a series of tests thereafter in advance of the tournament. Although the state governor recently spoke of final completion in January, Guimaraes says FIFA’s deadline will be met. A small fire a fortnight ago at the venue did not help matters. When FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke visited last month some 50 locals greeted him with protests against the cost of the tournament. Some entered the stadium site to demand better salaries for public sector workers. A month on and the visitor can espy graffiti on a stadium wall, bearing a clear message: “The Cup can go to hell.” Seating at the stadium is still behind schedule owing to a row about the high initial projected cost. But Guimaraes rejects talk of overcharging as, he says, the quality was “better than in the other stadiums”. The company providing the seating finally agreed to trim the cost from an initial 19.6 million reais to 18.2 million ($7.9 million).—AFP

Spain upbeat on World Cup defence MADRID: Spain have what it takes to defend their title at next year’s World Cup in Brazil, four of the team’s key players said yesterday. Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, centre back Sergio Ramos, midfielder Xabi Alonso and forward David Villa all sounded an upbeat note at the unveiling of the all-red kit the world and European champions’ will wear at the finals. Casillas said Spain were determined “to make history again” after securing their maiden World Cup in South Africa in 2010, while Villa insisted “La Roja” had the talent to become only the third country to retain their world crown after Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962. “Our national team is feeling full of confidence,

with a great deal of desire,” Ramos said. “We managed it before and who’s to say we cannot repeat that success,” added the Real Madrid defender. “We cannot live on past achievements, there is no point dwelling on them, instead we want to repeat them.” Spain finished top of their qualifying group ahead of France with six wins and two draws from their eight matches and will be one of the favourites next year along with the hosts and the likes of Argentina and Germany. Vicente del Bosque’s men play Equatorial Guinea in the West African nation’s capital Malabo on Saturday and three days later take on South Africa at Soccer City in Johannesburg, scene of their World

Cup triumph three years ago. Del Bosque has a number of regulars missing, including playmakers Xavi and Cesc Fabregas and centre back Gerard Pique, while Pique’s Barcelona team mate Marc Bartra, also a central defender, has been called into the squad for the first time. Alonso is making his return to international action after a five-month injury layoff that sidelined him for June’s Confederations Cup, when Spain reached the final but were beaten 3-0 by hosts Brazil. “Not having taken part in the Confederations Cup means you experience it in a different way with a feeling of impotence,” Alonso said. “Now I am raring to go.” — Reuters

BRAZIL: Partial view of the Arena Pantanal stadium-still under construction, just seven month before the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup-in Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso. — AFP

Carters and Nevill blunt England attack in tour game

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Ronaldo takes on Ibra in European playoffs

Manila Masters to go ahead despite typhoon disaster

Page 17

AMMAN: King Abdullah II of Jordan (right) and Queen Rania (center) and their kids attend the FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier (intercontinental play-off first leg) football match Uruguay against Jordan at the International Stadium in the Jordanian capital. — AFP

Uruguay overwhelm Jordan 5-0 World Cup playoff

AMMAN: Uruguay’s Maximiliano Pereira competes for the ball against Jordan’s Musab Al Lahham during the World Cup playoff first leg soccer match at Amman International stadium. — AP

AMMAN: Uruguay looks almost certain to qualify for the 2014 World Cup after crushing Jordan 5-0 in Amman yesterday in the first leg of their intercontinental playoff. Goals from Maxi Pereira, Cristian Stuani, Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Rodriguez and Edinson Cavani have put Uruguay firmly in control ahead of the second leg in Montevideo next week. Luis Suarez set up Pereira’s 22nd minute opener, and Stuani made it 2-0 just before halftime. Jordan had long spells of possession in the second half but was vulnerable on the counter-attack. Lodeiro slotted in from the edge of the box in the 69th minute and an unmarked Rodriguez hit a crisp volley from close range in the 78th. Cavani steered a free kick into the top right corner of the net in stoppage time. “This result will put us in a good position for the second leg,” Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said. “We will play with the same formation to honor the Uruguayan fans who will fill the stadium next Wednesday, as I heard that 60,000 tickets were sold.” Jordan’s King Abdullah II and members of his royal family were among the 25,000 spectators at the Amman International Stadium. Their national team has never reached

the World Cup and struggled on Wednesday to compete against Uruguay, a semifinalist at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that finished fifth in South American qualifying. The defeat followed extensive preparations in Jordan for the game. The king donated $500,000 toward the cost of the team’s preparations, while Jordan Television held a one-day telethon that raised $2.8 million. The fever also spread to the UAE where Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Haya offered a private plane to fly the Jordan team to Uruguay for the second leg. Security was tightened for the match in Amman, where traffic was diverted away from the stadium, causing suffocating jams. Cars honking horns, despite the heavy defeat, were draped with the Jordanian flag and portraits of their players. Tickets for the match were sold at five times their face value on the black market. Meanwhile, Tommy Smith will captain New Zealand against Mexico in the first leg of their 2014 World Cup qualifying playoff late yesterday, with Jeremy Christie picked to play a crucial midfield role. All Whites coach Ricki Herbert stuck with his preferred 3-4-3 formation for the

match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, with Andrew Durante, veteran Ivan Vicelich and Ipswich Town’s Smith anchoring the Oceania champions from the back. Christie, who does not have a contract with a professional club, will slot into the central midfield role. Vicelich has in the past occupied that spot in front of the back three. Christie appeared twice for the All Whites at the last World Cup finals in South Africa and Herbert said he felt comfortable pushing him into the starting role against Mexico, who qualified for the inter-confederation playoff by finishing fourth in CONCACAF’s six-nation final group. “Jeremy is well ahead of things physically and is a player who has worked his socks off and is desperate to be part of the All Whites,” Herbert said in a statement. “His marking ability is something which will be key for us and he’s well suited to the role he has been given.” The 37-year-old Vicelich has dropped back into defence after usual captain Winston Reid was ruled out with an ankle injury, allowing Smith to take the armband. —Agencies

India prepares for Tendulkar’s farewell MUMBAI: Cricket-crazy India will have a lump in the throat as its favorite son, Sachin Tendulkar, walks out for one last time this week to play the game he has dominated for nearly a quarter of a century. The ‘Little Master’ will bring the curtain down on a glittering 24-year career at the age of 40 when he plays his 200th test match, against West Indies, at his home ground starting today. Among the 32,000 present will be his wheelchair-bound mother Rajni, for whom Tendulkar has managed to get a ramp at Wankhede Stadium so she can watch her idolised son bat for the first time. “Mother has never seen him play. This will be the first time. Also it will be a very emotional moment,” his elder brother, Ajit, told an Indian Today group television programme. For the last time, the superstitious Tendulkar will put on his left pad first, and walk out to bat in India’s colors, having long secured his place among the game’s greats. “In terms of stats, you’re going to

have players with better stats (in the future), you never know,” West Indies batting great Brian Lara said of the Indian. “There are boxers who have a better record than Mohammad Ali but if you talk about boxing you’ve to mention Muhammad Ali, basketball you have to mention Michael Jordan. When you speak about cricket, you’ll speak about Tendulkar.” Statistically the greatest batsman of all time, Tendulkar’s greatness goes far beyond those numbers. Despite overwhelming adulation from a country that has virtually deified him, Tendulkar has displayed the same composure at the crease in accumulating 100 international centuries as he has done off the field. His self-discipline and controversyfree image have made him a role model for India’s burgeoning youth, who are largely disillusioned with the politicians. Since announcing his decision to retire from cricket, the country of 1.2 billion people has slipped into nostalgia about its biggest sporting icon. Tendulkar’s career has dominated the

pages of national dailies with figures from politics, sport and the corporate world all contributing to the frenzy surrounding his final match. The website selling the meagre 5,000 tickets available for the public to attend the test crashed within minutes of opening on Monday under what it called “unprecedented pressure”, with 19.7 million hits in the first hour. The frenzy was hardly a surprise given it will be the last chance to watch a player whose place in the batting pantheon is second only to Australian Don Bradman. Bradman’s test average of 99.94 is nearly 40 runs ahead of any of his nearest rivals to have played at least 20 matches. All other major run-scoring records belong to Tendulkar, who made his debut for India against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 as a curly-haired 16-yearold. He has scored the most runs in tests and one-day cricket and his 51 test centuries and 49 ODI hundreds are also records.

Even Bradman once asked his wife Jessie to watch Tendulkar on television to conﬁrm his own impression that the pair had similar styles. Tendulkar probably shouldered a more diﬃcult task in living up to the expectations of 1.2 billion cricket-crazy fans every time he walked out to bat. “Sachin Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders,” team mate Virat Kohli said after India’s players completed a lap of honor with Tendulkar on their shoulders following their World Cup win at home in 2011. Some believe the master batsman has played on for too long and should have retired after the World Cup victory. “If I was Sachin, I would have quit a year ago,” Sourav Ganguly told NDTV in a chat show. “Last two-three years haven’t been good for him and only because he is Sachin Tendulkar he has been given the run for three years. “Nobody in world cricket or Indian cricket would have got that rope.” Tendulkar’s farewell series has been

AHMADABAD: Indian students stand near giant banners showing Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (right) and the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru put up on a wall of their school. The birth anniversary of Nehru, also celebrated as Children’s Day in the country, is marked today. — AP marked by a nostalgia-laden celebration of his glittering career. In the last fortnight, a ground in Mumbai has been named after him, his wax statue has been unveiled at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, singers have produced a music album and countless banners, murals and paintings of him have sprouted up across India. The government is also planning to

bestow India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, on him which would make him the ﬁrst sportsman to achieve the honor. “There used to be a hitch earlier when similar demands were made for Sachin to get the Bharat Ratna,” Indian minister Rajeev Shukla said. “That being he was still playing and it will be diﬃcult to award him the Ratna. — Reuters

Business

EU investigates German current account surplus Page 22

Risk appetite subdued on US Fed uncertainty

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Page 24 The Rolls-Royce Phantom SeriesII

Arab Spring economies hit by uncertainty Page 23

Page 25

CHICAGO: In this file photo, the 110-storey, 1,450-foot Willis Tower rises above the Chicago skyline. According to the nonprofit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, will be the tenth tallest completed building in the world, with a height measured at 1,451 feet, once New York’s 1 World Trade Center, with a height of 1,776 feet, is completed. — AP

One World Trade Center named US tallest building 1,451-foot Willis Tower dethroned NEW YORK: They set out to build the tallest skyscraper in the world - a giant that would rise a symbolic 1,776 feet from the ashes of ground zero. Those aspirations of global supremacy fell by the wayside long ago, but New York won a consolation prize Tuesday when an international architectural panel said it would recognize One World Trade Center - at 541 meters high - as the tallest skyscraper in the United States. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, considered a world authority on supersized skyscrapers, announced its decision at simultaneous news conferences in New York and Chicago, home to the 1,451-foot (442.26-meter) Willis Tower, which is being dethroned as the nation’s tallest building. Measuring the height of a building would seem to be a simple thing, but in the case of the new World Trade Center tower it is complicated by the 408-foot (124.36-meter)-tall needle atop the skyscraper’s roof. The council’s verdict rested on a conclusion that the needle should be counted as part of the building’s total height. Without it, the tower would be just 1,368 feet (416.97 meters) tall, the same height as the original World Trade Center. That would make it smaller than not only the Willis, but also a 1,397 foot (425.81meter) apartment building being built a short subway ride away

NEW YORK: Gray clouds are reflected in the glass facade of 1 World Trade Center in New York. — AP

near Central Park. Speaking at his office in New York, council chairman Timothy Johnson, an architect at the global design firm NBBJ, said the decision by the 25-member height committee had more “tense moments” than usual, given the skyscraper’s importance as a patriotic symbol. “I was here on 9/11. I saw the buildings come down,” he said. Over the past few months, the council had hinted that it might be open to changing its standards for measuring ultra-tall buildings, given a trend toward developers adding “vanity height” to towers with huge, decorative spires. But the council also has a history of disallowing antennas in height calculations. The Empire State Building’s landmark 204-foot (62.18-meter) needle isn’t counted in its height measurement. Neither are the two TV antennas atop the Willis Tower, which had been the country’s tallest building since it was completed - and named the Sears Tower - in 1974. But in the end, there was unanimity on the committee that One World Trade Center’s reach for 1,776 feet - a number that echoes the founding year of the United States - was an artistic architectural expression. “This was a quest to put something meaningful and symbolic on that site because of the horrible history of what happened on that site,” said Antony Wood, the council’s executive director. Tourists photographing the skyscraper Tuesday mostly agreed that when it comes to height measurements, this spire should count. “For any other building, no. But for this one, yes,” said Cary Bass of Florida, as he waited to enter the National Sept 11 Memorial at the new skyscraper’s feet. “Those people deserve it,” he said, referring to the attack victims. “It’s a special building,” said Paul Schlagel, visiting from Longmont, Colorado. When architect Daniel Libeskind won a public design competition for the World Trade Center master plan in 2003, his original vision was for a twisting, angular spire filled with hanging gardens. Height was part of the appeal. At the time, his design of 1,776 feet would have made the so-called “Freedom Tower” the tallest skyscraper in the world. Libeskind’s drawings were always meant to be conceptual, though, and the real-world designs produced by architect David Childs and the tower’s owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, reduced that glass spire to a more conventional cable-stayed mast, which would support broadcast equipment and a rotating beacon, visible for 50 miles. That change, along with another that removed a layer of decorative cladding, had created some doubt about how the council might rule. If they were to stand side by side, the Willis Tower would probably appear to be the larger building to most bystanders. In fact, someone standing in the Willis Tower’s observation deck would have to look down to see One World Trade Center’s roof. This marks the second time that the Willis Tower has lost a “tallest” title in a disputed decision. Back in 1996, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat sparked controversy when it declared the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia taller than the Willis. That decision, like the one involving One World Trade Center, also rested on whether to count slender, decorative spires in the total height measurement. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made light of Tuesday’s decision. “I would just say to all the experts gathered in one room: If it looks like an antenna, acts like an antenna, then guess what? It is an antenna,” he told reporters. Bella Engstrom, a tourist from Sweden visiting the World Trade Center site, said she thought any measurement of the building should stop at the highest point a person can stand in the tower. “I think it’s as high as you can go. You stop there,” she said. — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BUSINESS

Sainsbury’s 7% profit rise puts Tesco in shade UK market share at decade high 16.8% LONDON: British grocer J Sainsbury Plc showed its resilience to tough market conditions with a 7 percent rise in first-half profit, contrasting with a decline at market leader Tesco Plc and lifting its shares to a near six-year high. Sainsbury trails Tesco by annual sales and is battling Wal-Mart Stores Inc’s Asda to be Britain’s No 2 grocer, but has enjoyed 35 straight quarters of underlying sales growth, boosting its UK market share to a decade-high 16.8 percent. Chief Executive Justin King said yesterday the group was well placed for more growth, even though he cautioned that any recovery in Britain’s economy may take time to take effect as consumers’ budgets are being stretched by below-inflation wage rises. The firm is outperforming rivals with a strategy focused on own-brand products and investing in fast-growing online and local convenience store channels. “It (Sainsbury) has seen off the dual threat of the

fast-improving discounter Aldi and the premium Waitrose, giving Tesco a humiliating lesson in how it should be done,” said John Ibbotson, director of the retail consultancy Retail Vision. “The only question now is how long it can hang on to the hugely talented Justin King.” Sainsbury’s own-brand sales are growing at more than twice the rate of branded goods, while online and convenience stores are the two fastest-growing areas in the grocery sector, as consumers increasingly use the Internet to shop and high fuel prices deter trips to town centres and outof-town malls. Sainsbury’s online grocery sales rose by 15 percent in the half, while convenience store sales increased over 20 percent. The group has also benefited from the success of its “Brand Match” pricecomparison scheme, along with increased sales of non-food products, especially clothing, kitchen electrical and cookware. In addition it avoided any

BoE upbeat on economy, but in no rush on rates LONDON: Britain’s unemployment rate will fall much faster than previously expected due to a strengthening economic recovery, the Bank of England (BoE) said yesterday, but it stressed that it was in no hurry to raise interest rates. In a set of new, upbeat forecasts, the central bank said unemployment could hit 7 percent late next year if interest rates stay unchanged, around two years earlier than it expected in August. That was when Governor Mark Carney committed to keeping interest rates at a record low 0.5 percent until unemployment falls to 7 percent something the BoE predicted at the time could take three years. Carney reiterated on Wednesday, however that a fall in unemployment would not be an automatic trigger for an increase in interest rates. Some economists said the new forecasts risked confusing British consumers and businesses because of the size of the changes and differing scenarios for its jobs forecast. Societe Generale economist Brian Hilliard said the change damaged the credibility of the forward guidance program. “The basic message is that they got the unemployment threshold wrong.” Carney, meanwhile, sounded his most upbeat about the British economy since he took over the central bank in July. “For the first time in a long time you don’t have to be an optimist to see the glass is half full. The recovery has finally taken hold,” he told a news conference after the bank published its quarterly inflation report. However, the central bank stressed that its Monetary Policy Committee was not about to raise interest rates any time soon, as headwinds remained, particularly from the euro zone. “The MPC’s intention (is) to maintain the exceptionally stimulative stance of monetary policy until there has been a substantial reduction in the degree of economic slack,” it said. Data published earlier yesterday showed Britain’s unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent in the three months to September, edging close to the Bank’s threshold. Sterling jumped and British government bond prices fell to their lowest level in four weeks as investors adjusted to the Bank’s new, shorter timeframe for when unemployment might fall to its threshold for considering an interest rate hike.

predicted, saying that in this case its mean forecast was for unemployment to stay above 7 percent until the end of 2016. The BoE said that its central forecasts were now all based on market interest rate expectations, but that did not mean that it believed these rate expectations were correct. Carney also faced toughly worded questions from reporters about the value of using forecasts to steer the economy back to health when they change so much. The Canadian said that without the long-term guidance, Britain’s economy would be at risk of premature increases in borrowing costs in markets. “Let’s say we didn’t have forward guidance in August ... the discussion would be ‘Is the Bank going to raise rates today?’ No one is asking that question today, and rightly so, because that would be foolish, that would put us in a position of taking a recovery which is finally taking hold and basically pulling the rug out from under it,” he said. Based on market interest rate expectations, the BoE expects inflation to fall below its 2 percent target at the start of 2015 - six months earlier than it had expected in August. The Bank also revised up its growth forecasts for this year and next. It sees 0.9 percent growth in the last three months of 2013, taking full-year growth up to 1.6 percent compared to 1.4 percent forecast in August. For 2014 it expects annual growth of 2.8 percent, compared to 2.5 percent predicted in August. Britain’s economic output remains well below pre-crisis levels, however, unlike in most other major economies, and the belief that there is a large amount of unused capacity in Britain is what makes the BoE want to keep rates on hold. Unlike private-sector forecasters, most of the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee are convinced that weak labor market productivity will rebound sharply as growth picks up, allowing rapid expansion without creating much extra demand for workers. Britain’s unemployment rate was nearer 5 percent before the financial crisis, and deputy governor Charlie Bean suggested last month that the 7 percent threshold could be lowered if domestic inflation pressures appeared muted. Carney said such a change could not be ruled out, but said a decision would only be made once unemployment was at 7 percent and the BoE knew more about productivity changes. He also said the Bank of England was watching the recovery of Britain’s housing market closely but would not be swayed into action because of a surge in prices in London, which have risen about 10 percent over the past 12 months. “We don’t make policy at the Bank of England for inside the Circle Line (of the London Underground). We make policy for the entire United Kingdom and we react accordingly,” he said before adding: “Clearly there are areas in the country where valuations are very elevated and are further increasing.” — Reuters

FORECAST CONFUSION Financial markets - which were skeptical about the August unemployment forecast had been pricing in a rise in BoE interest rates around early 2015 and those bets were unchanged after the Bank’s new projections. The BoE issued forecasts based on different scenarios and which came to different conclusions as to how fast the jobless rate will fall, in contrast to August, when it only forecast unemployment based on constant interest rates. If interest rates rise as the market expects, growth will be weaker and unemployment will prove slower to fall, the BoE

involvement in a scandal over foods found to contain horsemeat when they were labelled as containing other meats. STARK CONTRAST Shares in Sainsbury, up 16 percent so far this year, were up 2.7 percent at 419 pence by 0934 GMT, valuing the business at 7.8 billion pounds. The stock rose as high as 410p, its highest since early 2008. Sainsbury’s profit before tax and one-off items reached 400 million pounds ($637 million) in the six months to Sept. 28 - at the top end of analysts’ forecasts and ahead of the 374 million made last year. In stark contrast, Tesco last month posted a 1.5 percent fall in first-half UK trading profit. According to monthly data from market researcher Kantar Worldpanel, only Sainsbury and John Lewis’s Waitrose among Britain’s top six grocers are currently resisting pressure from discounters Aldi

and Lidl to expand their market share. Kantar data has Sainsbury as Britain’s No 3 grocer, while Nielsen data shows it has overtaken Asda to be No 2. “The key measure is where we are in the eyes of our customers and on important measures like quality, like availability, like service, we’re No. 1 and that’s why our sales are growing in contrast to most of our grocery competition,” King told reporters. Sainsbury’s first-half sales rose 4.4 percent to 13.95 billion pounds, while sales at stores open more than a year, excluding fuel, were up 1.4 percent and its operating margin rose 7 basis points to 3.47 percent. Cost savings of 55 million pounds were also eked out. It did, however, book a 92 million pounds impairment charge following a review of its property pipeline that identified some sites where it no longer wishes to build stores. Sainsbury’s raised its interim dividend by 4.2 percent to 5.0 pence. — Reuters

EU investigates German current account surplus Commission launches first ever in-depth review BRUSSELS: The European Commission decided yesterday to prepare an in-depth analysis of Germany’s persistently high current account surplus to find out if it is a sign of a serious imbalance in Europe’s biggest economy. Germany has had a current account surplus in excess of 6 percent of its gross domestic product since 2007, meaning it exports far more than it imports from the rest of the world. In September the surplus reached 19.7 billion euros - more than 8 percent of last year’s economic output - and was the biggest in the world, beating even China. This has prompted criticism from the United States and the European Union that the German economy is relying too heavily on exports and that Berlin should pay more attention to raising domestic demand to put growth on a sounder footing. The EU will recommend steps to fix the problem if the review, due to be finished early next year, finds the surplus is harmful. “A high surplus does not necessarily mean that there is an imbalance,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference. “We do need to examine this further and understand whether a high surplus in Germany is something affecting the functioning of the European economy as a whole.” Relying too heavily on exports can leave a country vulnerable to a global shock because domestic buyers would not be able to make up for the drop in demand. It also means that Germans are investing their savings abroad, making them vulnerable to events elsewhere and depriving their own economy of investment. But the surplus highlights Germany’s success in staying competitive in the world economy so criticism is politically tricky, because EU policy-makers encourage euro-zone countries to undertake painful reforms to become more competitive and run a current account surplus, rather than a deficit. Barroso noted that the surplus could indicate that Germany could do more to help rebalance the EU economy through raising German domestic demand and investment, and opening up the German services sector. The analysis falls under new European Union rules, in place from the end of 2011, that charge the 28-nation’s executive arm with checking that countries do not develop dangerous economic imbalances which could become a problem if not addressed. A current account deficit larger than 4 percent of GDP or a persistently very large surplus above 6 per-

BRUSSELS: European Commissioner for the Economy Olli Rehn (left) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso participate in a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. — AP

cent are among the warning signs in the Commission’s scoreboard of around 30 economic indicators. The in-depth review is likely to be finished in February or March next year. If it comes to the conclusion that the surplus is excessive and therefore damaging to Germany and Europe’s

economy, the Commission will recommend steps to fix the problem. If Germany were to ignore such recommendations, it could be a fined 0.1 percent of GDP. Germany argues it has more than halved its current account surplus with the euro-zone as a share of gross domestic product since 2007.

Euro-zone output drops BRUSSELS: Euro-zone factory output fell more than expected month on month in September as production dropped in every sector but energy, while it rose from the same month last year, in a sign the region’s recovery remains fragile at best. The 9.5 trillion eurozone economy crawled out of an 18-month recession in the second quarter with a 0.3 percent quarterly rise in GDP. Economists expect it to have expanded again in the third quarter, on which data is due today. Industrial output in the 17-country bloc fell 0.5 percent on the month, Eurostat data showed on Wednesday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 0.3 percent fall. In year-on-year terms output rose 1.1 percent in September after a revised 1.1 percent fall in August. The September figure marked the strongest jump in two years, although from a low base due to a big fall in September last year. “We don’t think that today’s figures cast doubt over the recovery in Europe, but it certainly shows that growth remains stuck in first gear,” said Peter Vanden Houte, chief

euro-zone economist at ING. “The weakness of the upturn means that not much is needed to stop it,” he added. Unemployment in the euro-zone remains at record highs of 12.2 percent or nearly 19.5 million people, fuelling concerns over how much household consumption can help exports and drive stronger growth. Output of durable consumer goods such as cars and electronics was down by 2.6 percent on the month in September, while highly volatile energy sector output rose 1.3 percent after a 0.6 percent drop in August, data showed. Production in Europe’s two biggest economies, Germany and France, fell in September, while Italy returned to growth after two months of consecutive declines and Spain’s output grew for a third month in a row. Germany, France, and Italy account for two-thirds of euro-zone industrial output. The worst reading from among all euro-zone countries was in Portugal, where production tumbled 11.2 percent on the month after an 8.0 percent rise in August. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

2.857 4.485 2.639 2.164 2.802 228.050 36.653 3.648 6.497 9.014 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.804 78.106 738.440 755.020 77.415

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 269.93 274.41 311.82 382.23 283.80 457.48 2.918 3.649 4.469 2.165 2.800 2.647 77.31 755.09 41.17 403.77 737.80 78.34 74.78

SELL CASH 269.000 275.000 313.000 386.000 286.400 458.000 2.900 3.800 4.900 2.600 3.400 2.770 77.600 755.900 41.300 408.800 743.900 78.700 76.000

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lira Morocco Dirham

41.050 40.796 1.326 171.690 401.430 1.907 3.088 34.652

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 284.150 Euro 383.600 Sterling Pound 453.080 Canadian dollar 272.170 Turkish lira 139.190 Swiss Franc 311.230 Australian Dollar 265.680 US Dollar Buying 282.950 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

242.000 122.000 63.500

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat

Selling Rate 283.050 274.435 456.525 381.460 308.775 750.035 77.315 78.870 76.615 400.415 41.181 2.165 4.530 2.643 3.649 6.541 697.685 3.865 10.010

Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi

3.045 3.815 90.185 47.055

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.224883 0.021668 0.001903 0.009530 0.008789

0.230883 0.030168 0.002483 0.009710 0.009339

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.747655 0.038630 0.000079 0.000184 0.396776 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022798 0.001205 0.732410 0.077380 0.075177 0.002179 0.166879 0.139655 0.076423 0.001291

0.755655 0.041730 0.000080 0.000244 0.404276 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046798 0.001840 0.738090 0.078593 0.075877 0.002399 0.174879 0.146655 0.077572 0.001371

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY SELL CASH Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

SELLDRAFT Europe 0.007391 0.449036 0.006694 0.046916 0.375223 0.042340 0.082035 0.008166 0.039035 0.302596 0.139655

0.008391 0.458036 0.018694 0.051916 0.382723 0.047540 0.82035 0.018166 0.044035 0.312796 0.14655

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Australasia 0.258726 0.228395

0.270226 0.237895

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.266258 0.280200 0.280700

0.274758 0.284550 0.284550

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone

Asia 0.003400 0.045260 0.034582 0.004450 0.000021 0.002788 0.003414 0.000257 0.085323 0.003045 0.002521 0.006472 0.000070

0.004000 0.048760 0.037332 0.004851 0.000027 0.002968 0.003414 0.000272 0.091323 0.003215 0.002801 0.006752 0.000076

Al Mulla Exchange CurrencyTransfer 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

Rate (Per 1000) 283.600 384.500 453.350 272.650 4.475 41.150 2.163 3.646 6.485 2.637 755.000 77.200 75.700

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BUSINESS

Arab Spring economies hit by uncertainty Difficulties exacerbated by weak global economic performance DUBAI: The economies of Arab countries rocked by the uprisings that swept the region two years ago, remain sluggish because of unfinished political transitions, a top IMF official said. Others are suffering from the financial and social burdens imposed on them by a huge influx of refugees from the civil war in Syria, International Monetary Fund director for the Middle East and Central Asia Masood Ahmed said in an interview. And overall, the difficulties are exacerbated by still weak global economic performance. “The situation in Arab Spring nations has become more challenging over the past year,” Ahmed said. The economies of Tunisia and Egypt have seen weak growth since the uprisings that ousted their longtime leaders in 2011. Libya, the third country to overthrow its dictator, has seen its economy on a rollercoaster due to sharp fluctuations in oil production. “The continued weak international environment, including virtually no growth in Europe, which is a major trading partner for some of these countries” is another factor, Ahmed said. He said that the prolonged and difficult political transitions have added to uncertainty and led the private sector “to continue with the wait-and-see attitude.” “The net result of this is that the private sector-led recovery which we were expecting to see this year has been delayed by another year,” he said. An average growth rate of around three percent now is not enough to reverse unemployment, with some 1.5 million people joining the mass of jobless people over the past few years, he said. It is also “too low to respond to the aspiration of an increasingly impatient population,” he said. Ahmed was speaking in conjunction with publication of the IMF Regional Economic Outlook.

Tunisia’s gross domestic product grew by 3.6 percent in 2012 but is expected to slow down to 3 percent this year, before picking up to 3.7 percent in 2014, the outlook said. The country has been struggling for months to form a technocratic government to take over from the Islamist-led cabinet, which has been widely blamed for the country’s persistent economic problems. Growth in Egypt is also expected to slow, to 1.8 percent this year from the already weak rate of 2.2 percent in 2012, before picking up by 2.8 percent next year. Egypt is heavily dependent on tourism, which has never fully recovered from the slump that befell it during the uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak at the beginning of 2011. Oil-dependent Libya is now expected to experience a contraction of 5.1 percent this year due to disruption in oil production before returning to sharp growth of 25.5 percent in 2014. That follows a whopping growth of 104.5 percent registered last year, more than compensating for the 62.1 percent plunge in 2011, the year veteran dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled. Since this past summer, blockades of oil facilities by protesters demanding jobs and a redistribution of resources have brought oil production down to 250,000 barrels per day, from an expected 1.5 million bpd. As for Syria, the IMF has stopped providing figures on the war-torn country. “Regional conflicts and spillovers from them-particularly from Syria”-are major factors affecting economies, said Ahmed. Lebanon and Jordan, both hosts to Syria refugees, are seeing modest rates of economic growth, as the two economies reel under the impact of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria. Lebanon’s growth is seen at 1.5 percent this year

and next, after an identical figure in 2012. And Jordan is forecast to grow 3.3 percent this year and 3.5 percent in 2014, after a more modest 2.8 percent in 2012. In addition to the huge refugees bill, there have been losses incurred in transit trade and tourism, Ahmed said. “In all of these countries, what you are seeing is very modest rates of increase in economic activity which is effectively stagnating incomes and rising unemployment,” he said.

“Governments are having to manage a difficult set of pressures-social pressures as well as economic pressures at the time that their (fiscal) buffers are being depleted,” he said. Ahmed said that governments in the Arab world and the rest of the world need to find a way to “arrest this situation with its downside risks and try to find ways to boost jobs and growth in the short term and lay the foundation for a private sector-led recovery.”— AFP

GUBA, Ethiopia: Photo shows the Blue Nile in Guba, Ethiopia, during its diversion ceremony. With an economy already in tatters, Egypt’s farmers fear the building of an upstream Nile dam in Ethiopia could lead to water shortages and crop failures with catastrophic effects on their livelihood. — AFP

China upgrades the markets’ role from ‘basic to decisive’ Chinese stock indexes slide, dragged by state-owned banks

TOKYO: People wait to cross a street in front of an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo yesterday. Asian stock markets sank yesterday after a highly anticipated meeting of Chinese leaders did not announce bold reforms to overhaul a growth model that is running out of steam.— AP

Japan passes law to launch reform of electricity sector TOKYO: Japan’s upper house passed legislation yesterday to start the most ambitious reform of its electricity sector since 1951, a process prompted by the Fukushima nuclear crisis that may end with the break-up of powerful regional monopolies. The reforms, including the establishment of a national grid and the liberalization of the power market for homes, are central to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive to overhaul the economy, as high energy costs threaten to derail efforts to reverse decades of stagnation. Regional monopolies, including Tokyo Electric Power Co and Kansai Electric Power Co, supply almost 98 percent of Japan’s electricity and terms for access to their transmission lines make it onerous for new entrants. Wrenching control of transmission from the monopolies to create a national grid became a big issue after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that sparked the Fukushima disaster and highlighted an inability to transfer power to areas suffering shortages. The power law was passed by Japan’s lower house earlier this month and sailed through the upper house with 202 votes in favor and 29 against, a parliamentary official said by phone. While the energy companies say they support the thrust of the proposed changes, they have repeatedly urged the government to give priority to stable power supplies and say reform should be slowed down if this cannot be guaranteed. The utilities have resisted attempts since the 1990s to liberalize the industry. The companies and their affiliates have ties with politicians, fund their campaigns and often give government officials executive roles. “There are quite a few issues to resolve,” Makoto Yagi, chairman of the Japan Federation of Power Companies and

president of Kansai Electric, said in a statement after the vote. “In the separation of power generation and transmission, in particular, to ensure stable supplies, arrangements and rules to supplement the split need to be in place,” he said. NATIONAL GRID The monopolies were set up in 1951 during the American occupation after World War Two and followed the US model at the time, with regional utilities controlling all aspects of generation and transmission. Tokyo Electric, which before the meltdowns at its Fukushima Daiichi facility was the most powerful utility, is now under government control and being split into separate units. That process will probably be the template for broader change. The legislation calls for the creation of a national grid company in 2015. “Ensuring high voltage transmission and distribution assets are optimized across Japan rather than by individual monopolies is key to delivering affordable electricity to Japanese consumers and allowing access to a broad range of generation assets including renewable energy,” said Tom O’Sullivan, founder of independent energy consultancy Mathyos Japan. The government plans to liberalize the market for homes, an important source of earnings for power companies, by 2016. The market for customers using more than 50 kilowatts was opened up in 2005 but utilities can still block supplies from independent power producers as they control transmission lines. The most ambitious phase of the reform envisages breaking the monopolies into separate generation and transmission companies by 2020 and abolishing price controls.— Reuters

Chevron ordered to pay $9.51 billion to Ecuador QUITO: An Ecuadoran court upheld a ruling that US oil giant Chevron was liable for environmental damage in its Amazon basin region by sister company Texaco, but ordered it to pay a reduced $9.51 billion. The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a 2012 ruling against Texaco, which operated in the South American nation from 19641990, but dramatically reduced the amount to be paid in damages to $9.51 billion from $19 billion, the ruling said. Just last month, Chevron was in court in New York trying not to pay the damages. Chevron wants a New York district judge to prevent lawyer Steven Donziger, Ecuadoran villagers and environmental activists from using the US courts to force Chevron to pay its fine. A court in Ecuador first had ordered Chevron to pay $18 billion in damages, which was later raised to $19 billion, to people from Lago Agrio in Sucumbios province, in the Amazon basin region for environmental damage. But Chevron has almost no assets in Ecuador and is resisting attempts by the original plaintiffs to use

the American courts to force its US operation to pay up. “After a wait of a year and a half, the court has issued a sentence that confirms all the evidence gathered, the damage and the payment Chevron must make,” said Juan Pablo Saenz, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs. “At the judicial level, everything stops there,” he said, adding however that the victory was “incomplete” because of the reduced amount of damages. Chevron has never worked directly in Ecuador but inherited the pollution lawsuit when it acquired former rival Texaco in 2001. It is fighting against having to pay the fine. The New York case is the latest in years of litigation over pollution attributed to Texaco Petroleum, which worked in the Amazon from 1964 to 1990. Thousands of villagers say they were sickened and many have cancer from the oil spillage’s effect on their water supply. The case could have implications for lawsuits in Canada and Brazil, where the plaintiffs are going after Chevron’s assets. —AFP

SHANGHAI: China’s leaders failed to impress markets with their reform agenda for the next decade and investors sold Chinese shares yesterday concerned with Beijing’s apparent reluctance to overhaul dominant state-owned firms. The communique following a secret leadership meeting listed several target areas for reform, but its language was more vague than some had expected and it explicitly underscored the importance of the state sector in the economy. But rather than lift state firms that dominate major benchmark indexes in China and Hong Kong, it spurred worries that it would leave them exposed once the authorities made good on their pledge to give markets a “decisive” role in the economy. “ The increased reliance on market mechanisms is good for the economy, but bad for the equity markets. While that will force companies to be run more efficiently, more competition will hit their bottom line,” said Erwin Sanft, Standard Chartered’s head of Hong Kong and China equity research, who recommends underweight positions in banking, telecoms and power, key sectors dominated by state firms. The highly anticipated gathering of the Communist Party’s top brass for a four-day conclave promised “decisive results” by 2020, an unusually explicit self-imposed deadline. To drive the process, they set up a top-level special working group, suggesting a more vigorous reform push by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang than one seen under the previous administration. The duo, who formally took power in March, must unleash new sources of economic activity as growth slides towards its weakest annual pace in over two decades. “Frankly, there are a lot of questions still to be answered,” US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on CNBC during a visit to Singapore. “The communique coming out of the plenum was at a very general level.” Xi said yesterday that reforms cannot be achieved in one stroke, while the cabinet underlined the need to make good on reform commitments “to boost people’s confidence.” Some details may be filled in next week, when a much longer version of the leaders’ deliberations is expected. SELLERS TARGET BANKS Chinese stocks of companies in surveillance and defense outperformed sharp falls elsewhere after Beijing flagged a security revamp in its reforms. The CSI300 of leading Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares, in which foreigners can only invest through a quota system, tumbled 1.7 percent for its biggest daily loss in four months. The China Enterprises Index in Hong Kong of top Chinese listings - dominated by state firms - fell 2.7 percent for its biggest loss in three months. The yuan edged lower. The Chinese banking sector bore the brunt of the selloff, with insurers, power producers and energy giants also among the big losers. Banks were partly hit by bad loans data. In Hong Kong, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) , the world’s top bank by market value, suffered its heaviest single-day loss in more than four months, falling 3.5 percent. Share dealers said macro hedge funds, which bet on the direction of an economy, were major sellers having built positions last week in expectation the leaders’ meeting may rally the market. Some media reports had raised expectations that meeting, the Communist Party Central Committee’s plenary session, would announce a blueprint to reform state-owned enterprises that exert vast influence given thei role in the economy. But on reflection, World Bank Country Director Klaus Rohland said that the government might be adopting the right approach. “The more I think about SOE reform, the more I realise the most promising way to address this over time is to increase competition,” he told Reuters. “What I think you could do is build a firewall between politics and SOEs and subject the SOEs to more market discipline.” RISKS Still, an editorial on Wednesday in the Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the offi-

cial People’s Daily, warned of the risk entrenched interests continue to pose to market-based reform. “With the advancing of reform, we should firmly oppose vested interest groups,” the editorial read. “If we don’t seek a consolidation of group interests and whole social interests, reform will be an empty slogan.” Some economists believe that reforming markets without reforming market players risks further economic distortions. “As long as the government does not allow large SOEs to fail, they will be more creditworthy than private sector rivals,” Mark Williams and Qinwei Wang, of Capital Economics, said in a research note, adding that an implicit state guarantee would allow state firms to take greater advantage of financial liberalization. Some econo-

mists also suggested that without a clearly-articulated vision to guide officials at various levels of government, reformers will struggle to push through piecemeal efforts against the opposition of vested interests. Indeed, while setting up central groups to oversee security and the reform process appears to show Xi is consolidating his power base, the reluctance to take on state firms and the ministries that back them suggest the limits of that same power. Overall, the World Bank’s Rohland played down concerns that China is moving too slowly, saying critics should beware of the alternative. “If you think about reform that would go wrong in a country like China - with almost 1.4 billion people you know that’s pretty scary,” he said. — Reuters

NANJING: A truck carrying a Rolls-Royce passes an under construction Metro station in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. — AFP

Africa’s economic rise is a draw to investors NAIROBI: In Africa, foreign investors beware: business is often a family affair. Just ask Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer. When it sought a foothold in east Africa, it sparked a family feud in one of its acquisition targets, Kenya’s Naivas supermarket chain. A member of the Mukuha family that controls the firm went to court to block the sale of Naivas, whose growth over two decades from a small shop in the Rift Valley to a chain of 30 outlets across Kenya epitomizes Africa’s economic rise. Wal-Mart, which has its own roots in a humble family store in the southern US state of Arkansas, should perhaps have been aware of how territorial a business can be when it is bound by ties of kith and kin. A judge eventually ruled the transaction could go ahead, but the deal still collapsed. Naivas executives said in October it was not time to sell and they would invest in expansion instead. Massmart, the South African unit of Wal-Mart behind the deal, did not comment but said it still eyed east Africa. The deal highlights the attraction of a continent that would have barely registered on a retailer’s radar 20 or even 10 years ago. It also shows one of the many difficulties lurking for investors in Africa’s frontier markets where many businesses have grown from small family-run affairs. Owners are often wary of outsiders and can also set valuations unrealistically high. “We see a lot of really amazing companies but when we look at it, the family doesn’t want to relinquish control, the whole family works in it, it is an ATM for them and decisions are made at the dinner table,” said Ayisi Makatiani, managing partner at Kenyan private equity firm Fanisi Capital. “We don’t like that,” said Makatiani, who launched his firm’s first fund worth $150 million in 2010 and whose investments in east Africa include a Kenyan pharmacy chain.

Retail is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s hottest sectors, fuelled by expanding populations and fast growing economies. In east Africa, the economies of several nations are growing around 7 percent a year. Kenyan growth is slower but is picking up. Real income growth in Africa is averaging 2.3 percent a year and consumer spending accounts for 60 percent of economic output, the World Bank said in April. Deutsche Bank said the number of households with discretionary income would reach 130 million by 2020 from 85 million now. That’s good news for shops. PAYING A PREMIUM “It is very clear that Africa is the place to be and Kenya is specifically one of the best opportunities on the continent,” said Jonathan Somen, head of AccessKenya, an Internet access provider founded with his brother and his father. The firm, set up in 2000, was bought this year by Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp at a 42 percent premium to its market price. “With massive growth taking place, a fast-growing middle class and investment into infrastructure, not to mention oil and gas deposits, the opportunities in Kenya are enormous,” he said. Other factors, alongside family differences, can also halt acquisition deals in Africa. Plans by Nakumatt, a privately-owned chain of 40 stores in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, to sell a 25 percent stake to a strategic investor were knocked off course by an Islamist militant attack in September on the upscale Westgate shopping mall where it had its flagship store. Nakumatt lost more than 2 billion shillings ($23 million) in the assault, which killed at least 67 people and ruined the store that sold everything from iPads to champagne and French cheese, serving a clientele of wealthy Kenyans and expatriates.—Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BUSINESS

Risk appetite subdued on US Fed uncertainty Rupee, rupiah tumble as taper talk hits Asian currencies LONDON: Uncertainty about the timing of a cut in Federal Reserve stimulus and the fine print of economic reforms in China kept global markets under pressure yesterday. Emerging Asian currencies and the region’s shares took fresh beating overnight in the wake of mixed signals from Fed officials about the US central bank’s asset-buying stimulus. Victims including the Indian rupee and the Indonesian rupiah, looked to have stabilized in early trading in Europe, whose debt and currency markets were mostly little changed. But

the mood in the region remained jittery and some riskier assets lost ground. London’s FTSE led European shares 0.5 percent lower as a drop in UK unemployment left traders eying a Bank of England inflation report at 1030 GMT for signals regarding the BoE’s pledge of ultra-low rates. Sterling popped up and the FTSE extended losses to 0.9 percent following the data. But with a crucial hearing for Fed chair-in-waiting Janet Yellen and European third quarter growth figures both due on Thursday, the

dollar and the euro as well as Europe’s bond markets were by and large in a holding pattern. “We are pausing,” said National Australia Bank strategist Gavin Friend. “Any nuggets Yellen gives on her policy leaning are going to be extremely closely scrutinized. And if Q3 euro zone GDP surprises on the downside that could give the euro a kick.” The worry investors have is that if the Fed starts winding down its huge, stimulus global borrowing costs will rise, and as the return on developed market assets such as bonds

rises, emerging markets will lose their attraction and suffer. Earlier, Jakarta’s Composite Index stumbled 2 percent to a two-month low as the rupiah hit its weakest in more than four-and-ahalf years despite the central bank’s surprise rate hike in the previous session. The Indian rupee also slumped, hitting a two-month low after surging consumer prices sparked fears the central bank would continue to raise interest rates and undermine economic growth at a particularly vulnerable time for the currency. CHINA REFORMS The Reserve Bank of India is likely to have stepped in to prop up the rupee via state-run banks, to keep it from falling further, traders said. It will hold a news conference later. “Pockets of firm US data will reignite QE (quantitative easing) tapering concerns, pulling the dollar higher and vulnerable Asian currencies lower,” said Radhika Rao, economist with DBS in Singapore. “After a brief respite, the headwinds for the Indian rupee are back to the fore.” MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost about 1.4 percent to reach its lowest levels in more than a month, on track to mark a fifth straight decline. Japan’s Nikkei stock average ended down 0.2 percent. Chinese shares were some of the biggest underperformers after the initial communique from a Communist Party policy meeting to set an economic blueprint for the coming decade offered

few details. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong was down more than 2 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.4 percent. EURO STAYS ABOVE ECB-TRIGGERED LOWS The dollar wobbled but stuck close to recent ranges. It was off about 0.1 percent at 99.45 yen after rising as high as 99.79 yen on Tuesday, its strongest level since Sept. 13. The dollar index inched down about 0.1 percent to 81.142. Talk of cutting Fed stimulus in December from Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart was countered by Narayana Kocherlakota, president of the Minneapolis Fed, who called for aggressive action to foster growth. The euro was slightly lower from Asian levels at $1.3430 , but holding well above lows set last week, when it suffered a heavy selloff after the European Central Bank cut its main rate early than had been expected. The common currency traded well above the two-month low of $1.3295 hit on Thursday, but still down nearly 3 percent from a two-year peak of $1.3833 set last month. In commodities markets, gold gained 0.4 percent to $1,275.69 an ounce but remained not far from the previous session’s four-week low. US crude for December delivery edged up to $93.30 a barrel after flirting with 4-1/2 month lows, while the benchmark three-month copper contract fell 1.11 percent to $7,040 a tonne. — Reuters

Zain Iraq wins the ‘Telecom Operator of the Year’ award DUBAI: Zain Group, a pioneer in mobile telecommunications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, is proud to announce the award of the ‘Telecom Operator of the Year’ accolade to its operation in Iraq at the prestigious Arabian Business Achievement Awards 2013, held in Dubai on 11 November. Arabian Business is a highly regarded online and print business publication across the Middle East, and its annual Achievement Awards is widely recognized as the premier awards ceremony in the regional business calendar. The black-tie gala ceremony was attended by an elite audience of regional business leaders and international dignitaries including Zain Iraq Chairman, Mohammed Charchafchi and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Wael Ghanayem. On announcing the accolade, the editorial team of Arabian Business noted, “The Award confirms the immense contributions Zain Iraq has made to the telecom sector and the country in its 10 years of operation, during which it has become Iraq’s leading mobile operator serving over 14.5 million customers reflecting a 48% market share. Zain is one of the most recognizable brands in the country and the operator’s exceptional network covers 97% of the population, having invested over US$4.5 billion in Iraq since commencing its operations in 2003. Zain Iraq is an important part of Zain Group, contributing 33% of the Group’s customer base and 40% of its revenues.” Furthermore, Arabian Business noted, “Zain Iraq’s wide-ranging educational, health and cultural programs are all indicative of a company acting with sound sustainable and corporate socially responsible values.” Zain Iraq Chairman, Mohammed Charchafchi commented on the award: “We are wholeheartedly committed to the continual development of the telecom sector in Iraq and playing our role in the revitalization of the country. We have always considered our journey in Iraq as one with the people and for the people, and I dedicate this award to our 14.5 million loyal customers and our committed 3,000-strong workforce.”

Scott Gegenheimer, Zain Group CEO said: “Zain Iraq is in the final stages of preparing for a stock market listing, which will result in more Iraqis gaining ownership of a mobile operator serving their own country. Zain Group will continue to support the local management team whose solid track record is marked by continuing revenue growth and improving profitability over the years, maintaining Zain’s undisputed market leadership in Iraq. We appreciate the Zain Iraq team’s efforts being recognized at such an important time in the mobile operator’s development.” Wael Ghanayem, Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Zain Iraq, added: “As a company it is enormously gratifying to see the ways in which our mobile telephony services have a positive economic and social impact on the daily lives of the Iraqi people. Our numerous sustainable and corporate social responsible programs across the country are just as important to Zain as are our commercial activities. This high level endorsement of our efforts is an added bonus, and we appreciate Arabian Business for recognizing our undertakings on such a prestigious platform.” The telecom sector in Iraq is a major contributor to the country’s GDP and is the country’s second largest source of tax revenue. Zain employs over 3,000 highly trained Iraqi nationals directly however the number of Iraqis drawing an income as a consequence of Zain Iraq’s operations is estimated at ten times that number. Zain’s modern network infrastructure that has recently expanded to the northern region is ready to offer 3G services nationwide as soon as the Iraq authorities provide the necessary spectrum. Market research indicates huge pent-up potential for Zain Iraq, driven by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, especially in the mobile data segment. Away from the positive impact Zain Iraq’s commercial activities have had on the country, the operator is one of the leading corporate social responsibility contributors in Iraq, with projects ranging from health centers and schooling, to cultural and personal safety campaigns.

Oil rises to $107 Libya concern nags LONDON: Oil rose to $107 a barrel yesterday as support from supply outages countered concern about the prospect of the US Federal Reserve soon reducing its monetary stimulus and forecasts of a rise in US stockpiles. Lack of success in weekend talks on Iran’s nuclear work reduced the chance of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude, off the market since 2012 due to sanctions, returning soon. Libyan exports remain disrupted by strikes and protests. Brent crude was up $1.06 at $106.87 at 1110 GMT, rising as high as $107.00. US crude was up 25 cents at $93.29. The contract fell more than $2 a barrel on Tuesday, hitting a four-and-a-half-month low. “Brent seems to have found quite good support around the $105.50-$107 area and is beginning to bump along in that range,” said Christopher Bellew, an oil broker at Jefferies Bache. “Mild weather, high stocks in the United States and high product exports from the States into Europe may make it fall, but you can paint another picture about Libya, Syria

and the possibility of Israel losing patience with Iran.” European equities were lower, following on from losses in Asia, pressured by concern the Fed may roll back the asset-buying program as soon as next month. The stimulus has supported commodities and other risk assets. The next round of talks on Iran’s nuclear work is on Nov. 20 and analysts expect the issue to prop up prices. “It does not appear to us that a breakthrough will emerge soon and that continuing lost Iranian barrels will remain a supportive factor to oil prices,” BNP Paribas head of commodity markets Harry Tchilinguirian said in a report. In Libya, Italian oil and gas group Eni has been producing 60 percent of what it should have been since the start of the year, the chief executive told the BBC yesterday. “It’s very much out of control... It’s getting worse... but I have reasons to be optimist on the future,” Paolo Scaroni said in an interview with the BBC program Hard Talk. Forecasts of a rise in US crude stocks limited the rally. —Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BUSINESS

Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II Ultra-luxurious cars with cutting-edge technologies KUWAIT: “From launch in 2003, the Rolls-Royce Phantom quickly established a reputation at the very pinnacle of automotive excellence, a reputation that has been reinforced by the introduction of outstanding model derivatives like the Phantom Drophead Coupe and Phantom Coupe. These beautiful cars are timeless in their appeal, but in the modern world technology moves rapidly and Rolls-Royce cannot afford to stand still. So we have embraced that famous maxim of our founding forefather Sir Henry Royce who, a century ago, encouraged his teams to take the best that exists and to make it better. Today Rolls-Royce proudly presents Phantom Series II a family of ultra-luxurious cars that have been thoughtfully updated with the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, enhancements to an already peerless drivetrain and improvements in connectivity that reflect the new world in which we live. As a consequence, I am confident that Rolls-Royce will continue to present, with pride, the very best motor cars in the world for many years to come.” MODERN MASTERPIECE The launch of the Rolls-Royce Phantom on 1 January 2003 was much more than the reveal of a new ultra-luxury car; it signaled the 21st Century renaissance of the world’s most famous luxury automobile brand and the first glimpse of a masterpiece that quickly established itself at the pinnacle of automotive excellence. For the preceding five years, under BMW Group ownership and in the absence of publicity, designers, engineers and skilled production staff had overseen the birth of a flagship Rolls-Royce motor car and state-of-the-art production facility on the Goodwood Estate in Southern England. Without parallel in the car industry, the achievement was all the more astonishing for a brand which shouldered the weight of historic ups (and occasional downs) and for which expectations for the future were rightly high. From launch, the Rolls-Royce Phantom proved itself a worthy recipient of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. From Pantheon grille to long rear overhang, the design was clearly a Rolls-Royce. Every angle revealed a bold yet elegant car with road presence that was second to none. For such an imposing car, Phantom surprised drivers with its agility and precision in motion while its ride was described by the company at the time as ‘designed to lower the pulse’. The magnificently sublime ride, famed through model generations, had returned and waftability re-affirmed itself in the company lexicon. At the car’s core lay a ground-breaking, lightweight aluminum space-frame with power supplied by a sophisticated, direct-injection V12 engine, married to a six-speed auto gearbox. And complementing this excellence in engineering was Phantom’s beautiful interior, presenting hand-stitched sumptuous leathers, fine veneers and exquisite detailing, a combination that marked the car as something uniquely special. New Phantom variants were added, starting with Phantom Extended Wheelbase in 2005. PHANTOM SERIES II Today, Rolls-Royce presents Phantom Series II, a family of pinnacle cars that have been thoughtfully updated with the introduction of cutting-edge technology, enhancements to an already peerless drive-train and improvements in connectivity that reflect the changing world in which we live. Phantom’s striking and modern front end best encapsulates the essence of changes that lie beneath, with re-styled bumpers and rectangular light apertures that frame full-LED light clusters. These allow the integration of new technologies like curve light functionality, where headlamp beams are reflected in the direction of travel to provide greater illumination of the road ahead when cornering. And adaptive headlamps, where light patterns change automatically and - of course - effortlessly in response to different driving speeds. Phantom’s already sublime drive-train has also been enhanced. The addition of a new 8-speed automatic gearbox and rear differential perfectly complement the V12 direct injection engine, improving exemplary dynamics, as well as the famous Rolls-Royce promise of a magic carpet ride. Fuel consumption improves by 10 percent on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions fall from 385 to 347g/km as a consequence (388 to 349 for Phantom Extended Wheelbase). Effortless is a word that perhaps best epitomizes the Phantom experience, both for drivers and their passengers. So an improved user interface, as well as the addition of new driver assistance technologies, have been built on the foundation of a new electronics’ platform for Phantom Series II. The satellite navigation system, for example, has been fully updated with functions that

include 3D map display with landscape topography, guided tours, as well as enhanced points of interest and composite route planning. Audio visual content, satellite navigation maps and driver information is presented on Phantom’s new 8.8 inch control centre display, underlined by eight programmable bookmarks in chrome for optimum convenience in selecting key functions. Front, rear and top-view camera systems, further augment Phantom’s ease of use particularly when driving in tight urban environments. DESIGN “We should think of Phantom design as a piece of popular, classical music. Over time this has the possibility of diﬀerent interpretations without losing the essential melody that we know so well.” Ian Cameron - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Director of Design. Like a piece of inspirational music, the Rolls-Royce Phantom continues to delight an audience. Familiar melodies - classic design cues that can be traced through the model generations - are brought to life by an orchestra of craftspeople working at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, where attention to the ﬁnest detail delights in every car. Familiar themes begin with the famous Spirit of Ecstasy,

proudly adorning each model’s Pantheon grille leaning into the wind with fluttering gown, while in side profile all Phantom family members present a long rear over-hang and classic two-to-one wheel to body height. The thin-rimmed steering-wheel is reminiscent of elegantly engineered multifunction helms of the Phantom II and III, while further cues in the form of bulls-eye air vents and organ-stop plungers further hint at past masterpieces. But 21st Century design cues also delight owners, as well as those for whom a glimpse of a Rolls-Royce is a rare moment to be treasured. The interlocked double-R Rolls-Royce monogram in the hubcaps, for example, which remain upright at all times. And coach doors with soft close function, which house Teflon-coated umbrellas to provide the grandest form of disembarkation from any motor car, whatever the weather. Nearly ten years from launch, the design team responsible for creating a modern masterpiece remain at Rolls-Royce. And for Director of Design Ian Cameron, updating a 21st Century classic would start with one priority: a harmonious, timeless design to embrace state-of-the-art technological improvements. The new, modern front-end for Phantom Series II, perhaps best exemplifies changes that are more than skin deep. Recessed behind new rectangular light apertures and re-designed front bumpers are fully LED light clusters. The signature is an elegant and dramatic bar, capturing the simple elegance of a continuously lit element, a feature complementing Rolls-Royce tail light design. For balance and proportion, this is integrated horizontally across the centre of Phantom’s four-

compartment headlamp. Phantom Coupe and Drophead CoupÈ now come with a single piece grille surround, presenting a smoother, more contemporary front end that arch into sculpted front wings, while Phantom saloon features a new rear bumper incorporating a polished stainless steel highlight. Phantom Saloon and Extended Wheelbase wear a new front wing R-R badge with repeat indicator while three new wheel options, including painted, part-polished and polished, add to the range of 21” wheels, the largest fitted as standard to any production car. “The result is thoroughly modern, yet embraces those traditional design cues. It’s a familiar design, but it’s lit in a different way.” - Ian Cameron INTERIOR Simplicity of design and the very finest materials contribute to the timeless architecture of any Phantom, where touch points are exclusively wood, chrome and leather and where feet can easily be lost in deep, lambswool rugs. Arguably the best place to experience Phantom’s luxury is from the rear seat of Phantom Saloon where passengers - elevated by 18 mm - are presented with an inspirational view down the long sweep of the bonnet and onto the Spirit of Ecstasy. A reduction in the number of seat flutes in front and rear, from

five to three, gives a more modern complement to the car’s sumptuous natural grain leather and flutes are also added to Drophead Coupe and Coupe seats for Phantom Series II. An oasis of calm, Rolls-Royce interiors are the perfect environment in which to relax and unwind in welcoming silence. But they can also be a centre for entertainment. Phantom Saloon’s theatre configuration adds two monitors within veneered picnic tables for rear seat passengers which are linked to a multi-media player, mounted in a compartment at the rear of the centre console. The inclusion of AV connectors, a sixDVD changer housed in the lower glove box and USB port in the centre console, means occupants can view separate content wherever they may be seated, front or rear. The LOGIC7TM surround sound system by Harman can create a truly cinematic experience on any journey. Seven individual sound signals are processed specifically for the car and its interior conditions using a combination of speakers that include subwoofers housed within resonance chambers in the space created by Phantom’s double floor. A nine-channel amplifier delivers supreme clarity, clearly placing musical instruments, sound effects and dialogue at different depths giving the impression of sitting in row one or 20 of a concert. At the touch of a button, Phantom’s elegant analogue clock flips to reveal a new control centre display. The screen has increased in size from 6.5 to 8.8 inches with enhanced pixel density providing a more refined image, as well as split-menu display for more intuitive access to different functions. A stylish new chrome

controller, discreetly hidden within the centre console and rearcentre arm rests when not in use, is flanked by function keys such as menu, telephone and navigation to allow easier access to infotainment functions. Eight functional bookmarks are now included beneath the monitor. These can be programmed to present desired information at the touch of a chrome key, for example the preferred orientation for satellite navigation maps, to present favorite television channels, pre-set radio stations or to access Phantom’s telephone menu. All Phantom family cars now benefit from improved interfaces and interaction with wireless technology. Finding a restaurant, booking a table, then being guided to its location, for example, comes courtesy of the improved functionality and inter-connectivity of Phantom’s new satellite navigation system. Further enhancements to navigation functions include guided tours: at the Home of Rolls-Royce, which is situated next to the historic town of Chichester in England, drivers may choose to select a 45 minute tour taking in Roman Britain. For Phantom Series II the telephone cradle has been replaced by a standard fit smart phone cradle which connects directly into the car antennae. The centre recess now also includes USB, Aux-in and 12V power sockets. Additionally, music can be copied directly onto the car’s hard-drive, thanks to the addition of a USB port in the glove compartment. NEW LED LIGHT TECHNOLOGY Rolls-Royce has a long history of technological firsts and is now the first car manufacturer to offer full LED headlamps as standard for Phantom models. As well as drawing less power from the engine, the characteristic whiter light provides a clearer view of the road ahead, helping prevent tiredness for drivers during long journeys on dark roads. New light clusters comprise four compartments surrounded and finished with a polished, stainless steel bezel. Continuously lit, an elegant bar runs through the centre forming Phantom’s LED daytime running lamps. LEDS in the top two pockets form dipped lights while full beam illuminates LEDs in the lower two. A separate, rectangular indicator strip sits below the headlamps. LEDs present the opportunity for technologies that better manage the way light is projected, including curve light functionality and adaptive headlamps. The first uses electronically-controlled reflectors in upper and lower headlamp pockets, to improve the sweep of illumination when cornering. More of the road in the direction of travel can be seen as reflectors rotate by up to 15∞ in direct response to steering wheel turns. Adaptive headlamps automatically change beam patterns according to driving conditions. Light is dispersed more widely for driving speeds below 50km/h to enable better views of cyclists and pedestrians. Between 50 and 120km/h the light cone extends and is skewed towards the near side to reveal potential hazards on a driver’s side of the road, while for motorway driving at speeds in excess of 120km/h, the beam has a longer range and is more intense. Where windscreen wipers have been operating for more than two minutes in poor weather, dipped beams are automatically illuminated. The convenient activation of headlight adaption is a further benefit, now being accessed directly via the rotary controller, rather than a switch located under the bonnet. This allows headlight settings to be switched between right-hand and left-hand drive markets, for example when driving from the UK to France, increasing comfort for those used to crossing borders. CAMERA SYSTEM Everything about owning and driving Phantom models should be effortless, including maneuvering in tight urban environments. Today, a new camera system is offered as standard for all Phantom Series II. Cameras are positioned in five locations, two in the curves of the front bumper, two on the underside of each wing mirror and one in the trunk lid. These combine to present a fish-eye view at blind junctions or to provide ground images with obstacle recognition and reverse path prediction when parking This automatically deploys on the control centre display when reverse gear is selected and highlights the optimum reversing trajectory as well as the location of obstacles, helping prevent scuffs and alloy damage preserving the high value of a client’s investment - and the inherent beauty of the car. Additionally, all Phantom models carry six buttons that sit either side of the centre console’s functional bookmarks; the button to the furthest on the right takes drivers immediately to a split image revealing objects at either side at the front of the car.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

BUSINESS

LuLu Exchange opens 9th branch in Kuwait KUWAIT: LuLu Exchange, one of the leading foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer companies, opened its second branch in Abbasiya, and ninth outlet in Kuwait, on Wednesday, 6th November. With the opening of the new branch, LuLu Exchange further strengthens its strong network of branches across the State of Kuwait. Speaking on the occasion, Adeeb Ahamed, CEO LuLu Exchange, said, “We are pleased to announce the opening of our newest branch in Abbasaiya. More branches mean more convenience to our customers. LuLu Exchange is keen on building a strategic network across Kuwait, considering the needs of customers as well as by reacting immediately to changing market dynamics. With the opening of this new branch, LuLu Exchange will cater to a large number of the expatriates of this fast growing country.” “LuLu Exchange’s popularity in the region as the preferred, most trusted exchange house enabling smart and stable money transfer services has helped us chart our growth plan. We dedicate this branch to the service of our valued customers, with a commitment to bring them only the best, be it service offerings, accessibility and technology or customer experience in the bargain”, Ahamed added. The company’s operations in Kuwait began in 2011. Since then, LuLu Exchange Company has been constantly growing by garnering the trust of the customers. The remittance major has gathered a wide range of services under one roof, which

addresses most of the financial requirements of its customers including money transfer, foreign exchange, and more. LuLu Exchange’s firm belief in the commitment to enhance customer experience by identifying customer requirements has made it take money transfer services closer to its target customers in the interior regions. Currently, LuLu Exchange has branches in Al Rai, Fahaheel, Mahaboula, Mangaf and Mirgab while it has two branches in Farwaniya and Abbasaiya, taking its total branch count to nine. To reinforce its dedication to improving customer accessibility and

‘Wataniya Telecom’ offers 50% discount to Philippines KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom has committed to take part in all occasions that is considered significantly substantial to all its customers. In response to the recent natural crisis in the Philippines, Wataniya offers 50% discount on all SMS and international calls to the Republic of the Philippines. This offer comes in understanding of the needs for its customers who belong to the Filipino community especially after the Typhoon “Haiyan” hit their country recently; one which was described as “the most ferocious this year”. Wataniya Telecom announced that this discount which was announced last Tuesday Nov 12thwill continue until the19th of this month. All the company’s customers -postpaid and prepaid subscribers as well as corporate clients - can benefit from this offer. Wataniya will continuously support its customers of different nationalities and backgrounds

in all circumstances and events. Wataniya also seeks ways to secure the best communication methods between customers and their friends and relatives wherever they are.

Telecom Egypt hopes to win mobile license CAIRO: Landline monopoly Telecom Egypt is confident the government will grant it a license to provide mobile services by the end of the year, its chief executive said yesterday. “We see a reason to be confident that such a license would be issued within 2013,” CEO Mohamed ElNawawy said after third-quarter results were announced. He said the company, which currently serves 35 million customers living in seven million homes, would be able to offer services one to two months after receiving the license. “We think that as early as the second quarter of next year some mobile revenue can be booked,” said Nawawy. The company reported a 16 percent increase in revenue and a 2.3 percent rise in net profit in the third quarter compared with the same period last year. Telecom Egypt, of which the government owns 80 percent, posted net profit of 650 million Egyptian pounds ($94.4 million) and revenue of 2.86 billion. Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) reached 1.131 billion pounds. Egypt has three mobile operators: Vodafone Egypt, Mobinil, which is controlled by France Telecom , and Dubaibased Etisalat. Telecom Egypt has been relying on its data business to boost revenue and has been waiting to launch a new mobile operation that would complement its existing joint venture with Vodafone and rival the sector’s two other players. Last December, the industry regulator said Egypt would grant Telecom Egypt a license by mid-2013 to provide mobile

services and would later let mobile companies offer fixed-lined services using Telecom Egypt’s infrastructure. VERY BULLISH The growth of those businesses is steadily eating away at Telecom Egypt’s traditional fixed-line services as Egyptians opt to use mobile phones and the internet instead, forcing the company to seek ways of expanding its exposure to mobile. Egypt’s economy has been hammered by political turmoil since a popular uprising toppled veteran leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011. In July, the army ousted President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood after mass protests against his rule. That triggered more unrest, with security forces cracking down hard on Morsi’s supporters. Hundreds were killed and more than 2,000 arrested. Asked if he was concerned by Egypt’s political upheaval, Nawawy said: “Quite frankly we see a country with the heritage and the history of always being able to get its act together.” “Based on the geography and the history and the market I am very bullish and very excited about Egypt and the opportunity in Egypt,” he added. Telecom Egypt owns a 45 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt and the Egyptian authorities have previously said Telecom Egypt must pull out of the venture before pushing ahead with any mobile operations’ plans. Nawawy gave no indication that would happen, saying neither the authorities nor Vodafone had requested such a move. — Reuters

customer delight, LuLu Exchange plans to open eight more branches by the end of 2014. The company features a potent mix of highly competent and committed workforce paired with latest technologies to deliver the best possible customer satisfaction. Ahamed further stated, “As a socially responsible organization, we have always ensured fair business practices including rigorous compliance to global anti-money laundering protocols, in the best interest of our regulators and customers. We couldn’t have achieved this success without the support of

our customers, partners and regulators in every market that we operate in. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for all the inspiration.” LuLu Exchange has strategic partnerships with Western Union Worldwide Remittance Services, and Transfast which only further guarantees that clients’ hard earned money reaches its destination in a fast and secure way. Currently the exchange house caters to markets world over with direct online remittance arrangements to India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Nepal, Philippines, and Indonesia.

Bali summit looms WTO talks enter crunch stage GENEVA: Negotiators are under mounting pressure to finalize a deal ahead of a WTO summit seen as a make or break moment for the body that oversees the rules of global commerce. Roberto Azevedo, who took over as WTO director general in September, has vowed to spare no effort during last-ditch talks at its Geneva base, as diplomats struggle to craft a draft accord to ease barriers to global commerce. The World Trade Organization’s 159 member economies are locked in what officials dub a “meatgrinder”, striving to bridge differences between rich countries, emerging powers and the world’s poorest nations over the concessions needed to yield a deal for a ministerial summit on December 3-6 on the Indonesian island of Bali. “It is all or nothing now. We must tie the package up once and for all in the next few days,” Azevedo, Brazil’s former WTO envoy, told negotiators on Tuesday. The WTO’s ruling body, the General Council, is scheduled on November 21 to decide whether it can put a deal on the table in Bali. Trade sources said there is little prospect for real negotiation in Bali itself to seal a deal. The summit is seen as perhaps the last chance to revive the WTO’s so-called “Doha Round” of talks, launched in 2001 in Qatar. The round’s goal is to craft a wide-ranging global accord on opening markets and removing trade barriers, in order to harness international commerce to develop poorer economies. WTO rules require such deals to be unanimous, but bitter differences over the necessary give and take have sparked clashes notably between China,

the European Union, India and the United States, leaving the talks stalled for years and leading many countries to shift focus to bilateral and regional deals. “I think the risk of failure is still present,” warned Azevedo, whose predecessor, Frenchman and former EU trade chief Pascal Lamy, was unable to secure a deal during eight years in charge of the WTO. No results in Bali would mean no serious WTO negotiations for a long time, trade sources said, underlining that regional deals tend to involve rich countries or emerging powers, sidelining the poorest nations. “Since launching the round 12 years ago, the WTO has never met a deadline it liked. Now, the gig is up in terms of credibility. Bali is the wall-either they hit it head-on, or pole-vault it,” Sergio Marchi, Canada’s former trade minister and former WTO envoy said. “The public and business community are tired of the ongoing treadmill process. In Bali, I believe the WTO owes them clarity and candour. Either agree on a substantive outcome or declare that the current Doha deal, as constructed, is dead,” he said. Negotiators have long written off the chances of Bali offering major Doha Round headway, and have sought lower-level accords that could be fed into the wider package later. One is on “trade facilitation”, the crux of which is simplifying customs procedures, a move forecast to cut trading costs by 10 percent for rich nations and around 14 percent for the developing world. Negotiators in Geneva managed Sunday to settle rules for cooperation between WTO members’ customs services. “It is not perfect, but the core of an agreement is there,” said Azevedo, though “there

remain some very hard nuts to crack”. He said the “biggest iceberg” was the time-lag developing countries would get to smooth their customs rules, and the technical assistance they could expect from rich countries and international lenders such as the World Bank in order to do so. Another division is over “food security”, pushed by India, under which developing countries want to be allowed to subsidize grain stockpiling to help low-income farmers and consumers. India and like-minded nations argue that protecting the poor trumps rules on weaning WTO members off subsidies. Critics, however, say there is a risk that despite stated noble intentions, stockpiles could leak onto the domestic or international market, skewing global farm commerce. Other issues to be hammered out include “export competition”, or government financial incentives for exporters. Developing countries want rich nations to make a firm commitment in Bali to slash payouts, seen as giving the wealthy world an unfair advantage in global trade. “A big question mark hangs over this issue,” said Azevedo. Officials underlined that the US, EU and Japan see it as a bargaining chip to be used down the path to a Doha Round deal. Another major area of dispute are so-called “tariff quotas”. Quota administration is highly technical, but has huge impact on trade, as it decides whether a product exported from one country can gain access to the market of another country at a lower, within-quota tariff. “It’s very difficult to find middle ground when you have black and white, yes or no,” said a trade source. — AFP

Al Mazaya Holding seeks to enrich its financial solvency KUWAIT: Al Mazaya Holding Company announced a number of vigorous steps taken recently to enrich its financial solvency, reduce its funding expenses, and organize the financing cash flow, according to Abrahim Al Saqabi, the Acting Chief Executive of the company. In this regard, Al Saqabi said that the current strategy of the company is aimed at entering into new projects, which requires the provision of the necessary liquidity for the implementation of these projects, and entering into partnerships with strategic investors, together with the expansion into new markets in order to spread risks on the one hand, introduce new products compatible with the current developments, and yield returns for the company on the other. He added that Al Mazaya has been able to accomplish a number of deals that help achieve its strategy in this regard, including the signing of a contract foliate with one of the Islamic banks worth 14.7 million dinars for 5 years, to be repaid over twenty quarterly upward boosts, which has resulted in lower short-term liabilities to the value of 6 million dinars, a 17% decrease in the cost of funding, and the conversion of the company loans to long-term liabilities as obligations to banks. Al Saqabi also said that the step has not affected the total liabilities of the company. The rates of the company’s loans to banks reached by 54% for traditional banks and 46 % for Islamic, compared to the previous proportions reaching 81% for traditional loans and 19% for Islamic banks, an increase of 142% from the traditional system to the Islamic, as part of the company’s policy to convert the cur-

rent financing system from traditional to Islamic, especially after the Islamic finance system proved its ability to withstand the Global Financial Crisis, together with its flexibility in the development of multiple financing methods and instruments. Commenting on the other steps carried out by the company within its strategy, Al Saqabi said that Al Mazaya has indulged in the sale of its shares by 14.3 % in the Club Holding Company listed in the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The sale of the shares was performed through an auction in accordance with

Abrahim Al Saqabi

the Kuwait Stock Exchange procedures, which will bring further financial liquidity needed in order to enter new projects. As for Al Mazaya’s exit deals, they will be listed within the financial data of the company in December 31, 2013. The Saqabi went on to say that the Al Mazaya continues to implement its ambitious plans and smart objectives according to a strict timetable supported by specific success factors, noting at the same time that Al Mazaya takes great care to take into account the interest of the company’s shareholders, investors and customers. In parallel, he said that the company is currently working on a study of restructuring its administrative regulations and internal systems in cooperation with foreign companies and consulting firms of competent jurisdiction. This follows after the successful completion of a workshop entitled ‘Rules of Governance for Companies in accordance with the new Regulations for the Financial Markets’, that had been held by the company’s management office Albazie & Co - legal Accountants - to inform all leaders and members of the Board of Directors and executives on the latest developments in the capital markets and how to apply the system of governance for companies of all kinds, including the principles of transparency and disclosure. The Saqabi concluded his statement saying that Al Mazaya has a lot to offer for shareholders, investors and markets, and with the help of God the company is continuing on the right track to achieve the desired results.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

technology

White House oversight panel probes health website woes WASHINGTON: Probing whether the White House shares blame for health-care website woes, the House’s chief investigator is delving into technical issues behind the dysfunctional rollout of HealthCare.gov. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will explore concerns about online security in the sixth major congressional hearing since President Barack Obama’s computerized insurance markets went live Oct. 1 and millions of consumers encountered frozen screens. Issa also wants to know why the administration required consumers to ﬁrst create online accounts at HealthCare.gov before they could shop for health plans. That decision runs counter to the common ecommerce practice of allowing anonymous window-shopping. Outside experts say it increased the workload on a wobbly system. The hearing comes during a week in which the

administration is expected to release tightly held enrollment numbers for October. They are believed to amount to only a small fraction of the nearly 500,000 initial signups that officials had projected a month before the trouble-plagued website’s launch. It also could produce one of the more memorable witnesses of the administration’s tangle with technology. Henry Chao, a little-known Medicare official, presented an overview of the enrollment system back in the spring, and commented, “Let’s just make sure it’s not a third-world experience.” Chao is deputy chief information officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which also is leading the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. A career official who earlier helped implement the Medicare prescription drug benefit, he is widely seen as the operational official most knowledgeable about the health care law’s online system.

Chao’s public comment in March at an insurance industry forum was taken as an edgy joke, and he later joined the parade of administration officials who assured lawmakers that everything was on track for a smooth launch, even as nonpartisan experts from the congressional Government Accountability Office warned that could not be taken for granted. Issa’s investigators have already grilled Chao in a private session that lasted some nine hours. Chao’s name appears on a key Sept. 27 document authorizing the launch of the website despite incomplete security testing. But Issa’s staff has released materials indicating that Chao was unaware of a memo earlier that month detailing unresolved security issues. Chao was also involved in the decision not to allow anonymous window-shopping, which is available on most e-commerce sites, including Medicare.gov. Issa has suggested a political calculation: The administration wanted to avoid con-

sumers experiencing “sticker shock” over premiums, so it first required them to compute tax credits that work like a discount. Government Oversight and Reform Committee Democrats say Chao told investigators the reason was technical: A planned window-shopping feature was full of glitches. The committee is also expected to hear from Todd Park, the White House chief technology officer. Issa has launched high-profile investigations of other troubling episodes for the administration, including the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans; the failure of the Solyndra solar power company that received government loans; and the “Fast and Furious” gun-tracking program on the Mexican border. Separately, the House Homeland Security Committee was also holding a hearing today on the health care website, focusing on whether personal information is adequately protected. — AP

E-cigarettes could save millions of lives Electronic cigarettes ‘running ahead of science’

QDIST stand

QDIST unveils award-winning VFDS at Doha exhibition DOHA: Qatar Distribution Company (QDIST), one of the largest technology distribution companies in Qatar, has launched its unique Video Fire Detector System (VFDS) at the Civil Defense Exhibition and Conference which started on Monday and will run at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha. The award-winning fire alarm system utilizes Video Image Detection (VID) technology to detect flame and smoke at any time of the day, providing faster real-time visual verification of a fire alarm and immediate assessment of its level of seriousness. VFDS delivers superior performance compared to conventional flame and smoke detection devices because of its ability for faster early stage detection in large areas. This can provide immediate and remote verification, and addresses the need for regular inspection and maintenance. Moreover, VFDS eliminates the need for intensive, costly initial installation, as it is easy to install and configure. QDIST will be the exclusive distributor of the VFDS in Qatar. Mohamed Fayek, Distribution Business Manager, QDIST, said: “VFDS is a superior solution compared to conventional devices given its faster and broader fire detection capabilities, using the most advanced VID technology. We have launched this groundbreaking solution at Civil Defense Exhibition and Conference, one of the largest events of its kind in the region, to mark a new era in the use of fire detection systems in Qatar. Being the exclusive distributor of the VFDS in Qatar reaffirms our position as a leading technology innovator in the local and regional markets.” VFDS was awarded ‘Product of Outstanding Innovation’ by SecuTech in 2008. It consists of video-based analytical algorithms that allow integration between analog cameras and advanced servers to create a complete flame and smoke detection system. VFDS also incorporates an automatic messaging functionality, sending up to 10 SMSs and an unlimited number of emails as soon as it detects a fire. In addition to its top-of-the-line fire alarm

solutions, QDIST also provides ﬁber optics as well as cabling solutions for ﬁre alarms and for networks, while the company’s portfolio of Active Component solutions, on the other hand, includes switches, routers and wireless devices through a partnership with NETGEAR and Avaya. The company also provides cutting-edge CCTV solutions, which stand out with superior resolution and large storage size through its partnership with Axis and “Everfocus” both of which are approved by the Ministry of Interior of Qatar, and with GVD NVR System. QDIST is the exclusive distributor of various Cabling, Active Component, CCTV and Fire Alarm systems in Qatar. The company also has a warehouse in Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE serving the rest of the regional market.

Mohamed Fayek, Distribution Business Manager, QDIST.

China Internet firms sue Baidu in piracy battle BEIJING: Two major Chinese Internet firms-backed by Hollywood-are suing the Asian giant’s leading search engine Baidu over copyright violations, they said yesterday, in a rare internal challenge to the country’s rampant piracy. The two firms-leading Web portal Sohu and top online video company Youku Tudou-are seeking as much as 300 million yuan ($49 million) in compensation from Baidu, which they say has committed a “serious violation” of their rights by letting users access pirated material online. “We cannot keep competing because where thieves and robbers are having their way, law-abiding companies cannot survive,” Sohu Group chairman and CEO Charles Zhang said in a statement. If such practices continue, he added, “nobody will invest in content, and China’s online video industry will face the (same) sad situation as the music industry, which has already been destroyed by piracy”. The Motion Picture Association of America is backing the move, as are Chinese Internet titan Tencent, Wanda Films and TV producer Huayi Brothers. In a statement, Baidu defended its anti-piracy efforts, noting that it filters out unauthorised content through an automated mechanism and also aims to take down pirated material within 24 hours of users flagging it.

“Piracy is a difficult problem in the domestic video industry,” it said in the Chinese-language statement. “In the future, Baidu will continue to step up its efforts to support the development of legal video.” Baidu, founded in 2000, held more than 80 percent of China’s search market in the first quarter of this year, according to a recent report by independent analysts iResearch. The search giant has in recent months moved to consolidate its position in China’s mobile internet, but faces accusations from online video firms that it is “distributing content without authorisation while engaging in activities that are beyond the scope of a search engine”. In a joint statement, the video and film companies accused Baidu of harming their business by using links that allow users to directly access content without having to visit third-party sites. They also charged that Baidu has profited from advertising revenue-sharing agreements with illegal online video sites. “It’s very technical, but we have to explain to the public that (Baidu’s) behaviour is 100% piracy,” Zhang told AFP, adding that the online video industry will be “completely destroyed” if the current trend continues. China has the world’s largest online population, with 564 million Internet users at the end of last year according to authorities. — AFP

LONDON: Switching to e-cigarettes could save millions of smokers’ lives, a conference on the increasingly popular devices heard Tuesday, though some experts warned more research on the health effects is needed. The merits of e-cigarettes were thrashed out at a one-day gathering of some 250 scientists, policymakers, industry figures and enthusiasts at the Royal Society in London. The use of electronic cigarettes-battery-powered devices that simulate smoking by heating and vaporising a liquid solution containing nicotine-has grown rapidly, with tobacco manufacturers jumping on the trend. Sales have doubled annually for the last four years and there are an estimated seven million users across Europe, organisers said. European lawmakers in October threw out a bid to curb sales of e-cigarettes by classifying them as medicinal products. Delegates in London debated how the market had moved faster than science or the law. Many delegates merrily “vaped” away throughout the indoor conference sessions, including one man puffing on a sizable e-pipe and another inhaling an e-cigar that lit up blue. “Cigarettes are killing 5.4 million people per year in the world,” said Robert West, a health psychology professor and the director of tobacco studies at Cancer Research UK. He told delegates switching to e-cigarettes could save millions of lives, but the debate was about “whether that goal can be realised and how best to do it”. The professor said almost a third of attempts to quit smoking involved e-cigarettes. Though they are estimated to be between 95 and 99 percent safer than smoking tobacco cigarettes, some countries have banned them and attendees debated the thorny issue of whether regulation-possibly under medicinal rules-should be brought in. They also discussed their potential as a tool to quit smoking or whether they might become a gateway for those who have never smoked. Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the Action on Smoking and Heath (ASH) pressure group, warned that not enough was known about their effects, and pointed out that the tobacco companies are snapping up manufacturers. “ASH thinks that e-cigarettes have significant potential. They are a lot less harmful than smoking,” she told AFP. However, “there’s a real concern that their safety and effectiveness is not guaranteed without regulation,” she said. “The tobacco companies are moving in. For them it’s potentially a ‘Kodak moment’ because if everyone moved to e-cigarettes, they’d lose their

LONDON: A selection of “Nicotine Containing Products”, or “NCP”s are displayed during “The ECigarette Summit” at the Royal Academy in central London on Tuesday. The merits of e-cigarettes were thrashed out at a one-day gathering of scientists, experts, policymakers and industry figures at the Royal Society in London. The use of electronic cigarettes — pen-sized battery-powered devices that simulate smoking by heating and vaporising a liquid solution containing nicotine — has grown rapidly. — AFP market so they’ve got to be in there. A lot of the co cigarettes can cost around £8. “Our customers always refer to this as the bigger e-cigarette companies have already been product that helped them to stop smoking,” he bought up.” She warned: “If there are carcinogens in there, told AFP. “We welcome regulation. We need to be you won’t see an immediate effect but 10, 15, 20 transparent with what we’re selling, how safe it is years down the line, people will be dying from and where it comes from.” The e-liquids come in a multitude of flavours, that. “The development of e-cigarettes is definiteincluding menthol and forest fruits. “In 10, 12, 20 ly running ahead of the science.” Jacques Le Houezec, a consultant in public years’ time, I think nicotine will be akin to caffeine health and tobacco dependence from France, in regard to how people consume it, how it’s contold delegates that while e-cigarettes contained sidered and the effect it has on the body,” said some harmful substances, the levels of toxicants Moden. Public health commentator Clive Bates said were nine to 450 times lower than in cigarette the current light-touch regulation had engensmoke. Matthew Moden, a director of English firm dered the rapid innovation within the industry, Liberty Flights, which makes e-liquid from phar- with e-cigarettes now in a “third generation”. “If you clamp down on all of that with regulamaceutical-grade nicotine, said that since starting in 2009 as an online retailer with three workers, tion... only the tobacco manufacturers will be able exponential demand means the company now to afford the costs,” the panellist told AFP. Afterwards, e-cigarette enthusiasts, or “vapers”, employs 75 people and has 10 stores. They sell a starter kit for £25 ($40, 30 euros), gathered at a nearby pub standing outside, like regular smokers have towhile a refill costs £4.85 for 10 millilitres. An average user might get through one to three millil- puffing away and showing one another their cusitres per day, he said. A typical packet of 20 tobac- tom-made equipment. — AFP

Smithsonian makes push in 3D imaging of artifacts WASHINGTON: With most of its 137 million objects kept behind the scenes or in a faraway museum, the Smithsonian Institution is launching a new 3D scanning and printing initiative to make more of its massive collection accessible to schools, researchers and the public worldwide. A small team has begun creating 3D models of some key objects that represent the breadth of the collection at the world’s largest museum complex. Some of the first 3D scans include the Wright brothers’ first airplane, Amelia Earhart’s flight suit, casts of President Abraham Lincoln’s face during the Civil War and a Revolutionary War gunboat. Less familiar objects include a former slave’s horn, a missionary’s gun from the 1800s and a woolly mammoth fossil from the Ice Age. They are pieces of history some people may hear about but rarely see or touch. Now the Smithsonian is launching a new 3D viewer online Wednesday to give people a closer look at artifacts in their own homes. The data can also be downloaded, recreated with a 3D printer and used to help illustrate lessons in history, art and science in schools. While some schools might acquire 3D printers for about $1,000, other users may examine the models on their computers. Smithsonian digitization director Gunter Waibel said museums are working to redefine their relationship with audiences to become more interactive. “Historically, museums have just tried to push data out. It’s been a one-way street,” he said. “Now museums are really rethinking their relationship with their audience, and they’re trying to empower their audiences to help them along whatever learning journey they’re on.” With the cost of 3D scanning and printing equipment declining in recent years, Waibel said there’s a new opportunity for museums to transform how they collect, curate and conserve artifacts and also how they educate. Three-dimen-

sional models can help tell stories and create more engaging lessons, he said. Smithsonian educators are building interactive tours to view 3D models online. On the Wright Flyer aircraft from 1903, they have created hotspots to help explain its engine and wing design, and the user can rotate the object in all directions for a closer look. With the Lincoln masks, the 3D viewer allows the user to adjust lighting levels to see the aging of the president’s face over the course of the war. And a 3D scan of a Chinese Buddha statue allows the user to examine and unravel a story carved in its surface. So far, the Smithsonian is devoting about $350,000 annually to 3D digitization, with companies also donating equipment. But museum officials are working to raise $15 million going forward to move the 3D lab from a suburban warehouse in Maryland to a new innovation center planned for the National Mall. There, the public could see some of the latest 3D technology and even make their own 3D prints of museum objects in a “maker lab.” Within minutes, a 3D printer can create a plastic replica of an object by reproducing the digital model layer by layer. It’s not clear how long it will take to create a large 3D collection. The pace will depend on funding and scaling up techniques the 3D lab has just begun creating, officials said. For other digitization efforts, the Smithsonian has engaged private partners and may even recruit volunteers to help. Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough has made digitization of artifacts a high priority since he arrived in 2008, but only more recently has 3D scanning and printing become affordable. In an interview, he said museums face a greater challenge than the digitization of documents in libraries or archives because museum artifacts are often three-dimensional.

In a new e-book published this year, Clough called on museums to speed up their work to innovate and digitize collections to make artifacts accessible for a generation born in the Internet age. A strategic plan in 1927 once called for the Smithsonian to have an office in every state so it could reach more people, though that never came to pass. Now with more digital outreach, the museums could actually realize that dream, Clough said, with the potential to reach billions of people. “If we look at this issue of reaching people, it’s more important than ever before,” Clough said, noting that museum visitation among minorities is already low. For museums that received government funding to get their start, he said governments are now saying “what’s next?” “What’s next is you have to reach the schools,” Clough said. “Your relevance is going to be really based in part on how much you’re contributing to the educational process for young people.” Other museums have already started digitizing artworks or making 3D scans of sculptures. In New York, digital guru Sree Sreenivasan was hired this year as the first chief digital officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Smithsonian officials said they are making a unique push into scanning a wide variety of 3D objects, ranging from an ancient whale fossil found in Chile to a 3D image of a supernova in space. Some of the latest 3D technology also could transform the experience of visiting a museum. The Smithsonian is experimenting with new projections of augmented reality with 3D imagery to help bring dinosaurs or historical figures to life in an exhibit. “Wouldn’t it be great to have Abraham Lincoln walking around talking to people?” Clough said. “It can be done.” — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

One of their dental rooms

The reception at I smile Dental Centre. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

‘i smile’ Dental Center opens

With ‘i smile’ doctors

Dr Al-Rayes and Dr Al-Jundi poses here with ‘i smile’ Dental Center staff. By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: ‘i smile’ Dental Center located at Maidan Hawally, was formally inaugurated yesterday as they welcomed customers and visitors, to their spacious spot on the eleventh floor of Al-Mutawa Building. ‘i smile’ Dental Center was established by Dr Badri AlRayes and Dr Muhammad Baraa Al-Jundi and have been operating since March 2013 from Hamoud AlKhalid Street, near Shaab Leisure Park. ‘i smile’ will be known as Dental Center where only highest standards in dentistry and advance treatments are valued. Dr Badri Al-Rayes said his clinic will only subscribe to the highest standards as he wishes to produce beautiful and natural smiles to each and every client. He took pride of his experienced team of

doctors, oral surgeons and dental specialists who will be taking care of their customers at all times. “i smile Dental Centre places a high emphasis on providing our team of dentist with the latest technology in dentistry, such as 3D Cone-Beam radiography, conscious sedation, intra oral scanning technology in dentistry such as World Health Organization standard sterilization, infection control and digital office management,” he asserted. Dr Taha Omar said, the clinic will provide with the best dental facilities in Kuwait, as they catered to everyone Kuwaitis and expats. “This clinic is established to cater to everyone. We have the most advance facilities and our teams of doctors are all well-respected experts,” he said. Asked on the general perception of dental care in Kuwait, Omar noted that nowadays, people in Kuwait have positive perceptions about dental care.

“Before the attitude of people here, they’ll only go to dentist when they feel pain on their tooth, nowadays it’s quite different, they regularly visit their dentist, many now in Kuwait are educated, they take care of their dental health, we have many Kuwaitis who now regularly visit for check up even if there is no complaints. That is a very good attitude, its preventive. Many Kuwaitis now are visiting dental care for cosmetic surgery (dentistry), they want their smiles to look wonderful, they want to be treated; they want their teeth to look whiter” Dr Omar mentioned. He advised public to undergo dental check up every six months. At ‘i smile’ clients are advised to open their files and booked for their appointment, although, emergencies are taking cared at any given time. “We don’t want our customers to wait for a long queue

Cooler climate helped evolution of penguins

Out of Asia: Earliest big cat found in Tibet PARISL: An ancient skull found in Tibet indicates that big cats originated in central Asia, and not Africa as widely thought, palaeontologists reported yesterday. Dated at between 4.1 and 5.95 million years old, the fossil is the oldest remains ever found of a pantherine felid, as big cats are called. It compares with the previous felid record holder-tooth fragments found in Tanzania that are estimated to be around 3.8 million years old. “This find suggests that big cats have a deeper evolutionary origin than previously suspected,” said Jack Tseng of the University of Southern California, who led the probe. Big cats, a group called Pantherinae, include tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards and jaguars. Their evolutionary odyssey has been hotly discussed, spiced by a lack of fossil evidence to settle the debate. Tseng, accompanied by his wife and fellow palaeontologist Juan Liu, and Gary Takeuchi of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, made the find in 2010 in a remote border region between Tibet and Pakistan. It was found wedged in among more than 100 bones that were probably deposited by a river that exited a cliff.

After three years of anatomical comparisons with other fossils, and using DNA data to build a family tree, the team is convinced the creature was a separate species. Among modern big cats, its closest relation is the snow leopard. The weight of evidence suggests that central or northern Asia was where Pantherinae originated, some 16 million years ago, according to the paper in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. They may have lived in a vast mountain refuge, formed by the uplifting Himalayas, feeding on equally remarkable species such as the Tibetan blue sheep. They then dispersed into Southeast Asia, evolving into the clouded leopard, tiger and snow leopard lineages, and later movements across continents saw them evolve into jaguars and lions. The split with Felinae-a group that includes cougars, lynxes and domestic cats-occurred about six million years ago. The newly-discovered felid has been called Panthera blytheae, after Blythe Haaga, “the snow leopard-loving daughter ” of a couple which supports the museum in LA, the university said in a press release. — AFP

here, so we are scheduling their visit. We are proud that we can provide our customers with the best dental care that we can provide for our patients in Kuwait,” he mentioned. ‘i smile’ dental center services are designed to ensure that each patient experiences the ultimate level of personal care in all fields of dentistry, a safe, comfortable, warm and friendly environment. “Our aim is to build caring and trust worthy relationships with patients lasting a lifetime,” he noted. Continuing professional development for each member of the ‘i smile’ team and maintaining a comfortable and supportive environment for the whole team are placed highly among other priorities at ‘i smile’. Besides the three main doctors, the team includes Dr Heba Mahboob, Dr Aref Omar, Dr Smitha Nayak Nagar, Dr Mohammed Asraf AlRamadan and Dr Chadi Antoine Khanji.

PARIS: Penguins waddled into the book of life around 20 million years ago and diversified thanks to global cooling which opened up Antarctica for habitation, a study said yesterday. Scientists led by Sankar Subramanian of Griffith University in Australia sequenced telltale signatures of DNA from the genome of 11 penguin species that are alive today. They compared these stretches to make a “molecular clock”-a way of calculating how species evolve on the basis of regular mutations in DNA. By this yardstick, the forerunner of all

penguins lived 20.4 million years ago, according to the paper, published in the British journal Biology Letters. If so, penguins showed up more recently than thought. Previous estimates put their emergence at 41-51 million years ago. Penguins then diversified around 11 to 16 million years ago to form most of the species that are around today, according to the study. “This overlaps with the sharp decline in Antarctic temperatures that began approximately 12 million years ago, suggesting a possible relationship between climate change and penguin evolution.”— AFP

Dr Mohd Fouad

Difference between bleaching, zircon KUWAIT: Many clients that are interested in beauty repeated one question? What is the difference between bleaching, veneers and zircon? In the following article I will highlight this topic. Hollywood smile has specific properties to configure smile; it begins with teeth, gums and ends with lips, jaw bones and muscles. For the teeth in order to be the perfectly fit for Hollywood smile, the following should be available: First: Color must not be less white than eyes white, which is consistent with the color of the skin. Second: The perfect shape for the length, width and angles of the teeth.

NEW YORK: A picture taken on June 11, 2009 in New York, shows a snow leopard making an appearance at the Central Park Zoo. An ancient skull found in Tibet indicates that big cats originated in central Asia, and not Africa as widely thought, palaeontologists reported yesteday. — AFP

Third: Full capacity of the teeth is the following cases. * If the problem only in teeth colors the solution is teeth whitening and polishing whether it is inside the clinic or home bleaching. * If teeth need a simple change in the shape and color the best solution is veneers and whitening. * If the problem is in alignment then braces are the best solution. * But if the problem is in the three above mentioned solutions is zircon in its brilliant shape and whiteness.

LONG BEACH: A picture taken on May 16, 2012, shows rescued Magellanic Penguins from South America waddling in their enclosure at the new June Keys Penguin Habitat at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. —AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Small bag offers solution to Kenyan slum’s ‘flying toilets’ NAIROBI: The usually straightforward act of going to the toilet ls is far from simple in Kibera, the sprawling slum on the edge of Kenya’s capital. Hundreds of thousands of people, whose homes are little more than makeshift shacks, are crammed into an area that lacks the most basic water and sanitation facilities, and where just one public toilet is available to every 300 people. The result is two-fold: First, people become adept at holding it in, often spending hours in discomfort. And second, they eventually find relief by doing the necessary in a plastic bag, and then tossing it out onto the street or path outside. Hence “flying toilets”, one of the many scourges of life in Kibera. “Sanitation is one of the world’s biggest problems. Forty percent of the world’s population don’t have toilets. They say about 70 percent of the diseases come from the lack of sanitation, where water is polluted,” said Camilla Wirseen, director of a project that proposes an innovative solution to the problem. Wirseen, who works for the Swedish firm Peepoople, is using Kibera as a testing ground for the Peepoo, a biodegradable, self-sanitising, single-use toilet that could one day provide a cheap, smart fix for the world’s billion slum dwellers. The Peepoo is a slim bag with a larger liner tucked inside, both made of biodegradable plastic and designed to fit over a small pot. Inside the bag are a couple of spoonfuls of granulated urea, an ammonia that eliminates dangerous pathogens contained in faeces and urine

within two to three weeks. After use, the bag is knotted and taken to a drop-off point-where the family gets a small refund on the bag’s small purchase price because the contents are sold on for fertiliser. “Before the project started, flying toilets were everywhere,” Wirseen told AFP, explaining that Kibera residents dare not go out at night to relieve themselves because of security fears. “It’s also a social problem: women hold all day.” Lydia Kwamboka, a 29-year-old Kibera resident and happy Peepoo user,

said the freedom to answer the call of nature whenever necessary had had a profound impact on her life. “Where I stay there are no toilets. When my kids had diarrhoea at night, I just gave them a plastic bag and dumped it in the drainage in the morning. You had to be careful what you stepped on,” she said. “ When Peepoo was brought in, it changed almost everything,” added Ann Wambui, a schoolteacher and another user of the bag. “You can use it alone. Once used you dispose of it and Peepoo is carried

KENYA: This picture taken on June 8, 2012 shows a resident of Kibera demonstrating how to use a Pee Poople toilet bag at the Kibera slum, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where poor sanitation is endemic and threatens the lives of the local community. — AFP

away the same day, while you need money to get the latrines cleaned,” she said. Peepoo saleswoman Patricia Okello, aged 51 and also a Kibera resident, said she believed the part of the slum where Peepoople has been testing the bags since 2010 — currently to the tune of 5,000 a day-was becoming a cleaner, healthier place. “Before Peepoo, this place was very dirty, the water we drank was not clean. Now we don’t have sicknesses like cholera and typhoid anymore,” she said. “It has brought a big change in my life.” Wirseen said the aim was for the Kibera project to expand ten-fold over the next year, and twenty-fold by the end of 2015. While Peepoo’s business model is still unproven as a long-term, sustainable solution-after all, it depends on the world’s poorest people seeing a benefit in paying 200 Kenyan shillings (around two dollars/euros a month) for something they used to do for free-the Kibera testing ground has at least proved that the product works. In addition, the firm is hoping the bags can be stockpiled for humanitarian emergencies in order to help refugees from conflict or victims of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods or typhoons before proper sanitation structures can be put in place. Above all, the project helps highlight how going to the toilet cannot be taken for granted. “Sanitation,” Wirseen said, “is a problem of dignity.” — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Polio cases in Pakistan on the rise ISLAMABAD: Polio is on the rise in Pakistan, health officials said yesterday, as the number of infections in 2013 passed the total for the whole of 2012. Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where the highly infectious disease which cripples limbs remains endemic. Opposition from militant groups has hampered efforts to vaccinate children against polio in Pakistan and officials said violence was part of the reason for the increase in cases. “Last year there were a total of 58 cases, but 62 fresh victims of polio have already been reported in 2013,” a senior government official, who works with international donors working to eradicate polio, told AFP. Six cases were in eastern Punjab province, four in Sindh in the south and nine in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but by far the bulk of the infections — 43 — were in the tribal areas along the Afghan border. The Pakistani Taleban banned polio vaccinations in the tribal region of Waziristan last year, alleging the campaign was a cover for espionage. “The main reason for the outbreak is militancy in the northwest. Vaccination teams are unable to reach the tribal areas because of risks to their lives,” the official said. Polio cases reached a low of 28 in 2005 but have risen since, reaching a peak of 198 in 2011. In August health officials warned of a serious polio outbreak in the northwest, saying more than 240,000 children had missed vaccination because of the Taleban ban. Elsewhere in the country, health workers giving out polio drops have been attacked and killed, including in the largest city Karachi. On Monday the World Health Organization linked an outbreak of polio in Syria that has paralysed 13 children to a strain of the virus from Pakistan. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

HSBC volunteers participate in second annual beach clean-up

SBC staff volunteers and their families joined forces with en.v for a second beach clean-up event this year, under the umbrella of Al Yaal, a nationwide marine conservation initiative to protect Kuwait’s rich marine ecosystem. More than 400 kg of waste were collected by 13 volunteers during the cleanup at Sulaibikhat beach, a key natural habitat for mangroves and flamingos along Kuwait Bay. Simon Vaughan Johnson, CEO of HSBC in Kuwait,

said: “In Kuwait we have, over the past two years, established a firm relationship with Theen.vInitiative as a partner to support environmental activities. The environment is high on the sustainability agenda of the Bank and we focus our efforts on projects that positively impact the community. Our staff volunteers take pride in these activities and we were very encouraged to see the continued positive effect that this initiative has had on the Sulaibikhat beach environment over the past

Greetings

twelve months.” “Through continued collaboration with companies such as HSBC and participation from dedicated members of the community, the Al Yaal program is able to successfully meet its main objective - to educate citizens about local environmental challenges and act upon them,” said Zahed Sultan, Managing Director of en.v. Over the past two years, Al Yaal has concentrated its efforts on protecting and restoring the rich marine

Exhibition: ‘the traveling lens’

mages through a lens are creative photographic expressions of a painter’s canvas. For the painter, the brush; for the photographer, the lens. The artist’s tools may vary, but the kaleidoscopic landscape of life provides an endless canvas of inspiration waiting to be expressed. “The Traveling Lens” is a photographic journey through thirty images in five sections depicting, conceptualized art expression, nature and landscape, monuments, portraiture and photo oil painting. On the 29th July, 1948 when Kolkata was known as Calcutta, a boy was born destined to make every home, a beautiful place to live in. Today, the world recognizes this man as Shreekant Somany, son of Hira Lall Somany, and Chairman & Managing Director of Somany Ceramics Limited. Led by an innate curiosity to innovate and the passion to excel, he has been an inspiration to many at Somany. He has held various positions of responsibility in many prestigious Federations and Associations, including: President of the All India Glass Manufacturers Association; Founder President, Confederation of Construction Products and Services; President, Rotary Club of Delhi Midtown; Chairman of Northern Region Family Business Council, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); Present Member, Northern Region Committee, CII & Chairman, CII NR Special Task Force on FBN; Immediate Past Chairman, Indian Council for Ceramic Tile and Sanitary ware. Known for his pioneering spirit and entrepreneurship, he has been actively involved in

Happy first birthday Daniel Emmanuel Pinto. Ever since the day you were born, you’ve added something so amazing to our world. Your the essence of our lives and cannot imagine our lives without you. May God be with you, bless you & shine through you always. Lots of luv from parents Jemima & Elton Pinto, Godparents Jovita & Brian Xavier, grandparents Esther & Abraham John, Luiza & Jerry Pinto, uncles Joseph John, Marius Pinto, Leroy Pinto.

Football match of Bangladesh community

friendly football match between Red & Green teams of Bangladesh community was held on November 8 2013 (Friday) at Al Naseer Stadium, Hassawy. The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Major General Mohammad Ashab Uddin, NFC, PSC was present ascChief guest. A huge number of community members and their families witnessed the match. This brought huge enthusiasm and inspiration among the community members. It is expected that in future more number of such games, sports and cultural events will take place for Bangladesh Community of Kuwait.

Categoric no to US blockade on Cuba at UN he UN General Assembly approved yesterday by 188 votes in favor, two against and three abstentions, out of a total of 193, a draft resolution demanding the end of the United States blockade on Cuba for the 22nd consecutive year. According to the individual votes list, the United States and Israel voted against and Micronesia, Palau and Marshall islands, abstained. The maximum forum of the United Nations urged to lift the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by Washington for over more than half a century and strengthened by 11 US administrations. According to the report distributed by Cuba on the losses suffered over this period, they amount to one trillion 157 billion 327 million dollars. At the Assembly, the document asking the White House to cease its sanctions was voted yes by the same number of states than last year and against by the US and Israel, and three abstentions. The resolution calls to the strict compliance with the principles of the UN charter as sovereignty and equality of the states, freedom of trade and navigation and non interference in internal affairs. Countries denouncing the blockade stress its violations of international law, due to the unilateral and extraterritorial reach of its application, besides the

negative impact on civil society. Voting in the UN General Assembly started in November, 1992 in the 47th ordinary session. Arabic Debate Club at AUK hosts Abdulaziz Al-Haddad The Arabic Debate Club at AUK is pleased to invite you to its first evening taking place on Nov 17 at 5 pm at the AUK auditorium. The event will host the Kuwaiti screenwriter and director Abdulaziz AlHaddad to feature a Monodrama for the attendees based on the biography of one of Egypt’s most historical figures; Cleopatra. The event will be inaugurated by the AUK professor and club advisor Dr Khitam Al-Kholi. During the event, Al-Haddad will speak about his works, and discuss the concept of Monodramas - dramatic compositions written for one performer - and the popularity it is gaining among Kuwaiti screenwriters. The presentation will be followed by a 30-minute per formance of Cleopatra, and will be concluded with a questions session. The event will be conducted in Arabic and will be open for public. Sir Syed Day 2013 The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni in Kuwait will be celebrating Sir Syed Day 2013 on 21st November at Crowne Plaza hotel - Al-Afrah hall followed by dinner and Mushaira. For program details please visit our Facebook page “AMU Alumni Kuwait”. Entry passes can be obtained from Ikram, Moin, Sabih and Nihal. Music fest, general convention Music festival and general convention will take place from Nov 19-22 from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Music will be by Happy Melody team from Madurai and the speaker will be Evg. Shalu T. Ninan from Chattisgarh at the National Evangelical Church (NECK). Organized by Brethren Assemblies in Kuwait.

various International Delegations and Meets. He led the Australia-New Zealand Joint Business Council delegation organized by ASSOCHAM and FICCI in the year 2000, and the CII Business Leaders Mission to Sri Lanka & Bangladesh in the year 2007-2008. He was also a member of the CII Delegation to Russia, led by the Union Commerce Minister in Sept 2009. Being in the business of adding beauty to living spaces, he has always been artistically inclined - in love with art, design and music. He is a Director of Samagam, an organisation established with the objective of strengthening the fields of performing and visual arts. They say creativity knows no boundaries, and that’s what Somany personifies. Besides being known for his business acumen and innovative ideas, he has been a sportsman, a horticulturist for years; and his interest in music varies from classical to modern, Indian to Western. But what really outlines his personality is his passion to discover the new, and tread the road less-travelled. A photographer by heart and a nature-lover by soul, the world, for Somany, is like a beautiful storybook, where every image has multiple meanings and a thousand stories hidden in it. And with every photograph that he clicks, he discovers a new leaf of this book. A leaf that gives a new perspective. A leaf that opens the doors of imagination. And tells a new tale. For the past 10 years, he has been on this wonderful journey of discovering new meanings and new stories. He believes that there are a thousand ways of looking at a picture. It is the perspective that makes it meaningful.

Al-Yousifi’s Day of photography

Announcements ALMASS-Kuwait anniversary irst Anniversary & Annual General Meeting of ALMASS-Kuwait (The alumni association of St Stephens College, Uzhavoor; Kuwait -Chapter) shall be held on Friday November 22, 2013 at 4pm onwards at Indian Community School, Khaitan. Lalu Alex an indispensable part of Malayalam cinema in the past 35 years & a proud alumni of St.Stephen’s College will be the chief guest. Expecting all the former students of St.Stephen’s College- Uzhavoor across Kuwait shall participate in the meet.

ecosystem of beaches along Kuwait’s bay. These areas are abundant in marine life and coral reefs and serve as natural nesting grounds for turtles and migratory birds. Their fragile balance is endangered by indiscriminate disposal of direct and indirect man-made waste. HSBC supports a number of community activities related to the environment and education as part of its corporate sustainability strategy. More information about all these projects is available on www.hsbc.com/citizenship.

ntegrated Media Solution Services marketing and advertising Organization Company announced the “Sunset of Kuwait’s Photography Event”. The Event offers an opportunity for Photography lovers, men and women, to participate in taking pictures from atop Panasonic Tower in Al-Salhya. To be held over two days, the Event lasts for two hours each day starting just before sunset an hour after that. The first of its kind, the Event is sponsored by Essa Hussein Al-Yousifi and Son’s Company and By Essa Hussein Al-Yousifi Charity. It intends to encourage Kuwaiti youth to enhance their photography skills and to develop their artistic potentials. Dr Adel Essa Al-Yousifi, the man behind this unique Event, said that the event is an effort to provide opportunity to the youth to develop their hobby of photography into a wider horizon; thus contributing to the activities of the art of photography in Kuwait. The spokesman for the event, Faisal Ahmed Ben Dhofari, said that the event provides an opportunity for photographers, especially amateurs, to learn the basic techniques and methods of photography and picturetaking. It is a platform for all, but particularly for beginners who love photography, to manifest their abilities in the art of photography. Ben Dhofari added inviting those who are interested to register for the event at the following web-site: www.click-ims.com/alyousifievent Ben Dhofari further emphasized the importance of team-work and development of camera proper usage in an effort to perpetrate a culture of photography appreciation. “Photography is not merely for exhibition, it is a reflection of images in our surrounding” he added. He cited several matters that must be born in mind for “photo-taking as a good photo does not require an expensive tool”, he added, “Good photographers can make good use of what they have available”. The potentials and limits of one’s camera are necessities that one must be aware of for thorough knowledge of one’s camera is fundamental for good photo-taking. Engineer Majed Alza’aaby and photographer Mohammad Alsultan are amongst some of the experts who will attend the Event. Participants in this Event must be at least 23 years of age and it will take place over two days: one for women, and another day for men.

Arpan celebrates Onam-Eid-Kerala day

he entire event was looked very special and different by the involvement of Arpan Children’s Wing, right from the comparing and throughout the cultural programs. This gave them the opportunity to exhibit their talents and helped them to understand the importance of these cultural celebrations. As part of the tradition, a well-crafted multi colored” Onapookalam” by Arpan Ladies Wing members was indeed one of the main attractions of the celebration. The official meeting started with prayer and the General Secretary, Anil Attuwa welcomed the guest, audience and all those who gathered there and the traditional lamp was lightened by the office bearers. Sri Mohan Iyer delivered his presidential speech and Advisory Board Chairman Krishnan K. Pillai gave the Onam message beautifully. Ladies Wing convener Manju Sreenath stressed the importance of educating the youth about our culture and celebrating the cultural events like this. Program convener Sri Ramamoorthi explained the unity among Arpan members which was the main tool for arranging event; Treasurer Venkat and Public Relations Officer Mr. Mahadevan also addressed the gathering and gave them onam wishes. Mahabali was one of the main attractions of the event..... Unlike the normal tradition, Arpan introduced a modern and English Maveli who speaks with Vamanan and his wishes gave the pubic a new energy and enthusiasm. Facilitation speech was given by Vijayan Karayil- Hon. Secretary of ICSK - Board of Directors who detailed his association with Arpan and the uniqueness of Arpan among the other Indian Associations. The half day long celebrations was filled with various forms of Dances and songs presented by Arpan Kids club members, and skits and musical fusions by Senior Arpan Members. A delicious and traditional style Onasadya was served to all attendees and guests.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

GUST hosts author workshop

he A M Al-Refai Library in coordination with Springer hosted an Author Workshop in the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) auditorium. The workshop was attended by faculty members, few students, GUST staff members, and representatives from Virtus National General Trading & Cont. Co., Kuwait. The lecture was presented by Dr Chris Bendall, Senior Editor at Springer. The lecture was presented in three parts: a) Research and Scientific Publishing: an introductory talk about developments in scientific publishing and how these will enhance the way scientists use scientific content b) How to Write for and Get Published in Journals: detailed and practical advice on manuscript writing basics, dealing with submission and review with a focus on providing skills

Embassy Information

needed for publication success. c) Author Services: support when publishing with Springer. Dr. Bendall covered some important topics such as: how non-native English authors could overcome the language barrier, write a title that would attract readers, develop cover letter and how to handle peer review comments among other topics. The workshop was mainly designed to help authors write quality manuscripts that would be attractive to SCI indexed journals. The attendees found the lecture to be informative as it gave them a good insight to submitting research articles in quality journals. The session was interactive and the attendees were seen to be enthusiastically asking questions, which Dr Bendall happily answered.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy of Australia has announced that Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas in 10 working days through www.immi.gov.au. All other processing of visas and Immigration matters are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre located in Al Banwan Building, 4B, 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area, Ali Al Salem Street, Kuwait City. Visit. www.vfs-au-gcc.com for more info. The Embassy of Australia does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters is conducted by the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: Info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VIS), immigration.dubai@ dfat.gov.au (Visa Office), Tel: +971 4 205 5900 (VFS), Fax: + 971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). Notary and passport services are available by appointment. Appointments can be made by calling the Embassy on 22322422.

BSK participates in BSME debating event in Bahrain

ESF Philippines relief fund

n keeping with its tradition of community work, The English School Fahaheel has launched a “Philippine Relief Fund” to help those in need following the devastating typhoon that hit parts of the Philippines last week. People are growing increasingly desperate for food, water and

medical supplies in typhoon-hit parts of the Philippines. The UN says more than 11 million people may have been affected and some 673,000 displaced by Typhoon Haiyan.We at ESF are trying our best to encourage everyone to donate to help those in need in this very difficult time.

South Africa’s cultural event

s part of South Africa’s participation in the cultural event leading up to the Africa-Arab Summit, hosted by the State of Kuwait, the South African Embassy wishes to announce that South African Performers and Cultural Artisans will be participating in events organized by the Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature. Afrik’ Motion Dance Theatre: The show reflects to all South African cultures with a mix of different ethnic traditional dances, gumboots dance, township dance and pantsula jive. The group is made up of 9 males and 6 females. Basket Weaving, Beading and Telephone Wire Art: Ms Angeline Masuku is a basket weaver from the rural outskirts of Kwa-Zulu Natal. She excels in the art of telling history by weaving art-like patterns as she makes these highly sought after traditional baskets. Ms Hlengiwe Dube, an artist who specializes in beadwork and recycled telephone wire basket weaving. She is a founder of Ifundiso Art and Craft and specializes on training craft in rural

communities. The beadwork of South Africa is acknowledged as being amongst the finest in the world and has attracted scholarly attention for many years. Other African countries are also participating, including an exhibition of some SAN ostrich jewelry art from Namibia. You are cordially invited to attend a world-class exhibition and musical performance reflecting South African arts, crafts and cultural heritage as part of the Africa-Arab Summit Cultural Programme, hosted by the Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature.

he British School of Kuwait took a team of highly talented debaters to the annual BSME Debating Competition in Bahrain. The competition aims to bring together debaters, from the schools of the Middle East and beyond, together in a battle of persuasion and perseverance that pushes them to the limit. Trained by experienced, talented debaters such as Abbas Ali and Ishita Handa, the two senior teams and one junior team from BSK and their teacher Ms Abigail Bartholomew arrived in Bahrain armed with an arsenal of arguments and an unfailing sense of determination. The BSK teams savoured the joy of winning the majority of their debates up to the quarter-final round and beyond. The junior team won an impressive two rounds, establishing firm grounding within the leader-board and proving themselves to be more than capable debaters. The first senior team also won two debates and left the opposing side and adjudicator in awe at their amazing skill with words as well as their finetuned ability to pick out flaws in the opposing argument. Both teams were also commended on their extremely polite debating etiquettes. Unfortunately, by the very narrowest of margins BSK lost out in the quarterfinals

to the eventual winners. However, the second senior team broke all limits and won all their debates up to the quarter-finals, staying at the top of the leader-board throughout the competition, in terms of points. Winning all debates by very large margins, they left every opponent trembling at their dangerously confident speaking and well-researched arguments. Without a doubt, they qualified for the quarterfinals and went up against the first team from the highly rated British Overseas School, Pakistan. A heated, intense debate, considered by many to be the most passionate and vehement of the entire competition, it tested both teams’ determination and hard-work. However, despite losing the debate by a close margin, the second senior BSK team emerged from the room smiling, satisfied with their performance in the competition. The competition was a tremendous learning experience from which everyone gained insight into the world of debating and argumentative etiquettes. Right now the students are back at school, preparing for the upcoming ‘Debate Dubai’ competition, looking to hone their skills. They have dedicated all their time to mastering their art, researching extensively and bringing home the trophy.

KDNA to hold ‘Malabar Maholsavam’

for their livelihood. Popular Malayalam Writer, Actor and Director Joy Mathew will attend the event as the chief guest. “Mazhavil Manorama” Comedy Festival Team “Calicut V4U” and Karirali TV Patturumal Winner Dilna Hassan also attend to entertain the audience. Other cultural program by Nandhananm School of Dance, Heat Beats Kuwait, Jungle Boys Kuwait, Abhinaya Kuwait, KKMA and by KDNA Members will make the show an unforgettable event. Cooking competition and ‘Henna Designing” contest for exclusively for ladies will be other attractions of the event, “Mananchira Square” the carnival venue will be bubbly from 9.30 am on wards with

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakei 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 AlSalem 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

African Crafts Week 11 - 15 November 2013 from 09h00 13h00 and 14h00 - 21h00 at the National Kuwait Museum. Cultural Performance by Afrik’ Motion Dance Theatre : Friday, 15 November 2013, 19h00 at The Souq Sharq Mall (outside) Saturday, 16 November 2013x, 19h00 at the Grand Avenues

ozhikode District NRI Association will hold a mega carnival ‘Malabar Maholsavam 2013’ on Friday, November 15 at “Mananchira Square,” the I ndian Central S chool open auditorium, Abbassiya. Addressing a press conference, the KDNA officebearers informed that the day-long carnival will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Kozhikode and display some of Malabar’s diverse and distinct cuisines before the expatriate community in Kuwait. The purpose of conducting Malabar Mahotsavam 2013 is to strengthen the relief and to continue charity activities of the association for the poor and needy who are striving very hard

nnnnnnn

people moving around food courts that display the rich diversity of Malabar’s delicacies and dishes, exhibition halls that showcase paintings and photographs of Malabar. As a finale to the entire show, the KDNA office-bearers will lead a colorful procession with the accompaniment of a dazzling pageant and ‘chenda melam’ at 4 pm. Association President Zubair MM, General Secretary Suresh Mathur, Treasurer Sathian Varoonda, Advisory Board Member Krishnan Kadalundi, Program Gen Convenor Nasar Thikkodi, Convener Ilyas Thottathil and Organizing Secretary K Alikoya were present at the press meet.

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 pickup 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.

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

Ghars Bilingual School students visit Porsche safety program Children from Ghars Bilingual School visited the Porsche Road and Traffic Safety Program for Schools at Qadsiya Sports Club. The program, sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, teaches children about keeping safe on the roads of Kuwait. There are four golden rules for the children to learn and follow, including “Click” seatbelt, keep arms and head inside the windows, hold hands with a grown up and look and listen when crossing the street and finally a reminder to all the drivers no mobiles please! The students had a fantastic time driving the Porsche pedal cars around the specially designed road circuit, putting into practice what they learnt.

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

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

03:25 Shamwari: A Wild Life 03:50 Shamwari: A Wild Life 04:15 Outback Rangers 04:40 Outback Rangers 05:05 North America 05:55 Animal Cops Houston 06:45 Animal Airport 07:10 Animal Airport 07:35 Call Of The Wildman 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 09:15 The Most Extreme 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life 11:35 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Monkey Life 13:20 Call Of The Wildman 13:50 Swamp Brothers 14:15 Swamp Brothers 14:45 Lion Man: One World African Safari 15:15 Lion Man: One World African Safari 15:40 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:30 My Cat From Hell 17:30 The Most Extreme 18:25 My Pet’s Gone Viral 18:50 My Pet’s Gone Viral 19:20 Growing Up... 20:15 Outback Rangers 20:40 Outback Rangers 21:10 North America 22:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life 22:35 Shamwari: A Wild Life 23:00 Swimming With Monsters: Steve Backshall 23:55 Gator Boys 00:50 Animal Cops Houston 01:45 I’m Alive 02:35 Untamed & Uncut

03:45 04:15 05:00 05:20 05:40 05:50 06:10 06:30 06:50 07:00 07:20 07:50 08:20 Tests 09:15 09:45 10:15 11:05 11:55 12:25 Tests 13:15 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:30 16:20 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:50 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:30 00:05 00:35 01:25 01:55 02:25

One Foot In The Grave The Weakest Link Me Too! The Green Balloon Club Jollywobbles Tweenies Me Too! The Green Balloon Club Jollywobbles Tweenies One Foot In The Grave Come Fly With Me The World’s Toughest Driving Eastenders Doctors Drop Zone The Weakest Link One Foot In The Grave The World’s Toughest Driving Come Fly With Me Eastenders Doctors The Weakest Link Drop Zone Kidnapped Eastenders Doctors The Weakest Link Keeping Up Appearances The Office Luther Gavin & Stacey The Cafe Gates Daddy Daycare Keeping Up Appearances The Office Gavin & Stacey Luther Eastenders Doctors Daddy Daycare

03:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 04:00 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner

04:25 Cash In The Attic 05:10 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 05:40 Bargain Hunt 06:25 Fantasy Homes Down Under 07:10 Chef At Home 07:35 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 08:00 Bargain Hunt 08:45 Homes Under The Hammer 09:40 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 10:10 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 10:35 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 11:00 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 11:25 Come Dine With Me 12:15 Masterchef: The Professionals 13:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 14:15 Antiques Roadshow 15:10 Holmes On Homes 16:00 Holmes On Homes 16:55 Bargain Hunt 17:40 Cash In The Attic 18:25 Antiques Roadshow 19:15 Homes Under The Hammer 20:10 A Taste Of Greenland 21:00 Planet Cake 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt 00:00 Cash In The Attic 00:45 Homes Under The Hammer 01:40 Come Dine With Me 02:30 Masterchef: The Professionals

03:00 Mythbusters 03:50 Border Security 04:15 Storage Hunters 04:40 Dirty Money 05:05 How Do They Do It? 05:30 How It’s Made 06:00 Sons Of Guns 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Finding Bigfoot 08:40 Overhaulin’ 09:30 Border Security 09:55 Storage Hunters 10:20 Dirty Money 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How It’s Made 11:35 You Have Been Warned 12:25 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 13:15 Mythbusters 14:05 Border Security 14:30 Storage Hunters 14:55 Dirty Money 15:20 World’s Top 5 16:10 Overhaulin’ 2012 17:00 Ultimate Survival 17:50 Dirty Jobs 18:40 Mythbusters 19:30 Sons Of Guns 20:20 Storage Hunters 20:45 Dirty Money 21:10 How Do They Do It? 21:35 How It’s Made 22:00 Sons Of Guns 22:50 Amish Mafia 23:40 Inside The Gangsters’ Code 00:30 Sons Of Guns 01:20 Amish Mafia 02:10 Inside The Gangsters’ Code

03:10 04:00 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10

Disappeared Deadly Sins Killer Kids Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Nightmare Next Door Deadly Sins Nightmare Next Door I Was Murdered Stalked: Someone’s Watching On The Case With Paula Zahn Extreme Forensics Dr G: Medical Examiner I Almost Got Away With It Deadly Sins Nightmare Next Door On The Case With Paula Zahn I Was Murdered Stalked: Someone’s Watching Couples Who Kill

18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50 00:40 01:30 02:20

Extreme Forensics Dr G: Medical Examiner On The Case With Paula Zahn On The Case With Paula Zahn I Almost Got Away With It Deadly Sins True CSI Deadly Women Killer Kids Couples Who Kill Ghost Lab

03:45 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 04:35 Junk Men 05:00 Junk Men 05:25 Moon Machines 06:15 The Gadget Show 06:40 The Tech Show 07:05 X-Machines 08:00 Junkyard Wars 08:50 Rocket City Rednecks 09:15 Rocket City Rednecks 09:40 The Gadget Show 10:05 The Tech Show 10:30 James May’s Man Lab 11:25 X-Machines 12:20 Junk Men 12:45 Junk Men 13:10 Moon Machines 14:00 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 14:50 Weird Connections 15:20 The Gadget Show 15:45 The Tech Show 16:10 Prophets Of Science Fiction 17:00 James May’s Man Lab 17:55 X-Machines 18:45 Unchained Reaction 19:35 Moon Machines 20:30 Weird Or What? 21:20 Prank Science 21:45 Prank Science 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 Tech Toys 360 23:00 Weird Or What? 23:50 Prank Science 00:15 Prank Science 00:40 Dark Matters: Twisted But True 01:30 Weird Connections 02:00 The Gadget Show 02:25 Tech Toys 360 02:50 Weird Or What?

03:30 04:25 05:20 06:15 07:05 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:45 10:35 11:30 With... 12:20 13:10 14:05 14:55 15:50 16:45 With... 17:40 18:35 19:25 20:20 21:10 22:05 With... 23:00 23:55 00:50 01:45 With... 02:35

The Fight I Escaped Death Victory By Design Europe’s Secret Earthquakes Timewatch I Escaped Death The Aviators The Aviators World’s Busiest Richard III: The Unseen Story World’s Toughest Expeditions Timewatch Victory By Design World’s Busiest Life On Fire Commander In Chief World’s Toughest Expeditions Timewatch Marine Corps Survival School Daredevils World’s Busiest Victory By Design World’s Toughest Expeditions Daredevils The Fight Most Evil World’s Toughest Expeditions Daredevils

03:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 03:20 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 03:45 Sonny With A Chance

04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 Fairies 15:05 15:25 15:50 16:10 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35 00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35

Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin And Ally Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Sofia The First Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm That’s So Raven Dog With A Blog Good Luck Charlie The Adventures Of Disney That’s So Raven Gravity Falls Jessie Violetta Dog With A Blog Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm Violetta Jessie My Babysitter’s A Vampire Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 02:00

Vickery’s Wild Ride Pitch Perfect Rewind Daddy Day Camp Pitch Perfect Interview With A Hitman Rewind Damsels In Distress Carjacked Total Recall Rewind Damsels In Distress

03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 07:00 11:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 01:00

European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour LPGA Tour Highlights Rugby League World Cup Darts Grand Slam Live PGA European Tour Inside The PGA Tour Total Rugby Rugby League World Cup Trans World Sport LPGA Tour Highlights European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Live PGA Tour PGA European Tour

OLD SCHOOL ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY 07:00 Max Steel 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Phineas And Ferb 08:15 Crash & Bernstein 08:40 Kickin It 09:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:30 Phineas And Ferb 09:55 Phineas And Ferb 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:20 Lab Rats 10:45 Lab Rats 11:10 Pokemon Bw: Adventures In Unova 11:35 Max Steel 12:00 Zeke & Luther 12:25 Zeke & Luther 12:50 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 13:15 Scaredy Squirrel 13:40 Pair Of Kings 14:05 Pair Of Kings 14:30 Phineas And Ferb 14:40 Phineas And Ferb 14:55 Phineas And Ferb 15:05 Phineas And Ferb 15:20 Pokemon Bw: Adventures In Unova 15:45 Kickin’ It 16:10 Kickin’ It 16:35 Crash & Bernstein 17:00 Lab Rats 17:30 Kickin It 18:00 Dude, That’s My Ghost 18:25 Camp Lakebottom 18:50 Lab Rats 19:15 Lab Rats 19:40 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 20:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 20:30 Kickin It 20:55 Pair Of Kings 21:20 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 21:45 Phineas And Ferb 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Lab Rats 23:00 Kickin It 23:30 Scaredy Squirrel 00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA

03:15 Style Star 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 E!ES 06:00 THS 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Scouted 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 Eric And Jessie: Game On 12:05 E! News 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 THS 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 17:00 What Would Ryan Lochte Do? 18:00 E! News 19:00 THS 20:00 The Wanted Life 21:00 Hello Ross 21:30 Fashion Police 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Spin Crowd 01:25 Glamour’s 20 Wedding Do’s And Don’ts 02:20 E!ES

DOOM ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

04:30 The Three Bears: Dreadful Dangers 06:00 Valentina 08:00 Arthur’s Missing Pal 09:45 Flicka 3 11:30 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits 13:00 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory 15:00 Everyone’s Hero 16:30 Princess Lillifee 18:00 Flicka 3 20:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer 22:00 Everyone’s Hero 23:30 Princess Lillifee 01:00 Arthur’s Missing Pal 02:45 Everyone’s Hero

03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:30 07:10

Charly’s Cake Angels Unique Sweets Unique Sweets Food Wars Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives United Tastes Of America Chopped Iron Chef America Food Network Challenge

08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:15 19:40 20:05 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50 00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45

Unwrapped Unwrapped Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Extra Virgin Barefoot Contessa Food Network Star Reza, Spice Prince Of India Aarti Party Unwrapped Unique Sweets Food Network Challenge Tyler’s Ultimate Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Siba’s Table Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Symon’s Suppers Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Roadtrip With G. Garvin Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Reza, Spice Prince Of India Siba’s Table Charly’s Cake Angels Chopped Iron Chef America Amazing Wedding Cakes Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Heat Seekers Meat & Potatoes Outrageous Food Amazing Wedding Cakes

03:00 Delinquent Gourmet 03:30 Eat Street 03:55 Street Food Around The World 04:25 Deadly Arts 05:20 Banged Up Abroad 06:15 The Witch Doctor Will See You Now 07:10 Market Values 07:35 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 08:05 Street Food Around The World 08:30 Don’t Tell My Mother 09:00 Earth Tripping 09:25 Chasing Time 09:55 Eat Street 10:20 Delinquent Gourmet 10:50 Eat Street 11:15 Street Food Around The World 11:45 Deadly Arts 12:40 Banged Up Abroad 13:35 The Witch Doctor Will See You Now 14:30 Market Values 14:55 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 15:25 Street Food Around The World 15:50 Don’t Tell My Mother 16:20 Travel Madness 16:45 Delinquent Gourmet 17:15 Eat Street 17:40 Market Values 18:10 Eat Street 18:35 Street Food Around The World 19:05 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 20:00 Banged Up Abroad 21:00 Eat Street 21:30 Market Values 22:00 Scam City 22:55 Warrior Road Trip 23:50 Ultimate Traveller 00:45 Don’t Tell My Mother 01:10 Deadliest Journeys 01:40 Banged Up Abroad 02:35 Don’t Tell My Mother

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00

Britain’s Greatest Machines My Brilliant Brain Animal Mega Moves Britain’s Greatest Machines

07:00 Megacities 08:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai 09:00 Banged Up Abroad 10:00 Inside Combat Rescue 11:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines 12:00 The Known Universe 13:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 14:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines 15:00 Megacities 16:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai 17:00 Pirate Patrol 18:00 Machines Of War 19:00 Alaska Wing Men 20:00 A Traveler’s Guide To The Planets 21:00 My Dog Ate What? 22:00 Alaska Wing Men 23:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 00:00 Mad Scientists 00:30 Mad Scientists 01:00 Salvage Code Red 02:00 Wild Russia

03:00 Breaking In 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The War At Home 06:00 All Of Us 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 The War At Home 09:00 Breaking In 09:30 Community 10:00 Happy Endings 10:30 Friends 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 All Of Us 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 The War At Home 13:30 Friends 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 Community 15:00 Happy Endings 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 All Of Us 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Breaking In 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Community 19:30 Happy Endings 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds 22:30 Brickleberry 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Weeds 02:00 Brickleberry 02:30 Family Guy

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00

Treme Perception Warehouse 13 Touch Drop Dead Diva Royal Pains Perception Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Warehouse 13 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Royal Pains Touch Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Royal Pains The Carrie Diaries The X Factor U.S. Downton Abbey Treme Touch The Carrie Diaries Downton Abbey

03:45 Bunraku 06:00 Ip Man 2 08:00 Beverly Hills Cop 3 10:00 Blackthorn 12:00 Hide And Seek 14:00 Darkman 16:00 Blackthorn 18:00 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One 20:00 Darkman 22:00 Doom 00:00 A Dangerous Man 02:00 Intruders

04:00 Ip Man 2 06:00 Beverly Hills Cop 3 08:00 Blackthorn 10:00 Hide And Seek 12:00 Darkman 14:00 Blackthorn 16:00 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One 18:00 Darkman 20:00 Doom 22:00 A Dangerous Man 00:00 Intruders 02:00 Doom

04:00 Johnny English Reborn 06:00 Another Stakeout 08:00 Ernest Goes To Jail 10:00 I Think I Do 12:00 Johnny English Reborn 14:00 Police Academy 3: Back In Training 16:00 I Think I Do 18:00 The Little Rascals 20:00 Calendar Girls 22:00 How To Make Love To A Woman 00:00 Old School 02:00 Calendar Girls

03:00 A Woman 04:45 Catch Me If You Can 07:15 One Angry Juror 09:00 The Forger 11:00 A Woman 13:00 Taken Back: Finding Haley 14:45 Reign Over Me 17:00 The First Grader 19:00 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter 21:00 Martha Marcy May Marlene 23:00 The Bang Bang Club 01:00 The First Grader

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:30 23:15 01:00

The Caller Columbus Circle The Trial Earth The Evening Star Courage The National Tree The Evening Star The Flowers Of War Intolerable Cruelty Kill For Me An Officer And A Gentleman

03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:45 21:00 23:00 01:00

Midnight In Paris Crisis Point Puss In Boots The Double Midnight In Paris Playdate The Iron Lady The Double The Bourne Legacy Limitless Project X Underworld: Awakening

03:00 UFC Fight For The Troops 06:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 07:00 International Rugby Union 09:00 Total Rugby 11:30 Rugby League World Cup 13:30 Total Rugby 14:00 Darts Grand Slam 18:00 Futbol Mundial 18:30 NFL Gameday 19:00 WWE NXT 20:00 UFC - Primetime 20:30 UFC - Primetime 21:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 22:00 Live Darts Grand Slam 02:00 WWE NXT

03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:30 10:30 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 22:30 23:00 01:00 02:00

Top 14 Highlights ICC Cricket 360 World Pool Masters World Pool Masters Golfing World Golfing World Futbol Mundial World Pool Masters World Pool Masters Live Asian Tour Golf Futbol Mundial World Pool Masters Total Rugby European Tour Weekly PGA European Tour Total Rugby International Rugby Union Trans World Sport Rugby League World Cup

04:00 Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge Middle East 04:30 Ping Pong World Championship 05:30 U.S Bass Fishing 06:30 Mass Participation U.K 07:00 WWE Smackdown 09:00 Ping Pong World Championship 10:00 U.S Bass Fishing 13:00 WWE Vintage Collection 14:00 WWE Bottom Line 15:00 This Week In WWE 19:30 F1 H2O World Championship 21:00 F1 H2O World Championship 22:00 UIM Class 1 Powerboat 22:30 UFC Prelims 00:30 UFC - Belfort vs. Henderson

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 Rides 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 Rides 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 00:00 00:30 01:00 Rides 02:00 02:30

Off Limits Descending Man vs World Airport 24/7: Miami Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Globe Trekker Departures Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Bert The Conqueror Trip Flip The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters Hotel Impossible Destination Weddings Destination Weddings The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters Luxury Uncovered Luxury Uncovered Monumental Mysteries Airport 24/7: Miami Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Bert The Conqueror Bert The Conqueror

03:0 03:2 03:4 03:5 04:2 04:3 Frie 04:4 04:5 05:0 05:1 05:3 06:0 06:1 06:3 06:5 07:0 07:1 07:3 07:4 08:0 08:1 08:3 08:4 09:1 The 09:3 Pira 09:5 10:0 10:2 10:3 10:4 11:0 11:2 11:4 Pira 11:5 12:0 12:2 12:4 13:0 Frie 13:0

Classifieds THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

ACCOMMODATION

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) SHARQIA-2 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM 12:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3 FREE BIRDS (DIG) 12:30 PM FREE BIRDS (DIG) 2:30 PM FREE BIRDS (DIG) 4:30 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 6:30 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 8:30 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 10:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 12:45 AM MUHALAB-1 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) MASALA (DIG) (TELUGU) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) MUHALAB-2 Seats-210 FREE BIRDS (DIG) ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) KALBY DALILI (DIG) ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-3 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D)

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-1 ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 12:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 2:45 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 4:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 6:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 8:45 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 10:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 12:45 AM FANAR-2 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-3 DJINN (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-4 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

1:00 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (14/11/2013 TO 20/11/2013) FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D) FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) FANAR-5 GRAVITY GRAVITY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 GRAVITY GRAVITY GRAVITY

3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM

360º- 2 ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360º- 3 FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D) FREE BIRDS (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D) FREE BIRDS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM

MARINA-1 ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 1:45 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 3:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 5:45 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 8:00 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 10:00 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D)

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-2 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-3 FREE BIRDS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.3 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1 RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI) RAM LEELA (DIG) (HINDI)

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.4 ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) KALBY DALILI (DIG) ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) KALBY DALILI (DIG) ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG)

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2 ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) ALL IS LOST (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-1 FREE BIRDS (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

AVENUES-3 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2 ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 1:45 PM ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) 3:45 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 6:15 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 8:15 PM KALBY DALILI (DIG) 10:15 PM ARENA OF THE STREET FIGHTER (DIG) 12:30 AM

360º- 1 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-3 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non smoking, one big room, Amman street, opposite to Al Rashid hospital. Contact: 66232356. (C 4570) 13-11-2013

SITUATION VACANT A Kuwaiti family is looking to hire an Indian driver with Kuwait driving license and knowledge of Kuwait’s streets and areas, transferable visa. Call: 55552782. (C 4568)

FOR SALE

Required English speaking maid/nanny. Please call 99824597. (C 4569) 13-11-2013

SUV Trailblazer, 2005 model, white color, price KD 1,300. Tel: 66728911. (C 4571) 14-11-2013

CHANGE OF NAME

Well maintained Mitsubishi Lancer car 2000 model, grey color, in Salmiya, 137,000 km run, serviced regularly, single owner, KD 550, negotiable. Call 99860513. (C 4567) 13-11-2013 2003 model, single owned, good condition, white Pathﬁnder is for sale. Interested, you may please do contact 66988269. (C 4565) 12-11-2013

I, Amira holder of Indian Passport No. Z2519936, issued at Kuwait on June 02, 2013, permanent resident of Clover Village, Rosehill Terrace No. 7, Pune 40, MS and presently residing in Kuwait do hereby change my name from Amira to Amira Sayed, with immediate eﬀect. (C 4566) 12-11-2013 I, Bommry (sur name), Manjunathan, (given name), S/o Bommini Raghava Reddy, date of birth: 24.07.1980, residing

Nissan Pathﬁnder 2003 model, in good condition, white. Serious buyer may contact 97277135

at No. 31, Nemilli, Nemili village & Post, Thiruvalluvar District, Pincode-631201, holder of Indian Passport No. J0365702, shall hencefore be known as Bommini (sur name), Manjunathan, (given name) Bommry (sur name), Manjunathan, (given name). (C 4564) 11-11-2013

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

1889988 Prayer timings Fajr: