18th Nov 2013 by Kuwait Times

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

OIC chief cries while meeting Rohingyas

Hollande vows tough Iran stance in Israel

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MUHARRAM 14, 1435 AH

Jolie kicks off award season with honorary Oscar

Czechs beat Serbia to defend Davis Cup title

Arab, African FMs meet to boost cooperation Ministers approve Kuwait Declaration, Palestine statement conspiracy theories

Birds, swine and now camels

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

he coronavirus is the talk of the town. It is human nature. People panic, including myself. Once I hear about a possible pandemic, my brain immediately goes on red alert. Last week two patients in Kuwait were diagnosed with latest kind of influenza - the coronavirus which scared many people in the countr y. Wherever you go, to the diwaniya or the salon, be it men or women, the only topic of conversation is the new flu. So if you were not scared before going to the diwaniya, you would come out sniffing, coughing and worrying about possible symptoms. In the last few years, we have had influenzas launched like new luxurious car models. Every year, there is a new upgraded version. It started with SARS which panicked the whole world. Every T V channel was reporting about SARS. Miraculously, a vaccine came to the rescue and countries had to purchase large quantities of it. When things cooled down and SARS left, we had no follow up. It all went hush-hush and the chapter was closed. Then came bird flu. I remember we were advised to cull some of the chicken we had in the farm in Wafra in fear of bird flu. Of course, this was under the supervision of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources. Bird flu came and left and countries around the world stocked up piles of vaccines. Millions of dollars were spent on the prevention of a pandemic. That flu came and left and a new model came out. Swine flu made the headlines. Again and again, purchasing of vaccines started. Some countries were insistent on their citizens to get vaccinated. There were many rumours and reports that the vaccines would make you even sicker. People panic in the face of fear. The coronavirus is just one type of these influenzas. There are many types of this virus. By God’s mercy, only 153 cases have been reported so far around the globe, of them 127 in Saudi Arabia alone. So far researchers are suspecting that there is a link between the coronavirus and camels as one camel whose owner fell sick also tested positive for the virus. It could be that the owner infected the camel or vice versa. It is also funny how influenzas are linked to these poor animals. Panic does not help. There is no need to create a fear psychosis out of the coronavirus. It only makes things worse. Mercifully, the coronavirus is not very contagious as other kinds of flu. This is a bit comforting.

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomes Egyptian Interim President Adly Mansour who arrived yesterday to participate in the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit. — KUNA

Max 26º Min 15º High Tide 13:12 & 23:44 Low Tide 06:44 & 18:29

KUWAIT: Arab and African foreign ministers met in Kuwait yesterday hoping to accelerate a strategy to bolster economic cooperation, investment and trade ahead of a summit this week. The Third Africa Arab Summit tomorrow and Wednesday will be the ﬁrst meeting of its kind since 2010, when leaders met in Libya prior to the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled longstanding dictatorships there and elsewhere in North Africa and the Middle East. The one-day meeting adopted the agenda for the summit, where leaders are expected to approve a raft of new measures to upgrade economic ties between the two regions, including the oil-rich Gulf and sub-Saharan Africa. The top diplomats approved the Kuwait Declaration, a statement regarding developments of the situation in Palestine and draft resolutions of the summit, diplomatic sources close to the meeting said. “It is time to upgrade and activate the Arab-African joint work to serve the peoples in both regions,” Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah told the opening session. Sheikh Khaled told reporters late Saturday the summit, held under the title “Partners in Development and Investment” is expected to discuss the possibility of creating an ArabAfrican common market. Thirty-four heads of state, seven vice-presidents and three heads of government have conﬁrmed their attendance at the summit, which will bring together 71 countries and organisations, according to organisers. The second summit held in Libya three years ago adopted the Africa-Arab Partnership Strategy and the 2011-2016 Joint Action Plan to increase investment, trade and other joint economic projects between the two regions. But implementation has been slow, in part because of the turmoil unleashed across the region by the 2011 Arab Spring, which saw the leaders of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen toppled by mass protests and the outbreak of a full-blown civil war in Syria. The ministers will review a proposal to set up an AfricaArab Joint Financial Mechanism to provide the necessary means for implementing projects and encouraging investment. They will also discuss establishing the Africa-Arab Technical and Coordination Committee on Migration to help protect migrant workers. — AFP (See Page 2)

Astronomer thunders against storm Saadoun rubbishes US warnings • Heavy rains forecast By Ben Garcia

Floods swamp Riyadh RIYADH: Rare heavy downpours triggered flash floods in the Saudi capital yesterday, forcing schools and universities to close and prompting calls by the authorities for citizens to remain indoors. At least three people were reported missing, the state news agency SPA said quoting civil defence spokesman Colonel Abdullah Al-Harithi. He added that authorities assisted dozens of people trapped by the floods, a rare phenomenon to hit the capital of the desert kingdom. Heavy rains, accompanied by thunderstorms, have lashed Riyadh since late Saturday triggering flash floods in several districts and cutting off power in the RIYADH: A worker tries to clear a flooded street yesterday after Continued on Page 15 heavy rains fell overnight in the Saudi capital. — AFP

Gulf airlines splash out $150bn By Velina Nacheva

DUBAI: Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (center), is presented with a model of the Emirates new 777X airliner by Boeing CEO Jim McNerney during the opening ceremony of the Dubai Air Show yesterday. — AFP

DUBAI: It was a historic day for the aviation industry yesterday when Emirates, the world’s largest international airline and flydubai, Dubai’s low-cost carrier, announced aircraft orders valued at $110 billion. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed AlMaktoum, Chairman of flydubai and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, revealed the news about the orders during a press conference at the 13th edition of Dubai Air Show that opened at Dubai World Central yesterday. Emirates placed a record order for 150 Boeing 777X valued at $76 billion and an additional 50 Airbus A380 aircraft valued at $23 billion. Flydubai announced commitment for an order of up to 111 Boeing aircraft valued at $11.4 billion. Emirates’ Boeing and Airbus orders, worth an estimated $99 billion at list prices, are the largest ever aircraft orders in civil aviation history. Qatar Airways yesterday placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 freighter aircraft. The airline’s CEO Akbar Al-Baker later announced an order of 50 aircraft. Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options. Etihad Airways announced an order for 56 new Boeing wide-body aircraft, with options and purchase rights for a further 26, to support its continued global expansion. The deal includes 25 next-generation Boeing 777X aircraft of which 17 are 777-9X and eight are 777-8X aircraft. (See Page 21)

KUWAIT: Amid ﬂooding in Riyadh and warnings of torrential rains and thunderstorms, there was anxiety in Kuwait after the US Navy in Bahrain allegedly declared a state of emergency for Bahrain, Qatar, eastern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It predicted thunderstorms in these countries would be the strongest in 30 years and warned marines of torrential rains that were to begin late on Saturday and continue until Thursday. “How come a country like the US issued such a warning without using their media networks Adel Al-Saadoun and perhaps their government spokesperson? Why use social media?” asked Fintas Astronomical Observatory Director Adel Al-Saadoun, slamming the alleged Facebook forecast after no rain fell in Kuwait yesterday. “Don’t believe such rubbish. The fact is, yes, we will have rains starting tonight until Thursday or early next week. This season is called Wasmi in Kuwait - it usually lasts from Oct 15 to Dec 6. Nothing Continued on Page 15

MP to file grilling against Othaina Panel meets over coronavirus By B Izzak KUWAIT: Shiite MP Abdullah AlTameemi said yesterday that he will ﬁle a request to grill State Minister for Municipality Salem Al-Othaina over the removal of tents erected by Shiites to mark Ashura. Tameemi was supposed to submit the grilling yesterday morning but decided to postpone it after the Cabinet’s weekly meeting, apparently to see what actions the council takes. Tameemi’s action came although the Cabinet strongly criticized the removal of the tents and ordered the formation of an investigation committee to probe the issue and penalize those responsible for the action. The drama began on Friday when

bulldozers from Kuwait Municipality removed a number of tents that were used by Shiite mourners who were marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussein some 1,400 years ago. Hundreds of Shiites gathered in Rumaithiya after the removal but later dispersed after special forces intervened. There were no reports of injury. Shiite MPs and activists strongly condemned the action, with Tameemi describing the action as an “aggression against Shiite sacred places”, and they demanded the resignation of the municipality minister. The municipality said that it had only removed small tents that were unlicensed and were being used to oﬀer food and beverages without Continued on Page 15

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

LOCAL

Time to push forward joint Arab-African efforts: Kuwait Foreign ministers exchange views

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah attends the Arab-African Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuwait yesterday.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa

KUWAIT: The time has come to push forward on joint efforts that serve a bright future for both the Arab and African regions, said Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah yesterday. “Nations today cannot move alone, they require groupings and large regional blocs built on mutual interests and exchanged benefits,” he told foreign ministers from the Arab world and Africa gathered in Kuwait ahead of a Nov 19-20 summit of their leaders. Holding the Third Africa-Arab Summit in Kuwait aims to build on historical ties shared by both regions, he said, adding that they both have promising potentials. The geographic proximity of these dynamic regions obliges them both to cooperate with one another, judging their joint historic depth and heritage, he added. “Both regions together form 18 percent of the world’s population, a total of 1.2 billion people. These human resources compared to the average GDP of 4. 25 percent is more than that of the world at three percent,” he added. Kuwait aims for the summit to “provide tangible results that reflect positively on the peoples of both regions, respond to the aspirations of the people, raises the development of their countries and creates constructive economic partnerships,” he explained. UN reports on Africa revealed a huge gap in infrastructure development, he said, adding this deficit requires the joint international efforts in order to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, goals that Kuwait already met. The pivotal and fundamental role of private businesses, he also stressed, in the field of human development is a main fac-

for their efforts in the success of the event. He also thanked both the Arab League General Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC) for its continuous efforts aimed at the continuation of the summit. Foreign Minister and Cooperation of Mauritania and Deputy Chair of the Executive Bureau of the African Union Ahmed Ould Teguedi, thanked Kuwait for organizing the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit.

tor in comprehensive and sustainable development. This is due to what it offers of projects that support construction, growth and job opportunities across vital spectrums. The Kuwaiti minister praised the efforts of experts, academics and civil society organisations at the African-Arab Economic Forum, which concluded on Nov 12. The forum was organised by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari Development and resulted in recommendations in the fields of development, the economy and investment. “Kuwait is committed to openness, and human and civil contact with the nations of the world. It also remains faithful to its message of friendship and good deeds in the promise of a safe and prosperous world,” he said. He thanked the former summits chair and co-chair Libya and Gabon respectively

ed His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for hosting the Summit, and the State of Kuwait for the comprehensive preparations for the high-level meeting. He said the meetings held since the 2010 Libya summit at the government and private sectors’ levels contributed to enhancing partnership between the two regions. “We aim at establishing a modern partnership based on mutual interests,”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat Issoze-Ngondet, whose country was the co-chair of the 2nd Africa-Arab Summit, commended Kuwait’s commitment to strong relations between the Arab and African regions, which would further activate the dynamic partnership between the two sides. He noted that there has been “a big progress” in relations and cooperation since the 2nd Summit that was held in Libya in 2010.

Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Djibril Ypene Bassole Addressing the Foreign Ministerial meeting, Teguedi appreciated the Arab League Secretary General’s recommendations that would push forward partnership between the Arab and African regions. “We need to exert efforts to achieve economic integration, boost trade between the Arab and African regions,” he said in his speech. Secretary General of the Arab League Dr Nabil Al-Araby, for his part, commend-

said Al-Araby. The Arab league Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC) are working on strengthening common action with the objective of addressing joint conflicts, he noted. The two sides, he added, supported the struggle of the Palestinian people in their right to establish their independent state and in the fight against occupation. Al-Araby said the Arab world was still seeking to establish an area free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and nuclear arms. He asserted that cooperation between the Arab League and the AUC should be concrete to meet aspirations of peoples in the two areas. Al-Araby said the Arab-African Economic Forum that was held in Kuwait last week touched upon economic and investment opportunities as well as achieving food security. Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that the Africa-Arab Summit was held amidst changing circumstances in the Arab and African regions. Zuma said in her speech during the opening of the Ministerial Preparatory Meeting that Africa was witnessing a shift in the economic growth and a decrease in conflicts, and an improvement in governance. Zuma added that progress has been made in human development indicators, noting that the average age rose from 40 to 60 years in addition to declining infant mortality rate by 50 percent in addition to a rise in the number of children who attend school. She pointed out that in order to continue this progress in the African countries, “we have to diversify the economy, increase in manufacturing and utilize the natural resources to increase incomes. Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammad Abdulaziz said the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit was held amidst “accelerated developments which require active parnterships.” In his speech to the Foreign Ministers’ meeting as the chair of the last summit, Abdulaziz said openness of Kuwait under leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the country’s hosting of international meetings, “indicate that Kuwait attaches great importance not only for the strengthening of democracy but extends its hands to many areas in the world to contribute to development projects benefiting many spectra of society.” He called for achieving sustainable development for peoples in the two regions to ultimately contribute to social justice, peace and security. This, added Abdulaziz, required comprehensive understanding and diagnosis for common challenges facing development in the African and Arab regions. The Arab and African governments should honor aspirations of their peoples on the basis of equality, respect, mutual interest, understanding and trust, he said. Abdulaziz called for paying close attention to the Arab-African partnership “to push forward economic and investment to achieve common benefits.” He said regional and international financial institutions should join hands with the private sector to push forward investments in economy and human resources, as well as creating knowledge-based societies. Abdulaziz said Kuwait’s chairing of the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit would trigger a “qualitative leap” towards a joint partnership. Foreign Minister of Gabon Emmanuel

“It is time to advance on food security and industry,” said Issoze-Ngondet, calling for providing the necessary funding for investment projects in the Arab and African regions. The Foreign Minister, meanwhile, expressed support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that would “live within secure and stable borders,” and voiced backing to the declaration about Palestine that would be issued by the Summit. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah then turned the session behind closed doors to discuss the draft agenda and Kuwait Declaration. Foreign Minister and Cooperation of Mauritania and Deputy Chair of the Executive Bureau of the African Union Ahmed Ould Teguedi, thanked Kuwait for organizing the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit. Addressing the Foreign Ministerial meeting, Teguedi appreciated the Arab League Secretary General’s recommendations that would push forward partnership between the Arab and African regions. “We need to exert efforts to achieve economic integration, boost trade between the Arab and African regions,” he said in his speech. Secretary General of the Arab League Dr. Nabil Al-Araby, for his part, commended His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for hosting the Summit, and the State of Kuwait for the comprehensive preparations for the high-level meeting. He said the meetings held since the 2010 Libya summit at the government and private sectors’ levels contributed to enhancing partnership between the two regions. “We aim at establishing a modern partnership based on mutual interests,” said Al-Araby. The Arab league Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC) are working on strengthening common action with the objective of addressing joint conflicts, he noted. The two sides, he added, supported the struggle of the Palestinian people in their right to establish their independent state and in the fight against occupation. Al-Araby said the Arab world was still seeking to establish an area free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and nuclear arms. He asserted that cooperation between the Arab League and the AUC should be concrete to meet aspirations of peoples in the two areas. Al-Araby said the Arab-African Economic Forum that was held in Kuwait last week touched upon economic and investment opportunities as well as achieving food security. Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that the AfricaArab Summit was held amidst changing circumstances

in the Arab and African regions. Zuma said in her speech during the opening of the Ministerial Preparatory Meeting that Africa was witnessing a shift in the economic growth and a decrease in conflicts, and an improvement in governance. Zuma added that progress has been made in human development indicators, noting that the average age rose from 40 to 60 years in addition to declining infant mortality rate by 50 percent in addition to a rise in the number of children who attend school. She pointed out that in order to continue this progress in the African countries, “we have to diversify the economy, increase in manufacturing and utilize the natural resources to increase incomes.” Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammad Abdulaziz said the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit was held amidst “accelerated developments which require active parnterships.” In his speech to the Foreign Ministers’ meeting as the chair of the last summit, Abdulaziz said openness of Kuwait under leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the country’s hosting of international meetings, “indicate that Kuwait attaches great importance not only for the strengthening of democracy but extends its hands to many areas in the world to contribute to development projects benefiting many spectra of society.” He called for achieving sustainable development for peoples in the two regions to ultimately contribute to social justice, peace and security. This, added Abdulaziz, required comprehensive understanding and diagnosis for common challenges facing development in the African and Arab regions. The Arab and African governments should honor aspirations of their peoples on the basis of equality, respect, mutual interest, understanding and trust, he said. Abdulaziz called for paying close attention to the Arab-African partnership “to push forward economic and investment to achieve common benefits.” He said regional and international financial institutions should join hands with the private sector to push forward investments in economy and human resources, as well as creating knowledgebased societies. Abdulaziz said Kuwait’s chairing of the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit would trigger a “qualitative leap” towards a joint partnership. Foreign Minister of Gabon Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, whose country was the co-chair of the 2nd Africa-Arab Summit, commended Kuwait’s commitment to strong relations between the Arab and African regions, which would further activate the dynamic partnership between the two sides. He noted that there has been “a big progress” in relations and cooperation since the 2nd Summit that was held in Libya in 2010. “It is time to advance on food security and industry,” said Issoze-Ngondet, calling for providing the necessary funding for investment projects in the Arab and African regions. The Foreign Minister, meanwhile, expressed support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that would “live within secure and stable borders,” and voiced backing to the declaration about Palestine that would be issued by the Summit. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah then turned the session behind closed doors to discuss the draft agenda and Kuwait Declaration. — KUNA

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomes President of South Sudan Silva Kiir Mayardit, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah welcomes Vice-President of the Republic of Nigeria Namadi Sambo and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Health Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah welcomes President of Malawi Joyce Banda yesterday. — KUNA

New efforts to spread forgiveness, tolerance Interior ministry marks International Day By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior marked the International Day for Tolerance yesterday for the first time at the Al-Babtain Central Library for Arabic Poetry. Nov 16 is an annual observance declared by UNESCO in 1995 to generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance. “Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prompted us to forgive and tolerate which was one of his characteristics. We need these values in the present time, especially with the increasing violence in our community including children, youngsters and couples in schools, houses, workplaces, streets, malls and other public places. This violence has led to killings and other serious harm,” said Lt Gen Sulaiman Al-Fahd, Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, during ceremony. The ministry is working to enhance security to face wrong and negative behaviors that cause harm to the community. “This is the reason behind celebrating the Day for Tolerance, which

aims to spread forgiveness and tolerance between people due to its positive effect in different fields and on national security by decreasing criminality as well,” he added. “The best example in our community for forgiveness is the behavior of HH the Amir, when he forgave those who insulted him. The Amir also called upon people to be tolerant towards each other and forgive,” Fahd concluded. Maj Gen Mahmoud Al-Dosari, Assisting Undersecretary for General Security, noted that Kuwait is celebrating this day under the slogan ‘Forgive and Excuse’, and we hope that schools, families, media and others will adopt this. “HH the Amir expressed this during the opening session of the parliament and called for more tolerance in the society, He is a living example of forgiveness,” he pointed out. The Ministry of Interior is working together with the National Antidrug Committee, UNDP, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social affairs and Labor. “An exhibition is being held along with the

celebration, and all these institutions are participating with their publications. We also hold talks in schools and we join efforts to eliminate violence, especially since violence and drug addiction is increasing in our community. These bad phenomena have resulted in killings of which the most significant were the murders in the Avenues and Marina malls,” Dosari said. “We call upon the media to focus on this subject and highlight it along with awareness so that families can benefit and correctly raise children, as the family is the first environment from where the kids come and plays the main role in their awareness. We also play an important role after the family, school and NGOs. Crime will always exist and our role is to eliminate it and its effects,” stressed Dosari. Dr Ahmad Al-Samdan, Secretary General of the National Antidrug Committee, stated that the Ministry of Interior took the responsibility to protect the community and particularly the youth in various ways as they are the future generation that will protect

VIVA celebrates Omani National Day with promotions KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecom operator, announced yesterday the launch of a special promotion for its prepaid and postpaid customers in celebration of the national day of Oman. For every five minutes during a call made to families and friends in Oman on this occasion, VIVA will grant customers five free minutes in return. This promotion is valid for the 24 hours of Nov 18, 2013. This promotion was designed by VIVA for this special occasion, and as a result of the long-standing relationship that exists with the Sultanate of Oman and its fellow people, to grant them the opportunity to speak to their loved ones at half price and share the joys of this celebrated day. VIVA congratulates the Omani community on this occasion and reaffirms its commitment towards offering all that is pioneering and advanced in the telecom industry, and to continue presenting its customers with an exceptional experience. Customers interested in this special offer can visit any of the VIVA branches for additional information and activation.

To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitive promotions, products and packages visit any of the 31 VIVA branches or visit our website at www.viva.com.kw , or contact its 24 hour call center at 102. VIVA is the fastest-growing telecom operator in Kuwait. Launched in December 2008, VIVA makes things Possible for its customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market through its customer centric approach. VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of choice in Kuwait by being transparent, engaging, energetic and fulfilling. VIVA continues to take a considerable share of the market by offering an innovative range of best value products, services and content propositions; a state of the art, nationwide network and world-class service. VIVA offers internet speeds of more than 100 Mbps, due to the implementation of the most advanced fourth generation (4G LTE) network in Kuwait resulting in superior coverage, performance and reliability.

Kuwait monitors extremists to prevent travel to Syria KUWAIT: Kuwait is monitoring a number of local extremists in order to prevent potential activity that includes traveling to Syria and fighting with Jihadists against Syrian regime, a local daily reported yesterday quoting government sources. Speaking to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, the sources said that the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs handed lists to the Interior Ministry containing names of extremists who were previously arrested and subjected to rehabilitation programs funded by the government to fight Jihadist ideologies. The source who the paper says works in the Ministry of Awqaf

and Islamic Affairs further admitted that the number of Kuwaiti fighters in Syria have ‘doubled’ in the past months, and currently rank highest among fighters of Gulf nationalities. The news come one day after Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah said that “Kuwait acts in a transparent manner with regards to charity, which is organized by laws and regulations”, and that in response to a New York Times report which identified Kuwait as “the biggest regional problem for the US in terms of funding Islamist fighters in Syria” according to the US Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen.

the country. “This celebration holds great values - ‘Forgive and Excuse’ which calls for eliminating conflicts and forgiving others. These values are propagated by Islam too. The National Antidrug Committee and the National Anti Drugs Media Project (Ghiras) call upon the community to accept and tolerate those who have recovered from drug addiction and give them another chance to correct their mistakes, far from terrorizing them while practicing their normal life within their community,” he explained. Celebrating the International Day for Tolerance has some basic goals. “It aims to promote tolerance between individuals no matter their beliefs, to boost the power of law and eliminate criminality and to differentiate between forgiveness and giving up personal and civil rights. And from here Ghiras will highlight these goals in the community through different media,” concluded Samdan. Col Abdulrahman Abdullah, Director of the Community Police, spoke about the increasing violence in

KUWAIT: A group photo of the officials during the exhibition. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh the society. “We have to join our efforts to fight increasing violence which in many cases led to death. We work to find solutions before a crime is committed. If we deal with conflicts with forgiveness, this will solve all problems. Celebrating this day proves the interest of the ministry in improving the technical work of police and strengthening security in the commu-

nity. We focus on three roles - preventing, forbidding and treating,” he explained. Col Bader Al-Ghadouri, Director of the Juveniles Protection Department, prepared a documentary on violence in different places with real clips from Kuwait and some from abroad. It showed violence in schools, streets, houses, vehicles, stadiums, malls and restaurants.

Stage set for Kuwait book fair KUWAIT: The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) said yesterday that the annually held Kuwait International Book Fair embodies one of the most important features of the country’s cultural role as it provides a cultural space for intellectuals and writers to gather and meet. The fair represents an opportunity for all, including officials, book writers, intellectuals, novelists and artists to gather and meet around the accompanying cultural and artistic affairs at the fair, Dr Bader Al-Duweesh, Assistant Secretary General of NCCAL, said in a press conference held to discuss the upcoming Kuwait 38th Book Fair, slated to kick off at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Mishref on Wednesday. Also, the fair is considered as a true service for publishers to meet directly with readers as many Arab and international publishing companies seek to take part at the fair, added Al-Duweesh. In the same context, Kuwait International Book Fair Director Saad Al-Mutairi affirmed keenness of the

Fair’s administration on attracting many publishing companies that offer a variety of knowledge, information, and sources through their various publications, in which readers and researchers can find their needs. Around 25 countries, including 16 Arab and 9 international, are to participate in the upcoming book fair through 530 publication houses, of which 477 nationals, 45 official institutions, and 8 Arab-International organizations, Al-Mutairi added, noting that there are also 317 publication houses taking part directly at the fair, and 213 others participants via agencies. The fair is to be inaugurated by Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Chairman of NCCAL Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah at 10 AM on Wednesday. The Fair’s working hours for the public start from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4: 30 pm to 9:30 pm during weekdays. On Fridays, it operates from 4:00 pm to 10pm. — KUNA

Jordan media in town KUWAIT: Ministry of Information Undersecretary Salah Mansour Al-Mubaraki stressed the importance of cooperating with the Kingdom of Jordan in the production of documentaries and cultural films. On occasion of the end of the Jordanian Media Ministry delegation’s visit, Al-Mubaraki, who met with the President of the Board of Directors of Jordan Media Institute (JMI) and Royal Film Commission Princess Rym Ali, stressed in a statement yesterday the ministry’s keenness to communicate with neighboring countries at the media level to exchange and benefit from their expertise. During the meeting, they discussed a number of bilateral media cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Jordan, particularly in the exchange of knowledge, expertise and modern media system. The delegation was briefed on the Jordanian film and documentary industry, he said, stressing the need of benefiting from it in the production sectors in Kuwait. He noted that he conveyed to Princess Rym the greetings of Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem AlHamoud Al-Sabah, wishing her good health and further success. For her part, Princess Rym delivered sincere greetings and appreciation for Sheikh Salman, praising the development witnessed in the Kuwaiti media, as well as its commitment to improve joint cooperation and coordination.—KUNA

Govt ‘slow’ in addressing audit reports KUWAIT: The government continues to take slow steps towards addressing violations recorded in the State Audit Bureau’s annual reports, which with time have transformed some irregularities into phenomena and deviation in spending. This was reported by Al-Rai daily yesterday quoting MP Adnan Abdulsamad, who is the head of the parliament’s budgets committee. Abdulsamad criticized the lack of results which should have been provided by ‘ministerial committees’ formed to probe the violations. “Committees came and went, but the cabinet is yet to provide any results that provide solutions for the irregularities”, he said. Meanwhile, Al-Rai daily quoted a senior official in the State Audit Bureau who said that the recently released annual report that point out

several cases of violation against public funds in state departments “will definitely be shelved”. “[The government] will announce forming investigation committees which eventually comes out with unconvincing justifications as usual”, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity. He further indicated that such committees “failed to convict any official or send one to the Public Prosecution over financial or administrative violations”. The source also spoke about “promises from MPs to legislate a law that gives the State Audit Bureau the power to refer violations to the Public Prosecution”, but admitted that “different views” on that regard in the parliament are stalling those efforts. Al-Jarida daily reported yesterday that the

violations mentioned in the State Audit Bureau’s annual report will be discussed during the cabinet’s weekly meeting, according to a government source with knowledge of the issue. In other news, Al-Qabas daily reported yesterday that Minister of Communications Essa AlKandari suspended two senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation before referring them to the Public Prosecution. The step came after an internal investigations committee found irregularities in the tender to purchase instrument landing systems (ILS), saying that the two officials sent false information to the Central Tenders Committee in which they claimed that a Canadian company was qualified for the deal without obtaining approval from the DGCA’s advisor.

MEDays concludes with Tangier announcement

KUWAIT: A tailoring shop caught fire in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh yesterday. Fire-fighters rushed to the scene and succeeded in putting out the fire soon. A fire sergeant suffered smoke inhalation and another had minor injuries, and both were treated on the scene by paramedics. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

TANGIER, Morocco: The Sixth MEDays International Forum called for forming an African collation for immigration and development, to further boost cooperation among African countries. As the forum concluded its activities Saturday night, it expressed hopes that such coalition would guarantee the respect of the basic rights of immigrants belonging to the forum’s member countries, in addition to facilitating legal immigration. The “ Tangier announcement” issued by the forum considered that the resolution of the coast security crisis will only be reached by adapting an integrated regional strategy between the African par tners, one that Moroccans and Europeans would contribute in. The four-day forum themed “What ways to develop in an unstable world”,

held under the auspices of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, called for reaching a mechanism for consulting, exchange of information, proactive vigilance in order to fight illegal trading in drugs, weapons, and human trafficking. The announcement renewed it support for Arab peace initiative being the only resolution for the IsraeliPalestinian cause, that comes in accordance with the international legitimacy on the base of two states resolution within 1967 boarders, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, as well as the immediate cease of building of settlements. The Arab Spring countries are facing a political transitional phase, the Tangier announcment stressed, calling upon Tunisians to hold collective responsibility and be courageous

enough to allow the county which was the cradle of Arab revolutions, to achieve main aspirations of the people. It also called for international campaigning and mass mobilization for the sake of Libya’s success of the political transition. MEDays called for opening land borders between Morocco and Algeria for the sake of the people of both countries, besides renewing the call for the international community, especially the European Union (EU) and the United States to encourage initiatives targeting further integration between the five Arab “Maghreb” countries by holding a conference between the leaders of those countries. The forum called for reforming the resolutions of United National Security Council (UNASC) in order to reach a better representativeness for developing countries.— KUNA

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

LOCAL

Arab held for attempt to smuggle in stamps KD 63,000 theft from phone shop KUWAIT: Customs officials arrested a man who tried to smuggle forged revenue stamps worth KD 16,000 through Kuwait International Airport. The Syrian arrived from his home countr y through Turkey when inspectors decided to search his luggage. The inspectors found 1,600 stamps worth KD 10 each. The man claimed that he accepted the suitcase from a person at the Turkish airport to deliver to a man he said was supposed to call him as soon as he touched down in Kuwait. He was taken to the authorities for investigations. Fatal crash A man died in an accident reported in Fahd Al-Ahmad late Friday night. The Kuwaiti was pronounced dead on the scene before his body was transported to the forensic department for an autopsy. Paramedics and police had rushed to the scene in response to an emergency call reporting an accident involving a vehicle losing balance and overturning at a street. A case was filed to investigate the circumstances that led to the accident.

KUWAIT: Hawally municipality authorities removing abandoned cars yesterday. Supervisor Khalid Al-Azmi said the field campaigns during October resulted in the removal of 101 abandoned cars. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Sharq theft Investigations are ongoing in search of one or more thieves who stole items and cash from a cell phone shop in Sharq and made sure to take the CCTV tapes with them before escaping. Workers called police Friday morning after they opened the store and discovered that phones and accessories worth KD 50,000 in addition to KD 13,000 in cash were stolen. Crime scene investigators arrived to the scene and prelimi-

VIVA launches traffic awareness campaign KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecom operator, yesterday announced the launch of a brand new traffic awareness multimedia campaign which is aimed at youth, and highlights the dangers of using mobile phones while driving. The campaign started on Nov 13 and will last until Nov 20 and features three adverts aired on television stations, as well as supporting advertising on VIVA’s social media channels. As a responsible telecom operator in Kuwait, VIVA believes that it is imperative to continue raising awareness about the dangerous consequences of using mobile phones while driving. Kuwait has one the highest number of traffic related accidents and deaths in the world, and part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) role towards society, VIVA believes it has a responsibility to raise aware-

ness of road safety as a critically important issue. Abdulrazzaq Bader Al Essa - Director of Public Relation and Social Media at VIVA said: “With the camping season starting again, VIVA acknowledges that many people exceed the speed limit on the expressway, and others drive recklessly while checking the latest updates on their smartphones, and they do so to get an early start to their weekend; we strongly urge them not to do so, and drive safely for their sakes and the sakes of others on the road.” The timing of this year’s campaign falls around World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is on Nov 17. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place on the third Sunday in November every year and is a formal day to acknowledge victims of road traffic crashes and their families.

nary investigations revealed that the suspects were able to locate and take the storage device connected to the store’s CC T V cameras. Fingerprints were taken from the scene and it was not immediately discovered whether the theft was committed by one person or more. False alarm Ahmadi police rushed to a location near the Seventh Ring Road where a person reported what he thought was a dead person buried there. Police discovered however that the source of a foul odor at the location was a stray dog which died there. The officers took the complaints seriously after multiple callers mentioned finding a ‘human grave’. They used shovels to dig the area and eventually found the carcass of a dog who had died a few days before. Road mishap A man was injured when his friend accidently ran him over while performing dangerous stunts with his vehicle in celebration of getting his driving license. The man arrived at Far waniya Hospital with several injuries and explained that he was hit by a car. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was standing by and watching while his friend ‘celebrate’ before the new driver lost control over his vehicle and ran over the man. Investigations are ongoing in search of the driver. Auto thieves Sulaibikhat detectives arrested two men while a search is ongoing for their accomplices

in theft crimes reported by car owners in the area. The two bedoons (stateless residents) were nabbed Saturday after being identified as suspects in 22 auto thefts in which they broke into cars. The suspects admitted responsibility for the thefts, and investigations revealed that they burned some of the cars they stole in order to ‘destroy the evidence’. They gave information of a bedoon man and Kuwaiti teenager who they said assisted them in the thefts. Investigations are ongoing. Defaulter caught A middle -aged man was arrested in Farwaniya after police found out that he faces charges for failure to pay KD 68,000 owed to multiple creditors. The arrest took place after police performed an identity check on a Kuwaiti man at a checkpoint set up in the area. Police grew suspicious of the man when he reluctantly showed his civil ID after he first claimed that he did not carry any identification. He was referred to the authorities for further action. Nugra mugging A pedestrian was hospitalized following an attack by muggers in Nugra Friday night. Police and paramedics arrived at the scene where the incident was reported, and helped the Asian man to the hospital. The victim said that five persons attacked him while he was walking in the area and stole KD 200 from his wallet. The man was diagnosed with stab wounds and other injuries. Investigations are ongoing in search for the suspects.

KAMCO celebrates 15th anniversary KUWAIT: KAMCO (KIPCO Asset Management Company) organized an event for its employees in celebration of the company’s 15th anniversary and completion of 10 years as a listed company on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The event was held at the Marina Hotel and was attended by KAMCO’s board members, top management, employees and former leaders of the company. The event commenced with a welcome speech by Sana Al-Hadlaq, senior vice president of Client Relationship and Marketing Department at KAMCO, in which she thanked the audience for attending the ceremony, while emphasizing that employees are the key building blocks of the company and the fuel that keeps it running as one of the most successful investment companies in the region. Faisal Sarkhou, KAMCO Acting CEO, gave a speech highlighting the much appreciated role of the KAMCO board, top management and all employees and their outstanding efforts during their tenure within the company, which lead to the notable successes that KAMCO has achieved to date. The anniversary also included entertainment shows and gifts granted by KIPCO Group companies such as Burgan Bank, Gulfnet, Safir International and Safir Fintas . Sarkhou distributed recognition awards to dedicated employees who have completed 15 years in KAMCO, as well as former leaders of the company, thanking them for their sincere efforts and wishing them more personal and professional success.

Established in 1998 with the mission to become a leading local and regional player, KAMCO is today one of the leading Kuwait based Investment Companies. A subsidiary of United Gulf Bank (UGB) the investment banking subsidiary of Kuwait Projects (Holding) Company (KIPCO) - KAMCO was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2003. Over many years of conducting business in Kuwait’s dynamic investment industry, KAMCO has established a robust reputation for performance, characterized by its prudent and conservative investment philosophy which has consistently commanded the goodwill of a wide client base. KAMCO’s main activities are in Asset Management and Investment Banking. Its Investments Division specializes in providing its clients with unique investment opportunities, financial and advisory services, supported by investment

research which tracks the latest directions and trends across local and regional economies and capital markets. The Asset Management Division concentrates on providing its clients with customized portfolio management, access to IPOs, local and international fund management with risk adjusted return maximization, mitigating risks, and maintaining capital appreciation for individual and institutional clients. KAMCO operates within the spirit of transparency with the client’s best interests at heart. The company will further build upon its core competencies to offer MENA-wide products, investment management consultancy and services, backed by its proven track-record, successful investment product innovation and a cautious investment approach towards local, regional and international capital markets.

Gulf states seek integrated air defence DUBAI: Arabian Gulf states aim to integrate their air defence systems to meet threats from ballistic and cruise missiles. “Advances in science and technology have made the world networked and connected,” said Maj Gen Staff Pilot Mohammed bin Sweidan Saeed Al-Qamzi, commander of the Air Force and Air Defence. “We need to be a single force to overcome our common threats and challenges. While the UAE faces no armed conflicts, civil wars or internal instability, we must remain vigilant to deter conflicts that are occurring regionally. We must maintain strong air defence forces to continue protecting our national and regional interests.” He was addressing global air force chiefs before the Dubai Airshow, which began yesterday. The sixth Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference discussed challenges facing the defence industry and improving air power. Maj Gen Al-Qamzi said the Air Force and Air Defence was working on establishing a Gulf Training Centre of Excellence that would focus on the integration and interoperability of regional and coalition capabilities needed to maintain security and stability in the region. “Today, we work towards transforming our forces to be able to apply a full array of capabilities across the entire spectrum of warfare from strategic to tactical,” he said. “We are continuing to invest in technology and people to reach the level of connectivity, commonality and interoperability needed to be part of any coalition effort, and to develop ... a deterrent force against any threat.” Air force chiefs discussed the future threat environment, from ballistic and cruise missiles to air defence weapons and non-state actors, who are increasingly willing to use advanced technology to affect the air fighting environment. “Just over a decade ago, air forces were able to rule the

skies with impunity,” said Dr Theodore Karasik, the head of research and consultancy at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. “That environment is now changing because of technology.” He said setting up a missile defence shield to “kill ballistic or cruise missiles before they are over land” was of critical importance. “The plan is for the Gulf to have an integrated missile system,” he said. “Each country is putting together its own anti-air defence systems, which will grow eventually toward a regional integrated system. We’re hoping this can be settled within the next three to five years.” Global air chiefs stressed the importance of sharing intelligence data to face these threats. “The defence of any country using an advanced and comprehensive defence shield, capable of engaging all types of airborne threats, is highly desirable,” said Brig Gen Mohammed Murad AlBaloushi, the air support commander of the Air Force and Air Defence.

“No nation can ignore these cruise and aircraft threats and the sharing of sensor and intelligence data is essential. Challenges exist in creating an air and missile defence system, whether at national or regional level, it will be a very complex task but it must be understood that it is not an impossible objective to achieve and the consequent benefits are considerable.” Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, head of the Royal Air Force in the UK, said air chiefs must invest in strong partnerships, especially between militaries, but also with the industry and academia. “The continued relevance of air power to decision-makers and the rapid change in security situations means the air force must be able to react rapidly to situations,” he said. “To provide this, we require modern, ready and highly-trained air forces, command and control organisations which can apply these assets in a high-tempo manner, and our air forces must be capable of winning the air war.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Lt Col Abdul-Aziz Al-Ghannam was laid to rest at the Sulaibikhat cemetery yesterday. The funeral was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Jarrah, Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Abdurrahman Al-Othman and other Defense Ministry officials. Al-Ghannam died at the age of 39 in a London hospital on Thursday. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Al-Ibrahim reviews preparations for rainy season KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of Electricity and Water Abdulaziz Abdullatif Al-Ibrahim held an emergency meeting yesterday with the high ranking officials from the ministries to review the preparations for the anticipated heavy rains this week. The Ministry of Public Works said in a statement that the meeting was attended by Director-General of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Subih. The meeting focused on prepared-

ness of the ministries and the municipality in case of heavy rains forecast for the coming few days. The statement added that Al-Ibrahim urged all officials to make efforts and take all precautionary measures to cope with any problems that may rise due to heavy rains. The civil aviation general administration and meteorological Department predicted that the country will be witnessing unstable weather starting today and will last for days with a chance of heavy rains. — KUNA

Oman celebrates National Day MUSCAT: Oman will celebrate its 43rd National Day today, with the country reaching a new phase of development and prominent achievements in all fields just as Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed had promised his people. Sultan Qaboos had put all his efforts to take Oman to a new level since he came to power in the early 70s, where he took the mission of developing all of the country’s organizations in economic, social, health, educational, cultural and sports sectors. Oman had taken many measures to increase local investments and attract foreign investors as well. Moreover it had been running many manufacturing, economic, and touristic projects to support the country’s economy and find other sources for Oman’s national income which does not mainly depend on oil. Tourism is another evolving sector in the Sultanate nowadays, with the government paying great attention to develop the country’s tourist attraction sites, to advertise and present Oman as a great tourism destination, which will increase the income and create a stronger economy. Sultan Qaboos’s main concern was to give Omani people a better life, therefor, he paid

great attention to develop different social fields such as education and health. The health sector had seen local and international achievements by providing patients with perfect medical services, and increasing the number of hospitals from only four in 1970 to about 60 in 2010. Moreover, the number of clinics went from 19 in 1970 to 250 in 2011. As for the education sector, the number of schools increased from three in 1970 to 13,000 in 2010-2011. Curriculums have also been developed and teachers were given preparation courses to be able to teach in the best ways possible. The government also provided teachers with residences and gave aid and concessionary housing loans to those with low income. The Sultanate believes in the importance of the role played by women in building society, therefore Omani women were given attention in all fields to develop themselves and their skills. The Sultanate had also followed the democratic path by giving the people the right to participate in the ongoing developments.Oman also works for strengthening its relations with other GCC countries, Arab countries, and the international community. — KUNA

Independent panel formed to probe removal of Shiite tents Al-Tamimi seeks to meet Amir KUWAIT: The government formed a committee to investigate the Kuwait Municipality’s decision to remove tents set up outside Husseiniya that marked the Ashura anniversary and which Shiite lawmakers insist were licensed. The ‘unbiased committee’ is led by Fatwa and Legislation Department President Salah Al-Mesed, and does not include any member from the Kuwait Municipality, Al-Rai daily reported yesterday. According to the newspaper, the decision came simultaneously with a meeting between Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and eight Shiite lawmakers on Saturday. Meanwhile, sources revealed that the MPs met late Friday night at the diwaniya of MP Dr Yousuf Al-Zalzalah to discuss scenar-

and youth as they are the main drive behind civilized and developed societies. The development of young fresh minds and supporting youth talents result in a generation with motive to further develop Kuwait. Wataniya participated as a platinum sponsor with the aim of supporting the objectives of the exhibition. In addition, the company donated its space to other parties which are specialized in serving children with

KUWAIT: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Health Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah assured citizens and residents that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERSCoV) is under control. In press statements during a visit to the Health Ministry’s Call Center on Saturday, Sheikh Mohammad said that the state has comprehensive plan to face the deadly virus after the discovery of second infected cases this week. “The ministry has prepared the plan a long time ago in coordination with heath ministries in other Gulf states and the World

special needs. The society in Kuwait cares about the development of children and is always trying to meet requirements of education, health and entertainment. It also supports community projects to achieve a better future for the children of Kuwait. Wataniya is always keen to support the community of various categories in line with its strategy for corporate social responsibility.

KIPCO platinum sponsor of NUKS-USA conference KUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company - has announced its Platinum Sponsorship of the 30th Conference of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students - USA Branch (NUKSUSA). The event, which is being sponsored by KIPCO for the third consecutive year, will be held under the patronage of the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Nov 27-30 in San Diego, California. The conference, the largest gathering of Kuwaitis outside of their country, is marking its 30th anniversary this year. Eman Al-Awadhi, KIPCO’s Acting Group Communications Director said: “The much awaited NUKS-USA conference is truly a landmark event that brings together Kuwaitis studying in the United States. With close to 2,200 students actively taking part in last year’s event, we are looking forward this year to students’ views and thoughts on a number of issues related to Kuwait’s socioeconomic

advancement.” As a Platinum Sponsor, KIPCO will be addressing students during the Opening Ceremony and will host a dinner after the Closing Ceremony. KIPCO will also be sponsoring the Economic Forum and will be represented by Mohammad Al Zanki, Senior Relationship Manager Corporate Banking Group at Burgan

Bank, the largest member of the KIPCO Group. Marina FM, a member of the KIPCO Group, is a Media Sponsor of the event, and will be present to cover its activities. Representatives of KIPCO Group, including Burgan Bank and the American University of Kuwait, will be present at the conference to highlight different career opportunities for graduating students across the private sector along with providing other advisory services. The KIPCO Group is one of the biggest holding companies in the Middle East and North Africa, with consolidated assets of $ 29 billion as at Sept 30, 2013. The Group has significant ownership interests in over 60 companies operating across 24 countries. The group’s main business sectors are financial services, media, real estate and manufacturing. Through its core companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, KIPCO also has interests in the education and medical sectors.

Kuwaiti, UNESCO officials meet on education, youth issues PARIS: Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs Sheikha Al-Zain Saud Al-Sabah on Saturday held talks with Dr Mmantsetsa Marobe, Director of UNESCO Division for Basic to Higher Education and Learning, on ways to foster youth skills. Sheikha Al-Zain said: “We have had constructive talks on cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the UNESCO in the coming years.” “The talks focused on the future plans for promoting the values of education and culture among the youths as well as the new perspective of UNESCO for comprehen-

sive education encompassing the cultural, intellectual and artistic aspects,” she disclosed. For long year the State of Kuwait has been a key supporter and partner of the UNESCO in several fields, Sheikha Al-Zain noted. On her part, Dr Marobe commended the close cooperation between the UN agency and Kuwait in such areas as education, higher education and youth. The talks dealt primarily with ways to ensure world-class education and promote the skills of youth, she said. Dr Marobe noted that the UNESCO and Kuwait work together

already criticized Al-Tamimi’s plans on the grounds that the municipality “followed the law” by removing unlicensed properties. “Grilling minister Al-Othaina for enforcing the law and after he formed a committee to investigate the issue would be a sectarian and personal step taken to serve electoral purposes”, MP Hamdan Al-Azmi said. Meanwhile, MP Al-Tamimi spoke with AlQabas and ‘welcomed’ the creation of an independent investigation committee. Furthermore, he revealed that he submitted a request to meet HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah “and I am waiting to be notified with the appointment date”. Regarding his grilling, Al-Tamimi said that he plans to file it sometime this week.

Coronavirus under control: MoH

Wataniya Telecom sponsors Festival of Children KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom sponsored the Festival of Children which was held at Kuwait International Fair, in Mishref, recently under the patronage of Dr Souad Mohammad AlSabah. VIP invitees and several companies attended the exhibition in support of the Ministry of Education’s initiative. By supporting children, Wataniya believes that it participates in the development of future generations

ios of handling the issue and reveal those behind the removal decision. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources also revealed that MP Abdullah Al-Tamimi was asked to put on hold a grilling motion he plans to file against Minister of Housing and State Minister of Municipality Affairs Mubarak Al-Othaina on the issue. Al-Othaina is already scheduled to debate a grilling filed by MP Riyadh Al-Adasani on the parliament’s Nov 26 session, which is focused on the housing crisis. “Some MPs are trying to convince Al-Tamimi to postpone his grilling and instead focus support to Al-Adasani’s grilling, in order to help refute allegations that Al-Tamimi’s grilling is sectarian-motivated”, the sources explained. Several MPs have

in several areas particularly the efforts to provide quality education for children with special needs and facilitate their integration in the society. She commended the prize of Amir Jaber Al-Ahmad colaunched by Kuwait and UNESCO in 2002 for the individual and corporate contributors to the welfare of people with disabilities. Sheikha Al-Zain chairs Kuwait delegation to the meeting of the UNESCO division for social and humanitarian affairs which opened yesterday on the sidelines of the 37th General Conference of the organization. — KUNA

Health Organization,” he added. He pointed out that medical centers across the nation are prepared to deal with the disease. Sheikh Mohammad urged public to remain calm, stressing that there is no cause for concern as the virus does not spread at large scale and the number of registered infected cases worldwide did not exceed 165 cases. He noted that the ministry has launched a hotline, 151, to offer guidance to people on how to discover the deadly virus and how to deal with suspected or infected cases. Kuwait reported its first two cases of the

deadly MERS coronavirus on Wednesday, the fifth Gulf Arab country the strain has emerged in since the outbreak began in neighboring Saudi Arabia last year. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia, has been reported in people in the Gulf, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and Britain. Oman reported its first case last month and the sufferer died on Sunday. Scientists say they believe dromedary camels in the Middle East may be the animal “reservoir” which is fuelling the outbreak. — KUNA

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

LOCAL In my view

In my view

Iran cannot export its revolution

ti a r e op

Spying and tech advancements

By Huda Al-Husseini

ike all other twentieth century revolutions, there were ambitions to export the Iranian Revolution immediately following its eruption. The Iranians thought the revolution could be portrayed from a cultural standpoint, in the sense that other countries might seek to emulate Iran. During this period, Iranian propaganda sought to spread Tehran’s influence across the Islamic world in general and the Middle East in particular. However following an eight year war with Iraq, Tehran came to the conclusion that exporting the revolution would be economically and politically expensive and would not only isolate Iran, it could even threaten the Tehran regime’s survival. Iranian Professor Mansour Farhang argues that, although it spoke of exporting the revolution in the name of Islam, Iran aimed at exporting the Shiite concept of Islam. Farhang draws similarities between this situation and that of Iran under the rule of Mohamed Reza Pahlavi who aimed to ensure that Tehran was a major regional power by allying with the United States. This alliance was not underpinned by religious or Shiite components; rather, it was raised in the name of Iranian nationalism. The Islamic Republic has the same ambition today, albeit with an added ideological dimension - the Shiite ideology. Professor Farhang has been teaching International Relations and Middle East Politics at Bennington College, Vermont, in the US, since 1983. He previously worked as an advisor at the Iranian Foreign Ministry and was then appointed as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. He resigned from his position after his efforts to release US hostages held at the US embassy in Tehran failed. In the early stages of the Iran-Iraq war, he worked together with international mediators to put an end to the conflict. It was during that period that he wrote and spoke extensively about the many dangers of religious extremism that dominated the course of the Iranian revolution. I asked him about the reasons why Iran is holding tight to Syria today. He replied that Syria was the only country to have supported and endorsed the Iranian Revolution since the start. “After Saddam’s fall, Iran saw a new opportunity in Syria. The irony is that when George W Bush said that he had received divine guidance to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein, Iran was the only state where such claims were taken seriously. I remember that during a Friday prayer, an imam said that God works in mysterious ways, and that Bush had been divinely inspired to topple Saddam,” Farhang said. The Syrian professor argues that “In the eyes of Iran, the invasion of Iraq was intended by God in order to fulfill Tehran’s ambitions.” Syria became even more important after the Shiites got to power in Iraq as the Shiite scope of influence expanded from Iran to Iraq and then from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. After the invasion of Iraq, Iran became Syria’s “fattened calf”. Up until 2010, before the start of the Syrian revolution, Iran also supported the Syrian economy. Professor Farhang told me: “The Syrian government is exploiting Iran to stay in power. The regime of Bashar AlAssad is the most secular dictatorship in the Middle East and if Bashar’s wife were to walk in Tehran’s streets, she would be arrested and whipped.” According to the Iranian regime’s perspective, Tehran views Syria as an anti-Sunni state rather than a theocratic one. Iran’s relationship with Syria is, according to this perspective, similar to its relationship with North Korea. Before the civil war broke out in Syria, Iran had concluded a $10 billion agreement to build a pipeline through Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon in order to export Iranian gas. The agreement was never implemented. Others projects with Syrian banks were also halted due to the international sanctions that were imposed on Syria. Farhang stressed: “The Syrian issue lies in the hands of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the government of President Hassan Rouhani does not have a say in it. However, Syria is becoming more and more costly to Iran, especially given that there are no short-term prospects of a political resolution to the crisis. Nevertheless, Syria remains a crucial component in Iran’s policy to becoming the dominating power in the region.” I asked the professor whether Syria could be considered Iran’s Vietnam. He agreed but said that Iran does not have a comparable military presence in the country. The actual size of the Iranian military presence in Syria is unknown. while Iran claims that any military figures present across the border are “consultants” or there for training purposes. In any case, it is clear that Syria has become an extremely costly problem for the Iranians. Does Iran support Syria or does it only care about Bashar Al-Assad? Professor Farhang replied: “Iranians acknowledge that the situation in Syria is not similar to that of Egypt and Hosni Mubarak. In Syria, there is a handful of groups who rule the country. Sidelining Bashar would mean sidelining the ruling elite. There is no independent military institution or security apparatus in Syria. The state there is a ‘family affair’ and if Bashar were to leave, there would be no one left around the negotiation table.” “There is no political solution to this tragedy; one of the two sides has to lose. It is very improbable that a coalition government would include the Alawites. As the Iranians are fully aware of all of this, they have exerted a great deal of effort to back Bashar, his family, and his entourage,” he added. I asked the professor whether he thinks that we are witnessing another Palestinian tragedy in the Middle East. He replied: “The situation is extremely tragic. America’s 60 Minutes television show hosted an American photographer who was detained and tortured over a period of 230 days by the Al-Nusra Front. It was a very painful account. We must realize that the people fighting the regime are some of the worst that exist in terms of human and civil rights and freedoms.’ He added: “The Syrian tragedy is worse than the Palestinian catastrophe, with 120,000 people killed so far and a third of the population displaced.” As for why Iran doesn’t open the gates to Syrian refugees, Professor Farhang said that Iran has no interest in the humanitarian situation in Syria. “When the Shiite community in Bahrain were persecuted, or when the rights of the Hazara people of Afghanistan were violated, Iran spoke up about the rights of the Shiites. It is only when Shiite rights are at stake that Iran adopts the rhetoric of human rights and civil freedoms. Whereas when it comes to Syria, it is indifferent to the humanitarian situation. Iran has not donated a single penny to support Syrian refugees,” Professor Farhang said. Syria has become the region’s “sick man”, but will its collapse as a state have an impact on Iran? Professor Farhang argues that the fall of the Syrian regime will not affect the standing of Iraq, its Shiite dominated government, or its ability to mobilize other Shiites in the region. Just as Russia, China, France and Cuba all realized that revolutions cannot be exported, Iran will end up reaching the same conclusion. Professor Farhang argues that “Iran’s rapprochement with the West in order to settle the nuclear issue indicates that it is sensing danger. At the outset of the revolution, the discourse was religious, and the government was capable of promoting its cause. Now, after 34 years, no concrete results have been achieved. Iran will not be an exception.”

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net

In my view

One man does not make a nation By Bakir Oweida

y attention was drawn to a headline on Nov 10, but I was distracted from reading the content of the news report. Then when I went on Google two days later to look for details on the story. I was not surprised that the article was published on hundreds of news websites under the same headline: “Sunni cleric: But for Nasrallah, Lebanon would not have survived.” The details were as follows: Islamist cleric Ahmad Qattan, one of the most prominent Lebanese Sunni clerics, said that save for the existence of the SecretaryGeneral of Lebanese Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon would not have survived. The official Lebanese news agency published a report that quoted Qattan as saying, “If it had not been for a man called Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon would not have survived, because many people strive for sedition.” There is no doubt that the head of the Qawluna Wal’Amal (“Our speech, Our work”) Association has the right to say what he believes, and Qattan is not the first to reduce an entire country down to one man, whether in Lebanon or elsewhere. This syndrome affects many of those who are occupied with politics, especially those who confuse individual leadership ambitions with rigid ideological perceptions, or - and this is worse - those who use religious beliefs that belong to the relationship between the individual and their Creator in order to impose what some think is the better recipe to reform the country’s present and decide the future of its people. I am not adding anything new when I say that this is a recipe for oppression, but I can, as others have done before me, ask whether the situation in Lebanon has reached a point of no return, just like other countries before it, because of the mistake of staking the existence of a country on one man. It may be safer to leave the exact answer to that query to the experts in Lebanon. But this should not prevent us repeating the saying brought back to mind by Qattan’s statement - most Lebanese politicians, from all sects and creeds and at various points, have not found it embarrassing to let others interfere in their country. This is much the same as Palestinian leaders, who did not only allow others to interfere in Palestinian affairs, but also became involved themselves in serious political, sectarian and ideological issues in Lebanon and elsewhere and got hurt. When matters got worse, those leaders packed their bags and moved between Amman, Beirut, Tunis and Sanaa - but ordinary Palestinians everywhere were the ones who really got hurt. I lived the changes in Lebanon and the tragedy of its people - caused by the deeds of its politicians - from afar, through my journalism. I have never

visited it firsthand. When I was on a journalism assignment in the spring of 1974, I almost crossed the SyrianLebanese border at the Masnaa border point. Syrian officers stopped me, because I insisted on entering with my Egyptian travel document given to Palestinian refugees as a mark of respect from an independent journalist to the sovereignty of Lebanon and its independence - and not with what was known as the Fatah Movement Permit. Nasrallah’s party did not exist back then, but Lebanon did, even if its independent presence was threatened. Is there a link between my refusal to enter Lebanon with a permit issued by the Fatah office in Damascus and a statement made by Ahmad Qatttan? There is, in my view. I may be wrong, but I will risk it and say briefly that the link is in individuals taking the place of homelands. There is no justification at all to say that an entire country would cease to exist if it was not for the existence of a certain individual, whatever the country and whomever the individual and however great the issue. In reality, what is the importance of an issue without a people? How can the Lebanese resistance have any meaning if its existence just like the existence of Lebanon - is tied to Hassan Nasrallah? Logic alone says that there is a wide gap between the Qattan’s enthusiasm about Nasrallah and the reality that Lebanon’s existence is not tied to the existence of any individual. Lebanon will exist for as long as its people defend the unique diversity that helps it stand out from its Arab neighbors. Is it logical that Ahmad Qattan could miss a simple fact like this? It must be said that the difference with the policies of Nasrallah should not underrate the role of the man and affect his presence, noting that more and more Lebanese people believe the opposite of what Qattan does. Some even go further, accusing Nasrallah of responsibility for what had happened to Lebanon since the 2006 war. This happens as the exaggeration of his role and giving him the aura of sanctity is on the increase and has taken eye-catching forms, such as addressing the public on huge display screens or the audience to standing up as he appears. These things indicate a fault in the relationship between a leader and his people. It is a fault that, in the end, is in the interest of neither the leader nor the country.

It may be safer to leave the exact answer to that query to the experts in Lebanon. But this should not prevent us repeating the saying brought back to mind by Qattan’s statement - most Lebanese politicians, from all sects and creeds and at various points, have not found it embarrassing to let others interfere in their country. This is much the same as Palestinian leaders, who did not only allow others to interfere in Palestinian affairs, but also became involved themselves in serious political, sectarian and ideological issues in Lebanon and elsewhere and got hurt.

kuwait digest

Maids and sponsors By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

he Japanese people showed unique solidarity and compassion during the environmental and nuclear disasters that hit their country in 2011. It was not unexpected, knowing that it came from people with ethics that helped them achieve miraculous things in many fields, and create a nation that competes with the world’s largest industrial countries and become a role model. Japan’s financial and cultural wealth helped the country act very humanly in the times of crises; something that cannot be said about many countries around the world. My friend Martine, who is the wife of the Dutch ambassador in Manila, told me about the super storm that hit the Philippines and the level of devastation she witnessed. According to her, the problem does not only lie in human and material losses, but also in the ‘constant fear’ that residents of thousands of the Philippines’ islands live in in anticipation of the next storm. These islands are located in the passageway of thousands of storms that hit from the east, which is why, according to my friend, the country remains at constant risk of natural disasters. My friend Benjamin tells me meanwhile about how

he felt emotional not only over the crises that happened in the Philippines, but was also moved by the humanitarian gesture shown by two of his employees who belong to the affected areas. He said that he and his family members donated money to his housemaids to send to their families back home, but he later discovered that the money was distributed to people in the entire village where their families live. He also discovered that the same thing happened with the housemaids working for his friend. The conversation with my friend ended with him saying that “those considered by some people as being of ‘lower class’ are acting more humanely than many of us”. I asked domestic helpers working with me about whether they are willing to share donations with others, and they said that they often ask their families to share donations they send with other villagers. Of course, this is not a rule and there are exceptions, but it is beautiful to see this behavior from people who’s feelings we usually do not care about. They might be housemaids working to serve their ‘masters’ or sponsors, but can we claim that we have more humanity and generosity than they do? — Al-Qabas

pying is often associated with the oldest behaviors in human history. Tribes and human colonies spied on their enemies to know their hidden intentions, their economic, social and military strength as well as potential risk they might have towards them. The evolution of spying was unavoidable with the fast technological advancements and virtual capabilities which opened doors for spying on cell phones, e-mails and social technology networks. Spying is sometimes practiced against individuals, between competing companies or against governments. There are laws to deal with spying crimes and protect the right of those spied on. However, legal measures often fall short in countries that lack the bases to keep up with technology’s rapid development. The spying case against the German government, for example, can be dealt with penal codes and criminal tribunals. But at the same time, it means that countries should also start updating outdated regulations to include articles against crimes committed using the rapidly growing means of technology. We hope that technological advancement continues to be utilized to achieve huge benefits for humanity, and nothing else. The current situation can lead to convicting an innocent person or allowing a guilty party to escape punishment, putting the basics of justice and social reassurance at risk.

In my view

Obama regime in a quandary By Hassan Barari

ot only does Washington lack a strategy on Syria but also the Syrian crisis is turning into a puzzle for the Obama administration. While it is clear that Washington prefers to see the removal of Assad from power, many senior officials in the American administration view the potential victory of radical groups as a strategic threat. Thus far, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Washington is still grappling as to how to reconcile between its desire to see an end to Assad’s regime and its fear of the ascendance of radical groups. Hawkish figures, such as John McCain, have for long argued that Washington would be better off to work with moderate Sunni rebels and help them get united. Recently, some even went as far as suggesting that the United States should put pressure on moderate elements to cooperate with Assad to inflict a stinging defeat on Al-Qaeda and other radical groups. For some, such cooperation may lay the ground for power sharing between the moderate elements and the Alawites. With Secretary of State John Kerry pushing for a Geneva II conference to end the fighting in Syria, one could argue that it would be hard to envision the mere convening of the conference, let alone its success. On one hand, Sunni moderate groups are reluctant to attend the conference, but on the other hand, Assad is not expected to budge. Not long ago, Assad demanded that the rebels put down their weapons first. If anything, this is a recipe for the continuation of the fight. Surprisingly, there are those in the US who make the case for a possible cooperation between the moderate rebels and the Alawites. The argument is that Alawites are skeptical about the radicals’ intentions in the future. Simply put, the Alawites believe that if the radicals won the war, they would turn against the Alawites to finish them off. And yet, if the Alawites see the moderates winning the final battle, they may seek cooperation rather than confrontation. Perhaps, Washington needs to be realistic about the situation in Syria. What has been taking place is no longer a civil war. Rather, it is a war that has drawn in some regional actors thus creating a stalemate. Many Arab observers believe that US is looking for cutting a deal with Russia and possibly with Iran while turning its back on its traditional allies. Perhaps, the US has yet to realize that regional actors are locked in a sort of existential battle that they cannot afford to lose. Let us get to the bottom of the issue and say that the failure of the US in making a difference in the ongoing Syrian conflict has compelled many in the Arab World to rethink their perspectives on the US influence. The feeling among the Gulf countries that the US has let down the Sunni Arabs is ubiquitous. Kerry is seen as paying a lip service to the interests of the moderate Arab countries. Soon, the Arabs will realize that Kerry is not the man cut for the job. There is a no quick fix for the unfolding conflict in and over Syria. While the US quest for a solution to the Syrian crisis is noble, still it would not be savvy to push divided opposition in Syria to announce its participation in the Geneva conference if it is to convene. It seems that Washington is taking a risk by pushing for Geneva conference with the Syrian regime still defiant while the rebels are suffering from disunity and in some case confrontations. In the words of Aaron David Miller, the conference may risk “making matters worse by legitimizing a murderous regime and showcasing a fractious and dysfunctional opposition. If a second Geneva conference fails, it is unlikely another could be held anytime soon. Then Syria’s fate won’t be decided at a negotiating table in Switzerland but on the battlegrounds of a seemingly endless, bloody and vicious civil war.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

White mayor, black wife: NYC shatters an image

Hollande lands in Israel for Iran-focused visit Page 8

TACLOBAN: Covered in mosquito bites, a mother and her child wait for a chance to board military transport planes from the US, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore yesterday. — AP

Philippine president to camp in Tacloban Disease threat rises without clean water CABUNGAAN: Mobbed by hungry villagers, US military helicopters dropped desperately needed aid into remote areas of the typhoon-ravaged central Philippines, as survivors of the disaster flocked to ruined churches yesterday to pray for their uncertain future. The Philippines is facing up to an enormous rebuilding task from Typhoon Haiyan, which killed at least 3,974 people and left 1,186 missing, with many isolated communities yet to receive significant aid despite a massive international relief effort. Philippine authorities and international aid agencies face a mounting humanitarian crisis, with the number of people displaced by the catastrophe estimated at 4 million, up from 900,000 late last week. President Benigno Aquino, caught off guard by the scale of the disaster and criticised by some for the sometimes chaotic response, visited affected areas yesterday. Not for the first time, he sought to deflect blame for the problems onto local authorities whose preparations he said had fallen short. In Guiuan, a hard-hit coastal town in eastern Samar province, he praised the city mayor for conducting a proper evacuation that had limited deaths to less than 100, saying that was a contrast to other towns. “In other places, I prefer not to talk about it. As your president, I am not allowed to get angry even if I am already upset. I’ll just suffer through it with an acidic stomach,” said Aquino. “Until I am satisfied with what I am seeing, I will stay here for a while.” While aid packages have begun to reach more remote areas, much of it carried by helicopters brought by the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, the United Nations said people were still going hungry in some mountainous provinces. It said information about several provinces in the west of the Visayas region remained “limited”, with 60 percent of people in towns in the northeast part of Capiz province needing food support. “I remain concerned about the health and well-being of the millions of men, women and children who are still in desperate need,” UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in a statement. The risk of skin and respiratory

diseases and diarrhoea was very high, with hospital and health centres badly damaged. “It’s raining a lot so everything is wet. The quality of the water is not sufficient,” Jean Pletinckx, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres’ Haiyan response, told Reuters. “In Guiuan, the city is completely destroyed. There’s nothing left. Everything is broken. The hospital is completely flat.” US aid reaches remote areas In Cabungaan, a village in the interior of Leyte province’s Tanauan district - where as many as 1,200 died the arrival of a US Seahawk helicopter yesterday was the first outside help since Haiyan made landfall. With children in the lead, scores of villagers ran from jury-rigged shanties to greet the helicopter as it settled in a flattened patch of grass. Locals jostled for a view, beaming and yelling “Thank you! Thank you!” as two crew members rushed out aid marked “from the American people.” For the past week, the village’s 200plus residents had been living on one meal a day of “dried fish, sometimes coconuts, not enough rice,” said Richel Maballo, 19. Too far from the shore to be hit by the surge of water that devastated the regional capital Tacloban city, the village suffered no deaths. Back in the air, a member of the aircraft’s crew, Jeremy Smith, scribbled in a notebook: “That LZ (landing zone) was tame compared to others where the aircrafts have been mobbed.” The international community has sent or pledged a total of $248 million (10.6 billion pesos) to help 10 million people affected by Haiyan, said the Philippine foreign ministry. The United States has about 50 ships and aircraft operating in the area, including 10 C130 planes, 12 V-22 Ospreys, Sea Hawk helicopters operating from USS George Washington. Japan has sent three ships with trucks and engineering equipment, while Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore have sent C130 planes to help deliver relief supplies. Aquino said he was not satisfied with the slow pace of aid distribution and called for more efficient loading and unloading of relief packs from ports in Luzon and for the urgent

restoration of power and communications. The government estimated damage to infrastructure and agriculture at about 10 billion pesos ($230 million), the bulk of it in the farming sector. The United Nations warned the economic and human costs could rise if aid did not reach farmers in ricegrowing regions in time for the next planting season in December and January. It also said that fishing, another crucial food source, had been placed in jeopardy by the storm. “The destruction of boats, fishing gear, fish ponds and related equipment left many families with no means of livelihood and decreased protein intake,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. Praying for a future In Tacloban, church-goers in the deeply religious Roman Catholicmajority country knelt in prayer in the shells of ruined churches. At Santo NiÒo Church near the waterfront, Rosario Capidos, 55, sat crying in one row, hugging her nine-year-old grandson. Capidos had been sheltering at home with nine other members of her family when Haiyan struck on Nov 8. As the waters rose, she floated her three grandchildren on a slab of styrofoam through a road flooded with debris and shipping containers to a nearby Chinese temple. Her family survived. “That’s why I’m crying,” she said. “I thank God I was given a second chance to live.” In Hong Kong, thousands of Filipinos, many domestic helpers on their one day off work, rallied yesterday in parks, churches and streets to raise aid donations and pray for their loved ones at home. “We cannot concentrate on our work, especially when we talk to them and they complain that they are so hungry,” said a helper named Fatima whose daughter had been involved in a fight for instant noodles in an evacuation centre near Boracay. Tearful Filipinos lined church pews in Hong Kong in a string of masses, while others packed boxes of relief supplies to be whisked away by courier firms offering their services for free. “We are here physically, but in our hearts we are with the people in the Philippines,” said Elvera Podador. — Reuters

Page 10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

French hostage in Nigeria freed PARIS: A French man has been freed almost a year after being kidnapped in Nigeria by Islamist militants, President Francois Hollande’s office said yesterday. A source close to the French government and a Nigerian police official told Reuters the hostage, Francis Collomp, who is over 60, had escaped; but a source in the French foreign ministry denied that. Collomp was seized when about 30 gunmen stormed his compound on Dec 19 in the northern Nigerian town of Rimi, close to the Niger border where Al-Qaeda’s North African wing, AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), operates. “The president expresses his gratitude to the Nigerian authorities, with whom French authorities have collaborated closely on this decisive action,” Hollande’s statement said. Nigerian Police commissoner Olufemi Adenaike told Reuters Collomp had been moved to the town of Zaria, in northern Nigeria, in the past three months and had fled from there. “He escaped yesterday in Zaria and boarded a commercial motorcycle taxi to the nearest police station,” Adenaike said. “We handed him over to the French embassy this morning,” he added. Nigeria’s defence spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A diplomatic source told Reuters Collomp was weak and had lost a lot of weight but was not injured. Collomp’s brother told French radio Hollande had called him to inform him his brother was free. “It is an immense relief and the end of an 11-months long nightmare,” Denis Collomp told

France Info. A source close to Hollande, who is on a state visit to Israel, said the president had spoken to Collomp and his family from the presidential plane. The source did not comment on the circumstances of Collomp’s release. “As long as we do not have the

hostage’s version we will not know exactly what has happened,” he said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who arrived in Israel with Hollande, was flying to Nigeria immediately. A diplomatic source said Fabius might

An image grab of a video shows the radical Islamist group known as Ansaru. — AFP

by back in France with Collomp as early as ystedray evening. In September, Collomp - an engineer at French renewable energy firm Vergnet - asked for help in a three-minute video posted on a jihadi website. Ansaru, the militant group that kidnapped him, said soon after his abduction that he had been taken in retaliation for France’s military action against jihadi insurgents in nearby Mali and its ban on wearing the full-face veil. Britain has put Ansaru on its official “terrorist group” list, saying it is aligned with Al-Qaeda and was behind the kidnapping of a British national and a Italian who were killed last year during a failed rescue attempt. The group is thought to have loose ties to the better-known Islamist militant sect Boko Haram, which has killed thousands in a four-yearlong insurgency focused mostly on Nigerian security forces, religious targets and politicians. Boko Haram and splinter groups like Ansaru pose the biggest security threat in Africa’s secondbiggest economy and top oil exporter, a major supplier to the Europe, Brazil and India. Collomp’s release comes just weeks after four French hostages kidnapped in Niger by AQIM, were released on Oct. 29 after three years in captivity. Seven other French nationals are being held hostage in Syria, Mali and Nigeria, including French priest Georges Vandenbeusch, who was kidnapped in northern Cameroon last week and is believed to be held in Nigeria. — Reuters

Hollande lands in Israel for Iran-focused visit ‘France will not tolerate nuclear proliferation’

BEKAA: Syrian displaced children wait outside their tents in this file photo. — AP

Thousands of Syrian refugees flood Lebanon BEIRUT: Thousands of Syrians are fleeing from border towns where a high-stakes battle is raging, walking across valleys and ridges to reach safety in neighboring Lebanon, witnesses and the UN said yesterday. They are packing into wedding halls and waiting for makeshift tents as they flee the steadily intensifying fighting battle that began on Friday, said Bassel Hojeiri, former mayor of the border town of Arsal where most of the refugees have headed. He estimated some 10,000 people had fled to the town, saying an influx of Syrians during the past three years of conflict in that country had caused the population to nearly double. Dana Sleiman of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees put the total number of refugee arrivals over the weekend at around 1,000 families. She counted families, not individuals. A Syrian government offensive in the rugged Qalamoun hills, which stretch from Damascus to neighboring Lebanon, seeks to cut rebel supply lines to opposition-held enclaves around the capital. Activists and analysts say the battle may be the final blow that dislodges rebels from the Damascus periphery, where food is running short and opposition fighters have

lost a series of strongholds in recent weeks to forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad. The UNHCR’s Sleiman said refugees weren’t able to reach an official border crossing because of the fighting, which began on Friday. She said the families had walked some of the way to Arsal, at least 30 kilometers (20 miles) away. Former mayor Hojeiri said the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal had a population of some 50,000, roughly divided between citizens and refugees. He said both groups were helping the new arrivals. “Lebanese are hosting or renting out rooms to Syrians, and the Syrians are hosting Syrians. They are in the wedding halls and we are trying to get them tents as well,” he said by telephone. Syrian refugees have overwhelmed Lebanon since their uprising began three years ago. Lebanese officials estimate there are 1.4 million Syrians in the country, including 800,000 registered refugees. The clashes have been taking place around the towns of Qara, Rima and Nabak. The battle has been expected for weeks as troops and opposition fighters reinforced their positions ahead of winter, when much of the area is covered with snow. — AP

East Sudan battles poverty for years after war ends PORT SUDAN: The sun drops behind clouds as vendors set up for the evening against a backdrop of cargo ships docked in Port Sudan’s harbour. An outdoor cafe has readied its chairs, sea shells are piled at a souvenir stand, and billiard tables wait for action beside the Red Sea. But a few minutes’ drive from the relative prosperity of Port Sudan’s clean sidewalks and paved streets, the scene becomes more typical of Red Sea state, part of the East Sudan region which is struggling to recover after more than a decade of war. Just past the international airport, crude residential shelters patched together from cloth and wood appear among shrubbery in the sand. As the road goes further south, past storage tanks holding South Sudanese oil waiting for export, the shacks become more numerous, clustering near the ancient port of Suakin. Government figures show Red Sea’s poverty rate at 75 percent, but officials say increased development spending over the past two years has reduced poverty from 90 percent. Discontent lingers in the East, despite a 2006 agreement which ended years of lowlevel insurgency in the three states of Red Sea, Kassala and Gedaref. “There is many problems for Beja population,” Abdullah Ismail Osman, a former ethnic Beja rebel, told AFP in faltering English. “I think that fighting will be again,” he said in Kassala town, a few kilometres from Eritrea which once supported the Beja and other rebels. The bare Taka Mountains, in places resembling a camel resting on the ground, overlook the town. “No fighting, no rights,” adds Osman, who says he fought for 12 years. To him, East Sudan’s problems are the same as those faced by far-west Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states where rebellion continues. The unrest is fuelled by complaints of economic and political neglect that similarly drove the East Sudan fight-

ers. “All Beja, no job,” said Osman, who is in his late 30s. The Muslim-non-Arab Beja, camel herders by tradition, fought alongside Free Lions rebels of the Rashaida tribe against what they said was marginalisation by the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime. In Port Sudan, the region’s main city, the state government admits help is still needed to improve rural health and other services but it also talks of “great promise of prosperity”. A video which Red Sea Governor Mohammed Tahir Aila screened this month for visiting European Union ambassadors promoted the city’s modernisation efforts and pitched the area’s investment and tourism potential. The diplomats said they had come to show support for “peace and development”, and to assess implementation of the 2006 Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement. It is one of several deals signed by Khartoum over the past eight years in an attempt to solve rebellions and conflicts across the country. Piecemeal approach has failed Analysts say this piecemeal approach has failed, and points to the need for resolving Sudan’s problems collectively, rather than one-by-one. The International Crisis Group reported this year that “unequal relations between the centre and peripheries” are at the root of Sudan’s conflicts. “The Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement is similar to other agreements and faces the same challenges,” Musa Mohammed Ahmed, now an assistant to President Omar al-Bashir, told AFP in an interview in Kassala town. Ahmed, 43, leads the Beja Congress, a former rebel group. Although it ended the shooting, much of the peace deal has not been implemented, he said under the shade of a tree at his rural property, where an old pickup truck missing its wheels sits on blocks beside his house. —AFP

JERUSALEM: France will never tolerate nuclear proliferation, President Francois Hollande vowed yesterday as he arrived in Israel for a visit set to be dominated by the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. France, along with other major powers, took part in last weekend’s marathon negotiations in Geneva in a bid to convince Iran to freeze or curb its nuclear activities in exchange for some sanctions relief. Israel has expressed concern over the talks, warning Western powers against concessions and insisting they will get a better deal if they keep the crippling sanctions in place or even ratchet them up. The visit, Hollande’s first since he became president in 2012, will also see him travelling to the Palestinian territories to discuss Middle East peace talks which have been limping along for three months with little signs of progress. And with his ratings flatlining in the polls back home, Hollande will also use his three-day trip to try to boost trade with Israel, which stood at 2.3 billion euros ($3 billion) in 2011. But even before leaving the tarmac of Israel’s Ben Gurion airport for the drive to Jerusalem, Hollande addressed the question of Iran’s disputed nuclear programme, which Israel views as its greatest threat. “France considers nuclear proliferation to be a menace, a danger, and in Iran particularly-a menace to Israel, to the region and clearly a menace to the entire world,” he told Israeli ministers and dignitaries lining the red carpet. “This is why France will not tolerate nuclear proliferation. And for France, as long as we are not certain that Iran has decided to give up on nuclear weapons, we will continue with all our demands and with sanctions.” An ‘unflinching stance’ on Iran France has been praised in Israel over the past week for taking a tougher stance than its Western partners in the latest round of talks with Iran in Geneva, which ended last weekend without an agreement. But with the negotiations due to resume on Wednesday, and talk of a deal

JERUSALEM: French President Francois Hollande (right) speaks with Israel’s Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his welcome ceremony at Jerusalem’s Ben Gourion airport yesterday. — AFP in the offing, Israel was expected to pressure century” by easing up on sanctions, Netanyahu will fly to Russia on Wednesday for talks with Hollande to remain strong. “We are full of admiration for your unflinch- President Vladimir Putin. And he said he would ing stance to prevent Iran from acquiring a also discuss the matter with US Secretary of nuclear weapon for mass destruction,” Israeli State John Kerry in Jerusalem on Friday. “I hope President Shimon Peres said at the welcoming we’ll be able to convince our friends this week ceremony. “We stand, together, against this and in the following days to get a much better attempt which hangs as a dark shadow over the deal. It can be achieved,” he said in a statement. “Continuing to apply pressure (on Iran) and skies of the Middle East, in fact over the skies of even increasing it can yield a much better diplothe entire world.” Israel and Western powers suspect Iran’s ura- matic result.” Today, the focus will likely switch to nium enrichment programme is part of a covert the struggling Middle East peace process, as drive to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, an Hollande goes to the West Bank city of Ramallah allegation Tehran vehemently denies. for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Addressing Hollande as “my friend Francois,” Abbas. Kerry managed to relaunch direct talks Netanyahu praised the French leader for his “firm between the two sides in July after a nearly stance” against “the unstoppable attempts by three-year hiatus, but the Palestinians have said the negotiations are at risk of breaking down Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons.” As part of Netanyahu’s campaign to prevent over Israeli settlement construction in the occuworld leaders from handing Iran “the deal of the pied West Bank and east Jerusalem. — AFP

Boko Haram seize slave ‘brides’

ABUJA: In the gloom of a hilltop cave in Nigeria where she was held captive, Hajja had a knife pressed to her throat by a man who gave her a choice - convert to Islam or die. Two gunmen from Boko Haram had seized the Christian teenager in July as she picked corn near her village in the Gwoza hills, a remote part of northeastern Nigeria where a six-month-old government offensive is struggling to contain an insurgency by the AlQaeda-linked Islamist group. In a new development, Boko Haram is abducting Christian women whom it converts to Islam on pain of death and then forces into “marriage” with fighters - a tactic that recalls Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army in the jungles of Uganda. The three months Hajja spent as the slave of a 14-strong guerrilla unit, cooking and cleaning for them before she escaped, give a rare glimpse into how the Islamists have changed tack in the face of Nigerian military pressure. “I can’t sleep when I think of being there,” the 19-year-old told Reuters, recounting forced mountain marches, rebel intelligence gathering - and watching her captors slit the throats of prisoners Hajja had helped lure into a trap. Nigerian security officials say the Islamists have pulled back after army assaults since May on their bases on the semi-desert plain and are now sheltering in the Mandara mountains, along the Cameroon border around the city of Gwoza. From the hills they have been launching increasingly deadly attacks. The rugged mountain terrain - as fellow Al-Qaeda allies found in Afghanistan - has proven an advantageous base for a movement that once styled itself the “Nigerian Taliban” and sees all non-Muslims as infidels who must convert or be killed. The United States designated Boko Haram a terrorist group on Wednesday. Western governments are increasingly concerned about the wider threat posed by the group, which wants to create an Islamic state in a religiously mixed country of 170 million and which has ties with Al-Qaeda’s north African wing. Hajja’s account of how Boko Haram has adapted and survived in recent months underlines the difficulties governments in the region face. The spread of the threat was underscored by the kidnap on Thursday of a French priest in

Cameroon, an attack France believes may have involved Boko Haram. The following day, Nigerian troops raided a base for the group in the Gwoza hills. The army said it killed 29 Boko Haram fighters and was “closing in” on the rebels.

Forced to convert The group, whose name broadly translates as “Western education is sinful”, has killed thousands during a four-year insurgency against the Nigerian state, targeting the police and armed forces as well as politicians and then turning on Christians in the predominantly Muslim north of the country. The military offensive launched in mid-May, and the fact that large numbers of civilian vigilantes have supported it, has triggered a fierce backlash against local people by Boko Haram. The militants have killed hundreds in the past few weeks, including massacres of school children. The Islamists dragged Hajja along rocky mountain paths and slept in caves in the hills, a landscape unfamiliar to most Nigerian soldiers, recruited from the plains. She ceremonially converted to Islam, cooked for the men, carried ammunition during an attack on a police outpost and was about to be married to one of the insurgents before she managed to engineer a dramatic escape. She says she was not raped. “If I cried, they beat me. If I spoke, they beat me. They told me I must become a Muslim but I refused again and again,” Hajja told Reuters in an interview. Her family name is withheld to protect relatives still living in the Gwoza area. “They were about to slaughter me and one of them begged me not to resist and just before I had my throat slit I relented. They put a veil on me and made me read from the Koran,” she said in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, where she is now living. At least a dozen teenagers like her remain in captivity, Michael Yohanna, a councillor in Gwoza’s local government told Reuters. Some have married commanders, recalling Kony’s LRA, which abducted thousands of “wives” in a 20-year war in Uganda before a truce in 1986. Kony remains a fugitive. A man called Ibrahim Tada Nglayike led the group Hajja was with. On one mission, Hajja was sent to stand in a field near a village to attract the atten-

tion of civilians working with the army. When five men approached her, they were ambushed. “They took them back to a cave and tied them up. They cut their throats, one at a time,” Hajja said. “I thought my heart would burst out of my chest, because I was the bait.” Among those who did the killing was the Muslim wife of the leader Nglayike, the only other woman in the band of fighters. Reuters verified Hajja’s account of having been abducted with independent figures in the region. Boko Haram shuns the media and none of its members could be contacted for comment. Hajja says the long-bearded insurgents lived a basic lifestyle, eating corn, millet and occasionally meat from animals they stole and which she slaughtered. The group, armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols stolen from police they killed, moved every day around the hills to avoid being tracked by the army and slept in the caves to shelter from the cold and for protection against air assaults. “They didn’t use phones but they had a radio,” Hajja said. “They would listen to BBC Hausa or Voice of America and jump and shout if they heard about Boko Haram attacks.” “Toothpaste effect” Forced out of cities and semi-desert bases since Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May, the militants have mostly retreated to hills and forests on the Cameroon border. “It’s the toothpaste effect: squeeze one end and it comes out the other. They have proven resilient and are adapting faster than the military,” a Nigerian security source said. Army commanders denied Boko Haram had any control over the Gwoza mountains: “We are curtailing their activities and I can assure you that ... the insurgency will soon be a thing of the past,” Lieutenant Colonel Adamu Garba Laka said. But a Nigerian general asked Cameroon this month for help in fighting Boko Haram, and the backlash against civilians has made the conflict deadlier than ever. According to one security source, in the five months after Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the northeast there were 1,708 deaths in 83 violent clashes, compared with 667 deaths from 117 incidents in the previous five months. —AP

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

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Libya’s deputy spy chief kidnapped Deadliest street fighting since 2011 kills 45

TBILISI: Giorgi Margvelashvili is inaugurated as Georgian President, during a ceremony yesterday. — AP

Georgia inaugurates ‘philospher’ president TBILISI: Georgia yesterday inaugurated a new president, 44-year-old philosopher and former university rector Giorgi Margvelashvili, who pledged to strengthen the former Soviet republic’s ties with the West and maintain its commitment to NATO. His inauguration brings to an end the nearly decade-long presidency of Mikhail Saakashvili, who aligned this Black Sea nation with the United States and put it on the path toward integration with the European Union. The new president has little political experience and is seen as beholden to Bidzina Ivanishvili, a multibillionaire whose coalition drove Saakashvili’s party from power in last year’s parliamentary election. Ivanishvili has served as prime minister for the past year, but is now stepping down. His chosen successor, Irakli Gharibashvili, who as interior minister had been in charge of Georgia’s police force, is expected to be approved by parliament in the coming days. In the meantime, Ivanishvili will serve as acting prime minister. Most Georgians expect Ivanishvili to retain influence over political and economic life even after he leaves office, as the new president himself has acknowledged. “He (Ivanishvili) is a person who has very serious public support,” Margvelashvili told The Associated Press during an interview at his home last week. “He is a person whom I respect very seriously and has very serious influence on me because I respect him and I trust him. So, any time he has some kind of position, definitely that will matter for me.” Margvelashvili won last month’s presidential election with 62 percent of the vote. In his inaugural address, he expressed his commitment to democracy, EU integration and the strategic partnership with the US. He said Georgians would continue to do their part in

the international fight against terrorism, despite the losses sustained in Afghanistan, where Georgia is the largest non-NATO contributor of troops to the NATO-led mission. Saakashvili, who has been in Brussels for more than a week, refused to attend yesterday’s inauguration, citing the criminal prosecution of several of his former ministers and members of his party. Ivanishvili has said that Saakashvili also is likely to be questioned, in particular over the 2005 death of his first prime minister. Zurab Zhvania’s death was attributed to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty gas heater, but his brother has accused Saakashvili of hiding the truth. Saakashvili also may face questioning over the 2008 war with Russia, which ended with Russian troops in full control of two breakaway Georgian republics. His opponents accuse him of needlessly antagonizing Russia and giving Moscow a pretext to invade. The new government has made limited progress in decreasing tensions with Russia, with the restoration of some trade in recent months. President Barack Obama congratulated Margvelashvili and the people of Georgia for the country’s first peaceful transfer of power through democratic elections. Saakashvili became president after leading the peaceful 2003 Rose Revolution against a rigged parliamentary election. Obama praised the roles played by both Saakashvili and Ivanishvili in strengthening Georgia’s democratic institutions. “We appreciate what these two leaders have accomplished during their respective tenures and look forward to working with their successors to continue the strong and deep bonds that the United States and Georgia have enjoyed for over 20 years,” he said in a statement issued by the White House.—AP

TRIPOLI: Libya’s deputy intelligence chief was kidnapped outside Tripoli airport yesterday, two security sources said, days after clashes between rival militias and protesters in the capital killed at least 45 people. Mustafa Noah, the head of agency’s espionage unit, was pulled into a vehicle in the carpark, and had no bodyguards with him at the time, one of the sources said, without going into further details on the attackers or their motives. Libya’s government is struggling to keep order as rival militias and hardline Islamists refuse to disarm two years after they helped oust Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising. No group claimed responsibility for the abduction, but militias have snatched officials in the past to get political leverage. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was abducted by a government-payrolled militia group last month, but freed unharmed after a few hours. Tripoli city leaders yesterday called for street protests and strikes at shops, schools and universities to press Libya’s government to drive out militiamen blamed for the clashes. Violence

about the future of the country,” Dinev told The Associated Press in an interview. The Sofia University occupation has spawned other university sit-ins, energizing a 5-month-old movement against the government over allegations that its leaders have ties to shady businessmen. Public opinion polls show about two-thirds of Bulgaria’s 7.3 million people support the protesters, including several hundred university professors. Bulgaria is a member of the 28nation European Union but its people have the bloc’s lowest incomes - an average monthly wage of just 400 euros ($537) and an average pension of just 150 euros ($202). Youth unemployment is at 28.7 percent. Growing economic pains and widespread poverty have created deep divisions in society. The 50 students who first

SOFIA: This photo shows students massing on the pavement near the Bulgarian Parliament during anti-government protest in Sofia. — AP person has been sent to jail. The century-old occupied building is in the very center of Sofia, the capital, just 200 meters (yards) from Parliament. Behind entrances locked with iron chains and makeshift security checkpoints, a few hundred young men and women have barricaded themselves in what they call the “free territory of the students.” Under a huge symbolic sign “1968” - the year that Czech students challenged their country’s powerful former Communist regime - a banner reads: “Now it is our time.” “As a growing parallel power, we are sending from our free territory critical messages to all political parties

occupied Sofia University say they will stay until the government steps down, Dinev said, adding that their numbers have swelled to 500. The mood inside the century-old building was upbeat. Slogans reading “Resignation” and “Mafia” were up on inner courtyard walls. Sleeping bags were draped on benches in the corridors as makeshift beds. Some students carried bags of food partly donated by supporters, while in a coffee shop, small groups were debating the future they want to build. No classes are being taught in the building - home to the law, philosophy and language departments - but

Rival militiamen Many stores, schools and universities were closed in the capital yesterday - normally a working day in Libya. Residents set up barricades of metal, wood and tyres to protect their

streets and join the protest. Militiamen and former fighters are often employed by the government to protect ministries and government offices. But gunmen remain loyal to their commanders or tribes and often clash in rivalries over control of territory. Militias tied to an autonomy movement for eastern Libya have taken over oil ports for months, cutting off about half of the crude shipments from the OPEC oil producer. Fighters from Misrata are part of the Libya Shield Force militia and Islamist fighters from the fertile coastal area to the east of the capital around Misrata city. But they have recently been more isolated in Tripoli after some of their fighters were involved in personal disputes with former allies in the Supreme Security Committee, an Islamist militia based in Mittiga airbase in the east of the capital. Other militias are also rivals of the Misrata group, including the powerful Zintans, a loose alliance of more secular Bedouin tribes from the desert interior, who control an area around Tripoli’s international airport. — Reuters

Kosovo Serbs get back to polls in flashpoint town KOSOVSKA MITROVICA: Repeat elections took place yesterday in Kosovo’s flashpoint town of Kosovska Mitrovica where ethnic Serbs were casting ballots under heavy security after violence led to the cancellation of a previous vote. Voting for local mayors and councillors was repeated at three polling stations in the Serbpopulated part of the ethnically divided town after masked Serbian extremists destroyed ballot boxes during the previous election on November 3. The vote is seen as a crucial bellwether of ties between Serbia and Kosovo, and authorities on both sides hoped that a peaceful and successful election would boost their hopes of joining the European Union. Police and peacekeepers of the NATO-led force KFOR were a heavy presence near polling stations. Riot police, some armed with automatic rifles, and armoured vehicles were deployed at major crossroads. A KFOR unit consisting of four armoured personnel carriers equipped with small-calibre guns, as well as five trucks and several all-terrain military vehicles, were parked at the town’s northern entrance. KFOR and an EU mission in the country had vowed “robust security measures in order to ensure ... the voting process takes place in a peaceful and orderly manner”. And Zeljko Bojic, a Serb commander of Kosovo police, warned that “any provocation or intimidation will not be

Bulgarian students seek end to govt corruption SOFIA: Ivaylo Dinev believes the time has come to change his world. To do so, he’s chosen a tactic straight from the 1960s - the sit-in. The 24-year-old anthropology student is the informal leader of a group that has occupied Sofia University’s main building since the end of October in hopes of forcing Bulgaria’s Socialist-led government to resign. “We want morality in politics, we want our politicians to work for the people and not for the Mafia,” Dinev said. “That is the main reason we want the government to resign.” Bulgaria has struggled for decades against corruption. In the 28-nation EU, it lags only behind Greece on Transparency International’s corruption perception index. In the country’s courts, magistrates have accepted bribes to end some corruption investigations and not a single high-profile

broke out on Friday when militiamen from the coastal city of Misrata opened fire on protesters marching on their brigade quarters in Tripoli to demand they leave the capital. Dozens of people were killed in the fighting that followed - the deadliest street violence in Tripoli since Gaddafi’s fall. Misrata gunmen and rival militias clashed again on Saturday to the east of the capital, killing one more. Saadat AlBadry, the head of Tripoli’s local council, told Reuters that city leaders wanted all armed groups from outside Tripoli to leave the capital and demanded an investigation into the violence. “We have declared a strike for three days from today, but if our demands are not met we will continue,” he said. “We will not negotiate with them. Things are as clear as the sun, we want a decision.”

at a daily conference in the main hall, students meet to outline future actions. As his phone rings, Dinev says the students have rejected several invitations to collaborate with Bulgaria’s established political parties. On Tuesday, police clashed with protesting students who tried to make a human chain around Parliament in an attempt to blockade lawmakers inside. “We cannot just stand and watch these atrocities that are happening in the country, we cannot sit at home and wait for new elections and we cannot vote for someone else’s nominees and to feel forced to leave the country because there are no normal living conditions,” said Alexander Popov, 25, one of the students injured in clashes. The Socialist-backed government took office after an early election in May, following the resignation of the previous cabinet amid anti-austerity protests. But it was the June 14 appointment of media mogul Delyan Peevski as head of the national security agency that sparked public anger and new street protests. The appointment was immediately revoked but to demonstrators it was a clear sign of the corruption and nepotism practiced by group of businessmen and politicians they believe run the country behind the government. “If there has to be a power above the government, then this should not be some behind-the-curtain player but rather the citizens themselves,” said Dinev. Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski has so far rejected calls to resign and has criticized the students for blocking access to education. But his governing coalition is weak, made up of Socialists and an ethnic Turkish party with only 120 seats in the 240seat Parliament. Last week, authorities launched investigations into alleged tax fraud and money laundering by Hristo Biserov, the deputy leader of the Turkish party. Most analysts believe the only way to ease tensions is to set a date for early elections, possibly in May, when Bulgarians will also vote for European Parliament seats. Dinev believes it is up to the “kids of transition,” as he dubbed his generation, to bring morality to politics. More than a million mostly young, well-educated Bulgarians have left since the 1989 fall of communism, but that’s not the goal of these protesters. “You can emigrate, we will stay here,” read one slogan at the protest before Parliament. — AP

tolerated”. Aside from the attack by masked Serb extremists, the November 3 vote was also marred by intimidation that drew condemnation from the international community. Belgrade-backed Serb mayoral candidate Krstimir Pantic voiced hope after casting his ballot yesterday that “ever ything will go on smoothly until the end of the vote.” Serbia rejects Kosovo’s independence but has urged its ethnic Serb community to vote and have their say in Pristina-run institutions. The election was part of a historic deal brokered by the EU in April to normalise ties between Serbia and Kosovo since the breakaway territory proclaimed independence in 2008. Some 120,000 ethnic Serbs live in Kosovo, whose 1.8 million population is mainly Albanian. But the 40,000 or so Serbs in the north recognise neither Kosovo’s independence nor authorities in Pristina since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbia and Kosovo. However, speaking at a rally in Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic appealed for a high turnout, after a mere 10 percent voted last time. ‘Ashamed, disgusted’ at violence But at 0900 GMT, three hours after the polling stations opened, turnout was 3.4 percent, the electoral commission said. “I voted

today as I did on November 3 despite all the pressures,” Silvana Jovanovic, an ethnic Serb, told AFP. However, the 48-year-old woman added it was “not normal to vote in the presence of so many soldiers and police officers.” “I did not vote last time, but now I will as I feel ashamed and disgusted” with the violence on November 3, said a young teacher who gave his name only as Marko. Oliver Ivanovic, one of the Serb mayoral candidates, told AFP that he hoped “that the voters will understand the importance of these elections and come out to the polls”. Many Serbs have expressed concern that voting in the election will hand legitimacy to the Kosovo government. Political analyst Bosko Jaksic said Belgrade had failed to fully convince Kosovo Serbs to vote as Serbia has “radically” changed its policy by urging them to take part in elections organised by Pristina. “Only a naive person would think it is possible to change people’s opinion overnight after more than a decade of telling them something completely opposite from what they are asking them now,” Jaksic said. Elected officials will also form an “Association of Serb municipalities” to replace Belgrade-elected institutions in northern Kosovo that both Pristina and the international community deem illegal. Polling stations were to close at 1800 GMT and results are expected over the course of the week. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

6 contractors beheaded in Afghanistan KABUL: Afghan villagers discovered yesterday the beheaded bodies of six government contractors in the country’s insurgency-racked south, the apparent victims of Taleban insurgents who regularly target state projects, officials said. Meanwhile, the death toll from a suicide vehicle bomb attack on the site of a key national council in the capital Kabul has risen to 12, officials said, while NATO said an international service member was killed by a roadside bomb. The Taleban took credit for the Saturday blast outside the huge tent where the Loya Jirga is to be held later this week, during which thousands of prominent Afghans are scheduled to meet to debate

a contentious security agreement with the United States. The suicide bomber detonated his explosiveladen vehicle after being spotted by Afghan security personnel guarding the site, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. He said three of the 12 dead were members of Afghanistan’s National Security Force with most of the rest civilians. The Taleban gave the bomber’s name as Saeed Kabuli, but provided few other details. Hours before the blast, President Hamid Karzai announced that US and Afghan negotiators had completed a final draft of the Bilateral Security Agreement to be presented to the gathering for

debate. If approved, it would allow US troops to stay in Afghanistan after the final withdrawal of international combat forces in 2014. NATO did not announce the nationality of the service member killed in the south, according to its rules. Most troops serving in southern Afghanistan are from Britain and the United States. So far this year 139 NATO service members have been killed in Afghanistan, according to Associated Press figures. This compares to 394 troops of the NATO-led coalition killed in 2012. Also in southern Afghanistan, where a stubborn insurgency flourishes, police said they recovered the decapitated bod-

ies of six government contractors. Kandahar police spokesman Ahmed Durrani said villagers found the bodies. He said the men were involved in building police compounds and checkpoints in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taleban. In northern Afghanistan, a suicide bomber attacked the deputy governor of Balkh province. While the official escaped unhurt, one civilian was killed, said Balkh police spokesman Sher Jan Durrani. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either attack, but the Taleban have previously targeted both officials and contractors, warning Afghans against working for the government. — AP

White mayor, black wife: NYC shatters an image 87% Americans approve of interracial marriages

MEXICO CITY: Supporters of Greenpeace light candles against the detention in Russia of 30 activists in front of the Fine Arts palace yesterday. Russia detained 30 Greenpeace activists last September when they tried to prevent a Russian oil platform from drilling in the Pechora Sea. — AFP

At Dealey Plaza, history and conspiracy buffs cross paths DALLAS: History buffs and conspiracy theorists cross paths at Dealey Plaza, the now infamous Dallas square where President John F Kennedy was cut down by an assassin’s bullet 50 years ago. While visitors to the site take pictures of the white X marking the spot where the president was shot, bystanders try to convince them that the official account of what happened is wrong. “Right here in Dealey Plaza, every day is November 22, 1963,” tour guide Michael Scott Aston explained to a group aboard a “Big D Fun Tours” trolley. As the 50th anniversary of the tragedy approaches, onlookers gather at Dealey Plaza to recapture the emotions of that fateful day amid honking car horns and exhaust fumes. The 35th president of the United States died not far from a freeway ramp on the edge of downtown in the Texan city. The nondescript cityscape that served as a backdrop all those decades ago has remained virtually unchanged to this day. A railway overpass straddles three lanes, one of which is Elm Street which JFK’s motorcade was following the fatal shots rang out. And to the side, a wooden barrier separates a grassy area-known as the “Grassy Knoll”-from a red brick building. “That is the former Texas book depository building,” Aston said as he pointed his group to look at the sixth floor window. “Right here, that’s where the shots rang out,” he said, pointing to the corner of the structure. From there, three gunshots were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald, concluded an investigation by the Warren Commission. The 24-year-old former Marine and Marxist was killed two days after JFK’s assassination by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner. Today, the building houses The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. ‘Evidence’ Oswald didn’t act alone Between two sets of lights that spo-

radically stop traffic, tourists took pictures of a white cross marking the spot of the fatal shot. Nearby and close to the lawn, Mark Oates had set up a table covered with books. The self-proclaimed “JFK assassination researcher”-as stated on his business card-has been a regular here since 1986. “They say Oswald acted alone, and we have the evidence to show he did not,” he told a passerby, indicating a video running on constant repeat on a mini DVD player. The former engineer pointed out flashes, which he said were proof that some gunshots came from elsewhere. Steps away, 53-year-old Ron Washington, who said he has been doing research for 22 years, was also convinced of a conspiracy. “I let them make their own decision, I just give them evidence,” he said of what he tells tourists as he tried to sell a copy of a magazine by Robert Groden entitled “The case for conspiracy.” Margie Benson, an 80-year-old Dallas resident, had come to show Dealey Plaza to some guests. The former receptionist still remembers how one of her supervisors called and said the president has been shot. When his death was announced, she added, “everyone was in awe, we were silent, in grief.” Graffiti abounds on the wooden barrier at the site, ranging from “RIP JFK” to “Oswald acted alone BS” and “Conspiracy, we know the truth.” Along the route taken by JFK’s motorcade, there are thousands of small posters-painted by students and artists, among othersfocused on love. Kennedy’s murder “is a horrendous tragic wound to our city and the whole Earth,” said artist Karen Blessen, initiator of the “Love Project.” “These efforts are part of our deep need to process this tragedy” that led to Dallas being called the “city of hate,” she said. John Templin, a 51-year-old visitor from Troy, Ohio, said he was named after JFK, the first and only Roman Catholic in the White House. — AFP

Aid missions boost US troops’ image WASHINGTON: As soon as Navy pilot Matthew Stafford puts his helicopter down in the village of Borongan, he is rushed by dozens of local men who form a line to unload the supplies and water he has flown in from the mothership, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Children swarm him as he breaks out a box of sweets. On the Philippine islands of Leyte and Samar that were shattered by Typhoon Haiyan, there is no doubt about it: the U.S. military has been a godsend. “It is awesome to see this,” says one grateful villager. “They are saving us.” But while US military support can be critical when disasters like Haiyan strike, staging massive humanitarian relief missions for allies in need isn’t just about being a good neighbor. They can be a strategic and publicity goldmine for US troops whose presence in Asia isn’t always portrayed in such a favorable light - and a powerful warning to countries that aren’t on board. “These disasters are not unique only to the Philippines. It will send a signal to all of Southeast Asia, to Asia, that the US is serious about its presence here,” said Philippine political analyst Ramon Casiple. “It’s easy to translate this capability for disaster handling into handling warfare. This is the new orientation of the task forces.” From the military perspective, humanitarian missions like the ongoing Operation Damayan in the Philippines offer concrete benefits - the chance to operate in far-flung places, build military-to-military alliances and get realistic training - that they may later apply to their primary mission, which will always be fighting and winning wars. “Crisis response planning is a skillset for the military, so when you have an opportunity to execute

crisis response it’s good for your planning team,” said Rear Adm Mark C Montgomery, who commands the George Washington strike group, stationed offshore in the Gulf of Leyte. “So, sure, there is a benefit there. But in reality the reason we do this mission is because in the Navy’s list of missions this is one of the significant efforts we plan for.” In the week since the disaster, the Philippines has started to receive support from military forces around the region. Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have sent aircraft or personnel and more support is expected soon from Brunei, Great Britain, New Zealand and Thailand. But none has come close to matching the U.S. Equally importantly, America’s regional rival China has not sent any military personnel, and contributed relatively tiny financial aid. “This is being done in a big way that highlights the meager response of China - that’s the politics there. They’re saying China is not actually your friend in the region,” said Casiple “I’m sure China is watching and assessing,” he said. China announced yesterday it is ready to send rescue and medical teams to the Philippines, but did not say when the teams would depart. For US allies like the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and to some extent Indonesia, it is an affirmation of the US commitment. For others - Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar who are more closely aligned with China - he said the mission is a not-so-subtle message that the US remains the biggest power in the region. Within hours of the typhoon, US Marines were on their way from their bases in Japan to assess the damage and plan out their response. —AP

NEW YORK: Another milestone is passing in America’s racial journey: The next mayor of New York City is a white man with a black wife. Even in a nation with a biracial president, where interracial marriage is more accepted than ever, Bill de Blasio’s marriage to Chirlane McCray is remarkable: He is apparently the first white politician in US history elected to a major office with a black spouse by his side. De Blasio is preparing to take office on Jan 1, with McCray playing a major role in his administration. “It reflects the American values of embracing different races, ethnicities, religions. I think it’s just a great symbol,” said William Cohen, the former US Secretary of Defense, who is married to a black woman. Cohen was already a senator when he started dating Janet Langhart, a black television journalist. He proposed several times, but she feared that her race would hurt his political future. They married in 1996, a few weeks after Cohen announced he would not seek a fourth term. “There has been that fear (of interracial marriage) on the part of politicians. I didn’t have it,” Cohen said. There have been black men in politics who have been married to white women, such as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. And high-profile women such as South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, whose parents are from India, are married to white men. Yet unions of white men and black women have retained a forbidden aura, Cohen said. The taboo is declining, polls show. In July, a Gallup poll found that 87 percent of Americans approved of interracial marriage the highest rate ever - compared with 4 percent in 1958. In 2010, more than 15 percent of all new marriages were interracial, according to the Pew Research Center. Yet statistics also indicate why de Blasio and McCray are such a rarity. The Gallup poll showed that white men are the least likely to marry outside of their race. More than 97 percent of white men are married to white women, while 82 percent of black men, 65 percent of Hispanics and 48 percent of Asians marry within their own group. The figures are based on 2005 census data analyzed by Michael Rosenfeld, a Stanford University sociologist who studies interracial marriage. Much has been made of the difficulties black women have in selecting husbands from a pool of eligible black men shrunk by unemployment

NEW YORK: Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio embraces his family as they exit a polling station in this file photo. — AP and incarceration. Among black women age 35 and over, more than 25 percent have never been married, compared with about 7 percent of white women, census figures show. “We’re seeing black women loved in a way we have not seen before,” said Aja Monet, a poet and New Yorker. She sees this trend in real life and fiction, from McCray to first lady Michelle Obama to the Olivia Pope character in “Scandal,” the hit TV show about a powerful black political operative in a relationship with a white president. As de Blasio and McCray celebrated on election night with their two children, Tiya Miles saw them on television and stopped in her tracks. “I was very moved,” she said. Miles, a black University of Michigan professor, recently wrote a column about being stung by the sight of so many successful black men choosing white wives. It feels like “a personal rejection of the group in which I am a part, of African American women as a whole, who have always been devalued in this society,” Miles wrote. So for her, de Blasio and McCray’s victory feels like confirmation - especially since McCray

does not resemble the type of black woman that mainstream America usually deems beautiful, like Halle Berry or Beyonce. “A woman who has darker skin and natural hair, and a white man,” Miles said. “To see a black woman who is in a long-term relationship with children and her partner, who does not fit that stiff, narrow, idealized image of what a black woman should look like, I think is powerful.” De Blasio was elected in New York, perhaps the most diverse city in America. But he is connecting with people across the country, especially the children of interracial marriages. “It’s just the resonance of it. How much it means for families to see a family like them in a visible place,” said Ken Tanabe, a New Yorker with a Japanese father and Belgian mother. He is the founder of the Loving Day organization www.lovingday.org - which organizes annual events celebrating the 1967 Supreme Court decision that struck down laws against interracial marriage. Said Cohen, the former defense secretary: “It says a lot about this country. Where we’ve come from, how far.” — AP

Calif school to keep ‘Arabs,’ may change mascot THERMAL: School officials in Southern California say a high school’s “Arabs” nickname name is here to stay, but it’s the divisive costumed mascot may undergo a facelift. The Coachella Valley Unified School District held a special meeting Friday night to address the recent dispute over the Coachella Valley High School Arabs and their bearded, snarling mascot with a large hooked nose who wears a traditional head covering, Superintendent Darryl Adams said changing the “Arabs” name used since the 1920s by the school in this town east of Palm Springs is off the table, the Desert Sun newspaper reported. “It is a name we will keep,” Adams said during the board meeting. District officials planned to meet next week with the American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee, a group that has said the mascot is offensive and wants it tossed. The group launched an online petition in an effort to pressure the school to abandon the mascot. So

far, 900 people have signed the petition. Adams said district officials are open to changing the polarizing image represented by the costumed mascot and will make an announcement on its future next week. In a letter to the newspaper earlier this week, Adams said the mascot “was never intended to dishonor or ridicule anyone.” “A mascot chosen to show reverence and honor for the customs of prideful Middle Eastern peoples throughout our region, now provokes negative feelings, and this must be addressed,” Adams wrote. “ Times change, people change, and, subsequently, even symbols and words embraced for decades may need to be considered for change as well.” The Arab mascot has existed since the 1920s and was chosen to recognize the Coachella Valley’s reliance on date farming, traditionally a Middle Eastern crop. The US Department of Agriculture imported date palm shoots from

Algeria, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries to create orchards in the desert climate. The region also attracted some Arab immigrants mostly of Lebanese background - who were involved in date farming and ran stores. Over the years, the mascot evolved from a turban-wearing horseman carrying a lance to a standing figure with a scowl and a traditional head covering. The mascot came under fire earlier this month when the American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee sent a letter to the school district complaining that the mascot, which appears in school murals and at football games, was stereotypical. The dispute comes at a time when Native American activists are demanding that Washington’s National Football League team drop its “Redskins” moniker which they consider offensive. Many high school and college teams have stopped using Indianthemed mascots. — AP

Condemned man’s wish poses ethical questions COLUMBUS: An eleventh-hour request by an Ohio death row inmate to donate his organs is raising troubling moral and medical questions among transplant experts and ethicists. Less than a day before child killer Ronald Phillips was set to die by lethal injection, Republican Gov John Kasich on Wednesday postponed the execution so that medical experts can look into Phillips’ suitability as an organ donor. Phillips, 40, wants to give his mother a kidney before he is put to death and donate his heart to his sister afterward. The governor said he is open to the possibility of Phillips donating a kidney or other nonvital organs before he is executed. But Kasich appeared to rule out a post-execution donation. “I realize this is a bit of uncharted territory for Ohio,” Kasich said in a statement, “but if another life can be saved by his willingness to donate his organs and tissues, then we should allow for that to happen.”Some medical experts and others warn that execution chemicals could render organs unusable. They are also deeply disturbed by the prospect of death row inmates donating organs, even if that can ease shortages so severe that patients die while on the waiting list. They question whether the condemned can freely give consent, or are desperately hoping to win clemency. They worry that such practices would

make judges and juries more likely to hand out death sentences. And they are troubled by the notion of using inmates for spare parts. Medical ethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University said organ donation is incompatible with the goals of punishment. “It’s unethical because this guy who’s being executed raped and killed a 3-yearold. When you donate your organs, there’s a kind of redemption,” Caplan said. “Punishment and organ donation don’t go well together. I don’t think the kinds of people we’re executing we want to make in any way heroic.” Yet it’s not unheard of for a death row inmate to become an organ donor. Condemned Delaware inmate Steven Shelton was allowed to donate a kidney to his mother in 1995, though his execution wasn’t imminent. In 1996, the Alabama Supreme Court halted David Larry Nelson’s execution so he could donate a kidney to his sick brother. His brother was too ill for surgery and later died. Requests in other states, including Texas, have been rejected. All involved so-called live donations, never donation of a vital organ like a heart. Richard Dieter, executive director of the Washington-based Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment, said the practice raises troubling concerns. “Once you put the person into the death

row or execution category, then their life becomes less in the equation of things,” he said. “That’s a slippery slope of one life being used to save another.” Anne Paschke, a spokeswoman for Richmond, Va.based United Network for Organ Sharing, said in a statement that her organization’s ethics committee in 2007 deemed the practice “morally reprehensible.” She said the committee sees extreme difficulty “in ensuring that a condemned prisoner could give proper informed consent for donation, free from any coercion or consideration of personal gain.” Caplan said keeping vital organs viable during executions would require avoiding lethal injection, electrocution and other methods that would harm them.Utah murderer Gary Gilmore, executed by firing squad in 1977, agreed to donate his eyes, kidneys, liver and pituitary gland for medical use. His kidneys proved unusable because of bullet wounds. “The only way I can think of to get organs out of prisoners is to shoot them in the head or guillotine them,” Caplan said. “Are we really going to have witnessed executions of that type? I don’t think so.” Dr. Brooks Edwards, the Rochester, Minn.-based director of the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center and a transplant cardiologist, said it would be possible to use some organs after an execution, including the liver and kidney, but not the heart. —AP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

Abdulla Yameen takes power in Maldives Outgoing president hails ‘happy ending’ MALE: Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen was inaugurated yesterday, a day after his shock election victory that ended nearly two years of turmoil that threatened to turn the honeymoon islands into an international pariah. Yameen, the half-brother of the islands’ long-time strongman ruler, was sworn in by the chief justice at a nationally televised ceremony attended by his defeated opponent Mohamed Nasheed. The 54-year-old politician was accorded a 21-gun salute and in his first address to the nation pledged to work with neighbours and the international community which had put his nation of 350,000 Sunni Muslims on notice to elect a leader or risk censure. “We will maintain good neighbourly relations with regional countries and others,” Yameen said. “I shall strive to make Maldives the safest and most developed nation in the region.” The United States and regional superpower India were among the first to congratulate him and said they looked forward to working closely with the new leader. New Delhi had

an uneasy relationship with Male after the toppling of former president Nasheed who once took refuge at the Indian High Commission in Male to avoid arrest while the US led international concern over political instability. Just before his inauguration, Yameen told reporters that the country desperately needed stability. “The country needs stability,” Yameen, 54, told reporters in Male. “I hope we will receive the necessary cooperation from Nasheed through parliament.” “Instead of confronting political leaders, we will confront the big challenges facing our country,” he said. Nasheed conceded defeat after a bitterly fought battle and said he was pleased that the country finally had a democratically elected leader. “Today is a happy day for the Maldives-we now have an elected government,” Nasheed said. India noted the reconciliatory tone of Nasheed. “We welcome the acceptance of the verdict of the people of Maldives by all sides and commitment expressed to take the country forward on the path of stability, progress and development,” India’s external affairs

ministry said in a statement. Outgoing president Mohamed Waheed, in an exclusive interview with AFP, acknowledged the Indian Ocean archipelago was still trying to find its feet as a democracy but said it could now move on after the latest vote. “We are going through an early stage of democratic transition. It’s not easy for Maldives,” said Waheed. “Hopefully we are back on track. I believe now the Maldives is ready to move on,” he said. “It’s a happy ending.” The pro-Nasheed Minivan News noted that both men had pledged cooperation. “Yameen’s election brings to an end a chapter of controversy and uncertainty over the government’s democratic legitimacy,” Minivan News said. Nasheed has claimed he was toppled in a February 2012 coup triggered by a police mutiny and months of public protests orchestrated by Yameen’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and his then vice president Waheed. Nasheed has also accused Yameen’s half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the islands

with an iron fist for 30 years, of being behind his downfall. But yesterday, both Nasheed and Gayoom attended Yameen’s swearing-in. Their conciliatory approach after the election will be a relief to the country’s lifeblood tourist industry which had feared an already lengthy political crisis could further damage the image of a peaceful paradise. After an annulled election result and two cancelled polls, foreign diplomats had increasingly come to view the delays as politically inspired. Western diplomats had threatened international isolation unless the Maldives allowed its people to freely elect a leader. The European Union had warned of “appropriate measures” if Saturday’s election did not go ahead while the Commonwealth had threatened to kick it out of the club. Nasheed, a former pro-democracy campaigner and climate change activist, saw his rivals unite to keep him out of power after his first round victory on November 9. He became the first democratically-elected president in 2008 when he defeated Gayoom in a run-off. — AFP

Commonwealth nations to help post-war Sri Lanka Commonwealth puts on united front after summit rifts

BANNU: Pakistani political party activists burn an effigy during a protest against US drone attacks in Pakistan tribal region yesterday. — AFP

Protest against US drone strikes in Pak postponed PESHAWAR: Right-wing Pakistani political parties on Sunday postponed a scheduled blockade of NATO supply lines meant to protest the killing of the Taleban chief, citing recent sectarian clashes. Pakistan reacted angrily earlier this month to a US drone attack that killed Pakistani Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, saying the strike had sabotaged peace talks with the insurgents. Former cricketer Imran Khan, head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, called for a blockade of NATO convoys to Afghanistan to force the US to abandon its drone programme. Khan had set a November 20 deadline for the halting of drone strikes and threatened to block supply trucks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where his party leads a coalition government. He announced via Twitter on Sunday the protest would now be held on November 23. Shabeer Ahmad Khan, a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the country’s main religious party, earlier announced the postponement at a joint press conference with the PTI and smaller parties. Shabeer said that sectarian clashes that occurred in Rawalpindi on Friday were the reason for the delay. “Drone strikes are attacks on the sovereignty of Pakistan and to protect it some practical steps have to be taken,” he added. Clashes between the country’s majority Sunnis and minority

Shiites saw nine killed and 60 injured in Rawalpindi, a garrison city that borders the capital Islamabad, with the violence rippling out to the country’s south. It is not clear how Imran Khan would carry out his threat of blockade as authority over highways lies with the federal government. Islamabad condemns drone strikes as a violation of sovereignty, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged President Barack Obama to end them during recent White House talks. But analysts say Sharif’s ability to issue demands to Washington are constrained by the fact the US last month agreed to release around $1.6 billion in aid. In addition, Pakistan has just embarked on a new $6.7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan package with support from Washington. Mehsud’s death was the third major blow struck against the Pakistani Taleban by the US this year, following the killing of number two Waliur Rehman in a drone strike in May and the capture of another senior lieutenant in Afghanistan last month. The group has named hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah its new leader. He is known for leading the Taleban’s bloody two-year rule in Swat Valley and for ordering the shooting of schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai. — AFP

Nepal makes 2nd attempt at forming constitution KATMANDU: The residents of landlocked Nepal go to the polls on Tuesday, picking from more than 100 political parties in an election that is not expected to produce a strong winner to deal with the country’s deep-rooted problems. Poverty, fuel shortages and corruption - and a lack of a constitution - have all been the overwhelming features of a nation appearing to sink deeper into turmoil by the day. “What is the use of voting for these same old faces, who have done nothing for the country and only fought among themselves for their own benefit,” said Pema Gurung, a vegetable vendor in Katmandu, the capital. Like many Nepalis who have grown weary of the political dysfunction, she did not even bother registering to vote. The goal of Tuesday’s election is to name a 601-member Constituent Assembly tasked with writing the constitution - which is supposed to govern the Himalayan country of 27 million. Nepal has been through this process before. A previous assembly was tasked with writing the constitution in 2008, following the end of a 10-year Maoist insurgency and the overthrow of the centuries-old monarchy. But the assembly was riven by infighting and never finished its work. The result is a power vacuum that has left the country without a proper constitution for nearly seven years and which has stalled badly needed development and aid projects. Some of the disagreements center on whether to divide the country into a federal system based on ethnic groups or strictly by geography. But the parties mostly squabble over who gets to lead the country. And the prospects do not look good for this election, with Surya Prasad Shrestha, a former chief election commissioner, saying there is “no way” a single party will win a majority. “It appears that a hung parliament is inevitable because the bigger parties have lost their grip and small-

er parties are mushrooming. There is bound to be instability,” Shrestha said. No matter the result, writing a constitution is difficult because each clause requires approval from two-thirds of the assembly, in a country with more than 100 ethnic groups and languages. In Kanchanpur, a town 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of Katmandu, Bhajora Rana, a farmer who had lost everything in flooding this year, said earning his vote is simple. “We have 17 families in our village,” he said. “We will vote for anyone who is able to give us any help.” Many in Nepal say the political bickering magnifies the serious problems the poor south Asian nation faces. Residents face up to 14 hours of daily power cuts, Katmandu gets two hours of water every two or three days, and frequent fuel shortages force drivers to line up for a few liters of rationed gasoline and diesel. The United Communist Party of Nepal Maoist, the party of former communist insurgents, emerged as the largest party in the last election but could find it difficult to maintain that position. Leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal who once vowed to turn Nepal into the next Switzerland - was prime minister from August 2008 to May 2009, but faces a backlash. “He has totally ignored us since he was elected. We elected him hoping that he would do something for the country but he failed us. He promised a developed Nepal but in reality the situation has become worse in the past five years,” said Tirtan Pradhan, a school teacher. Dahal led his rebels during the 10-year war that killed more than 13,000 people before joining the peace process in 2006. Other parties hoping to emerge as a force in the election are the Nepali Congress, which trailed the Maoists in the last polls, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, which wants to revive a Hindu nation and bring back the monarchy. — AP

COLOMBO: Commonwealth leaders agreed yesterday on steps to tackle high debt and poverty as they staged a show of unity after a summit in Sri Lanka dominated by a bitter dispute over war crimes. Following a three -day meeting in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse announced that a communique had been agreed by the Commonwealth’s 53 member nations after a summit which he said had been characterised by “fruitful discussions”. But he was again forced on the defensive and warned his critics against pushing him “into a corner” by setting an ultimatum to address war crimes allegations by next March. “I am happy with the outcome we have reached at this CHOGM,” said Rajapakse, who has spent much of the summit having to fend off allegations that his government’s troops killed as many as 40,000 civilians at the end of the country’s 37-year conflict. Outlining the agreements inked by Commonwealth leaders, he said there had been widespread agreement on a series of issues-particularly on ensuring that economic growth does not come at the expense of equality. “Achieving growth with equity and inclusive development must be one of the priorities of the Commonwealth,” said the Sri Lankan president. “Issues covered in the communique include development, political values, global threats, challenges and Commonwealth cooperation.” While only 27 heads of government attended this year’s meeting, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the summit had helped strengthen the organisation of mainly Englishspeaking former British colonies. “I sense there is a reaffirmation of the spirit and ideals of the Commonwealth ... the core values of the Commonwealth, namely democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” Najib told reporters. The Malaysian prime minister said there was a general recognition among leaders of “the fact that we are different but should not be divided”. “There was a reaffirmation of the spirit and willingness of wanting to stay together as a unique collection of nations.” The summit was dealt several body blows before it began, with the leaders of Canada, India and Mauritius deciding to stay away to protest at Colombo’s rights record. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron then stole the limelight on the opening day with a visit to the war-torn Jaffna region, where he met survivors of a conflict that killed more than 100,000 people. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was handing over the chairmanship of the Commonwealth to Sri Lanka, acknowledged “more needed to be done” to address concerns about its rights record but said he wanted to be “good mates” with Colombo. According to the United Nations and rights groups, as many as 40,000 civilians may have died as troops loyal to the mainly Sinhalese government routed the Tamil Tiger rebel movement in its last stronghold in Jaffna in 2009. Sri Lanka has refused to allow foreign investigators onto its soil, but Cameron warned Rajapakse he would lead a push for an international probe through UN bodies unless an internal inquiry produces credible results by March. “Let me be very clear, if an investigation is not completed by March, then I will use our position on the UN Human Rights Council to work with

COLOMBO: Nigerian Vice-President Nnamdi Sambo (center) smiles as he arrives for the final working session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday. —AFP the UN Human Rights Commission and call for a full, credible and independent international inquiry,” said Cameron on Saturday. Rights groups including Amnesty International urged leaders yesterday not to ease pressure on Colombo over an investigation after they leave the summit. But Rajapakse reiterated yesterday that Sri Lanka would not bow to pressure and would complete its own inquiries in its own time. “This is not something you can do overnight. You must also respect our own views without trying to push us into a corner, so please be fair,” he said. “We have suffered for 30 years, that’s why they (the people of Sri Lanka) want a new life. That’s why people elected me.” The largely pro-government press in Sri Lanka acknowledged that debate about Colombo’s rights record had soured the summit. Ceylon Today said Cameron’s push for UN action

had ensured “the festive mood at the Commonwealth parley turned sour”, bemoaning how “media obsession over the host country’s human rights record had overshadowed the official business”. Mauritius had been due to host the next summit in 2015 but it withdrew in protest against Sri Lanka’s rights record. Malta will now step in as hosts, the organisation’s top official Kamalesh Sharma announced. In their communique, countries agreed to push world bodies to adopt a Commonwealth report on new ways for small and vulnerable countries to access funds to fight climate change. The report suggests small countries with high debt, including some in the Caribbean, use climate change funds that wealthier nations have already pledged to instead pay off national debt. Smaller countries, in return, pledge to use their own funds to tackle rising sea levels and other climate concerns over a longer time frame. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Tamils resident hold placards during a protest. Tamil protesters took to the streets in the city to seek justice for alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka and demanded a strong resolution against the “genocide”. — AFP

11 killed in assault on police station in China BEIJING: Eleven people were killed in an assault on a police station in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, the local government said yesterday, the latest in a series of attacks pointing to growing unrest in the area. Two auxiliary police officers and nine attackers were killed in the incident Saturday afternoon, the Xinjiang regional government said in a statement posted on its microblog. It said the assailants used knives and axes in the attack in Bachu county’s Serikbuya township, near the historic city of Kashgar, adding that two police officers were injured in the clash. Calls to government and police offices in the region rang unanswered yesterday. US-government funded broadcaster Radio Free Asia and a Uighur (pronounced WEE’-gur) activist said several of the young attackers were killed by a police special weapons and tactics team, despite appeals from residents who had gathered at the scene to take them alive. “There were around 40 to 50 people gathered around the station. They shouted to the police not to shoot, capture them alive and try

them,” the broadcaster quoted an eyewitness as saying. The eyewitness was not identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Swedenbased activist Dilxat Raxit said security forces have been increasingly opting to shoot and kill suspects at the scene rather than capturing them and putting them on trial. “Before, they’d put them on trial. You could argue about the fairness of the trial, but at least they were alive. Now, they’re just killing them outright,” Raxit said by phone. He said the tougher policy appeared to be aimed at intimidating Uighurs and preventing suspects from giving testimony. “Now all of Bachu county is under lockdown, and any incident is suppressed by force,” Raxit said. Xinjiang has long been home to a simmering insurgency against Chinese rule led by radicals among the region’s native Turkic Muslim Uighur ethnic group. This year has been particularly bloody, with a number of deadly clashes in Xinjiang and one in the heart of Beijing in which three attackers drove a vehicle through crowds in front of historic Tiananmen Gate,

killing themselves and two tourists. Scores of attackers and government officials have been killed, although the total figure isn’t known because many incidents go unreported. The authorities blame the violence on Uighur terrorists allied with Al-Qaeda. Activists say despair over economic and social discrimination and cultural and religious restrictions are fueling anger among Uighurs. The government statement gave few details, but the official China Daily newspaper said the nine attackers were shot dead on the spot, and identified one of them by the Uighur name of Abula Ahat. The newspaper said the police station was the same one that had been attacked in April in a clash that erupted after local police and community workers discovered suspicious behavior at a nearby home. That led to a gang of alleged extremists hacking and burning to death 15 members of the security services, while six of their own were shot dead. Xinjiang is a sprawling region bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan and a number of unstable Central Asian states. —AP

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

ANALYSIS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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New climate of pragmatism in US-Cuba ties By David Adams S relations with Cuba have undergone a surprise warming in recent months, raising expectations of possible agreements to bring the two countries closer after more than 50 years of hostility. US and Cuban officials overcame a series of potentially divisive incidents this summer with mutual displays of pragmatism rarely seen since Cuba’s 1959 socialist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. President Barack Obama appeared to recognize this publicly on Nov. 8 when he said at a fundraiser in Miami that it may be time for the United States to revise its policies toward Cuba. “We have to be creative and we have to be thoughtful, and we have to continue to update our policies,” he said. Hostile rhetoric has long characterized relations between the two countries, separated by only 140 km of sea. But US and Cuban officials now are privately expressing appreciation of each other’s handling of the incidents. They include Cuba’s decision not to offer a safe haven to fugitive former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who is sought by the United States for alleged espionage, and the diplomatically deft US handling of a North Korean ship carrying Cuban weapons in possible violation of UN sanctions. “I think there is a willingness on both sides to engage more pragmatically, but we are not on the cusp of any great policy changes,” said one US official involved in discussions on Cuba policy. “We are not as optimistic as the Cubans are, but there’s interest in moving things along.” Cuba has made no official response to Obama’s speech but chose not to criticize him for hailing two leading Cuban dissidents who attended the fundraiser as champions of democracy. Nor did they react to the holding of the event at the home of the president of the Cuban American National Foundation, a longtime foe of the Castro government. In the past, the Cuban authorities have often issued stinging rebukes of a US president in similar circumstances. “For Obama to say what he said, and do that in Miami, is not easy. That didn’t go unnoticed here,” in Havana, said Carlos Alzugaray, a retired Cuban diplomat and former ambassador to the European Union. “There is still a great lack of confidence between the two sides, but I think both sides want to do something.” Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations with Cuba, US and Cuban officials do have contact “when it is our interest to do so,” one senior US government official told Reuters. US officials met with a top Cuban diplomat in Washington to request that Havana refuse entry to Snowden, US officials told Reuters. Cuba made no guarantees, but unlike some of its allies in Latin America it chose not to extend a hand to Snowden. “There’s a lot of sympathy with Snowden’s cause here, but it wasn’t in Cuba’s interest to get involved,” Alzugaray said. In July, when the Obama administration detected a North Korean vessel carrying a hidden cargo of Cuban weapons, including two MiG-21 fighter planes and 15 MiG jet engines, departing from a port in Cuba, US officials say they decided not to intervene directly so that they could avoid a high-profile bilateral incident. Instead, they tipped off Panamanian officials, who raided the ship and found the weapons, allowing the case to be handled in a more low-key multilateral manner by the UN Security Council, which is investigating whether the shipment violated a ban against weapons transfers to North Korea. Cuba says the aging, Soviet-era weapons were being sent for repair, to be returned to Cuba. It has remained silent since then, raising no objections to the way the issue is being handled, and has cooperated with U.N. weapons inspectors who visited Cuba last month. “Both sides, Cuba and the United States, have acted with great care,” Alzugaray said. President Raul Castro, who replaced his ailing brother Fidel in 2008, has earned a reputation as a pragmatist. His attitude toward the United States also may be a hedge against political uncertainty in oilrich Venezuela, Cuba’s staunchest - and most generous ally in recent years. US officials are closely watching as Cuba implements a series of free-market reforms to the Soviet-style economy. Cuba shows no signs of changing its one-party, communist-run political system, although it has relaxed travel restrictions, allowing dissidents to travel abroad. — Reuters

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Indonesia graftbusters battle establishment By Kanupriya Kapoor and Randy Fabi ndonesia’s Inspector General of Police had just withstood eight hours of interrogation on the night of Oct 5, last year at the Jakarta headquarters of Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency when a commotion erupted outside. Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission, known by its Indonesian initials KPK, had accused Djoko Susilo of amassing land, cars, mansions and stacks of cash. His arrest was an unprecedented strike against a police force with a long-held reputation for graft in a country routinely ranked as among the most corrupt in the world. The counter punch came swiftly. At about 9 pm that night, dozens of policemen descended upon the KPK headquarters with one demand: hand over Novel Baswedan, 36, the celebrated investigator who had led the interrogation of Susilo. But the police didn’t reckon on a remarkable show of public support. Hundreds of protesters, lawyers, activists and journalists soon arrived to barricade the entrance of the KPK building, summoned by text messages from an anonymous KPK official. After a three-hour standoff, the police squadron left. Nearaly a year later, on Sept. 3, Susilo was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the state seized $10.4 million of his assets. It was a narrow escape for Baswedan, himself a former policeman and now lionized as “supercop” by Indonesian media, and once again, also for the anti-corruption agency. Since its establishment in 2002, the KPK has become, contrary to all expectations, a fiercely independent, resilient, popular and successful institution that is a constant thorn in the side of Indonesia’s establishment. Reuters spent six months examining the KPK and their campaign against corruption, gaining rare access to the agency and interviewing senior police officials, politicians, business leaders, members of Yudhoyono’s inner circle and the president himself. The KPK has won guilty verdicts in all 236 cases it has fought. Its arrests of cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, central bankers, CEOs, a judge and even a former beauty queen have exposed how widespread and systemic corruption is in Indonesia. It has certainly made big ticket abuses of power far riskier in Indonesia. But its success is becoming more costly. Reuters also found an overwhelmed and underfunded agency that faces mounting opposition from parliament, police and the presidency. The KPK’s popularity has so far been its most effective buffer against such attacks, especially in the run-up to next year’s parliamentary and presidential elections. Any attempt to eviscerate the commission would almost certainly cost votes. “The KPK’s only friend is the public,” says Dadang Trisasongko, secretary general of the Indonesian chapter of global corruption watchdog Transparency International. The international business community is watching this tussle closely. Executives surveyed in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2011-12 said corruption remained “the most problematic factor for doing business” in Indonesia. The World Bank has said corruption across the world costs $1 trillion. No one has done a thorough study of the costs in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country and one of the hottest emerging markets with an economic growth rate of 6 percent. The AntiCorruption Studies Center at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta put the losses to the state at $1 billion over the past five years alone.

GECKO VS CROCODILE The KPK has enemies because it is both powerful and effective. Over a third of the agency’s 385 arrests since its inception in 2002 have been of politicians. The KPK’s powers are considerable: it can slap travel bans on suspects, go on asset-seizing sprees to collect evidence and - the secret behind many high-profile KPK arrests - wiretap conversations without a warrant. But the KPK started small after its creation in 2002. Early targets were mainly mid-level officials, regional leaders and businessmen. That began to change when President Yudhoyono took office in 2004, vowing to deliver “shock therapy” to a graft-riddled system. The KPK moved quickly to prosecute several major graft cases, homing in on politicians. In 2008, the agency ensnared the first member of Yudhoyono’s inner circle: Aulia Pohan, a former deputy central bank governor whose daughter is married to the president’s oldest son. Pohan was arrested with three other deputies after former central bank governor Burhanuddin Abdullah was convicted and jailed for five years for embezzling $10 million. Pohan was sentenced to four years in prison on charges in the alleged embezzlement scheme, which according to the prosecution, aimed to bribe lawmakers to influence legislation affecting Bank Indonesia. By the time Yudhoyono ran for re-election in 2009, the agency had expanded from a staff of 100 to nearly 400,

with thousands more applying for jobs. Among them was Novel Baswedan, who joined the agency in 2007 after 10 years with the national police, where he had specialized in corruption cases. Baswedan, the grandson of noted Indonesian freedom fighter and one its first diplomats AR Baswedan, said he decided on a career in police work “in order to do good deeds.” In his first case at the KPK in 2008, Baswedan nabbed the mayor of the Sumatran city of Medan for misuse of the city budget. The mayor, Abdillah, was given a five-year prison sentence. The agents were having a big impact and capturing the public imagination. For the first time in years, Indonesia fared better on Transparency International’s country rankings on corruption perception, leaping to 111th place from 133rd over five years. And that’s when the KPK was thrown on the defensive. Many of its agents came from the national police, which is also empowered to investigate corruption cases but is itself riddled with corruption, Baswedan told Reuters in his first interview with the media. “There is a culture of corruption that is so entrenched that it happens everywhere in the police.” In 2009, the KPK began investigating a top police detective, Susno Duadji, for allegedly accepting a bribe. Djuadi famously mocked the agency for taking on the police: “How can a gecko hope to defeat a crocodile?” The remark came back to haunt him. He is serving a threeand-half year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power. Five months later, police arrested two KPK commissioners for extortion and bribery. The charges were dropped after nationwide street protests and a Facebook campaign that gathered one million supporters. The KPK also released wiretap recordings of telephone conversations, which a court later determined showed police officials conspiring to undermine the KPK. The agency came under further pressure later that year when its chairman Antasari Azhar was arrested for masterminding the murder of a Jakarta businessman. Azhar, who pleaded innocent, is serving 18 years in prison. The Supreme Court denied his appeal. Chandra Hamzah, one of the two commissioners arrested in 2009 and now a lawyer in Jakarta, said that period was a defining moment for the KPK. “If the police had been successful in pushing us out then, the KPK would have crumbled. They came very close to doing that.” . ACCOUNTABLE ONLY TO GOD The KPK has continued to zero in on parliament and the police, the two most corrupt institutions in Indonesia, according to Transparency International. Over the past two years, the agency has also targeted senior politicians in Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party. Former sports minister Andi Mallarangeng - once a rising star in Indonesian politics - and party chairman Anas Urbaningrum have been declared suspects in a graft case involving construction of a sports stadium in Hambalang, West Java. The KPK accused the two of taking kickbacks during the tendering process. Mallarangeng was arrested in October on charges of abuse of authority and causing state losses. Urbaningrum has not been charged in the ongoing investigation. They both deny any wrongdoing in the case, which the Supreme Audit Agency in September estimated caused state losses of around $41 million. The party’s former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, was sentenced to seven years in jail in January for accepting bribes linked to the construction of an athletes village for the Southeast Asia Games in Sumatra. Angelina Sondakh, a lawmaker for Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party and a former Miss Indonesia, was sentenced in January to 4.5 years in prison for corruption and abuse of power in the same case. Since then, KPK investigators have kept moving into Yudhoyono’s inner circle. In August, the chairman of Indonesia’s energy regulator SKKMigas, Rudi Rubiandini was detained for questioning on suspicion of accepting a bribe after investigators said they caught him taking $400,000 in cash and a BMW motorcycle from an oil company official. The KPK said he has not been officially charged and the investigation continues. The AntiCorruption Court in November began hearing the case against the oil company official. Yudhoyono now seldom speaks out in favor of the agency he once championed. A week after the father of his daughter-in-law was convicted of embezzlement in June 2009, Yudhoyono echoed other politicians who claimed the KPK had grown too powerful: he described it as “accountable only to God”. At his state of the nation address in August, delivered just three days after the KPK arrested the energy regulator, Yudhoyono gave corruption only a passing mention. Presidential spokesman Julian Pasha told Reuters Yudhoyono’s support for the KPK has never wavered. “The way of his thinking on the KPK is still the same. His commitment to support the KPK actually never changed.”

In early October, the KPK went after what the government calls the “judicial mafia” - a nexus that links police, prosecutors, fixers and judges that purportedly puts a price on practically anything in the legal system. The agency shocked even Indonesians jaded by the country’s epic corruption scandals by arresting Akil Mochtar, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court and seizing almost $260,000 in cash. The KPK said the money came from bribes to rig a court ruling over a disputed local election. Mochtar has not yet been officially charged, a KPK spokesman said. The widening investigation, which has led to the arrest of a half-dozen other figures but no other judges so far, is likely to become an issue in next year’s elections. The constitutional court was set up in 1999 after the long-ruling authoritarian president Suharto was toppled from power as part of reforms intended to free courts from political interference. Much of its work involves ruling on disputed local elections. The landmark decentralization measures of 2001 gave significant powers to local politicians making the stakes in local elections much higher. Yudhoyono told Reuters earlier this year corruption has proven harder to eradicate than he had thought. “I am still not satisfied,” he said. “I am frustrated, I am angry, I am annoyed.” He denied, however, that it had risen in his nearly nine years in office. In Transparency International’s latest rankings, however, Indonesia has slipped back to 118th place, putting Southeast Asia’s biggest economy alongside Egypt, Ecuador and Madagascar. BUDGET INCREASE? The KPK’s 75 investigators must sift through thousands of public complaints each year to select the roughly 70 or so cases it can realistically pursue. The agency’s mandate is to investigate cases of 1 billion rupiah ($88,000) and above, so investigators choose the most high-profile corruption cases in the hope it will be enough to deter others. Its high conviction rate might be the envy of its counterparts elsewhere in Asia, but it’s only a drop in the bucket in Indonesia, where graft is simply part of the fabric of everyday life - from backhanders to traffic policemen to “facilitation payments” to get anything done in the country’s bloated bureaucracy. The police and attorney general’s office handle most of the routine graft cases. The agency is hoping for a giant increase in its budget for an ambitious expansion into provinces, where government funds and international investment has soared under decentralization. This, however, depends on approval by Indonesia’s politicians, who have been trying to curb the KPK’s reach, not expand it. “As it stands now, the KPK is a law unto itself,” said lawmaker Desmond Mahesa, who has led calls in a parliamentary commission to better regulate the KPK and freeze its budget. “We have to tighten our grip and keep an eye on them,” he told Reuters. Parliament has already tried to do this. In 2009, when the KPK was getting besieged by the police, Indonesia’s Minister for Communication and Information Tifatul Sembiring proposed amending the country’s anti-corruption legislation to limit the KPK’s wire-tapping powers. The plan was shelved amid a public backlash. “If not for public pressure, we would have gone ahead,” says opposition lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari. Pro-KPK parliamentarians such as herself do exist, but are “in the minority,” she adds. Some 700 employees are shoe-horned into the eightstorey former bank building designed for half that number. Most of its windowless parking garage has been converted into office space. Outside, tucked between cargo containers used to store mountains of paperwork, are 12 holding cells for suspects considered a flight-risk. Current inmates include a former deputy central bank governor. In 2008, the Ministry of Finance earmarked 225 billion rupiah ($19.8 million) to build a new KPK headquarters with space for up to 1,300 staff. Parliament stalled on approving it. To shame their politicians, Indonesians launched a fundraising campaign called “Coins for the KPK”, led by a local NGO, Indonesia Corruption Watch. Civic groups and members of the public set up stalls across Jakarta and collected over $36,000. They even received bags of bricks and cement. Parliament finally approved the allocation in October 2012. KPK Commissioner Adnan Pandu Praja told Reuters he wants the agency’s budget to be fixed at 0.5 percent of the national budget - similar to Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption on which the KPK is modeled - to avoid the annual tussles with lawmakers. Based on the 2013 national budget, that would mean nearly a 15-fold increase to 8.6 trillion rupiah ($745 million) from its current 600 billion rupiah budget. — Reuters

NEWS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

A car drives through a flooded street in northern Riyadh yesterday after heavy rains fell overnight in the Saudi capital, causing floods and traffic jams which forced the Saudi Eduction Ministry to suspend studies in schools and universities. — AFP

OIC chief cries while Minister: Islamists must accept govt before talks meeting Rohingyas YANGON: The secretary general of the world’s largest bloc of Islamic countries said emotional visits with members of the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslim community - chased from their homes in Myanmar by Buddhist mobs and arsonists - brought him to tears. “I’ve never had such a feeling,” Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said late Saturday, as he and other delegates from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation wrapped up a three-day tour to Myanmar that included talks with the president, government ministers, interfaith groups and UN agencies. But he said it was the huge, emotional crowds living in trash-strewn camps outside the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, that made the biggest impression. “I was crying,” Ihsanoglu said. Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million, emerged from a half-century of military rule in 2011, but its transition to democracy has been marred by sectarian violence that has left more than 240 people dead and sent another 240,000 ﬂeeing their homes. Most of the victims have been Rohingya. Though many of their families arrived generations ago, all have been denied citizenship by the government. Many children in displacement camps have not gone to school for more than a year. Those who wish to leave - for medical treatment or other wise - have to pay hefty bribes. Humanitarian aid workers face constant threats by Buddhist Rakhine, who accuse them of being biased in favor of Rohingya. Ihsanoglu said that while visiting the Sittwe camps,

he and other members of the IOC delegation were met by crowds of 5,000, but due to the language barrier, they were unable to communicate. “They were desperate. They were afraid. They were happy we were there, but it was a happiness expressed in crying,” he said, adding that he was eventually able to oﬀer the Islamic greeting, “Assalam Alaikum,” or “May God grant protection and security,” and the crowd responded in kind. “I can’t explain the feeling I had,” he said. “It was very moving.” The OIC visit to Myanmar was marred by frequent demonstrations, with thousands turning out to meet the delegates when they landed in Yangon and then Sittwe, some carrying banners that said “OIC get out” or chanting “Stop interfering in our internal aﬀairs”. Still, Ihsanoglu called it a success - mostly because it came at the invitation of a government that has largely remained silent about the repeated attacks on minority Muslims. He said he received assurances that the government was seeking to resolve issues of citizenship for its 800,000 Rohingya, but gave no details. “If this issue is not solved, it will be a big problem,” he said. Rohingya, excluded from Myanmar’s 135 recognized ethnic groups, have for decades endured systematic discriminatory and exclusionary policies, restricting movement, access to education and jobs. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi - who has said little in defense of the religious minority - declined to meet with the OIC delegation. — AP

CAIRO: An Egyptian minister yesterday ruled out negotiations with the Muslim Brotherhood until the Islamists recognise the government’s transition plan and renounces violence. Social solidarity minister Ahmed alBorei told AFP the Brotherhood must also accept Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s overthrow was a “revolution”. A Brotherhood-led coalition had proposed on Saturday its most flexible plan yet for reconciliation talks, but later said the initiative was aimed at other parties and not the military-installed government. The latest statements indicate that both sides remain deeply divided since Morsi’s ouster by the military on July 3 and that hopes for a reconciliation in the near future are slim. More than 1,000 people, mostly Islamists, have been killed in clashes with police since Morsi’s overthrow, and thousands more arrested. “There must be a recognition that June 30 was a popular revolution, and the (government’s) roadmap was agreed on by the Egyptian people to build a modern state,” Borei said. He added that the Brotherhood should accept that its members on trial on murder and “terrorism” charges “are excluded from the idea of reconciliation”. Much of the Brotherhood’s leadership, including Morsi himself, are on trial for allegedly inciting violence before and after the Islamist’s overthrow. The military deposed him following massive protests starting on June 30 calling for his resignation. The Muslim Brotherhood “has to apologise and stop violence on the street”, Borei added. On Saturday an Islamist coalition led by the Brotherhood offered negotiations to end the deadly tensions that have gripped Egypt since Morsi’s overthrow. The coalition “calls on all revolutionary forces and political parties and patriotic figures to enter a deep dialogue on exiting the

current crisis,” it said in a statement. Presidential media adviser Ahmed Al-Muslimani said he had no response to the Islamist initiative because it was not directed at the authorities. “They called for a dialogue with the political forces, not the presidency or authorities,” he said. The Islamists say they are open to discussions on their own terms with the military installed government, including guarantees for “inclusiveness” and respect for the suspended constitution. But their initiative was aimed primarily at other parties who disagree with the Brotherhood but also oppose the military’s domination of politics, said a senior Brotherhood member. “It aims at expanding the circle of the coalition. There are many who can disagree with the Brotherhood but support the democratic process,” said Mohamed Bishr. Bishr, a member of the Brotherhood’s top Guidance Bureau, is one of the most senior Islamist leaders not imprisoned. “The vision is aimed neither at the government nor the military,” he told AFP, referring to the proposal. “Many took part in the June 30 protests but oppose the coup,” he said of the military’s intervention. The initiative announced did not explicitly mention Morsi’s return to the presidency, previously the Brotherhood’s key demand. Bishr said the proposal did not drop the demand for Morsi’s reinstatement, but that process Morsi’s return and his resignation - would not be discussed before negotiations. Brotherhood oﬃcials have privately said they would be willing to concede Morsi’s reinstatement, but wanted their leaders released from prison and guarantees it would be allowed to participate freely in elections. Government oﬃcials have insisted all along the Islamists must unconditionally accept the interim authorities. — AFP

MP to file grilling against Othaina Continued from Page 1 health safeguards. Later, the minister said he formed a committee to investigate the issue and called on all Shiites who had obtained licenses to erect tents but got their tents removed to file a complaint at the minister’s office and promised action. Tameemi said his grilling will be focused on one issue - the removal of the tents - and another Shiite MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan - will sign the grilling with him. Tameemi’s decision came after the Cabinet called on all sides not to take actions that could lead to sectarian tensions in the country. The new grilling will be the sixth to be filed in the last few days. All of the grillings have already been placed on the agenda of the Nov 26

session and the new grilling is expected to be listed for debate on the same day. Two of the grillings are against the prime minister, two against state minister for development and planning Rola Dashti and in addition to the new grilling, two against Othaina who is also state minister for housing. In another development, the Assembly’s health committee yesterday reviewed with senior oﬃcials from the health ministry measures that were taken against the deadly MERS coronavirus after two cases were detected in Kuwait last week. The health ministry assured lawmakers that all necessary precautionary measures have been taken and the two cases have been isolated. In addition, hundreds of suspected people have also been examined and all tested negative to the disease.

Floods swamp Riyadh Continued from Page 1 city’s north, according to residents. Harithi urged Riyadh citizens, estimated at more than five million people, to stay away from rivers, valleys and flooded tunnels while the education ministry ordered schools and university closed yesterday. Saudi Arabia, like other desert countries, rarely sees heavy rainfall and religious leaders often organise prayers for rain. But in May last year around 20 people were killed in flooding that

swept parts of Saudi Arabia, which had not experienced such a high volume of rainfall for 25 years. And in 2011, around 10 people were killed in floods in the western city of Jeddah, where 123 people also perished in floods in 2009. The inability of Jeddah’s infrastructure to drain off flood waters and uncontrolled construction in and around the city were blamed at the time for the high number of victims. The national weather service has warned of new storms expected yesterday in Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom. — AFP

Astronomer thunders against storm Continued from Page 1 unusual, so I urge everyone not to panic,” he added. “Yes there will be thunderstorms and lightning, but it is nothing compared to the picture painted in the alleged US weather forecast. The period from October to December is the best season to plant vegetables and ﬂowering house plants,” Saadoun noted. Kuwait Times published a report yesterday in which the Director of the Meteorological Center at Kuwait Civil

Aviation Directorate Mohammad Karam expected the country to witness heavy rains from Saturday. The center yesterday again urged residents to take precautions in anticipation of thunderstorms set to engulf the state late yesterday. It warned of unstable weather today with strong southeasterly winds coupled with torrential rain, thunder and lightning storms. Weather and environment expert Essa Ramadan had also predicted rain over Kuwait, southern Iraq and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province until Wednesday.

Ethiopians back from Saudi recall beatings, robbery, jail ADDIS ABABA: When Abdallah Awele moved to Saudi Arabia from Ethiopia last year, he thought he would land a good job and earn enough money to send home to his family. But instead, Abdallah, 21, said he was beaten, robbed and jailed for living in the country illegally. “I wanted a good salary and a good life, that’s why I crossed the border,” he said. “When I was in Saudi Arabia, I was successful, I was saving a lot of money and I had nice things. But I lost all of it. Now I am home and I won’t go back there.” Abdallah was one of at least 23,000 Ethiopians living illegally in Saudi Arabia, and part of a group of close to 400 flown home on Friday after being expelled. According to Ethiopian officials, three of their nationals were killed this month in clashes with Saudi police as the clampdown - set in motion after a seven-month amnesty period expired - got under way. “I had 3,500 Saudi Arabian riyals ($930). We were taken to prison, I lost my luggage, and all of my money was collected by the police,” Abdallah said. “Even my shoes were collected by the police,” he said, speaking barefoot after leaving the airport with about 30 other men. Abdullah, who had a job guarding animals, was jailed for six months - during which he said he was denied food and medical help. “There is a lot of unhappiness in there,” he said, showing off scars on the back of his neck. Facing limited job prospects and harsh economic realities back home, large numbers of Ethiopian men and women head to the oil- and gas-rich Arabian peninsula every year seeking work. The International Labour Organisation said many face physical and mental abuse, menial pay, discrimination and poor working conditions, and the Ethiopian government announced last month it was banning domestic workers from travelling to the Middle East to look for jobs after widespread reports of mistreatment.

Like Abdullah, Abdurahman Kamal said he too was beaten before being jailed for ten days. His employer revoked his salary and his visa before handing him over to the authorities. “The police asked for money but at that time I didn’t have the money, so the police beat me,” said Abdurahman, 21, who worked as a driver. Now he says he is relieved to be home after three years in Saudi Arabia. “I get to go back to my family,” he said, wearing a torn shirt that revealed his scarred torso. With 91 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous country in Africa after Nigeria, but also one of the poorest. Ethiopia’s unemployment rate - 27 percent among women and 13 percent among men, according to the ILO - is the main driver for young people seeking better opportunities abroad. The UN refugee agency says that over 51,000 Ethiopians risked their lives this year alone on the risky sea crossing across the Gulf of Aden, where reports are common of ships sinking or refugees drowning after being thrown out too far from the shore. It was greener pastures that led Ahmed Abduljebar, 25, abroad three years ago. He moved to Yemen to work as a waiter and was arrested when he crossed into Saudi Arabia without a visa. He said he was robbed and beaten before being jailed for three months, and complained Ethiopian authorities should have responded faster to release Ethiopians from prison. “The Ethiopian embassy is a very big problem, because it’s not protecting Ethiopians,” he said. “If you’re in prison, no one is asking after you, and they are not collecting you quickly.” Ahmed said while he is happy to be home, he “feels sick” knowing there are still thousands of Ethiopians still in prison. While they now face the diﬃcult task of ﬁnding work at home, they agree they have no plans to return to the site of their nightmare. “I would never go back again to Saudi Arabia,” Abdurahman said. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

S P ORT S

Khedira surgery a success

Hurricane Fly makes history

Liang bags Manila title

MADRID: Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has had successful surgery on torn knee ligaments and he may be available for the World Cup, according to Germany team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Mueller-Wohlfahrt. “The operation went well,” Mueller-Wohlfahrt said on the German soccer federation website (www.dfb.de). “Now we hope that Sami will be back to fitness for the World Cup in Brazil (starting in June),” he added. Real confirmed the success of the surgery, which took place under the supervision of club doctors at a clinic in Augsburg, Germany on Saturday. “Over the next three weeks the player will follow a specific recovery plan so the injured ligaments heal correctly,” the Spanish club said on their website (www.realmadrid.com). Khedira is expected to be out for around six months after damaging the knee in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Italy. Germany coach Joachim Loew said it was a “bitter setback” but that he was optimistic he would recover in time to feature at the finals in Brazil. Khedira’s enforced absence is a blow for Real, who have only just got his midfield partner Xabi Alonso back after a five-month injury layoff. Alonso suffered a bruised ankle in Spain’s 2-1 win in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea on Saturday but coach Vicente del Bosque said it was nothing serious. —Reuters

DUBLIN: Hurricane Fly made racing history at Punchestown racecourse yesterday, the Willie Mullins-trained hurdler claiming a record 17th Grade One success. The nine-year-old bettered the previous benchmark, held jointly by Kauto Star and American flat champion John Henry, when justifying cramped odds of 1-16 in the Morgiana Hurdle. The impeccably-bred gelding, whose sire Montjeu won the 1999 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is about 6-1 with British bookmakers to claim his third Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham in March to add to his wins in 2011 and 2013. Jockey Ruby Walsh told The Racing Post: “To win 17 Grade 1s is some testament to the horse and to Willie and his staff. “It’s no easy job to train a horse to win so many top level races. Hurricane Fly is a super horse and there should be a lot of improvement to come from today’s race.” Yesterday’s landmark result took Hurricane Fly’s earnings in a career that began in France to over 1.5 million pounds (2.4 million dollars, 1.8m million euros). Reflecting on the victory, Mullins told the newspaper: “A world record is a once in a lifetime thing and I’m delighted Hurricane Fly achieved it today. “It was one of his less impressive performance and he will need to improve a good bit from the race to get back to his best, but he won and that’s all that matters. He was probably heavier than he’s ever been, so that improvement should be there. —AFP

MANILA: China’s Liang Wenchong birdied the final hole to force a playoff with Thailand’s Prom Meesawat before going on to claim a third Asian Tour title at the inaugural Manila Masters yesterday. Prom’s bogey-free seven-under 65 in the final round took him to the top of the leaderboard as overnight leader Liang (69) fell back after a double-bogey on the ninth hole. But the Chinese, who was struggling with fatigue and a hand injury, recovered on the back nine to pick up four strokes, including a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th, to match Prom on 16-under for the tournament. “It has been a long time since I last came to the Philippines and a good five years since I last won on the Asian Tour,” Liang told reporters at the Resorts World Manila Masters. “This is my sixth consecutive event already and I was actually kind of worn out coming to the Philippines early this week. “Furthermore, I was still nursing an old hand injury which acted up again early this week. It got so bad the night after my first round that I even thought of withdrawing from the tournament. Luckily it got better after my visit to the physio.” At the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, Prom’s chances of victory disappeared when he found a terrible lie in a bunker with his second shot and was only able to flop the ball out a few metres. Liang secured the title with a tap-in birdie after his eagle putt from the edge of the green stopped inches from the pin. Canadian rookie Richard Lee carded the lowest round of the day of 64 to share third place with fellow Asian Tour rookie Carlos Pigem of Spain. —Reuters

Hirscher and Matt steal the limelight LEVI: Marcel Hirscher stole the limelight once again when he gave Austria their 100th slalom World Cup victory yesterday, but his team mate Mario Matt also made history on the Finnish slopes. At 34 years and seven months, Matt, who won the first of his two world titles nearly 13 years ago, became the oldest skier on the podium of a World Cup slalom and boosted his Olympic chances for Sochi. In spite of his two gold medals at the world championships in 2011 and 2007, Matt has taken part in only one Winter Games, in Turin in 2006 when he failed to complete his slalom. In 2002 and 2010, the Austrian was forced out of Olympic action by injuries. “Of course in Austria, many skiers have a chance to be in the team but it would be fantastic to earn a new Olympic cap,” said Matt after his second place in the opening slalom of the World Cup season, 0.22 seconds behind Hirscher. The twice World Cup winner kicked off the season with his first victory on a slope that has never suited him in the past. With 10 slalom podiums in succession, Hirscher joined Swede Ingemar Stenmark as the most consistent specialist in history.

Matt, far more erratic because of countless injuries, cited Hirscher as one of the reasons why he carried on racing after getting a bronze medal at the last world championships in Schladming. “I contemplated quitting but the passion was still there and it’s great to ski alongside young skiers like Marcel,” he said. “Also there is not much else to do in the winter and it’s a perfect combination for me to ski in the winter and look after my horses in the summer,” added Matt, who runs a stud farm in his home village near St Anton. Hirscher, 24, paid homage to his older team mate, saying: “It’s already hard enough to be at the top for two, three or four seasons but Mario has been there for 15 years. “Mario remains a remarkable example in terms of passion and a healthy way of life.” When Matt does retire, the family name may crop up again on score boards as his brother Michael, 20, made his World Cup debut in Levi, failing to qualify for the second leg. “It was very special to see my brother at the start. Given our age difference, I never thought it would happen,” the older Matt said. — Reuters NEW YORK: Henrik Lundqvist No. 30 of the New York Rangers reacts in this file photo. —AFP

Rangers blank Canadiens

Marcel Hirscher in action in this file photo.

Two F1 drivers ride through Dubai in the electric car DUBAI: Just days before the results of the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Formula 1 drivers Mark Webber and Charles Pic, who drive for the Renault-powered Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Caterham F1 Teams respectively, electrified the city of Dubai by riding through Dubai in iconic electric-powered Renault TWIZYs. The drivers powered down the roads of Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, and Safa Park in TWIZY cars. Mark Webber said: “Driving down Dubai’s iconic roads and alleys was an amazing experience. What made it even more special was the fact that the TWIZY is a green car. The silence inside the vehicle was pretty impressive!” Charles Pic said: “We enjoyed our time in the UAE, more so with the interesting Renault TWIZY. I had a pleasant drive in a 100% electric car, which could be the star car of the future. It was a great experience to drive the car in such a wonderful place.” Renault has teamed up with Formula 1 drivers Mark Webber and Charles Pic to make an original ad film featuring the

Renault TWIZY as part of an online promotional campaign launched from this month. Watch the full video: http://www.youtube.com/RenaultME The storyboard highlights the strengths and features of the Renault TWIZY in clean, uncluttered shots. Avant-garde design, fun to drive, 100% electric and easy to recharge, TWIZY has charmed the people of Dubai. A cinch to park and a snap to recharge, the easy-to-handle vehicle is perfect for zipping to the beach, boutique hopping, and spending some quality time in the evening alone or as a couple. Rare in Middle East Like the Formula 1 drivers, the opportunity to test-drive the 100% electric vehicle in the Middle East is open to anyone. People in the UAE will gain the chance to get behind the wheel of the T WIZY between 1st November, 2013 to 20th December at the Renault showroom of Al Qiyadah.

MONTREAL: Ryan Callahan ended New York’s four-year-old goal drought in Montreal and rookie Cam Talbot made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout in the Rangers’ 1-0 blanking off the Canadiens on Saturday night. Callahan scored his sixth goal of the season for New York, which has won eight of its past 11 games. Talbot, who replaced Martin Biron as the backup goalie, became the first Rangers goalie to earn a shutout in Montreal since Ed Giacomin in a 5-0 win on Feb. 25, 1967. The Rangers outshot Montreal 34-22. The Canadiens were coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Columbus on Friday night and spent most of the game a step behind the Rangers, who played the first of back-to-back games before playing Los Angeles at home on Sunday. Callahan broke the Rangers’ Bell Centre drought just as a two-man advantage ended as he tipped Brad Richard’s blast from the left circle past Carey Price 5:25 into the second period. DEVILS 4, PENGUINS 1 Jaromir Jagr scored two goals and Martin Brodeur made 27 saves to lead New Jersey over Pittsburgh. Andy Greene and Adam Larsson also scored for New Jersey, which has won three of its past five. Chris Kunitz scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins have lost four of six. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 of 21 shots. BLUES 4, HURRICANES 2 Alexander Steen scored his league-leading 17th goal and also added an assist to lead St. Louis Blues over Carolina. Steen extended his scoring streak to 13 games, the longest for a Blue since Pierre Turgeon had a 15-game streak in 1999-2000. The Blues won for the fifth time in six games despite giving up two short-handed goals on the same power play for the first time in more than 20 years. St. Louis last allowed that to happen on Oct. 8, 1992 against the then-Minnesota North Stars. Roman Polak had a goal and assist for St. Louis. David Backes and TJ. Oshie also scored for the Blues and Brian Elliott made 18 saves. Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe scored for Carolina. PREDATORS 7, BLACKHAWKS 2 Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and Nashville stopped Chicago’s four-game winning streak. Craig Smith scored a goal and added two assists for the Predators. The three-point game equaled the Madison, Wis. native’s career high. Matt Cullen, Nick Spaling, Patric Hornqvist, Viktor Stalberg, Mike Fisher and Shea Weber also scored for Nashville, which ended a four-game losing streak. Patrick Kane and Brandon Pirri had the goals for Chicago. PANTHERS 4, AVALANCHE 1 Tim Thomas made 32 saves for his 200th NHL victory and Brian Campbell had a goal and an assist in Florida’s win over Colorado.

Brad Boyes, Tomas Kopecky and Jonathan Huberdeau also scored, and Tom Gilbert had three assists for the Panthers. Ryan O’Reilly scored Colorado, which has lost three straight. The Avalanche have cooled off after setting a franchise record for the hottest start through 16 games. They dropped road games in Carolina and St. Louis and came home looking to turn things around against lowly Florida. Instead, the Panthers, who played Friday, looked like the fresher team throughout. ISLANDERS 5, RED WINGS 4 Kevin Poulin stopped all three Detroit skaters in the shootout after coming on in relief, and New York outlasted the reeling Red Wings. Neither team could hold the lead until Poulin shut the door in the tiebreaker, denying Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi. The Red Wings had tied the game 4-4 when Datsyuk scored his second of the night with 42.5 seconds left in regulation. The Red Wings also got goals from Darren Helm and Johan Franzen and have lost six straight games and five in a row after regulation - the past three in shootouts. Frans Nielsen scored the only shootout goal for the Islanders, who had dropped five of six. Cal Clutterbuck had given the Islanders a 43 lead when he tipped Aaron Ness’ shot from the left point past Gustavsson 4:43 into the third for his fifth goal. New York also got goals from John Tavares, Casey Cizikas and Brock Nelson. OILERS 4, FLAMES 2 David Perron scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and Edmonton rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit to defeat Calgary. Perron had the puck behind the Flames net and banked it off the back of goaltender Reto

Berra at 10:23. The goal came just over two minutes after another odd goal for the Oilers tied it. Sam Gagner’s shot deflected off Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman and Ales Hemsky batted in out of midair for his first goal in 12 games. Edmonton started its comeback at 3:41 when Jordan Eberle took a drop pass from Taylor Hall and ripped a shot over the blocker of Berra. The three-goal barrage in a span of 6:42 came on four shots. Boyd Gordon added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Sean Monahan and Wideman scored for the Flames, who are winless in their past six and 0-4-1 in their past five games at home. MAPLE LEAFS 4, SABRES 2 James van Riemsdyk scored twice, Nikolai Kulemin got the winner and Toronto snapped a three-game skid by beating Buffalo. Van Riemsdyk had been pointless in his previous five games, four of those at center. Kulemin made it 3-0 at 11:49 of the second period on just his third shot on goal of the season. Mason Raymond also scored for the Leafs. James Reimer made 33 saves to move to 52-0 on the season. Jonas Enroth made 18 saves for Buffalo. Jamie McBain and Tyler Ennis scored for the Sabres. COYOTES 6, LIGHTNING 3 Martin Hanzal had a goal and three assists, Lauri Korpikoski added a goal and two assists and Phoenix handed Eastern Conferenceleading Tampa Bay its first loss in eight games against Western Conference teams this season. Michael Stone, Mike Ribeiro, Connor Murphy and Shane Doan also scored for Phoenix. Radim Vrbata had three assists. Richard Panik, JT Brown and Alex Killorn scored for the Lightning. —AP

NHL results/standings Toronto 4, Buffalo 2; NY Rangers 1, Montreal 0; New Jersey 4, Pittsburgh 1; NY Islanders 5, Detroit 4 (SO); St. Louis 4, Carolina 2; Nashville 7, Chicago 2; Phoenix 6, Tampa Bay 3; Florida 4, Colorado 1; Edmonton 4, Calgary 2. Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF Anaheim 15 5 2 71 13 2 5 71 San Jose Phoenix 14 4 3 73 Los Angeles 13 6 1 57 Vancouver 11 7 3 55 Calgary 6 11 3 54 Edmonton 5 15 2 53 Chicago St. Louis Colorado Minnesota Dallas Winnipeg Nashville

Central Division 13 3 4 73 13 2 3 65 14 5 0 59 12 4 4 53 10 7 2 56 10 9 2 56 9 9 2 46

GA 56 45 66 46 56 75 83

PTS 32 31 31 27 25 15 12

60 42 41 43 55 59 63

30 29 28 28 22 22 20

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Tampa Bay 14 6 0 64 50 28 Boston 12 6 1 53 36 25 Toronto 12 7 1 57 47 25 Detroit 9 5 7 54 60 25 Montreal 10 9 2 52 45 22 Ottawa 8 7 4 57 58 20 Florida 5 12 4 46 70 14 Buffalo 5 16 1 41 68 11 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 12 8 0 56 47 24 Washington 11 8 1 65 58 23 NY Rangers 10 9 0 42 49 20 Carolina 8 8 4 39 55 20 New Jersey 7 8 5 42 49 19 NY Islanders 8 10 3 61 68 19 Philadelphia 7 10 2 35 48 16 Columbus 6 10 3 48 56 15 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

S P ORT S

Springboks thrash Scotland EDINBURGH: South Africa showed their pedigree as the world’s number two side, despatching Scotland 28-0 with clinical efficiency in a one-sided contest at a rainswept Murrayfield yesterday. The Springboks scored their first try from a line-out drive in the fifth minute, courtesy of openside flanker Willem Alberts, and added two more before half-time, full back Willie le Roux crossing the home whitewash on the half hour and then setting up JP Pietersen. South Africa had the match won at half-time, the visitors leading 21-0, with replacement prop Coenie Oosthuizen adding a fourth try as Heyneke Meyer’s team made it two wins out of two on their November tour of Europe, following last

Willem Alberts in action in this file photo.

weekend’s 24-15 victory against Wales. They did suffer one setback, Bath flanker Francois Louw departing in a neck brace with four minutes remaining, but they move on to finish their tour against France in Paris next Saturday still yet to concede a try. Meyer made four changes to the team that beat Wales, bringing Gurthro Steenkamp and Adriaan Strauss into the front row, recalling veteran Bakkies Botha in the second row and installing le Roux at full-back, with Patrick Lambie switched to fly half. Scotland made six changes to the team that overcame Japan 42-17 eight days previously. There were recalls in the pack for locks Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton, for openside flanker John Barclay and for props Alasdair Dickinson and Moray Low-and a first start for Saracens utility back Duncan Taylor at inside centre. For all of the increased ballast in the home pack, however, there was no stopping South Africa when they put their lineout maul into operation. With five minutes on the clock, Lambie kicked a penalty to touch in the left corner, No 8 Duane Vermeulen plucked Strauss’s throw out of the air and the Springbok pack drove Alberts over the home try-line for an easy score. Lambie landed the conversion to give South Africa a 7-0 lead but the outside-half, who has Scottish grandparents, was wide of the mark with a penalty attempt ten minutes later, after Tommy Seymour obstructed Bryan Habana. It took Scotland 29 minutes to break out of their own half and mount their first attack, but in doing so they handed South Africa their second try. In attempting to find Richie Gray with an outside pass, Ruaridh Jackson merely succeeded in slamming the ball off Sean Maitland’s shoulder, allowing le Roux to gather possession and gallop 70 metres for his fourth international try. Lambie nailed the conversion and did so again two minutes later after the outstanding le Roux fashioned a third Springbok try, breaking from deep before angling a kick to the right corner for Pietersen to celebrate his 50th cap with a five-point score. That left Scotland 21-0 down at the interval and facing a mountainous challenge. South Africa could afford to take their foot off the gas, with one eye on their trip to Paris, and still coast to victory. Their fourth try came in the 53rd minute, Oosthuizen scoring from a line-out drive in the left corner and Lambie once again converting. The biggest cheer from the home crowd came in the 61st minute when Gray was replaced by his 19-year-old brother Jonny, the Glasgow lock becoming Scotland’s first teenage cap since Henry Inglis in 1951. Scotland finish their November series against Australia at Murrayfield on Saturday. — AFP

Old heads, wise words bring All Blacks home again LONDON: Dan Carter made his 100th test appearance but was still only the fourth-highest capped player in the New Zealand team on Saturday and that case-hardened experience was key to their victory over a feisty England. After racing into a 17-3 lead after 17 minutes it looked as if the visitors were going to trample England into their own turf and gain ample revenge for last year’s 38-21 reverse — their only defeat in 33 previous matches. England, however, battled back superbly to lead 22-20 going into the final quarter, only for the All Blacks to regain control with winger Julian Savea’s second try of the match as they eventually triumphed 30-22. Having come through a similar scare before emerging victorious over France in Paris a week ago, it was another example of how the All Blacks’ combination of experience — their starting XV had over 800 caps between them — and ability to do the right things under pressure so often brings them home. “What happened today and last week in Paris, that mental fortitude, that is important and that’s what brought us through,” coach Steve Hansen told reporters after avoiding what would have been only the second defeat on his watch since he took over after the 2011 World Cup triumph. “We have a lot of experience but we have a few young players ourselves. The bench today too was massively important. It’s one of the things we talk about - that they are not there to make up the numbers, they are there to change things, or to lift the intensity. That happened today and there was a lot of energy and spark from those guys.” Captain Richie McCaw also played his part, gathering his

troops around him for a pep-talk as Owen Farrell was lining up the penalty that took England into the lead. “We just talked about how we needed to play some field position and look after the ball,” he said. “There’s no point worrying about blowing the lead, you have to stick to what you do next, hold on to the ball. Once we started to control that, and put some pressure on at lineout time, we got back some control and were able to get that try.” Saturday’s victory was New Zealand’s 13th from 13 games this year and they now travel to Dublin to play Ireland next week seeking a remarkable clean sweep. “We’ve given ourselves the opportunity but the key is not turning up thinking it will happen,” said McCaw. “It would be pretty nice in December to reflect on that and we have a week to get our minds right for that game.” Carter looks a doubt for the match having departed with an Achilles problem 26 minutes after leading the teams on to the pitch in golden boots embossed with “DC100”. “It was disappointing for him again, he’s had a wretched time with injuries, but he made a major contribution when he was on,” said Hansen. McCaw, who was winning his 123rd cap on Saturday, was also full of praise for the flyhalf, who missed the latter stages of the World Cup in 2011 through injury. “His contribution has been phenomenal,” he said. “I’ve played alongside him for a lot of those tests and as a captain that calm head he has makes my job a lot easier. “We take for granted how good he is, we expect great things every time, and he’s one of the reasons the All Blacks have had so much success in recent years.” — Reuters

Photo of the day

Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Miikka Anttilla (FIN) race during the FIA World Rally Championship in Salou, Spain on October 27, 2013. — www.redbull.com

Stenson wins in Dubai DUBAI: World number three Henrik Stenson blasted a final round 64 to clinch Dubai’s DP World Tour Championship yesterday, also topping Europe’s money list for 2013 after his six-stroke victory in the desert finale. The Swede, who followed up his triumph at the U.S. PGA Tour’s end-ofseason FedExCup in September, pocketed the $1.33 million first prize and an additional $1 million from the tour’s bonus prize pool. Victory in Dubai - his first on the European Tour this year caps an amazing turnaround for Stenson, who 12 months ago was ranked outside the world’s top 100. “Winning our final in Dubai in front of all my family and loads of friends, it’s a dream finish,” said Stenson. “There have been a lot of small bits and pieces I’ve addressed with my team and they deserve huge credit in my success,” he said, naming his caddy, coach, physio and psychologist. The 37-year-old began the day on 17-under, four shots ahead of Ian Poulter, his only realistic challenger for the Race to Dubai crown, formerly the European Order of Merit, while France’s Victor Dubuisson teed-off on 16-under. Earlier in the season, Poulter bet Stenson $100 at odds of 10-1 he could overtake his friend on the money list, but Sunday ’s conditions worked against the Englishman as a sand storm and swirling winds replaced the stifling clear skies of the first three days. Poulter made a dire start, bogeying the first to drop only his sixth shot of the entire tournament. The 2012 Ryder Cup hero recovered with successive birdies at holes 2-3, but was unable to pressure the serene Swede. “He’s my servant now,” said Stenson. “That’s the hardest I’ve had to work to win a $100 in my whole professional career. It was great, we pushed each other this whole final series - he was motivated and kept me

looking forward.” Stenson was unrelenting over four days on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course despite nursing a wrist injury. He ended the first round two shots off the lead, but ahead of his money list rivals and by the halfway stage he had moved a stroke clear of the field and was never really troubled. “I have to take my hat off to him,” said Poulter, 37. “I’ve tried to run him

He fluffed that eagle chance, but tapped in for a birdie to move to 22under. “It was mine to lose from there,” said Stenson, who eventually ended on 25-under par 263 following a finalhole eagle. “It’s tough when you’ve got a five or six-shot lead with only two or three holes to go because you probably would have to break your leg to mess that up, but you’ve still

DUBAI: Henrik Stenson of Sweden poses with his trophy after winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. — AFP down as hard as I possibly could, he’s been in incredible form the last six months and even today in the wind he kept his head down and pressed on through. “I couldn’t get close enough. He’s the best player on the planet right now.” On the final day in Dubai, Stenson crushed any fears he might falter with birdies on four of the opening seven holes. At the 12th, the Swede lofted an exquisite 190-yard iron to within a few feet of the pin in what he later described as his best shot of the year.

got to focus and try and play simple.” Poulter shook his head after successive pars at holes 14 and 15 and the world number 15’s disconsolate body language showed he knew his challenge was futile, even if he did sink birdies on the last two holes. Poulter (66) and Dubuisson (71) carded 269 and 271 respectively. Dutchman Joost Luiten scored a fourth round 66 to end 272, while Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (67) and English duo Luke Donald (67) and Lee Westwood (68) were tied on 273. — Reuters

Scott bags Australian Masters

LLANDUDNO: France’s Sebastien Ogier (right) and co-driver Julien Ingrassia (left) celebrate with the trophy after winning the Wales Rally GB, the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship. — AFP

Ogier caps season with Wales win LLANDUDNO: World champion Sebastien Ogier won the Wales Rally GB for the first time yesterday to crown an impressive debut season with Volkswagen. The Frenchman’s victory in the 13th and final round of the world championship was his ninth of the season. Only outgoing champion Sebastien Loeb, who won 10 out of 13 stages in 2005, can boast a better campaign record than his 29-year-old compatriot Ogier ’s team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala, winner of the last two editions of the British rally, was second,

the Finn finishing ahead of Thierry Neuville’s Ford Fiesta RS. Neuville’s podium place saw the Belgian clinch second position in a championship long since won by Ogier. “I’m so happy, and big thanks to the team once again-the car was perfect,” Ogier told WRC.com. “I came here knowing this rally was not the best for me in the past, and even with that we managed to win a battle with a team-mate who feels at home here,” added Ogier, whose previous best finish in Wales was the 11th place he managed in 2011. “It was another great victory for us

and the end of a perfect season. It’s going to be a hard challenge to do better next year.” Latvala, who finished 21.8 seconds behind his team-mate, said: “I’m disappointed because I won this rally in 2011 and 2012 and I was hungry for the third victory, but it didn’t work out this year. “Speed-wise it was good but there have been too many little mistakes, and a bit of hesitation. “It’s like I haven’t had the rhythm all the weekend. That’s the problem and that’s what I need to concentrate on next year. “The speed is there, that’s the main thing, now the rhythm needs to be right.” — AFP

MELBOURNE: World number two Adam Scott stood firm in the face of a fierce charge from Matt Kuchar to defend his home Australian Masters by two strokes yesterday as the American’s challenge crumbled over the closing holes. Overnight leader by four strokes, US Masters champion Scott had appeared poised to canter to victory on a breezy day at Royal Melbourne, but was forced to grind out the win as Kuchar roared into contention with a scintillating front nine. After forging two strokes clear by the time he reached the 16th tee, Kuchar fell back into a share of the lead with a bogey on the tough parfour and then handed the initiative to Scott with a double-bogey six after finding sand on the last. Playing a couple of groups behind the American, Scott was in no mood to give up the two-shot lead he suddenly inherited and was able to soak up the adulation of a massive home gallery when he tapped in a threefoot par putt on the last to seal victory. “I guess today, sometimes you kind of win a little bit ugly,” Scott told reporters after carding a scratchy even-par 71 for a 14-under total of 270 and a winner’s cheque worth A$186,000 ($174,100). “All of the good stuff I’d done in the first three rounds counted for a lot. “Even though it wasn’t the prettiest golf today... I got away with it, but I’ll have to learn not to do it next time.” Former world number one Vijay Singh, joint second overnight, was quickly out of the picture after toiling early, leaving the title to be decided by a shoot-out between Scott and Kuchar. Having played the famed sandbelt course with aplomb on the opening three days, Scott had trouble selecting

the right clubs and ground his way to the turn on even-par as Kuchar soared to four-under for the day. The 33-year-old Scott stumbled badly on the par-three 14th, his sand wedge off the tee coming up short and burying itself in a green-side bunker. Faced with a “fried egg” lie, Scott’s recovery raced off the green, leading to a double -bogey that handed Kuchar a two-stroke advantage. “That one was completely on me because (caddy) Steve ( Williams) wanted me to hit wedge but I just didn’t have the feel for a wedge,” Scott said. Unbowed, Scott bounced back with a birdie on the next hole to put the heat back on Kuchar and was a model of composure as he completed

the course with three straight pars. Wearing the winner’s ‘gold jacket’, Australia’s answer to the more prestigious green one given at Augusta, Scott beamed as he pondered his second title in a week following his Australian PGA Championship win at the Gold Coast last week. Scott has a chance to sweep all three of Australia’s marquee tournaments when he lines up at the national Open in Sydney later this month, but will return to Royal Melbourne in a few days to team up with compatriot Jason Day for the World Cup starting on Thursday. “Come back next week and see me and Jase,” Scott urged fans at the trophy presentation. “We’ll win the World Cup.” — Reuters

MELBOURNE: Adam Scott of Australia poses with the trophy after winning the Australian Masters golf tournament played at the Royal Melbourne course. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

S P ORTS

Vettel on pole as Red Bull sweep front row

MONACO: Jamaican track and field sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (second left) and Usain Bolt (second right) pose while holding their awards next to Prince Albert II of Monaco (left) and President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Lamine Diack (right) yesterday. — AFP

Bolt and Fraser-Pryce win 2013 World Athlete awards MONACO: Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were crowned male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013 by the sport’s governing IAAF at a ceremony in Monaco on Saturday. Bolt won gold in the 100 metres, 200 and 4x100 relay at the Moscow worlds in August to take his all-time tally to eight golds and two silvers at the championships, making him the most successful athlete in their history. The 27-year-old, who also has six Olympic gold medals and holds the 100 and 200 metres world records, won the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) award for the third season in a row and the fifth time in six years. “This season will be the one to go for the (200m) world record,” said Bolt, hinting that a time below 19 seconds was the target. His current world record is 19.19 seconds. Compatriot Fraser-Pryce claimed gold medals in the same three events in

Moscow, having previously won two golds and two silvers, and is also the Olympic sprint champion. The 26-year-old Fraser-Pryce collected her first female World Athlete of the Year award, and it was also the first time since Britain’s successes in 1993 that two athletes from the same country have won the awards in the same year. “I’m shocked and excited. It’s something that has been a dream of mine,” said FraserPryce, who becomes the second Jamaican woman to win the award after Merlene Ottey in 1990. Bolt and Fraser-Pryce also receive a prize of $100,000. The other male nominees were Ukraine high jumper Bohan Bondarenko and British distance runner Mo Farah, while New Zealand shot-putter Valerie Adams and Czech hurdler Zuzana Hejnova were short-listed for the women’s prize. — Reuters

Australia outclass Irish DUBLIN: Australia handed new Ireland coach Joe Schmidt his first defeat as they outclassed and outscored the hosts by four tries to none in an easy 32-15 victory at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday. Two tries from flanker Michael Hooper and one each for Nick Cummins and Quade Cooper, who added 12 points from his boot, saw Ewen McKenzie’s side follow up last week’s demolition of Italy after defeat against England earlier this month. “It’s a good night, a good performance and we need to go on and do the job for the next two,” Hooper said in a pitchside interview after the game, looking forward to the Wallabies’ final tour tests against Scotland and Wales. Cooper, left out in the cold under the previous regime when Australia hosted the British and Irish Lions earlier this year, opened the scoring with a ninth minute penalty before Jonathan Sexton levelled, capitalising on a huge drive by the Irish pack. Cooper spurned a second shot at goal minutes later but as was the case against Italy, he was at the heart of the Australian attack, finding hooker Stephen Moore in space whose one-handed pass allowed Cummins to dart in for a try. Schmidt warned last week that his side would be punished if they persisted to kick possession away and they were duly carved open again minutes later when another unlikely forward assist, this time a Scott Fardy reverse pass, sent Hooper over. Ireland responded well and went close to crossing the Australian line twice before Sexton, who uncharacteristically missed a penalty between the Australian tries, slotted over his next two opportunities to cut

the lead to 15-9. The second penalty saw Hooper sin binned, a victim of persistent Australian fouling and Sexton cut the deficit to just three points with another penalty just before the break. The Racing Metro flyhalf departed the pitch at halftime holding his hamstring, the injury that ended his Six Nations early this year, and he failed to emerge for the second half, replaced by his former Leinster understudy Ian Madigan. What little momentum was generated before the break went with him however and the second half performance was among Ireland’s worst in recent years. They were fortunate not to concede a quick try just after the restart when Cummins appeared to have touched down in the corner, with Cooper all set to add the conversion before the fourth official adjudged the winger to have knocked on. It mattered little as Cooper coasted all too easily between Madigan and the similarly inexperienced Luke Marshall to cross over and the addition of a conversion and penalty put the Aussies 12 points ahead again within 10 minutes of halftime. Madigan began to settle in, knocking over his first shot at goal but Ireland continued to kick the ball down the throat of fullback Israel Folau, superb as ever in the air, and the contest was put beyond doubt 13 minutes from time. Hooper’s second try proved the most straightforward of the evening as he emerged with the ball after the Australian pack piled over the line, although it nevertheless showed just how ruthless McKenzie’s men can be. —Reuters

Tendulkar feared career was over after tennis-elbow surgery MUMBAI: Recovering from a tennis-elbow injury was the most difficult phase in Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious cricket career with the master batsman fearing he would never be able to hold a bat again after surgery in 2005. The diminutive Indian bid an emotional farewell to the sport at his home Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, signing off as cricket’s most prolific run-scorer after a sparkling career that spanned almost a quarter of a century. Tendulkar was first diagnosed with the career-threatening injury in 2004 but continued to play through pain before being operated on a year later in London. “It’s always very difficult when you suffer injuries. Coincidentally my injuries were not common ones,” Tendulkar, sporting his navy blue India team blazer over a white shirt, told reporters yesterday. “There used to be different goals every time I made a comeback. It’s not possible to recover earlier than scheduled by just working harder in the gym.” The thought of giving up the sport for good crossed Tendulkar’s mind as he tried to get back on the field after the surgery. “It took four-and-a half months to recover after the surgery on my tennis elbow. The doctor asked if I would be able to play competitive cricket at all,” he said. “I could not even lift my son Arjun’s plastic bat. Kids aged 10-12 years had come to the ground for fielding the day I went to bat for the first time against a season (leather) ball. “I hit the balls hard but the kids were able to stop them within 10-15

yards. I thought ‘I cannot play anymore’.” Speaking to reporters in a packed conference hall at a hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea, Tendulkar said the fact he would never play competitive cricket again was yet to sink in for him. But he promised to remain associated with the game at certain levels. “I have played for 24 years and it has not been 24 hours yet and I believe I have earned at least 24 hours of rest,” the 40-year-old said, adding he woke up early as usual on Sunday just to realise it was needless. “Cricket is like oxygen for me and 30 years out of 40 I’ve played cricket, so that makes it 75 percent of my life. “I will remain associated with the game, may be not in the immediate future.” Tendulkar left the game after playing more test matches (200), scoring the most test (15,921) and one-day international (18,426) runs, and compiling more test (51) and one-day (49) hundreds than any other player in cricket history. He picked the victory in the 50-over World Cup at home in 2011 as the high point of his career. “I had to wait for 22 years. It was a special moment, also my last day in international cricket (Saturday),” added Tendulkar, who was joined by his wife Anjali at the news conference. “Biggest disappointment was losing in the 2003 World Cup final — we were playing so well but could not cross that final hurdle.” India, under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, reached the final of the World Cup in South Africa but lost to Australia in the championship match. — Reuters

AUSTIN: Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel seized pole position on Saturday for a US Grand Prix that could see him celebrate a record eighth successive win of the Formula One season. The 26-year-old German made sure of his 44th career pole with the last lap of the session, with Australian team mate Mark Webber having to settle for second on an all-Red Bull front row at the Circuit of the Americas. Yesterday’s race will be the eighth time this season that Vettel, who clinched his fourth successive driver’s title in India last month, has started from pole and the second straight year in Texas. If he wins, the champion will become the first driver to win eight races in a single season. The all-time record of nine in a row was set by Italian Alberto Ascari over the course of two seasons in 1952/53. He will also stay on course to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a season, with only Brazil to come after Austin and 11 victories already under his belt. “I’m trying not to think much about these things,” Vettel told reporters. “I think it is not the right mindset to go into a race thinking about a higher target than just the race. I’ve done well with that kind of approach so far so I don’t see any reason to change.” Vettel’s best lap of one minute 36.338 seconds was set under overcast skies in the dying seconds, with Webber threatening to take his third pole in four races. “Would have been good to get another one off Seb at the end with a few grey hairs - but didn’t happen, he did the lap,” said Webber, who will retire from F1 at the end of the season. “Anyway, I’m having no second thoughts (about retiring). “Good timing for me. Hand over to quicker guys.” The Red Bull one-two was a nice present from the two drivers to team principal Christian Horner, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Saturday and will hope to celebrate even more with a victory late yesterday. “Happy birthday to Christian,” a smiling Vettel told reporters. “Obviously a good result to have both cars in the front row for tomorrow. “It was very close with Mark, he seemed to get closer and closer the longer the weekend went on. Fortunately I could just manage to stay ahead. “I really like this place, I like the circuit and looking forward to tomorrow.” Frenchman Romain Grosjean, still chasing his first win, put Lotus third on the grid -

AUSTIN: McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Jenson Button races during the qualifying session for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas yesterday. — AFP but seven tenths slower than Webber - with Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg a fine fourth for Sauber. Mercedes Lewis Hamilton, a winner in Texas last year for McLaren, will start fifth alongside Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who hurt his back in Abu Dhabi and was only given the all-clear to race after a medical on Thursday. Hamilton’s German team mate Nico Rosberg could manage only 14th place but will move up two after penalties are applied to others above him. Heikki Kovalainen, the Finn who is replacing compatriot Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus for the last two races after the departing 2007 champion pulled out to have back surgery, continued to impress. Making his first appearance in the final phase of qualifying since he was at McLaren in 2009, he qualified eighth. McLaren’s season of suffering continued, with 2009 world champion Jenson Button missing the final cut.

Although the Briton qualified 13th, he will start even further back on the grid after being handed a three place penalty for passing under a red flag during Friday’s opening practice session.Mexico’s Sergio Perez, who was told by McLaren only this week that he would not be driving for the team next season, gave the team a reminder of his talent with seventh place that equalled his season’s best. There were more penalties handed out after qualifying with Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez hit with a 10 place grid drop after impeding Williams driver Pastor Maldonado, who failed to get through the first phase. Marussia’s Max Chilton was handed a drive-through penalty for impeding in the same session and must serve it during the first five laps of late yesterday’s race. Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas brought smiles to struggling former champions Williams with ninth place on the grid. — Reuters

Bulls knock off Pacers

CHICAGO: Luol Deng scored 23 points, Derrick Rose added 20 points and the Chicago Bulls knocked off the NBA’s last unbeaten team with a 110-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. Taj Gibson had 15 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, which won its fourth straight game behind 11-of-19 shooting from 3-point range. Rose was 6 for 11 from beyond the arc in 30 minutes after missing a game with a sore right hamstring. Roy Hibbert led Indiana with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Paul George, who averaged 24.6 points per game coming in, was held to 12 points. Indiana was the NBA’s first 9-0 team since the 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks, who won 14 games to start the season.

scored seven straight points on three possessions in overtime to give the Cavaliers the lead for good. He later added an 18-foot jumper to match his career high and finish 14 of 28 from the floor and 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Earl Clark hit three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, finishing with 11 points. Tristan Thompson added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and center Andrew Bynum made his second start in as many years, contributing six points and three rebounds. John Beal scored 28 points for Washington, Nene added 24 points and seven rebounds, and John Wall had nine points and 12 assists. TIMBERWOLVES 106, CELTICS 88 Kevin Love had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Nikola Pekovic had 20 points and 12 boards to lead Minnesota. Kevin Martin scored 20 on 6-for-18 shooting and Dante Cunningham scored 12 off the bench to help the Timberwolves rebound from a tough loss in Denver the previous night. Avery Bradley scored 27 points and Vitor Faverani had nine points and 14 rebounds for Boston. But Jeff Green went 0 for 6 from the floor and the Celtics’ 22 turnovers led to 28 points for the Timberwolves. The Celtics have lost three in a row following a four-game winning streak.

HEAT 97, BOBCATS 81 LeBron James scored 30 points to help Miami beat Charlotte for the 13th straight time. With Mario Chalmers suspended, Chris Bosh limited due to foul trouble, Ray Allen out with the flu and Dwyane Wade a non-factor, James came up big for the Heat. The fourtime MVP was 13 of 18 from the field and had seven assists in his eighth 20-point game this season. Michael Beasley added 15 points for the Heat, winners of six of their last seven overall. Kemba Walker had 22 points to lead the Bobcats, who shot 35 percent from the field. Jeffery Taylor scored 14 points and has now finished in double digits in six of his last seven games. CLIPPERS 110, NETS 103 Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, JJ Redick added 26 points and Los Angeles rallied to beat short-handed Brooklyn to impove to 5-0 at home. DeAndre Jordan had 16 rebounds, Chris Paul added 12 points and 13 assists, and Jamal Crawford had seven of his 13 points in the fourth for the Clippers, who kept the Nets winless against them in Los Angeles since Nov. 15, 2010. The Nets played without injured starters Kevin Garnett, Brook Lopez, Paul Pierce and Deron Williams, leaving Joe Johnson as the only regular in the lineup. Andray Blatche and Mason Plumlee scored 19 points each, and Alan Anderson had 15 for the Nets, who fell to 1-5 on the road under rookie coach Jason Kidd. ROCKETS 122, NUGGETS 111 Dwight Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 21/2minute stretch, to lead Houston past Denver. Chandler Parsons added 20 points and James Harden had 17 for the Rockets, who never trailed and led by as many as 23. The Nuggets tried to get back in it with about 51/2 minutes left by using the “Hack-aHoward” defense, intentionally fouling the center every time Houston had the ball. The plan backfired and Howard, who entered the game shooting 49 percent from the line, finished 17 of 24 on free throws. Ty Lawson had 28 points and a career-high 17 assists to lead Denver. MAVERICKS 108, MAGIC 100 Monta Ellis had 19 points and eight assists to help Dallas win at Orlando for the eighth straight time. Dirk Nowitzki and DeJuan Blair added 18 apiece for the Mavericks. Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 25 points and four assists. Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and eight rebounds and Jameer Nelson added 15. Orlando trimmed a 15-point first-half deficit to 91-87 after Vucevic’s layup with 6:58 left in the game. The Magic had chances to get closer, but Vucevic missed another layup attempt, rookie guard Victor Oladipo committed back-to-back turnovers and Afflalo missed a jumper. Shawn Marion ended Dallas’ drought with a 3-pointer from the corner, the Mavs first points in nearly four minutes. A 3 from Nowitzki stretched the lead to 100-91 with 3:10 left and the Magic never got closer. WARRIORS 102, JAZZ 88 Klay Thompson scored 25 points, Andre Iguodala had 16 points and six rebounds, and Golden State built a big lead before holding off Utah for its third straight victory. Stephen Curry added 15 points and 11 assists and Andrew Bogut had 12 points and 11 rebounds to help the Warriors go ahead by 19 points late in the second quarter. The Jazz came back within seven in the third quarter before Golden State pulled away. Backup center Jermaine O’Neal left the game early

CHICAGO: CJ Miles No. 0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers knocks the ball away from Derrick Rose No. 1 of the Chicago Bulls as Tristan Thompson No. 13 defends at the United Center. — AFP in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury. He was helped off the floor and did not return. Derrick Favors finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Gordon Hayward and Marvin Williams each scored 14 for the Jazz, who fell to an NBA-worst 1-10. HAWKS 110, KNICKS 90 Jeff Teague scored 16 points to lead eight players in double figures, and Atlanta sent New York to a fifth straight home loss. Paul Millsap, back in the starting lineup, had 14 points and 13 rebounds as the Hawks shot 56 percent and won for the fourth time in five games. They avenged the loss during that span, a 95-91 Knicks victory in Atlanta on Wednesday. This was at Madison Square Garden, where New York hasn’t won since beating Milwaukee on Oct. 30 in its season opener, and where the fans are getting restless. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and 12 rebounds for New York. Andrea Bargnani added 16 points and nine boards. CAVALIERS 103, WIZARDS 96 Kyrie Irving scored nine of his 41 points in overtime to help Cleveland snap a three-game skid. Irving

PELICANS 135, 76ERS 98 Anthony Davis had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks in less than three quarters, helping New Orleans emphatically snap a three-game skid.Ryan Anderson scored 26 points- hitting six 3pointers - in his return from a broken toe that sidelined him for New Orleans’ first nine games. He scored 14 points in his first 14 minutes, helping the Pelicans build a 30-point lead in the first half. New Orleans point guard Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 12 assists against the team that traded him for injured rookie big man Nerlens Noel during the first round of last summer’s draft. Tony Wroten led the Sixers with 19 points, but Philadelphia offered little resistance, allowing New Orleans to shoot 62 percent through three quarters, when the Pelicans led 103-66. THUNDER 92, BUCKS 79 Russell Westbrook scored 26 points and Kevin Durant added 24 as Oklahoma City snapped a twogame skid. The Thunder were coming off back-to-back road losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. Serge Ibaka had 15 points and equaled a career high with 20 rebounds. OJ Mayo scored 22 points for the Bucks, losers of five straight who continue to play short-handed because of injuries. Oklahoma City took control with an 11-4 run to end the third quarter - playing with reserves for much of that stretch - and led 72-65 going into the fourth. —AP

NBA results/standings Miami 97, Charlotte 81; Dallas 108, Orlando 100; Cleveland 103, Washington 96 (OT); Atlanta 110, NY Knicks 90; Chicago 110, Indiana 94; Houston 122, Denver 111; Minnesota 106, Boston 88; New Orleans 135, Philadelphia 98; Oklahoma City 92, Milwaukee 79; Golden State 102, Utah 88; LA Clippers 110, Brooklyn 103. Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L Philadelphia 5 6 4 6 Toronto Boston 4 7 NY Knicks 3 6 Brooklyn 3 6 Central Division Indiana 9 1 5 3 Chicago Detroit 3 5 Cleveland 4 7 Milwaukee 2 7 Southeast Division Miami 7 3 6 4 Atlanta Charlotte 5 5 Orlando 4 6 Washington 2 7

PCT .455 .400 .364 .333 .333

GB 0.5 1 1 1

.900 .625 .375 .364 .222

3 5 5.5 6.5

.700 .600 .500 .400 .222

1 2 3 4.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Portland 7 2 6 3 Oklahoma City Minnesota 7 4 Denver 4 5 Utah 1 10 Pacific Division LA Clippers 7 3 Golden State 7 3 Phoenix 5 4 LA Lakers 4 7 Sacramento 2 6 Southwest Division San Antonio 9 1 Houston 7 4 Dallas 6 4 Memphis 4 5 New Orleans 4 6

.778 .667 .636 .444 .091

1 1 3 7

.700 .700 .556 .364 .250

1.5 3.5 4

.900 .636 .600 .444 .400

2.5 3 4.5 5

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

S P ORT S

Italy await for jubilant Nigeria

MIAMI GARDENS: Neymar No. 10 of Brazil moves the ball around Wilson Palacios No. 8 of Honduras in the first half during a friendly match at Sun Life Stadium. — AFP

Brazil hammer Honduras MIAMI: Brazil turned on the style in the second half to score four goals and hammer Honduras 5-0 in a friendly in Miami on Saturday. Bernard, Dante, Maicon, Willian and Hulk scored for the Brazilians, who took their time to settle but ran out comfortable winners. Substitute Robinho stood out in the second half in his first international appearance in two years. “I was happy with the way we played, we were very good, and it was great for me to come back and play like this,” said Robinho, who hit the post with a lovely strike. “We thoroughly deserved the win and I’m delighted.” Honduras took the game to Brazil in the early stages and put in some aggressive tackling, particularly against Barcelona striker Neymar. But as the game went on Brazil gradually took control, with Paulinho particularly prominent in midfield and David Luiz leading from the back. Brazil opened the scoring in the 21st

minute when Paulinho took possession on the right and delivered an inviting low cross for Bernard to strike home from eight yards. Brazil doubled their lead in the 54th minute when a Dante header hit two Honduran defenders, wrong footed goalkeeper Valladares and rolled into the net. Brazil’s third was similarly scrappy, Valladares parrying a Paulinho shot only as far as Maicon, who had the easiest of tap ins in the 65th minute. Substitute Hulk had been on the field just three minutes when he provided a cut back for Willian to score his first international goal with a side foot finish from 12 yards out. Hulk himself completed the rout in the 73rd minute when he finished a wonderful team move by curling a left foot shot into the corner of the net. Brazil now travel to Toronto, where on Tuesday they play Chile, 2-0 victors over England on Friday. —Reuters

Root keen to face new Test batting challenge SYDNEY: Joe Root insists he has no problems dropping down England’s batting order for this week’s Ashes series opener against Australia to accommodate in-form Michael Carberry as opener. The young Yorkshireman is expected to be named at number six for England in Thursday’s first Test at Brisbane’s Gabba after Carberry’s fine start to their Australian tour. Carberry cemented his claims for a second Test cap by reaching half-centuries in all three warm-up matches, including an unbeaten 153 against Australia A in Hobart. Carberry’s latest knock of 50 off 71 balls Saturday helped steer the tourists to a seven-wicket win over a Cricket Australia Invitational XI in Sydney. The batting shift does not appear to have hurt Root, who scored 75 in England’s first innings total of 418 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and he said he had no problem dropping down the order. “I’m not that egotistical,” the 22-year-old said after Saturday’s win. “I just want to represent England. “To get an opportunity to bat down the order is a different challenge, but one I’m really looking forward to. Playing for England is the main thing for me.” Root was exposed by the Australian bowling attack when opening the batting in the last Ashes series. Although he scored 180 in the second innings at Lord’s he made only one more half-century in his other nine

knocks in the July-August series when opening with skipper Alastair Cook. “I definitely learnt a lot from it and I’ve got a lot of things out of it,” he said. “There are parts of my game I’ve worked hard on from last (English) summer... hopefully I can become a better player for it.” Root was all praise for what Hampshire opener Carberry has achieved so far in Australia. “If you look at Michael Carberry’s tour so far, he has played exceptionally well and scored a huge amount of runs and been in very good form,” he said. “It’s hard to ignore that. As far as the team is concerned it’s very exciting.” Root, who had an X-ray after being hit on the finger in his first-innings 75 but was cleared of any break, is confident he can make a good fist of batting down the order. “The basics are pretty similar,” he said. “There is still a guy 22 yards away throwing a ball at you. The second new ball is another challenge-and if that opportunity comes I hope I can manage it well and do a job for the team.” Opener Ed Cowan, who has been passed over by Australia for this week’s Test, believes Root’s ability and the experience gained at the top of the order have him primed to dominate at six, like the retired Mike Hussey did for Australia. “Like we saw with Mike Hussey’s career I think it’s a nice spot to bat at number six if you have had experience against a new ball before,” Cowan said. —AFP

TOKYO: Hitomi Nakamichi of Japan dives to receive the ball during the FIVB volleyball women’s Grand Champions Cup match against Brazil. — AFP

LONDON: Nigeria will have precious little time to celebrate their qualification for the World Cup, with a friendly game against European heavyweights Italy scheduled to take place in London today. The fixture at Fulham’s Craven Cottage stadium will kick off a little over 48 hours after the African champions won 2-0 against Ethiopia in Calabar on Saturday to qualify for next year’s football extravaganza in Brazil. Given the prohibitive timeframe, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is expected to use today’s match to test the depth of his squad, but his players are eager to finish the year in positive fashion. “This is an important game for us as we begin our buildup to next year’s World Cup and so we have to take it very seriously,” said Sporting Braga left-back Elderson Echiejile. “A good result against one of the top teams in the world will also help our FIFA ranking leading up to the main draw for the World Cup.” Nigeria will hope to draw inspiration from their only previous meeting with Italy, which took place at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Appearing at the tournament for the first time, Nigeria came within two minutes of a stunning victory over Arrigo Sacchi’s side in a last-16 tie in Massachusetts, only for Roberto Baggio to force extra time with an 88th-minute equaliser before settling the game from the penalty spot. Italy went on to lose the final to Brazil, Baggio missing the decisive spot-kick in a penalty shootout, but Nigeria are now seasoned World Cup campaigners and will be appearing at their fifth tournament next year. Beaten semi-finalists at this year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, where Nigeria went out in the group phase, Italy are bidding to return to winning ways after a run of three successive draws. They drew 1-1 with Germany in Milan on Friday, but coach Cesare Prandelli says that his side have a long way to go before they can be considered World Cup contenders. “At the World Cup we can do unbelievable things, but we can’t say we’ll be going to Brazil to win the title, nor that we are the strongest team. We’re really not,” he said. “We’re a good squad, but we need to be humble, all of us, and we need to have optimal physical condition on the pitch. “If we have these ingredients, if we know how to take our chances, then we can play some top-quality games.” Mario Balotelli has gone six games without scoring for club and country, but Prandelli has backed the 23-year-old AC Milan striker to rediscover his scoring touch. “He’s not happy when he doesn’t score,” said the Azzurri coach. “I told the lad he did well (against Germany), but he wasn’t satisfied. That’s just the way he is.” Balotelli is likely to have a new strike partner against Nigeria, with in-form Fiorentina frontman Giuseppe Rossi expected to come in for Dani Osvaldo after flu-like symptoms kept him on the bench at San Siro. However, Juventus centre-back Andrea Barzagli will miss the game with an adductor injury. — AFP

Elderson Echiejile

From bedsit to Brazil for England’s Townsend LONDON: Rising England star Andros Townsend need only recall the days of eating furtively prepared pasta dinners in a spartan hotel room to appreciate the position he is in today. After a stunning introduction to international football, the Tottenham Hotspur winger has his sights set on next year’s World Cup in Brazil, but his path to the top has been unique in its circuitousness. Aged 17, he joined third-tier Yeovil Town for the first of nine loan spells that would include stints at Leyton Orient, Milton Keynes Dons, Ipswich Town, Watford, Millwall, Leeds United, Birmingham City and Queens Park Rangers. In Yeovil, an unglamourous market town in southwest England, Townsend and hotel roommate Jonathan Obika-another Spurs loanee-smuggled in an electric stove in order to maintain a healthy diet. “We went so young,” recalls Townsend, who is expected to start in England’s friendly against Germany tomorrow. “We were so young, naive and professional. We wanted to do everything right and make our loan successful. “We took an electric stove and we used to take turns to cook for each other, and clean for each other. It was a humble beginning, really. “I just cooked the basics-pasta, anything pasta-

based I could do.” It was the beginning of a haphazard introduction to professional football for the youngster, but by then he had already been given a taste of the ups and downs to come. A member of the youth set-up at Spurs from the age of eight, Townsend was informed in his midteens that the club had decided to release him-only to be told a day later that he had been reprieved. “I’ve grown up a Spurs fan and I’ve always wanted to play for Spurs, so to be told you’re not good enough is obviously heart-breaking,” he says. “But then, 24 hours later, I was back in, so I was delighted, and I wanted to take that second chance and not let it go again.” The road ahead was no less undulating, however, and by the time he was loaned to QPR in January this year, he had made only 15 first-team appearances for Spurs. Though QPR were ultimately relegated, Townsend’s time at Loftus Road proved a success, but he returned to Spurs to find the club ambitiously stock-piling players in a bid to return to the Champions League. “I think it was last-chance saloon for me,” he says. “You see they were spending money on various different wingers, so I knew when I got the chance I’d have to take it, and thankfully I did.”

With Aaron Lennon sidelined by a foot injury and record signing Erik Lamela being eased into life in north London, Townsend, now 22, took hold of the right-wing position at Spurs with both hands. And when his form was rewarded with a first England cap against Montenegro last month, he produced a man-of-the-match display crowned with a fine goal in a 4-1 win that took Roy Hodgson’s side to the brink of World Cup qualification. Townsend watched the last World Cup as a fan during a family holiday in Cyprus, but although he accepts that he now has a “foot through the door”, he does not want to get carried away with dreams of the Copacabana. “Obviously when you’re a youngster, when you’re at school in the playground, you pretend you’re at the World Cup; you pretend you’re at the World Cup final, taking the winning penalty,” he says. “You go to bed at night dreaming of lifting the World Cup. I’m no different to any youngster, but I think now it’s a genuine possibility, I don’t think I’ve allowed myself to think about it or talk about it. “I’m with the England squad now and the main aim of us being here is to impress the manager to try and get in the squad. “Of course everyone thinks about it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.” — AFP

Coach Falcioni quits All Boys BUENOS AIRES: Julio Cesar Falcioni has resigned as All Boys’ coach after one win in their last eight matches. All Boys led Lanus 2-0 at halftime at their Malvinas Argentinas ground on Saturday, with two goals from striker Mauro Matos, but ended up losing 3-2 and provoking Falcioni’s decision to quit. Lanus, on a run of five victories, are in a tight bunch of teams challenging for the title in Argentina’s “Inicial” championship, first of two in the season, two points behind new leaders San Lorenzo. Boca Juniors can join the Saints at the top on 30 points from 16 matches if they win at fifthplaced Arsenal later on Sunday while title holders Newell’s Old Boys, who have 29, can reclaim the lead by winning at lowly Tigre on Monday. “After the 3-2 defeat by Lanus, Julio Cesar Falcioni presented his irreversible resignation. The trainer decided to leave the club and told president Roberto Bugallo directly,” All Boys said on their website (caallboys.com.ar). They said reser ve team coach Cristian Lovrinsevich would stand in as interim coach for All Boys, who are fighting to avoid relegation at the end of the “Final” championship in May. Relegation is measured in a table of teams’ average points over three seasons with All Boys in the bottom three. Uruguayan striker Santiago “Tank” Silva, who played for the Banfield team Falcioni led to the Apertura title in 2009, scored twice as Lanus came back against All Boys before Lautaro Acosta struck their winner in the 78th minute. “In the fifth minute (of the second half ), when the team had already hit the post, I realised their attitude was different. It was more the merit of the players that what I could have said (at halftime),” said Lanus coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto. “We went into the match lacking concentration, asleep and lost our way but luckily we managed to turn it round in the second half,” he told reporters. Falcioni also won the Apertura with Boca in

Julio Cesar Falcioni 2011 but was never popular with the Bombonera faithful and the club did not renew his contract last year, bringing back record titlewinning coach Carlos Bianchi. Matos is now top of the scorers’ list with eight goals with Silva joint second on seven. San Lorenzo beat Belgrano 4-2 at their Nuevo Gasometro ground in a thriller, going two up in

the opening nine minutes before the visitors pulled level after an hour. Midfielder Ignacio Piatti, in fine form since returning to Argentina from Italy’s Lecce last year, restored San Lorenzo’s lead with a penalty in the 62nd and former Nantes, Toulouse and Palermo defender Mauro Cetto secured the win with Saints’ fourth. — Reuters

Salmiya SC ink Al-Rashidi By A Saleh KUWAIT: Salmiya sports club dealt Al-Arabi club a blow when it acquired Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Khalid Al-Rashidi, who preferred Salmiya over his former club Al-Arabi. Salmiya paid KD 450,000 (over $1.5 million) for the transfer. The deal was sealed after Al-Arabi officials were slow to respond to Forest

President Fawaz Al-Hasawi, who said the transfer was at the wish of the player himself. “I dealt with Al-Rashidi’s transfer professionally as FIFA laws are very clear towards this issue and no one can force a player to play with a club without his approval. As Al-Rashidi wanted to go to Salmiya, it was imperative that Nottingham accepted Salmiya’s official request,” Hasawi noted.

BoltandFraser-Pryce win 2013 World Athlete awards

Stenson wins in Dubai

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Vettel on pole as Red Bull sweep front row

Page 18

BELGRADE: Czech Rebublic’s team members hold the Davis Cup after winning the last singles Davis Cup tennis match finals between Czech Republic and Serbia at the Kombank Arena in Belgrade. —AFP

Czechs beat Serbia to retain Davis Cup BELGRADE: The Czech Republic retained the Davis Cup after Radek Stepanek beat outclassed Serbian youngster Dusan Lajovic in the decisive fifth final rubber in straight sets yesterday. The 44th-ranked, 34-year-old Stepanek beat the 23year-old Lajovic, world number 117, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in under two hours, handing the Czechs an overall 3-2 win. On the hardcourt of the Belgrade Arena, the Czech Republic, playing the third Davis Cup final in five years, scored a ninth straight victory in Davis Cup ties. “I was under the biggest pressure that can be,” said a jubilant Stepanek. “We are one of only five teams that have defended the cup.” “I want to say how proud I am to be with these lads. They are absolutely great, they deserved to win the trophy,” said interim Czech captain Vladimir Safarik, who replaced an ill Jaroslav Navratil for the final. His counterpart Bogdan Obradovic admitted that his

emotions were “mixed” as 2010 champions Serbia “tried to do our best” despite being weakened considerably. Lajovic replaced 36th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic, out with a heel injury, and Serbia also missed 76th-ranked Viktor Troicki over a doping ban. Lajovic, who has lost all four ATP-level matches he has played this year, started the decisive rubber in high spirits, breaking Stepanek’s very ﬁrst serve. But his enthusiasm was short-lived as the Czech veteran, betting on patience and changing the rhythm of his play at will, broke Lajovic’s next two serves to win the set. Clad in his lucky blue t-shirt emblazoned with a lion design-which Andy Murray’s mother Judy described as “staggeringly bad” on Saturday-Stepanek raced to take the next two sets in style. Casting desperate looks around him, Lajovic let his game crumble and allowed Stepanek to enjoy the ovations

from a noisy group of Czechs in the sold-out arena. “I controlled the rubber except in the first game, and I played in the best form of my life the whole weekend,” said Stepanek. Lajovic admitted he found it hard to predict Stepanek’s moves. “I think it was his biggest advantage in this match.” Earlier, Serbia’s world number two Novak Djokovic forced the decisive rubber as he beat seventh-ranked Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 for his 24th victory in a row. Propelled by a noisy home crowd, Djokovic relied on his serve, while Berdych tried to indulge him in long exchanges, combining a fast forehand with a wicked sliced backhand. “It was very emotional, both of us got into the match with a lot of pressure because of the importance of the game,” Djokovic said. Djokovic earned ten break points against none for Berdych in the first set and finally converted his fourth set

Olympic dream still flickering for China’s Pang and Tong

Cameroon book World Cup spot YAOUNDE: Two second half goals from Jean Makoun saw Cameroon to a comfortable 4-1 win over Tunisia to book their place in the World Cup finals for an African record seventh time yesterday. In the Yaounde sunshine, Cameroon wasted no time in taking the advantage after last month’s goalless first leg in Rades. There were just three minutes on the clock when Pierre Webo pounced on a defensive mix-up by the Tunisians, firing across goal, the ball bouncing in off the post. But it took a majestic goal on the halfhour by Benjamin Moukandjo to give the Indomitable Lions breathing space as Tunisia paid the price for sitting back and letting the home side carry the game to them. Moukandjo, brought in to add width and pace on the left, produced just that, collecting the ball and with a burst of speed, glided through three defenders and fired an unstoppable shot past Moez Ben Charifa from the edge of the area. But his over-exuberant celebrations, which saw him rip off his shirt and race in to the crowd, brought him a booking. There seemed no way back for Tunisia

and they did nothing in the first half to test Charles Itandje in the Cameroon goal, whose heroics in Rades set them up for the second leg. The visitors’ only significant foray forward saw Wissem Ben Yahia swing in a freekick from the right side only for the unmarked Syam Ben Youssef at the back post to head over with the goal at his mercy. Tunsia’s Dutch coach Ruud Krol, who was drafted in at the last minute to fire up the team for the return leg, appeared to have pulled off a masterstroke by throwing on striker Ahmed Akaichi as a half-time substitute for Amine Chermiti. Just four minutes into the half Akaichi produced a perfect finish, chasing a long through ball and powering a first-time volley beyond the reach of Itandje from the edge of the area. But Makoun restored the Lions’ twogoal advantage, rising above the defence to head home Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s corner in the 65th minute and wrapped it up four minutes from time when he slotted home the rebound after substitute Eric Choupo Moting’s shot hit the post. — AFP

point for a 6-4 lead. He went on to take the second set in tie-break after letting off some steam and destroying a racquet, and before taking the third set in style, 6-2. Berdych admitted that Djokovic’s victory was deserved. “I tried to hold on to him from the beginning to the end but it wasn’t enough,” he said. “He’s in an excellent shape, he plays great tennis and moreover in front of such a crowd.” In Friday’s singles, Djokovic beat Stepanek 7-5, 6-1, 6-4, and Berdych then saw off Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. On Saturday, Berdych and Stepanek won the 14th of their 15 Davis Cup doubles rubbers together as they swept Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). A year ago, the Czechs beat Spain 3-2 in Prague for their first triumph as an independent country with Stepanek again winning the decisive final rubber. Former Czechoslovakia, which split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, won the cup in 1980. — AFP

YAOUNDE: Cameroon’s forward Jean Makoun waves a Cameroonian flag as he celebrates qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after winning the second leg qualifying football match between Cameroon and Tunisia. —AFP

PARIS: Chinese veterans Pang Qing and Tong Jian admitted that they were still dreaming of an Olympic pairs figure skating gold despite the odds being stacked against them of taking the title at the Sochi Games. Pang, 33, and Tong, 34, who started skating together as six-year-olds, are also a couple in life having got engaged last year when Tong proposed during an ice show in China. Over a career spanning 20 years the 2006 and 2010 world champions have won every major title possible apart from the Olympic gold. In Vancouver the pair from Harbin chose the music ‘Impossible Dream’ for their free skate and it inspired a silver medal. That led them to chose ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Miserables for their final season. “In 2010 we chose the music ‘Impossible Dream’,” explained Tong, after the couple won their first Trophee Bompard Grand Prix title in Paris this weekend on their sixth attempt. In Vancouver the music helped them set a new world record for the free skate and take silver behind fellow Chinese Xue Shen and Zhao Hongbo, who won thanks to their world record short programme as China broke Russia’s 46-year Olympic gold medal streak in pairs. “This is our final dream. It’s our final season and we know it’s going to be very diffi-

cult if not impossible to have gold. But we try to put our heart into skating so that is why we’ve chosen this music.” The Chinese pair, who have often been written oﬀ, have not been on the world podium since their bronze medal in 2011. Among their main rivals in Sochi will be Germany’s four-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, the Olympic bronze medallists, and reigning world champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia. They will match themselves against their rivals at the ISU Grand Prix ﬁnal in Japan next month after booking their ticket with their Paris win and a silver in the Cup of China two weeks ago. Tong admitted that he would have to iron out errors in both programmes after he fell on a triple toeloop during their routines. Despite the glitches, the Olympic silver medallists scored their season’s best 126.17 points for the free skate and 193.86 overall for their fifth medal in the French capital. Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won silver and American Caydee Denney and John Coughlin the bronze. After retiring Tong said the couple were hoping to study languages, but hoped to remain within the world of skating as judges or technical advisors to the sport. — AFP

Business

Gold price falls to $1,290 per ounce Page 22

Dubai says Expo 2020 would boost turmoil-hit region

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim now operational

Page 23 The Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG: Pushing the limits of speed Page 26 Page 25

DUBAI: Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, middle right, listens to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation (center left), during the opening day of the Dubai Airshow in Dubai yesterday. —AP

Emirates, flydubai place $110bn jet orders Flydubai’s $11.4bn deal largest Boeing single-aisle aircraft purchase in Mideast By Velina Nacheva DUBAI/KUWAIT: It was a historic day for the aviation industry yesterday when Emirates, the world’s largest international airline and flydubai, Dubai’s low-cost carrier, announced aircraft orders valued at $110 billion. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum who is Chairman of flydubai and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, revealed the news about the aircraft orders during a press conference held on the sidelines of the 13th edition of Dubai Airshow that opened at Dubai World Central yesterday. Emirates placed a record order for 150 Boeing 777X valued at $ 76 billion and an additional 50 Airbus A380 aircraft valued at $ 23 billion. Flydubai announced commitment for an order for up to 111 Boeing aircraft valued at $11.4 billion. Emirates’ Boeing and Airbus orders, worth an estimated $99 billion at list prices, present the largest ever aircraft order in civil aviation. Flydubai’s fleet expansion On occasion of the flydubai order AlMaktoum was quoted in a press release saying, “flydubai recognized, in 2008, the growing demand for travel to and from Dubai and ordered 50 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Four and a half years later, today’s commitment for an order for up to 111 aircraft from Boeing signifies the strength of flydubai’s business model and the still untapped opportunity to connect previously underserved markets to Dubai. flydubai will continue to contribute to the growth of trade and tourism in the UAE, an internationally established centre for aviation.” Commenting on the choice of aircraft, Sheikh Ahmed said: “The decision to order the Boeing 737 MAX represents the largest commitment to order a single-aisle Boeing aircraft in the Middle East and this acquisition will support flydubai’s ambitions going forward.” In only four and a half years flydubai has built up a network of more than 65 destinations, served by a fleet of 33 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The remaining aircraft from its 2008 order will be completed by 2015. Flydubai’s order yesterday includes up to 100 Boeing 737 MAX and up to 11 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s. The first aircraft, Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s from yesterday’s order, will be delivered between 2016 and 2017. Deliveries of the first Boeing 737 MAX will commence in the second half of 2017 and continue until the end of 2023. As one of the most reliable and efficient

single-aisle aircraft models of its type currently available today it will support flydubai’s continued growth. Addressing the press conference Ray Conner, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, “This order is a remarkable milestone for Boeing. Not only is it the largest single-aisle order for Boeing in the Middle East, but more importantly, we are extremely proud of the confidence that flydubai continues to place in our products with an allBoeing fleet. We look forward to continue strengthening this partnership and see our NextGeneration 737-800s and subsequently the 737 MAX play a central role in flydubai’s rapid expansion plans.” Emirates’ Boeing 777X order is the single largest aircraft order by value in the history of US commercial aviation, and the additional A380 order cements Emirates, already the largest operator of this aircraft type, as the principle customer for the A380 worldwide. Yesterday’s orders bring Emirates’ order book to 385 aircraft, comprising 214 Boeing 777s, 101 Airbus A380s, and 70 A350s, at a total estimated value of $ 166 billion. Sheikh Ahmed said: “Air transport is a key enabler of world trade, and we see that demand for aviation services will continue to grow globally. What we are announcing today is a continuation of our commitment and vision to connect the world through our efficient hub in the Middle East. Emirates aircraft orders today, with deliveries of the 777X scheduled to start in 2020, will take us to 2025 and beyond - replacing aircraft due for retirement and providing the foundation for future growth.” Shopping race on The strategic geographical position at the crossroad between the East and the West and the ever increasing demand for air travel are a boon for the exponential growth of Gulf carriers. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways also made announcements for aircraft orders further demonstrating the strong demand for aircraft in the Middle East that are necessary to meet the region’s exponential traffic growth. Qatar Airways yesterday placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft in an agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow 2013. The airline’s CEO Al Baker announced an order of 50 aircraft These new aircraft will complement the airline’s rapidly growing network, which includes more than 40 routes that have dedicated freighter services. Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options - which

DUBAI: UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum followed by Emirati officials and international delegations arrive for the opening day of 12th edition of the Dubai Airshow in Dubai yesterday. — AP On occasion of the order, James Hogan, Airways to serve ultra-long haul routes such as would make today’s deal potentially worth over President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Abu Dhabi - Los Angeles more efficiently than $2.8 billion at list prices for a total of 13 aircraft. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the Airways, said: “This is a significant, timely and any aircraft in service today. It replaces and United Arab Emirates, announced an order for 56 essential order for us, as we celebrate our tenth improves upon the existing Boeing 777-200LR new Boeing wide-body aircraft, with options and anniversary and plan for our next decade and aircraft, currently the longest range airliner in purchase rights for a further 26, to support its beyond. “In just 10 years, we have grown from a commercial service. In addition, Etihad Airways also placed a firm continued global expansion. The order repre- start-up carrier to a global airline. This order sents an investment of up to $ 25.2 billion at list enables us to build upon our achievements, order for 87 Airbus aircraft, plus purchase rights prices, including related engines. The deal using the next generation of aircraft to support for a further 30, to support the global expansion of its operations. The order represents an investincludes 25 next-generation Boeing 777X aircraft our next generation of development. The Boeing 777-9X is a stretched, more fuel- ment of up to $26.9 billion at list prices, including of which 17 are 777-9X and eight are 777-8X aircraft. Etihad Airways is the first airline to order efficient version of the airline’s largest current air- related engines. Etihad Airways currently has 86 the 777-8X and will be a launch customer for the craft, the Boeing 777-300ER. Typically seating aircraft in operation, with more than 80 aircraft aircraft which is expected to enter service 400 passengers, the 777-9X will be capable of on firm order. Its last major aircraft deal was around the end of the decade. The airline also flying the same distances as its predecessor, but made at the Farnborough Air Show in 2008, ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners. with up to 40 more passengers, much lower where Etihad Airways announced firm orders for Yesterday’s order announcement makes Etihad operating costs and reduced fuel consumption 100 aircraft, including 45 Boeing aircraft, in a Airways the largest airline customer for the per seat. The Boeing 777-8X is a smaller version long-term order which was at the time one of but with even greater range, enabling Etihad the largest in aviation history. Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

BUSINESS

The benefits of online recruitment BAYT.COM WEEKLY REPORT By Lama Ataya

one are the days when online recruitment was the exclusive domain of the technologically savvy, the curious or the ultra-sophisticated. Today, this medium has been tried, tested and proven to be indispensable to hiring managers around the world. Online job sites have not only revolutionized the recruitment landscape for both employers and job seekers, but have also largely increased the efficiency with which hiring decisions are made. In fact, the Bayt.com ‘Modern Job Search in the MENA’ poll reveals that it is very common for professionals to research candidates online before making a hiring decision, with 41 percent claiming they ‘always’ do so. So, what are the benefits of online recruitment that have led to such a rise in its use? The HR experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading job site, give a breakdown on how employers and job seekers can benefit from online recruitment:

1. Reduced time-to-hire Online allows for real-time interaction and 24x7 hiring/job search activity. Employers can post a job in as little as 20 minutes, with no limits to ad size, and start receiving CVs in response immediately. This is in comparison to traditional methods where a newspaper ad may take a week to appear and shows only for a day. Typically, online hiring is 70 percent faster than all other traditional hiring methods, and the recruiting cycle is speeded up at every stage; from posting, to receiving CVs, to filtering, to managing the contacts and workflow. 2. Reduced cost-of-hire Costs of posting jobs and searching for candidates on job portals can be up to 90 percent lower than the costs of using traditional search firms and/or advertising methods. Online job postings are substantially more cost-effective than what many traditional recruiters charge or the costs of newspaper/publication ads for the same reach and time period.

3. Wider reach for employers Unlike traditional methods which are usually restricted by career level, geography, industry or other parameters, online recruitment portals typically have current and active talent databases that cover all career levels, industries and regions. 4. Wider reach for job seekers With employers considering it important to research candidates online before hiring them, most professionals appear to be aware of the importance of being found online, with 44 percent claiming that it’s essential to have an online profile in order not to miss out on any great career opportunities (according to the Bayt.com ‘Modern Job Search in the MENA’ poll, October 2013). Job seekers know that by posting their CVs online, they can be contacted by employers directly for opportunities that may not even be advertised. 5. State-of-the-art filtration tools Leading job sites like Bayt.com offer

employers the latest technologies and filtration criteria that help them find potential future candidates in the easiest, most rapid and efficient way. Bayt.com provides its community of employers with a myriad of unique search criteria and state -of-the -ar t screening and sorting tools to help them quickly and easily target and contact both active and passive professionals without the delay of using a gobetween.

allows the employer to post vacancies, receive CVs, screen, prioritize and contact candidates individually or collectively, and track all activities from the confines of a private and highly functional employer Workspace. Job seekers similarly can track the progress of their application at every stage of the hiring process from their own functional Workspace. This allows for an enhanced user experience for both employer and job seeker.

6. Branding opportunities for employers Just as employers judge a candidate right from their first interaction, so does a candidate form an impression of the company from its corporate branding. Employers can use their online job ads and career pages to project a consistent brand and company image and values to job seekers.

8. Allows for proactivity The employer, who is in full control of the hiring process with online recruitment, can contact candidates in realtime and directly, and does not require a ‘middleman’ to sift through, filter, assess or select the required candidates. By being in the driving seat, the employer gains valuable insight into the nature of the job market and the competitive landscape for the position. The employer is also able to ensure a superior match and a better fit for the long term.

7. Sophisticated management tools The entire recruitment process is managed from one location which

ECB is running out of options! By Hayder Tawfik

or the past few years the ECB like other central banks kept blaming the US Federal Reserve for deliberately weakening the US dollar as the result of the aggressive Quantitative Easing policy, but now the ECB cut its bench mark rate to near zero and looking worryingly at the risk of deflation sweeping the euro-zone countries. Euro-area inflation cooled to the slowest in almost four years in October, moving further away from the European Central Bank’s goal of 2 percent. The annual rate fell to 0.7 percent, the lowest since November 2009, from 1.1 percent in September. This should not be a surprise to anyone, least the ECB. With unemployment at record highs and economic growth faltering then for sure inflation will continue to fall. It is a big dilemma for the ECB. It has said that there is a “subdued outlook” for price growth in the 17-nation euro region, and the October data marks the ninth straight month that the rate has been less than its 2 percent ceiling. The hope for the economy to exit recession has dashed with weaker numbers from Germany and economic contraction in France. The two biggest economies in the euro-zone. The bigger worry is what to do with the increasing unemployment! Falling inflation and rising unemployment are deadly for any economy at least in the short term. This will fuel the debate about deflation risk and whether the ECB can and should do something against it. I think the ECB must very worry not about the level of the inflation rate but about the sharp speedy decline. Last time inflation rate was this low, the euro-zone area was in recession, corporates were cutting costs and laying off people and this was in 2009 when the region’s economy contracted by 4 percent. Inflation has been persistently undershooting the ECB’s definition of price stability and the range of 1 percent to 2 percent it set for itself. The very low level now risks unanchoring inflation expectations on the downside. Another problem the ECB is facing is that the Euro has been appreciating against all currencies that is not helping the weaker economies and now creating a

threat to German exporters. I think the level of the Euro is too expensive for countries like Spain, France, Italy and Greece but it is still cheap for German exporters and I don’t think a rate cut will stop the Euro from appreciating further. What are the ECB’s options? I think the only option it has is to adopt the monetary and fiscal fixes that the rest of the advanced economies is pursuing and the US in particular. Also, the euro-zone leaders should radically reform the legal framework and embark on effectively targeted monetary and fiscal stimulus efforts to revive economic growth. But it has a problem. First, Its charter does not allow it to print money freely and purchase governments bonds and in the process weaken its currency. Secondly, its leaders refuse to use stimulus measures. So, unfortunately the traditional policy tools can’t be used by the ECB, then deflation will for sure becomes the only solution at least for those struggling members. I think the most likely scenario is that the ECB will continue to lend the banks at favorable rates and cut rates further. Unless, the leaders face the reality and amend the charter so they can come up with some radical measures to stop the rot. Meanwhile, investors should expect the Euro to carry on climbing against most currencies and the stock markets carry on climbing up on the hope of a miracle. —Hayder Tawfik is Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital.

Employees of the Spanish appliance maker, Fagor-Edesa Electrodomesticos, protest as one of them plays a horn (second right) in Basauri northern Spain. Fagor, which claims to be Europe’s fifth-largest appliance maker and has nearly 6,000 employees, has filed for bankruptcy protection after years of economic crisis caused a dramatic drop in sales.—AP

Fears of deflationary spiral spread beyond euro-zone Eastern Europe posts weak inflation PARIS: Fears of a deflationary spiral pushed the European Central Bank to cut its interest rate to a record low early this month, but falling prices are also affecting countries outside the euro-zone. Eastern Europe, but Sweden and Britain as well, have all posted surprisingly weak inflation numbers for October, indicating a trend of slower increases in prices, if not outright drops, across the European continent. But analysts believe the dangers of deflation in these regions are more remote than for countries using the euro. Fear of entering a deflationary spiral is the latest twist in the continent’s debt crisis and a worry for economists who warn that the euro-zone in particular may fall into the same trap that threw Japan into an economic lost decade it is only now beginning to leave. Deflation is a vicious cycle where the anticipation of cheaper prices down the road pushes consumers and companies to put off purchases now, thereby stifling demand, and pulling prices ever lower and the economy into a hole. On Thursday,

eastern Europe powerhouse Poland posted annual inflation of 0.8 percent for October, after 1.0 percent in September and 1.1 percent in August, far below the 3.7 percent average last year. Bulgaria meanwhile is in full-fledged deflation, with prices dropping 1.4 percent on a 12-month basis in October. Hungarian inflation is at a historic low of 0.9 percent and Czech inflation is at the same amount, leading the central bank in Prague to draw up plans to intervene on the forex market to mitigate the price falls by propping up the local currency. Neighboring Slovakia meanwhile has inflation at a three-and-a-half year low point, at 0.6 percent. But Alexandre Vincent of BNP Paribas said “a deflationary spiral is not the most likely outcome” in emerging eastern European countries “still transitioning into a market economy.” The countries, are also “very linked to Germany” and benefit from the dynamism that marks the continent’s biggest economy. Wolfgang Ernst of Austrian Bank Raiffeisen Bank International agreed: the risk of deflation was a priority for the euro-

zone, but less so for eastern Europe. “These countries are still experiencing exportfuelled growth, but they should then see unemployment falls in 2014 and 2015 with a revival of domestic demand” boosting prices, Ernst said. “But inflation will never be very strong,” he added. Some countries, notably Hungary, have big piles of debt held in foreign currencies and are far more sensitive to the relative strength of their currencies than to deflation fears. Moreover, low inflation usually means a stronger currency, which brings a lower effective debt load if denominated in a foreign currency. Other non-euro-zone countries in Europe are also living a new period of lower prices. Sweden surprised many with prices falling 0.1 percent in October on a 12-month basis, even taking its own central bank off guard. And Britain posted inflation of 2.2 percent in October, markedly higher than its European neighbors but still a 12-month low and sharply off the 2.7 percent registered only a month earlier. —AFP

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.835 4.500 2.640 2.163 2.822 229.680 36.628 3.639 6.518 9.009 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 75.764 Qatari Riyal 78.065 Omani Riyal 738.050 Bahraini Dinar 754.620 UAE Dirham 77.374 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.700 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.500 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.325 Tunisian Dinar 171.600 Jordanian Dinar 401.121 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.906 Syrian Lira 3.080 Morocco Dirham 34.634 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 284.000 Euro 386.130 Sterling Pound 460.850 Canadian dollar 274.740 Turkish lira 140.010 Swiss Franc 313.810 Australian Dollar 268.800 US Dollar Buying 282.800 GOLD 20 Gram 244.000 10 Gram 124.000 5 Gram 64.500 Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

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

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 283.650 275.105 457.440 383.895 310.625 748.980 77.205 78.760 76.510 399.850 41.126 2.162 4.494 2.637 3.644 6.511 696.700 3.830 9.965

Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi

3.025 3.805 89.415 46.975

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone

BUY Europe 0.007380 0.451368 0.006674 0.047304 0.378028 0.042579 0.081919 0.008148 0.038779 0.303677 0.138747 Australasia 0.257925 0.230755 America 0.266785 0.279800 0.280300 Asia 0.003394 0.045233 0.034530 0.004373 0.000020 0.002749 0.003371 0.000257 0.084777 0.003041 0.002517 0.006455 0.000069

SELL 0.008380 0.460368 0.018674 0.052304 0.385528 0.047779 0.81919 0.018148 0.043779 0.313877 0.145747 0.269425 0.240255 0.275285 0.284150 0.284150 0.003994 0.048733 0.037280 0.004774 0.000026 0.002929 0.003371 0.000272 0.090777 0.003211 0.002797 0.006735 0.000075

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht 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

0.224663 0.022040 0.001900 0.009484 0.008747 Arab 0.746594 0.038431 0.000079 0.000184 0.396209 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022748 0.001203 0.731371 0.077270 0.075070 0.002176 0.166897 0.138747 0.076314 0.001290

0.230853 0.030540 0.002480 0.009664 0.009297 0.754594 0.041531 0.000080 0.000244 0.403709 1.0000000 0.000239 0.048748 0.001838 0.737051 0.078483 0.075770 0.002396 0.174807 0.145747 0.077463 0.001370

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.300 385.500 459.100 273.500 4.490 41.119 2.161 3.643 6.505 2.637 754.500 77.200 75.700

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

BUSINESS

Dollar weakens on Yellen comments NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT

ast week, markets translated Vise Chairman Yellen’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee as broadly dovish. Yellen avoided providing any specific guidance as to when the Federal Open Market Committee would star t the tapering process. However, several elements of her testimony stood out, she noted that it was important not to remove policy accommodation while the economy is still in a fragile state and she observed that the Fed is closely monitoring asset prices for signs of bubbles. Her dovish remarks provided a boost to risk appetite with most of the commodity and equity markets moving higher. The euro currency fell against its US dollar counterpart after the European Central bank governor Peter Praet stated that, “if our mandate is at risk we are going to take all the measures that we think we should take to fulfill that mandate”. This raised the prospect of the European Central Bank adopting negative interest rates or buying assets from banks. The Euro regained after Yellen’s comments, to touch a high of 1.3505. The single currency then closed the week at 1.3496. The pound was well bid against the US dollar, recovering from its 6-week low of 1.5904, and closing for the week near 1.6140. The strength in the Pound was attributed to the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney upbeat assessment of the UK economy, leaving open the possibility of an interest rate hike earlier than previously thought, due to a faster improvement in the labor and housing markets. The US Dollar rose to a two-month highs against the Japanese yen to 100.43 after Japanese Finance Minister Taro told a parliamentary committee, that Japan no longer faces criticism from other major economies, and that its “Abenomics” stimulus policies are aimed at intentionally weakening the yen, giving exporters a trading advantage. Brent oil held above the $108 a barrel, heading for its biggest weekly gain since early July on expectations that the Federal Reserve will stick with its easy money policy for now. Last week the European Government Bonds Rallied, and the difference between the US Treasuries 5-year and

10-year notes yields widened to the most in more than 2-years as Federal Reserve Chairman nominee Janet Yellen told congress she will prompt the Feds unprecedented stimulus program until economic growth is stronger. Trade balance The trade deficit in the United States widened more than expected in September reaching a four month high, as imports rose to their highest level in almost a year and exports fell for a third consecutive month, suggesting lower growth in the third quarter. The trade gap rose 8.0 percent to USD 41.8 billion, the largest since May. The data came well above market expectation of a $39 billion deficit. The trade gap goes into the calculation of the GDP, according to economists’, its rise in September suggested that the government will proba-

domestic demand that is preventing the labor market from generating stronger jobs growth that would decisively lower the unemployment rate. The Jobless claims report showed the number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs was unchanged at 2.87 million. Yellen testifies The Federal Reserve Chairman nominee, Janet Yellen testified at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee last week. Yellen stated that it is “imperative” to promote a strong economic recovery. Speaking about the ongoing QE program, Yellen said the Fed’s current $85 billion per month asset purchasing program could not continue forever and that the Federal Reserve was monitoring and assessing risks carefully, adding that the commit-

bly lower its initial third quarter growth estimate by between 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent point.

tee is looking for signs that the US economy has enough growth to promote robust recovery.

Unemployment claims The United States Jobless claims fell slightly last week, suggesting that the labor market recovery remained sluggish. Initial Jobless claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 2,000 applicants to a seasonally adjusted 339,000. The lack of improvement in the jobless claims was attributed to weak

Europe Germany ’s third quar ter Gross Domestic Product rose 0.3 percent, well below the second quarter 0.7 percent growth. The improvement in the third quarter growth was attributed to better domestic demand, and an increase in the gross fixed capital formation both in machinery and in construction, com-

pared with the second quarter of 2013. The balance of exports and imports had a downward effect on GDP growth, while imports continued to increase; exports were less dynamic when compared with the second quarter. The euro-zone economy slowed sharply in the third quarter, the Gross Domestic Product of the seventeencountry group grew by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter of 2013, marking a slowdown from an expansion of 0.3 percent in the second quarter. The latest data signals that the euro-zone could be sliding back towards recession after it had pulled out of an eighteenthmonth stretch of negative growth. The European Central Bank cut its benchmarked rate to a record low of 0.25 percent this month to fight low inflation and create growth. Last week, the United Kingdom inflation unexpectedly fell to its lowest rate for more than a year in October, reassuring the Bank of England that it has plenty of time to allow the economy to strengthen before it starts raises interest rates. The CPI fell to an annual rate of 2.2 percent in October from 2.7 percent in September. The inflation rate came well below analyst expectation of a drop to 2.5 percent. The drop in inflation was attributed by falls in energy prices and other transportation costs. Unemployment United Kingdom unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent in the three months to September, bringing it closer to the 7 percent level at which the Bank of England will consider raising interest rates. The Sterling Pound was well bid after the Bank of England updated its growth, inflation, and unemployment forecasts, stating that they now estimate unemployment has a better than even chance of reaching the 7 percent threshold. The central bank raised its growth forecasts, seeing Gross Domestic Products expanding in 2013 by 1.6 percent, up from a previous forecast of 1.4 percent. British house prices rose at their fastest rate in 11 years in September and sales hit a four-year high, pointing to a sustained recovery in the housing market sector. The house price index jumped to 54, its highest level since 2002 and well above the reading of 45 predicted by analysts. Prime Minister

Cameron said yesterday, that more than 2,000 homebuyers obtained mortgages through the mor tgage to lending scheme in the first month since the government guarantee was introduced, with most of those as first-time buyers. That compared with nearly 67,000 mor tgages approved in Britain in September. Business confidence Australian business confidence dropped from its three and a half year highs in October as sales and profits stayed soft, the business confidence index dropped to 5, from 12 in September which had been its highest since March 2010. The index was still 6 points higher than in October last year and in line with its long run average. Asian markets Japans current account surplus came at JPY 587.3 billion in September, beating market expectation of JPY 400.0 billion. The surplus jumped 14.3 percent on year. Exports jumped 12.0 percent to JPY 5.717 trillion following the 14.1 percent increase in the previous month. Imports spiked an annual 18.2 percent to JPY 6.592 trillion after climbing 16.4 percent a month prior. Moreover, the Bank of Japan said that total bank lending, excluding trusts, was up 2.3 percent on year in October, standing at JPY 407.75 trillion. That was in line with forecasts and up from the 2.2 percent gain in September. Last week, China’s leaders unveiled a series of reforms aimed at overhauling its economy over the next decade. In a statement issued after a closed-door summit, they promised the free market would play a bigger role. The Third Plenum talks began in Beijing on Friday, and ended early today with a brief statement outlining areas that had been agreed on. It is widely expected that the reforms could carry enormous importance. A more complete list of changes to the economy and the social sector is expected to be released in the coming days. Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28305 The USDKWD opened at 0.28305 yesterday morning.

Dubai says Expo 2020 would boost turmoil-hit region Emirati city competes with Sao Paulo, Izmir, Ekaterinburg

BEIJING: A man poses as he takes a photo of himself before Tiananmen Gate in Beijing yesterday. On November 15 China’s Communist rulers announced an easing of the country’s controversial one-child policy as part of a raft of sweeping pledges including the abolition of its “re-education” labor camps and loosening controls on the economy. — AFP

China reform winners consumer, pharma stocks; losers, big banks HONG KONG: China’s mass consumer, healthcare and non-banking financial counters may well be the early winners in the country’s stock markets this week after Beijing promised the most sweeping economic and social reforms in nearly three decades. Equity market investors are likely to cheer a plan to increase private ownership in stateowned enterprises, but the longer-term prognosis will likely vary across sectors. The big losers could well be the “big four” state banks, ICBC , China Construction Bank , Agricultural Bank of China and Bank Of China , which dominate formal lending. They are already feeling the pinch of interest rate liberalization and China’s leaders have promised to accelerate financial sector reform. “In the near term, we believe market sentiment should be lifted by the detailed announcement of the Third Plenum released Friday night,” Goldman Sachs China equity strategists said in a client note referring to a four-day conclave of Communist Party leaders that set the reform agenda, promising “decisive” results by 2020. The 60-point plan included land and residency reform to make it easier for rural Chinese to migrate to urban areas, a relaxation of the country’s one-child policy and allowing markets to play a greater role in the economy. Stock markets in Hong Kong and China had rallied on Friday after an apparent leak of part of the plan circulated on social media. The China Enterprises Index of the top offshore Chinese listings in Hong Kong jumped 3 percent for its biggest percentage gain in three months. This could continue since investors are underinvested in Chinese equities, analysts said. A Bank of America-Merrill Lynch survey showed that just 11 percent of emerging market funds had an “overweight” position on Chinese equities in November ahead of the Communist Party meeting, down 45 percent-

age points from October. Since the reforms announced on Friday have helped dispel doubts about the reform credentials of President Xi Jinping, some of the funds could upgrade their view of the markets and filter money back in. Investment into Chinafocused equity funds has been choppy in the last month, but data from global funds tracker EFPR showed there were net inflows in the week to Nov. 13, despite market losses after the initial communiquÈ on the reforms released late on Tuesday had disappointed. Still, much will depend on how the relevant ministries and government agencies follow through on executing the reform blueprint. That will provide clues on the urgency and priorities of the reform program, Goldman Sachs said. China’s health ministry tempered expectations on Saturday that the relaxation of China’s one-child policy may eventually see restrictions lifted entirely, suggesting provinces may vary how quickly they implement the latest change. The reform plan increases the number of couples who can have a second child. That uncertainty may temper gains for the Chinese dairy and baby goods sectors, whose sales could benefit from an increase in China’s birth rate. But for the economy as a whole, some scholars and analysts say the change in the one-child policy is unlikely to do enough to reverse China’s shrinking labour pool or convince many women to have more children as living costs rise. Still, other consumer names, such as white goods retailers and food and beverage producers, will likely be lifted by plans to ease restrictions currently limiting the pace of rural-to-urban migration. Policymakers want to speed up the migration to bolster consumption and services, which they see as the future of the economy after years of investment- and export-led growth.—Reuters

DUBAI: Dubai could present a “positive” image of tolerance in a region rocked by turmoil if it wins a bid to host the 2020 Universal Exposition, UAE Minister of State Reem AlHashimy said. The glitzy Emirati city is competing with Brazil’s Sao Paulo, the Turkish city of Izmir and Ekaterinburg in Russia to host the six-month event. Dubai hopes to attract some 25 million visitors and create nearly a quarter of a million jobs if it wins the bid. On November 27, the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions will announce the host for the World Expo, held every five years since it began in London in 1851. The expositions showcase technology, architecture and culture, while drawing visitors to host cities and generating business. If Dubaihome to the world’s tallest tower, largest manmade island and one of the world’s busiest airports-is selected, it will be a first for an Arab country. “No Arab country has won, no country in the African continent, Indian subcontinent or Central Asia,” has hosted the event, said Hashimy, who is also managing director of the Dubai World Expo 2020 Bid Committee. While the Arab world has been shaken by “tremendous challenges, strife and instability,” Dubai wants to show “this part of the world does also

deliver on positive and meaningful outcomes,” she said. Hashimy said the event would be an opportunity to “promote principles such as openness and tolerance”. The United Arab Emirates, like most of its oil-rich Gulf neighbors, has been largely spared the unrest that hit the region since the Arab Spring erupted in 2011. The city, with its large expat population of “more than 200 nationalities,” hopes to attract “around 25 million visitors, 70 percent (of them) international” if it wins the bid, she said. This is in contrast to the Shanghai Expo 2010, where 90 percent of visitors were from China, said Hashimy. A sleepy Gulf port until the middle of the last century, Dubai has grown into a hub for international tourism and commerce. In October, the emirate opened its second airport, Al-Maktoum International, touted to be the world’s largest once it is completed, with an annual capacity to handle 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo. The city’s luxurious shopping malls, hotels and man-made islands now attract nearly 10 million visitors every year. Improving workers’ rights Dubai’s economy was hit in 2009 by the global financial crisis, which caused its growing real estate sector to shed half its value. But the economy of the debt-laden emirate has made a

GEMS compromises on size, price with hybrid sukuk DUBAI: Corporate hybrids appear to be in vogue in the Gulf after Emirati schools operator GEMS Education last week followed Saudi Arabia’s Almarai and the United Arab Emirates’ Majid Al-Futtaim in issuing bonds that also receive equity treatment. On Thursday, GEMS Education issued a $200 million, perpetual non-call five hybrid sukuk, though the deal came with one of the highest yields from a Gulf issuer. It was only the second US dollar hybrid bond issue from a Gulf company other than a bank. But investors needed some convincing to put money into a subordinated bond from an unrated company, and GEMS Education had to compromise on size and price. The par-priced deal came at the wide end of initial price thoughts of 11.75-12.00 percent and raised $100 million less than its ideal target. The market was soft in the first half of the week which, together with the structure, meant the deal was a tough sell with the execution process stretching over three days. Making matters harder for the leads was the fact there were no obvious peers. “When we first starting talking to investors, they were saying the deal could price anywhere between 8 percent and 12 percent,” a banker close to the deal said. “But then the market drove them to the 12 percent level and the issuer had the maturity to take it.” A rival banker said: “I wouldn’t have started any tighter, despite the very generous (profit rate). They don’t have any benchmarks around that name. If you want institutions to buy the company, you need to offer a good three or four points over Majid Al Futtaim.” MAF, rated BBB/BBB, last month issued a $500 million, 7.125 percent perpetual non-call five note at par. On Thursday, that note was trading at 98.5 to yield 7.5 percent, according to Tradeweb. “I don’t agree that investors looked at MAF. That’s a much bigger and rated company. There are no real obvious peers for (GEMS), so in that sense it was a true price discovery process,” a lead banker said.—Reuters

strong comeback, with trade, tourism and transport expanding while the battered property sector recently posted a significant recovery, prodded by a surge in demand as Arab investors shelter their money in Dubai away from countries affected by the Arab Spring uprisings. Hashimy estimates the overall investment for the construction and servicing of the Expo site at about 6.5 billion euros ($8.8 billion). The site will later be converted into a university with research centres, a convention centre and a national museum. But most of the necessary infrastructure already exists in Dubai’s 2020 development plan, she added. Hosting the Expo would create “227,000 jobs” over the next seven years and generate “27 billion euros” for the United Arab Emirates’ economy. The minister seemed confident that, unlike Qatar, Dubai will not be the target of international criticism on conditions for its migrant workers, most of whom come from Asia. Qatar is under pressure to improve conditions for migrant workers as it embarks on a multi-billion-dollar construction program for the 2022 football World Cup. “The human rights issue is something we look at extremely seriously,” said Hashimy. “We are very committed to making sure that regulations surrounding workers or employment are the best.” — AFP

Burgan Bank announces winners of Yawmi account draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000. The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1.MOHAMMED MAJED BAKDASH 2.MOHAMMAD NASER MANSOUR ALSAFFAR 3.ADEL ABDULRAZAQ RAMADAN BAKER 4.HUSSAIN ALI KHUDHAIR ABDULLAH 5.NAJAT NASER DEYAB ALTURKY With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw

stands at KD 10. The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders. Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw. Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

BUSINESS

Judge rejects house arrest bid by jailed ex-UBS banker BOLOGNAL: An ex-UBS banker charged in the United States with conspiring to help Americans dodge taxes using Swiss bank accounts must remain behind bars in Italy after a judge turned down his request for house arrest, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Raoul Weil, a Swiss citizen who used to be UBS’s third-highest ranked executive, was arrested by Italian police on Oct. 19 while on a private visit with his wife to Bologna, Italy, and is facing possible extradition to the United States. The 53-year-old banker was charged five years ago in the United States with conspiring with unnamed UBS executives to help 17,000 Americans conceal $20 billion in Swiss bank accounts. He was declared a fugitive a few

months later. He disputes the charges, for which he faces up to five years in jail in the United States. In a landmark 2009 settlement that marked a break with Switzerland’s traditional bank secrecy, UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager by assets, was fined $780 million and agreed to hand over the names of some U.S. clients with secret Swiss bank accounts to avoid facing criminal charges. Weil, who at the time was in charge of UBS’ banking services to the world’s wealthy, has spent 36 days in Bologna’s notoriously overcrowded Dozza jail, where inmates awaiting trial share 10-square-metre cells. A July report by Bologna authorities said more than 900 prisoners were being held at the crumbling prison,

which has a maximum capacity of 497. At a closed-door hearing on Friday, Weil’s lawyers had asked the Bologna court to place Weil under house arrest, with electronic tagging, a source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The judge rejected the request, fearing Weil could escape abroad, the source said. Weil’s native Switzerland is less than three hours drive from the nor thern I talian cit y of Bologna. Electronic tagging is not common practice in Italy. The United States has not yet submitted a formal request to extradite Weil and must do so by early December for Italy to consider it. Once the request is submitted, the Italian judiciary must assess it, which could mean more weeks or months of prison in Italy for Weil.—Reuters

TAIPEI: Demonstrators display placards in a protest against government policies in Taipei yesterday. Anti-government protestors demonstrated against policies which they say are responsible for the widening gap between the rich and poor. — AFP

Russia, EU in tug-of-war over Ukraine’s future MOSCOW: For two days it seemed that President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine had vanished. The presidenc y announced last weekend that he had depar ted to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin. But nothing more was heard about his whereabouts until two days later when the Kremlin confirmed he had indeed met the Russian strongman. Ending days of silence, the Ukrainian foreign ministry revealed Yanukovych had met Putin to discuss economic relations. Exactly what was discussed, where, and for how long remains a mystery. But after Yanukovych returned to Ukraine from the cloak-and-dagger Putin talks, Kiev’s road to signing a key free trade deal with the European Union that would be a first step towards membership suddenly became more fraught. The Ukrainian parliament, where the biggest force is the Regions Par ty of Yanukovych, on Wednesday failed to even take a vote on a bill that would allow jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko go abroad for hospital treatment. This would have removed the biggest obstacle in front of signing the Association Agreement at a summit in Vilnius on November 28-29, since EU leaders have set the release of Tymoshenko as a key condition. Whether Ukraine signs the agreement now hangs in the balance as the clock ticks down to Vilnius, with the EU giving Ukraine extra time to agree the Tymoshenko legislation when parliament meets on Tuesday next week. ‘A geopolitical struggle’ The mysterious summit with Putin showed Russia’s continued capacity to influence Ukraine two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its reluctance to let Kiev make a historic step away from its sphere of influence. “ We don’t know what happened behind the scenes in talks with Putin. But Yanukovych knows that if the agreement with the EU is not signed he will be left one-on-one with Putin,” said Olexiy Haran, a professor at the Kyiv Mohyla University. “And this is dangerous for Yanukovych.” The signing of the Association Agreement with the EU would be a painful blow to Putin’s hopes of reviving links between exSoviet states, in particular through a Customs Union which already involves Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia but not Ukraine. Russia has bluntly warned of economic retaliation if Ukraine signs the deal with the EU. It has already given a hint of things to come by banning imports of Roshen chocolate, a popular Ukrainian brand owned by a powerful businessman and ex-cabinet minister. The EU parliament ’s envoy on Ukraine Alexander Kwasniewski, a former Polish president who shuttled to and from Kiev tirelessly in the last weeks, bluntly acknowledged how high the stakes are. “There is no doubt that we are talking about a geopolitical struggle,” he

told Ukraine’s UNIAN news agency. Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Centre in Moscow, said Putin in recent times had adopted a more “romantic and emotional” approach to unity with Russia’s fellow Slavs in Ukraine that contrasted with his usual pragmatism. “Ukraine’s orientation is something ver y serious for Russia,” he said. Meanwhile, the EU’s desire to integrate Ukraine was about far more than enlargement but keeping an increasingly assertive Russia at bay, he added. “It is not so much a push for enlargement but an attempt to create a comfortable zone around the EU in the East. It is clear that Europe does not want to live next door to a Russian Empire,” said Trenin. ‘Selling Ukraine to Russia?’ The anti-EU campaign in Ukraine is spearheaded by former presidential chief of staff Viktor Medvedchuk, who is so close to Putin his daughter is rumoured to have the Russian strongman as a godfather. Yanukovych-once seen as a staunchly pro-Kremlin figure who has now shown more interest in EU integration-has sought to rise above the diplomatic horse-trading in Kiev. But pro-opposition politicians and commentators doubt his sincerity in wanting to see the deal signed. Yanukovych is keen to see the charismatic Tymoshenko, his arch political rival, kept out of the political scene and has insisted that even if she goes abroad for treatment her seven-year sentence for abuse of power should remain in place. Pro-Tymoshenko opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Friday that Yanukovych had to prove if his support of EU integration was real or if he “just wants to trade the countr y and sell it to the Russian Federation.” While economists say in the long term the agreement could unlock Ukraine’s potential, retaliation from Russia could be hugely damaging as Yanukovych keeps a nervous eye on presidential elections in 2015. The government is pinning huge hopes on new energy sources such as shale gas. But for now the Ukrainian economy is in a parlous state, enduring five consecutive quarters of negative year-on-year growth. Earlier this month, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Ukraine even deeper into junk status, warning of the “short- to medium-term negative implications” of the Russian reaction to signing the agreement. Cash-strapped Ukraine also risks new conflicts with Russian gas giant Gazprom, a concern for Europe which suffered a break in supplies due to such a dispute in early 2009. However the billionaire tycoons who play a far bigger role in Ukrainian politics than in Russia are reported to have been hugely irritated by Russia’s brash threats of retaliation, which undermined its economic independence. Haran said the outcome of the battle over Ukraine’s future could be in doubt right up to the summit. “But delaying is very risky. Bluffing is always risky.” — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

BUSINESS

The Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG Pushing the limits of speed in daring A 45 AMG

KUWAIT: A R Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co, the exclusive distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait - has launched the thrilling A 45 AMG, the first four-cylinder engined car to don the coveted Mercedes-AMG label. The launch comes after Mercedes-Benz made the A 45 AMG announcement for the Middle East during the Dubai International Motor Show on 5 November 2013, which was an important historical announcement and the beginning of a new era for the celebrated automotive brand. With a maximum output of 360 hp and up to 450 Newton metres of torque, the AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine is the most power ful series production four-cylinder engine in the world. The sensational power density of 181 hp outstrips even the most powerful super sports cars. At the same time, the engine also boasts supreme efficiency and complies with the EU6 emissions standard. “Mercedes-AMG transformed the already fast and dynamic A-Class into an exceptional machine that captures the body, soul and mind of the ambitious and performance driven generation,” said Michael Ruehle, General Manager, Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co. “We are aware of this high-appeal of AMG vehicles in Kuwait, especially for the younger generations, so we have launched the A 45 AMG

Edition 1 model, which features a few extra AMG options than the typical model. Also with its impressive hightech package and the performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive, the A 45 AMG will be quite the looker on Kuwait’s roads.” Expressive and exclusive: the A 45 AMG “Edition 1” The A 45 AMG “Edition 1” stands apart both on a technical level and in terms of appearance. As is familiar from the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake, the fully appointed “Edition 1” model variant boasts an expressive composition of exclusive exterior and interior details. The A 45 AMG “Edition 1” focuses on the car’s affinity to motorsport: the exterior paint finish in cirrus white corresponds with the AMG sports stripes in matt graphite grey on the bonnet, roof and sides. The red highlights on the radiator grille, exterior mirrors and rear aerofoil leave a lasting impression. These highlights combine to perfection with the red painted brake callipers and the AMG multispoke light-alloy wheels painted in matt black with special AMG hub caps in central-locking look. The 8 x 19 light-alloy wheels are fitted all-round with tyres in size 235/35 R 19. Both the AMG Night package and the Aerodynamics package feature as standard for the “Edition 1”, providing the perfect finishing touch to the mod-

el’s motorsport-inspired character. Black and red dominate the interior of the A 45 AMG “Edition 1”, too. Red contrasting stitching embellishes the AMG Performance seats in ARTICO manmade leather/DINAMICA microfibre, the top section of the dashboard in ARTICO man-made leather and the AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather/DINAMICA microfibre. Other visual highlights are the E-SELECT lever with embossed AMG emblem and the “Edition 1” badge on the AMG DRIVE UNIT. “Since the launch of the A-Class in May 2013, we have seen a great demand for this particular compact car and what it represents for young and successful individuals who are not ready to comit to a more serious sedan or SUV. The AMG label adds a little extra character and power to a car that already has an undeniable appeal,” added Ruehle. The substance of the new MercedesBenz vehicle architecture for front- and all-wheel drive provides the perfect basis for the A 45 AMG and at least two other high-performance premium automobiles from Affalterbach. In designing and developing the A 45 AMG, the exper ts at AMG have drawn on the company’s decades of experience in motorsport and the production of powerful, high-performance vehicles. As such, the A 45 AMG will inherit the corporate DNA and embody the AMG

brand claim “Driving Performance” to perfection: a fascinatingly sporty driving experience combined with impressive craftsmanship and pronounced individuality. The A 45 AMG also leads its segment in terms of fuel consumption, running on 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres in NEDC combined mode. These credentials indicate that a further high-performing member of the BlueDIRECT family is now taking to the road. The performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive onboard the A 45 AMG sets new standards in the car’s segment. Dynamic vehicle Spanning the age range from 25 to mid-30, the target group is younger than the AMG clientele to date. In successful careers and with an independent frame of mind, these customers seek a dynamic and individual vehicle. They wish to lend expression to their style- and trend-oriented way of life with a car from a recognised high-performance brand. The A 45 AMG provides the predominantly urban target group with an agile high-performance vehicle. MercedesAMG accommodates their tech-savvy and individual outlook on life with an extremely broad selection of optional equipment and appointments, colours and materials. Typically AMG: the most powerful series production four-cylin-

der engine in the world Two figures show that the A 45 AMG holds pole position in its displacement segment: the newly developed AMG 2.0-litre turbo engine is the most powerful series production four-cylinder turbo engine in the world. A maximum output of 360 hp and up to 450 Newton metres of torque are unmatched by any other mass-produced turbocharged fourcylinder engine worldwide. The power density of 181 hp is also absolutely unrivalled. In this discipline, the new AMG high-performance turbo engine even outstrips the most powerful super sports cars. The high power and torque output and the combination with the performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC allwheel drive as standard lead to extremely dynamic performance: the A 45 AMG accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, while its top speed stands at 250 km/h (electronically limited). The specially developed AMG engine is also a model of efficiency - the A 45 AMG also leads its segment on this front, with fuel consumption of 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres in NEDC combined mode. This is accompanied by particularly low exhaust emissions: the A 45 AMG already complies with the EU6 emissions standard which is not scheduled to enter into force until 2015, combined with the limit for the particle count per kilometre of 6 x 1011 which will be mandatory from 2017.

Forget data and rhetoric, Fed liquidity’s only show in town Investors confident liquidity will continue

BRUSSELS: Danish Economy Minister Margrethe Vestager arrives with a handbag which contains a fuzzy tail protruding from a zippered compartment during a meeting of EU finance ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels on Friday. Officials from the 28 member countries meet Friday to narrow their differences on how to set up a new agency at the European Union level that could restructure failing banks and prevent their troubles from bankrupting individual countries through expensive bailouts. —AP

South Korea growth not linked to rate rise: CB SEOUL: South Korea’s economy is likely to be growing at its full potential by late next year but this will not necessarily lead to an interest rate rise, its central bank chief said in comments published yesterday. Bank of Korea (BOK) governor Kim Choong-Soo also dismissed fears the countr y ’s massive household debt burden would spark a financial crisis similar to the 2008 US meltdown over soured subprime mortgages. “Given that the economy continues growing as anticipated, it is likely to reach its full potential growth rate late next year,” Yonhap news agency quoted Kim as saying Friday in embargoed comments. This rate-estimated at around four percent-is the pace which could be achieved without adding to inflationary pressure. “You may think, therefore, the benchmark interest rate will likely be raised sometime in the second half of next year (to curb inflationary pressure)”, Kim said. “But you don’t need to link to a raise in the rate”. The central bank on

Thursday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5 percent for the sixth straight month as the economy shows a moderate recovery and inflation remains under control. The central bank last month maintained its July forecast for 2013 growth of 2.8 percent, but cut its 2014 outlook to 3.8 percent from 4.0 percent previously. It cited slow global growth and persistent downside risks. Inflation eased to a 14-year low of 0.7 percent last month, giving the central bank more time to hold off on adjusting rates. But household debts which stood at 980 trillion won ($920 billion) at the end of June are seen by many economists as a growing threat to the economy. The debts are likely to surpass 100 trillion mark by the end of this year, amounting to some 80 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Kim, however, played down the risk. “I don’t think household debts will spark any financial crisis,” he said. He noted most of the debts are owed by people with financial assets, who could pay them off if necessary. — AFP

LONDON: For all the fevered speculation about when the Federal Reserve will begin scaling back its monetary stimulus, market volatility has been taking a leisurely nap, suggesting investors see no major shocks on the horizon to derail their bets. Low market volatility is a sign markets expect no “taper” any time soon, or that they are steeled for a reduction in the pace of the Fed’s bond-buying if it comes. The sting of the taper has been gradually sucked out of markets since the Fed’s surprise decision not to start withdrawing stimulus in September. Since then, implied volatility in US Treasuries, stocks and key dollar exchange rates has sunk close to its lowest in months, or in some cases years. This might come as a surprise, given the noise surrounding the latest relatively upbeat US employment and economic growth figures and the keenly awaited congressional testimony from Fed Chair-elect Janet Yellen last Thursday. But the Fed’s $85 billion-a-month asset purchase program trumps everything, and as long as the liquidity taps are open, the economic data will only have a real impact on markets if it changes the Fed’s thinking. “We’re not trying to follow the twists and turns of the very short-term investment cycle,” said Kevin Gardiner, head of global investment strategy at Barclays Wealth in London. The same

goes for data or Fed commentary, he said. Only if they “dramatically changed” the Fed’s policy outlook would he consider altering his strategy. Market pricing and indicators suggest he’s not alone. Wall Street last week posted record highs on an almost daily basis, and the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrials have risen for six consecutive weeks. This has been fuelled by a collapse in volatility from the unusually high levels around the US debt ceiling and government shutdown crisis in early October. The VIX index of implied volatility for the S&P 500 fell to a three-month low on Thursday. It’s a similar story in the US bond market. The ‘Mermove’ index of three-month implied volatility on Treasuries has almost halved since early September. The following chart shows that since mid2011, the correlation between US economic surprises and two-year Treasury yields has completely broken down: The ebb and flow of data surprises - both positive and negative - has had virtually no bearing on yields, which have remained at historic lows thanks to the trillions of dollars of liquidity and zero interest rates from the Fed. Currency traders are even more sanguine. One-month implied volatility on the euro/dollar exchange rate posted its lowest daily close on

Thursday since 2007. “The foreign exchange market is digesting signs that the period of peak liquidity will remain in place for the foreseeable future,” Brown Brothers Harriman said in a note on Friday. At her nomination hearing on Capitol Hill On Thursday, Yellen said it was “imperative” that the Fed did all it could to promote a “very strong recovery”. That wouldn’t have surprised anyone. But what might have raised a few eyebrows was her assertion that she wouldn’t rule out using monetary policy to address asset price “misalignments”, otherwise known as “bubbles”. This marked a departure from former Fed chief Alan Greenspan and current incumbent Ben Bernanke. Both said it was virtually impossible to detect bubbles in asset markets and was not the Fed’s business to deal with them. But tightening monetary policy to cool asset markets is less likely than tightening to meet the Fed’s mandate on employment or inflation, which remain well short of the stated goals. In that light, the taper, when it comes, will be a “slow, careful withdrawal of stimulus”, reckons Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, forecasting another 10 percent rise in the S&P 500 over the next 12 months even as the Fed exits. “Fear not the Fed,” said the bank’s US economist Ethan Harris. — Reuters

Long road ahead for typhoon-hit Philippine businesses TANAUAN, Philippines: A monster typhoon that laid waste to the central Philippines wiped out livelihoods as well as homes, leaving small traders and shopowners facing a long and perilous road back to solvency. In the immediate aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan-one of the most powerful storms ever to make landfall-future planning had to be sacrificed for the immediate task of survival in a world without food and water. For trader Aleda Afable, the choice was to butcher the only remaining cow from a herd swept away in the typhoon-triggered storm surge, or keep the animal that represented the last shred of her investment. In the end, the dire situation made the decision for her. “This place probably won’t be rebuilt in months, or even a year,” she said, looking over what little is left of the coastal township of Tanauan on the island of Leyte. “With relief supplies trickling in slowly, I was forced to butcher the cow,” she sobbed, as two men cleaned the hide and tail-all that was left after sharing the meat with her neighbors who had eaten next to nothing for days. “This disaster is a great equaliser. There is no more rich and poor, and those who have anything left must be able to share them,” said the mother of two. The United Nations said early assessments indicated that 5.1 million workers, in 36 provinces, had been affected by the loss of livelihoods. Afable’s family had been relatively well-off and

their three-storey home was one of the few still standing in Tanauan after Super Typhoon Haiyan powered through on November 8. The quiet township was once a bustling community featuring ancestral homes and churches. Shops that lined the main avenue were reduced to splinters, with debris only beginning to be cleared up eight days after the destruction. At the main junction leading to the town proper a sign in broken English pleads: “Help us, no food’s typhoon victim.” On Saturday, emergency crews fished the bloated remains of a woman from the river that bisects the town, while in the square in front of a partially destroyed Catholic church, several bodies in black body bags remained to be collected. A pawnshop promising low-interest loans still had its sign intact, while families who had lost their homes had taken over a commercial building after the tenants evacuated. Outside a hardware store that has been damaged but is still standing, 15-year-old Aivee Joy Rosette waited with her cousins for her mother who had gone out to search for something to eat. “My mother said we’ll try to reopen the shop, but I told her I want to leave this place. I’m still afraid and there is no one left anyway,” she said. On the neighboring island of Samar, which was spared the worst of the storm surge but battered by the typhoon’s 315-kilometre (195-mile) per hour winds, there are signs of emerging economic activ-

ity. In Guiuan town, a handful of intrepid traders had laid out makeshift stalls on the fringes of the main market square in front of the church. Some sold freshly caught fish, while other offered eggs, the odd live chicken and some bananas. And on the road leading to an old military airstrip outside Guiuan, where the US military was flying in relief supplies, people had set up similar small stores laying out wares that appeared to have been salvaged from the wreckage, including muddied Coke bottles, sachets of soap powder and cooking oil. The congressman for Eastern Samar province, Ben Evardone, said 80 percent of its coconut trees-the base of the region’s economyhad been destroyed and it would take a minimum of three to five years for new plantings to bear fruit. In Tacloban City, which bore the brunt of the fivemetre (16 feet) storm surge, Kenneth Uy, owner of the 50-room Asia Star Hotel, was open for business. “Many businessmen have left. But I’ll stay. I am from here and this is my city. If we don’t help ourselves, who will?,” said Uy. Having already partially restored power and water in his hotel, Uy had found customers willing to pay the inflated room rate of $100 a night. As well as members of the police special action force flown in to help secure law and order in city, international aid agency staff and media crews made up the guests. “I hope when they come back next time, it is not for work, but for pleasure,” Uy said. —AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

BUSINESS

Chevrolet Alghanim provides NBK customers with exclusive discount on Chevrolet Traverse

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim now operational DUBAI: Following detailed and precise planning, along with close coordination with relevant authorities, DC Aviation Al-Futtaim Co LLC, (DCAF), is now operational making it the first integrated business aviation operation at the newly opened Al-Maktoum International Airport (AMIA). DCAF is a joint venture between Dubaiheadquartered Al-Futtaim and Germany’s DC Aviation, one of the leading European business jet operators. The announcement follows the completion of DCAF’s purpose-built integrated hangar facility, lounge and office areas last month at Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purposebuilt aerotropolis. “DWC is expected to play a significant role in enhancing Dubai’s position as the regional aviation hub and we are very excited to be the first business aviation operation in what is undoubtedly going to be a world-class airport,” said Holger Ostheimer, General Manager, DC Aviation Al-Futtaim. “Our aim is to provide clients premium services across our comprehensive range of offerings including aircraft management, VIP aircraft and passenger handling, maintenance and business jet charter,” he added. The DCAF facility includes a 5,700 square meter state-of-the-art hangar - enough space to accommodate four ACJ or BBJ type aircraft of the heavy business jet category as well as two ultra-long range busi-

ness jets. The 1,300 square meters of exclusive lounge area is designed to host local, regional and international VVIP customers and offers the highest levels of comfort and privacy, shower areas, a roomy conference room, covered parking and an exclusive contemporary finish. Customers will benefit from a dedicated ramp parking area spanning 7,700 square metres, on-site security processing facilities and minimal distance between drop-off and the aircraft steps. Through DCAF’s line maintenance capabilities, catering to different executive jet types, aircraft owners and operators will receive a diverse range of maintenance, from spare parts supply, procurement and storage, to maintenance and airworthiness certification. Under its Aircraft Management division, DC Aviation is helping business jet owners to optimize their aircraft assets, by operating aircraft in an environment in line with the highest industry standards reference to flight safety and airworthiness. At the same time clients will benefit from significant cost saving potential on insurance, fuel purchasing and other relevant flight support services. DCAF’s business jet charter clients will benefit from the operator’s fleet size and variety ranging from efficiently sized Learjet 40 to the 46-seater Airbus 319 Corporate jet and a 24/7 operation designed to provide immediate response to requests.

KUWAIT: Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, launched a new joint promotion exclusively for National Bank of Kuwait customers. NBK customers can now benefit from an exclusive KD 222 discount on top of the existing offer. As a result, any NBK customer can drive home a brand new Chevrolet Traverse at an exclusive price of KD 7,777. NBK customers are encouraged to take advantage of this limited time promotion by simply presenting their NBK debit or credit card The offer is currently running and will end on the 28th of November 2013. Rethought, reshaped and redesigned, the Traverse comes with a new exterior design and impressive engineering developments. While its lean, sculpted lines and dramatic accents reveal a more artistic and smooth exterior, the new Traverse’s interior is richer, more aesthetically pleasing and provides a wide range of technological and entertainment tools for the sole reason of pleasing the driver and his/her passengers. Staying true to its dynamic and comprehensive appeal, the Traverse’s powerful performance is complemented with standard-setting safety features, a factor that makes the Traverse the ideal choice for any individual, family and home. Apart from its emphasis on creating a serene and luxurious interior design that include stunning stitching and wood trim, the new Traverse’s exterior starting with the front grill, headlights and smooth, seamless lines that greatly beautify and enhance the hood and backdoor. Comfortably seating eight passengers, the interior is equipped with Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system that provides 6.5 inches of touch screen interface for all entertainment needs. Apart from allowing one to access MP3 files, iPods, iPads and more, the MyLink system seamlessly integrates a smartphone’s capabilities into the vehicle via USB or Bluetooth, a feature that also allows drivers to communicate and drive simultaneously, an element that brings about convenience and safety. Compared to other vehicles in its class,

the Traverse has the most spacious cargo space: an incredible 116.3 cubic feet. The split-folding rear seats provide even more versatile cargo options and provide the perfect amount of convenience. The Traverse also has a large amount of space behind the third row, so one will never struggle to find room and space for any trip. The Chevrolet Traverse is designed to help avoid crashes and protect the driver and his/her passengers in the event of a collision. From the StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System, six standard air bags, the New Chevrolet Traverse has covered every area when it comes to providing a safe journey on every road and in every type of terrain. Staying true to its grounded nature, the Traverse provides car owners a competitive advantage when it comes to the vehicle’s fuel efficiency; the all-new drive that holds up to eight people has a 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine, 281 hp and standard 6-speed automatic transmission that provides smooth shifting and effortless, quiet acceleration

while contributing to impressive highway fuel economy. If you are an NBK customer and are currently looking for a brand new drive that suits your lifestyle, take advantage of this offer and drop by Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s Showroom to test-drive the new Traverse. Whichever model you choose, you will enjoy excellent customer service, quality maintenance and competitive prices on spare parts, all of which is provided by a team of professional and skilled team members and technicians. An element that further enhances customers’ peace of mind is Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s service center that is distinguished by its continuous and successful efforts in providing the highest quality of services. The largest in the world, the service center is equipped with a large variety of the most advanced equipment operated by a team of skilled professionals and effective consultants who ensure timely service.

Qaddoumi: Milton Keynes in UK still favorite destination for Kuwaitis KUWAIT: Deputy Managing Director for struction area , park or land . Marketing at a Top Real Estate Group (TREG) Qaddumi explained that hat the group will Mohammed Walid Qaddoumi stated that the exhibit about 50 House during the exhibition city of Milton Keynes in the UK is still the favorite period with variant areas and prices. He denoted destination for Kuwaiti citizens and the most that the houses are still under construction and attractive for owning real estate’s for decades. will be delivered in stages until the end of the This is due to several reasons, perhaps the most year 2015. He pointed out that the customer important of which its proximity to the British pays 10 percent of the value of the house in capital London, where it is only 32 minutes by advance and 90 percent upon receipt of the train , in addition to the large area of its freehold house and that all contracts and payments and homes and their reasonable prices compared to procedures take place between the lawyer of their counterparts in London. Qaddoumi added the client on the one hand and the developer ‘s that prices of houses in Milton Keynes could be lawyer the other hand , to ensure the rights of all up to about 600 thousand pounds while a house parties. of the same size and specifications in locations Speaking about Milton Keynes Qaddoumi near London could reach a price of several mil- said that it is one of the promising real estate lion of Sterling pounds. This prompted many regions in Britain. The city is relatively recent Kuwaiti and Gulf families during the past two established about 1960 and is located about 50 years to think about buying and miles north of London, with investing in Milton Keynes area. which it has a good transport Many of the families had sucnetwork. The city is targeted by cessful experiences of owning a large number of new projects real estates in the region and which ensures high and susenjoy a sense of comfort and tained rent rates. safety. Prices in Milton Keynes start They have strengthened the from 150 thousand Sterling , bonds of social cohesion, espewith a high and stable rental cially among the new owners in returns of up to 6 percent somethe area who lived already in times. The city is one of the their houses. The Group is fastest growing cities in Britain proud that it had strongly reand has a population of about brought Milton Keynes to the 280 thousand people. Real forefront of investment over the estate’s therein are a lot cheaper Mohammed Walid last and the current year than real estate in London and Qaddoumi through introducing about 300 have better returns compared Houses and villas in a variety of prime locations to their prices. in the city. The Group has already handed over On the other hand Qaddoumi noted that the houses to part of the new owners and work is in Group continues to provide Property progress for delivery of other units on a monthly Management Service in Britain , which includes basis according to schedules of achievement as full management of residential properties agreed, in addition to units under construction owned by investors in the Greater London area upon which the group is currently working and and Melton Keynes areas. which will be displayed and marketed during Qaddoumi explained that that the group has the exhibition. signed a number of agreements with landlords Qaddoumi stated that the group had signed to manage their properties and also implementan exclusive agreement with Barratt Homes last ed some maintenance contracts for a number of year for marketing its projects in the Gulf owners who needed their properties to be reCooperation Council (GCC) and after having renewed and restored. achieved a high percentage of sales that On the other hand between Qadoumi denotexceeded the expectations of the developing ed that the group is still working on securing the company, the associate of Barratt (David Wilson) needs of older investors looking for large and was encouraged to join the exclusive agree- distinctive real estate opportunities. Qadoumi ment. David Wilson company is famous in the also revealed that the group has several chanregion with building houses a high degree of nels that enable it to achieve the wishes of the sophistication and quality, which takes into investors in the various sectors of residential account the green environment and that houses ,commercial and tourism real estates in London have spacious areas both in terms of the con- and a number of main British cities.

Al-Tijari announces winners of Najma Account draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account Daily draw on November 17, 2013. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Saquer Al-Manaie. The winners of the Najma daily draw are: Noura Abdulmohsen Al-Tukhaim— KD 7000, Ghazi Mohammad Al-Ruhailli— KD 7000, Fathallah Lotfi Shnoudah— KD 7000, Jawad Haleem Mousa— KD 7000. The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega

prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment. With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

ROC group launches the new logo: AIRTECH KUWAIT: Refrigeration & Oxygen Company Limited (ROC) group of companies announced and launched their new group logo, AIRTEC, at a VIP dinner hosted for their clients and partners. In 2009 ROC Group entered a joint venture with Praxair, the largest industrial gases company worldwide, with the determination of serving customers in the Middle East with services far ahead of excellence, and hence came about the development of AIRTEC. ROC Group of companies was established in Kuwait in 1960 and has since then expanded its operations to become one of the leading independent producers and distributors of industrial gases, medical gases and high purity, specialty and mixture gases. The group also provides services and tailor-made solutions, based on individual customer requirements. At the launch and during his speech, Alhareth Alkhaled (Chairman & Managing Director of ROC Group) announced the merger of ROC, BMIGP, QOC and EIGC under one umbrella, known as AIRTEC. Alkhaled shared further good news about the group’s new part-

ner, PRAXAIR, a global player in our field of business. He explained this new direction stating that “This partnership will synergistically combine wealth, resources and expertise to operate a single business entity providing ever-increasing demands for innovative products to our very valuable customers by allowing innovation

by virtue of the sharing of everyone’s expertise.” The ROC Group of companies are the largest manufacturers and suppliers of Medical, Industrial, Specialty Gases and Gas Mixtures in the Middle East with locations in Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar. The Bahrain Medical & Industrial Gas Plants (BMIGP), established in the year 1965, is one of the largest manufacturer and supplier of Medical, Industrial and Specialty Gases and Gas Mixtures in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In the UAE, Emirates Industrial Gases Co LLC (EIGC), was established in 1978 and is now a major gas company in UAE whose services include a wide range of products, technologies and related systems in addition to an exhaustive range of welding equipment and accessories. Qatar Oxygen Company (QOC) was established in 2005 and caters the needs of various industries like Oil & Gas, Hospitals & Laboratories, Chemical Complexes, Food & Beverages, Ship Building & Fabrications, Steel Smelters, Fabrications Units, and various gas mixtures and specialty gases.

DBWC’s latest Network Majlis reveals ‘small business myth’ DUBAI: Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) recently held its latest Network Majlis session under the theme “The E-Myth Revisited” which was conducted by Layla Halabi and Maha Khatib, Partners at Learnactive. The forum had a lengthy discourse on ‘E-Myth’, a book by Michael Gerber, a small business consultant and author. This year’s November Network Majlis focused on the myths surrounding small businesses as written in the bestselling E-Myth. Both speakers brought in their years of experience and expertise to make the session interactive for the members looking to either start or expand their small businesses. According to the book, 40 per cent of small ventures fail within their first year. The speakers talked in-depth about the reasons for their failure and offered ideas to make them successful. The E-Myth is a must read for all entrepreneurs as it dispels the myths about starting their own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running it. According to Gerber, a person who is proficient technically but lacks management skills can still do well in business. He emphasized in his book that there is a clear distinction between ‘working on your business’ and ‘working in your business’ that can result in success or failure. The session ended with the copy of the book being distributed to the members by the speakers courtesy of Learnactive. Raja Al Gurg, President of Dubai Business Women Council, said: “Many people have this

misconception that small businesses are not successful. Today’s Majlis was an eye opener for many of our members who are keen to become entrepreneurs but would like to initiate with a small idea as it requires little investment. The fact that McDonalds, one of the largest fast food chains in the world, is the largest small business in the world is highly motivating for our members as majority of successful businesses have had a humble beginning.”

Founded in 2002, DBWC motivates women to be productive members of the society, while encouraging role models to rise up from the ranks and inspire other women around the world, especially in the Arab region, to discover their true potential. DBWC organises the highprofile monthly event ‘Network Majlis’ to provide information about the latest knowledge, skills and best practices for women entrepreneurs and leaders.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18 , 2013

technology

Suit challenging Google’s digital library tossed NEW YORK: A federal judge handed Google Inc. a victory in a long-running legal battle last week, tossing out a lawsuit claiming the Internet giant was violating copyright laws by scanning books without the writers’ permission to create the world’s largest digital library. The 28-page decision by US District Judge Denny Chin in New York is the latest twist in a circuitous journey that began nine years ago when Google set out to make digital copies of all the books in the world. The ambitious project prompted the Authors Guild to sue Google in a Manhattan federal court in 2005, claiming the Mountain View, Calif.-based company was not making “fair use” of copyright material by oﬀering searchable snippets of works in its online library. The lawsuit was seeking $750 for each of the more than 20 million copyright books that Google has already copied. Google had estimated its damages could have surpassed $3 billion - a signiﬁcant blow even to a company with more than $56 billion in the bank. Chin’s ruling won’t necessarily close the book on the case. The Authors Guild plans to appeal, open-

ing the next chapter in a legal saga that some experts believe will ultimately land in the U.S. Supreme Court. If the decision stands, Google’s Internet search engine will be in a better position to become an even deeper reservoir of human knowledge. As it expands its stockpile of digital books, Google’s search engine is likely to be seen as an even more indispensable resource. Although Google doesn’t display ads next to the excerpts from digital books, anything that spurs people to think of its search engine as the best place to find information usually boosts the company’s profits. That’s because habitual use of Google’s search engine typically produces more opportunities to show the ads that generate most of the company’s revenue. Chin conceded Google might make money from its book-copying project, but concluded it is being done in a way that complies with intellectual property laws while enriching society. “In my view, Google Books provides significant public benefits,” Chin wrote. “It advances the progress of the arts and sciences, while maintaining

respectful consideration for the rights of authors and other creative individuals, and without adversely impacting the rights of copyright holders.” Paul Aiken, the executive director for the Authors Guild, maintains that Google is exploiting writers. “Google made unauthorized digital editions of nearly all of the world’s valuable copyright-protected literature and profits from displaying those works,” Aiken said in a statement vowing to appeal Chin’s decision. In its statement, Google said it was delighted with the decision. “As we have long said, Google Books is in compliance with copyright law and acts like a card catalog for the digital age giving users the ability to find books to buy or borrow,’” the company said. Google had previously negotiated a truce as part of a $125 million settlement. But that deal unraveled in 2011 after the US Justice Department and other critics persuaded Chin that the terms of the deal would give the already influential company too much power in the still-developing market for digital books. After the settlement came apart, the Authors

Guild renewed its push to extract even more money from Google for alleged copyright infringement. Among the plaintiffs was former New York Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton, author of the best-seller “Ball Four.” Google’s current collection of more than 20 million books consists mostly of out-of-print titles. It includes material from the New York Public Library, Library of Congress and several major universities. About 90 million to 100 million more books remain to be scanned, based on estimates that Google has previously made in the case. Because Google only shows snippets from the books in its database, Chin reasoned it would be difficult for anyone to read any of the works in their entirety by repeatedly entering different search requests. The judge also concluded that Google’s digital book aspirations fit the description of a “transformative” purpose that US courts have determined is allowed under copyright law. “It preserves books, in particular out-of-print and old books that have been forgotten in the bowels of libraries, and it gives them new life,” Chin wrote. — AP

Top games for Sony’s new PlayStation 4

ATZITZINTLA: A Large Millimeter Telescope is seen on the top of the Sierra Negra peak near the town of Atzitzintla in Atzitzintla, Mexico, yesterday. Large Millimeter Telescope is the largest and most sensitive single-aperture telescope in its frequency in the world. — AP

Internet gambling gains momentum WASHINGTON: Internet gambling is on a roll in the US market after years lurking in the shadows. New Jersey kicks off its online wagering November 26, becoming the most populous state to do so after Nevada and Delaware. Other states have become active since 2011, when the federal government signaled it would not block most forms of Internet wagering. California, Illinois and Pennsylvania are considering such moves. Using geolocation technology, the systems require that gamblers be located within the state. But reciprocal agreements could allow gamblers to cross state lines as more states authorize online bets. “Once these states are successful within their borders, they will figure out how to pool players across state lines to take bets from each other, and a lot of other states will jump in,” said Whittier Law School professor I. Nelson Rose. “Within 10 years, I think we will see a very large portion of states will have Internet gambling.” Morgan Stanley estimated legal US online gambling revenues would reach $670 million in 2014, increasing to $9.3 billion in 2020. The launch in a handful of states “will release a floodgate of investor interest in the online space, and spur new states to open to reap tax dollars,” analyst Vaughan Lewis said in a note to clients. The United States has a patchwork of gambling regulations. While casino gambling was only allowed in Nevada a few decades ago, New Jersey allowed casinos in Atlantic City in the 1970s and many states have either commercial or Indian tribe casinos. Until recently, the federal government claimed that online gambling was unlawful. But a 2011 Justice Department legal opinion said only sports betting would be considered illegal. Nevada authorized online poker in 2012, and Delaware and New Jersey passed laws allowing a full range of casino games. But Rose said the Internet opens up new categories of gambling, ranging from “social” games to virtual slot machines. “People who play games online are not interested in picking numbers and waiting a week,” he said. The gaming industry relies on federal guidelines for online betting, but Congress has been deadlocked on the matter amid disputes over whether any law would cover poker alone or a full range of games.

Despite existing bans, Americans spent $2.6 billion on online gambling in 2012 in a global industry worth $33 billion, according to a study for the American Gaming Association, which represents commercial casino operators. Chris Thom, chairman of the online payment and identification firm SecureTrading, said the patchwork state-by-state system hampers efforts to develop a competitive online gaming industry in the United States. “To get into that global system you are going to have to have critical mass,” he told AFP. Thom said federal legislation would enable greater consumer protection and help outlaw unlicensed operators. A national system could also generate revenues for the federal government. But “the longer it goes on, the more difficult it is to produce a federal bill that is clean and straightforward,” Thom said, noting that states will want to maintain existing rules and not join a federal system. The American Gaming Association has also called for federal rules. “While we have long supported federal regulation versus state regulation, the most important point is that online gaming must be regulated to protect consumers and ensure the integrity of the games,” said association president Geoff Freeman. Representative Jim McDermott has introduced a bill to ensure taxes and fees are collected within a regulated regime. “You’d hope this opportunity to generate billions in economic activity and new government revenues will get serious consideration,” said Michael Waxman of the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative. “It’s shocking that Congress has decided to leave in place hypocritical laws that allow some forms of online gambling activity, such as betting on horse racing, but prohibits others, like poker and bingo.” Online gambling critics warn of the dangers of unhindered expansion online that geographic and age restrictions could be easily bypassed, and unsavory elements could use the systems to launder money. “This is not just fun and games, it’s a question of national economic security,” said University of Illinois business professor John Kindt. Kindt said the expansion of Internet gambling would simply be “a transfer of wealth, with no productivity gains,” and that those profiting would likely be offshore firms or organized crime. — AFP

NEW YORK: Sony’s PlayStation 4 is now in stores, ushering in a new era of high-definition video games. Perhaps you’ve already read the largely enthusiastic reviews, pored over the tech specs and watched the eye -catching online videos. And you’ve decided to fork over $400 and invite the new machine into your home. Of course, you have to buy some games too. That’s easier than ever, thanks to the online PlayStation Store, through which you can download any of the 22 PS4 games now available. If you prefer the more traditional approach - buying a game on a disc that comes in a plastic box - you can drive back to the mall and grab 14 of those items. Whichever way you go, here are the best titles available so far for the PS4: “Need for Speed Rivals” (Electronic Arts): This addictive arcade racer pits cops against crooks in an alternate California that’s blissfully free of traffic jams. The cars and environments look gorgeous, but what makes “Rivals” compelling is the smooth flow of events. You can start off in an innocuous head-to-head race and end up on the run from half the highway patrol. “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” (Ubisoft): This swashbuckling pirate adventure, set in the Caribbean during the 1700s, is even more rousing with the PS4’s vivid graphics. When the waves are crashing onto the deck of your ship, you can almost taste the salt water. “NBA 2K14” (2K Sports: The reigning champion of sports sims bounces into the next generation with a new “Eco-Motion” engine. Not only are physics, lighting and player animations more realistic, but the ballers seem to react emotionally to events during the game. You don’t want to make Kobe Bryant angry. “Battlefield 4” (Electronic Arts): Console warriors have never before seen combat on such an epic scale. You can join forces with or against up to 63 other humans online, and EA’s “Levolution” system turns the theater of war into a constantly changing circus of destruction. Think gunfire is scary? How about having a

PEMBROKE PINES: Rich Rhudy (L) plays the new Sony Playstation 4 that is on display at Best Buy as George Arana buys games for his new Playstation 4 that he bought last night when they went on sale at midnight on November 15 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. — AFP skyscraper collapse on you? “Killzone: Shadow Fall”: The only shooter built from the ground up for the PS4, “Killzone” is a somewhat hackneyed tale of humans fighting a relentless alien foe. But it looks phenomenal, showing off the machine’s graphic power with breathtaking landscapes and an uncanny attention to detail. “Skylanders Swap Force” (Activision): The Skylanders phenomenon - collectible figurines who come to life on your T V screen - has exploded over the past two years. “Swap Force” was already the best of the Skylanders adventures, but on the PS4, the animation approaches Pixar quality. Best of all: If your kids already own a bunch of the figurines from earlier years, they can still play with them on the PS4. The

following are available via download only: “Resogun” (Sony): This retro outer-space shoot-em-up will appeal to fans of the arcade classic “Defender.” It’s a fast-paced, nerve-racking test of reflexes as you fight off wave after wave of smartly designed alien invaders. Before you set off that smart bomb, be prepared for a jaw-dropping fireworks show. “Flower” (thatgamecompany, free): This mellow, contemplative journey - you control the wind as it races across a meadow - is even more hypnotic on the PS4, whose graphic prowess brings every bit of grass to life. And Sony’s new DualShock 4 controller, with its upgraded motion sensors, makes exploring this peaceable kingdom smoother and more intuitive than ever. — AP

KUALA LUMPUR: A model poses next to a Toyota Fun-Vii concept car on display at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. — AP

Norway warms to electric cars OSLO: Following the example of their crown prince, thousands of Norwegians have switched to electric cars, taking advantage of strong and somewhat controversial government incentives. For the second month in a row, an electric car topped new car registrations in October in the Nordic country, where 716 Nissan Leaf were sold with an unprecedented market share of 5.6 percent. “Norway is showing the way out of oil dependence, or even addiction,” said Snorre Sletvold, president of the Norwegian Electric Car Association. But others say tax exemptions oﬀered to buyers-which for one model exceeds the price of the car itself-is costing the state dearly. From the modest Buddy, a locally produced two-seater urban car, to the more ostentatious US-made Tesla S, some 15,000 electric cars should be rolling on Norwegian roads by the end of 2013, 10 times more than in neighbouring Denmark and Sweden. Electric cars still represent a small fraction of Norway’s car pool, but ﬁgures grow steadily every month. In total, they accounted for 7.2 percent of Norwegian auto sales in October, up from a 3.4

percent market share a year ago. Around 5,200 have been sold in the ﬁrst 10 months of 2013 and new models by Volkswagen (including an electric version of its famous Golf), BMW and Renault are expected to hit the market in the coming months. In September, US-made Tesla S, Crown Prince Haakon’s personal choice, topped the sales list due to a backlog that had built up before the ﬁrst cars were shipped to the country. Somewhat paradoxical in oil-rich Norway, this success can be partially explained by the numerous incentives intended to foster clean vehicle sales in the country. Regardless of their price range, electric cars are exempt from VAT and other high Norwegian taxes, public parking fees and urban toll payments, and are allowed to use bus lanes. A lasting success of these cars will “depend on the authorities’ decision to keep these incentives in the long run”, Norwegian Road Federation executive Paal Bruhn said. At the moment, an agreement among several political parties guarantees the incentives at least until the end of 2017 or till Norway’s electric car pool reaches 50,000 units.

‘Electric car invasion’ The policy has pitted environmentalism against Norwegians’ egalitarian streak: Luxurious models like the Tesla S, which costs around 75,000 euros ($101,000), also benefit from exemptions. According to calculations by the specialised website www.bilnorge.no, tax exemptions for the flamboyant US vehicle could reach 91,000 euros, more than the price of the car itself. “Thanks to politicians who didn’t know what they were doing and Norway’s car industry, which has blindly followed its suppliers... we are now assisting an electric car invasion that doesn’t have a very social character,” two car sector experts said on www.bilnorge.no. “Tax exemptions were indispensable even for a car like the Tesla,” Sletvold replied.“This model debunks misconceptions of electric cars being ugly, unsafe and with a restricted autonomy.” Bjart Holtsmark, researcher at Statistics Norway, also criticises the incentive policy, highlighting the financial losses for the state, the fossil origin of most electricity produced in the world and the households’ tendency to buy a second car instead of using public transportation. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

Newborn babies fight for life in chapel-hospital TACLOBAN: Althea Mustacisa was born three days ago in the aftermath of the killer typhoon that razed the eastern Philippines. And for every one of those three days, she has struggled to live. But she has clung to life because her parents have been pushing oxygen into her tiny body with a hand-held pump non-stop ever since she came into this world. And “if they stop, the baby will die,” said Amie Sia, a nurse at a hospital in typhoon-wracked Tacloban city that is running without electricity and few staff or medical supplies. “She can’t breathe without them. She can’t breathe on her own,” Sia said. “The only sign of life this little girl has left is a heartbeat.” More than a week after ferocious Typhoon Haiyan annihilated a vast swath of the Philippines, killing more than 3,600 people, the storm’s aftermath is still claiming victims - and doctors here fear Althea may be the next. When the fierce storm smashed into this tropical country on Nov. 8, it transformed Tacloban into an unrecognizable wasteland of rubble and death. The bottom floor of the two-story governmentrun Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center was flooded, and the intensive care unit for newborns was left a muddy ruin. Life-saving machinery, like the facility’s only incubator, was soiled with water and mud. As the storm hit, doctors and staff took 20 babies who were already in the intensive care unit to a small chapel upstairs for their safety, placing them three or four in one plastic crib cart built for one newborn. With the chapel converted into an adhoc neonatal clinic, all the babies sur-

vived initially. But six died later, “because we lack vital medical equipment that was destroyed,” said the attending physician, Dr. Leslie Rosario. Within days, however, 10 more babies born during or in the aftermath of the storm were taken in, including Althea. She was born at the hospital on Nov. 13, weighing 2.65 kilograms (5.84 pounds), suffering from an inability to breathe. Doctors performed CPR on her and since then they have been giving her oxygen from the hand-held pump connected to a blue rubber bubble that fits into her tiny mouth and draws sustenance from a green tank through a transparent pipe. Doctors said the storm had not been a factor in the baby’s problems, noting that insufficient prenatal care most likely complicated the pregnancy for the 18year-old mother. The baby was not born premature. Still, there was a good chance of saving Althea had the hospital been equipped with electricity that would have run a ventilator, incubator and other life-saving equipment. Until yesterday, the makeshift ward in the chapel had no light except candles. On Saturday, one small fluorescent bulb attached to a diesel generator was hung in the middle of the room where a few packs of diapers sit on the altar below a picture of Jesus. On the floor are a few more boxes of the only medical supplies left - water for IV fluids, syringes, a handful of antibiotics. The hospital also lacks manpower. In the neonatal clinic alone, only three out of 16 staff are still working, Rosario said. The rest never reported back after the storm. The Philippines Department

of Health sent two nurses from Manila to help. The hospital chapel’s windows are all shattered and missing. It is now filled with 24 babies - five of them in critical condition, the rest with fevers or other ailments. Many were born premature. Their parents are there too, resting on 28 rows of wooden pews. Three mothers have IV drips in their arms. Nanette Salutan, 40, is one of them. She said her labor contraction began just as the winds from Haiyan began howling. The contractions continued after the storm eased, and she walked to the hospital with her husband. It was an eight-hour trek through corpse-filled rubble and waist-high water. “All I could think was, I wanted my baby to live,” Salutan said. Her baby boy, Bernard, was born the same night - at 2:13 a.m. He weighed just 2.6 kg (5.73 lb) and measured 45 centimeters (17.71 inches) tall. But he did not cry, and they knew immediately something was wrong. The baby was not breathing. Doctors performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and put clear green tubes of oxygen in his nose. He is still so weak that he has to be fed by a syringe that is connected to a tube taped to his mouth. Rosario said Bernard had a decent chance of survival. But Althea’s prognosis is not good. In a heart-stopping moment, her body turned blue as her breathing became more labored. Doctors rushed in and connected an IV needle into the remnant of her umbilical cord-the one in her wrist had been there too long to be effective, they said. Slowly life flowed back into her tiny body. “If we had a ventilator, it’s possible

TACLOBAN: A two year old girl with burn injuries to her face waits to board an evacuation flight from Tacloban airport yesterday. Grieving survivors of a monster typhoon in the mainly Catholic Philippines flocked to shattered churches yesterday, listening to soothing sermons and asking questions of God nine days after the storm ripped their communities apart. —AFP she could live,” Sia said. “But right now she’s very weak, and I don’t think she’s going to make it.” “They’ve been traumatized by the typhoon, and now they’re traumatized because they’re trying to keep their baby alive,” Rosario said of Althea’s parents. “ They’re physically and emotionally exhausted.” As she spoke, Althea’s mother, Genia Mae Mustacisa, leaned over her baby girl, stroked her forehead and kissed it. The newborn lay on a wooden table, eyes closed, wrapped in a blue- and

white-striped blanket. Her feet poked out, revealing a pair of mismatched socks - one with pink and red hearts, one of the “Peanuts” comic character Snoopy sweeping with a broom. Methodically, her mother squeezed a green rubber bag attached to the tall tank of oxygen slowly over and over, every few seconds, just as her husband had done for half an hour before. “It’s OK,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love you so much. No matter what happens, I love you so much.” —AP

Mars orbiter aims to crack mystery of planet’s lost water Trip to Mars will take 10 months

MADRID: Pro-life supporters demonstrate during a march called by anti-abortion organization “Derecho a vivir” (The right to live) in Madrid yesterday demanding that the Spanish government reforms Spain’s abortion law. Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government had vowed to present by the end of the month changes to a liberal abortion law passed in 2010 by the then Socialist government. — AFP

Robots let doctors ‘beam’ into remote hospitals CARMICHAEL: The doctor isn’t in, but he can still see you now. Remote presence robots are allowing physicians to “beam” themselves into hospitals to diagnose patients and offer medical advice during emergencies. A growing number of hospitals in California and other states are using telepresence robots to expand access to medical specialists, especially in rural areas where there’s a shortage of doctors. These mobile video-conferencing machines move on wheels and typically stand about 5 feet, with a large screen that projects a doctor’s face. They feature cameras, microphones and speakers that allow physicians and patients to see and talk to each other. Dignity Health, which runs Arizona, California and Nevada hospitals, began using the telemedicine machines five years ago to diagnose patients suspected of suffering strokes - when every minute is crucial to prevent serious brain damage. The San Francisco-based health care provider now uses the telemedicine robots in emergency rooms and intensive-care units at about 20 California hospitals, giving them access to specialists in areas such as neurology, cardiology, neonatology, pediatrics and mental health. “Regardless of where the patient is located, we can be at their bedside in several minutes,” said Dr. Alan Shatzel, medical director of the Mercy Telehealth Network. “Literally, we compress time and space with this technology. No longer does distance affect a person’s ability to access the best care possible.” Dignity Health is one of several hospital chains that recently began using RP-VITA, which was jointly developed by InTouch Health and iRobot Corp. It’s approved for hospital use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Hospitals are now using this type of technology in order to leverage the specialists that they have even better and more efficiently,” said Dr. Yulun Wang, CEO of Santa Barbara-based InTouch Health.

Nearly 1,000 hospitals in the U.S. and abroad have installed InTouch telemedicine devices, including about 50 RP-VITA robots launched in May, according to company officials. The company rents out the RP-VITA for $5,000 per month. When a doctor is needed at a remote hospital location, he can log into the RP-VITA onsite by using a computer, laptop or iPad. The robot has an auto-drive function that allows it to navigate its way to the patient’s room, using sensors to avoid bumping into things or people. Once inside the hospital room, the doctor can see, hear and speak to the patient, and have access to clinical data and medical images. The physician can’t touch the patient, but there is always a nurse or medical assistant on-site to assist. On a recent morning, Dr. Asad Chaudhary, a stroke specialist at Dignity Health, beamed into a robot at the neuro-intensive care unit at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael to evaluate Linda Frisk, a patient who recently suffered a stroke. With his face projected on the robot screen, Chaudhary asked Frisk to smile, open and close her eyes, make a fist and lift her arms and legs - common prompts to test a patient’s neurological functioning. “If you develop any weakness, any numbness, any problem with your speech or anything else, let us know right away,” Chaudhary told Frisk before the robot turned around and left the room. “It’s just like being with the patient in the room,” Chaudhary said. “Of course, nothing can replace seeing these patients in person, but it’s the next best thing.” Frisk, 60, who was flown into the hospital for treatment, said she was surprised when she first saw the robot, but quickly got used to the doctor’s virtual presence. “You feel like he was right there,” said Frisk, who lives near Merced. “Although I am a little spoiled and like to see him in person.” Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. — AP

FDA issues stern warning on Medtronic devices MINNEAPOLIS: Federal health officials say that defects in some Medtronic devices used in heart procedures are severe enough that they could cause serious injury or death. The warning covers about 15,000 recalled guidewires, which are inserted through an artery and used to guide other devices into place, such as stents to hold open blocked arteries. A recall of the guidewires began Oct. 21 after Medtronic received reports of four complaints, including one patient who went into cardiac arrest but was resuscitated, company spokesman Joseph McGrath said yesterday. The recall notice warned hospitals

and distributors worldwide that coating on the guide wires could break off, which could raise the possibility of blocking a blood vessel. The wires are coated to make them slide through blood vessels more easily. Medtronic announced Friday night that the Food and Drug Administration had classified the recall as Class I, a category reserved for products with reasonable potential to cause serious injury or death. The Minneapolis company said the recall affected certain lots made since April. The company said it has taken steps to prevent new shipments of the wires. It also has notified regulators around the world. — AP

CAPE CANAVERAL: Scientists have no doubts that oceans and rivers once pooled on the surface of Mars, but what happened to all that water is a long-standing mystery. The prime suspect is the sun, which has been peeling away the planet’s atmosphere, molecule by molecule, for billions of years. Exactly how that happens is the goal of NASA’s new Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission, or MAVEN, which is scheduled for launch at 1:28 p.m. EST/1828 GMT on Monday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Upon arrival in September 2014, MAVEN will put itself into orbit around Mars and begin scrutinizing the thin layer of gases that remains in its skies. “MAVEN is going to focus on trying to understand what the history of the atmosphere has been, how the climate has changed through time and how that has influenced the evolution of the surface and the potential habitability - at least by microbes - of Mars,’ said lead scientist Bruce Jakosky, with the University of Colorado at Boulder. Specifically, MAVEN will look at how much and what type of radiation is coming from the sun and other cosmic sources and how that impacts gases in Mars’ upper atmosphere. Scientists have glimpsed the process from data collected by Europe’s Mars Express orbiter

and NASA’s Curiosity rover, but never had the opportunity to profile the atmosphere and space environment around Mars simultaneously. “We’ll get a window on what is happening now so we can try and look backward at the evidence locked in the rocks and put the whole story together about Martian history and how it came to be such a challenging environment,” said Mars scientist Pan Conrad, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The evidence for a warmer, wetter, more Earth-like Mars has been building for decades. Ancient rocks bear telltale chemical fingerprints of past interactions with water. The planet’s surface is riddled with geologic features carved by water, such as channels, dried up riverbeds, lake deltas and other sedimentary deposits. “The atmosphere must have been thicker for the planet to be warmer and wetter. The question is where did all that carbon dioxide and the water go?” Jakosky said. There are two places the atmosphere could go: down into the ground or up into space. Scientists know some of the planet’s carbon dioxide ended up on the surface and joined with minerals in the crust. But so far, the ground inventory is not large enough to account for the early, thick atmosphere Mars would have needed to support water on its surface.

Instead, scientists suspect that most of the atmosphere was lost into space, a process that began about 4 billion years ago when the planet’s protective magnetic field mysteriously turned off. “If you have a global magnetic field, it causes the solar wind to stand off. It pushes it away so it isn’t able to strip away atmosphere,” Jakosky said. Without a magnetic field, Mars became ripe pickings for solar and cosmic radiation, a process that continues today. MAVEN’s prime mission is expected to last one year, enough time for scientists to collect data during a variety of solar storms and other space weather events. Afterward, MAVEN will remain in orbit for up to 10 years serving as a communications relay for Curiosity, a follow-on rover slated to launch in 2020 and a lander that is being designed to study the planet’s deep interior. If MAVEN is launched as planned on Monday, it is due to reach Mars on Sept. 22 - two days before India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, which launched on Nov. 5. India’s probe has been raising its orbit around Earth and should be in position on Dec. 1 to begin the journey to Mars. If weather or technical problems prevent Monday’s launch, NASA has 20 days to get MAVEN off the ground while Earth and Mars are favorably aligned for the probe to reach Mars.— Reuters

Water a pressing concern for typhoon survivors

TACLOBAN: Since the typhoon hit, Danny Estember has been hiking three hours round-trip into the mountains each day to obtain what he can only hope is clean water for his five daughters and two sons. The exhausting journey is necessary because safe water is desperately scarce in this storm ravaged portion of the Philippines. Without it, people struggling to rebuild and even survive risk catching intestinal and other diseases that can spread if they’re unable to wash properly. While aid agencies work to provide a steady supply, survivors have resorted to scooping from streams, catching rainwater in buckets and smashing open pipes to obtain what is left from disabled pumping stations. With at least 600,000 people homeless, the demand is massive. “I’m thirsty and hungry. I’m worried - no food, no house, no water, no money,” said Estember, a 50-year-old ambulance driver. Thousands of other people who sought shelter under the solid roof of the Tacloban City Astrodome also must improvise, taking water from wherever they can - a broken water pipe or a crumpled tarp. The water is salty and foul tasting but it is all many have had for days. The US Institute of Medicine defines an adequate daily intake of fluids as roughly 3 liters (100 ounces) for men and about 2.2 liters (75 ounces) for women. Given the shortages and hot climate, it’s certain that most in the disaster zone aren’t getting anything like those amounts, leaving them prone to energy-sapping dehydration. Providing clean, safe drinking water is key to preventing the toll of dead and injured from rising in the weeks after a major natural disaster. Not only do survivors need to stay hydrated, they also need to be protected from waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake was followed by a cholera outbreak that health officials say has killed more than 8,000 people and sickened nearly 600,000. Some studies have shown that cholera may have been introduced in Haiti by UN troops from Nepal, where the disease is endemic. Washing regularly, using latrines and boiling drinking water are the best ways to avoid contracting diarrhea and other ailments that could burden already stressed health services. It took several

days for aid groups to bring large quantities of water to Tacloban, the eastern Philippine city where the typhoon wreaked its worst destruction. By Friday, tankers were arriving. Philippine Red Cross workers sluiced water into enormous plastic bladders attached to faucets from which people fill jerry cans, buckets, bottles and whatever other containers they might have. “I’m thirsty,” said Lydia Advincula, 54, who for the last few days had been placing buckets out doors to catch some of the torrential downpours that have added to the misery of homeless storm survivors. Water provisioning should get a big boost with the recent arrival of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington, a virtual floating city with a distillation plant that can produce 1.5 million liters (400,000 gallons) of fresh water per day enough to supply 2,000 homes, according to the ship’s website. Britain also is sending an aircraft carrier, the HMS Illustrious, with seven helicopters and facilities to produce fresh water, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said. It said the ship is expected to reach

the area about Nov. 25. Filtration systems are now operating in Tacloban, the center of the relief effort, and two other towns in Leyte province, the hardest-hit area. Helicopters are dropping bottled water along with other relief supplies to more isolated areas. Other more high-tech water purification solutions are also available, such as water purification bottles developed since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated parts of Thailand, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. Those contain systems that filter out parasites, bacteria and other dangerous substances from virtually any water source, making it safe to drink and alleviating the high cost and logistical difficulties that shipping in bottled water entails. Longer-term water solutions will come once the crucial issues of shelter and security are settled and will likely have to wait several months, said John Saunders, of the U.S.-based International Association of Emergency Managers. Those water systems are far more complex, requiring expensive, specialized equipment and training for operators, he said.—AP

TACLOBAN: Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan stand in line during for drinking water distribution in Palo on the outskirts of Tacloban, on the eastern island of Leyte yesterday. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

Doctors told to get serious about obesity ATLANTA: Next time you go for a checkup, don’t be surprised if your doctor gets on your case about your weight. The medical profession has issued new guidelines for fighting the nation’s obesity epidemic, and they urge physicians to be a lot more aggressive about helping patients drop those extra pounds. Doctors should calculate your body mass index, a weight-to-height ratio. And if you need to lose weight, they should come up with a plan and send you for counseling. “We recognize that telling patients to lose weight is not enough,” said Dr. Donna Ryan, co-chair of the guidelines committee. The good news? By next year, most insurance companies are expected to cover counseling and other obesity treatments, following in the steps of the Medicare program, which began paying for one-on-one help last year. More than a third of US adults are obese, and that’s been the case since the middle of the last decade. Officials define someone with a BMI of 30 or higher as obese. A 5-foot-9 person would be obese at 203 pounds. Doctors are well aware that excess weight can trigger diabetes and lead to heart disease and other health problems. Yet surveys have shown that only about a third of obese patients recall their doctor talking to them about their BMI or counseling them about weight loss. The guidelines were released this week by a group of medical organizations that include the American Heart

Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society. They come amid a spate of important developments in the fight against obesity. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved two more obesity-fighting drugs. And this year, the AMA labeled obesity a disease, a measure intended to get doctors to pay more attention to the problem and prod more insurers to pay for treatments. Yet many people have been on their own when it comes to slimming down, left to sift through the myriad diets and exercise schemes that are promoted for weight loss. And most doctors have little training in how to help their obese patients, other than telling them it’s a problem and they need to do something about it. “I feel for these guys,” said Dr. Tim Church, a researcher at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “They have patients who come in and ask them about the latest fad diet. They’re not trained in this stuff and they’re not comfortable” recommending particular diets or weight-loss plans. The guidelines advise doctors to: At least once year, calculate patients’ BMI, measure their waists and tell them if they are overweight or obese. Develop a weight-loss plan that includes exercise and moderate calorie-cutting. Consider recommending weightloss surgery for patients with a BMI of 40 or for those with a BMI of 35 who

also have two other risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Refer overweight and obese patients who are headed for heart problems to weight-loss programs. Specifically, discuss enrolling them in at least 14 face-to-face counseling sessions over six months with a registered dietitian, psychologist or other professional with training in weight management. Web or phone-based counseling sessions are considered a less effective option. Diane LeBlanc said the new guidelines are overdue. More than year ago, the Baton Rouge, La., woman sat down with her longtime family doctor to talk about her weight and get a referral for some kind of help. She had tried dieting without success for more than a decade, had high blood pressure and was about to hit a dress size of 20. She said the doctor smiled and told her: “ There’s a lot of programs out there. But really, you just have to eat less.” “It just devastated me,” LeBlanc recalled. “He was saying, ‘It’s all in your mind.’ I was thinking, ‘If I could do that, don’t you think I would have done it by now?’” She changed doctors and has lost 40 pounds from her 5-foot-4 frame since May after getting into an intensive Pennington weight-loss program that includes counseling sessions. Doctors “need to get the message,” “LeBlanc said. “Just telling someone you need to push the plate away is not going to work for everyone.” — Reuters

TANAUAN: Medics treat a survivor of Typhoon Haiyan in a hospital, yesterday in Tanauan town, Leyte province, central Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record, hit the country’s eastern seaboard Nov 8, leaving a wide swath of destruction. —AP

Australians rally in for climate action SYDNEY: Thousands of people yesterday rallied across Australia calling for stronger action on climate change, days after new conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott moved to abolish a carbon tax.Activist group GetUp, which organised the National Day of Climate Action, estimated that more than 60,000 people turned out at protests. “From remote country towns to the big cities, Australians have come

to their own conclusions after our hottest year on record. And they want action,” GetUp national director Sam Mclean told reporters. Australia has just experienced the hottest 12 months ever recorded, which coupled with massive bushfires in New South Wales state last month has inflamed debate about whether there is a link to climate change. The rallies also followed Abbott last

week introducing a bill into parliament to repeal a carbon tax designed to combat climate change as his first major economic reform since taking office. Abbott said the September 7 election which he won decisively had been a referendum on the future of the tax which was imposed by the former Labor government on major polluters from 2012 in a bid to reduce carbon emissions. —AFP

W H AT ’ S O N

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

CGS discusses ‘Boycotts, divestment and sanction’ SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements Youth Chorus song competition outh Chorus, Kuwait is organizing the 8th Christian Group Song Competition on Friday, 22nd November 2013 at 6.30pm at the United Indian School Auditorium, Abbasiya. More than 10 teams are competing on the same stage. Winners will be awarded with prestigious ever-rolling trophies Mrs. Aleyamma John Pazhayidathu memorial for the first prize, and Mrs. Omana Jose memorial for the second prize and Youth Chorus Trophy for the third prize. Besides this, the winners will be awarded with individual trophies and certificates. All the participants will be awarded with Youth Chorus mementos. A committee with Thomas Chandy M. L. A as Patron, Santhosh Eayo as Gen. Convener, Tony Mathew as Jt. Convenor, John Abraham, Somu Mathew, Adv. John Thomas as conveners are giving leadership to the program.

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.

‘How to get a job and keep it’ workshop at AUK

n collaboration with AUK, the Education Focus Group at the American Business Council, Kuwait, will be holding a workshop entitled “How to Get a Job and Keep It” on Tuesday 19 November 6 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). The workshop will go through the steps to obtaining a job and keeping it. By attending “How to Get a Job and Keep it”, you will learn ways for creating effective CVs and resumes, and how to interview more professionally. This will be followed by a discussion by the panelist on how to keep your job, which will be moderated by Ms. Mary M. McNally MBA, Director of Student Affairs at Box Hill College Kuwait. The panel is composed of Ms. Samar Khleif, Country Director for AMIDEAST, Brinley Jones, General Manager, MRI Network Action Recruitment & Management, Ms. Rana Al Nibari, INJAZ-Kuwait’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms. May Ammouneh, Director - Recruitment Advisory, PROCAPITA, and Mr. Khalifa Bader Al Khalifa, Head of Local Programs, LOYAC. The “How to Get a Job and Keep It” workshop is open to the public, as well as members of the AUK community.

he Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait hosted a joint lecture last week by Omar Barghouti, independent researcher and human rights activist; and Abdullah Al Naibari, a former parliament member and a founding member of Kuawit’s democratic platform. The Lecture, which was entitled “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions,” came as part of the Kuwait-Palestine series, a CGS initiative encouraging an open-ended discussion of the various facets of the history between Kuwait and Palestine and the importance of this relationship for both. Al Naibari kicked off the two-part lecture by discussing the history of the Arab League’s boycott of Israel, during which he explained the systematic economic isolation of Israel by Arab states, and the various degrees to which both Arab and non-Arab nations have implemented it. Following Al Naibari’s segment of the lecture, Barghouti discussed the history of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and how crucial it remains today. He outlined what role Kuwait has played in the success of the movement,affirming that Kuwait has remained steadfast nonetheless in its support of the boycott. He concluded his discussion by affirming the need for solidarity over charity, highlighting that the boycott is not only of Israeli goods and services, but also the boycott of Israeli academics and culture. After the lecture, a lively question and answer session took place, allowing both speakers to expand upon their previous thoughts and introduce new points as well. Both speakers urged members of the audience to partake in the struggle to end Palestinian oppression, and stressed the importance of action over agreement and the need for persistence at all levels of BDS. The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at the American University of Kuwait aims to promote greater cultural understanding of and increased intellectual interest in the Gulf, by facilitating free and open academic discourse on a range of issues that both shape and challenge this critical region of the world. The goal of CGS is to enable scholars as well as political and civil society actors both within and outside the region to contribute and add value to the burgeoning field of Gulf Studies,

Dr. Farah Al Nakib, Director of Center for Gulf Studies.

Lecture speakers (from left): Abdullah Al Naibari, and Omar Barghouti.

while at the same time informing and engaging the general public. To this end, the CGS encourages, supports, and cultivates interesting and original research on the Gulf, while regularly organizing a variety of pub-

lic academic events such as lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences.

ACK celebrates ‘International Food Festival’

ver 20 restaurants participated at this year’s Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) “International Food Festival”, offering a wide selection of dishes representing numerous cuisines. On this occasion, Christopher Picone, Student Activities Center Manager, stated: “Food is a vital path of our daily life, and it was a special treat for students and staff to enjoy eating together outdoors during the 3-day period and tasting dishes from around the world.” The annual 3-day festival was once again a huge success with students, staff and hundreds of visitors enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Soorya Festival - a mega success

Arpan - Kuwait celebrated Onam-Eid- Kerala day on Friday 1st Nov at Indian Community School, Salmiya

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

oorya Kuwait Chapter, in association with UAE Exchange, organized “Soorya India Festival 2013”, at the Indian Community School (Senior) Auditorium, Salmiya on Friday. Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy Shubashis Goldar inaugurated the program by lighting the lamp, along with Pancily Varkey, President, Vijay Karayil, Vice-President and General Secretary B.S. Pillai. The Deputy Chief of Mission appreciated Soorya Kuwait Chapter for its excellent efforts in promoting India’s rich and diverse culture. General Secretary welcomed the audience. The first part of the program was a Bharatanatyam, performed by Karnataka Kalasri Sridhar and Anuradha Sridhar, the dancing couple par excellence in Bharatanatyam today. Their one-hour long recital was a brief about Mahabharata, which they performed exceptionally well. Without compromising the essential aesthetics of Bharatanatyam, Sridhar’s had highlighted human emotional conflicts and spiritual values of life through their enthralling performance and they had succeeded in building up an instant rapport with the audience. The second part of the program was an Odissi dance by the leading Odissi performers of the country Arupa Gayatri Panda and Bijan Kumar Pallai. Their performances were about Pancha Bhutha, the five elements of nature, Khamaj

Pallavai and rasa in Ramayana. The rhythms and the facial expressions demonstrated by the dancing couple were applauded by the audience intermittently. On the whole, the Soorya India Fest was really a cultural feast for the art lovers of Kuwait, as it had a dreamcome-true effect. Later, the artistes were honored with gifts for their outstanding recitals. Pancily Varkey and Vijay Karayil presented the gifts. Soorya India, led by versatile mastermind Soorya Krishnamurthy, is present in 19 countries. It has been propagating the art of India outside the country for the last 15 years with the active support of its Chief Patron Dr. B.R. Shetty, Managing Director, NMC Group of Companies.

W H AT ’ S O N

Alghanim Industries holds conference, graduation event

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

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

lghanim Industries (AI) yesterday held a major one-day conference and graduation ceremony for its Leadership Development Program at the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel, Kuwait, during which 17 Alghanim leaders received certificates to mark their graduation from the program. The event was attended by over 80 members of AI’s management team. AI’s Leadership Development Program is a multi-level course that provides its emerging mid-level and senior leaders with world-class leadership training and development. The five-month course is conducted by the Talent Development Company (TDC), AI’s dedicated talent development arm, which uses a blended learning approach, including business challenge projects, classroom-based workshops, business simulations, one-to-one executive coaching and e-learning.

The program is part of AI’s long-term commitment to developing leaders within the company and receives direct support from AI’s executive leadership team. At the conference, Samir Kasem, President Commercial and Industrial Groups, and Jim Batchler, Chief Human Resources Officer, spoke about leadership, and how to inspire and motivate in times of change. Omar K. Alghanim, Alghanim Industries’ CEO, commented: “Companies thrive on continual investment, and the most important action a company can take to safeguard its long-term future is investing in its people. This is why our management team is fully committed to this program, as we see it as key to ensuring that Alghanim Industries continues to develop, as well as deliver, the quality of services and products for which

we are renowned.” In addition to attending senior management presentations, the graduates also actively participated in the conference, engaging in work sessions to discuss what they had learned during the program and presenting their final projects to fellow graduates and management colleagues. The day finished with a formal graduation ceremony and dinner to celebrate their achievement. By completing this rigorous development program, the graduates have acquired enhanced practical leadership skills which will be of direct, relevant use to them in their management positions, and will further strengthen the culture of leadership development within the company.

Prof Ghassan Aouad presents seminar on art and science of doing research

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: abdbiim-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

he Research and Development Office (RDO) at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) organized a seminar presented by Professor Ghassan Aouad, Vice President of Academic Affairs at GUST, entitled: “The Art and Science of Doing Research.” His seminar was about how to conduct comprehensive and effective research; which was mainly attended by university faculty and staff. He started his presentation by discussing the importance of good methodology to have a good research strategy such as quantitative research and qualitative research. Also, he discussed ontology: how it is determined

by value through studying the methodology of research. In addition, he mentioned the philosophical study of value. It is either the collective term for ethics and aesthetics where Ethics investigates the concepts of “right” and “good” in individual and social conduct while Aesthetics studies the concepts of “beauty” and “harmony.” Prof Aouad also shed light on the challenges he faced during the time attaining his PhD, which he referred to as “Snow White and the seven PhD Students.” He said “At first you are bashful and happy, but with time and as the difficulty of the PhD increases, your motivation starts to decrease.”

Furthermore, he demonstrated some of the key techniques to publishing books including stating key questions, readability, conducting a draft paper, abstract (introductions, literature review, research methodology and main finding), testing validation and conclusion, “Your thesis committee must have importance, outcome and methodology,” he noted. Passion was also emphasized; passion for reading, passion for learning and passion for applying concepts. Professor Aouad discussed the potential areas in Kuwait for the future especially in media and politics. He also discussed the suitability of themes that

include academic fit, critical mass (human resources), affordability, strategic positioning and interdisciplinary. The faculty and staff in attendance benefited immensely from the presentation and look forward to future seminars conducted by the department. The Gulf University for Science and Technology began operation in 2002 as the first private university in Kuwait. It is based on an American-style model of higher education and aims to serve the increasing educational demands of Kuwait and the Gulf region. It currently hosts over 3, 000 full-time students.

Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait raises awareness in Kuwait

reen Globe member, Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait has demonstrated a firm commitment to sustainability for years. This upscale hotel has been engaged in numerous environmental activities, in line with Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ corporate philosophy. All efforts were recently awarded re-certification. “We are very proud to earn the renewal of our Green Globe certification,” said Maged Gubr, General Manager at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a. “This achievement will encourage us to continuously improve our environmental performance, and raise awareness on sustainability issues in Kuwait. We have implemented a longterm environmental system to reduce the water and energy consumption. Basic measures, such as the installation of water-saving devices, and energy efficient lighting, are part of our best practices. We also encourage our guests to minimize their footprint, join our responsibility programs and local activi-

GM, Maged Gubr ties promoting awareness.” Movenpick’s commitment goes beyond environmental and employer sustainability, it encompasses a positive contribution to the community that is mutually beneficial and sustainable. The M?venpick Al Bida’a initiated nationwide recycling competitions in cooperation with the Public Administration for

Private Education, Environment Public Authority, and schools throughout Kuwait. These competitions aim at sensitizing the younger generation to sustainability issues, and inspire children to care for the environment in their daily life at home and at school. Social responsibility is a very important topic at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a, and the property works closely with a number of local institutions, such as the Down Syndrome Association Kuwait (DSA), improving the life for people with Down syndrome. The hotel sponsored the recent annual event of the DSA. “It is our goal to create a better environment for today - and for future generations to come,” concludes General Manager, Maged Gubr. The audit for the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a was conducted byFarnek Middle East,lead sustainable consultancy in the MENA region.

EMBASSY OF US The US Embassy in Kuwait has new procedures for obtaining appointments and picking up passports after visa issuance. Beginning August 9, 2013, we now provide an online visa appointment system, live call center, and in-person pick-up facilities in Kuwait. Please monitor our website and social media for additional information. This new system offers more flexibility for travelers to the US and to meet the increase in demand for visa appointments. The general application steps on the new visa appointment system are: 1. Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/kw (if this is the first time on ustraveldocs.com, you will need to create a profile to login). 2. Please complete your DS-160 Online Visa Application which is available at ceac.state.gov/genNIV. 3. Please print and take your deposit slip to any Burgan Bank location to pay your visa application fee. 4. Schedule an appointment for your visa interview online at www.ustraveldocs.com/kw or by phone through the Call Center (at +965-2227-1673). 5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy to other applicants. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website - kuwait.usembassy.gov - as it is the best source of information regarding these changes. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF 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.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

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

Sharks Under Glass Roaring With Pride Lion Man: One World African Animal Cops Houston Wild France Wildlife SOS Monkey Life Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 The Most Extreme Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Shamwari: A Wild Life Animal Cops Houston Monkey Life Call Of The Wildman ER Vets ER Vets Lion Man: One World African Shamwari: A Wild Life My Cat From Hell The Most Extreme Breed All About It The Magic Of The Big Blue Great White Shark: Uncaged Swamp Brothers Shamwari: A Wild Life Too Cute! Animal Cops Houston I Was Bitten Untamed & Uncut

03:05 Last Of The Summer Wine 03:35 Luther 04:30 My Family 05:00 Me Too! 05:20 The Green Balloon Club 05:45 Jollywobbles 05:55 Tweenies 06:15 Me Too! 06:35 The Green Balloon Club 06:55 Jollywobbles 07:05 Tweenies 07:25 The Impressions Show With Culshaw... 07:55 Hebburn 08:25 Doctor Who 09:10 Big Cat Diary 09:35 Doctors 10:05 Daddy Daycare 10:55 Casualty 11:45 The Impressions Show With Culshaw... 12:15 Doctor Who 13:00 Doctor Who: Best Of The Doctor 13:45 Hebburn 14:15 Doctors 14:45 Casualty 15:35 Daddy Daycare 16:25 Doctor Who 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 The Weakest Link 19:00 My Family 19:30 Blackadder II 20:00 Spooks 20:50 Threesome 21:15 Jekyll 22:05 Walter’s War 22:55 Beautiful People 23:25 My Family 23:55 Daddy Daycare 00:45 Blackadder II 01:15 Eastenders

03:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 04:40 Antiques Roadshow 05:35 Antiques Roadshow 06:25 Come Dine With Me: Supersized 08:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 08:30 Bargain Hunt 09:15 Marbella Mansions 10:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 10:25 Come Dine With Me: Supersized 12:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:50 Extreme Makeover: Home

Edition Specials 14:10 Antiques Roadshow 15:05 Homes Under The Hammer 16:50 Bargain Hunt 17:35 Cash In The Attic 18:30 Antiques Roadshow 19:20 Marbella Mansions 20:10 The Little Paris Kitchen 20:35 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt 00:00 Cash In The Attic 00:45 Marbella Mansions 01:40 Come Dine With Me 02:30 Masterchef: The Professionals

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

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

Car vs Wild Car vs Wild Mythbusters Mythbusters Extreme Fishing Overhaulin’ 2012 Border Security Storage Hunters Dirty Money How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Fast N’ Loud World’s Biggest Ship Wheeler Dealers Border Security Storage Hunters Dirty Money Flying Wild Alaska Overhaulin’ 2012 Ultimate Survival Dirty Jobs Mythbusters American Guns Storage Hunters Dirty Money How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Diamond Divers Bush Pilots Jungle Gold Diamond Divers Bush Pilots Jungle Gold

James May’s Man Lab James May’s Man Lab James May’s Man Lab The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Weird Connections Weird Connections Prank Science Prank Science Weird Or What? The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 James May’s Man Lab X-Machines Unchained Reaction Moon Machines Futurecar Weird Connections The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Nextworld What Is That? What Is That? X-Machines Unchained Reaction Moon Machines Mighty Ships Mighty Planes The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Mighty Ships Mighty Planes Colony Weird Connections The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Mighty Ships

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

World’s Busiest Extreme Engineering Timewatch Timewatch Timewatch Marine Corps Survival School Victory By Design World’s Busiest Daredevils World’s Toughest Expeditions

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

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas 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 Frenemies Prank Stars My Babysitter’s A Vampire That’s So Raven Gravity Falls Jessie Violetta Dog With A Blog Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Shake It Up 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 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

03:00 03:25 03:40 03:50

Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers

Timewatch Victory By Design Extreme Engineering Aircrash Confidential Feral Children Marley Africa Road Trip Timewatch Beyond Survival With Les On The Brink: Doomsday Extreme Engineering Victory By Design Marley Africa Road Trip On The Brink: Doomsday Zero Hour Most Evil Marley Africa Road Trip On The Brink: Doomsday

A MONSTER IN PARIS ON OSN MOVIES HD

04:20 Handy Manny 04:35 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 04:40 Special Agent Oso 04:50 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Imagination Movers 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 06:50 Special Agent Oso 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Jungle Junction 08:30 Higglytown Heroes 08:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 09:50 Doc McStuffins 10:05 Doc McStuffins 10:20 Zou 10:35 Henry Hugglemonster 10:50 Henry Hugglemonster 11:00 Sofia The First 11:25 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 11:40 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 11:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 12:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 12:45 Mouk 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:05 Higglytown Heroes 13:20 The Hive 13:30 Doc McStuffins 13:45 Doc McStuffins 14:00 Zou 14:15 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 14:30 Henry Hugglemonster 14:45 Henry Hugglemonster 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:45 Higglytown Heroes 15:55 The Hive 16:05 Doc McStuffins 16:20 Zou 16:35 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 16:50 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 17:05 Art Attack 17:30 Goof Troop 17:55 Tarzan 18:20 Quack Pack 18:45 Lilo And Stitch 19:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:05 Pajanimals 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:45 Zou 21:00 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 21:15 Jake And The Neverland Pirates 21:30 Goof Troop 21:55 Tarzan 22:20 Quack Pack 22:45 Lilo And Stitch 23:10 Sofia The First 23:35 Doc McStuffins 23:50 Pajanimals 00:05 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 00:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 00:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 01:10 Doc McStuffins 01:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 01:50 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:25 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship

07:00 Max Steel 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 08:15 Crash & Bernstein 08:40 Kickin It 09:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:30 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 12:50 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 13:15 Scaredy Squirrel 13:40 Pair Of Kings 14:05 Pair Of Kings 14:30 Phineas And Ferb 15:20 Pokemon Bw: Adventures In Unova 15:45 Lab Rats 16:10 Lab Rats 16:35 Crash & Bernstein 17:00 Lab Rats 17:30 Kickin It 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 Monsters University: Behind The Screams 19:40 Crash & Bernstein 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 22:35 Lab Rats 23:00 Kickin It

03:15 04:10 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 10:40 11:10 Do? 11:35 Do? 12:05 13:05 13:35 14:30 15:00 York 16:00

THS E! Investigates Extreme Close-Up Extreme Close-Up THS Style Star E! News Opening Act Married To Jonas Chasing The Saturdays What Would Ryan Lochte What Would Ryan Lochte E! News Extreme Close-Up The E! True Hollywood Story Style Star Kourtney & Kim Take New Kourtney & Kim Take New

Twigson 02:45 Wheelers

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

Mrs. Miracle Surf’s Up Hotel Transylvania Dead Lines Outlaw Country Project Nim Hotel Transylvania The Odd Life Of Timothy Red Dawn Brother’s Justice Dead Lines Hotel Transylvania

07:00 PGA Tour 10:30 Futbol Mundial 11:00 Darts Grand Slam 13:00 International Rugby Union 15:00 Rugby League World Cup 17:00 International Rugby Union 19:00 PGA Tour Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 Darts Grand Slam 23:00 International Rugby Union 01:00 PGA Tour Highlights 02:00 PGA European Tour Highlights

SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION York 17:00 Ice Loves Coco 18:00 E! News 19:00 THS 20:00 Hello Ross 20:30 Married To Jonas 21:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On 22:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 23:00 E!ES 00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Dance Scene 01:25 THS 02:20 E! Investigates

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

Charly’s Cake Angels Amazing Wedding Cakes Unique Eats Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Chopped Iron Chef America Unwrapped Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Extra Virgin Barefoot Contessa Food Network Star Andy Bates American Street Aarti Party Unwrapped Unique Sweets Food Network Challenge Tyler’s Ultimate Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa - Back To Siba’s Table Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Symon’s Suppers Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa - Back To Tastiest Places To Chowdown Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Reza, Spice Prince Of India Siba’s Table Charly’s Cake Angels Chopped Iron Chef America Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Andy Bates American Street

03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:25 Deadly Arts 05:20 Banged Up Abroad 06:15 Market Values 06:40 Eat Street 07:10 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 07:35 Eat Street 08:05 Bondi Rescue 09:00 Scam City 09:55 Deadly Arts 10:50 Banged Up Abroad 11:45 Deadly Arts 12:40 Banged Up Abroad 13:35 Market Values 14:00 Eat Street 14:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 14:55 Eat Street 15:25 Bondi Rescue 15:50 Get Stuffed 16:20 Scam City 17:15 Banged Up Abroad 19:05 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 20:00 Banged Up Abroad 22:55 Eat Street 23:20 Eat Street 23:50 Eat Street 00:15 Street Food Around The World 00:45 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 01:10 Market Values 01:40 Chefs Run Wild 02:05 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 02:35 Bondi Rescue

03:00 How I Met Your Mother 03:30 Go On 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 How I Met Your Mother 09:30 Two And A Half Men 10:00 Modern Family 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 Go On 14:30 Two And A Half Men 15:00 Modern Family 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 How I Met Your Mother 18:30 Go On 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Modern Family 20:00 That Mitchell And Webb Look 20:30 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 South Park 22:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 The League 23:30 That Mitchell And Webb Look 00:00 Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 South Park 02:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:30 The League

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

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

Treme Top Gear (US) C.S.I. Psych Necessary Roughness White Collar Zero Hour C.S.I. Top Gear (US) Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Once Upon A Time Revenge The Blacklist Boardwalk Empire The Client List Psych The Blacklist Boardwalk Empire

Layer Cake Soldiers Of Fortune Lords Of Dogtown The Speed Of Thought Wild Wild West Lara Croft: Tomb Raider The Speed Of Thought Alien Tornado Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Sudden Death Fertile Ground Elfie Hopkins

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

Soldiers Of Fortune Lords Of Dogtown The Speed Of Thought Wild Wild West Lara Croft: Tomb Raider The Speed Of Thought Alien Tornado Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Sudden Death Fertile Ground Elfie Hopkins Sudden Death

04:00 Mr. Destiny 06:00 Adventures In Babysitting 08:00 Who Framed Roger Rabbit 10:00 Tower Heist 12:00 Mr. Destiny 14:00 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach 16:00 Tower Heist 18:00 The Wish List 20:00 The Heartbreak Kid 22:00 Slums Of Beverly Hills 00:00 Wanderlust 02:00 The Heartbreak Kid

03:00 04:45 07:00 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 00:00 Creed 02:00

The Chorus Anna Karenina Remember Sunday The Chorus Anna Karenina Dead Lines Treasure Island Stomp The Yard Waiting For Forever Blue Like Jazz The Disappearance Of Alice

03:30 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 Dying 23:00 01:15

Contagion The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Ondine Resistance Raggedy Man A Fall From Grace Too Late To Say Goodbye Raggedy Man The Rich Man’s Wife The Most Fun You Can Have

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

A Monster In Paris Saving Grace B. Jones The Darkest Hour Bernie Frankenweenie Of Two Minds The Wild Girl Bernie The Amazing Spider-Man The Man With The Iron Fists Small Apartments Being Flynn

Stomp The Yard

He Got Game Surveillance

03:00 The Legend Of Sasquatch 04:30 A Cat In Paris 06:00 Arthur Christmas 08:00 Wheelers 10:00 Shrek The Third 11:45 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva LA Fiesta! 13:15 A Cat In Paris 14:30 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers 16:00 Twigson 18:00 Shrek The Third 20:00 Wreck-It Ralph 22:00 Wheelers 23:30 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers01:00

03:00 03:30 05:30 06:30

This Week In WWE Darts Grand Slam Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial

04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 21:00 23:00 23:30 00:30 01:00

Rugby League World Cup World Pool Masters Golfing World Darts Grand Slam World Pool Masters World Pool Masters Rugby League World Cup Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Darts Grand Slam Golfing World ICC Cricket 360 Rugby League World Cup Rugby League World Cup Total Rugby Golfing World ICC Cricket 360 International Rugby Union

04:00 UFC 167 - St Pierre vs. Hendricks 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 WWE Experience 09:00 Ping Pong World Championship 10:00 U.S Bass Fishing 13:00 Motor Sports 14:00 Triathlon UK 15:00 Triathlon UK 16:00 WWE Smackdown 18:00 WWE Experience 19:00 UFC Prelims 21:00 UFC Fight For The Troops 02:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18

03:00 Piha Rescue 03:30 Piha Rescue 04:00 Piha Rescue 04:30 Piha Rescue 05:00 Descending 06:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Descending 10:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 10:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 11:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 12:00 Bert The Conqueror 12:30 Trip Flip 13:00 The Food Truck 13:30 The Food Truck 14:00 Bizarre Foods America 15:00 International House Hunters 15:30 International House Hunters 16:00 International House Hunters 16:30 International House Hunters 17:00 Hotel Impossible 18:00 Destination Weddings 18:30 Destination Weddings 19:00 The Food Truck 19:30 The Food Truck 20:00 Bizarre Foods America 21:00 International House Hunters 21:30 International House Hunters 22:00 Hotel Impossible 23:00 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 23:30 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 00:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 00:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 01:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 02:00 Xtreme Waterparks 02:30 Xtreme Waterparks

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

Warrior Road Trip Helicopter Wars Dogtown Warrior Road Trip Blow Your Mind How Hard Can It Be? Lockdown Alaska State Troopers Warrior Road Trip Helicopter Wars Dogtown Mega Factories 100%: Planes How Hard Can It Be? Lockdown Alaska State Troopers Ultimate Disaster Naked Science Hunter Hunted Ultimate Disaster Family Guns 100%: Planes Man vs Ride 80s: The Decade That Made

Classifieds MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2013

FOR SALE

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

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 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

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

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)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

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

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

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

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

driving license. Mob: 65008377. (C 4573) 16-11-2013

Nissan Pathﬁnder 2003 model, white. Serious buyer may contact 97277135. Mitsubishi Galant 2013, silver color, excellent condition, km 11,000, KD 2,950. Tel: 66729295. (C 4574) 17-11-2013 SUV Trailblazer, 2005 model, white color, price KD 1,300. Tel: 66728911. (C 4571) 14-11-2013

CHANGE OF NAME My wife name in passport Sameera. Sameera is my daughter name. My wife name is Sainaba Mohammed Kunih, P.P.No. F8710673, issued in Kuwait on 16.11.2006, address: Sameera Manzil Poolappe, PO Elambach, Kosaragode Dt, Kerala. (C 4576) 17-11-2013

ACCOMMODATION In Abbassiya, sharing accommodation available for a small family or working ladies, in a C-A/C building with separate bathroom, in Sreeragam furniture building (opposite to “Spencerice bakery) from 1st December. Contact: 99750711, 97168646 or 24348730. (C 4575) 17-11-2013

MATRIMONIAL

Prayer timings

112

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

Orthodox girl 27/160 cm, MDS (Endodontics) working in Health Ministry Kuwait, from PG dentists/ doctors/ engineers or CA. Email: gthomastitty@gmail.com (C 4572) 16-11-2013

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