21st Nov

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Indonesia’s ties with Australia turn to ice over phone tapping

With a smile or a threat: The two faces of Hamas

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In Dubai, private jets, VIP copters fly high

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Top scorer Messi wins record third Golden Boot

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Africa-Arab summit ends with calls to boost ties ‘Work team’ set up to speed project funding

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Till Judgment Day

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

t is amazing how interests rule politics. Today’s friend might be tomorrow’s enemy. The enemy of yesterday might become your friend today. This is how politics has been going on globally. The latest example of this is the Tehran-Washington relationship. Regardless of the strong love affair between both, at the end of the day the United States sought its own interests.

If you were listening to the Obama’s administration threatening tone two months back, you would’ve expected the Americans to start throwing missiles on the Bushehr nuclear plant. You would have expected all the US military bases in the Gulf to go on red alert in any second. Nothing like this happened, thank God. Of course, this has been very upsetting to Mr Netanyahu who was pouring oil into the American fire for many years. This change of heart is upsetting Israel, but not me. If things worked out differently then, the Gulf would have turned into a battlefield. And what a battlefield!

Now all this is past tense, which I am happy for.

Mr Netanyahu is going left, right and centre to find a solution. He just finished a trip to Moscow trying to lobby support against Iran. Maybe he thinks he failed to convince Obama to hit the nuclear facilities in Iran and is now trying his luck with the Russian head of state, plotting the same. Netanyahu apparently has not done his homework well and does not know how different the Russian team is. Despite of the Jews’ influence in Russia, they are not ready to support his war ego blindly. History has proven that there is no friend or a free-of-charge ally in politics.

With this in mind, the Gulf countries should review their stance on the Iran issue.

The Gulf and all Arab countries should learn these lessons and look for where their interests lie.

After all, Iran has been their neighbor for the last million years and will remain their neighbor till the Day of Judgment. The perfect time for the Arabs to use their tools is when the West is starting to show that they are fatigued with Israel’s relentless politics which is not giving way to any peace talks. If they care, they can use this to their advantage. At least Israel should remove all settlements and not what Mr Francoise Hollande said shyly: “Stop building settlements!”

What peace talks are we talking about if they just want to stop building settlements? The settlements today occupy half or three-quarters of the West Bank. There will be no peace in the Middle East unless the Palestinian issue is solved.

KUWAIT: The 3rd Africa-Arab Summit ended yesterday with calls for stronger economic ties between the Arab world and African states and urged accelerating the pace of implementing development projects and programs. At the end of a two-day meeting, the summit issued the Kuwait Declaration which stressed on the need to enhance and accelerate all forms of cooperation, especially in the economic field, between the Arab world and Africa.

Arab and African leaders, meeting for the second summit since 2010, also praised HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for his announcement on the generous $2 billion offer for African states. At the opening of the summit on Tuesday, the Amir announced a $1 billion in soft loans for African states over the next five years and a similar amount as investments and investment guarantees to be coordinated with the World Bank.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah told a press conference after the summit that Kuwait will coordinate the $1 billion investments with the World Bank in infrastructure projects in accordance with a plan that will be made public soon. The minister acknowledged there are huge challenges before Arabs and Africans to achieve integration, but both sides have the desire to achieve a real partnership. Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi said that the summit’s results will achieve an important leap in African-Arab economic relations, adding that the summit highlighted the key role of the private sector in

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah attends the closing session of the Africa Arab Summit in Bayan Palace yesterday. The two-day summit ended by calling for closer cooperation on the political and economic levels, as well as in the fight against terrorism. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

Powers, Iran in new bid to clinch deal Khamenei vows no retreat, wants ties with all GENEVA: Big powers resumed talks yesterday on a preliminary deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program with Russia and Britain confident a breakthrough could be clinched and Iran spelling out “red lines” but saying it wanted friendly ties with all nations. Keen to end a long standoff and head off the risk of a wider Middle East war, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany came close to winning concessions from Tehran on its nuclear activity in return for some sanctions relief at

negotiations in Geneva earlier this month.

Policymakers from the six nations have since said an interim accord on confidence-building steps could finally be within reach, despite warnings from diplomats that differences persist and could still foil an agreement. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the remaining gaps were narrow. “It is the best chance for a long time to make progress on one of the gravest problems Continued on Page 15

GENEVA: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton sits next to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif yesterday at the start of closed-door nuclear talks. — AFP

Saudi crackdown sees gain after pain RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on foreign workers has thrown millions of lives into turmoil and caused rioting in big cities, but the economy should benefit in the long run as Saudi nationals fill the gaps and cut their dependence on the state. Nearly a million foreigners have left Saudi Arabia since March, when authorities stopped turning a blind eye to visa irregularities they had tolerated for decades, and tens of thousands more have been detained in raids on offices and marketplaces that began this month. Though most of the roughly 10 million foreigners in the kingdom are expected to remain, alongside a Saudi population of 20 million, the crackdown is part of government efforts to nudge more Saudis into jobs, tackling a problem seen by many as one of the biggest challenges facing the world’s top oil exporter.

A majority of working-age Saudis do not have jobs, and most who do are employed by the state, often in what

stimulating stronger economic integration.

The leaders called on the African Union and Arab League to coordinate with financial institutions and funds to form a “work team” to fund the implementation of projects. The Kuwait Declaration calls to enhance cooperation and coordination between African and Arab countries to combat terrorism in all its forms and transnational crime and support international efforts in this regard.

In the declaration, the leaders called for and supported the setting up of the Africa-Arab Technical Coordination Committee and other strategies to enhance cooperation and facilitation over migration issues and coordination of migrants of both regions for the mutual benefit of the two partners. They also expressed concerns over the security and social protection of migrants.

The declaration calls for enhancing cooperation in the field of energy aimed at jointly developing new and renewable energy sources as well as expanding access to reliable and affordable modern energy services in the two regions. It also calls on the African and Arab financial institutions and the private sector to work in collaboration with the African Union Commission and the General Secretariat of the Arab League to support the implementation of the infrastructure development programs of the African Union, such as the Programs of I nfrastruc ture Development in Africa, and those of the League of Arab States, with a focus on transport, sanitation and telecommunications.

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economists call well-paid sinecures that bloat an already flabby bureaucracy.

Official unemployment is just 12 percent, but that excludes a much larger group of people who are not actively seeking work. Saudi Arabia’s ruling family has long used public employment to distribute oil revenues to its people. In an absolute monarchy, it helps the government maintain its legitimacy.

In 2011, when Arab Spring protests were challenging the rule of autocrats across the region, King Abdullah announced hundreds of thousands of new government jobs, pay rises and bonuses, unemployment assistance and cheap housing worth $110 billion.

But as the population grows and higher domestic energy use threatens to eat into oil exports, the state’s now-bulging coffers will struggle to maintain such a generous wage bill. All previous efforts to raise Saudi private-sector employment through market-friendly reforms Continued on Page 15

Gulf states may see unemployment rise Labour reforms needed: IMF DUBAI: Gulf Arab oil exporters may see unemployment among their citizens rise in coming years unless they change a decades-old habit of relying on cheap foreign labour, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday. Since the 1970s, millions of mainly low-skilled workers from south and southeast Asia have supported rapid economic growth in the Gulf states, whose citizens tend to favour cushy, high-paid public sector jobs. But this model is unlikely to be sustainable in the six Gulf Cooperation Council states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain because of young, growing populations and high public wage bills, the IMF warned.

“With a rapidly rising youth population...private-sector job creation for

GCC nationals has become a challenge and unemployment could rise in the coming years unless more nationals find jobs in the private sector,” the IMF said. The GCC labour force could grow 3-4 percent each year, so an additional 1.2-1.6 million GCC citizens could enter the labour market by 2018, it estimated. If the current share of nationals in the private sector is merely to stay flat, about 600,000 private-sector jobs must be generated for nationals by 2018.

However, this would only absorb about one-half to one-third of expected labour market entrants, the IMF warned in a paper, adding: “Even if public-sector hiring continues at its recent pace, unemployment could rise.” In Saudi Arabia, the most active country in labour reforms, the official jobless rate Continued on Page 15

Blast kills 11 Egypt troops in Sinai CAIRO: A car bomb in Egypt’s restive Sinai killed 11 soldiers and another blast struck police in Cairo yesterday, amid a wave of unrest following Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s July ouster. The troops were killed when an explosives-laden car blew up next to an army bus in North Sinai’s provincial capital El-Arish, a security official said. The army confirmed the attack, saying nine conscripts and two non-commissioned officers died. In a separate attack, assailants hurled an explosive device at a checkpoint in northern Cairo, wounding four policemen including a major struck by shrapnel in his face and back, security sources said.

The Sinai bombing, which also wounded 34 soldiers, was the deadliest in the region bordering Gaza and Israel since an Aug 19 ambush by gunmen on a convoy of security forces that killed 25 policemen in the North Sinai town of Rafah. On Sept 5, a car bomb had targeted interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim in Cairo. That attack was claimed by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, an Al-Qaedainspired group based in the Sinai which on Tuesday said it was also responsible for Sunday’s assassination of police Lt Col Mohamed Mabruk, who was involved in an ongoing crackdown on Islamists.

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said its attack on Mabruk was the first in a “series of operations”. A video uploaded on YouTube also showed the group claiming an Oct 10 attack south of El-Arish which killed four soldiers and a policeman.

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AL-ARISH, Egypt: A burnt-out army bus is seen following a car bomb attack in North Sinai’s provincial capital. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad (centre), HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak (left) and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled seen at the second day of the summit.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the closing session of the Arab and African leaders summit in Kuwait City yesterday. The two-day summit ended by calling for closer cooperation on the political and economic levels, as well as in the fight against terrorism.

Africa-Arab summit urges closer ties, fighting terror Amir ends third Africa-Arab summit KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, announcing the conclusion of the 3rd Africa-Arab Summit, called for collaboration of efforts between the two regions for the sake of development. “We discussed together the issues of the Arab and African worlds, and exchanged views in this concern, in view of a deep realization of the nature of circumstances and conditions we face, and a determination to achieve the desired results,” His Highness the Amir noted as he delivered the conclusion statement of the two-day summit.

He added that “our meetings and the issues discussed reflect our realization of the size of challenges we are facing, and our wise visions of handling and setting plans and strategies that achieve our aspirations.”

He said “our meetings also witnessed consensus views concerning our agenda, which was full of issues that confront our Arab and African worlds, and your generous participation and rich thoughts were a key element in the decisions we reached and documents we concluded. “Your speeches, which we listened to attentively along these two days, included wise visions and valuable suggestions that aim at enhancing our common Afro-Arab work,” he added.

His Highness Sheikh Sabah said that the joint chairmanship and the General Secretariat of the Arab League and the African Union shall cooperatively follow up and facilitate the execution of such suggestion toward achieving our common

objectives. “Our success to focus on economic aspects in our joint cooperation shall establish a set out for our future work; fruits of which we shall hopefully collect. We are therefore required to abide by this approach for reaching the aspired strategic partnership,” he noted.

He pointed out that “we are required to continue building upon the achievements we reached to add bricks to the lofty edifice of our cooperation toward planning our future work.

We have a long way and a hard work ahead, requiring doubled efforts, and vigorous follow up, to match the high expectations and various challenges.”

His Highness the Amir thanked the Arab and African leaders for answering Kuwait’s invitation and participation in the summit, and looked forward for meeting them in the 4th Arab-African Summit. Arab and African leaders called for closer cooperation on the political and economic levels, as well as in the fight against terrorism.

The leaders issued the Kuwait Declaration which called for accelerating economic integration in the Arab world, which includes oil-rich Gulf states and investment-thirsty African states. They called for the creation of a joint “Africa-Arab Financing Mechanism” to fund programmes and projects, under a plan adopted at the second summit in Libya three years ago. But there was no mention of any moves for an Africa-Arab common market, as recommended by businessmen. The Kuwait Declaration strongly condemned terrorism. It

urged member states to “enhance cooperation and coordination... to combat terrorism in all its forms,” and to criminalise the payment of ransoms to terrorists.

On the opening day of the summit, HH the Amir pledged $1 billion (740 million euros) in low-interest loans and the same amount in investments to African states in cooperation with the World Bank. Thirty-four heads of state, seven vice presidents and three heads of government attended the gathering, which brought together 71 countries and organisations.

The meeting was the first of its kind since 2010, when leaders met in Libya prior to the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled longterm dictatorships in the region.

Africa has huge resources of raw materials, agriculture and energy but lacks investments. According to the World Bank, the continent needs about $30 billion a year just to develop its energy sector. The International Monetary Fund says African economic growth was a solid 5.0 percent in 2012 despite the global economic crisis. Growth is forecast to ease slightly to 4.8 percent this year and rebound to 5.1 percent in 2014. Africa has 12 percent of global oil reserves and 42 percent of its gold deposits. The discovery of large quantities of natural gas off its east coast has added to the continent’s economic potential. On the other hand, states of the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council have accumulated surpluses of $2.0 trillion thanks to persistently high oil prices. A majority of the assets are invested in the United States and Europe. — Agencies

KUWAIT: Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa attends the closing session of the Arab and African leaders summit in Kuwait City yesterday.

KUWAIT: A general view shows the closing session of the Arab and African leaders summit in Kuwait City yesterday. The two-day summit ended by calling for closer cooperation on the political and economic levels, as well as in the fight against terrorism. — Photos by Yasser Al - Zayyat

Leaders reaffirm putting end to Israeli occupation of Palestine KUWAIT: Arab and African leaders reaffirmed here their strong position on the need to put an end to the Israeli occupation, since 1967, of Palestinian and Arab territories and to establish a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

This comes “in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, the principle of land for peace and the roadmap for a just and comprehensive solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees in accordance with resolution 194 of the United Nations General Assembly,” said the communique on Palestine at the end of the twp-day Third Africa-Arab Summit.

They stressed their “continued support for Palestinian efforts to raise the position of the State of Palestine to that of a full-fledged member of the United Nations. They also renewed their call for “those countries of the world that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine, to do so.”

The leaders condemned “the continued illegal and illegitimate Israeli occupation” of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine. “(The leaders) also reiterate that Israel’s continued settlement policy contravenes International Law and undermines the two-state solution and prospects for any peace.”

They also condemned “Israeli violations of the sanctity of Islamic and Christian shrines in Jerusalem” and warned “against the serious consequences of such Israeli measures in occupied East Jerusalem.” These consequences include the “Judaisation of that Arab city (Jerusalem) and obliteration of its Islamic and Christian identity as well as

denying Muslims and Christians access to their Holy Places of worship, coupled with the repeated attempts to divide the Aqsa Mosque through bills passed by the Israeli Knesset in contravention of all the relevant international norms and resolutions, and decisions of the African Union and League of Arab States.”

The communique went on to “demand that Israel unconditionally and immediately release all Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails” and equally demanded “that the Israeli government refrain from arbitrary arrests of Palestinians, including children and women, as an act that violates all international laws and norms including the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Women and Children.”

It also reiterated the leaders’ “rejection and condemnation of the land and sea blockage imposed on the Gaza Strip” and called for “the opening of all crossing points to allow free movement of persons and goods while putting a stop to the annexation and segregationist wall by Israel in occupied Palestine.”

In conclusion, the document reaffirmed “commitment to support negotiations between the Palestinians and Israeli sides based on the Arab Peace Initiative, the twostate solution and the relevant UN resolutions within the nine-month timeframe fixed for these negotiations with effect from 29 July 2013.

“With a view to establishing the desired peace, ending occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital,” going on to “warn against the dangerous repercussions of the Israeli violations which undermine the negotiation process.” — KUNA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LOCAL

MPs demand special sessions to debate grilling motions Speaker to vote against dilomatic passports

Amir receives outgoing envoy of India KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace’s Al-Tahrir Hall outgoing ambassador of India Satish Mehta. — KUNA

No school day off today

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Students return to classes today after heavy rains and floods reported in different areas around Kuwait forced top education officials to give yesterday off to public and private school students. “No decision will be made to give students the day off (today) based on the Meteorological Department forecasts which indicate that the weather has stabilized,” said Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education at the Ministry of Education Dr Khalid Al-Rushaid.

Minister invited to housing committee meeting The parliament’s housing committee invited Minister of Housing Affairs and Minister of Municipality Affairs Salem Al-Othaina to its next meeting on Sunday in order to discuss the Public Authority for Housing Welfare’s vision on finding a solution to the housing crisis. This was revealed by rappoerteur MP Rakan Al-Nisf following the panel’s meeting on Tuesday. “The committee continues to work side by side with the government to reach an effective and urgent solution to the housing crisis,” Nisf said.

In other news, MP Abdul-Aziz Al-

Kandari asked Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah about whether the ministry has collected zakat money from local companies as per a law passed in 2006 which requires that private companies must pay 1 percent of their annual profit for charity. Separately, MP Adel Al-Khorafi demanded that the government continue paying allowances to Kuwaitis who were laid off from the private sector in the aftermath of the global economic crisis until the job security law is implemented. Khorafi argued that 2,065 out of 2,095 Kuwaitis stopped receiving monthly allowances since the beginning of Nov 2013.

Nas, Jazeera sign deal Jazeerah Airways announced reaching a deal with Nas Air of Saudi Arabia which allows the latter to rent an airplane owned by the former for four years. The Kuwaiti airline said in a press statement that the $10.51 million contract was signed to rent an Airbus A320 plane for 4 years starting from Nov 2013. The company projects profits of $357,000 in the fourth quarter of 2013, $2.68 million between 2014 and 2016, and $2.27 million by 2017.

KUWAIT: Two MPs expressed frustration over the number of grilling motions filed so far in the parliament, as five are currently scheduled for debate and one is expected to be filed before the end of the week. “The parliament is under a fierce attack that has turned the parliament’s building into a square to settle differences for those outside the parliament,” MP Mohammad AlJabri said. Jabri told Al-Qabas daily that that the parliament opened with a speech of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah “in which he urged cooperation to make achievements”, before Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah gave word that the Cabinet will submit its work program.

“While MPs agreed to focus on priority subjects and a majority was in favor of giving the Cabinet sufficient time to operate, interpellations are suddenly filed one by one and in an unprecedented number,” he said. Two grilling motions have already been debated since the parliament resumed sessions on Oct 29, and there are five scheduled on the agenda of next Tuesday’s session. “I plan to propose to the Speaker to allocate special sessions to debate grillings in order to avoid stalling important draft laws in the parliament’s agenda such as amendments to the Kuwait Airways privatization law and the BOT law,” he said.

Meanwhile, MP Kamel Al-Awadhi urged ministers to “respect MPs’ right of filing grilling motions” and face interpellations. He also agreed in statements to AlQabas with Jabri’s proposal to “allocate special sessions to debate grillings in order to allow the parliament to discuss important draft laws during regular sessions”.

MP Ali Al-Omair called in the meantime for increasing the number of parliament sessions “in order to finalize the topics that the parliament and Cabinet agreed to give priority to”, which face the risk of being delayed in favor of grilling debates.

In other news, parliament Speaker Marzouq AlGhanem announced that he plans to vote against a bill presented by MP Adel Al-Khorafi and others and approved by the legislative committee, which calls for granting speakers and deputy speakers diplomatic passports. “I do not understand the relationship between the parliament speaker and a draft law proposed by fellow lawmakers, or attempts to associate between the bill and the speakership’s post in the current parliament,” Ghanem told Al-Rai daily. He further indicated that the draft law was first proposed during the annulled parliament’s term “before it was proposed again during the current parliament”. — Al-Qabas & Al-Rai

MSAL mulls transferring expats’ visas online KUWAIT: Well-informed sources the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor stressed that the crowds in various labor departments all over the country have relatively decreased, especially after private company owners started renewing their companies’ labor work permits online. The sources added that, accordingly, the ministry was currently studying transferring visas of expats working for the private sector online, which would help reduce pressure on various labor departments by at least 50 percent.

On another concern, the sources said that the capital labor department had transferred the visas of 5,000 domestic helpers from article 20 to article 18 to work for the private sector during the grace period granted from Oct 28 until Nov 15. The sources added appeals to extend the 19-day grace were rejected although many people could not transfer their visas. Notably, the ministry had issued ministerial decision number 222/2013 allowing article 20 visa holders transfers within a 60-day grace period, which was rejected by the interior ministry because it had not been consulted on the matter. — Al-Jarida

Muncipality impounds abandoned vehicles

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: The Capital Municipality’s cleanliness and road occupation department carried out an inspection tour of abandoned trucks and vehicles in Rai in order to remove encroachments from public proper-

ty. Supervisor Adnan Al-Mane said the drive resulted in placing 50 warning stickers on abandoned cars to be removed within 24 hours, while five cars and a bulldozer were impounded. He said the campaigns will continue to preserve public cleanliness and put an end to encroachments.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Government creates oppositionists

Political arena

By Khalid Al-Qahas

W

By Dr Sulaiman Al-Khadhari

A

s I prepared to write an opinion about the ‘sectarian hysteria’ that is going through the region these days, I had to stop and take my daughter to the nearest public hospital after she fell sick. While I am not experienced in writing details and instead prefer to discuss issues from a more comprehensive perspective, but the level of rage and sadness I felt during that experience has forced me to dedicate today’s article about my visit to the hospital.

A medical facility that makes you feel pessimistic the moment you arrive, and throughout your stay there until you manage to walk outside - without help, that is. The misery starts at the traffic jam in front of the emergency room’s door, and the lack of staff to answer your call for a wheelchair. You soon find yourself having to stop your car momentarily to get the wheelchair yourself, then drop the patient who would have to wait outside until you go find a parking spot and return. Your misery then continues at the receptionists’ desk, with ER nurses, and as you stand in line outside the doctor’s clinic, continuously feeling the urge to race with others the moment the clinic’s door opens!

If that is not enough to make your blood pressure high, the doctor sends you to the records section where employees hardly treat you with any respect. I had to wait for half an hour until the employee who went to check for my doctor’s file came with an unusual smile on his face. For a moment, I started second-guessing my judgment and thought ‘maybe they aren’t as disrespectful as I first thought’, but then I realized the reason behind that smile. “Your file is not found,” the employee said with the smirk still on his face. “You can look for it in files’ room in the basement”.

The most ironic part about the whole thing is the response I received from a person in charge at the hospital who I had went to in order to complain about the lost file which includes medical reports and results of tests taken outside Kuwait. “You should have kept a copy of the file - who can rely on the Ministry of Health anymore?” he said.

I do not mention the name of the hospital because it is irrelevant to the issue I am raising in this article.

The issue pertains with those in charge at the Ministry of Health, who are tasked with the job of tackling chronic problems that public medical facilities have been suffering from for years. I wonder though, do officials who never had to stand in a long line in front of the doctor’s clinic understand the anger that people feel due to the bad services in the health sector, education and other fields? One visit to a government facility is enough to establish an oppositionist ideology against the government. Which reminds me of the late Khalid Al-Nafisi’s statement: “You (the government) are making oppositionists out of us”! — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Coordination between Awqaf and Interior

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa

O

n Sunday, Al-Qabas published a news item on its front page that says: “Coordination between Awqaf and Interior: Monitoring extremists and keeping them from traveling to fight in Syria”. The item says that the Awqaf Ministry is coordinating with the Interior Ministry to prevent extremists from traveling to Syria for jihad alongside the “Free Syrian Army”.

The sources said Awqaf provided the Interior Ministry with the names of several extremists who were rehabilitated and reintroduced to the society, and a mechanism was approved to watch them and keep them away from jihadist ideology. The source said the number of Kuwaitis fighting in Syria has multiplied over the past few months, and they are the majority as far as Gulf nationalities are concerned. The ministry admitted that treatment and rehabilitation will require assistance from doctors and psychologists and a study of their social situation, and this is an admittance that the religious advice method failed.

We thank the Awqaf Ministry for admitting that the centrism project which the government asked it to carry since the start of religious extremism, with some terrorist operations in Kuwait since long time, has failed.

We, as did other writers, wrote that the Awqaf Ministry is not qualified to carry out this major and dangerous responsibility, because it does not have the scientific personnel nor the qualified individuals to fight the extremism issues in our country, but the government was and still wants to ally with Muslim Brotherhood as

part of the internal policy formula, which is to satisfy the Brotherhood at the expense of Salaf, and appease Salaf and Brotherhood at the expense of Shiites, and satisfy all these parties at the expense of those who are calling for a constitutional civil state, this apart from the government’s game with the tribes against hadar (urbanites), etc.

The Awqaf Ministry is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and they control every single inch in it.

Among the strange ironies is that those standing up against the Muslim Brotherhood in the Awqaf is not the government, the National Security Department, or the security departments at the Interior Ministry. They are confronted by the Salaf movement out of a partisan political approach.

The Salaf want to take part of the Awqaf cake, but the Muslim Brotherhood is very strong and has a high organizational power that has kept the Salaf from getting there, so they resorted to an alternative field that is under Awqaf, which is the mosques’ sector. Today, there are mosques for Muslim Brotherhood and others for Salaf... why the struggle between political parties?

The answer is simple, which is the control of mosque imams and speakers, then each side in political Islam tries to control the Kuwaiti youth who frequent mosques for prayers. Finally, we ask, is it in the interest of the Interior Ministry to cooperate with Awqaf now?

We will attempt to answer this question in another column. — Al-Watan

hat are the conditions that the politician should have to become minister, and does the political arena have alternatives to choose from? Thirty-three cabinets were formed since 1962 with an average age of 1.5 years, and only four for them completed four years, and shortest Cabinet spent 22 weeks only after its formation, and 127 ministers changed seats, including 33 from the ruling family and 94 from the common people including 55 elected ministers. We notice the reduction in the number of ministers from the family from 12 in the first formation to five in some cabinets, and the reappointment of the same minister from the family in some cases 21 times, while the reappointment of common ministers reached 11 times sometime.

HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak said a ministerial reshuffle may happen at any moment, but the problem is in the alternative, and such a statement from a person in the size and knowledge of His Highness must not be taken lightly, because it reflects the failure of Kuwait’s political environment in providing more than one alternative at least for the post of minister.

Our political environment imposes certain standards on the government based on sharing that vary according the public mood which disturbs the institutional nature of the government’s political action. It is true that it is one government since 1962, but it is subjected to foreign pressures that do not stop until it enters within this entity with its individuals or ideologies. What makes matters worst is the lack of one strong opposition that participates with the government in dominating key areas of the state and moves them in one direction, rather there are small fragile alliances that force the government to exchange roles with them so our political wheel keeps moving.

The modern politician was rare, and now the politician who is agreed upon is the same, so it is natural for the government to hold on to some persons for a long time to occupy leadership posts who are known for being conservative and moderate, which goes along with the government’s nature that must keep the same distance with all parties, but regretfully, the working sense stops with them quickly due to the stalemate imposed by the political situation on their job.

It is supposed, though this is not always possible following this long political experience, to have more than one political alternative who has the required mental capabilities that understands our contradictions and has a presence in the social and political arena. He should be the initiator in his job, flexible, known to apply the law, and a technocrat. He should express his opinion in the Cabinet and support the prime minister and his colleagues, and not enter political wars and be free for his job, never bored, and does not form groups or use polarizations. He should recognize the favors of his superior and not turn on him when his role is over. So, is such a person available? — Al-Qabas

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LOCAL

Um Al-Haiman resident drowns in floods Firefighters respond to 196 emergency calls Child molestor detained

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah toured a number of areas in the governorate yesterday morning to examine damage as a result of heavy rains that hit Kuwait in the past few days. The tour included stops at main roads, Ahmadi Hospital and the Ali Sabah Al-Salem area (Um Al-Haiman).

KUWAIT: At least one man was pronounced dead after drowning in floodwaters in Um Al-Haiman according to a newspaper report, which identified the southern area as “one of the most affected” by the heavy rains that hit Kuwait in the past couple of days. Al-Rai daily quoted a security source yesterday who indicated that citizen Uqail Abdullah Al-Raiyash drowned when he became trapped inside his car that was washed away by floods in Um Al-Haiman, while two others managed to escape.

“Rescuers arrived at the scene Monday night in response to an emergency call reporting a vehicle carrying three people that was washed along the highway in Um Al-Haiman”, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Two men

were able to escape, but the third couldn’t wrest his way out of the waters that pulled him in fiercely”.

Firefighters used a lifeboat to remove the victim’s body up from the waters before it was taken to the forensic department.

The Kuwaiti man was in his late twenties. A senior Kuwait Fire Services Directorate official confirmed that the man was one of three victims considered casualties of the heavy rains; with the other two killed in traffic accidents that happened on slippery roads. “One victim drowned inside his car which flipped over into the waters after hitting another car near the entrance of Um Al-Haiman,” Public Relations Director Colonel Khalil Al-Amir told Al-Rai. He added that firefighters responded to 196 emer-

gency calls on Tuesday and managed to free 110 who became trapped by floods; especially in southern areas “where the water levels rose above one meter in some areas”.

Amir also confirmed that two children were saved after floods trapped them inside the basement of their house in Ishbiliya. Al-Rai also quoted General Director of Control and Human Resources in the KFSD, Brigadier General Khalid AlMikrad, who said that firefighters carried out 20 successful rescue mission to save people trapped by floods in Wafra farms.

Meanwhile, Operations Department Director at the Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Emergency Jassem Al-Foudary confirmed dealing with 521

emergency calls on Monday and Tuesday “including 288 cases that required hospitalization”.

In the meantime, the heavy rain did not force the rerouting of any of the flights carrying delegations that participated in the Africa Arab Summit in Kuwait, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation Director Essam Al-Zamel. “Operations went smoothly at Kuwait International Airport as no decision to reroute flights was needed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Al-Rai pointed out that “black spots” were noticed at the Arabian Gulf ’s beach in Bneid Al-Gar, which a Ministry of Public Works insider said resulted from “toxins and waste on streets and rain drainage networks”. — Al-Rai

Illegal entry Coastguards arrested two Iraqi nationals who entered Kuwait’s territorial waters illegally on Tuesday. The two were on a boat which coastguards detected but waited until it reached Boubyan Island’s beach where another boat was waiting. The two were arrested moments after they switched boats as coastguards also arrested a man who was waiting in the second boat.

Investigations revealed that the two planned to enter Kuwait illegally, but did not plan to smuggle contrabands. (Rai)

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced that a team from the direct sales unit has been allocated at the Kuwait National Petroleum Company headquarters building, while employees can be briefed about special offers given to clients and special accounts that give clients multiple privileges such as the Najma (star) account.

KUNA chief examines news agency’s bureau in Riyadh RIYADH: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Board Chairman and Director General Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim AlSabah yesterday inspected the new agency bureau in the Saudi capital.

Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij, addressing staff, called for promoting the news services to the level of the distinctive ties bounding the State of Kuwait with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and employing state-of-art technology to

help in improving the services to the clients.

The KUNA chairman praised major role played by the bureau staff with respect of bolstering the distinctive and brotherly relations with the Kingdom, affirming necessity to maintain coordination with the Kuwaiti Embassy and the GCC General-Secretariat in Riyadh.

Moreover, he underlined necessity of coordination with the Saudi media,

Many trapped in an elevator at Avenues

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Several persons who were trapped in an elevator at the Avenues mall were freed by Shuwaikh firemen. The trapped people were in good condition. Meanwhile, a fire in a room of a Hawally building was put out at dawn by the Hawally fire center. The fire was caused by an electric overload, and no injuries were reported.

Probe in woman’s death Investigations are ongoing to reveal the mystery behind the death of an Asian woman who died inside Sabah Hospital Tuesday shortly after a man dropped her off and escaped. The 30year-old Asian woman was in critical condition when she arrived at the medical facility, and was later pronounced dead as a result of circulatory collapse. Police are waiting for the autopsy report to confirm the cause of death as investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend the person who hospitalized the victim. (Watan) Man killed in Sixth Ring Road accident A Kuwaiti man in his twenties died in an accident repor ted on the Six th R ing Road on Tuesday. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene near South Surra after the accident was reported, but found out that the victim had already succumbed to his injuries. The body was taken to the forensic department and a case was filed for investigations. (Rai)

VIVA celebrates Lebanon Independence Day with exceptional promotion 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 Independence Day of Lebanon. For every five minutes during a call made to families and friends in Lebanon on this occasion, VIVA will grant postpaid customers five free minutes in return.

Prepaid customers can make calls to families and friends in Lebanon for 50 fils per minute, after the first three minutes of the call. This promotion is valid for the 24 hours of 22 November, 2013.

This promotion was designed by VIVA for this special occasion and in an effort to grant its fellow Lebanese citizens the opportunity to speak to their loved ones at half price and share the joys of this celebrated day.

VIVA congratulates the Lebanese 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 the website at www.viva.com.kw , or contact its 24 hour call center at 102.

KUWAIT: A consultant was arrested in Nugra on charges of child molestation. According to the police repor t, the Egyptian man sexually molested a girl in the stairway of their building.

Investigations indicate that the man followed the Jordanian girl until she returned from a nearby shop and then forced her to the stairway under threats. The girl told her parents immediately after the suspect went in his car and drove away. He was identified through investigations which focused on some numbers the girl was able to pick up from his car’s license plate. The man, who works as a consultant for a local company, was charged and referred to the authorities after the victim identified him in a police lineup. (Watan)

namely the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), for serving common objectives, in line with the council member states’ strategies aimed at advancing peoples of the GCC. Elaborating, Sheikh Mubarak renewed necessity of abiding by the news agency policy, where work is based on accuracy and objectivity. Also in this vein, he urged the personnel to safeguard KUNA’s credibility and double effor ts to enrich the newscast with

diverse topics.

Yousef Al-Saidi, the bureau chief, assured Sheikh Mubarak about the staff commitment to execute his directions, namely at the level of cementing the ties with the local media. Sheikh Mubarak AlDuaij is in the Kingdom to take part in the 41st Conference of the General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies and Fourth International Conference of News Agencies. — KUNA

Drunk drives stolen car A man was arrested in Jahra where he was involved in an accident while driving a stolen vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The suspect tried to escape on foot after police arrived to the scene where the accident was reported, but was captured. Police found out that the man was in an inebriated state, and later discovered that his car was reported stolen in 2008.

No injuries were reported in the accident. The man was referred to the authorities for further action. (Rai) Officers assaulted Investigations are ongoing for suspects who reportedly attacked two police officers and helped a detainee escape arrest. According to the officers’ accounts, four people showed up shortly after they arrested a man for reckless driving, and where able to free the suspect after assaulting the policemen. The policemen filed a case at Jahra police station afterwards. (Rai)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LOCAL

Zain recognised for operating Investor Relations department

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Humoud Al-Salem Al-Sabah is seen during the Kuwait International Book Fair. — KUNA

Minister of Information opens Kuwait Book Fair Fair aims to promote and develop Arab culture, identity KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah AlHumoud Al-Salem Al-Sabah said here yesterday Kuwait believes in the significance of the book as a tool for promoting culture and creativity.

Speaking at a news conference while opening the 38th Kuwait International Book Fair on behalf of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, he said the fair reflects Kuwait’s support for the dissemination of culture and intellectual creativity.

The minister said this year’s book fair will feature a host of competitions and lectures aiming to promote and develop Arab culture and identity.

For his part, Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Ali AlYuha hoped that the fair would be a good opportunity for writers and intellectuals to have fruitful cultural dialogue.

Many cultural activities, including lectures, seminars, formative and artistic exhibitions as well as poetic evenings, are to be organized on the sidelines of the event, he said. A number of Arab and foreign embassies, together with governmental and civil organizations, are partaking in this year’s international book fair, the NCCAL secretary-general pointed out. Meanwhile Sheikh Salman said Kuwait is keen to bolster relations with brotherly and friendly countries. Speaking at a meeting with visiting Djiboutian Minister of Islamic Endowments, Muslim Affairs and Culture Aden Hassan Aden, the Kuwaiti minister said the State of Kuwait is eager to

KUWAIT: Books on display at book fair. provide Djibouti with all available means, especially in cultural and art domains.

“We are keen to consolidate cultural cooperation with our brothers in Djibouti,” he said, appreciating Djibouti’s principled positions towards Kuwait. For his part, the visiting Djiboutian minister said his country is willing to cement and bolster

cooperation with the State of Kuwait in all cooperative areas. He thanked Kuwait’s continuing support for Djibouti in all development fields since its independence. The Djiboutian Minister of Islamic Endowments, Muslim Affairs and Culture was here to attend the opening ceremony of the 38th Kuwait Book Fair. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Zain Group, a pioneer in mobile telecommunications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, announces that its Investor Relations depar tment has been named the foremost Investor Relations team in Kuwait at an awards ceremony hosted by the Middle East Investor Relations Society (MEIR) in Dubai.

The award was presented at the Society’s Annual Conference held at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai International Financial Center in Dubai. The event, which has been organized annually for the last five years, was attended by over 160 key capital market participants including investors, analysts, regulators and regional stock exchange representatives from across the region.

The accolade of Best Investor Relations Department in Kuwait was bestowed to Zain Group based on a global survey of investors and analysts conducted by the Middle East Investor Relations Society and Thomson Reuters Extel.

Commenting on the occasion of the award of the Best Investor Relations Department, Mohammed Abdal, Zain Group Director of Investor Relations and Communications, said: “As one of the largest companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, this prestigious award certifies our commitment to applying best practices in publishing financial information in a transparent manner, as well as to adhering to all the required financial reporting guidelines set by Kuwait’s Capital Markets Authority.”

Abdal continued: “Constructive and transparent communication with shareholders and investors contributes significantly to an accurate valuation of the company, a critical element to enhance the reputation, efficiency and attractiveness of the Middle East capital markets.”

Zain Group is actively providing all relevant financial information on the company through all channels of communication such as its corporate website, social media, annual report, media releases, regular reporting to the Kuwait Stock Exchange and Capital Markets Authority as well as holding an quarterly analyst call with the internationally investment community.

Furthermore, Abdal noted: “ The number of international investors seeking oppor tunities in the Gulf grows all the time, and therefore it is essential that companies that operate in the region have a transparent and reliable Investor Relations standard and policy. We applaud the Middle

Mohammad Abdal, Zain Group Investor Relations Director.

East Investor Relations Society ’s efforts to establish such guidelines in our region and being judged to run the foremost Investor Relations department in Kuwait by a group of one’s peers is a satisfying acknowledgement.”

The MEIR is an impar tial body founded in 2008, with its membership open to investor relations experts and financial communications and capital markets professionals. The Society acts as a platform for the sharing of best practices on a regional and global basis, with the organization working closely with stock exchanges, regulatory bodies, and other financial market experts to promote high standards of transparency in financial information supply.

This accolade for Zain from MEIR and Thomson Reuters Extel comes soon after Zain’s 2012 annual report was recognized and rewarded in five categories during the prestigious annual ARC Awards ceremony held in New York in September 2013. With over 2200 entries from 34 countries around the world, Zain’s annual report titled ‘Believing in the Power of Dreams’, was rated the best from the Middle East and Africa placing Zain in the top 1% of the telecom field. It is noteworthy that all entries submitted

by Zain won an award in their respective categories.

Additionally of note is the recognition that Zain Group’s corporate website has received in recent years whereby it has been constantly ranked the best corporate website across the region for the telecom industry, by the internationally recognized KWD web ranking.

Gulf Bank supports breast cancer awareness month in ‘Pink’

Gulf Bank’s Head Office staff supporting ‘Pink Day’ KUWAIT: Gulf Bank organized and sponsored a number of activities and successful events during the month of October as part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During October, Gulf Bank carried out a fully-fledged campaign entitled ‘PINK...Because We Care’, to educate the public and the Bank’s staff about the seriousness of breast cancer

Gulf Bank employees at the ‘Pink Cause’ walkathon

and to spread awareness on the benefits of early detection. The Bank also organized a ‘Pink Day’ competition which encouraged staff in all 56 branches, and the Head Office to wear a pink item to work in support of the campaign with a gift awarded to the ‘Best Dressed in Pink’. Alongside this, all employees changed their email signatures and email font

color to ‘Pink’ to increase awareness.

To encourage customers and staff to seek testing, Gulf Bank offered special discounts at the Images Diagnostics Center, Dar Al Fouad Clinic and Dr Nour Al Huda Karamani Clinic.

This discount applied to all breast cancer related tests. The Bank also sponsored the “Pink Cause” walkathon on October 25th

which was organized by Fatma Clinic to support those who had lost relatives or close friends to breast cancer, as well as to celebrate with those who have survived the disease. A number of Gulf Bank employees participated in the two kilometer walk, which began at the Scientific Center and continued along the waterfront. All profits were donated to charity.

X-cite donates $47,500 to Philippines typhoon relief KUWAIT: Typhoon Haiyan has been considered as one of the worst storms on record to hit land. Haiyan struck the Philippines on Nov 9th and resulted in thousands of deaths and left thousands more homeless in desperate need of help.

As part of its corporate social responsibility, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics has launched a donation campaign on Nov 15th & 16th to aid the relief efforts in the Philippines. X-cite donated a percentage of its sales from all the stores and its online store: www.xcite.com.

X-cite launched this campaign in collaboration with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to ensure that the funds get to where they are needed as quickly as possible.

X-cite’s successful campaign ended with a total amount of $47,500 USD, a substantial value that reflects cus-

tomers’ keenness on helping X-cite in its cause toward aiding the Philippines from the conditions caused by Typhoon Haiyan. X-cite’s efforts showcase the

company’s commitment towards humanitarian and social responsibility, a factor that coincides with the company’s vision and mission.

Gulf Bank sponsored CAN Cancer Awareness Campaign by including postings of questions and answers and medical tips regarding breast cancer on the Bank’s dedicated social media sites including: Facebook [www.e-gulfbank.com/facebook], YouTube [www.e-gulfbank.com/youtube] and Twitter [www.e-gulfbank.com/twitter].

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

‘Mango man’ takes a broom to graft-ridden Indian politics

50 years on, Americans remember: ‘Where were you when JFK died?’

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QOM: Iranian students form a human chain during a protest to defend their country’s nuclear program outside the Fordo Uranium Conversion Facility in Qom. — AFP

Resurgent Iran raises fears among foes Saudi, Israel uneasy over possible rapprochement WASHINGTON: Nascent nuclear talks between Iran and western powers are kindling some fears that after years of being sidelined from global diplomacy, Tehran may once again find a seat at the table. US Secretary of State John Kerry has stressed that despite burning issues such as Syria and Afghanistan, the focus has so far remained on reining in the Islamic republic’s suspect nuclear program.”We’re not in a larger discussion. We’re not having a geopolitical conversation right now,” Kerry insisted recently.

And State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Tuesday said Washington’s view of Tehran as the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism had not changed. Yet the unease being voiced by Washington’s traditional allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel reveals the deep-rooted skepticism that these tentative overtures could lead to a broader rapprochement with an Iranian leadership, viewed by many as a threat and an outright enemy.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron went a small step further in rehabilitating Iran back onto the world stage, when he telephoned new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ahead of the next round of nuclear talks in Geneva in the first such high-level contact in more than a decade.

But despite the wariness, there’s a recognition too that Shiite Muslim Iran could be key to resolving other issues bedevilling global politics.

“If there is a resolution to the nuclear crisis, I do believe it will open up avenues for at least discussing other issues in Syria, Afghanistan and even perhaps cooperating on some of these issues,” said analyst Alireza Nader, senior policy analyst with the RAND Corporation. On a conference call with reporters, he pointed to past cooperation between Iran and the US on forming the new government which emerged after the 2001 ousting of the Taleban in Afghanistan-efforts in which new Iranian lead negotiator and foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif played a key role.

But whether Iran should be invited to join a long-

planned peace conference bringing together the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al-Assad and the opposition has emerged as a major bone of contention, hampering even the convening of the talks dubbed Geneva II. Iran, which has not had full diplomatic ties with the US for more than three decades, stands accused of propping up the Assad regime and prolonging the bloody conflict, which in nearly three years has now claimed some 120,000 lives, by

sending the Syrian leader weapons, money and military advisors.

The US has insisted that to win a place at the negotiations, the Iranian leadership must first sign up to a 2012 Geneva communique which called for a transitional governing body in Damascus to guide the country towards new elections. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday in Washington that he had discussed a “political set-

Indonesia’s ties with Australia turn to ice over phone tapping JAKARTA: Indonesia’s relations with Australia sank to their lowest since the turn of the century yesterday over reports Canberra had spied on top Indonesians, including the president’s wife, threatening to hurt trade ties. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose wife’s mobile phone was among those reportedly tapped, went on national television to announce that he was freezing military and intelligence cooperation, including over the issue of asylum seekers, that has long been a thorn in relations.

“It’s clear that this is a logical step Indonesia must take,” Yudhoyono said. The public display of anger was triggered by media reports this week quoting documents leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, that its spy agencies had tried to tap Yudhoyono’s mobile phone and those of his wife and senior officials in 2009. An Australian Defence Department spokesman said his ministry was seeking clarification on the moves and said it was not clear what the impact would be on bilateral ties. He declined to comment further.

Speaking earlier in parliament, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott expressed regret for the embarrassment the media reports had caused Yudhoyono. “I do understand how

personally hurtful these allegations have been for him and his family,” he said. His government has declined to comment directly on the spying reports.

An Indonesian military spokesman told Reuters that the halt in military cooperation would take effect from the beginning of next year. Relations last went into the freezer in 1999 when Australia sent troops into East Timor after Indonesia’s military pulled out after embarking on a scorched-earth policy in the one-time Indonesian colony. Ties with Jakarta have again turned increasingly prickly since Abbott took office in September, because of the spying reports and tension over how to prevent asylum seekers, most of them from South Asia, sailing from Indonesia to Australia. Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan suggested the chill could hit economic ties, with total trade worth more than $11 billion last year.

Indonesia is a major importer of Australian agricultural products while Australia is Indonesia’s 10th biggest export market.

“It is difficult if two neighbours can’t trust each other to think about anything related to economic cooperation,” he told reporters adding he strongly backed proposed new laws that would allow importers to bring in farm goods from any country. —Reuters

tlement” to the Syrian conflict when Zarif visited Turkey recently. “In principle, we are not against Iran playing any role in any process... We want all regional actors to be on board,” Davutoglu, who visits Iran next week, told reporters.

“But of course, all those who are coming to Geneva II must commit themselves not to support the regime doing these massacres.” He signalled that he believed “there are certain indications that Iran is trying to have channels of communication for a new seat of power to resolve the Syrian crisis.” RAND analyst Nader agreed Tehran was not necessarily “committed to the specific person of Assad as Syria’s leader.”

“What the Islamic republic wants is to maintain its influence, not just in Syria, but the broader Levant and Lebanon specifically, for Iran to be a regional power and not completely lose its influence to its main competitor, Saudi Arabia.” Michael Doran, senior fellow for the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East policy, warns of “two warring axes” amid the upheavals of the Arab spring-a horizonal axis of Iran, Syria and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, and a vertical one with Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, Jordan and Turkey.

“The two axes intersect violently in Syria,” Doran writes.

“For America’s allies the conflict in Syria is a zero-sum game, the defining battle for the future of the regional order. Much to their consternation, however, Washington refuses to take a side.” Analysts say a re-emergent Iran could leave Washington with a delicate balancing act. “An estrangement for more than three decades is beginning to thaw, that changes power dynamics across the Middle East and the United States is going to have different relationships potentially as a result of this,” said Joel Rubin, director of policy from the non-governmental Ploughshares Fund. Much like the United States had to handle its rapprochement with China and the collapse of the Soviet Union, it will once again have to navigate a changing world order, Rubin said. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

Iraq attacks kill 43 More than 100 wounded BAGHDAD: A wave of attacks, most of them car bombs targeting Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad, killed 43 people yesterday in the latest bout of deadly violence to hit Iraq.

The bombings and shootings, which also wounded more than 100 people, came amid a protracted surge in bloodletting just months ahead of a general election that has forced Iraqi officials to appeal for international help in combating the country’s deadliest unrest since 2008. At least eight explosions, including seven car bombs, went off mostly against Shiite Muslim neighbourhoods of the Iraqi capital, killing 36 people and wounding nearly 100, security and medical officials said.

They came after similarly coordinated bombings in Baghdad on

Sunday killed 21 people, and pushed the death toll for November above 300. Yesterday’s attacks struck in areas ranging from the city’s main commercial district of Karrada to the predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Shaab, as well as Sadriyah, one of Baghdad’s oldest districts. One car bomb also went off in the Sunni-majority neighbourhood of Adhamiyah in north Baghdad, the officials said.

The blast in Karrada struck near a car dealership as Shiites were gathering to mark the anniversary of the death of a venerated figure in Shiite Islam, when Sunni militants often step up their attacks.

“We were cooking and giving food on the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein,” said Ahmed Abu Ali, an employee of the Al-Baldawi car

dealership. “Many people were gathering at the dealership and suddenly a car blew up 20 metres (yards) away,” said the 40-year-old, clad in a traditional black Arab robe. “Even if they bomb us and try to stop us, we will not stop commemorating the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.”

Security forces imposed tight restrictions in areas hit by the attacks, in many cases barring journalists from filming or taking photographs at bomb sites. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the violence, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda often set off coordinated bombings across Baghdad, typically targeting Shiites, whom they regard as apostates. In a separate attack in the normally peaceful northern Kurdish

KARRADA: An Iraqi man walks past the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood yesterday. —AP

city of Sulaimaniyah, gunmen assassinated President Jalal Talabani’s chief bodyguard, a police spokesman said. The trio of attackers entered Colonel Sarwat Rashid’s home and shot him three times in the head in front of his wife.

Authorities were still investigating the motive behind the attack.

Talabani has for nearly a year been recovering in Germany from a stroke and Rashid had been due to leave Sulaimaniyah to visit the president, whom he had served as head of personal security since 1994.

Multiple shootings in Baghdad and the main northern city of Mosul, along with bombings in Abu Ghraib and Buhruz, killed six other people. North of Baghdad, near the Diyala provincial capital of Baquba, police found the bodies of three men killed by gunshots to the head and chest. The unrest is part of a surge in bloodshed that has pushed violence to its highest level since 2008, when Iraq was recovering from the worst of its SunniShiite sectarian war.

Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has called for Washington’s help in the form of greater intelligence sharing and the timely delivery of new weapons systems. But diplomats and analysts say the government is not doing enough to address the root causes of the unrest, particularly frustration within the Sunni Arab minority, which complains of mistreatment by the Shiite-led authorities. With elections due on April 30, officials fear the level of violence could rise further as militants seek to destabilise the country ahead of the polls. In addition to failing to stem the bloodshed, authorities have also struggled to provide adequate basic services such as electricity and clean water, and corruption is widespread. —AFP

BEIT LAHIA: Two-day-old lion cubs Fajr and Sjel are seen at a zoo in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, on November 19, 2013. — AFP

With a smile or a threat: Two faces of Gaza’s Hamas GAZA CITY: Inside the Gaza government press office, a fresh-faced young woman makes her case in fluent English; outside, scowling bearded officials bark orders at masked militants. In the Gaza Strip, the Islamist movement Hamas that runs it shows two faces. Wearing a brightly coloured veil and smiling broadly, 23-yearold Israa Al-Mudallal admits with disarming candour that she still has a lot to learn in her role as Hamas’s first-ever spokesperson for the foreign press. Her job, she says, is to present “the views of the Palestinian government” that is, the perspective of Hamas, which has ruled the impoverished Gaza Strip since ousting the forces of moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas six years ago. “I don’t know, actually,” she admits, her British accent marked by a distinctive northern twang picked up from spending her teenage years in Bradford. “I wanted to know; I wanted to ask people from inside (the government): ‘What’s your view on this,’ because I don’t belong to the Hamas movement.” Born in Egypt, she grew up in Gaza then moved to England with her family so that her father, now a political scientist at Gaza’s Islamic University, could finish his doctorate.

Before taking on the job as Hamas’s English-language mouthpiece, Mudallal worked as a presenter on a local TV channel. An active participant in social networks and with one marriage already behind her, she describes herself “proud to be a divorced woman.” A replica oud, or Arabic lute, stands on her desk, among books mostly in Arabic but also a copy of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations.”

‘Human issues are important’ Seated in front of a huge photo of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, she fluidly runs through the traditional Palestinian claims but using language that gives the narrative a fresher, more modern emphasis.

“The human issues are the most important thing to talk about, especially the humanitarian crisis,” says Mudallal, who is descended from refugees who lived in a village near the port city of Ashdod in what is now southern Israel.

These days she lives in Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt. “I live with my grandmother and she has Alzheimers. She only remembers her village, and her memories with her dad and trees, and weddings there, the sea there, the smells of lemon,” she says. Hamas government spokesman Ihab Al-Ghussein says the decision to

employ a young English speaker was part of the movement’s strategy to communicate directly with the world. “Appointing Israa is one of these means that we’re gonna use to try to talk to the West directly,” he told AFP. “Whenever we put a lady who used to be an activist in the Palestinian issues to be a spokeswoman, it is a practical way to say that we believe in this youth.” But Hamas demonstrates much less leniency towards activists who challenge its authority.

Among them are those from the Tamarrod protest movement, who appealed through social networks for anti-government rallies on November 11, although hardly anyone showed up. “This Tamarrod was just hot air, weaker than soap bubbles, weaker than the foam of the sea. Weaker than a cobweb!” said interior minister Fathi Hammad, waxing lyrical at a gathering of the security forces last week.

The Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemned the “arrest campaign” launched by Hamas security forces who arrested dozens of people in the runup to November 11, saying some of them had “subjected to torture.” And on Thursday, thousands of masked Hamas militants marched through the streets of Gaza in a show of forced aimed at “the Israeli enemy and all those who would seek to weaken Hamas.”

Analyst Omar Shaaban warned against any attempts “to corner Hamas,” saying the movement, already under pressure after the overthrow by the Egyptian army in July of its Islamist ally president Mohamed Morsi, was likely to react violently. “We’re not happy with the way (Hamas) have been managing the Gaza Strip, but we don’t want to go from bad to worse,” said Shaaban, who heads the think tank, Palthink. “They will do whatever it takes to keep Gaza; there is no other place for them.” Hamas is also struggling to cope with the consequences of the demolition of cross-border smuggling tunnels by the Egyptian army which has hobbled the flow of fuel into Gaza and brought its only power station grinding to a halt. But in a display of an unexpected soft side, Al-Qassam Brigades hailed on Tuesday the birth of two lion cubs in the Gaza Strip, named in honour of the fight against the Israeli army in November 2012. “A symbol of beauty, power and strength recently born in the besieged #Gaza Strip”, wrote the armed wing of the Islamist movement on its Twitter account, with pictures of the newborn cubs. —AFP

Suicide bombs hit Syria troops north of Damascus BEIRUT: Suicide bombers targeted Syrian troops and a hospital yesterday in the rugged Qalamoun hills north of Damascus, where rebels are struggling to reverse government gains that threaten to cut one of their chief supply lines, activists and officials said. There was no immediate word on casualties from the attacks in Nabak and Deir Attiyeh. The towns belong to a string of communities along a route used by rebels to bring supplies from nearby Lebanon to opposition-held enclaves outside the capital and to the central city of Homs. A suicide car bomber targeted a checkpoint manned by Syrian soldiers while another blew up near a security headquarters. Both were on the outskirts of Nabak, said Rami Abdurrahman from the Britishbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and another activist based near the town. In Deir Attiyeh, two suicide car bombers detonated their explosives outside a hospital, killing the guards, Syrian state television said.

It said the attackers were Saudi citizens.

State television also said that troops repelled the attackers, and that the attackers tried to vandalize hospital equipment. It was not possible to reconcile the two versions.

Abdurrahman said the rebels belonged to the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. He obtains his information from a network of activists on the ground. Fighting has been going on in the region since last week, when forces loyal to the government of President Bashar Assad started an offensive against towns overlooking rebel supply lines. A government victory would tighten the siege of rebel-held enclaves near Damascus, where fighters are losing ground to the army and residents suffer from chronic food shortages.

On Tuesday, Syrian forces seized the town of Qara from rebels, and activists say their next target is likely to be the nearby larger town of Yabroud, a major smuggling hub for rebels. Assad’s forces, shored up by fighters of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, have

scored key battlefield wins in recent weeks.

But the Iranian-backed Hezbollah’s involvement has created deep tensions in Lebanon, where the country’s patchwork of minority groups are broadly divided between those who support Assad and the rebels seeking to overturn his rule.

On Tuesday, twin suicide bombers targeted the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, killing 23 people. An Al-Qaeda group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to Hezbollah and Iran’s involvement in Syria. As fighting continues, thousands of refugees are pouring into neighboring Lebanon, prompting reluctant government officials to agree to let aid groups build a transit camp for Syrians for the first time since the uprising began three years ago, a UN official said. Government permission came after over 12,000 Syrians poured into the eastern Lebanese town of Arsal over the past five days, when the Qalamoun battles began, said Lisa Abou Khaled of the UN’s refugee agency.

Hundreds of the latest refugees had nowhere to go because Arsal’s extra accommodation was already taken by other Syrians. Refugees were sleeping in two wedding halls, a mosque and crowding into other slums.

“Shelter options are exhausted,” she said.

Abou Khaled said the transit camp would accommodate 50 tents - one for each family.

She said the first phase would be ready in coming days. Lebanese officials were not immediately available for comment. Some 1.4 million Syrians, including 800,000 registered refugees, have fled to Lebanon since Syria’s conflict broke out in March 2011, overwhelming the country’s infrastructure, school system and crowding out Lebanese for unskilled jobs. Lebanon is reluctant to build camps to house them, fearing they will stay permanently. Lebanon is built around a delicate sectarian balance of Muslim and Christian sects.

Any influx of extra people - like mostly Sunni Syrians - can affect that balance, leading to internal strife. —AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

Pakistan’s Malala receives EU Sakharov rights prize STRASBOURG: Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai was handed the EU’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize yesterday in recognition of her crusade for the right of all children, girls and boys, to an education. To thunderous applause announcing the European Parliament prize, the assembly’s president Martin Schulz praised the 16-year-old activist as “a survivor, a heroine and an extraordinary young woman” and said: “You have given hope to millions of people.”

Malala, dressed in orange and with her father Ziauddin at her side, became the 25th winner of the Sakharov prize at the ceremony significantly held on World Children’s Day, with 21 of the former winners present. Past winners of the 50,000 euro ($68,000) prize also

include South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

Accepting the award “in the name of God”, Malala spoke out for the 57 million children in the world deprived of education, emphasising the lack of schooling for girls, often because of forced marriages, trafficking, poverty and sexual violence.

“Children don’t want an iPhone, an Xbox or chocolates,” she said as lawmakers rose to their feet, “They just want a book and a pen.” Governments need to cut military spending and invest instead in education to create “a country with a talented, educated and skillful people”, she said.

“There is hope, because we all are here together united to help innocent

children come out of the quagmire of trouble,” she added. Schulz said Malala, who was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taleban for speaking out against them, was “a symbol of resistance to fanaticism” and he lauded her father for encouraging her speak out and battle for girls’ rights.

Earlier this month however, Pakistani private schools banned her book “I Am Malala” for “anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam content” and a hardline cleric linked to the attack on her life was appointed the new chief of the Pakistani Taleban. Malala, who was also nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, was taken to Britain for treatment in the wake of last year’s attack and now goes to school in the central city of Birmingham. — AFP

STRASBOURG: Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani student who was shot in the head by the Pakistani Taleban poses with European Parliament president Martin Schulz (right) yesterday. — AFP

In Mozambique’s forest heart, war fears haunt local election Shootings, ambushes keep Gorongosa residents on edge GORONGOSA: Mozambicans voted yesterday in local elections, haunted by nagging fears of conflict as the ruling Frelimo party confronts an emerging political rival and an old civil war guerrilla chief who has taken his fight back to the bush. In Gorongosa, a village in central Mozambique, voters lined up at two schools, some clearly nervous after opposition Renamo guerrillas in the surrounding hills left pamphlets threatening to disrupt the polls.

“I’m voting but I’m scared because people are talking of war,” said Sonia, a civil servant who, like many, declined to give her full name. With soldiers and police standing guard, voters turned out early in separate lines of men and women, many of the latter carrying infants strapped to their backs.

Renamo, Mozambique’s largest opposition party, is boycotting the elections as its leader Afonso Dhlakama, Frelimo’s foe in a 1975-1992 war, hides deep in the Gorongosa forests that once served as his guerrilla base.

Since April, Mozambique’s image as

a stable and fast-growing African success story blessed with big coal and natural gas reserves has been blotted by shootings and ambushes in the centre and north carried out by Dhlakama’s fighters. Dhlakama, 60, who has lost a string of elections to Frelimo, accuses the party and President Armando Guebuza of monopolising political and economic power. He is demanding reforms to an electoral system that he says is biased.

Challenging Frelimo in Renamo’s place for control of the 53 municipalities is the emerging Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), casting itself as an alternative to historical enemies who are trapping the country in a cycle of outdated conflict.

Renamo attacks Hit-and-run Renamo attacks have continued right up to yesterday’s elections, with gunmen shooting at military-escorted convoys on the main EN1 north-south highway in central Sofala province, and clashing with security forces in the bush around Gorongosa.

The town, a scattering of brick and adobe buildings straddling the EN1, was calm yesterday, but buzzing with rumours about nearby shootings and attacks.

Residents said many fearful inhabitants had left the town in buses for cities before the vote, and the normally bustling crossroads market had fewer traders. “We don’t need war,” said market trader Chame Raul. “We need water, better schools, more electric power.”

Gorongosa district administrator Paulo Majakunene said Renamo fighters had pasted pamphlets around the town telling residents not to vote and warning of an attack. “But people are here exercising their right,” he said, gesturing to the patient lines of voters.

Elsewhere, national election observers reported a solid turnout in voting for mayors and councillors.

Frelimo looks set to maintain the political dominance it has enjoyed since it helped Mozambique gain independence from Portugal in 1975. But MDM, which hopes to retain its mayor-

MAPUTO: Ismael Mussa, running for mayor in Maputo shows his finger after casting his ballot as part of Mozambique’s local elections yesterday. — AFP

ships of Beira and Quelimane and win other municipalities, wants to establish itself as a force in legislative and presidential elections next year. The campaign for the local elections has been generally peaceful but rival supporters and riot police clashed in Beira at the weekend, injuring more than 20 people.

Popular criticism Guebuza, who cast his ballot in the capital Maputo, has said he will not stand again in 2014 after two terms as president, but has not designated a successor. “People are voting for prosperity and peace,” he said yesterday. His government faces popular criticism over cronyism and corruption, and questions from donors over how effectively state funds, swelled by tax revenue and income from coal and gas deals with foreign investors, are being used to reduce poverty.

While Renamo’s low-intensity attacks remain distant from Mozambique’s economic hubs of Maputo and Beira, they have affected normal life in and around Gorongosa, causing farmers to flee their plots and reducing food supplies. The unrest has also cut the number of visitors to beaches and to game parks such as the Gorongosa National Park. Foreign donors, which have supported the economy with billions of dollars of aid over two decades of peace, are pressing Guebuza and Renamo to sit down and talk.

“We strongly encourage bold efforts to win back the peace,” U.S. Ambassador Douglas Griffiths told Reuters. There are fears, too, that unchecked violence could hamper future development and investment by major foreign companies in coal and gas reserves described by experts as some of the largest untapped deposits in the world. Guebuza and Dhlakama say they are ready to meet but the two sides have bickered over the venue and Renamo’s demands for foreign observers.—Reuters

Crash investigators find voice recorder MOSCOW: The last word the pilot of the Boeing 737 uttered was “circle.”

Moments later the jetliner slammed into the ground, investigators said yesterday, killing all 50 people on board. The Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee, which investigates plane crashes across the former Soviet Union, concluded a day earlier that the crew failed to land at first attempt, began to stall in a steep climb, then overcompensated - plunging the plane into a near-vertical dive.

The report was based on the data retrieved from the plane’s flight parameters recorder, which also showed that its engines and other systems were working fine until the plane hit the ground.

Yesterday, search teams found a tape of cockpit conversations - a crucial piece of evidence that was missing when its container was found the

day before. The recording is expected to shed light upon the motives behind the series of faulty maneuvers that led to the crash. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Investigative Committee, Russia’s main criminal investigative agency conducting its own probe into the crash, said that recordings of the crew’s conversations with the control tower sounded routine.

The pilot reported that the plane was in a wrong position for the landing and confirmed getting a traffic controller’s command to circle the airport prior to making a second run.

“The final word the pilot said before the crash was ‘circle,’” Markin said in a statement. The Tatarstan Airlines plane was flying from Moscow to the central city of Kazan, 720 kilometers (450 miles) to the east. Moscow’s Interstate Aviation Committee’s report

Russian writer snubs Putin over ‘political prisoners’ MOSCOW: Popular Russian detective novelist Boris Akunin yesterday declined an invitation to meet President Vladimir Putin, saying he could not be around him while Russia jails political prisoners. In one of his strongest ever statements, the opposition-supporting novelist said he was boycotting a Thursday event where Putin is set to meet writers to discuss government support for literature.

Russia has faced numerous accusations of politically motivated convictions of opposition activists, although it denies having political prisoners.

“While there are political prisoners in the country, I cannot be close to its ruler, even in the same building,” Akunin, who is known for his period

detective novels set in Russia and abroad, said on his blog. “That would mean that I consider it possible to hear pretty talk from a person who keeps people in prison for their political convictions.” His comments prompted an angry reaction from Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who accused Akunin of “nihilism”. “We have several representatives of literary society who... traditionally deprive themselves of the opportunity of meeting the president and asking him the questions they can’t answer themselves,” Peskov told the Snob.ru news website. “Unfortunately this is a kind of social nihilism, which has nothing constructive about it.” Peskov denied that Russia has political prisoners.—AFP

concluded that to prepare the jet for a second try, the crew switched off autopilot and put the plane’s engines on maximum power, raising the plane’s nose to an angle of about 25 degrees. The abrupt move apparently caused the jetliner to lose speed.

The normal procedure during an aborted landing is to apply near-maximum power and assume about a 5-to7 degree nose-up attitude, said Kevin Hiatt, a former Delta Air Lines chief pilot and president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit. “ Twenty-five degrees nose -up is excessive. There’s no question about that whatsoever,” Hiatt said. “Why they determined they needed to go to that high an angle will be part of the investigation.”

At an altitude of about 700 meters (2,200 feet), the crew then tried to gain speed in order to avert a stall by putting the nose of the plane down.

The report said the plane then went into a dive of about 75 degrees and hit the tarmac. Airplanes can sometimes recover from steep dives but they must be at a sufficiently high altitude.

The committee said it took only 45 seconds from the moment the crew put the engines at maximum throttle until the moment the Boeing smashed into the ground. Such “loss of control” accidents are responsible for more deaths than any other type of plane crash because they are rarely survivable, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, an industry supported global aviation safety nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia. The head of Tartarstan Airlines, Aksan Giniyatullin, said Tuesday that the plane’s two pilots had sufficient experience, ranging from 1,900 to 2,500 hours, but admitted that they apparently had no experience with attempting a second landing. — AP

Search for survivors halted at collapsed S Africa mall TONGAAT: South African emergency workers called off a search for survivors under a collapsed half-built mall near Durban yesterday as police opened a culpable homicide investigation. For 19 hours rescue workers had scoured the maze of tangled concrete and rebar in the hope of finding survivors of an incident that killed one and injured 29. It is not known how many bodies may still be trapped because of the roof collapse, which occurred on Tuesday in Tongaat, just north of Durban. Fibre optic cameras and other specialist equipment failed to uncover anything overnight, dashing hopes.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t come up with anything positive through the night and today the search adjourned,” said police lieutenant Mandy Govender. Efforts to establish the death toll have been complicated by the timing of the collapse, just as construction workers were finishing up for the day, and by the suspected use of subcontractors and migrant labourers.

“We haven’t the faintest idea of how many people are dead,” said Govender, adding that all people on the official workers’ roll of 25 had been accounted for. “The fact that 29 were taken out from there leaves us guessing. Only when we get in there will we really know what’s underneath all that rubble there, and it’s a lot of rubble to get through.” Cheap labour means it is not unusual to see hundreds of workers toiling away at construction sites in South Africa.

The use of illegal migrants from M ozambique, Zimbabwe or Swaziland is common. Although the cause of the collapse is not yet known, police have already started a culpable homicide investigation.

According to local government offi-

cials the construction company had been issued with a court order to stop work last month.

“A High Court interim order was granted on 26 September followed by a final order on 14 November to stop construc tion,” said Thabo M ofokeng, spokesman for the eThekwini municipality. “We established that the company had failed to take steps to meet planning requirements.” The firm was named as Rectangle Property Investments, a company linked to controversial businessman and political donor Jay Singh.

According to The Mercury newspaper Singh was previously convicted of bribing a city official to overlook substandard building. He has won multiple tenders with the local ANCled council, some of which have been investigated. ANC ward councillor Michael Abraham said continuing work on the project had gone undetected because it took place at night.

“What he does, unknown to us, is carry out night operations. Now officials of the municipality don’t work night times, they work eight to four.

So when they wake up in the morning and pass by, it’s quiet.

“So he was devious and deceitful in his operations.” That account seemed to be at odds with eyewitness accounts from neighbours who were on the scene quickly after the collapse and reported greeting workmen every morning. Fiona Moonean, who lives across from the building site, was washing dishes when she heard a “thunderous noise” coming from outside. “There was this sound, it was too huge, that I picked my head up-at that point I just saw the whole slab-that just came down and all you could hear was the guys screaming,” she told AFP. —AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

Voters in Albuquerque, Mexico, defeat measure to limit abortions SANTA FE: Voters in Albuquerque defeated a proposal on Tuesday that would have outlawed most late-term abortions in New Mexico’s largest city in the first test of such a measure on a municipal ballot in the United States. The measure, which would have barred doctors within city limits from performing abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, unless a mother’s life was in danger, was rejected 55 percent to 45 percent.

Abortion rights advocates hailed the outcome as a victory against out-of-state anti-abortion activists seen as spearheading an initiative.

Supporters of the measure predicted that similar proposals would gain ground in other cities and states across the country. The proposed 20-week cutoff on abortions in the Albuquerque measure allowed for few of the exemptions per-

mitted in most late-term abortion bans enacted in other states in recent years. It contained no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, and would have waived the ban only to save a mother’s life or if continuing her pregnancy risked “substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

A record number of city voters were reported to have cast early ballots in the special election. And an unusually high overall turnout was expected due to the controversial nature of the measure, said by those on both sides of the campaign to mark the first proposed abortion restriction submitted to voters in a US city. The US Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, but ruled that unless the mother’s health were at risk, states could place restrictions on abortion at the point when a fetus could

potentially survive outside the womb, generally seen as starting at 22 to 24 weeks of gestation.

A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks, and abortions after 20 weeks are rare. Still, abortion opponents have pushed the boundaries of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in recent years by seeking to curtail abortions at earlier stages of pregnancy. The Albuquerque measure was patterned after restrictions enacted by a dozen states based on hotly debated medical research suggesting a fetus feels pain starting at 20 weeks of gestation.

Two of those states, North Dakota and Arkansas, went further by also recently banning abortion as early as six and 12 weeks, respectively. Those more restrictive bans have been put on hold by courts. Courts have likewise blocked 20-

week abortion bans in Arizona, Georgia and Idaho. Albuquerque is home to two of the few facilities in the region that perform late-term abortions - the Southwestern Women’s Options clinic and the University of New Mexico Center for Reproductive Health.

Their existence has led abortion foes to refer to Albuquerque as the “late-term abortion capital of the country” and to target the city for the municipal ban, said Elisa Martinez, executive director of the group Protect ABQ Women and Children, which supports the measure.

Julianna Koob, legislative advocate for Planned Parenthood of New Mexico, agreed that the two clinics had drawn patients from around the region because “access has been so severely impacted in other cities.” “Not only have out-of-state, out-of-touch groups failed to impose

their political agenda on Albuquerque families, they created an army of New Mexicans passionate about protecting private medical decisions between a woman and her doctor,” Koob said Tuesday night.

The Reverend Frank Pavone, national director of the group Priests for Life, countered that “pro-lifers in Albuquerque and elsewhere should not feel discouraged,” adding, “We will see to it that this effort is introduced in other cities and states.” Before the vote, New Mexico’s attorney general, Gary King, had called the proposed measure “unconstitutional and unenforceable.” Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, a law professor at the University of New Mexico, said abortion regulations as allowed under Roe v.Wade were regarded as a matter for the states, not local governments, to decide. — Reuters

US Senate military policy debate focuses on Gitmo Role of commanders in sex crime prosecutions questioned

TORONTO: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is surrounded by the media as he leaves his office at Toronto City Hall in this file photo. — AFP

Toronto crack-smoking mayor off booze and TV TORONTO: Toronto’s disgraced mayor Rob Ford, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine and binge drinking, stepped up the battle to reclaim his reputation Tuesday in a series of extraordinary television interviews. But he was handed a setback when his own, much-billed television talk show was swiftly cancelled after the airing of its debut episode. Ford, civic leader of Canada’s biggest city, has been stripped of most of his powers by outraged councillors, but has not given up hope of recapturing public affection after his hell-raising antics.

In interviews with US broadcasters aired Tuesday, Ford denied he had an alcohol problem, but vowed to mend his ways in the wake of a scandal that continues to engulf him. “I’ve embarrassed not just myself, my family, my friends, my supporters, the whole city,” Ford told NBC’s Today show. “I take full responsibility for that.

We’ve all made mistakes ... I’m not perfect.”

However, when asked if he was in an alcohol treatment program, the mayor said: “No. I have a weight issue. Have been training every day.” In remarks to ABC’s “Good Morning America”, he pledged to reform his behavior, though admitted that such “talk is cheap.”

“Come back in five months. If you don’t see a difference, you can say, Rob, I don’t believe you,” he said. “Go take a drug test or urine test or alcohol test. No problem.” Ford told Canada’s public broadcaster he was moved to change his behavior after seeing a friend, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, pausing to hold back tears when asked to comment on the mayor ’s antics. Ford acknowledged that he is not a religious man, but that “Jim moment” or “Jesus moment” had made him realize the impact of his downward spiral on those close to him. In the CBC interview, aired late Monday, Ford said he had not touched alcohol in three weeks and would never drink again. The same night, the mayor hosted with his brother Doug their first talk show on Canadian television. But despite record ratings, upstart Sun News pulled the show, saying it was too expensive to pro-

duce -reportedly taking five hours to record, and another eight hours to edit, blamed on the Ford brothers’ relative inexperience with the medium.

The pair had previously hosted a weekly radio show but it was cancelled after Ford admitted to smoking crack. A top government minister meanwhile broke ranks Tuesday to chide Ford for bringing “dishonor” to his office.

“I wish he had taken a leave of absence some time ago to deal with his personal problems,” Jobs Minister Jason Kenney said in Ottawa. “But not having done that, I personally think he should step aside, and stop dragging the city of Toronto through this terrible embarrassment.” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office had said previously it does not condone drug abuse but would continue to work with Ford.

On Monday, in the latest chapter of an embarrassing saga in Canada’s economic hub, Ford was largely reduced to a figurehead by the city council-but he again refused to step down. Ford has threatened to take court action and said the only judgment he should face is that of voters at the ballot box next year. “This is going to be outright war,” said the mayor, who has faced outrage over a litany of misdeeds, both admitted and alleged, since police revealed they had video footage of him smoking crack.

Ford admitted he had smoked the drug and apologized for his behavior, including what he dubbed his many “drunken stupors.” New allegations of misconduct and his lewd remarks in denying sexual harassment claims deepened the problems. While the council overwhelmingly voted to cut the mayor’s budget and staff on Monday, a few dissenters expressed concern, branding “illegal and anti-democratic,” the de facto removal of Ford from office. The mayor now maintains a smaller office budget and a handful of aides, and keeps a seat on the city’s executive council. He can also still attend official functions as mayor. But his deputy assumes most of his other responsibilities. — AFP

Violence, inmates rule in Mexico’s prisons MEXICO CITY: Cases of violence and inmates controlling Mexican prisons are on the rise, symptoms of the corruption and lack of resources that plague the country’s corrections system, the National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday. Riots, homicides, prison breaks and other incidents have increased from 52 for all of 2011 to 119 through mid-October of this year, commission President Raul Plascencia said in releasing the report. The report, based on visits and interviews at 101 of Mexico’s most populated prisons, found that 65 of the facilities are run by inmates, not authorities. That’s an increase from the commission’s report last year, which said 60 of 100 prisons surveyed were run by inmates.

“We’re finding a dynamic that we’ve been decrying for years now,” Plascencia said. “The government puts much force into fighting organized crime, as it should.

But it doesn’t take care of the places where they incarcerate the members of organized crime, who are corrupting and taking control.” Federal government security spokesman Eduardo Sanchez did not respond to several requests for comment.

But Sanchez said in a September meeting with foreign journalists that prison breaks and prisoners controlling facilities have become a thing of the past since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office

last Dec 1. “A good part of the jails were controlled by inmates,” he said, referring to the previous administration of former President Felipe Calderon. “That no longer occurs.”

The human rights commission said that not only do such problems continue, inmate deaths and injuries combined have increased this year, though escapes are down from 261 last year to 67 through mid-October. Plascencia said the prisons controlled by inmates are in Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa and Zacatecas, all states heavily affected by drug violence.

The report said 109 prisoners died in 119 incidents so far this year and 224 were injured. In 73 incidents during all of last year, 154 prisoners died and 103 were injured. It did not give a breakdown of the types of incidents.

The report was based on interviews and visits to prisons that house 80 percent of Mexico’s nearly 250,000 inmates. The overcrowded system has an official capacity of 200,000. Calderon stepped up the offensive against organized crime when he took office in late 2006, with military and police crackdowns that resulted in thousands of arrests but no new prisons. Many of Mexico’s facilities became overcrowded, and inmates accused of drug crimes were mixed with locals accused of petty crimes.—AP

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers clashed on Tuesday over how to deal with sexual assault in the armed forces and what to do about terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in the opening of Senate debate on the annual defense policy bill. Senators rejected an amendment that could have helped close the Guantanamo prison over time by making it easier to transfer inmates to the United States for trial or imprisonment. They also rejected a competing measure that could have complicated administration efforts to close the facility.

Lawmakers set the stage for an emotional discussion of sexual assault in the military on Wednesday, with Senate leaders agreeing to six hours of debate on the issue. More than a dozen senators spoke out about the problem on Tuesday.

Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York rallied support for her amendment to place decisions about whether to prosecute sex crimes in the hands professional military prosecutors and remove it from the victim’s commanders.

She held a Capitol Hill news conference with generals, victims and other senators to urge fellow lawmakers to back her amendment. The measure is opposed by senior Pentagon officials and top military brass, who insist the problem of sexual assault will not be solved unless commanders are held accountable.

Retired Brigadier General Loree Sutton, a former Army doctor, told the news conference bold steps were needed to address the problem

because too many military commands were marked by fear, humiliation and hazing, “upstream behaviors that set the conditions for horrific crimes such as rape.” “Rape is not about sex ... it is a crime that for the most part is committed by heterosexual men whose unbridled need for dominance, control, destruction and aggression utterly violates and shatters the minds, bodies, spirits, hopes and dreams of all who they target,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada endorsed Gillibrand’s amendment on Tuesday, dealing a setback to Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, and Carl Levin of Michigan, the Democratic head of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The two have supported reforms that stopped short of removing sexual assault from the military chain of command.

McCaskill told the Senate on Wednesday she had been “frustrated” in recent weeks that the policy difference with Gillibrand had dominated discussion of the sexual assault issue and had obscured the reforms included in the authorization bill.

The measure prohibits military service by people convicted of rape and other sex crimes, calls for temporary reassignment of members accused of sexual assault, and takes many other steps to improve the military’s response to victims of the crime. “I think we have fashioned historic and amazing changes that are going to forever change the successful prosecution of rapists in our military and go further to protect

victims,” said McCaskill, a former attorney who has prosecuted sex crimes.

Debate on the two Guantanamo amendments highlighted the ongoing split among lawmakers over how best to deal with the 164 terrorism suspects being held at the prison at an estimated cost of $454 million annually, or about $2.75 million per person. “The 164 that are remaining are the meanest, nastiest terrorists in the world, frankly,” said Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. “They’re the ones nobody’s going to want. So if nobody else wants them, why should we allow them to come to the United States?”

The remaining prisoners at Guantanamo include Al-Qaeda members like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept 11 attacks on the United States, and others awaiting possible charges and trial. But 84 of these inmates have been approved for conditional transfer, meaning they can be sent to a country not barred by US law that is willing to provide the security and humane treatment assurances sought by the United States.

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein noted the cost of holding a detainee at Guantanamo was 35 times that of keeping an inmate at a maximum security prison in Colorado where a number of Al-Qaeda members are being held after their conviction. In an era of tight budgets, she said, “how can we justify spending approximately $2.8 million per Guantanamo detainee?”.— Reuters

50 years on, Americans remember: ‘Where were you when JFK died?’

WASHINGTON: Thomas Wm. Hamilton thought it was a joke. As a young orbital analyst on the Apollo space program, Hamilton was at the forefront of President John F. Kennedy’s bold challenge to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Hamilton was returning to his desk at Grumman Aircraft after lunch at a Long Island farmer’s market on November 22, 1963 when “a draftsman noted for his sick humor said: ‘The president has been shot’.” “I said, ‘Even for you that’s pretty sick’”, recalled Hamilton, today a retired astronomer, professor and writer who lives in Staten Island, New York. “He insisted it was no joke.”

Being a scientist, Hamilton sought proof, so he called a local newsroom. “Before I could even say anything, a woman who answered said, ‘It’s true, he’s dead,’ and hung up.” Two out of three Americans today weren’t born when Kennedy was assassinated, but for many of them-including baby boomers now in late middle age or retired-”memorable” barely defines the impact of that moment.

“The news was like a punch in the stomach,” said writer and consultant Paul Robert Edwards, a law clerk who heard the news on the radio at a lunch counter in Kansas City, Missouri. Angelo Armenti was 23 and studying for a graduate degree in physics in Philadelphia. He campaigned for Kennedy during the 1960 election, and even came within a few feet of shaking hands with him at a campaign event.

“I was backing my car out of a parking lot after lunch when a hysterically crying woman ran behind my car, screaming: ‘Kennedy’s been shot! Kennedy’s been shot!’” remembered Armenti, today a retired university president. Like so many school children that day, Beatrice Hogg, an African-American coal miner’s daughter in a rural Pennsylvania town with a two-room schoolhouse, was sent home early.

There she found the adults in tears, vulnerable and confused and worried for the future.

“Momma and Cousin Kat talked about what the death of president Kennedy would mean to the fate of the ‘colored’ people in America,” said Hogg, today a writer and editor in California. Beyond America’s borders, the sense of shock was no less power ful.

Alexander Longolius, a 28-year-old teacher in what was then a divided Berlin, was motoring to a soiree at a US diplomat’s home when he heard Kennedy had been shot.

“Nobody showed up at the reception in a happy mood. I don’t even think we got ourselves a drink. We just stood around and listened to the radio,” said Longolius, who today is retired from German politics. The hope was that Kennedy-who had made his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech four months beforewould pull through. That was not to be. “We

ARLINGTON: A jigsaw puzzle featuring President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy are for sale at the gift shop at Arlington Cemetery. —AFP were just devastated,” Longolius said. in Greenville, South Carolina, which in 1960 “Devastated and shocked, really... It seemed had voted strongly for Nixon. “ The gym utterly incredible that the hopes and dreams teacher suddenly gathered us together and of zillions of people were shattered that very told us she had just heard the news that the president had been shot,” said Siegel, who moment.”

In Moscow, Alexandra Panina remembers today runs a New York public relations firm.

“A lot of the girls cheered and clapped-this no tears being shed at her school-not because the United States was the Soviet Union’s arch was pre-desegregation South Carolina, which enemy, but because students had been was even more conservative than it is now. I “taught to be strong, so we weren’t used to was almost as shocked and upset by that crying.” But there was indignation and shock, behavior as I was by the news about the said Panina, today a 68-year-old literature shooting.” Lana Mae Noone, in adult life a professor. “To kill a president in broad day- campaigner for the evacuation of Vietnamese light, it was unimaginable for us.” In Kennedy’s war children, was an 18-year-old performing home state of Massachusetts, the nuns at arts student in New York, riding a city bus in Ramsey Bahrawy’s Catholic school assembled Manhattan, locked in a state of “total denial.” “‘Why are saying he’s dead. That can’t be the pupils in the library to watch the news on TV from Dallas, then sent them to the chapel true’,” she recalled telling a fellow passenger.

“At the time, in my mind, death was some“to pray for JFK,” he said.

“I think I was more affected than my class- thing that only happened to the elderly-and mates because I was a recent immigrant from he (Kennedy) was so young and vibrant.”

Egypt,” said Bahrawy, a lawyer in the state. “My “What I remember most was sitting in the parents had drilled into me that we owed our school yard after we heard the news, watchability to immigrate to the United States to ing planes flying overhead and wondering if president Kennedy and his administration.” In the country was under attack,” said John other parts of the country, however, con- Echeveste, a California PR consultant. “It was a tempt for Kennedy-who won the 1960 elec- time when nuclear drills were mandatory and tion over Republican rival Richard Nixon by an we all learned how to take cover under our extremely narrow margin ran so deep that the desks... We couldn’t comprehend that someone so young, charismatic and vibrant as initial reaction was glee.

Lucy Siegel recalls playing basketball with Kennedy had been cut down so quickly and other girls-”wearing ugly green gym uniforms violently “A hero died, and a degree of hope with big baggy bloomer-type pants”-at school died with him.” —AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

Gold worth $1m found in Indian plane toilet KOLKATA: Two lunch boxes hidden in the toilets of a Jet Airways plane triggered first a bomb scare and then a smuggling probe as the tins were found to contain 12 gold bars each, a senior customs official said yesterday.

Smuggling is on the rise into India, one of the world’s biggest buyers of gold, after the government raised import duty to a record 10 percent and slapped restrictions which have shrivelled supplies into the domestic market. The Jet Airways plane had arrived at Kolkata’s international airport from Patna on a domestic flight, but normally operates between the gold trading hub of Dubai and Mumbai, home to India’s largest gold market. It was

undergoing routine cleaning when maintenance staff discovered the two small tins. “There was a bomb scare immediately when the bags were spotted in two separate toilets at round 1 a.m., but later we found they contained 12 pieces of gold bars in each,” Additional Commissioner of Customs at the airport, Rameshwar Meena, told Reuters.

“The gold bars are from Dubai for sure. The flight had come from Patna to Kolkata last, but its basic route is Dubai-Mumbai.” The bars weigh 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and are about the same size as a portable smart phone. Meena said the haul was worth 73.68 million rupees ($1.18 mil-

lion). Customs officials said there had been five cases over two months involving a total 100 kg.

“We feel that what we catch is less than 10 percent or so and there are so many groups operating, it is impossible for us to keep a check,” said an official at the revenue intelligence department, who asked not to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said this month the measures had prompted a slight rise in smuggling, but his officers had said no one could bring in more than 5 kg.

“You cannot carry more than 5 kg of gold and still go undetected,” he told CNBC TV18. At Kolkata, Meena said

investigators were questioning airline and airport staff.

Profiles of passengers on the flight from Dubai were being checked. The revenue intelligence officer said a man had been arrested in an earlier case on suspicion of concealing 5 kg of gold in the toilet of an Air India plane in Dubai. He left the plane in Mumbai and another passenger removed the gold after it had flown on to Goa. Crews are now on alert for passengers lingering in the loo. “We are educating (our staff) about aircraft maps of how toilets are in an Airbus or a Boeing. We are also asking the aircraft crew to tip us off about people who spend slightly more time in toilets,” the revenue intelligence officer said. — Reuters

‘Mango man’ takes a broom to graft-ridden Indian politics Support for AAP wildly fluctuates

KABUL: Afghan soldiers patrol the streets yesterday where thousands of prominent Afghans are scheduled to meet for a Loya Jirga. — AFP

Afghan-US security pact in limbo day before crucial Kabul debate KABUL: The text of a US-Afghan pact that sets out a blueprint for military cooperation after most foreign troops pull out next year was unfinished yesterday, a day before thousands of Afghan elders were due to start debating it.

Without the accord the United States has warned it could withdraw all of its troops by the end of 2014 and leave Afghan forces to fight alone against a Taleban-led insurgency.

The last-minute politicking between Kabul and Washington provoked frustration among Afghan elders who braved perilous journeys to the Afghan capital from remote provinces for a grand assembly to debate the pact.

“What is happening with the security pact is very confusing for us,” said Abdul Hanan, a senator from the eastern province of Paktia, who will attend the gathering.

Last-ditch efforts to finalise the pact stalled on Tuesday over differences over whether President Barack Obama had agreed to issue a letter acknowledging mistakes made during the 12-year Afghan war. “The final language is not ready between the two governments,” said Aimal Faizi, the Afghan president’s spokesman, adding the US State Department was right to say that work remained to be done.

The Afghan government said it received assurances that an Obama letter would be provided this week to the grand council of Afghan elders, known as a Loya Jirga, which will consider the pact. Susan Rice, Obama’s national security adviser, insisted that such an offer - which would draw criticism from Republicans and anger American war veterans - was “not on the table”.

National interests The Taleban, fighting to expel foreign troops, have condemned the Loya Jirga as a

farce. Security was tight in Kabul ahead of the meeting following a suicide bomb attack near the assembly ground over the weekend. The security pact with the United States must be approved by the Loya Jirga that will meet for five days starting today.

If the two sides cannot agree on a pact, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has suggested submitting different versions of the document for the Loya Jirga to decide on. That caused confusion among Loya Jirga members gathering in the capital, Kabul, ahead of the meeting’s formal opening. Less than 24 hours before the start, attendees appeared deeply divided over the issue. Khan Ali Rotman, who runs a Kabul-based youth organisation and is attending the grand assembly, said he would vote “yes” only if he believed it was good for Afghanistan.

“If it is not in line with our national interests we will raise our voice and not vote for it,” he said. A Kabul-based senator, Khan Mohammad Belaghi, said Afghanistan had no choice but to sign it. “We have to have a partnership with a country like the United States and we will vote in favour of it because it can protect us from threats from neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan, and the Taleban,” he said.

A security pact would clear the way for a decision on how many US troops will stay in Afghanistan, where they will be based and what they can and cannot do. US officials said during a meeting of NATO defence ministers in February that the alliance was considering keeping a residual force of 8,000 to 12,000 troops. The United States and Iraq failed to reach agreement on a similar pact when the US military mission there ended two years leading to a “zero option” outcome, or the withdrawal of all US troops. — Reuters

Afghanistan announces final poll list with 11 candidates KABUL: Afghanistan’s election commission yesterday announced the final list of candidates for next year’s presidential poll, which will be the country’s first-ever democratic power transfer. The bulk of NATO’s 75,000 remaining troops are due to pull out by the end of 2014 and a credible presidential election-rather than a repeat of the fraudplagued vote of 2009 — is seen as crucial to stability. Current President Hamid Karzai, appointed following the US-led invasion of 2001, must step down after serving two terms. “Eleven candidates have made it to the final list for presidential election,” Abdul Rahman Hotak, deputy head of the Independent Election Commission, told a news conference.

More than 2,700 candidates, including 308 women, have made it to the final list for provincial council elections, he said. “We have done all our vetting honestly, and without accepting any pressure on us. We have done it independently,” he said. Hotak said the main problems with the disqualified candidates were the voter cards of supporters which the candidates needed to provide to the commission.

Under electoral law, presidential hopefuls must be aged at least 40, have a clean criminal record, not be a citizen of another country, provide 100,000 voter cards to prove they have a network of supporters, and lodge a deposit of one million Afghanis ($18,000). Election authorities last month cut down the initial list of 26 candidates for the April 5 presidential vote to 10, but the Afghan election watchdog on Tuesday reinstated one name. Karzai had called for just two or three candidates to avoid the confu-

sion of 2009 when 40 names appeared on the ballot paper.

The reinstated candidate is Daud Sultanzoi, a former MP who has cancelled his dual citizenship so he can stand. Among the leading presidential candidates are former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who ran against Karzai in 2009, the president’s lowprofile elder brother Qayum Karzai and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani.

Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, a former Islamist warlord who had close ties to AlQaeda, is also on the list, along with Karzai loyalist Zalmai Rassoul, who recently resigned as foreign minister to run. Also standing is former Kandahar warlord Gul Agha Sherzai, nicknamed the “bulldozer”.

Some unexpected pairings have also emerged, for example involving Ghani. The internationally-renowned academic chose Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum as his first running mate.

Overshadowing the announcement of the final election list is Thursday’s “loya jirga” or grand assembly of tribal elders, which will decide whether to support a crucial security pact with the United States. If the agreement is passed, up to 16,000 US troops will stay in Afghanistan to help fight Al-Qaeda remnants and train the national army. There are fears that if a deal is not reached-and the legal status of US forces has been a major sticking point-all American troops will pull out and local forces will struggle to contain the Taleban.

In this so-called “zero option” scenario, whoever emerges victorious after April 5 will face a much tougher task in maintaining Afghanistan’s fragile stability. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Arriving in a small and scruffy blue car, India’s newest political star springs from the front seat, shirt untucked, and walks towards his supporters with the air of a low-key civil servant.

Which is just what Arvind Kejriwal was-until 2001, when he left his job as a tax official, disgusted by his colleagues, to embark on a career as an anti-corruption campaigner that would lead to national fame.

The bookish father-of-two turns up with no trailing security-a status symbol in the capitaland begins shaking hands at his first campaign stop in a dusty village on the far edge of the capital. On December 4, the city of 16 million will elect a new state assembly, with Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi (“Common Man”) Party threatening a political earthquake only a year after it was formed.

For the next five hours, he stands in an opentopped jeep as it winds from the rural hinterland, through streets of open workshops, slums of sick and unschooled children, and culminates near Delhi University. Along the way, he’s garlanded with marigolds and gives brief fiery speeches at scheduled stops. “If all the youngsters get together, they can change the face of the country!” he says to cheers from a group of students, who are told that 50 percent of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) candidates are under 30.

On the move, supporters dance to music calling politicians “blood-sucking devils” and “thieves”. Many distribute the symbols of the party-the broom and the Gandhi cap. The broom symbolises a clean sweep of India’s rotten politics; the white Gandhi cap connects Kejriwal to the father of the nation and an era “when we had a politics of honesty and a politics of public service,” he told AFP. ‘Forced into politics’ As the winter sunshine starts to fade, he dismounts from the jeep and squeezes back into the same blue car to talk about his “revolution”.

After leaving government service he campaigned to bring in India’s Right to Information Act in 2005, which earned him “Asia’s Nobel”, the Ramon Magsaysay Award. A few years later, he teamed up with a former army driver called Anna Hazare who launched repeated hunger strikes in 2010 demanding a new anti-corruption law.

Together they channelled anger about everyday corruption as well as graft scandals that have embroiled the national government. Though their demands went unheeded and relations between the duo ultimately soured, their campaign panicked the government and propelled Kejriwal onto the national stage. “We were forced into politics because there was an anti-corruption movement in the country and the government promised a strong anti-corruption law, but it went back on its word,” he explains.

Support for his party fluctuates wildly, according to pollsters, from an impressive six to eight

seats in the 70-member New Delhi assembly to an extraordinary 30 or more. Analysis of Google searches shows him to be the fifth mostsearched politician nation-wide. As passers-by take photos of him, he says the inroads are down to two things. “One, corruption became so much that it became intolerable for the people,” he said. “Secondly, every time someone would defeat someone (in elections) rather than vote in someone’s favour. This time they have an honest option.” Using tactics popularised by US President Barack Obama, the party has raised 200 million rupees ($3.2 million) through small donations-with supporters’ names listed on the website. The government has since launched an investigation into whether it broke funding laws which ban donations from foreigners.

With popularity comes enmity The 44-year-old has made many enemies in the ruling Congress party, dominated by the Gandhi political dynasty and run in Delhi by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra handed Kejriwal his most memorable nickname in an outburst earlier this year, in which he branded AAP “mango people in a banana republic”. “Aam Aadmi” can also mean “mango people” in Hindi.

Dikshit, 75, India’s longest serving chief minister, has often appeared to struggle to respond to the often highly personal attacks. “He is not even on our radar,” she told Open magazine dismissively this month. “We must first know what he stands for.”

But Pratap Bhanu Mehta, an analyst at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, views Kejriwal’s movement as something “radically fresh” in Indian politics. Though he questioned its economic policies, writing in The Indian Express last month he praised their simple focus on improving administration and tackling corruption. The potential demonstration effect that AAP’s success may have on politics in other cities is not negligible. While politics is often local, successful examples are empowering,” he wrote.

Kejriwal says his first priority is fixing the capital-”living in Delhi is so miserable today”-but he clearly has larger ambitions only nine months from national elections. “Obviously we would like to get rid of corruption for the whole country but when and how? These are difficult questions,” he says. He also accepts that internal checks to weed out corrupt AAP candidates are not perfect, but “we are constantly struggling to have proper systems in our party and internal accountability.”

Solutions include an internal ombudsman, background checks on candidates to exclude those facing criminal cases, and a pledge that must be signed by them promising to be clean and transparent. “If corruption can be fixed, then we will start having good roads, good electricity, good education, good health,” he says as he responds to criticism that he is a single-issue leader. “I don’t think the problems of this country are such that you don’t have solutions or that it’s rocket science to solve these problems.” — AFP

NEW DELHI: In this photograph, Indian ‘Aam Aadmi Party’ (Common Man’s Party) leader Arvind Kejriwal gestures to supporters as he takes part in a campaign rally in New Delhi. — AFP

Iran deporting Afghan refugees KABUL: Iran is forcefully deporting Afghans by the thousands in violation of its international obligation to protect refugees, said a Human Rights Watch report released yesterday. The report included stories of fathers deported without being given a chance to tell the families they leave behind. It said a 12-year old boy was left without money at the border, forced to beg for bus fare to Afghanistan.

Millions of Afghans fled to Iran and Pakistan in the 1980s to flee a bloody anti-Communist insurgency. At the peak of the war, roughly 5 million refugees lived in Pakistan and nearly 4 million in Iran. Currently the Human Rights Watch estimates about 2 million Afghans still live in Iran as unregistered refugees some having returned to Afghanistan only to come back once again to Iran driven back by lack of jobs and a deteriorating security situation in their homeland.

But Iran has refused to register many of them, said Faraz Sanei, Human Rights Watch researcher for Middle East and North Africa. Roughly another 840,000 Afghans live in Iran as registered refugees.

Senei said the report’s authors spent more than one year on Afghanistan’s western border with Iran interviewing refugees as they straggled across the border, some telling horrific tales of being beaten and abused.

Families have often been broken up. Two teenage Afghan girls were arrested in the Iranian holy city of Qom, the report said. The reason: One of them was wearing pink sneakers. When their father and a fiancÈ of one of the girls came to help them, the police discovered they were Afghans and immediately deported all four of them. Their mother and three other children were left behind in Iran.

“The most serious concerns that we have are the many undocumented Afghans in Iran who, when they are deported, go through some very very serious abuses during the deportation process,” Senei told reporters in the Afghan capital. There was no immediate comment from the Iranian government, which rarely comments on human rights reports.—AP

Election officials begin counting votes in Nepal KATMANDU: Election officials yesterday began counting votes Nepal’s people cast to choose a special assembly to draft a longdelayed constitution and pick a new government. Boxes filled with paper ballots were continuing to reach counting centers and counting has started in 31 of the nation’s 75 districts, Election Commission official Bir Bahadur Rai said. The first results likely to be announced today, Rai said.

He said several minor disputes between candidates while votes were being counted were being settled by the elections officials posted in the counting centers. There were no reports of any major trouble. In the capital, Katmandu, election officials opened ballot boxes collected from all 10 constituencies at the International Convention Center and began counting the thousands of ballots.

Outside, thousands of people were cheering for their candidates and political parties.

Votes would be counted throughout the night.

Rai said arrangements were being made to fly ballot boxes from some mountain areas by helicopter because snow had blocked roads.

Most of the 75 districts in the Himalayan nation are mountainous. More than 70 percent of the 12 million eligible voters cast their votes during Tuesday’s election to choose the 601-member Constituent Assembly that would double as the parliament.

Officials called the election successful and mostly free of violence. A bombing near a polling station in Katmandu injuring three people, voting was suspended in one village and police fired into the air in another village when opposition activists stormed a polling station. Pre-election violence injured at least 30 people after an alliance of 33 opposition parties vowed to disrupt the polls and blockaded transport.—Agencies

KATMANDU: Nepalese electoral commission workers count votes at the electoral commission office yesterday. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

US ambassador to China Gary Locke to step down BEIJING: US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, who oversaw the handling of potential crises over the flights to US diplomatic missions by a persecuted legal activist and a high-profile police chief, said yesterday he will step down early next year. Locke, the first Chinese-American to hold the post, said he informed President Barack Obama earlier this month of his decision to rejoin his family in Seattle.

Locke, 63, known for his affable, non-confrontational style, placed a high priority on improving embassy efficiency and facilitating bilateral trade at a time when exchanges are growing rapidly.

Yet his time as ambassador witnessed two of the most delicate diplomatic episodes between the countries in

years that had the potential to severely complicate relations. In February 2012, Wang Lijun, the police chief in the western city of Chongqing, fled to a US consulate in southwest China with information about the murder of a British businessman, setting off China’s biggest political scandal in years. Wang’s intentions were unclear and he was taken into Chinese custody the next day after leaving the consulate on his own. Yet his flight led to the removal and subsequent sentencing to life imprisonment for corruption of Chongqing’s leader, Bo Xilai, formerly one of China’s most powerful politicians. Just two months later, and days before then-US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Beijing, blind legal activist Chen

Guangcheng escaped house arrest and was given shelter in the US Embassy in Beijing, where he remained for six days. Locke spent hours each day with Chen and was photographed holding his hand as they entered a hospital, earning plaudits from the overseas human rights lobby. Chinese officials later allowed the activist and his family to leave the country to study in New York. Locke, who is married with three children, took up the post in August 2011 after serving as US commerce secretary and two terms as governor of Washington State.

In a statement, Locke listed increased US exports to China, the promotion of Chinese investment in the US, and a reduction in waiting times for visas as major

accomplishments of his time in office. The speeding up of visa issuance to just three to five days from the previous 70-100 days “significantly increased” Chinese business and tourism to the US, he said. During his tenure, embassy officials “advanced American values” by meeting with religious leaders and human rights lawyers and visiting Tibetan and Uighur ethnic minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang, Locke said. Shi Yinhong, an expert on China-US relations at Renmin University, said Locke kept relations steady despite tensions over China’s South China Sea territorial claims, its fraught relations with Japan, its increased military capability and its support for Syria’s embattled government. —AP

Thai ruling party escapes penalty in key court ruling Proposed amendment ‘unconstitutional’

MANILA: Typhoon survivors who arrived in Manila from Tacloban, Leyte, rest on folding beds at a tent city constructed inside the Villamor Airbase Elementary School yesterday. — AP

From ’04 tsunami recovery, Philippines learns lessons MANILA: The man who steered Indonesia to recovery after the 2004 tsunami has some cautionary words for the Philippines as it begins planning reconstruction after Typhoon Haiyan: Survivors will get angry about living in tents well before permanent houses are ready, and inflation will soon make those houses much more expensive to build. His advice? Start working now and get survivors involved in the process. “Please prepare warehouses now all over the region and fill them with construction materials,” said Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, who headed a specially created, powerful government agency tasked with coordinating more than $7 billion in aid that flowed to the country after the disaster.

“Fix the prices now.”

The Indian Ocean tsunami killed about 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Indonesia’s Aceh province was the worst-hit area, accounting for about half the deaths.

Much of the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, was leveled. Aceh’s reconstruction didn’t always run smoothly, especially during the first year, but it is now almost universally regarded as successful. Around 130,000 houses were built in less than three years, along with scores of airports, roads and schools. It was the biggest construction project in the developing world.

These days, the only sign that Banda Aceh was the epicenter of an appalling disaster are two ships carried miles inland by the giant waves. They are now popular and well-managed attractions on a “tsunami tourism” trail in the city. There are lessons to draw from the 2004 tsunami, and from more recent - and more criticized - reconstruction efforts after disasters in Japan and Haiti. The Philippines also has much experience of its own recovering from typhoons and other disasters.

A full assessment of the damage caused by the typhoon has yet to be carried out. There were far more deaths in Aceh. The Philippines government said Wednesday that the typhoon killed more than 4,000 people and left 1,600 missing. But experts say the scale of the reconstruction needed in the Philippines looks broadly comparable with that in Aceh.

Like Indonesia in 2004, the Philippines has functioning national and local governments with committed, educated employees.

Foreign countries are more likely to help if they can see efforts being made to spend money well. Just under two weeks since the typhoon, saving lives and providing emergency aid are still the main focus. Corpses are

still being collected from beneath the debris.

But in a week or two, authorities will start transitioning into an “early recovery phase” and planning how best to rebuild the estimated 320,000 destroyed houses.

“It’s never too early to start talking about it,” said Nancy Lindborg, the assistant administrator of the U.S. government’s aid arm. “What’s very important is to move as quickly as possible, so you enable people to start thinking about the future.” Philippine Interior Minster Mar Roxas said authorities were already considering whether to put people in tents or bunkhouses. In Aceh, authorities built 24 wooden barrack-style complexes for survivors, but they were not popular, often located far from the original villages of the residents or their workplaces.

Aceh managed to build just 16,000 permanent houses in the first year after the tsunami.

Spiking construction costs were one problem: Inflation hit 41 percent at one point as massive amounts of money chased limited supplies.

Another complicating factor likely to be seen in the Philippines was that land titles and government records were destroyed. “It was almost impossible,” said Mangkusubroto via telephone from Jakarta. “People shouldn’t have to live in tents for more than six months.

It causes social tension.”

It will likely take months to even decide where to build, or what safety standards to use, because the government and affected communities will need to work together to come up with the right answers. In Aceh, authorities initially banned construction close to the sea, but this was shelved as impractical because the province relies on fishing. “We have to make sure that these buildings are not built in unsafe areas,” said Nathaniel Von Einsiedel, the chairman of an urban development consultancy firm. “We don’t want to commit the same mistake that may have contributed to the severity of the destruction in the first place.” The Philippine government said about $320 million in foreign aid has been pledged to the relief effort.

That’s far less than the $7 billion Indonesia received after the tsunami - the most generous response ever to a natural disaster - but that massive amount of money created its own complications. Some of the more than 180 aid agencies that flocked to Aceh took on projects they were not qualified for or duplicated other schemes. Some families got a house they didn’t need, or in a place where didn’t want to move to. Others got more than one. Today, empty, rotting houses aren’t hard to find.—AP

Fisherman’s return stirs emotions in Korean village NONGSO: The recent return of a South Korean fisherman abducted by North Korea more than 40 years ago has reopened wounds in a small island village that lost 17 other men in a Cold War conflict that still simmers today.

Jeon Wook-pyo, who reappeared in South Korea in September after escaping from the North through China, has since paid a brief visit to Nongso - a remote outpost of around 170 people on the southern island of Geoje, about five hours drive from Seoul - but he won’t be settling back there.

“It wasn’t a nice feeling that he reminded me of my husband. There was nothing to feel good about,” said 82-year-old Ok Chul-soon, whose husband skippered one of two fishing boats that were seized with all hands, including Jeon, by North Korean patrol boats near disputed waters in December 1972. She acknowledged Jeon’s return was welcome, but said she was too upset to stay throughout his visit, adding they would meet privately at some time so she could ask for news of her husband.

Seoul says 516 South Koreans, mostly fishermen, remain in the North after a spate of abductions following the 1950-53 Korean War - the two sides are technically still at war as no peace treaty was ever signed. Critics say the South Korean government has abandoned

those held in the North and has stigmatised their families in the South, painting them as suspected subversives with ties to North Korean spies.

“The South Korean government has no interest in abductees,” said Choi Wook-il, another fishermen who was snatched by the North in 1974, but who escaped in 2007.

“While it sent those 63 North Koreans back, they could have traded them with South Koreans in the North,” he told Reuters, referring to the return to Pyongyang, to a hero’s welcome, of more than five dozen North Korean prisoners during a thaw between the two Koreas in 2000.

Choi said the fishermen lived under heavy security and were subject to indoctrination with North Korea’s Juche ideology. “Security agents came to my house and slept there.

They followed me to the mountains, fields and market,” said Choi, who was forced to work on a collective farm for 30 years, and shared a room with Jeon for three months in the late 1980s.

Those abducted were used by North Korea for propaganda purposes or intelligence gathering, according to the testimony of those who have made it back to the South.

Pyongyang insists anyone in the North is there voluntarily.—Reuters

BANGKOK: Thailand’s ruling party escaped punishment in a Constitutional Court ruling yesterday that had threatened to inflame the country’s divisions as political rivals rallied in Bangkok. The judgment, which frustrated a government bid to establish a fully elected upper house, had been keenly anticipated, with thousands of pro- and anti-government protesters massing in the capital. Bangkok has been the scene of periodic outbreaks of street violence in recent years and the ruling had fuelled fears of renewed political unrest.

Judges slammed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s Puea Thai party for driving through a proposed change to the constitution which was drawn up under the military junta that deposed her divisive brother Thaksin. They called the proposed amendment “unconstitutional”. But the nine-strong bench stopped short of moving to punish the party, and dismissed a petition to dissolve Puea Thai and its coalition partners. Any move against the ruling party would probably have enraged the government’s supporters, including the pro-Thaksin “Red Shirts” who have massed in their thousands since Tuesday in a stadium in the city suburbs.

The court’s decision was initially given a partial welcome by both sides of Thailand’s political divide, in a sign that it may have eased immediate tensions. A lawyer for the opposition Democrat Party meanwhile said the ruling should trigger the resignation of the under-fire premier. “The amendment, which was not based on rule of law, but to benefit of specific people, cannot go through,” said Virat Karlayasiri.

The Red Shirts expressed relief that the ruling party had not been disbanded, but slammed the court’s ruling against the amendment. “If we cannot amend one article, how about the whole constitution?” said Red Shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan.

Judicial rulings have played a key role in Thailand since a 2006 coup that deposed Thaksin and unleashed an era of sometimes bloody political turbulence. Two pro-Thaksin premiers were forced from office in 2008 by such rulings, making way for the opposition Democrat Party, which is backed by the military and Bangkok’s elite, to take power in a parliamentary vote.

The scuppered constitutional amendment to make the upper house fully elected would have returned the senate to its structure before the 2006 coup. Analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak, of Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, said the 2007 constitution was crafted to rebalance power structures away from the executive, by shifting more authority to the judiciary and making around half the senate appointed.

said. The political temperature is already high after a controversial amnesty plan prompted opposition rallies in Bangkok over fears it would have allowed Thaksin’s return from self-imposed exile. The amnesty bill was rejected by a senate vote last week. But the anti-government rallies have persisted for a third week, although numbers have reduced to a few thousand over recent days.

BANGKOK: A Thai Red Shirts supporter with a picture of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stuck on her head blows a horn during a rally at a stadium yesterday. — AFP

“The verdict overall puts the Constitutional Court into the opposition camp by effectively keeping the half-appointed senate intact,” he told AFP. He added that the “Thai conflict has deepened institutionally”, with a stalemate between the ruling party on one side and the opposition and part-appointed senate on the other. “This is not a long-term settlement by any means. It’s a short-term path, a very temporary ceasefire. But the battle between the two sides is going to continue,” he

Thaksin, a telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, has a strong electoral base, with ardent support from many in the countryside and the working class in general for a range of popular policies.

But he is loathed by the Bangkok elite and middle class, who accuse him of corruption. Puea Thai swept to power in 2011 on a wave of support for Thaksin following deadly 2010 Red Shirt street protests, which were crushed in a bloody military crackdown under the then Democrat-led government.— AFP

Chinese farms torture rabbits for fur: PETA

This undated handout image received yesterday from animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and taken at an undisclosed location in China shows a live angora rabbit having its fur “plucked”. — AFP

HONG KONG: Animal rights group PETA urged shoppers yesterday to boycott products made from angora rabbit fur, after it released footage of fur being plucked from the skins of live rabbits on Chinese farms.

The video shows white angora rabbits at a variety of different farms tied to wooden tables in rooms filled with cages, as workers hold them down and tear off clumps of their fur by hand, while the animals scream in agony. Another part of the video shows the rabbits pink-skinned after having their downy fur pulled off. “PETA is appealing to shoppers in the lead-up to Christmas and Chinese New Year. Please take the time to read the label on that sweater or scarf,” said PETA Asia vice president Jason Baker in a statement.

“If it says ‘angora’, remember the gentle rabbits whose fur was cruelly ripped out of their skin-and then leave the item on the rack.” PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) said its sources told

them that the fur which had been plucked fetched more money, due to its length and quality, even though the method put the rabbits at more risk due to stress.

PETA spokswoman Ashley Fruno said the group’s undercover investigator visited ten farms between June and September this year, half of which plucked their animals live. The other farms cut the fur or sheared the rabbits, although PETA says this process also makes the animals suffer. “Some farms which pluck fur also shear rabbits, but at the majority of farms we saw that plucked fur, it was the primary method of removal,” Fruno said.

PETA said the farms featured in the video were in Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, with numbers of animals ranging from hundreds to 10,000. According to PETA 90 percent of the world’s angora fur comes from China. Angora wool made using the fur is renowned for its silky, lightweight texture. — AFP

First HK hostage victim gets payout from Manila HONG KONG: A Hong Kong woman who was shot in the face during a deadly 2010 hostage crisis in the Philippines has become the first to receive a payout from Manila, as talks over threatened sanctions continue. The Hong Kong government came in for harsh criticism for sticking to its sanctions threat, even after the Philippines was left devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. It is holding out for a formal apology from the Philippines over the hostage incident, which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead and seven injured after a former police officer hijacked a Manila tour bus.

But in a joint statement from the Hong Kong and Philippine governments, Philippine President Benigno Aquino agreed to give an undisclosed amount to 36-year-old victim Yik Siu-ling-who lost more than half her jaw in the shooting.

“President Aquino, having heard of the urgent need of Ms Yik for surgeries, instructed (his cabinet secretary) to turn over to the HKSAR Government an additional token of solidarity to defray the cost of imminent surgeries,” the statement, published Tuesday, said.

The compensation was donated from Filipino

businessmen “as a manifestation of the Filipinos’ humane consideration of the plight of the victims and their families”, it said, without specifying the amount given. Tse Chi-kin, whose tour guide younger brother Masa was killed, said yesterday that the Philippines had “done the right thing” by giving compensation to Yik. “It’s necessary for her to have her surgery, it helps her to continue her life,” he told AFP. “I’m feeling positive on the negotiations because I think both governments have been trying to settle this issue as soon as possible.” “I hope the central and the Hong Kong government can continue to work hard and bring a reasonable resolution to the incident,” Yik said, according to the South China Morning Post.

There has been no indication yet from Hong Kong that it will drop potential sanctions against Manila. But a separate statement issued by the Hong Kong government Tuesday said Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying believed “substantive progress on the Manila hostage-taking incident” had been made, following a meeting in the city between Philippine Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras and senior officials.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer said that the

nation’s government was going to announce “very concrete” steps in finding a solution to address the victims of the hostage incident.

“I assure you, in a few days - in a day or two the Philippines will prove that we are not insensitive to the plight of the victims or rude and that we want peace, with everyone working together without feuds,” Almendras said, according to the newspaper. Hong Kong’s unpopular government is under pressure not to upset groups affected by the hostage situation.

Earlier in November, Leung said he would take “necessary actions to apply sanctions” if he did not see concrete steps taken to resolve the issue within a month. Philippine President Benigno Aquino has previously refused to apologise on behalf of the country for the Manila hostage situation, insisting the deaths were primarily caused by the actions of the hostage taker.

Hong Kong’s lawmakers have mooted a cancellation of its visa-free arrangement for visitors from the Philippines as well as possible trade sanctions. The city said Friday it would contribute $5.16 million to a fund that could be used to help the typhoon-stricken Philippines. — AFP

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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Youth refuse to step down amid setbacks

By Aisha Habli he glow of the Arab Spring wore off in the media a while ago. Violence, internal division and widespread frustration have replaced the hopeful scenes of youth standing up to demand change. But have youth really stepped back from the frontlines of such change? I followed up with my peers, co-participants at an Arab Youth Leadership workshop earlier this year, to find out. I first checked in with Marouane Bakit, a social activist in Libya and co-founder of a project, Sonaah Al Amal (Makers of Hope), which brings together youth of different races and ethnicities to discuss and engage in post-Arab Spring development. They are buoyed to continue their work due to the impact of some of their early results.

At the end of 2012, in post-war Libya, Marouane and a small team of youth visited the refugee camps in their city, Tripoli, to which hundreds of families have sought refuge from Bani Walid, Sirte, Tawergha and Misrata that were badly affected during the war. Marouane’s team was inspired to change the terrible conditions they observed - people were drinking seawater and kids were sleeping on the ground, with no shelter in cold weather.

They reported their findings to government authorities, who responded by relocating about 300 people who were living in the worst conditions to places with better living conditions, and later investigated the refugee camps in Tripoli. Marouane reports, “This success gave us a push, so we did a video report on refugee camps in Tripoli which was broadcast on the most widely-viewed Libyan TV channels. We were a young and small organization, and we changed the lives of 250-300 people in the camps. We were a positive change in their lives.”

In Palestine, social activist Ohood Murqaten describes how many youth initiatives have been active in calling for national dialogue around the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations. She mentions her involvement in The YaLa Young Leaders Online Academy (YLO@), a yearlong educational program that teaches critical skills, empowers youth and serves as a communication platform for young leaders from the region. “For many this is the first time Arabs, Palestinians, and Israelis are getting together and studying and becoming friends. For many of the Israeli participants, this is the first opportunity they have had to sit and talk and listen to Palestinians and Arabs, and to learn that we have ideas, languages and creativity, and are educated,” Ohood tells me in an elated tone over Skype.

She recalls, “The conversations would often turn highly emotional, but there was never any arguing. During a cultural night, participants shared their music, food, and dance. In the Israeli session, we all danced the horah in a big circle, and during the Palestinian session, the Israeli participants joined in the dabke traditional dance, and wore the hatta (Palestinian traditional head dress) and for a while, we were all the same.”

Like Marouane and Ohood, other youth in the MENA region remain engaged, advocating for dialogue and youth engagement. Bassam Ghaber, an organiser at the Yemen Elections Monitoring Network (YEMN) mentioned that youth-led organizations have been working to promote a culture of comprehensive national dialogue and raising awareness on the importance of civil participation in their communities. And Najwa Uheba, another Libyan participant and activist, shares how youth initiatives in her country are tailored to critical current events. “Several youth initiatives advocate for nonviolent expression, particularly in demonstrations and protests,” says Najwa.

The desires of youth are simple. They want safety and security. They want to be free from armed conflict and they want to take part in the development taking place in their respective countries. Achieving these lofty goals is not an easy process. Newly formed democratic bodies need to mature and create better mechanisms for public involvement, and in some cases new ones need to be created. Youth-led organisations in MENA also often struggle to become independent and self-sustainable.

Nonetheless, MENA youth are resilient and remain determined to be agents of positive change. Despite the frustration and the challenges, they have refused to give up, or to sit passively on the sidelines. We have a big role in carrying our communities forward even when the older generations may have grown tired, and we will continue to create positive change.

NOTE: Aisha Habli works as a public relations and media specialist. She is a peace activist and a member of the Media Association for Peace and MasterPeace Lebanon CGNews

T

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

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

An Iran nuclear deal is a win for US

By Kelsey Davenport or the first time in decades, there is momentum in the nuclear talks with Iran. A deal looks within reach. In the recent round of negotiations in Geneva, six world powers and Iran made significant progress on an agreement that will verifiably limit Tehran’s nuclear program. But maintaining this progress and reaching an agreement is by no means a sure thing. In Washington, hawkish members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, could sabotage a deal by demanding Iran make concessions that are unrealistic.

The deal discussed in Geneva is a good first step toward addressing the international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities. This agreement between Iran and the P5+1 - the five permanent United Nations Security Council members (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany - would limit Iran’s most dangerous nuclear activities and lead to a transparent, verifiable compact that would guard against a nuclear Iran. It would also be a good deal for US national security interests, solving the Iran nuclear standoff without resorting to mili-

F

tary action that would likely provoke another costly conflict in the Middle East.

It should come in two phases: an initial agreement followed by a comprehensive deal. The first part would pause Iran’s nuclear progress, limit the most proliferation-sensitive activities and impose more stringent monitoring and verification mechanisms. This is a realistic formula that will give the international community the assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful. It would also establish early detection of any potential deviations. In return, Washington should put meaningful sanctions relief on the table to address Iran’s most pressing concern - its devastated economy. The relief reportedly proposed in Geneva would amount to less than $10 billion - a small fraction of the amount Iran has lost under the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the international community, but enough to allow Iran to sell a deal domestically.

The first-phase agreement does not need to address every concern that Washington and its partners have about Iran’s nuclear program. Rather, it should focus on both sides’ most pressing concerns, while building time and trust to negotiate a comprehensive deal. Capping

Iran’s nuclear enrichment and limiting its stockpile of enriched uranium would drastically increase the time it would take Tehran to produce enough nuclear material for a bomb, from months to years. More intrusive and short-notice inspections would also alert the international community to any deviation from peaceful activities.

This would all put time on the clock to negotiate a deal that could significantly reduce Iran’s overall enrichment capacity in the coming months. It could also deal with less time-sensitive issues like the reactor under construction at Arak.

Though this reactor could produce plutonium for weapons in the future, it is months away from operation and years away from producing enough material for a bomb. It would be foolish for Washington and its partners to sacrifice a good deal that freezes Iran’s nuclear program and allows time for a comprehensive agreement by making unreasonable demands.

A decade ago, for example, requiring Tehran to dismantle its fledgling nuclear program may have been viable. Today, there is little support for it because insisting on zero enrichment will push Tehran

away from the negotiating table and closer to a decision to pursue nuclear weapons - which risks starting a regional war.

Despite the progress made in Geneva, some Congress members in Washington are now calling for new sanctions against Iran. The leaders of this effort include Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has also hinted at a bill authorizing military force against Iran, and Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn).

The sanctions advocates argue that increasing economic pressure will induce Iran to make further concessions. In fact, Congress’ effort to dictate the terms of the deal undercuts US diplomats at the negotiating table and threatens to drive Iran away from the talks.

Congress will send the wrong message to Tehran if it moves forward on restrictions while the details of a good deal are being finalized. Let’s give our diplomats a chance to negotiate a verifiable nuclear agreement with Iran and not sabotage the process with further sanctions and unreasonable demands. A deal remains our best chance to guard against an unrestrained and unmonitored Iranian nuclear program. — Reuters

JFK assassination from newspaperman’s eyes

By Sir Harold Evans heard the first uncertain fragment on BBC Radio. I was wearing a dinner jacket, driving in the dark to a press ball in Teesside in the industrial northeast of England. This dinner dance was quite an occasion for me. I was the new boy, early thirties, putting in a first appearance as an editor at a big social event where all the rival purveyors of news hobnobbed with mayors, MPs, police chiefs, bosses of the coal mines, steel mills and shipbuilding yards: in short, all the news sources of the entire northeast we covered.

I guess it was near 7 pm UK time when I heard the flash.

President John F Kennedy had been shot at 12:30 p.m. Texas time. I was 20 miles from the offices in Darlington where I’d just been entrusted with the editorship of the Northern Echo (circ. 100,000). It was, and is, a regional morning daily with a glorious heritage going back to the sensational editorship of W T Stead in the 1870’s (he died on the Titanic), but with its circulation of 100,000 ebbing before the challenge of nine national dailies, two rival regional dailies, three city papers and TV and radio.

I turned right around and drove back to Darlington. By the time I’d navigated the traffic on cold, greasy roads, negotiated with my blood pressure, and run up the backstairs to the editorial floor, the president had been pronounced dead.

My deputy, a masterful text editor, had his head down amid the flood of telexes. Given the time difference between the UK and US, we had just over three hours to deadline to make sense of the rapidly changing story, send the words by pneumatic tube to the hunched up Linotype operators in the composing room, and get the lines of hot metal to fit our page designs.

I added to the tension. To the alarm of the sub-editors, and the printers even then buzzing for “more copy, more copy” for the other news scheduled for inside pages, I said that we were also going to produce a four-page special.

They were not to pause updating the running story. I’d compile and edit the four pages on Kennedy’s life, and discuss how often a president’s life had been ended by murder.

What was I thinking? It was crazy to attempt to crash out pages when everyone was stretched to the max already. But I’d caught a bug while in the United States for two years of study and travel as a postgraduate Harkness Fellow from 1956-8. I’d become infatuated with US politics and, in turn, by the people attempting to realize the ideals of its constitution. Day after day I’d watched Senator John McClellan’s Labor Rackets Committee investigate big union ties to the mob, notably Jimmy Hoffa’s International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Bobby Kennedy, the committee’s chief counsel, sat side by side with his brother, Senator John Kennedy, in face to face confrontations with the dregs of American society. I’d also recoiled from the extremism I saw in travels through all the states in the Deep South, and Texas, too, witnessing with sickening frequency the rule of fear imposed on blacks seeking the shelter of the rule of law for the right to vote and acquire a halfway decent education.

I

In this Nov 22, 1963 file photo, seen through the foreground convertible’s windshield, President John F Kennedy’s hand reaches toward his head within seconds of being fatally shot as first lady Jacqueline Kennedy holds his forearm as the motorcade proceeds along Elm Street past the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. — AP Three years later when Senator Kennedy had become president, I was disappointed by what seemed his overly cautious approach to redressing the wrongs I’d seen in the Deep South, while I was enchanted by his cool wit. In one of his open press conferences, he was challenged to respond to a Republican group’s vote to condemn his erratic foreign policy. “I trust,” he said, “the vote was unanimous.” At the same time, I caught a glimpse of the simmering hatreds besetting reformers. Revisiting DC, I began to take the political temperature, as reporters are wont to do, by asking a taxi driver - then middle-class and white - how he thought President Kennedy was doing. “He’s great in his right place,” he growled, “but they ain’t dug it yet.”

At the Northern Echo that night in 1963, the first thing I did was commission a portrait of Kennedy’s life, and an analysis of the forces that had spawned the dreadful sequence of attempts on the life of a president. I sent for every photograph we had of the Kennedys and also for whatever we had of presidents Lincoln, McKinley and Garfield, and their assassins. Not a single photograph of anything came back. “Sorry,” it was explained, “no one can find those files. The night manager of the picture department

has one night a week off and this is it.” Well, I said, there’s that very nice day manager who seems to know where she’s put things. This was young Shirley Freeman, known to admirers of her retrieving skills as Shirley Fileroom. She, too, could not be found. I summoned my indispensable secretary, Joan Thomas. She suggested we call Shirley’s parents. “Oh,” they said, “she’s out with her boyfriend.”

Where? “I think they went to the cinema.” But which? Joan said the Odeon was the most popular. “Kindly get the manager on the phone.” Joan did. The manager hadn’t heard of the shooting. He was aghast when I asked him to stop the film and search the cinema for Shirley, who might or might not be there. Then I had a better idea. Would he mind just pausing the movie for a quick message on the screen? A handwritten message on a Perspex slide flashed into the consciousness of a couple canoodling in the back row: “Can Miss Shirley Freeman call the Echo urgently.” Her date was ruined, but back at the office she deftly found everything we wanted. We made it to press on time. On every November night of the shooting, I again feel the chill of the loss of the prince of promise. “From this day to the ending of the world, it shall be remembered.” — Reuters

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Iraqis make their way on a horse cart through a flooded street after heavy rain fell in Baghdad yesterday. — AP

Gulf states may see unemployment rise Continued from Page 1 edged down to 11.8 percent in the second quarter of this year from a peak of 12.4 percent in 2011, official data show. The UAE had 14 percent unemployment among its nationals in 2009; it does not issue regular, timely jobless statistics. In all GCC countries, female unemployment rates are higher than for males, reaching nearly 35 percent in Saudi Arabia and over 28 percent in the UAE, the IMF said.

Social turmoil in the Middle East has spurred efforts in the Gulf monarchies, mainly Saudi Arabia, to boost employment of their citizens and crack down on illegal hiring of foreign workers. But increased public sector hiring has made government budgets more vulnerable to any fall in oil prices. Efforts to boost private-sector employment of nationals, such as through quotas, have yielded mixed results so far, the IMF said. “The recent revamping of the Saudi Nitaqat program has had a modest impact so far in boosting private sector employment,” it said.

Only Kuwait and Oman have seen an increase in the proportion of nationals employed in the private sector

over the past decade. Excluding the UAE for which data are unavailable, about 7 million jobs were created in the GCC in 2000-2010. About 5.4 million of them were in the private sector, the IMF said. Nearly 88 percent of those private sector jobs were filled by foreign workers.

By contrast, in the public sector, where average wages can be several times higher, nearly 70 percent of new jobs were taken by local citizens.

The Gulf states should improve restrictive labour rules such as sponsorship systems which make it hard for foreign workers to change jobs and negotiate wages, the IMF argued. “Allowing a more competitive labour market could help gradually raise the wages of foreign workers and make low-skilled nationals more attractive to employers,” it said. Fees imposed for the employment of foreign workers could also help to narrow the wage differential with local citizens, the IMF said, citing such policies in migrant-dependent Singapore and Malaysia. Low-skilled foreign workers occupy more than 80 percent of the private-sector jobs in the GCC, the IMF estimated, which resulted in outward remittances from the region of $80.8 billion in 2012. — Reuters

Blast kills 11 Egypt troops in Sinai Continued from Page 1 Interim president Adly Mansour denounced the latest Sinai bombing as “a terrorist attack”, while the military said it was chasing the perpetrators who fled towards the town of Sheikh Zuwayed.

Egypt has been plagued by unrest since the army stepped in to remove Morsi from power on July 3 amid massive protests against the turbulent one-year rule of the country’s first freely elected president. Militants have stepped up a campaign against security forces in the mountainous and underdeveloped Sinai since Morsi’s ouster, killing dozens of troops and police in near-daily attacks. Egypt has poured troops and armour into the restive peninsula to combat growing militancy while it has waged a crackdown on moderate Islamists elsewhere.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood renounced violence decades ago and says it is committed to peacefully opposing the coup that toppled him, but most of its top leaders have been jailed, including Morsi himself, raising concerns that breakaway factions could turn to violence.

Some 2,000 Islamists have been arrested nationwide and more than 1,000 people have been killed since midAugust, when security forces brutally dispersed large pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo, killing hundreds.

Despite the crackdown, Morsi’s supporters have regularly staged protests in Cairo and other cities against the military-installed government, often igniting street

clashes with the security forces and his opponents.

However, the Islamists did not participate in demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square that turned violent late Tuesday, when two people were killed and 26 wounded as riot police stormed the central roundabout. Police backed by armoured vehicles fired tear gas and birdshot to scatter protesters who had gathered to mark the anniversary of deadly Nov 2011 demonstrations.

Those protests had been against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled Egypt between the overthrow of long-ruling strongman Hosni Mubarak and Morsi’s election in 2012. Egypt is bitterly split between Morsi’s supporters and those who backed the military overthrow, but Tuesday’s protesters accused both sides of betraying the goals of the 2011 revolt that ousted Mubarak. In Nov 2011, at least 43 protesters were killed in several days of clashes with police in Mohamed Mahmud Street just off Tahrir Square.

Those clashes were the first serious revolt faced by the military junta that had taken charge after Mubarak’s resignation in Feb 2011. Some of the protesters on Tuesday night had been enraged by a monument built in the square. They accused the government and police of revising the history of the Mohamed Mahmud clashes amid a wave of pro-military nationalism following Morsi’s overthrow. Mahmoud Hisham, a 21-year-old student, said: “The revolution is still not over. In three years, we’ve had three systems and three traitors - Mubarak, the military and the Brotherhood.” — AFP

Saudi crackdown sees gain after pain Continued from Page 1 and more punitive measures such as “Saudisation” hiring quotas have stumbled on the ready availability of cheap foreign labour. Business owners have also complained that Saudis work less hard than foreigners and won’t take jobs they see as menial.

This time, by cracking down on visa irregularities that allowed companies to cheat the system, and by spending billions of dollars on vocational training for young Saudis, the authorities hope their policies will be more effective.

“The likely impact is very hard to quantify because there are so many moving parts,” said Steffen Hertog, author of Princes, Brokers and Bureaucrats, a book on Saudi economic policymaking. But he and other economists interviewed by Reuters said they expected the tough new policies to improve the kingdom’s economy in the long run despite some disruption now.

The government is well placed to weather any shortterm costs after years of record budget surpluses that have created foreign currency reserves equal to more than 100 percent of gross domestic product. Annual real economic growth has averaged 6.3 percent in the past five years, according to IMF figures. Small unregistered companies - mechanical workshops, cheap restaurants and grocery shops - face the biggest immediate impact, and the kingdom’s newspapers have documented the consequences, including drinking water deliveries cancelled, crops not harvested and school classes suspended.

But much goes unrecorded. “An element of the labour crackdown will not be captured in the official numbers.

Many of these people are not working in the formal economy, so you don’t see it in the data,” said Paul Gamble, director, sovereign group, Fitch Ratings. Many small businesses are illegally owned and run by foreigners, while a Saudi is paid to put his name to any official paperwork. Hertog said closures would have an effect on daily life in the short term, raising prices of some services, but would probably not have much impact on the wider economy.

More immediate problems are faced in the construction sector, which relies on a plentiful supply of cheap workers. A shortage of workers and a new $640 annual fee companies have to pay to hire expatriates have caused delays to many projects, pushed up construction prices and forced some companies out of business, local press has reported. Higher construction costs will eventually be passed on to clients, and delays are causing bottlenecks for businesses attempting to expand, but most big projects in Saudi Arabia are commissioned by stateowned companies. “40 percent of the medium and small companies have been hit now ... new tenders are becom-

Powers, Iran in new bid to clinch deal Continued from Page 1

Africa-Arab summit ends with calls to...

Continued from Page 1 The declaration also reaffirms the need to strengthen cooperation in the field of cooperation and scientific research programs and share best practices in these two fields through the organization of joint activities.

The declaration urged member states to take actions and measures, including the establishment and rationalization of joint structures deemed essential for the effective implementation of the joint action plan adopted at the previous summit in Libya three years ago.

The leaders announced in the declaration their approval for the creation of a joint Africa-Arab Financing Mechanism to finance programs and projects, and request the Africa-Arab Coordination Committee to determine the sources of funding and modalities of contributions, operations and management of the mechanism. It also calls on upon the Africa and Arab regions and their financial institutions as well as the private sector and civil society to support the creation and operation of the Africa-Arab Mechanism and provide the necessary financial and technical assistance in the partnership process.

The declaration calls upon African and Arab financial institutions as well as relevant stakeholders to support the acceleration of the Africa-Arab inter-regional trade in accordance with the Joint Action Plan 2011-2016. It also declares its support for the organization of AfricaArab fairs every two years alternately in Africa and Arab regions and undertake other trade promotion activities.

The leaders called for strengthening the capacities of the African Union Commission and the Arab League and provide them with all necessary means, including

financial and technical support to enable them to effectively implement the Africa-Arab Partnership Strategy and Joint Action Plan 2011-2016, as well as the Kuwait Declaration. The declaration calls for institutionalizing meetings of the Monitoring and Follow-up Mechanism of the Africa-Arab Partnership and strengthen inter-secretariat consultations.

The leaders also agreed to apply the principle of rotation in hosting Africa-Arab Summits and therefore agreed to hold the 4th Africa-Arab Summit in Africa in 2016. In another resolution, the leaders recognized the need to improve the operation of the implementation and follow-up mechanisms created by the second Africa-Arab summit for effective implementation of the Africa-Arab Partnership Strategy and joint action plan. As a result, the resolution urges the Coordination Committee to undertake an in-depth study on ways and means to activate and strengthen partnership mechanisms including the Commission, the Technical Committee and the Development Forum for Endorsement by the policy organs of both sides.

The leaders also called to convene the meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Africa-Arab Partnership at a ministerial level once a year and at the senior officials’ level every six months. The leaders however expressed the need to rationlalize the establishment of joint institutions to avoid duplication of efforts. They also underscored the need to strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, transport, communication and energy, and urged member states to provide all the necessary financial and technical support for the implementation of the proposed activities.

ing more expensive,” said Fahad Al-Hammady, chairman of the contractors’ committee at the Saudi Chambers of Commerce.

But despite the exodus of foreign workers in the past 10 months, second-quarter growth in the non-oil private sector was 4.2 percent, official figures show, and Capital Economics expects the non-oil sector to grow 5-6 percent this year. Meanwhile, the official inflation rate has remained stable, and SABB HSBC’s monthly purchasing managers’ index showed companies reporting little impact on input prices.

One early benefit of having more workers registered properly should be better economic planning. “It’s an audit of the labour market. Until they know who is there and what they’re doing, it is difficult to calibrate policy,” said Gamble. Transparency is particularly important for implementing labour reforms, in which some sectors such as retail have been targeted for higher rates of Saudi employment. Economists also said private-sector productivity should improve if labour becomes more expensive.

“Companies have to be more efficient and less labour oriented, using technology better. It could lead to an output shift in how the economy operates,” said John Sfakianakis, chief investment strategist at Masic, a Saudi investment company. The biggest economic advantage of replacing foreign workers with Saudis, however, is raising household income, thereby boosting consumer spending. That is already being felt. Muhammad Al-Agil, chairman of Jarir Marketing, the biggest listed Saudi retailer, told Reuters last month that rapidly growing sales over the past two years were partly due to the higher number of Saudis with jobs. Instead of money being sent overseas by expatriates, he said, it was now being spent in Saudi shops.

In May the Labour Ministry said its new policies had created over 600,000 jobs for Saudis in the previous year.

But it is not yet clear if those jobs are sustainable. In the past some have taken on Saudis in meaningless positions just to meet the quotas. Others have said locals were unqualified or reluctant to take the jobs on offer. Nobody expects Saudis to work as manual labourers on construction sites or as domestic servants, but in recent years a growing number of young Saudis have taken jobs such as shop assistants that they may have disdained in the past. Agil said two fifths of his shop-floor employees and 85 percent of his office workers are Saudis.

Higher Saudi employment in the private sector would also reduce the burden on the state of efforts to lift living standards with higher government wages and other handouts. “From Fitch’s perspective the whole labour market reform is something we view positively,” said Gamble. — Reuters

in foreign policy,” he told a news conference during a visit to Istanbul. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier: “We hope the efforts that are being made will be crowned with success at the meeting that opens today in Geneva.” Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Li Baodong, head of China’s delegation in Geneva, told Reuters: “Things are on track.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech as Western negotiators gathered in the Swiss city that the Islamic Republic would not step back from its nuclear rights and he had set “red lines” for his envoys in Geneva. But he added, according to his official website: “We want to have friendly relations with all nations and peoples.

The Islamic system isn’t even hostile to the nation of America, although with regards to Iran and the Islamic system, the American government is arrogant, malicious and vindictive.” Khamenei also criticised France, which spoke out against a draft deal floated at the Nov. 7-9 round, for “succumbing to the United States” and “kneeling before the Israeli regime”.

Predicting the demise of “rabid dog” Israel, which Iran has accused of trying to “torpedo” a deal, Khamenei said world powers must respect the Islamic republic’s “red lines”. “I insist on not retreating one step from the rights of the Iranian nation,” Khamenei, 74, told militiamen of the Basij force in a live televised address. France said that his comments on Israel - he called its leaders “not worthy to be called human” were “unacceptable and complicate negotiations” in Geneva.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Russia yesterday to appeal for tougher terms in any accord with Iran after failing to convince the United States that the world powers are pursuing a bad deal. But Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he was hopeful of a positive outcome at the talks. He said after talks with Netanyahu: “I hope that the talks (between six world powers and Iran) that resumed today in Geneva will produce a result.” He gave no further details.

Israel, assumed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a mortal threat and wants its archenemy’s uranium enrichment capabilities dismantled and its enriched uranium stockpile removed. Israel worries that the interim deal being discussed in Geneva would buy Iran time to pursue nuclear weapons because it would not scrap its nuclear fuel-making infrastructure, while the six powers see it as placing a ceiling on Iran’s nuclear activity as a stepping stone towards a broad final settlement.

White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes sought to allay Israeli misgivings, saying negotiators needed the six months an interim solution would provide to strike an comprehensive agreement. “What we have said to the Israelis is that we have this tactical difference with you on pursuing this first step, but we share the end goal, and that’s the point of these whole negotiations, which is to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons,” he told CNN. The last meeting stumbled over Iran’s insistence that its “right” to enrich uranium be explicitly recognised and over its building of a heavy-water reactor near Arak that could yield plutonium, an alternative bomb fuel, once operational.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has since suggested a way around the first sticking point, saying Tehran has the right to refine uranium but is not now insisting others recognise that right. A UN inspector report last week showed Iran had stopped expanding enrichment and had not added major new components at Arak since August, when moderate Hassan Rouhani replaced hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president.

Nuclear analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group think-tank said the “body language” showed that the sides were ready for a deal, pointing to Iran slowing its nuclear push and Washington refraining, so far, from imposing more sanctions. “(They) have demonstrated that they are looking to transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones,” Vaez said. Zarif, Tehran’s chief nuclear negotiator, said on the eve of the meeting there was “every possibility” of a successful conclusion provided there was good faith and the political will among all involved to resolve problems. — Agencies

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

S P ORT S Toomua to miss tour games EDINBURGH: Wallabies centre Matt Toomua will miss the remaining two matches of Australia’s European tour because of a hamstring injury, coach Ewen McKenzie said yesterday. He will be replaced in the squad later this week by NSW Waratahs winger Peter Betham, who won his first cap in the third Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in October.

Medical tests showed that Toomua had suffered a hamstring strain following training, and that was enough to rule him out of the two remaining tour games - against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday and Wales at the Millennium Stadium the following week.

McKenzie said it was a disappointing blow for the talented 23-year-old playmaker, who had been outstanding in his debut Test season, earning 10 caps and securing his role at centre in the starting lineup for the opening three games of the tour.

“Matt has had a fantastic season and has done a terrific job for the Qantas Wallabies in a new position,” McKenzie said. “It’s extremely disappointing to lose him at this point and not have him available for our final two games.

“However, he’s shown all the positive attributes we want in our players and are looking forward to seeing him use his international experience to continue his development during the Super Rugby competition next year.” —AFP

Dortmund dealt double blow for Bayern clash BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund were dealt a double injury blow for Saturday’s key Bundesliga showdown against Bayern Munich with both defenders Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer ruled out with injury. The pair limped out of Germany’s 1-0 friendly win over England on Tuesday and scans revealed centre-back Hummels is out until 2014 with a torn ligament in his right ankle, while left-back Schmelzer is out for three weeks with a torn left calf.

“Bad news for me today. I won’t be able to play any more this year so all I can do is support the guys in the next weeks,” Hummels wrote on his Facebook page.

“It will be very difficult, but I am optimistic we can make it through these games.” The timing is bad for Dortmund, who must beat Napoli at home in the Champions League next Tuesday, then Marseille away on December 11, to keep alive their dreams of reaching the knockout stages. With Hummels’ centre-back partner Neven Subotic out for six months with torn knee ligaments and right-back Lukasz Piszczek only just back from surgery, it means Dortmund are without their first-choice back four against the European champions.

Subotic’s possible replacement, ex-Germany defender Manuel Friedrich, 34, who was released by Bayer Leverkusen at the end of last season, picked up an injury in a practice match on trial with Dortmund on Tuesday, according to German daily Bild. —AFP

Stenson sets sight on majors SWEDEN: Buoyed by his brilliant turnaround, world number three Henrik Stenson has set his sight on becoming the first Swedish male golfer to win a major title.

Stenson’s six-shot victory at last week’s DP World Tour Championship made him the first man to land the Race To Dubai and US FedExCup double in the same year.

The 37-year-old, who was ranked outside the world’s top 100 just 12 months back, came agonisingly close to major breakthrough when he finished second at the British Open and third at the PGA Championship.

“I would go there (to the majors) with more confidence after being able to achieve the things I have achieved this season,” Stenson said in a conference call with reporters yesterday.

“I am also very excited because I felt at the Open Championship and the US PGA I probably didn’t play the best out of all these weeks. And I still came that close. “If things would have fallen my way I would have potentially won both those majors this summer.”

Stenson has struggled with a wrist-joint injury on his right hand and has constantly been on pain-killers but still managed to scorch the course in Dubai. The injury forced him to pull out of this week’s South African Open but the Swede will tee off at the Thailand Golf Championship from Dec. 12-15. —Reuters

Bruins and Avalanche roll NEW YORK: Tuukka Rask made 43 saves - including a stop on a first-period penalty shot - as the Boston Bruins spoiled the return of New York forward Rick Nash in a 2-1 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday. Rask, playing on back-to-back days for the first time this season, denied Chris Kreider’s penalty shot and turned away everything else except for Derick Brassard’s powerplay goal in the second. Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille, with his 10th career short-handed goal, provided all the offense Rask needed in the second period as the Bruins (14-6-1) finished a 21 road trip after winning at Carolina on Monday.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 20 shots, but most of the action was at the other end. The Rangers have only two goals in three games, splitting a pair of 1-0 decisions in the previous two. New York has dropped three in a row at home.

Wataniya Telecom title sponsors biggest Triathlon Race in Kuwait KUWAIT: In line with its social responsibility’s strategy towards the Kuwaiti society, Wataniya Telecom was the title sponsor for the biggest “Triathlon” in Kuwait in cooperation with The 3 Club.

The event took place last Friday Nov 15th at the Khiran Area for the first time in Kuwait. More than 350 racers have participated from 30 countries in this event where tens of them were chosen according to athletic, physical and sports standards.

Wataniya Telecom said “Companies today are expected to look beyond their bottom line and come up with well-established corporate social responsibility methods to the health and well-being of the communities in which they operate.

Wataniya have incorporated this and Sports like this Triathlon event is an effective CSR medium because it boasts values that any socially-responsible business should be striving for” A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances. The 3 club was established in 2010 as a triathlon training program, within 3 years, triathlon was successfully introduced to Kuwait; as a result today they have a healthy and growing triathlon community.

Burgan Bank customers offered exclusive ‘one day’ discount at The Athlete’s Foot today KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced that all its customers are eligible to enjoy a one-day exclusive discount offer of 20% from The Athlete’s Foot (TAF). The offer is valid for today only - Thursday, November 21st - and is redeemable at the TAF branch at The Avenues Mall.

Recognized as world’s leading athletic footwear and world’s first franchise footwear store, The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) is the only sports outlet that has professional fit expertise & provides the right fit

for the right foot. The latest promotion falls in line with Burgan Banks mission to accommodate its customer’s needs with innovative offers that extend beyond banking solutions.

To find out more about Burgan Bank’s latest promotions or any of its products and services, customers are urged to visit any of the bank’s branches, or contact the call center on 1804080. For more information, customers can also log onto the bank’s website on www.burgan.com

Nissan NV350 Urvan drives Quadruple F1 World Champions at Abu Dhabi

AVALANCHE 5, BLACKHAWKS 1 Semyon Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist in Colorado’s victory over Chicago. Gabriel Landeskog and John Mitchell also scored during the Avalanche’s three-goal first period. P.A. Parenteau and Cody McLeod added goals in the second and third for Colorado, which snapped a three-game skid.

Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks, who failed to get at least two goals for the first time this season. Antti Raanta made 14 saves in his NHL debut for the Stanley Cup champions.

He played the final 46:23 in relief of Corey Crawford, who allowed three goals on seven shots.

KINGS 5, LIGHTNING 2 Anze Kopitar and Matt Frattin each had a goal and an assist, and Ben Scrivens extended his unlikely winning streak with 19 saves for Los Angeles against Tampa Bay. Justin Williams also had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who have earned a point in seven consecutive games. Dustin Brown and Dwight King also scored in Los Angeles’ impressive return from a four-game road trip.

Scrivens’ shutout streak ended at 191 minutes, 19 seconds, on Valtteri Filppula’s powerplay goal late in the second period, but injured Jonathan Quick’s new backup cruised to his fourth consecutive victory in his home debut.

Ben Bishop stopped 26 shots and Victor Hedman had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay. The Lightning fell out of first place in the Eastern Conference with their second straight loss.

PREDATORS 2, RED WINGS 0 Rookie goalie Marek Mazanec made 27 saves to earn his first shutout, as Nashville extended Detroit’s losing streak to seven games.

Shea Weber and Gabriel Bourque scored for the Predators, who have won two straight after losing four in a row. The Red Wings’ home slide reached eight games (0-6-2). They have gone seven games without a win overall (0-5-2) for the first time since the last seven games of the 2002 regular season, according to STATS. That team went on to hoist the Stanley Cup. FLYERS 5, SENATORS 2 Kimmo Timonen had a goal and two assists, Steve Mason made 32 saves as Philadelphia beat Ottawa. Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Wayne Simmonds and Adam Hall also scored for the Flyers, who are 4-0-1 in their last five games after a 4-10-1 start.

Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris both had a power-play goal for the Senators, who have lost two in a row. Timonen and Simmonds scored 23 seconds apart to snap a 2-all tie in the third period. Mason stoned Turris on a penalty shot with 5:06 left to preserve the two-goal cushion.

CANADIENS 6, WILD 2 Max Pacioretty had a natural hat trick in the second period as Montreal cooled off Minnesota. Michael Bournival, Daniel Briere and

NEW YORK: Carl Soderberg No. 34 of the Boston Bruins is stopped by Henrik Lundqvist No. 30 of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. — AFP Alex Galchenyuk also scored for the Canadiens, who managed only 18 goals in their previous 11 games.

Nino Niederreiter and Dany Heatley scored for the Wild, who had won four straight. They were 7-0-1 in their past eight games since a 5-1 loss to Chicago on Oct. 28.

Wild starter Josh Harding, one of the NHL’s three stars for his three wins last week, was pulled in the second period after allowing three goals on 19 shots. Harding has given up three goals only twice this season, both times to Montreal. The only other hat trick of Pacioretty’s career came on Feb. 9, 2012.

BLUES 4, SABRES 1 Brenden Morrow scored twice as St. Louis extended its mastery of Buffalo. Vladimir Tarasenko and Magnus Paajarvi also scored and Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves for the Blues, who have won 13 of 15 games against Buffalo since 1999. Tyler Ennis scored for the Sabres just 10 seconds into the game, but Buffalo lost after consecutive home wins last week. St. Louis is 8-1 in its past nine trips to Buffalo.

MAPLE LEAFS 5, ISLANDERS 2 Phil Kessel scored two goals as Toronto beat New York for its second win in a row. Trevor Smith, Mason Raymond and David Clarkson also

scored for the Maple Leafs. Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves for the win. Smith had a goal and two assists, and Joffrey Lupul had three assists.

Casey Cizikas and Frans Nielsen scored for New York. Kevin Poulin stopped 19 shots in the loss.

OILERS 7, BLUE JACKETS 0 David Perron had a career-high four points with two goals and two assists as Edmonton routed Columbus. Devan Dubnyk needed only 14 saves to earn his first shutout of the season.

Jordan Eberle, Ryan Smyth, Nail Yakupov, Taylor Hall and Justin Schultz also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 2-7-0 at home this season. Edmonton was 2-9-1 in its previous 12 games before putting together its second set of back-to-back wins. The Blue Jackets have lost four of their past five and nine of 11.

PANTHERS 3, CANUCKS 2 Jonathan Huberdeau scored the only goal in a shootout to lift Florida over slumping Vancouver. Shawn Matthias and Brad Boyes had the goals for the Panthers, who got 27 saves from Tim Thomas.

Jannek Hansen and Chris Higgins scored in regulation for Vancouver. Roberto Luongo made 34 stops as the Canucks lost their fifth straight.

Vancouver has six goals during the five-game slide. — AP

NHL results/standings St. Louis 4, Buffalo 1; Toronto 5, NY Islanders 2; Philadelphia 5, Ottawa 2; Montreal 6, Minnesota 2; Nashville 2, Detroit 0; Boston 2, NY Rangers 1; Colorado 5, Chicago 1; Edmonton 7, Columbus 0; Florida 3, Vancouver 2 (SO); Los Angeles 5, Tampa Bay 2.

Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF Anaheim 15 6 2 72 San Jose 13 3 5 72 Phoenix 14 4 3 73 Los Angeles 15 6 1 63 Vancouver 11 8 4 58 Calgary 7 11 3 59 Edmonton 6 15 2 60 Central Division Chicago 14 4 4 79 St. Louis 14 3 3 70 Colorado 15 5 0 64 Minnesota 13 5 4 57 Dallas 11 7 2 58 Winnipeg 10 10 3 61 Nashville 10 9 2 48

GA 59 50 66 48 61 79 83

PTS 32 31 31 31 26 17 14

66 47 42 50 56 66 63

32 31 30 30 24 23 22

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Boston 14 6 1 59 38 29 Tampa Bay 14 7 0 66 55 28 Toronto 13 7 1 62 49 27 Detroit 9 6 7 54 62 25 Montreal 11 9 2 58 47 24 Ottawa 8 9 4 60 67 20 Florida 6 12 4 49 72 16 Buffalo 5 17 1 42 72 11 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 13 8 0 59 48 26 Washington 12 8 1 69 59 25 NY Rangers 10 11 0 43 52 20 Carolina 8 9 4 40 59 20 New Jersey 7 8 5 42 49 19 NY Islanders 8 11 3 63 73 19 Philadelphia 8 10 2 40 50 18 Columbus 7 11 3 52 64 17 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

Golf World Cup under scrutiny Down Under ABU DHABI: Building on the success of its global partnership as Official Light Commercial Vehicle Supplier, Nissan will continue to supply NV350 Urvan to the quadruple World Championship-winning Formula One team, Infiniti Red Bull Racing.

The Nissan NV350 Urvan with its well thought-out functionality and reliability is the perfect vehicle to support the Team in their intensive people and material transportation activities.

Infiniti Red Bull Racing, which is based in Milton Keynes in the UK, concluded an official global supplier contract for light commercial vehicles with Nissan in 2012. Under this contract, Nissan’s Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit supplies the team with commercial vehicles at Formula One venues around the world. The vehicles that are supplied provide support for all transportation needs, including the movement of staff,

guests, and equipment for the team. For the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this year, the highly versatile, multi-purpose NV350 Urvan was selected.

Nissan Middle East Managing Director, Samir Cherfan commented, “This year, we are pleased to offer the NV350 Urvan once again in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. We are confident that the innovation, versatility and superior convenience of our product will provide excellent support for the team’s race operations, and hopefully lead to a successful result in the race.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Infiniti Red Bull Racing, commented, “The LCV partnership with Nissan contributed to our team’s success last year. It responded to our varied transportation needs in all our races, and proved to be a trusted and indispensable partner. We are very reassured that the NV350 Urvan will once again be supporting our race

MELBOURNE: Organisers’ hopes of a triumphant start for the re-tooled World Cup of Golf in Melbourne this week have been dampened by players’ coolness toward the tournament’s new format and a personal tragedy afflicting Australia’s Jason Day. The team component of the biennial tournament has been watered down to a footnote, with the format reverting to 72 holes of strokeplay to reward the best individual and offer a test event for the Rio 2016 Games, where golf will return to the Olympic programme after 112 years.

The previous editions since 2000 had compatriots pairing up and relying on each other in foursomes and four-ball competitions, but the winning team will now be decided by the aggregate of their individual scores in strokeplay.

With $7 million of the total $8 million in prize money allocated for the individual category, players will compete fiercely at Royal Melbourne both as a team and against compatriots.

“It is a little strange, I must say,” world number two Adam Scott, who will represent Australia with Day, told reporters yesterday.

“I mean I was kind of hoping that I would be

spending four days playing with Jase (Day), I thought it would be good for both of us to do that, for sure. “It is an interesting week with an individual thing and a teams thing and we are going to want to beat each other but we are also going to want to win, so I do not really know how that sits.”

US PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem defended the emphasis on the individual as a more “marketable” format. “We think that it has a better chance of fulfilling its mission which is to create more interest in the game in unique ways,” he said.

“But we will see. If we go down this road and it doesn’t work, we will adjust but we are going to give this every chance to work and we are excited ... to see what happens this weekend.”

US Masters champion Scott and Day form one of the most potent combinations at the tournament but world number 18 Day will tee off weighed down by the loss of eight of his relatives who were killed when Typhoon Haiyan pounded the Philippines earlier this month.

Day, whose mother is of Filipino heritage, is mourning his maternal grandmother, an uncle and a number of cousins, according to local media reports, and said other family members were still

unaccounted for. “(I’m) definitely, you know, looking forward to seeing my mum at the end of this week just to give her a hug, I know that she has gone through some hard times,” Day said, as he battled to contain his emotions. “Everyone that I have talked to have said a prayer for me and my family and I am trying to do the same for everyone else.” Scott is likely to vie for the individual trophy with world number seven Matt Kuchar, who won the last World Cup in China for the United States with team mate Gary Woodland.

Kuchar will represent the US with world number 46 Kevin Streelman this time, and along with Scott, has enjoyed an ideal preparation after playing the Australian Masters at the same course.

Scott and Kuchar engaged in an enthralling final-round shootout on Sunday, with the American coming back from five strokes behind to seize the lead before stumbling on the last few holes to gift the local hero the title by two strokes.

“To at least give him a run it was awfully good,” said 35-year-old Kuchar. “Last week is forgotten about and the same goes for Adam... He won and that helps with confidence but you have got to do it all over again.” —Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

S P ORT S

Rio’s Olympic waterways full of trash, sewage RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro’s endless beaches and lush tropical forest will be a photographer’s dream during the 2016 Olympics. But zoom in on the likes of once-pristine Guanabara Bay, and the picture is of household trash and raw sewage.

In the neon green waters around the site of the future Olympic Park, the average fecal pollution rate is 78 times that of the Brazilian government’s “satisfactory” limit - and 195 times the level considered safe in the US. Nearly 70 percent of Rio’s sewage goes untreated, meaning runoff from its many slums and poor neighborhoods drain into waters soon to host some of the world’s best athletes.

Unless Brazil makes headway in cleaning up its waters, experts warn the Summer Games could pose health risks to athletes and mar what officials hope will be a global showcase event. Instead of the soaring vistas of Sugarloaf Mountain, the world could instead see old couches in the bay and tons of dead fish floating atop a city lake.

Rio’s Olympic committee has pledged in writing that the pollution problems will be fixed, and many had hoped the Olympics would force authorities to tackle decades of neglect and poor planning that have blighted waterways.

Leonardo Gryner, chief operating officer of Rio’s organizing committee, has acknowledged the extent of the water quality problem. But he said projects were “well advanced” to make good on the city’s commitment to reduce 80 percent of the pollution flowing into the bay, where sailing and wind surfing events are to be held.

With just 2 1/2 years to go before the games, however, experts say cleanup efforts are moving at a snail’s pace and haven’t significantly improved capacity in sewage treatment plants or hooked up more of the city’s 6 million residents.

“The high concentrations of untreated human waste means there are pathogens and disease-causing organisms in the water,” said Dr. Casey Brown, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “If I were going to take part, I would make sure all my shots were up to date.” Tests show the problems are still severe in several of the competition venues.

At the site of the Olympic Park, in the Barra neighborhood, untreated human waste flows from nearby condominiums and sprawling shantytowns, presenting an immediate health hazard, according to Rio de Janeiro Environment Ministry documents examined by The Associated Press. Pollution fills many of the waterways in Barra, where about half the Olympic events will be held. In the waters just off

Copacabana beach, the measurement of fecal coliform bacteria spiked to 16 times the Brazilian government’s satisfactory level as recently as three weeks ago, bad news for the marathon swimmers and triathletes set to compete there.

The Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas often experiences huge fish die-offs that leave its surface blanketed with tons of dead fish. Rowing and canoeing events are set to take place on the briny lake. Another entrenched problem is the 148-squaremile (383-square-kilometer) Guanabara Bay, where the only exit for foul, polluted waters is through a narrow opening onto the Atlantic Ocean. Home to a thriving artisanal fishing industry and popular palm-lined beaches as recently as the late-1970s, the bay has become a watery dump for waste from shipyards and two commercial ports as well as leachate, the toxic byproduct of mountains of rotting trash sitting at what was South America’s largest landfill until its closure last year. At low tide, household trash, including old washing machines and soggy couches, float atop vast islands of accumulated sewage and sediment. Experts say it’s even possible that vessels plowing through the water at speeds of more than 20 mph during Olympic events could collide with floating detritus below the surface.

Ecology professor Ricardo Freitas knows all too well the risks. As part of his work with a conservation group trying to save Rio’s besieged urban caimans, Freitas regularly wades in and wrestles the reptiles onto shore or into boats to tag them. “There’s no way to work in these waters, where you are literally neck deep in feces in some places, and not be afraid of the health effects,” Freitas said, adding that on the one occasion when he was bitten by a caiman, the small wound got severely infected because of the contaminated water.

“Show me the Olympic athlete who’s going to have the courage to get into waters like these.”

It’s not clear what consequences there might be if Rio doesn’t clean up its waterways, but this isn’t the first time the Olympics have faced steep environmental challenges. The Swiss-based International Olympic Committee took much flak during the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, when the city failed to clean up its smoggy air in the event’s initial days.

This year, similar concerns have been raised about the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, with crews dumping concrete construction waste and other trash in rivers, protected forests and other sensitive zones. Pollution problems at those sites may be a key reason why the committee in September chose Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. Japan had billed itself as a “safe pair of hands.” —AP

Indian schoolboy hits 546 runs off 330 balls NEW DELHI: A 14-year-old Indian batsman smashed an astonishing 546 off 330 balls in a school match in Mumbai, recording the third highest score in any form of cricket, media reports said yesterday.

Prithvi Shaw, playing for Rizvi Springfield school, compiled the huge score against St Francis school in the Harris Shield, a tournament that brought batting icon Sachin Tendulkar into the limelight more than two decades ago.

Shaw hit 85 boundaries and five sixes, surpassing the previous best score in the competition of 498 by Armaan Jaffar, nephew of former Indian opener Wasim Jaffar, two years ago, the Times Now and CNN-IBN channels said.

Shaw’s innings was spread over two days after he was unbeaten on 257 on Tuesday evening. “I am feeling good,” the youngster told Times Now. “It is a good score for me and

my team. Our coach just asked me to concentrate on every ball. The only plan was to score as many runs as we could.

“I want to continue like this in future also.” Indian statistician Mohandas Menon tweeted that Shaw’s effort was the third-highest recorded score behind the unbeaten 628 by Englishman Arthur Collins in 1899 and 566 by Charles Eady of Australia in 1901. It was in the same Harris Shield competition that Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli struck a 664-run partnership for their school in 1988, with both batsmen returning with unbeaten triple-centuries.

Tendulkar retired last week as the world’s top-scorer in both Test and one-day cricket and the only man to compile 100 international centuries. West Indies’ star Brian Lara holds the individual innings record of 400 not out in Tests and 501 not out in first-class cricket. — AFP

Photo of the day

Marc Marquez (ESP/ Honda) races at Moto Grand Prix 2013 at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan on October 27th, 2013. — www.redbull.com

Vettel and Webber get ready for one last battle BRAZIL: Sebastian Vettel wants to end the Formula One season with a record win, while Red Bull team mate Mark Webber would love to call time on his 12year grand prix career with a farewell victory in Brazil.

There can be only one winner of Sunday’s season-ending race at the ramshackle amphitheatre that is Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, but the outcome may not be quite as predictable as recent form would suggest. No favors will be offered, even less accepted, between two fiercely competitive men whose relationship as they reach the end of their long road together as team mates is cold but professional. “Mark would not want to be gifted a win,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told reporters at Sunday’s US Grand Prix after Vettel became the first driver to win eight races in a row in a single season. “It would be great to see him win his final race, what a way to sign out,” he said. “But Sebastian is going to be going for that record as well and as usual it will be a straight fight between the two of them.”

Vettel has won 12 races so far this season, one short of Michael Schumacher’s 2004 record of 13, and can also equal the 60-year-old record of nine consecutive wins chalked up by Italian Alberto Ascari in 1952-53. Webber has not won anything this year, denied victory in Malaysia after Vettel ignored team orders to hold station and passed the Australian. If there was ever a time for payback, this would be it. The oldest driver on the grid, at 37, made abundantly clear in Austin that he was ready to move on for a fresh start racing Le Mans sportscars with Porsche but also showed that he is still very fast.

With both championships won weeks ago, and Webber having nothing to lose, team orders become meaningless at this point - unlikely to be heard or acted on.

Vettel will be the favourite, as ever,

and won at Interlagos in 2010, but Webber’s track record is not to be dismissed. He won in Brazil in 2009 and 2011 and was runner-up in 2010.

If the straight-talking Australian does not win, or finish on the podium, any disappointment will be short-lived and easily outweighed by the positives.

“I’ve got one week to go, I will leave

chapter, when I step out of the car for the last time I will be fine with it. Back to the UK Sunday night, walk the dogs on Tuesday morning.”

Sunday will also be a day of other farewells. Williams-bound Brazilian Felipe Massa will race for the last time for Ferrari, after being with the Italian team since 2006, while the V8 engines will

AUSTIN: Red Bull Australian driver Mark Webber races in this file photo. —AFP the paddock very satisfied. I’ve been dealt a very good hand, very proud of what I’ve achieved,” he said after finishing third in Austin with his parents watching.

“I never thought I would do that when I left Queanbeyan in Australia, to have had the results I’ve had, to have worked with the amazing people I’ve worked with, to race against amazing drivers on the best tracks in the world.

“I’ve learned a huge amount about myself, about everything ... it’s the next

scream one last time before the new era of turbocharged V6 units is ushered in.

Whether it will also be the end of Ross Brawn’s time as Mercedes team principal, or a farewell for various drivers currently unsure about their futures, will be decided further down the road.

Mexico’s Sergio Perez will be in the cockpit of his McLaren for the final time in a race that will also mark the end of the team’s partnership with mobile phone operator Vodafone. — Reuters

Vonn crashes during training

BRISBANE: A photographer takes pictures of the Ashes Urn at the Gabba on the eve of the first Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia. — AFP

England’s hopes stand at gates of fortress Gabba BRISBANE: England are in Australia seeking a fourth Ashes triumph in a row for the first time since the 1890s but they know that if they are to achieve their goal they probably need to get a result at the Gabba. The Brisbane test is the traditional curtain raiser for Australia’s home international season and the hosts have only lost eight test matches played at the ground going in to the start of the 56th today.

Such is the difficulty of breaching the Gabba fortress, the hosts will start the match slight favourites with the bookmakers even though England dominated this year’s home Ashes series and Australia have lost seven of their last nine tests.

For touring skipper Alastair Cook, though, the prospect of trying to do what no England team has done since 1986 and win in Brisbane only adds to the motivation.

“This side has done that a number of times, when there’ve been specific challenges ahead of us, we’ve delivered,” he told reporters yesterday. “Whether we can do that this game will depend how well we play, but at the start of the series and at a ground where they have a lot of confidence, that would do us the world of good.” Those challenges include winning a test series in India, ending a three-quarter century drought with victory over the Australians at Lord’s and, of course, the first Ashes triumph Down Under in 24 years on their last visit in 2010. Even then, though, they only managed a battling draw at the Gabba after Australian quick Peter Siddle took a hat-trick on the first morning and England were bowled out cheaply in their first innings.

Cook, whose second innings 235 not out helped save the match, said his team mates were nonetheless trying to draw on the memories of that 3-1 series triumph.

“There’s no reason to feel intimidated, a lot of players we have in this squad were here in 2010-11 so we’ve all got experience of winning in Australia and we’re trying to use that to the best of our ability,” he added.

“We know how important this game was last time for setting up the series, Australia have obviously got a very good record here in Brisbane and it’s our job to try and change that.”

England have concerns over the fitness of wicketkeeper Matt Prior but otherwise look to have settled on their side, with opener Michael Carberry set to make his Ashes debut, Joe Root dropping down to number six and Chris Tremlett taking the third spot in the pace bowling unit.

Australia have put great store on the settled nature of their team, particularly the batting line-up, with most of their players showing good form in domestic cricket and a one-day series in India.

They have gambled on sometimes erratic fast bowler Mitchell Johnson and uncapped batsman George Bailey but with Shane Watson fit to bat will almost certainly retain spinner Nathan Lyon and leave all-rounder James Faulkner in charge of the drinks. Australia skipper Michael Clarke remains convinced that his team can beat England if they play at their absolute best. “For us it’s about coming out and playing our best cricket in five test matches and hopefully the result will take care of itself,” he said. “I think we’re as well prepared as we can possibly be. I think the belief’s there and hopefully we’ll see that over the next five test matches.”

Clarke’s vice captain Brad Haddin will start his 50th test on Thursday, while for England’s flamboyant and often controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen the match will be his 100th.

The introduction of the “real time snickometre” will no doubt provide another plethora of umpiring controversies to go with those from the first series this year, ratcheting up the atmosphere even higher. England’s “Barmy Army” of vocal followers will certainly reprise their canon of songs deriding Johnson and may even have penned a ditty or two looking forward to a fourth successive Ashes triumph.

Their latter day Captain Cook, who knows what lies ahead over the next six weeks, is a little more cautious. “It’s a little bit dangerous to (think about) that,” he said.

“It’s a nice place to be in to be able to chase records and this side over the last few years have managed to do some very special things. “(But) as always, the challenge of winning in Australia is a great challenge.” — Reuters

DENVER: Reigning Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn crashed Tuesday while training in Copper Mountain, Colo., ahead of her planned return to racing following major knee surgery. US Ski Team spokesman Tom Kelly said Vonn was taken down the hill on a sled, which he noted was “normal protocol” in such cases.

Kelly said he was not sure whether Vonn hurt her surgically repaired right knee in the fall at the team’s speed training center. “We have no reason to believe it’s anything significant right now,” Kelly told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

A spokesman for Vonn, Lewis Kay, issued a statement saying the ski racer was not admitted to a hospital and instead went home to Vail to be evaluated by the doctor who performed her knee surgery. Kay didn’t specify the nature of her injuries.

“We expect to have clarity on the situation in the next 24 hours,” Kay said. Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion, tore ligaments in her right knee in a highspeed accident at the world championships in February. She has been aiming to return to World Cup competition next week in Beaver Creek, Colo. The Sochi Games are in February. Tuesday’s crash was first reported by Skiracing.com. With Vonn feeling her knee was months ahead of schedule, she thought about pushing up her comeback to the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, late last month. But she changed her mind, opting instead to continue to prepare.

Vonn recently said her super-G is “some of the best super-G I’ve ever skied, but my downhill still needs a little more time.” She’s been taking practice runs in Copper Mountain, and posted on her Twitter account Monday: “Catching some air today in Downhill training.” She also recently said that she’s reluctantly been wearing a protective knee brace under doctor’s orders. “It’s in my best interest to play it safe,” Vonn said. “I compromised and said that as long as I don’t have to wear (the brace) for the Olympics, I’ll be fine.” On her Facebook page, three-time

Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso posted a picture of the two of them together and a caption that read: “Lets all send Lindsey Vonn our positivity and hope for the best! (after her little crash today)” The 29-year-old Vonn attended the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos on Sunday night, hanging out on the sideline with boyfriend Tiger Woods. Vonn needs just three more wins to match Austrian great

Annemarie Moser-Proell’s record of 62 World Cup race victories. And while Vonn insists her primary focus this season is being fully healthy for Sochi, she acknowledges that World Cup mark would hold special meaning. “There are many Olympic champions, but to be the No. 1 winningest World Cup racer of all time, you’re alone on that list. You’re at the top,” Vonn said. “That would be more substantial for me and my legacy.” — AP

COPPER MOUNTAIN: In this Nov. 7, 2013 file photo, Lindsey Vonn speeds down the training course at the US Ski Team training center. — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

S P ORTS

Spain slips to loss in South Africa JOHANNESBURG: Spain’s return to the stadium where it won the World Cup was spoiled Tuesday as Bernard Parker’s second-half goal gave South Africa a shock 1-0 win over the world and European champion. Spain was subdued - and possibly tired after its friendly in Equatorial Guinea three days ago - and only really threatened in the dying minutes of the international friendly when substitutes Santi Cazorla and Koke were denied by saves from Itumeleng Khune at FNB Stadium, the venue formerly known as Soccer City and where Spain celebrated its finest football moment three years ago.

The World Cup holder started with Xabi Alonso and Andres Iniesta in midfield and David Villa and Fernando Llorente up front, but South African striker Parker converted one of few clear-cut chances in the game when he collected a neat one-two just to the left of goal and his chip bounced up off goalkeeper Victor Valdes and into the net in the 56th minute.

“I’m the happiest man in the world. I scored against the world champions,” Parker said. The result gave Spain some food for thought just over six months ahead of its World Cup defense in Brazil, and brightened the mood for South Africa, which failed to qualify for the World Cup at its first attempt since hosting the showcase tournament.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was gracious in defeat, warmly congratulating his counterpart Gordon Igesund with a smile and an embrace. As Spain’s players slipped away, the South Africans made the most of their first ever victory over Spain, celebrating in the dressing room with South African President Jacob Zuma. Zuma hugged and shook hands with Igesund as players recorded the moment on their cellphones.

The Spanish squad also brought the World Cup trophy with them, putting it on display on a pedestal on the pitch ahead of kickoff while midfielder Alonso thanked South Africa for the joy the tournament title

SOWETO: South Africa midfielder Lerato Chabangu (left) vies with Spain’s midfielder Sergio Busquets during a friendly football match. — AFP gave to Spain three years ago.

Spain dominated possession in its typically patient and measured style, but couldn’t find a decisive cutting edge, while South Africa skipper Khune was in good form in goal. He smothered an early chance for Villa in the 25th minute, while Llorente sent a header wide two minutes later. Del Bosque introduced all six of his substitutes, Victor Valdes, Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas, Juan Mata, Cazorla and Koke, in the second half

and it nearly backfired when Valdes went down injured in the last 20 minutes and defender Alvaro Arbeloa had to briefly fill in as goalkeeper. After a few minutes, the host allowed Spain to make an extra change and bring on Pepe Reina.

Spain’s two best chances of forcing a draw came in injury time, first when Khune denied Cazorla and then when the goalkeeper dived across full length to his left to palm away an effort from Koke. — AP

Africa hopes high for World Cup showing

MIAMI: Miami Heat guard Ray Allen (34) goes up for a shot against Atlanta Hawks forward Gustavo Ayon (14) of Mexico, and center Al Horford (right) of the Dominican Republic, during the first half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

Heat top Hawks MIAMI: Chris Bosh scored 19 points, Mario Chalmers went on a personal 9-0 run in a 39-second spurt of the pivotal third quarter as the Miami Heat topped the Atlanta Hawks 104-88 on Tuesday for their fourth straight victory.

Bosh shot 8 of 9 for the Heat, who got 17 points from Ray Allen and 13 from LeBron James. A 15-2 run in the third quarter gave Miami all the room it needed, even on a night when Dwyane Wade sat out to rest. Mike Scott scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Atlanta, which got 12 points apiece from Al Horford and Pero Antic.

Atlanta’s Kyle Korver made three 3pointers, extending his streak to 84 consecutive games with at least one make from beyond the arc, five shy of matching Dana Barros’ NBA record.

ROCKETS 109, CELTICS 85 Terrence Jones scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Houston over Boston for its third straight victory. Jones was 10 of 12 from the field as the Rockets shot 57 percent as a team, including 72 percent in the first half in building a 24-point halftime lead.

Patrick Beverley chipped in 16 points, James Harden added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Dwight Howard had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Rockets raced out to a 17-point, first-quarter lead and were never threatened.

Courtney Lee had 17 points, Avery Bradley added 11 and Jared Sullinger had 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Boston, which lost its fourth in a row.

PISTONS 92, KNICKS 86 Rodney Stuckey scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half as Detroit beat New York for the first time in eight meetings. Josh Smith added 19 points for the Pistons, who led 71-63 after three quar-

ters and scored the first seven points of the fourth. New York cut the lead to four in the final minute, but the Knicks could never reduce the deficit to one possession. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 25 points. Greg Monroe had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit, and Andre Drummond added 13 points and 11 boards.

WIZARDS 104, TIMBERWOLVES 100 Bradley Beal scored 25 points, and John Wall added 14 points and equalied his career high with 16 assists as Washington beat Minnesota to end a four-game losing streak. Martel Webster’s 3-pointer with 42 seconds to play gave the Wizards a 100-98 lead. Beal added two free throws with 12.9 seconds left to make it 102-98.

Webster had 17 points, including five 3-pointers. Kevin Love led the Timberwolves with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Martin, who was averaging 24.4 points, was held to 11.

KINGS 107, SUNS 104 DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 12 rebounds, helping Sacramento rally past Phoenix. Rookie Ben McLemore had a season-high 19 points, Isaiah Thomas also scored 19, Greivis Vasquez added 11 and Patrick Patterson 10 for the Kings, who had lost seven of their previous eight. Sacramento scored the game’s final 10 points in a run that was aided by three straight Phoenix turnovers in the closing minutes. Gerald Green scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 19 for the Suns, who lost their third straight.

Phoenix’s five losses this season have been by a total of 16 points. Channing Fr ye added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Archie Goodwin scored 16 points. Morris missed a corner 3pointer and Cousins grabbed the rebound and made 1 of 2 free throws with just under a second left to preserve the Kings’ victory. — AP

Washington 104, Minnesota 100; Detroit 92, NY Knicks 86; Miami 104, Atlanta 88; Houston 109, Boston 85; Sacramento 107, Phoenix 104.

GB 0.5 1 1 1 2.5 5 5.5 6.5 2 3 3.5 4.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Portland 9 2 .818 3 .700 Oklahoma City 7 Minnesota 7 5 .583 Denver 4 6 .400 Utah 1 11 .083 Pacific Division Golden State 8 3 .727 7 4 .636 LA Clippers Phoenix 5 5 .500 LA Lakers 5 7 .417 Sacramento 3 7 .300 Southwest Division San Antonio 9 1 .900 8 4 .667 Houston Dallas 7 4 .636 Memphis 6 5 .545 New Orleans 4 6 .400

And if the Cameroon Football Federation can steer clear of high-profile dramas and focus on preparing the team adequately, they would most certainly improve on their last showing.

Ivory Coast will pray for luck at the draw after being done no favors at their previous two World Cups. The country’s ‘Golden Generation’ led by skipper

Didier Drogba has another shot at international glory after it again fell short of winning the Nations Cup in February.

The Ivorians boast a top-class midfield and attack, but will again struggle to keep out the goals as their defence led by Liverpool ace Kolo Toure has continued to struggle. —AFP

BELGIUM: Japan’s forward Shinji Okazaki (left) vies with Belgium’s defender Jan Vertonghen during the friendly football match. —AFP

Japan shock Belgium BRUSSELS: Keisuke Honda led Japan to a 3-2 comeback victory over heavily favored Belgium in a friendly on Tuesday between two teams bound for the World Cup. After Belgium took the lead in the 16th minute through Kevin Mirallas, Japan came back through goals from Yoichiro Kakitani in the 38th, Honda in the 54th and Shinji Okazaki in the 64th minute in a stunning display of combination play. Toby Alderweireld headed home the last goal on a header in the spectacular game.

Some might consider it a fluke for the 44thranked team in the world, but after Japan outplayed the Netherlands during a 2-2 draw last weekend, it proved that the perennial Asian World Cup qualifier has a lot to offer in Brazil next year.

“Now we will try to do better than in 2002,”

when Japan reached the second round in the World Cup it co-hosted with South Korea, Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima said.

For Belgium, ranked fifth in the world, it was a second straight home defeat after losing 2-0 to Colombia last week and dampened the spirits of the 40,000 fans at the King Baudouin Stadium.

“Japan was quick and strong and it gave us trouble,” defender Daniel van Buyten said.

Midfielder Steven Defour added: “We will have to work on our weak points and make them better in time for the World Cup.” It started well enough for Belgium, which went ahead after a double defensive blunder. First Kawashima rushed too far out of his goal when trying to smother a counterattack. —AP

Faisal Al Mosawi honours ABK

NBA results/standings

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Philadelphia 5 7 .417 4 7 .364 Toronto Boston 4 8 .333 NY Knicks 3 7 .300 Brooklyn 3 7 .300 Central Division Indiana 9 1 .900 Chicago 6 3 .667 Detroit 4 6 .400 Cleveland 4 7 .364 Milwaukee 2 7 .222 Southeast Division Miami 8 3 .727 Atlanta 6 5 .545 Charlotte 5 6 .455 Orlando 4 6 .400 Washington 3 7 .300

ABUJA: African pride is at stake at next year’s World Cup in Brazil with four of the continent’s five qualifiers out to make amends for flopping at South Africa 2010.

Ghana were the continent’s standard bearers four years ago, the Black Stars reaching the quarter-finals to equal Africa’s best ever World Cup performance by Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. But Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, and the Ivory Coast all failed to reach the last 16 and they now have a second chance to improve on their forgettable campaigns in South Africa, where the hosts also failed to escape the group stage. While they all have something to prove, Ghana coach Akwasi Appiah believes the Black Stars are ready to take Brazil by storm. “What we have to do is to prepare well and make a mark at the World Cup. I am confident we can cause a sensation,” he predicted.

“This time around teams will be wary of Ghana as a threat and it will be tough, but I trust my boys and we will be ready for the challenges come June 2014.”

Appiah became the first local coach to qualify Ghana to a World Cup as the country’s two previous appearances were secured by foreign coaches.

And not surprisingly after their 7-3 aggregate playoff win over Egypt the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have now shelved a reported plan to appoint a foreign coach.

The Black Stars will be a stronger force in Brazil than they were three years ago as they will now have Chelsea ace Michael Essien, who missed 2010 through injury, as well as some exciting additions like Christian Atsu, Majeed Waris and Mubarak Wakaso. Fatau Dauda from South African club Orlando Pirates has helped with their goalkeeping problems, while they now boast several options to score goals besides skipper Asamoah Gyan. Unlike Ghana, African champions Nigeria have never lacked fire power, but they have continued to struggle playing as a team.

Fenerbache striker Emmanuel Emenike has proved to be a reliable goal poacher since he top scored at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, while Ahmed Musa, Obinna Nsofor, Victor Moses and Brown Ideye have weighed in with their own fair share of goals.

Coach Stephen Keshi has once again an array of stars to call upon for the World Cup outside the squad of players who qualified the country to Brazil 2014.

However, Nigeria’s biggest undoing remains getting these different individual talents to play as a unit, but Keshi will have a longer training camp before the World Cup to blend his team.

They would also need to work on a suspect defence, and that may well explain why Keshi has said he is open to a return of experienced skipper Joseph Yobo, who has been frozen out since the Nations Cup. “We have a group of talented players and I expect us to go a long way in Brazil next year,” said Celtic defender Efe Ambrose.

“We will shine in Brazil because I know we can play a lot better than we have done so far.” Cameroon skipper Samuel Eto’o is also predicting the Indomitable Lions can better their last eight place in 1990. “We may not win the World Cup, but we can do better than what Ghana did three years ago (World Cup quarterfinal),” promised the Chelsea striker. Cameroon posted their poorest World Cup run in South Africa, where they lost all three games to finish bottom of a group that had the Netherlands, Japan and Denmark.

This is most certainly not the best Cameroonian side ever, but they are mentally strong and determined to defy their critics.

1.5 2.5 4.5 8.5 1 2.5 3.5 4.5 2 2.5 3.5 5

KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait strives to support the mainstream and special needs youth of Kuwait, whether in the field of sports, education, employment opportunities or cultural growth.

The first ever disabled Kuwaiti diver Faisal Al Mosawi, holder of various international certifications was touched by the support received from ABK, and awarded a trophy of gratitude and appreciation to ABK for sponsoring him, especially at his last diving tournament in Sipadan Island.

Faisal Al Mosawi felicitated ABK at a press conference which was sponsored and attended by the Ministry of Youth’s representative Sheikha Al Zein-Al Sabah.

During the press conference, ABK’s PR Manager, Ms Sahar Al Therban expressed her faith in ABK reiterating the importance of youth support, sponsorship and encouragement which lead to the development of their abilities. Ms Al Therban praised Faisal Al Mosawi for his accomplishments despite the obstacles that face him, and felt the recognition from him was a reflection of the Bank’s efforts at social responsibility, especially with the special needs achievers.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

S P ORT S

Peralta hat-trick takes Mexico to World Cup

PARIS: France’s players celebrate after winning the 2014 World Cup qualifying play-off second leg football match between France and Ukraine at the Stade de France. — AFP

Stunning turnaround sends France to Brazil PARIS: France produced a stunning performance to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit and qualify for the World Cup finals on Tuesday, beating Ukraine 3-0 in Paris.

In front of a raucous crowd at the Stade de France, Les Bleus took the lead on the night midway through the first half through Mamadou Sakho and levelled the tie on aggregate when Karim Benzema netted from an offside position on 34 minutes.

That strike came shortly after the Real Madrid man had seen a perfectly good goal disallowed, and the controversy continued as Ukraine defender Yevhen Khacheridi was sent off early in the second period.

France made their one-man advantage count as an Oleg Gusev own-goal put them ahead in the tie for the first time in the 72nd minute and Didier Deschamps’ side saw out the rest of the game to win 3-2 on aggregate. “Four days ago, we were in a bad position but the players were fantastic tonight,” Deschamps told French television.

“I didn’t have doubts but we played a huge match and this qualification is very important for French football. “It’s a bit of a tradition that when French teams have their backs against the wall, they peform and we had a lot of heart and determination today.

“Now we’ve qualified, we’re capable of some great things.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine coach Mikhail Fomenko confirmed that he would continue in his role despite the disappointment and added: “I am really sorry for the result but the fact we got this far is already something positive.”

As expected, Deschamps rang the changes, making five in all to his starting line-up from Friday’s 2-0 loss in Kiev, with Raphael Varane, Sakho, Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Valbuena and Benzema coming in.

For Ukraine, there were three changes, notably in defence, where the banned Oleksandr Kucher and Artem Fedetskiy were replaced by Yaroslav Rakitskiy and Vitaliy Mandziuk respectively.

The visitors must have been braced for a backs-to-the -wall job, but they could scarcely have expected France to play with such a high level of intensity in the first half.

Ukraine were pinned back from kick-off, and goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov turned a Valbuena shot around the post inside three

minutes before Paul Pogba headed a Valbuena corner over the bar.

Just as the away side thought they had taken some of the early sting out of the contest, their defence - which had gone eight successive matches without conceding before this game - was finally undone in the 22nd minute.

When a Valbuena set-piece delivery from the right fell to Franck Ribery on the edge of the box, the Bayern Munich man’s shot was blocked by Pyatov, but Sakho was on hand to convert the rebound from a tight angle, the Liverpool defender netting his first international goal.

France’s hope turned to genuine belief, and the home fans rose to their feet as a glorious shooting opportunity fell to Pogba on the edge of the box. However, the young midfielder could only blaze his effort over the bar.

Controversy followed as Benzema bundled a low Ribery cross from the left into the net at the back post, only for the offside flag to cut short his joy.

It was the wrong decision by the Slovenian officials but remarkably another error on their part allowed France to level the tie. A scramble in the Ukrainian box saw the ball come off Valbuena and fall to Benzema. This time, he was offside but the assistant’s flag stayed down as he gleefully fired home.

Ukraine knew an away goal would swing the tie back in their favour, but they barely produced an attempt in the opening half and their hopes were dealt another blow just after the restart as Khacheridi, who had been cautioned late in the first half, was booked again for a challenge on Ribery.

Down to 10 men, Ukraine remained a threat and Roman Bezus just missed the target from long range, but France continued to press in search of a third goal and they got their reward with under 20 minutes remaining.

When a Patrice Evra shot was pushed out by Pyatov, Ribery returned the ball across goal and unfortunate substitute Gusev turned it into his own net under pressure from Sakho.

Pyatov saved from substitute Olivier Giroud’s header as France sought to put the final outcome beyond doubt, but they held on to secure their ticket to Brazil. — AFP

SPAIN: Former soccer player Hristo Stoichkov from Bulgaria (left) gives the Golden Boot award to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina for scoring the most goals in Europe’s domestic leagues last season. — AP

Messi wins Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer BARCELONA: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi won a record third Golden Boot yesterday for scoring the most goals in Europe’s domestic leagues last season.

The 26-year-old Messi helped Barcelona win the 2012-13 Spanish league by scoring 46 goals despite missing several games with a right hamstring injury near the end of the season. Messi also won the award for 34 goals in 2009-10, and a Spanish record 50 in 2011-12.

The first player to receive the award three times, Messi dedicated his latest trophy to his family and his teammates, calling it a team award.

“This is a beautiful award that goes to the entire squad for what it has done,” Messi said. “It is a group award more than an individual one because those are a lot of goals. I wouldn’t have won it without them, this one or the previous ones.”

Messi is recovering from a left hamstring tear that will probably keep him sidelined for the rest of 2013. It was his third leg injury of the season. Before his latest injury,

he had eight goals in 11 league appearances. After receiving the trophy from former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov, Messi said his leg was feeling better while remaining cautious about rushing back.

Several teammates, including Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol, along with club president Sandro Rosell were in attendance.

Messi has won the world player of the year award an unprecedented four years in a row. He is again nominated this year, but he has tough competition from Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery.

Messi has played a major part in Barcelona’s impressive run of titles in the past decade. He has won three Champions Leagues, six Spanish leagues, two Copas del Rey, two Club World Cups, six Spanish Super Cups and two European Super Cups.

Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, Messi’s 65 goals in the Champions League is second to former Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez’s 71. — AP

WELLINGTON: An Oribe Peralta hat-trick fired Mexico into their sixth successive World Cup yesterday, as El Tri downed New Zealand 4-2 to end a roller-coaster qualification campaign on a high.

Peralta, who also scored two when Mexico trounced the All Whites 5-1 at home in last week’s first leg, effectively killed off the return leg before the break, with Carlos Pena making the aggregate score 9-3 at the death.

Victory in the intercontinental play-off means Mexico have now reached 15 of the last 20 World Cups, making them one of the most consistent teams in international football.

But the 24th-ranked team have endured a rocky qualification road to Brazil, scraping to an embarrassing fourth place in the North and Central America and the Caribbean confederation (CONCACAF). They also allowed the unfancied All Whites to claw back two late goals in Wellington, prompting coach Miguel Herrera to say they were not yet the finished article.

Herrera, who took over last month and revamped the team with domestic players, said they must improve in order to make a mark in Brazil. “It was very tough for us to make it,” he said.

“Obviously we have to do a lot of work off the field and also on the field. “If we mix both together, I think that Mexico can do well in the World Cup... going to the World Cup is totally different than just playing a single game.”

Even so, the fact that Mexico are through will restore some pride to the regional footballing powerhouse after they won only two of their 10 CONCACAF qualifiers, scoring a paltry seven goals and shedding three managers along the way. It will also be a relief to team sponsors, with estimates that a failure to qualify would have cost up to $600 million. New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert, who confirmed after the match that he will stand down after eight years in charge, said he was proud of his 79th-ranked team but they had simply encountered a better side.

“You’ve deserved it, you’ve been the better team across both ties and we look forward to watching the team with interest,” he told the

WELLINGTON: Oribe Peralta (center) of Mexico takes a shot at goal as New Zealand’s Tommy Smith (left) defends during their World Cup qualifying football match. —AFP Mexican media. Herbert said New Zealand should consider switching from the notoriously weak Oceania confederation into Asia so they faced quality opposition more regularly, boosting their chances of making the World Cup. “New Zealand needs these challenges, these players need challenges,” he said. Herbert’s team started brightly in front of a sellout 35,000 crowd at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. But their attacking forays left wide gaps in the defence, which Mexico exploited in the 13th minute when Carlos Pena slipped a ball through for Peralta to calmly chip goalkeeper Glen Moss for his opener. The Santos forward’s second came when he latched onto a Miguel Layun cross on 29 minutes, leaving Moss strand-

ed, following up with a carbon copy effort four minutes later for his first international hat-trick.

New Zealand’s woes intensified when striker Jeremy Brockie was awarded a penalty after being brought down by Moises Munoz just before half-time, only for the Mexican keeper to stop his tame spot kick. New Zealand finally put themselves on the board with a Chris James penalty in the 80th minute after Mexico captain Rafael Marquez was penalised for handball.

Rory Fallon added another two minutes later with a neatly taken side-foot volley that brought the home fans to life before Pena restored Mexico’s two-goal buffer three minutes from time. — AFP

10-man Netherlands hold Colombia AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands held Colombia to a 0-0 draw Tuesday despite playing for nearly an hour with 10 men after Jeremain Lens was sent off. After an entertaining first half hour, in which both sides created scoring chances, Lens was red carded in the 35th minute for pushing over Pablo Armero after a challenge in front of the Colombia goal. Already down to 10 men, the Netherlands then lost striker Siem de Jong and midfield playmaker Rafael van der Vaart to injuries in the space of two minutes before half time.

But fourth-ranked Colombia was unable to take advantage and despite laying siege to the Dutch goal late in the second half could not find a way past Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.

The match was an enthralling test of strength for two World Cup-bound teams and the draw

meant the Netherlands went through 2013 undefeated. Fourth-ranked Colombia was coming off a 2-0 win over Belgium last week while the Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan on Saturday.

Even before the red card and injuries, the Netherlands was playing without a host of injured players, including the driving forces of its attack Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.

“It’s very difficult playing with 10 men against a team like that,” Netherlands captain Kevin Strootman said. “We worked incredibly hard to keep a clean sheet.” It was Van der Vaart who came closest to breaking the deadlock before his injury, curling a left-foot shot over Farid Mondragon in the 7th minute only to see it hit the bar and De Jong miss the rebound.

Central defender Joel Veltman, making his

international debut in front of his home crowd at the Amsterdam Arena, appeared to be confident but nearly gave a goal away in the 33rd minute when he was dispossessed by James Rodriguez, whose pass to Teofilo Gutierrez found the striker in an offside position. After the break, the Netherlands continued to push forward and substitute Leroy Fer had two shots blocked after good combinations between PSV teammates Memphis Depay and Luciano Narsingh. Colombia tried to assert its numerical superiority as the match wore on, with Gutierrez and Radamel Falcao constantly creating problems without carving out clear-cut chances. Gutierrez was substituted in the 69th minute and even though his replacement Victor Ibarbo kept up the pressure in attack the Dutch defense held firm. — AP

Germany win England friendly LONDON: Per Mertesacker ’s header gave Germany a 1-0 victory over England on Tuesday, sending its fierce rival to back-to-back home losses for the first time in 36 years.

Captaining Germany in London, Mertesacker powered in the only goal of the Wembley Stadium friendly after meeting a cross from Toni Kroos in the 36th minute.

“The fact that we’ve won here at Wembley this time-honored place is a joy for us,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said through a translator.

While Germany deployed a second-string squad - and took control after taking the lead England started with a strong lineup that couldn’t get a shot on target or prevent boos ringing out around the venue at the final whistle for the second time in four days here.

England, which was beaten 2-0 by Chile on Friday, has now lost consecutive matches at Wembley for the first time since defeats to Wales and Scotland in 1977.

The closest Roy Hodgson’s team came to an equalizer was when Andros Townsend struck the post from a long-range strike on a night when Germany goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller had little to do.

Germany fans celebrated the win by singing in English - “Football’s coming home” - taken from the England anthem “Three Lions.”

It was a miserable way for the English Football Association to round out its 150th anniversary celebrations in front of a 85,934strong crowd, with Germany exposing the hosts’ technical deficiencies. “It was a harsh defeat but we needed better quality,” Hodgson said. “The effort, the work rate and desire, I can’t fault at all.

But in the time we had the ball in the German half, we weren’t as efficient as the Germans were when they had the ball in our half.

“The quality of our passing and shooting was not as good as the Germans.” England, which beat Germany here in the 1966 World Cup final, was only spared a heavier defeat against a fellow Brazil 2014 qualifier by Joe Hart’s saves.

The Manchester City goalkeeper, who was rested in the Chile friendly, provided a reminder of his abilities three weeks after being dropped by his club following a series of blunders.

A minute before Mertesacker scored his fourth international goal, Hart pulled off a onehanded save to thwart another header from the defender.

“We knew set-pieces would be a danger, they had some big players and we were a small team tonight,” Hodgson said. Hart wasn’t at fault for the goal, with England too porous as Mertesacker evaded Wayne Rooney and Chris Smalling to head home.

“Per definitely organized our defense - he has turned out to be a pillar of strength - literally speaking in terms of his height,” Loew said, praising Mertesacker’s agility and ball distribution.

He helped to ensure England was largely restricted to striking from distance, with captain Steven Gerrard sending the ball onto the roof of the net just before half time.

LONDON: Germany’s defender Heiko Westermann (left) vies for the ball against England’s Kieran Gibbs during an international friendly football match. — AFP Four minutes into the second half, a fine save from Hart kept out Marco Reus’ fierce strike after Mario Gotze skipped through the home defense with ease.

Mertesacker was left in space again to try again with his head, but nodded over from a corner, while a low save from Hart pushed away Gotze’s effort.

“I was annoyed at times because we really squandered our chances - many of them - when we should have extended our lead much earlier,” Loew said. “Especially when England were open in defense, we should have scored that second goal.”

There were eight changes from the Germany lineup which drew with Italy on Friday as Loew took the friendly as the last chance to experiment, with big names including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil and captain Philipp Lahm absent.

But the international year ahead of the World Cup ended for Germany just as it had begun against France - with an away win. “I can approach 2014 with a sense of quiet confidence,” Loew said. “Many of the players who I wanted to test here today can be proud to have withstood the pressure of playing against such a great crowd.” — AP

Brazil down Chile TORONTO: AC Milan star Robinho headed the winner as Brazil beat South American rivals Chile 2-1 in an international friendly here Tuesday.

Robinho nodded past Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on 79 minutes from a Maicon cross after good work from Barcelona maestro Neymar.

The goal was Robinho’s first at international level since August 2011 and came before 38,514 fans in Toronto’s domed Rogers Center.

It was a sixth victory in a row for World Cup hosts Brazil, who took the lead in the 14th minute when Hulk blasted a left-footed shot

from the wing.

Eduardo Vargas equalized for Chile in the 71st minute with a powerful right foot effort from just outside the area which left Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar frozen. Brazil looked to have restored their lead in the 73rd minute but Neymar was whistled offside.

A few minutes later, Neymar went one-onone with Bravo, twice lofting the ball over the goalkeeper and keeping possession only to have his eventual shot blocked by a Chilean defender. In the final minutes, Bravo denied Neymar once more, this time saving with his feet. — AFP

Vonn crashes during training

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Peralta hat-trick takes Mexico to World Cup

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Vettel and Webber get ready for one last battle

Page 17

SWEDEN: Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo (right) and Sweden’s defender Mikael Antonsson jump over at the Friends Arena in Solna during the FIFA 2014 World Cup playoff football match. — AFP

Ronaldo sends Portugal to World Cup SOLNA: Portugal qualified for the World Cup after a superb hat trick from Cristiano Ronaldo secured a 3-2 win over Sweden and a 4-2 victory on aggregate in Tuesday’s thrilling finale to their playoff.

After a hesitant first half in which the Real Madrid forward missed several scoring chances, the much-awaited contest between two of the biggest names in world football - Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - finally burst into life in a spectacular second half.

Ronaldo broke the deadlock, Ibrahimovic struck twice to make it 2-1 to the hosts on the night - only for Ronaldo to score two more to secure his team’s place in Brazil.

“To be honest I think in both games we played better than Sweden,” Ronaldo said. “I respect a lot Sweden, I think they have a fantastic team, they have experienced players,

they have a good coach, but in both games we played better than them, we created more chances, we played solid.

“We have a mature team in these competitions, in (the) playoff, I think we deserved to win and we are the best team tonight.” For his part, Ibrahimovic was sporting in defeat.

“Of course I’m disappointed. I wanted to play the World Cup,” he said. “We did our best. Unfortunately, we played against a better team, better than us no doubt.”

That difference only really showed through in an actionpacked second half. Four minutes after the break, Ibrahimovic provided a pass for Sebastian Larsson to take a shot that was saved by Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio. A minute later, Ronaldo opened the scoring, set up by a superb long pass by Joao Moutinho. Ibrahimovic equalized

with a header from a corner in the 68th minute. Three minutes later, Sweden won a free kick just outside the penalty area and Ibrahimovic fired home a fierce low shot to give the home team a 2-1 lead and raise a nation’s hopes of qualification.

However, the home fans among the nearly 50,000 spectators didn’t get to cheer for long. As Sweden pushed forward in search of a third goal and a 3-2 lead on aggregate, its defense became vulnerable to the counterattack. And Ronaldo, who scored the only goal in last Friday’s first leg in Lisbon made the home side pay.

Latching on to a pass by Hugo Almeida, Ronaldo raced through to equalize with a clinical finish in the 77th minute. He brought up his hat trick just two minutes later - this time collecting a defense-splitting pass

Algeria secure Africa’s last World Cup ticket BLIDA: Algeria sealed the fifth and final African zone World Cup qualifying berth on Tuesday, edging their play-off with Burkina Faso on away goals.

Last month, Algeria lost the first leg play-off 3-2 in Ougadougou and therefore needed just a goal to qualify for their fourth World Cup finals having featured at the 1982, 1986 and 2010 competitions. With Algeria’s qualification, it is the same line-up of teams who represented Africa at 2010 in South Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Algeria got the goal they needed in the 49th minute through skipper Madjid Bougherra off a goal mouth scramble caused by a free-kick.

The Stallions of Burkina Faso, beaten finalists at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, were thus denied the chance to reach a first-ever World Cup. Around 40 Algerian football fans were injured before kick-off at the game which had attracted a packed house of 40,000 at the stadium 50 kilometres south of Algiers, the APS news agency said, citing police reports.

The stadium was packed to capacity as early as six hours before the match was due to kickoff despite the cold and rainy conditions.

It was an even exchange between the two teams at the start of this match staged inside a packed Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida.

The home team were first to settle down and they continued to attack Burkina Faso, whose solid and packed defence kept them out.

The Algeria goalkeeper Mohamed Zemmamouche kept out a desperate defensive clearance that was headed for goal in the 11th minute. The first big chance fell to Algeria in the 21st minute, when Islam Slimane was allowed a free header off a cross from the left right inside the box, but he failed to direct it on target.

Algeria captain Bougherra was booked in the 44th minute for a double-footed tackle on his Burkina Faso counterpart Charles Kabore as the hosts began to display their frustration.

from Joao Moutinho - and could even have added to his goal tally later.

Ronaldo, who described Ibrahimovic as “a fantastic player”, acknowledged that “it felt complicated for a moment after they scored 2-1... we suffered a little bit.”

Portugal coach Paulo Bento said he thought his team put up a good performance. “We had to deal with some difficult periods, namely after the Swedish goals,” he said.

“But even in that period we had a good reaction. I think we did it as an organization as a whole but of course we cannot underestimate how important is Cristiano for us.”

For Sweden coach Erik Hamren, the post-match was all about the pain of defeat. “It just hurts right now,” he said. “It is a dream, an ambition that has died, it’s hurting for everyone, it’s really tough. Especially when we were close.” — AP

Croatia freeze Iceland, qualifies for World Cup

ALGERIA: Islam Slimane (left) of Algeria and Benjamin Balima (right) of Burkina Faso vie for the ball during their World Cup qualifying match. — AFP In first half stoppage time, Burkina Faso goalkeeper Daouda Diakite smothered a low shot by El Arabi Soudani. In the 57th minute, Slimane let fly from inside the box but his powerful snap shot missed its mark even with the Burkina goalkeeper beaten.

Chances were few and far between in this physical contest, which was marred by countless stoppages. With the ticket to Brazil 2014 slipping away from them, Burkina Faso’s Belgian coach Paul Put threw in forwards Aristide Bance and Alain Traore in the closing minutes. In stoppage time, Burkina Faso saw a last-ditch effort crash against the post, but it was not enough for this west African nation. — AFP

ZAGREB: Ten-man Croatia qualified for the World Cup with a 2-0 win on Tuesday that quashed Iceland’s hopes of reaching football’s showpiece tournament for the first time.

Striker Dario Mandzukic scored the opener in the 22nd minute but was given a red card nine minutes later for a reckless tackle and left Croatia with 10 men for the remainder of the match. But the home team maintained its attacking dominance and Darijo Srna made it 2-0 in the 47th.

The defeat ended Iceland’s bid to become the smallest nation - in terms of population - to reach the World Cup finals. Croatia, a semifinalist in 1998, qualified for its fourth World Cup since becoming an independent state in 1991.

“Croatia deserved to win,” Iceland defender Ragnar Sigurdsson said. “It was the better team, especially today, and there is no doubt it deserves to go to Brazil. We felt it might go better for us after Mandzukic was sent off, but we did not get any space on the pitch.”

Last Friday in Reykjavik, Iceland overcame the second-half red card of Olafur Skulason to hold on for the 0-0 draw against Croatia, keeping the Nordic nation in contention for a spot at Brazil in 2014. But on Tuesday, Iceland had few chances against an inspired Croatian team. “Pressure was huge, this was not easy game to play,” Croatia coach Niko Kovac said. “But at the end, it could have easily been 5-0.”

Croatia took the lead when Ivan Rakitic crossed from the right, Ivan Perisic deflected the ball in the heart of the penalty box, creating a clear

opportunity for Mandzukic to finish with a low shot into the near corner. Bayern Munich striker Mandzukic was shown a straight red card after a tackle with his studs up against Johann Gudmundsson, and that changed Croatia’s tactical approach for the rest of the game. With Iceland going into an all-out attack, Croatia resorted to counter-attacks.

Captain Srna doubled the lead two minutes into the second half when his shot from some 18 meters (yards) from the right bounced in front of Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldersson and ended up in the left corner of the goal.

“We were focused throughout the playoffs and it was worth it,” Srna said. “We had no right to disappoint our fans. Mandzukic’s sending off only gave us the wind in our backs.”

Openings in Iceland’s defense only created more chances for the Croats. Ivica Olic hit the crossbar with a spectacular overhead shot and Perisic failed to convert a one-on-one situation against the Iceland goalkeeper. “We are really happy to make it to the World Cup,” Croatia and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric said. “Iceland was tough to play against, but we were a better team in the playoffs.”

Iceland was surprisingly unbeaten in its last five games on the road in these World Cup qualifications. “Croatia was a better and more experienced opponent and showed its strength,” Iceland veteran striker Eidur Gudjohnsen said. “Still, we have to be proud of what we have done in this World Cup campaign.” — AP

Business

JPMorgan deal ‘may not’ end legal woes Page 23

Saudi ‘unconcerned’ by surging US shale output

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Page 22 Jaguar cruises with 38 percent growth

Qantas, Virgin Australia row turns ugly Page 24

Page 25

DUBAI: An Emirates Airline’s Airbus A380-800 is displayed at the Dubai Airshow. — AFP

In Dubai, private jets, VIP helicopters fly high Boeing dominates Airbus with $101.5 billion orders in the

news

Taiwan firm sues Samsung for patent infringement TAIPEI: A Taiwanese electronics company said yesterday it has filed a lawsuit against South Korean tech giant Samsung for allegedly infringing on its optics technology patents. Largan Precision Co is a leading designer and manufacturer for plastic aspherical lenses used in mobile phones, notebook computers, automobiles and digital cameras, and is reportedly a part supplier for Samsung and Apple’s iPhone 5s. The lawsuit has been filed to the US District Court for the Southern District of California over “several” Samsung products that allegedly infringed on its lens design patents, Largan said in a statement. Largan did not identify the Samsung products in question. Taiwan’s Commercial Times cited unnamed sources as saying that the company accused Samsung of violating six of its optics lens patents to be used in the Galaxy Note II phablet smartphones. Technology giants have taken to routinely pounding one another with patent lawsuits. Samsung and Apple have been locked in several cases around the world.

HICL infrastructure fund eyes assets outside UK LONDON: One of Britain’s biggest listed infrastructure investment funds is looking for more assets outside its home market as a UK model for funding public works projects with private money catches on overseas. HICL, which invests in public infrastructure and concessions such as hospitals, roads and schools, said yesterday it added 10 new investments and boosted stakes in three others over the six months to September, spending 198 million pounds ($319 million). These were concentrated in the UK, a pioneer in the harnessing of private sector funding for government-led initiatives, which has in the past helped to produce iconic projects such as the Channel Tunnel linking England and France. Infrastructure has become popular with institutional and individual investors because it can provide steady income streams from sources such as road tolls and inflation-indexed contract revenues.

Investing in infrastructure is also increasingly encouraged by governments seeking to boost private sector financing as they struggle to cut spending and limit public debt.

Libya aims to issue 3 Islamic bank licenses ABU DHABI: Libya hopes to have its first three dedicated Islamic banks operating next year to satisfy unmet demand for sharia-complaint financial services, a senior central bank official said yesterday. Under former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, overthrown in 2011, the growth of Islamic banking was not encouraged and the entire financial system was kept undeveloped, as four state-controlled institutions dominated the industry. Libya is now trying to build a modern financial system and has passed rules to cover Islamic finance, although political instability and a chaotic security situation are slowing its progress. Authorities have decided to issue three Islamic banking licences and the central bank has received five applications from local investors, which are currently being evaluated, said Abdulmajeed Almaguri, deputy director of the central bank’s banking supervision department. He did not name the potential investors but said the evaluation process would be completed after four to five months.

DUBAI: Away from the glare of the media where airlines sign multi-billiondollar contracts, makers of private helicopters and jets for VIPs are busy doing deals at the Dubai airshow and targeting a vibrant Middle East market. The aerospace companies making and selling these aircraft for the rich, the powerful and for special services, say that customers’ requirements are generally the same: Security, robust construction, and performance.

In the next coming 10 years, “we hope to double our orders in the Middle East where we have strong work and which attracts more and more competitors in the field of business aviation,” said Eric Trappier, chief executive of French group of Dassault Aviation. Seated comfortably in his company’s Falcon 7X exhibited at the airshow, he has come to promote Dassault’s new 5X business jets, the latest addition to the group’s range, and which will enter service in 2017.

The 5X model which was unveiled in Las Vegas on October 21 at a list price of about $45 million, had received a warm welcome in the Middle East region mainly due to its large cabin, range, and technical per formance, he said. On Tuesday, Brazilian Embraer Executive Jets announced the signing of a purchase agreement at the airshow for an ultra-large Lineage 1000 to Jordanbased Arab Wings. Business aviation is “rapidly growing” in the Middle East, says Trappier, because of demand from customers who are looking for flexibility.

“They feel that with a business jet, you can go fast, you can land on any track, and it is a real tool for developing their society,” he said. “The more societies in the region develop, the more business aviation will develop.” A few hundred meters away, stands a Beechcraft King Air 350i propeller jet. Richard Emery of Beechcraft, the American company’s president of sales for Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, says this region has always been a “key market” for business aviation and its growth will benefit all manufacturers.

With a market share of 69 percent for the company’s turboprop products in the Middle East and 88 percent in North Africa, “we do see this is a very strategic market for us and we expect growth over the next five years”, Emery said. He explained that 80 percent of his group’s business in the Middle East currently concerns aircraft for “special missions,” such as medical evacuation, against 20 percent for VIP (Very Important Person) aviation.

Aircraft like ‘flying apartments’ At European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter, there is also interest in business jets for offshore missions, search and rescue. And with Eurocopter ’s EC175, equipped to carry up to 10 people in its business version and seven in its VIP version, “the potential in this area in actually very big,” says Christine Fraud, the marketing manager for corporate and private applications at the European group.

The helicopter is also increasingly used as an air taxi to complement private jets when trying to reach a crowded area to prevent “wasting the time gained by taking a business jet,” she said. In the Middle East, “one can also imagine the idea of tourism aviation with the possibility of being able to fly over remote areas,” she added. Emery said: “The customers here are sophisticated buyers ...

They understand the product, they know what they want, (and) they ask for a number of different platforms which we could provide.”

Comfort is also a must. “The market has evolved with aircrafts that have changed in size. We are more and more carrying flying apartments,” says aircraft interior designer Jacques Pierrejean. The Frenchman’s latest was designing the interior of an Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) for Emirates, which has launched its VIP charter flights. At the front of the jet, there is a large living room while at the back there are mini-suites and a showera unique concept in private transport.

“In the Middle East, customers like to find what they have in their own homes

DUBAI: The interior of a Falcon 900 LX airplane during the Dubai Airshow. — AFP

(aboard a jet) - a bed, a shower, and space,” says the designer. “This is why we are moving towards the development of large aircrafts.” Style has also evolved with time. “We used to design interiors with an oriental, American or European style. Now, the style is more internationalized” with more basic colors and uncluttered interiors, he said. “It is more difficult to sell a highly personalized device.”

BOEING DOMINATES US aerospace giant Boeing yesterday announced up to $101.5 billion in aircraft orders at the Dubai Air Show, as its new 777X model propelled total demand to more than twice that booked

by European rival Airbus. More than $95 billion of the Boeing orders were for the 777X long-haul aircraft, making it the “largest product launch in commercial jetliner history by value”, said the firm.

European giant Airbus meanwhile totted up orders worth $44 billion, with

Emirates placing the biggest by value worth $20 billion for 50 A380s. The total takings or about $145 billion by the two rivals at Dubai were about twice those recorded at the Paris Air Show in June, when Airbus announced $39.3 billion in orders and Boeing unveiled $38 billion for a total of about $77.0 billion.

Boeing’s performance in Dubai was underpinned by demand for its new 777X, which was snapped up by Middle Eastern airlines. Dubai ’s flagship Emirates placed an order worth $55.6 billion for 115 777-9X aircraft designed to carry more than 400 passengers. It also ordered 35 777-8Xs, which has a capacity of 350 passengers. Etihad Airways ordered 17 of the bigger model and eight of the smaller 777-8X, while Qatar Airways bought 50 777-9Xs worth $18.9 billion. Boeing claims that the aircraft, which is to enter service around 2020, would be 12 percent more fuel efficient than the Airbus A350. — Agencies

Bombardier strikes CSeries deal with the Iraqi Airways Deal, including options, valued at $1.26 billion DUBAI: Bombardier Inc said on Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to sell five CSeries jetliners to Iraqi Airways, the first new deal since June for the aircraft, which the Canadian planemaker has spent billions developing. Iraq’s national carrier will buy five of the CS300 jets with options for 11 more. The news from the Dubai Airshow lifted Bombardier’s shares modestly with investors continuing to be tentative, awaiting more closely watched “firm” orders for the new plane.

The deal, which is valued at $387 million at list prices, but swells to $1.26 billion with options, follows the first flight of the CSeries in mid-September. The CSeries, a $3.4 billion development program that brings Bombardier into competition with the lower-capacity planes built by industry giants Boeing Co and Airbus, has suffered from several

delays and sluggish demand. Testing was slow to start, but is advancing according to plan, CSeries program director Sebastien Mullot told a Scotiabank Transportation and Aerospace Conference in Toronto on Tuesday.

Nearly 200 hours of flight and ground checks have largely confirmed that the first test aircraft is behaving as expected, Mullot said. Bombardier expects to start flying second and third test vehicles in the coming weeks and intends to run daily test flights, he added. “As far as confirming the true performance from a take-off, landing, fuel-burn standpoint, it’s something that is going to occur more in the first half of 2014,” Mullot said at the conference. As Bombardier gathers data to back up its claims for the CSeries’ fuel and operating cost efficiency, there will be less need to discount prices to sell planes, Mullot said.

“From now on, you should see the pricing trend going up.”

Bombardier has secured 177 firm orders for the CSeries, but has repeatedly said it will reach 300 firm orders by the time the first jet is put into commercial use. Its target date for that is September 2014.

Bombardier also announced on Tuesday that low-cost Thai carrier Nok Air placed a firm order for two Q400 turboprops with options for two more planes and purchase rights for another four, a deal worth up to $258 million.

The Montreal-based plane and train maker also said that Abu Dhabi Aviation signed a letter of intent for two Q400 aircraft, worth about $70 million based on list prices.

Bombardier shares rose 3 Canadian cents, or 0.6 percent, to close at C$4.70 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Tuesday. — Reuters

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BUSINESS

China’s farmers await revolution in land reform GANGZHONG: China’s promise to allow 600 million farmers to trade land could enable vast numbers to find a better life, but Lu Jinliang’s experience shows the challenges of implementing reform, including entrenched local government interests. Two years ago, he rented out a small patch of fallow land to a neighbor in Gangzhong village to raise pigs, with the 480 yuan ($79) annual income supplementing his salary from working in a sweater factory.

But local authorities invalidated the arrangement for Lu and 25 other families in July, saying pig sties were not allowed on the land even though it was earmarked for “agriculture”. They demolished six pig pens and accused the man who rented the terrain of “illegal use of farmland”-which carries a potential jail term. In a groundbreaking reform pledge just announced by China’s ruling Communist Party, farmers

some oil exports. Brent was on track for its biggest weekly fall in a month. The US crude contract for December, which expires later, was up 10 cents at $93.44 a barrel. It ended the previous session up 0.3 percent after hitting a five-and-a-half-month intraday low of $92.43. Oil exports from Libya’s western Mellitah port have resumed after protests ended, allowing a large oilfield to ramp up production and providing some respite from a crisis that has crippled its economy. Most of Libya’s oil facilities have been closed since the end of July as disparate groups demanding political rights and benefits have put pressure on the government, keeping around 1 million barrels of oil per day out of the market and helping support the price of crude. US commercial crude oil inventories were forecast to have increased last week, while distillate and gasoline stockpiles were seen down, an expanded Reuters poll of analysts showed on Tuesday.

Data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday refinery crude runs rose by 255,000 barrels per day last week. Crude inventories rose 512,000 barrels, less than the 900,000-barrel build predicted in the Reuters poll.—Reuters

undermine local governments’ monopoly over land markets and boost farmers’ income, providing them with the start-up capital to settle in the city,” said Yao Wei, China economist for Societe Generale. But Zhu Qizhen, director of a research institute addressing farmers’ issues at the China Agricultural University, warned: “Local governments won’t easily give up their own interests.”

“It will depend on the authority of the central authorities and whether the measures to carry forward this mechanism are forceful enough,” he said.

Gangzhong, in the eastern province of Zhejiang near Shanghai, is dotted with barns for pigs interlaced by yellowing stalks of rice, with farmers using small combines to harvest the grain. Lu Longfei, who signed 18-year contracts to rent a total of two hectares (five acres), believes he is being unfairly singled out. “I want justice and I want fair-

ness,” said Lu, a third-generation pig farmer. Gesturing to other barns for raising pigs in the area, he said some were doing the same thing but had avoided scrutiny by authorities. “They have political connections with the town government,” he said, hinting at corruption.

A Communist Party member himself, he returned to the family trade after a four-year stint in the Chinese navy and an unsuccessful career as a small businessman, and thinks farmers should have the freedom to decide how they use their land. “They all wanted to rent to me,” he said. “Elderly people are too tired to farm. Young people are all in the factories.” He vowed to fight the authorities’ planned demolition of his remaining six pig pens, with all the determination of a military veteran. “I’ll stand in a pig pen and let them pull it down on me,” he said.— AFP

Saudi ‘unconcerned’ by surging US shale output

Oil slips on Iran hopes, rising stockpiles in US LONDON: Brent oil slipped further towards $106 a barrel yesterday on optimism over nuclear talks with Iran, a resumption of Libyan crude supply and rising stockpiles in the United States. World powers aim to reach a preliminary agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program in talks resuming in Geneva yesterday. A deal may involve easing sanctions on the OPEC producer that could lead to a rise in its crude exports.

Russia is hopeful that the talks will produce a preliminary deal, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not step back from its nuclear rights and his negotiating team had been set limits for the talks. Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodity analyst at SEB, said the comments from Iran’s supreme leader were “not a great start” to the second round of negotiations, but was still optimistic that the talks would yield a positive outcome.

“I think, despite his statements, the probability of reaching an interim deal looks quite good,” Schieldrop said. Brent crude for January was down 30 cents at $106.62 a barrel by 1128 GMT, after posting its biggest daily fall in nearly two weeks on Tuesday as Libya resumed

tion from local governments, who reap big gains from the current situation.

At present farmers can “collectively” own land, but local officials have the power to appropriate it with little or no compensation, then sell it to property developers for massive profits.

“The new policy hasn’t come to us,” said Lu Jinliang. “Zhongnanhai is far from here,” he added, referring to the centre of power where Chinese leaders work in Beijing. The par ty ’s Third Plenum meeting also said rural residents will have their rights to social services in the cities improved, another incentive to move. Analysts said the measures will boost incomes in impoverished rural areas and encourage millions of farmers to leave the land, as China encourages greater urbanization to raise living standards and tackle a yawning wealth gap. “ This revolutionar y change will

are to be granted legal basis to transfer and rent land, which is ultimately owned by the state.

Rural residents will be able to buy and sell so-called “land use rights”, giving farmers the same rights as urban dwellers. “Efforts must be made to allow farmers to participate in China’s modernization,” the ruling Communist Party said in a document issued on November 15, after a key meeting known as the Third Plenum. “Farmers will be given more property rights.” But the Gangzhong case shows the challenges in implementing the policy across the vast country and the power of local officials over land.

The man who rented the land, Lu Longfei, is effectively carrying out government policy by building large scale agriculture and helping farmers transform land into a commodity, but implementation of the reform faces opposi-

Kingdom sees no need to cut crude production DUBAI: Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia remains unconcerned by surging US shale output, which threatens to eat into OPEC’s market share, and sees no need to cut production to support prices, its deputy oil minister said yesterday. “We need to make sure that the world economy comes out decisively on a growth pattern and, if that can be established, I t hink t hat t he wo r ld economic growth will be sufficient to handle growth from all sorts - shale oil, shale gas, tight oil and including renewable,” Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz told a conference in Dubai.

“The world economy over the long term will need every contribution of every source of energy available,” he said. “The kingdom welcomes new resources of energy supplies, as they are needed.” The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries expects global demand for its crude to fall in the next five

years because of increasing supplies outside the 12-member group from the boom in shale energy and other sources, according to its annual World Oil Outlook.

Despite the surge, Abdulaziz repeated the Saudi Arabian view expressed by Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi’s that there is enough global demand to soak up US shale and Saudi oil, with more oil in the market helping bring down global crude prices to comfortable levels for all. “It’s a very stable market, it is well supplied. The future holds that the market will continue to be well supplied,” Abdulaziz said. His comments on the current stability of the oil market echo those of several other OPEC oil officials over the last few weeks, which suggests the group will not change its output ceiling of 30 million barrels per day (bpd) when it meets in Vienna on Dec 4.

US shale oil is much more costly to produce than Middle East crude, but a surge in

global oil prices over the last four years has made it economic to produce and reduced demand for other crudes.

The North American shale oil surge, combined with record Saudi crude output, has helped arrest the rise in crude prices over the last year, with Benchmark Brent crude oil trading between $100 and $120 for most of the last 12 months. Saudi Arabia would consider cutting its production to support oil prices if prices fall significantly, Abdulaziz said.

“The price is good for everybody, it enables the producer to produce and continue to produce and I don’t think its affecting the international economy in any bad way,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.

“But so far everybody is enjoying a wonderful stable market, everyone is prosperous. There are people in Texas who say they are pushing the pedal to the metal and ever ybody is enjoying it.”— Reuters

Highlights of the Nissan exhibit at the 2013 Tokyo motor show DUBAI: Nissan Motor Co, Ltd released an overview of the company’s exhibit at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show 2013 to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from November 23rd through December 1st. At the show, Nissan will reveal several new concept cars. Nissan will also present the Nissan GT-R Nismo, and reveal the upcoming Nissan DAYZ ROOX and other models. In addition, Nissan will also be exhibiting its Autonomous Drive technology, safety technology and other innovations.

Highlights of the show include: BLADEGLIDER - From “driving” to “gliding” in a hyper-agile and highly efficient EV with radical sweptwing styling. The BladeGlider concept offers drivers and passengers a new sense of glider-like driving pleasure, evoking exhilaration through its nimble handling that stems from its swept-wing form and gliding roots. Aerodynamically-focused, BladeGlider’s narrow front track and wide, stable rear track reduces drag while generating downforce to enhance maneuverability and road-hugging performance, with high G cornering and acceleration-yet the vehicle is thrifty in its power use.

Unique center driver seat position delivers the ultimate in glider-like driving pleasure, and the triangular three-seat cabin configuration enables a shared experience of “free soaring” for all. The car’s in-wheel motors provide rear-wheel propulsion with independent motor management. Prototype of an

upcoming production vehicle that demonstrates the innovation and excitement of the Nissan brand and Nissan’s leadership in Zero Emissions mobility.

The second in the Nissan DAYZ series of minicars, Nissan DAYZ ROOX is a new super-height wagon model featuring dynamic exterior styling and a spacious-feeling, premium interior design. Around View Monitor, one-touch automatic sliding doors and other convenient features support daily driving. Rear ceiling fan, roll-up sunshades and other amenities enhance rear-seat passenger comfort and convenience. - Green windshield glass filters out 99% of UV rays. - The solid-looking and distinctive exterior styling suggests a spacious interior. - Spacious interior with high-grade trim and coverings. - A surprising amount of interior space accommodates enough space to hold a 27-inch bicycle.- Innovative new technology includes a cost-effective battery-assist system that relieves burden on engine.

NEW TEANA The Nissan Teana is a global strategic model sold in more than 120 countries and regions worldwide.

Building on the Teana DNA of “Modern Living” in the first generation model and “Hospitality” in the second generation, the third generation Teana features enhanced performance for even greater driving pleasure. Design expresses sophistication and exhila-

ration, built on the concept of “Modern Living” DNA. Cabin supports comfort of all passengers, delivering hospitality in the Teana tradition. Driving performance that excites the driver with plenty of power.

NEW X-TRAIL Tough, all-purpose SUV with excellent driving performance, advanced technology and outstanding fuel efficiency. With rugged performance to handle a wide variety of driving conditions, the new X-TRAIL is the tough, all-purpose SUV with best-in-segment fuel efficiency in M-size SUV with state-of-the art functions in a package that offers luggage storage convenience and excellent utility.

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES The Serena 5-door minivan includes collision avoidance support systems including Emergency Brake and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) as standard equipment. Serena also features a restyled exterior, from front to rear. Japan launch slated for December 2013. Minor changes to Nissan’s global compact hatchback provide the 2014 model year Nissan Note with enhanced safety technology, including collision avoidance support systems including Emergency Brake, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Emergency Assist for Pedal Misapplication. Japan launch scheduled for December 2013.

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.836 4.535 2.635 2.162 2.818 228.930 36.593 3.641 6.513 8.978 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 75.670 Qatari Riyal 77.969 Omani Riyal 737.140 Bahraini Dinar 753.690 UAE Dirham 77.278 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.950 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.726 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.324 Tunisian Dinar 171.080 Jordanian Dinar 400.720 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.904 Syrian Lira 3.083 Morocco Dirham 34.718 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.650 Euro 386.050 Sterling Pound 458.800 Canadian dollar 272.350 Turkish lira 141.150 Swiss Franc 313.600 Australian Dollar 268.050 US Dollar Buying 282.450 GOLD 20 Gram 244.000 10 Gram 124.000 5 Gram 64.000 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 270.24 275.99 315.01 386.57 283.30 460.99 2.89 3.644 4.498 2.162 2.812 2.642 77.20 754.03 41.12 403.20 736.76 78.23 75.68

SELL CASH 268.000 274.000 313.000 386.000 286.200 461.000 2.900 3.800 4.890 2.600 3.400 2.770 77.600 755.3000 41.200 408.500 743.300 78.600 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 283.650 274.575 458.005 386.530 311.135 748.980 77.205 78.760 76.510 399.850 41.126 2.162 4.559 2.636 3.644 6.501 696.700 3.830 09.965

Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

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 0.007373 0.450823 0.006661 0.047539 0.379388 0.042615 0.081847 0.008136 0.038871 0.305791 0.138622 Australasia 0.258822 0.230688 America 0.265788 0.279550 0.280050 Asia 0.003292 0.045191 0.034498 0.004355 0.000020 0.002755 0.003360 0.000258 0.085400 0.003038 0.002515 0.006449 0.000069

SELL 0.008373 0.459823 0.018661 0.052539 0.386888 0.047815 0.81847 0.018136 0.043871 0.315991 0.145622 0.270322 0.240188 0.274266 0.283900 0.283900 0.003892 0.048691 0.037248 0.004756 0.000026 0.002935 0.003360 0.000273 0.091400 0.003208 0.002795 0.006729 0.000075

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

0.225002 0.021959 0.001898 0.009505 0.008725 Arab 0.745931 0.038395 0.000078 0.000186 0.395856 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022718 0.001201 0.730722 0.077202 0.075003 0.002174 0.167006 0.138622 0.078246 0.001288

0.231002 0.030459 0.002478 0.009685 0.009275 0.753931 0.041495 0.000080 0.000246 0.403355 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046718 0.001836 0.736402 0.078415 0.075703 0.002394 0.175006 0.145622 0.077395 0.001388

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) 283.300 386.650 458.750 272.550 4.530 41.075 2.161 3.643 6.505 2.635 753.800 77.100 75.600

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BUSINESS

TOKYO: Resin outer panels of Daihatsu Kopen are changed for another color at the media preview for the Tokyo Motor Show at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo yesterday. — AP photos

TOKYO: A model poses with a Volkswagen XL-1 at the media preview for the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday.

Tokyo Motor Show focuses on eco-friendly cars TOKYO: Eco-friendly cars were in the spotlight as the Tokyo Motor Show opened yesterday, with Toyota unveiling a new model and Nissan touting its aerodynamic BladeGlider for energy-conscious drivers. Toyota, a pioneer of hybrid vehicles, rolled out its FCV concept car, a four-seater sedan that has a range of 500 kilometers - longer than previous versions-and whose fuel cells can be recharged in just three minutes through hydrogen gas tanks stored inside.

The car, expected to go on commercial sale in about two years, seeks to jump key hurdles that have hindered consumer buying of eco-friendly vehicles such as limited range and refuelling infrastructure. Relatively high prices and restricted model choices have also hurt demand despite automakers’ big hopes for the sector.

But purchases of low-emission vehicles are forecast to grow due to increasingly strict emissions standards. “Reducing energy consumption is the key for automobiles to survive,” said Osamu Honda, executive vice-president of small-car maker Suzuki.

“The demand for less fuel consumption is getting

stronger and stronger.” Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, also showcased its futuristic scooter-like FV2 which allows standing drivers to change direction simply by shifting their weight. It is similar to the Segway although it can move at faster speeds.

The concept vehicle’s pop-up windshield can turn oncoming objects a distinct color to alert drivers to their presence. Despite the show’s focus on eco-friendly vehicles, Toyota executive vice president Mitsuhisa Kato said automakers must still make vehicles that consumers want to buy. “We don’t want a car that people neither love nor hate,” he told reporters. “We want to make cars that people fall madly in love with, cars that convince them they could never drive anything else.”

The world’s leading automakers have long been eyeing a big-selling green vehicle, including Hondawhich already has a fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, available on a small scale in a limited number of markets. Rival Nissan yesterday showed off its BladeGlider, an electric concept three-seater vehicle that is meant to give drivers a sense of piloting an airborne glider. The sleek, futuristic styling is

squarely aimed at drivers who still want performance and styling in an environmentally friendly car.

But Nissan’s target for sales of its commercially available Leaf electric vehicle are way below the predictions of chief executive Carlos Ghosn, who said yesterday he remains hopeful especially if governments follow through on pledges to boost recharging infrastructure. “Electric cars is one of the pillars-not the only one-but one pillar of our technological development,” Ghosn said. “We continue to believe that it will be a major component of the car industry.”

Nissan is also working on fuel-cell cars, but Ghosn said he was “frankly amazed” that rival automakers including Toyota see widespread commercial sales in the not-too-distant future given the lack of re-fuelling stations for hydrogen tanks. “It’s very easy to have a prototype, but the challenge is the mass market,” Ghosn said. Fuel cell vehicles are considered the holy grail of green cars because they emit nothing but water vapor from the tailpipe and can operate on renewable hydrogen gas. The exhibition’s 43rd edition, which runs until

December 1, features 177 exhibitors including parts suppliers from a dozen countries.

But major US automakers including General Motors and Ford, which have not attended since before the global financial crisis, are again staying away as are South Korean producers, with the exception of Hyundai. The big European automakers will be looking to boost their presence in the world’s third-largest car market after China and the United States. However, foreign brands hold a miniscule share-just 4.5 percent-of a market that saw more than 5.0 million vehicles sold in Japan last year.

That puny presence has long fuelled anger among US and some European automakers, which say they have been effectively shut out of Japan through tariffs and other barriers. The issue is an obstacle in ongoing free-trade negotiations. Luxury German brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche, which have achieved significant success in Japan, are among this year’s attendees, along with Audi, Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot-Citroen, Britain’s Land Rover and Sweden’s Volvo. — AFP

Glitzy Dubai eyes profit in setting Islamic standards Halal goods, services become global consumer segment

LOS ANGELES: A 2014 Smart Passion Coupe is placed on a display stage amid ongoing preparations in Los Angeles, where the LA Auto Show opened for a media preview three days before opening to the public. — AFP

Hot cars at 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the public tomorrow after two days of media previews. Here are some of the most buzz-worthy vehicles being introduced at this year’s show:

price of $50,895 for the Macan S and $73,295 for the Macan Turbo. It’s hitting the market at the right time. Sales of small luxury SUVs are up 25 percent so far this year, making them the fastest-growing segment in the luxury market.

PORSCHE MACAN Porsche is entering the fast-growing small SUV market with the Macan. The Macan - the name comes from the Indonesian word for “tiger” - is six inches shorter than its sibling, the Cayenne SUV, but features the same muscular look. It also uses some tricks to look more substantial, like a broad, wraparound hood that encompasses the headlights. Porsche designed two versions: The Macan S, with a new, 3.0-liter V6 engine that gets 340 horsepower and the Macan Turbo, with a new 3.6 liter V6 that gets 400 horsepower. Both are allwheel drive and have Porsche’s seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission.

Standard features include an off-road mode, which optimizes the vehicle for offroading at the touch of a button. Off-roaders may also choose the Macan’s optional air suspension chassis, which can set the vehicle’s ground clearance at three different levels.

Porsche says the Macan is the only vehicle in the small SUV segment with this feature. The Macan goes on sale this spring at a starting

JAGUAR F-TYPE COUPE The F-Type convertible, which went on sale in the spring, was Jaguar’s first two-seat sports car in 50 years. Now the company’s adding a hardtop version. The 2015 F-Type coupe, which goes on sale this spring, starts at $65,000, or $4,000 less than the convertible. The base model of the all-aluminum coupe - made, in part, from recycled metal has a 340-horsepower V6 engine and a top speed of 161 mph. For $77,000, buyers can upgrade to a V6 with 380 horsepower and a top speed of 171 mph. At the top of the lineup is the $99,000 F-Type R, which has a 550horsepower V8 engine and goes from zero to 60 mph in four seconds. It has a top speed of 186 mph. All versions have an eight-speed transmission and a hidden rear spoiler that automatically rises at 70 mph and tucks back in to the vehicle at 50 mph or less. Jaguar is ending this year on a high note, with US sales up 36 percent so far this year thanks to the FType convertible and the recently redesigned XF sedan. — AP

Prospect of ECB cash boost encourages bets on banks PARIS: Investors are buying euro-zone bank stocks and options in anticipation of a fresh round of long-term loans from the European Central Bank, with Italian lenders seen benefiting most from any new cash. European banks are still scarred from the regional sovereign debt crisis and a new health check on lenders next year may show yet more capital shortfalls, but traders said they were still hoping for a recovery in the sector.

The ECB injected over a trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) into markets through two long-term refinancing operations (LTROs) in December 2011 and February 2012 to prevent a credit crunch. This month’s unexpected interest rate cut fuelled speculation that a third liquidity boost could be on the cards. This would fuel a rally in bank stocks although the impact might not be as spectacular as the 25 percent jump in the two months following the first, surprise LTRO. “A new LTRO would not spark euphoria on the markets, it would rather further reassure investors about the measures taken to support the sector in its recovery,” said Dylan Baron, fund manager at Quilvest Gestion, which owns shares in Italy’s Intesa Sanpaolo

and Spain’s Banco Santander. “Because these banking stocks are recovering from such low levels, any additional measures from the ECB could fuel gains in the shares, which would outperform.” Compared to late 2011, concern over financial companies has abated but weak third quarter earnings from Italian banks showed a full recovery may be some way off so another liquidity boost could enable the banks to lend more.

“The Italian banks are the ones which would benefit the most from it, given the fact that they haven’t yet fully paid back the money from the previous LTROs and are having difficulties finding liquidity,” said Arnaud Scarpaci, fund manager at Montaigne Capital, who does not have equity positions in Italian banks but is looking into buying shares. “This would bring muchneeded breathing space here.” BCM & Partners’ Roberto Giacalone also said Italian banks would be among the main beneficiaries of another LTRO. According to Reuters data, euro-zone banks still have to pay back about two-thirds of the funds from the two LTROs, roughly 600 billion euros, with Italian banks still holding 230 billion euros in LTRO money. —Reuters

DUBAI: From cosmetics to accommodation, travel to toothpaste, complying with religious principles is becoming big business in the Muslim world, and Dubai, better known for flamboyance and unrestrained consumerism than Islamic scholarship, sees an opportunity.

The emirate is mounting the world’s first systematic drive to profit from “halal” goods and services by setting global standards for them and providing certification where the standards are met.

In January Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, announced plans to make the emirate a centre of the “Islamic economy”. Next week, Dubai will host a conference on the subject that it is expected to attract over 2,000 officials, businessmen and consumers from around the world. It might sound like a hard sell for a city where alcohol and bikinis loom large in the lives of some of its foreign residents and millions of tourists who visit each year, but the emirate, already the Gulf’s top financial centre and a merchandise trade hub, may have the business acumen and international connections to pull it off.

In fact, it may succeed precisely because of its cosmopolitan culture. Standards set in stricter countries such as Saudi Arabia might struggle for acceptance in more liberal societies such as Malaysia; Dubai may be best placed to take a middle path acceptable to most of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims.

“Dubai’s economy hinges on its maintenance of coexistence among faiths,” said Jim Krane, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in the United States, and author of “City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism”. “That makes Dubai an ideal testing ground for halal standards. If halal standards are too restrictive and impinge on social freedoms, they might hurt business.”

HALAL A decade ago the term “halal”, an Arabic word meaning “permissible”, was applied mostly to the food eaten by Muslims.

Increasingly it is also being used to describe a range of products and services, including high fashion, toiletries, medicine, hotels and tourism, entertainment and education. Halal toothpaste and medical products do not include alcohol or animal derivatives from banned sources, such as pigs, or cattle slaughtered in an improper way. Halal fashion means clothes that are both modest and trendy.

For women crowded round a counter in a glitzy Dubai mall, one nail varnish had the appeal of being “breathable”, letting moisture and oxygen pass through, so the wearer could properly wash as required before prayers. “I’ve been waiting for such a product for so long,” said Mai Elsakhawy, an Egyptian resident of Dubai in her early 30s. “I can now wear my nail polish without violating my religious beliefs and affecting my prayers.”

Some of the growing emphasis on halal products may be due to increased piety in parts of the Muslim world. For some people it has become a consumer trend, encouraged by companies advertising new products to stimulate demand. Nobody knows how much of the Muslim world’s spending will become halal, but a report to be released next week

by Thomson Reuters and DinarStandard, a New York advisory firm that focuses on emerging Muslim markets, estimates Muslim

consumer spending on food and lifestyles totalled $1.62 trillion in 2012.

“The real development that is happening now, and which is the big opportunity, is that halal is now a lifestyle segment,” said Rafiuddin Shikoh, chief executive of DinarStandard. “The underlying business proposition is a large customer segment that is increasingly making purchasing decisions that include, among other attributes, Islamic principles.”

With a population of 2.2 million and a limited manufacturing base, Dubai cannot hope to make the bulk of halal products itself. So it is developing design and accreditation standards for them, hoping that the standards will become used globally. If that happens, Dubai’s economy may benefit as multinational firms serving Muslim markets base research and marketing operations in the emirate. This could in turn prompt them to raise money in Dubai’s Islamic capital markets. “Dubai, and for that matter any centre that is focusing on the developing halal market, will see various economic and financial by-products,” said Shikoh.

TESTING Currently, halal certification for food and other products is fragmented around the world, with companies seeking separate approvals in the individual markets they deal with. Dubai aims to operate a globally accepted certification process that would be easier and cheaper. The emirate’s government plans to open an international laboratory and accreditation centre in the first quarter of next year.

“Manufacturers, producers and certification bodies should have a proper financial solution,” said Amina Ahmed Mohammed, director of the accreditation department in Dubai’s city government. “Our prime objective is with UAE (United Arab Emirates) companies, but our accreditation is international it can be used anywhere else.” Mohammed said Dubai was talking to other accreditation bodies around the world in an effort to create a commonly recognized halal label that could be attached to products. The emirate will offer to train personnel conducting Islamic certification and quality testing in other countries.

Among service industries, Dubai may have an advantage in its tourism industry, which is already the Gulf’s most vibrant. In the last few years, some hotels have begun marketing themselves as halal. This can mean little more than alcohol-free premises, but some hotels offer facilities such as women-only floors.

Dubai-based Hospitality Management Holdings, which runs 20 alcohol-free hotels across the Middle East, said they were appealing to many non-Muslims who were looking for family-friendly accommodation. About 5060 percent of its customers in Dubai are nonMuslims, the company said.

Other areas in which Dubai aims to court Islamic business include halal industrial parks communities of halal-oriented businesses that have already been developed in Malaysia. It also hopes to develop a set of standards for halal corporate governance, covering issues such as information disclosure. It is believed to be one of the first times that a government is trying to formalize Islamic guidelines for the behaviour of corporations other than banks and insurers.—Reuters

NEW YORK: People walk by JP Morgan Chase & Company headquarters in New York. — AFP

JPMorgan deal ‘may not’ end legal woes WASHINGTON: The $13 billion settlement that JPMorgan Chase agreed to Tuesday is the largest ever between the Justice Department and a corporation. Yet it isn’t likely the end of the bank’s legal troubles over the risky mortgage securities it sold before the financial crisis. JPMorgan has several lawsuits pending against it and the mortgage businesses it bought from Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual in 2008. There’s also an ongoing criminal investigation led by the office of US Attorney Benjamin Wagner in Sacramento, Calif.

The bank may be negotiating or litigating for years and has set aside $23 billion to cover those costs. Last month, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it said it may need up to $5.7 billion more. In a conference call with investors Tuesday, JPMorgan’s chief financial officer, Marianne Lake, said it was “too early” to discuss whether the bank would have to add to its legal reserves.

“These things are never ‘one and done,’ and they’ll likely be more civil charges,” said Erik Oja, an equity analyst with Standard & Poor’s who covers the US banking industry. But, Oja added, “these sort of settlements really do help clear away most of the issues.” The deal also included settlements with New York, California and other states. It was reached after months of negotiations and could serve as a template for similar settlements with other big banks. As part of the deal, JPMorgan agreed to provide $4 billion in relief to homeowners affected by the bad loans. The bank also acknowledged that it misrepresented the quality of its securities to investors.

JPMorgan was among the major banks that sold securities that plunged in value when the housing market collapsed in 2006 and 2007. Those losses triggered a financial crisis that pushed the economy into the worst recession since the 1930s. “The conduct uncovered in this investigation helped sow the seeds of the mortgage meltdown,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “JPMorgan was not the only financial institution during this period to knowingly bundle toxic loans and sell them to unsuspecting investors, but that is no excuse for the firm’s behavior.”

JPMorgan will pay $2 billion in civil penalties to the federal government and about $1 billion to New York state. An additional $6 billion will go toward compensating investors.

In a statement, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the settlement covers a “very significant portion” of the banks troubled mortgage-backed securities, as well as those it inherited when it purchased Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual in 2008. “We are pleased to have concluded this extensive agreement with the (government) and to have resolved the civil claims of the Department of Justice and others,” Dimon said in the statement. The deal eclipses the record $4 billion levied on oil giant BP in January over the 2010 offshore oil spill, which was the worst in US history. —AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BUSINESS

Qantas, Virgin Australia row turns ugly SYDNEY: Virgin Australia chief John Borghetti yesterday lashed out at “offensive” allegations made by Qantas in an escalating row over foreign ownership, with reports that lawyers had been called in. It follows Qantas chief Alan Joyce this week blasting what he called a “virtual takeover” of Virgin Australia by foreign airlines, claiming they were working to destabilise the national carrier.

On Tuesday, Qantas launched an online campaign against a capital raising by Virgin that could leave 72 percent of the carrier in the hands of Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad. Joyce, who was in Canberra yesterday to lobby politicians, said it would result in an “unfair playing field”. He claimed the foreign backing allowed Virgin to run at a loss by setting uncompetitively low prices to win customers

from Qantas, an allegation Borghetti denied.

“To say that Virgin Australia is driven by a strategy of uncompetitively low prices and irrational behavior is offensive and absurd,” he told the company’s annual general meeting in Brisbane.”The airline is run rationally with good management and a view to creating a long-term sustainable and profitable business.” He added: “We have embraced change and competition and adapted our business to it.” Borghetti is so furious that he is seeking legal advice on whether there are grounds to sue Joyce for defamation, Fairfax Media reported, although the airline could not immediately confirm this.

In reaction to the legal threat, Qantas said: “We’re very comfortable with the observations and statements we’ve made. “The question of motive behind Virgin’s commercial

decisions is one that market analysts and commentators have been asking for some time, and have rightly repeated in light of the latest equity injection,” a spokesman added.

Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Etihad already own 63 percent of Qantas’ main domestic rival.

Joyce wrote to Prime Minister Tony Abbott and all state governments this week demanding they “fully examine the motives behind the virtual takeover of Virgin Australia by foreign airlines, and to prevent destabilizing of the domestic aviation industry, local tourism and jobs”. Qantas said the situation was compounded by the disadvantage it experienced from the restrictions imposed by the Qantas Sale Act when it was privatized in 1995, which limits foreign ownership in the national carrier to 49 percent. — AFP

MANILA: Typhoon survivor who arrived in Manila from Tacloban, sits in front of a bowl of porridge at a tent city constructed inside the Villamor Airbase Elementary School in Manila yesterday. Super Typhoon Haiyan’s devastating assault on the central Philippines exerted a catastrophic human cost, but analysts say its impact on one of Asia’s fastest growing economies will be less traumatic. — AFP

Shares, US dollar sag China sets yuan mid-point at post-revaluation high LONDON: Investors locked in some of the gains that have taken world stock markets to six-year highs yesterday as they waited to see what the mood was like at the US Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting. European shares fell for a second straight day following overnight losses on Wall Street and in Asia, as caution over what the Fed’s October meeting minutes may signal was compounded by some patchy company earnings.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke set the tone late on Tuesday for what is expected to be a cautiously upbeat assessment from the minutes later, saying the US central bank would keep monetary policy ultra-easy as long as needed. With US retail sales data at 1330 GMT also likely to feed the Fed debate, the dollar was at a virtual standstill in the currency market having dipped overnight, and commodities from oil to gold were pegged in tight ranges.

“It confirms our view that the Fed will be extremely careful in taking away accommodative monetary policy and that tapering will begin by March at the earliest,” said Elwin de Groot, an economist and strategist at Rabobank.

“Even though it feels like things may not go further, this policy will simply sustain it (risk rally).

And it is difficult to fight against it, so we could see a further narrowing of spreads and riskier asset prices going higher.”

The euro had edged back from a three-week high to $1.3530 by midday and after a choppy morning European stocks were coming under more sustained pressure with the pan-regional index down 0.3 percent. Spain’s IBEX led a sea of red as it dropped 1 percent while falls of 0.5, 0.3 and 0.4 percent on Britain’s FTSE, Germany’s DAX and Paris’s CAC 40 added to earlier falls in Asia to push MSCI’s world share index down for a second day.

Bond markets in the region also saw selling as they tracked this week’s uptick in US Treasury yields, a move based on the view the Fed will eventually scale back its stimulus. “After the rally last week based on what happened with the ECB cutting rates and dovish statements from the US, the market is now refocusing on the sta-

tus of the economy,” said ING strategist Alessandro Giansanti. “We expect an improvement in the latest data so that should have bearish consequences for US Treasuries and also Bunds.”

CHINA SEEN WIDENING YUAN BAND With data and the Fed dominating focus, futures prices pointed to a subdued start for Wall Street later. In Britain, now the best performing of Europe’s big economies, the Bank of England also published minutes from its latest meeting at the start of the month. Its policymakers were of the view that the UK is now in a sustained recovery and there are no major inflation risks, but continued to stress they would be in no rush to raise interest rates.

Sterling initially cut earlier gains, while UK government bonds and shares pared losses but the impact proved to be short lived and was soon reversed. “I think there is a slight battle of wills going on here,” said HSBC FX strategist Daragh Maher. “The market doesn’t believe the Bank of England will be able to keep rates on hold for so long but the Bank does have the advantage of being the one that decides when to move rates, so it’s a slightly unfair game,” he added. In another closely watched move, the Chinese central bank set the yuan’s mid-point for yesterday trading at 6.1305 per dollar, its highest since the landmark revaluation in 2005.

Zhou Xiaochuan, head of the People’s Bank of China, said in a book about the reforms published on Tuesday that China will gradually expand the yuan’s foreign exchange trading band to make the currency more flexible and market-driven. That does not necessarily mean China will move the trading band overnight, but some analysts think the yuan could gain in the near term on speculation of a wider trading band. For the wider market, it should mean Beijing is less likely to buy US dollars to keep its currency in check. The yuan was little changed in onshore trading, changing hands at 6.0923 per dollar compared with 6.0927 at the local close on Tuesday. — Reuters

Turkey central bank sees inflation above target ISTANBUL: The recent weakness of Turkey’s lira means inflation will stay above target for some time and monetary policy will remain cautious as a result, the central bank said in a presentation to economists yesterday. The bank said its cancellation of one-month repo auctions, announced on Tuesday, would bring its cumulative tightening in money market rates to around 350 basis points (bps) since May, compared to a 60 bps rise in 1-year inflation expectations.

“In order to contain the adverse impact of (inflation) ... the committee decided to strengthen the cautious stance of monetary policy and further reduce the volatility of short term money market rates,” the presentation, also published on the bank’s website, said in explanation of Tuesday’s decision.

The bank held fire on interest rates but signaled more tightening of its day-to-day monetary policy on Tuesday, as it worries

about a withdrawal of US monetary stimulus that could weaken the lira and push inflation up further. Its decision to stop funding the market through weekly onemonth repo auctions gives it tighter control over overnight lending rates and will enable it to increase banks’ cost of funding more sharply if needed.

“They are trying to send a message that they are now focusing on inflation,” said Timothy Ash, head of emerging markets research at Standard Bank, who attended the meeting with economists.

Emerging market currencies have gained ground in recent weeks on expectations the US Federal Reserve will wait until March before trimming bond-buying that has flooded the developed world with cheap dollars. But the lira remains near historic lows against the dollar as Turkey’s huge current account deficit leaves it vulnerable to eventual reining in of policy by the Fed. — Reuters

TransAsia to launch first low-cost airline TAIPEI: TransAsia Airways said yesterday it would spend around Tw$3 billion ($100 million) to launch Taiwan’s first low-cost airline as it tries to tap into growing demand for cheap travel. “We have been preparing this for a long time and our goal is to design a budget airline completely catering to the needs and expectations of the Taiwanese people,” said chairman Vincent Lin, after the company secured government approval to set up the so-far unnamed budget subsidiary.

TransAsia, Taiwan’s first private airline, plans initially to lease two to three Airbus A320/A321 planes and hopes to start flying within a year, Lin said. “We will lease brand-new aircraft for a brand-new airline. We will use the best equipment possible,” he said. Lin declined to say which routes the airline would serve or what

fares it would charge. The company has launched a contest to name the new airline, with the winner entitled to unlimited free flights for 10 years, Lin said.

TransAsia-which flies to Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam - has been expanding as it benefits from increased revenues from new China routes that have opened up in recent years since relations between Beijing and Taipei improved. Demands for discount flying has been rising in Asia. Currently 12 foreign budget airlines, including Malaysia-based AirAsia and Japan’s Peach Aviation, offer services to and from Taiwan.

Taiwan’s leading carrier China Airlines has also applied to the authorities to launch a lowcost carrier. The bid is awaiting government approval. — AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BUSINESS

Coffee & Tea Festival sets a fresher precedence KUWAIT: The International Coffee & Tea Festival came to a successful close on November 9th, 2013 with exhibitors and participants commending the strategic importance of the event for the Middle East coffee and tea industry. The show reinforced its position as the only dedicated trade event for the coffee and tea industry in the Arab world by drawing over 6,500 visitors to its fifth edition. The festival, which commenced on November 9th 2013, has been instrumental to the growth of the industry over the years and provides a platform for professionals and coffee/tea businesses to promote their products and explore new business channels.

The four-day event also resonated well with international exhibitors from across the world who are increasingly viewing the Middle East market as a very promising arena for investment and business prospects. Several of these participating businesses showcased new products & concepts at the show, delighting attendees with their unusual and tasteful beverages.

Ryan Godinho, UAE’s National Coordinator for World Coffee Events and Event Director of the International Coffee & Tea Festival, commented: “The overwhelming response from participants and the tremendous footfall at this year’s event signifies the growing relevancy of this platform in the region,

which was introduced only five years back. We feel the success of the event will also serve as a boost for the industry, further encouraging investor confidence and presenting a more positive industry outlook globally.”

“There was not a dull moment at the festival. The number of visitors kept growing throughout the four days. This has resulted in great exposure for our product line. With the wide array of items that we had showcased, our exhibition area was like a festival within a festival. This platform definitely helped us to have a positive impact on the visitors and performed beyond our expectations,” added Khalid Al Mulla, Director, Easternmen & Co. “We are very pleased with the outcome of our participation at the International Coffee & Tea Festival.

Synesso was successfully launched within the Middle East region at this show which truly showcased excellence in an industry-relevant format. Our sponsorship at this event proved to be a worthy investment in our eyes, with our espresso machines attracting the attention of many who seek to advance their coffee services above all else currently available in the market.

We have established various business leads through the event and we look forward to being involved once again in the 2014 edition,” commented Mark Barnett,

Owner & Designer of Synesso espresso coffee machines. Tea traders and distributors at the International Coffee & Tea Festival also spoke highly of the event’s role in promoting specialty tea businesses and noted that more and more people in the Middle East are now willing to spend money on varied tea blends & products.

Speaking about its significance for tea businesses, Ranjith Abeykoon, Director-Tea Promotion, Ceylon Tea, said: “With 310 million kilos of tea exported to the Middle East every year, it is very important for us to have a presence at the International Coffee & Tea Festival.

Besides, over the last few years, customers here are becoming more discerning and have developed a preference for specialty tea.

As we offer some of the choicest teas directly obtained from Sri Lankan tea plantations, we feel that this show is the best platform to showcase our products to the world.” Another highlight of the 2013 edition was the crowning of the champions of the UAE Barista and Latte Art Championships, which form a key component of the Festival. Kushal Balami, from Coffee Raw won the Barista Champion title and he will now represent the UAE at the World Barista Championships in Italy next year.

A close runner-up and a first time participant at the Barista Championships

was Armiel Alkuino, from La Marquise who delivered an excellent performance.

The winning title of the UAE Latte Art Championship 2013 went to Nouman Qureshi from Icons Coffee who consistently created and served outstanding Latte Art designs to the judges during the contest. “If you are in the coffee and tea business, participating at this event is very essential. It was a good opportunity to meet people in the industry, both locals and UAE residents,” concluded Orit Mohammed, General Manager of Boon

Coffee. The International Coffee & Tea Festival is a one-stop destination for all facets of coffee, tea and cafÈ products, equipment and services in the Middle East. It attracts industry professionals from GCC territories, the Levant region, North and South Africa, the Caspian region, Iran, and the Indian sub-continent. The 2014 edition of the show, which is expected to return on a much enhanced and businessconducive format, is already in planning phase, with the dates of the 2014 show soon to be announced.

Russian central bank withdraws license of mid-sized Master Bank Large-scale dubious operations alleged

Jaguar cruises with 38 percent growth KUWAIT: Luxury automotive manufacturer Jaguar continues its MENA sales success with a 38% sales increase from January to September 2013 vs the same period last year. The results mirror the strong global per formance which saw a record September, up 17% vs 2012. Jaguar delivered a strong MENA sales performance, with an increase of 30% during January to September 2013 vs 2012. The flagship Jaguar XJ led the charge with 32% uplift in sales for the period, boosted by a number of corporate deals in KSA and Kuwait, followed by the award-winning Jaguar XF which maintained momentum to deliver a 25% increase. Sales of the newly launched Jaguar F-TYPE, the first all-new sports car

for the brand in over 50 years, also contributed to the result, with sales of the allaluminum two-seater convertible surpassing expectations. Speaking about the results, Robin Colgan, Managing Director for Jaguar MENA said: “I am proud to say we have had an exceptionally strong year to date in MENA, and these figures prove we have been successful in maintaining this momentum across both brands. This was driven in part by the launch of the stunning new vehicle which has been extremely well received by customers in the region - the Jaguar F-TYPE.” He added: “With the introduction of our revitalized 14MY fleet, we expect results for the remainder of the year to be equally as impressive.”

Bitcoin value jumps, after US authorities appear positive WASHINGTON: Call it a speculative bubble or the rise of a currency of the future: the bitcoin jumped in value Tuesday after US authorities appeared to give the virtual money their blessing. The electronic currency that is suspected of being used for illicit transactions on the Internet reached a value of $900 for the first time on specialized currency exchange websites.

But it is highly volatile, and a few hours later it was down to $700, according to Mt GOX, which manages trading done in bitcoin. Back in April it was worth just $200. At a Senate hearing, the bitcoin was ìseen in a way more positive than the market had expected because I think the market anticipated almost by definition the authorities would be negative,î said Steve Hanke, a professor applied economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

In an email to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve central bank, Ben Bernanke, effectively welcomed the potential of the bitcoin. He said that ìwhile these types of innovations may pose risks related to law enforcement and supervisory matters, there are also areas in which they may hold

long-term promise, particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment systemî.

Born after the financial crisis as the invention of mysterious computer guru who goes by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, the bitcoin is both a currency generated by computer code which restricts the amount of units created, and a payment system with no centralized structure. Virtual currency systems ìare appealing because they provide cheap, convenient, efficient means to transfer currency,î Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant Attorney General at the US Justice Department, told the Senate panel. Demand for bitcoin is strong because of regulations designed to block many kinds of financial transactions as part of sanctions, Hanke said. Thanks to its anonymity and lack of commission costs, the bitcoin is ìseen more and more as a viable means of payment,î Hanke said.

The value of the bitcoin might also be fueled in the future by China ìbecause Chinese people are savers, and more people are seeing bitcoin as a way to store and invest their money,î Linke Yang, vice president of BTC China, told AFP on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore.—AFP

MOSCOW: Russia’s central bank has withdrawn the license of Master Bank, a mid-sized Moscow bank with significant retail operations, because of what it called “large-scale dubious operations”. An announcement by the central bank yesterday referred to a failure by Master Bank to observe anti-money laundering laws, false accounting and loans to connected parties.

Master Bank’s website has been replaced with an official statement from the bank saying it had been placed under temporary administration and referring clients to the relevant law on bank bankruptcy. It did not respond to requests for further information.

The bank is one of the largest Russian lenders to have its licence revoked in recent years. Igor Putin, a cousin of President Vladimir

Putin, is still on the board having previously worked as a Vice-President. The central bank’s move could be intended by new governor Elvira Nabiullina to send a strong message about toughening regulation of the banking sector.

Nabiullina later told the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, that Master Bank had a hole of at least 2 billion roubles ($61 million) in its capital. “We were forced to take this extreme measure”, she said.

The bank’s closure is also the biggest test to date of Russia’s system of retail deposit insurance, designed to reassure small savers that their bank deposits are guaranteed by the state even in the event of bank failures. The withdrawal of Master Bank’s licence will cost the state’s Deposit Insurance Agency about 30 bil-

lion roubles ($917 million), the agency’s deputy head, Andrei Melnikov said. This represents the largest such depositor pay-out since the agency was created in 2004 to try to bolster confidence in Russia’s banking sector.

Master Bank is Russia’s 41st largest bank in terms of retail accounts and deposits, with some 47.4 billion roubles in private individuals’ funds in the third quarter, according to rankings compiled by Interfax news agency. It has some 75.2 billion roubles in assets, according the Interfax rankings. Despite steps to improve regulation in recent years, Russia still has 936 banks, mostly small ones. Nabiullina’s predecessor, Sergei Ignatyev, said in February the central bank was concerned by evidence of massive money laundering operations. —Reuters

Switch buttresses Argentina’s left-leaning economic model BUENOS AIRES: President Cristina Fernandez’s new Cabinet picks this week confirmed a deepening of Argentina’s left-leaning economic model rather than a policy switch needed to confront escalating inflation and dwindling foreign currency reserves. After the president’s first public appearance since an Oct 8 operation to remove blood that pooled on her brain, her office late on Monday announced the promotion of leftist economist Axel Kicillof to economy minister and the replacement of the central bank director and agriculture minister.

Kicillof has served as deputy economy minister.

Argentine debt prices were little moved on Tuesday by the news, though the Global 2017 bond was down 1 percent. The Merval stock index fell 3 percent. Analysts said the 42-year-old Kicillof already had more influence on Fernandez than the man he replaced, Hernan Lorenzino, who was given the job of ambassador to the European Union.

Kicillof has advocated more interventionist policies and, as an academic, gave classes and wrote about the theories of economists including John Maynard Keynes and Karl Marx. “For private investors, Kicillof is a concern, and for Argentines he is the ratification of the current economic course - nothing will change,” said Alberto Fernandez, who was Cabinet chief under former President Nestor Kirchner, Fernandez’s late husband.

Carlos Casamiquela will take over from Norberto Yauhar as agriculture minister in the world’s No. 3 soybean and corn supplier. A 65-year-old agronomist, Casamiquela is known as a serious farm technician who understands the issues facing growers. His appointment may improve dialogue between the government and the agriculture sector, but no big changes were expected in the interventionist policies that farmers say wreck their profits. In addition, Carlos Fabrega was named central bank chief, replacing Mercedes MarcÛ del Pont.

MORENO RESIGNS Domestic Trade Secretary Guillermo Moreno, Fernandez’s right-hand man in negotiating with the private sector and a lightning rod for criticism of her most contentious economic issues, resigned on Tuesday. He is known for his tough stance with foreign firms, particularly grain trading companies, and has sent companies like Brazilian miner Vale running for the door.

He led the government’s crackdown on private economists who say inflation is at least twice the official rate, charging them hefty fines to try to quell dissent over the crucial data. The International Monetary Fund, which requires accurate statistics to analyze the world’s economies, censured Argentina in early

2013 for failing to improve the accuracy of its inflation and gross domestic product data.

Moreno’s resignation takes effect on Dec 2; there is no word on who will replace him. In a video shown Monday before the first round of Cabinet changes were announced, Fernandez looked rested, holding a small white dog she said was sent to her by one of the brothers of the late leftist leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. Argentina, Latin America’s No 3 economy, faces inflation that private economists estimate at 25 percent and a currency, the peso, that is 65 percent weaker on the informal market than at the government’s official rate.

The government is also in the midst of a decade-long legal battle with holdout creditors and is blowing through foreign currency reserves to import energy and fund popular subsidies.

Kicillof steered the Argentine government’s expropriation of a controlling stake in energy company YPF from its former parent company, Spain’s Repsol.

Argentina, once a net energy exporter, needs foreign capital to develop its vast Vaca Muerta shale reserves.

Amid concerns over the economy’s health, Fernandez’s supporters suffered heavy losses in congressional elections on Oct 27 that ended her chances of securing a change to the constitution that would have enabled her to run for a third term in 2015. “Since there’s no chance of Fernandez holding on to power, she might just throw caution to the wind and really double down on some of these ideological reforms pre-2015,” said Michael Henderson, a Latin American economist at Capital Economics.

Most observers expect Fernandez’s government to maintain or intensify measures to keep the economy growing even as foreign investment abandons Argentina. She increased public spending to keep voters happy before the mid-term vote, causing prices to rise and reserves to melt away. “The bottom line is that if the government fails to tackle the underlying inflation problem - which the new economy minister doesn’t even recognize - there will be a strong risk of some sort of currency crisis in the rest of Ms. Fernandez’s term,” said Fiona Mackie, an Argentina analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Mackie said bondholders who refused to participate in two debt restructurings dating to the country’s 2002 default had more confidence in Lorenzino as a dealmaker than in the abilities of Kicillof, who previously focused on domestic policy. “This could dash hopes that were only recently raised that some sort of negotiated settlement to the holdout problem could finally, and against the odds really, be found,” Mackie said.— Reuters

‘A tribute to purity’ KUWAIT: evian is delighted to announce its collaboration with ELIE SAAB, to create a limited edition glass bottle that is a joint celebration of both brands’ pursuit of purity in design. The partnership between evian and ELIE SAAB is the latest to follow six years of evian associating itself with international fashion brands.

This year, the two brands unite with the common theme of purity. The bottle is decorated with a signature ELIE SAAB lace pattern, that recalls the feminine and elegant designs featured so prominently in the brand’s collections.

The delicate white lace has been applied with architectural accuracy, bringing added refinement to the clean lines of the bottle’s silhouette. The final creation symbolizes the immaculate craftsmanship, and the mutual sophistication that both ELIE SAAB and evian are renowned for.

“We are thrilled to see our bottle dressed by Elie Saab,” says Martin Renaud, President Evian Volvic World. “This masterful artist designed a unique, subtle lace gown for our glass limited edition bottle that elegantly underlines its purity, while capturing how unique and precious the evian water is.” The ELIE SAAB for evian bottle will be available in two sizes in the Middle East: 75 cl and 33 cl, and will be available in the region in selected restaurants, exclusive retailers and gourmet stores from the end of this month.

PURITY ORIGIN - evian was born in the heart of the French Alps. A unique protected site, thousands of years old, surrounded by mountains and glaciers.

A LONG JOURNEY - A journey of over 15 years, protected by impermeable rocks, during which evian(r) water acquires its unique constant mineral composition.

NATURALLY PURE- Naturally filtered by glaciers sands, evian(r) water emerges as pure as Nature crafted it.

DESIGN ELEGANCE A naturally gifted designer, Elie Saab has distinguished himself by creating timeless, elegant dresses that are a celebration of the feminine silhouette.

CRAFTSMANSHIP - Using the finest fabrics and intricate embellishments, each creation is a masterpiece of sublime beauty.

A VISION - The delicate ELIE SAAB lace and the refined silhouette of the evian(r) bottle combine to create a common vision of purity.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

BUSINESS

APICORP signs Documentary Credit Insurance Policy with ICIEC KUWAIT: Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), the Multilateral Development Bank owned by the ten member nations of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), has signed a Documentary Credit Insurance Policy (DCIP) with the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group.

The government of Kuwait owns a 17% stake in APICORP. The Documentary Credit Insurance Policy will help APICORP effectively manage risks affecting its Letter of Credit (LC) transactions and LCs of petroleum products exports in ICIEC member countries.

The DCIP is an effective tool to mitigate risk of non-payment of Letter of Credit (LC) arising from a variety of factors.

These include insolvency of the buyer/ issuing bank; failure or refusal of the issuing bank to provide reimbursement on due date; currency inconvertibility and transfer restrictions imposed by issuing bank’s country; expropriation, confiscation or government intervention in the business of the issuing bank; and war or civil disturbance in the issu-

ing bank’s country. The DCIP provides insurance coverage to transactions in which a minimum of 30% of the added value in the products transacted come from ICIEC member states.

Ahmad Bin Hamad Al-Nuaimi, Chief Executive and General Manager of APICORP said: “We are extremely happy to advance our cooperation with the IDB’s ICIEC by signing the DCIP. Trade finance forms an important focus of our diversification strategy and contributes significantly to our mandate to support Arab energy industry development.

The DCIP will help us reliably protect and control risks in trade finance transactions, which in turn will help us better support the trading needs of Arab energy companies and enhance our tradefinance business growth. The ICIEC’s extensive geographical remit and its mandate to encourage exports from member countries, some of whom are our own shareholders, make it a highly strategic partner for us. Partnerships like these are key to our ability to expand our trade finance business and create value and growth for energy companies in the region.”

At the signing ceremony, Dr Abdel-

Rahman El-TayebTaha the Chief Executive Officer of ICIEC stated: “Events in the region show clearly the important role Credit and Political Risk Insurance can play in supporting trade and attracting foreign investment into countries which need it the most. We are confident that the signed policy will help APICORP in mitigating risks related to the default and non-payment of Letters of Credit confirmed by APICORP and thereby help to expand their trade transactions and ultimately increase exports from member countries.” Dr Taha added: “This signed DCIP between ICIEC and APICORP is the first signed between ICIEC and a joint Arab Financial Institution and represents a beneficial alliance between two sister multilateral institutions.”

APICORP offers a range of trade finance solutions for import and export transactions designed to meet the challenging needs of energy companies in the Arab world. APICORP has rapidly grown its trade finance and structured commodity finance activities over the last three years complementing its historically strong project finance franchise. Trade and structured commodity

finance services and loans provided by APICORP in 2013 helped finance hydrocarbon transactions involving the world’s largest hydrocarbon commodity traders transacting with Arab-based refiners.

ICIEC, Aa3 rated by Moody’s, an affiliate of the Islamic Development Bank Group, is the only Shariah compliant export credit and investment insurer in

the world and the leading insurer of credit & political risk in the MENA region. With an objective to increase the scope of trade transactions and facilitate and encourage the flow of FDI to its 41 member countries. ICIEC has insured over $17 billion worth of exports, since 1994, in petrochemical, oil, textiles, food, agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

Gold edges lower

Air Arabia touches down in Hofuf, Saudi Arabia Hofuf becomes tenth destination in the Kingdom SHARJAH: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced yesterday that its operations to Hofuf, Saudi Arabia, have commenced from its primary hub in Sharjah. The new service from the carrier’s primary hub in Sharjah marks Air Arabia’s tenth destination in the Kingdom and 87th worldwide. Air Arabia offers four weekly flights to Hofuf, making it easier and more convenient for passengers to travel between the two cities. Operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Air Arabia’s Hofuf service will depart from Sharjah International Airport at 17:20 and arrive in Hofuf International Airport at 17:50. Return flights will depart from Hofuf on the same days at 18:30 and arrive in Sharjah at 20:55.

“The launch of Hofuf in Saudi Arabia is a continuation of Air Arabia’s commitment to further expand operations in the Kingdom,” said, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia.

“With the launch of four times weekly direct flights from Sharjah, we are confident that our customers will benefit from a unique value driven product. Saudi Arabia remains a key focus for the airline, and we look forward to add another destination before the end of the year.”

Offering more than 100 weekly non-stop flights to Saudi Arabia from Sharjah, and its Alexandria hub in Egypt, Air Arabia continues to strengthen its intra-regional Arab network offering customers a wider choice for affordable air travel. In addition to Hofuf, Air Arabia operates non-stop flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Madina, Dammam, Qassim, Yanbu, Taif, Abha, and Hail in Saudi Arabia.

Hofuf, often known as a major cultural center, is a city in the Eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al Jawatha Masjid, Jebel Gara Caves, Qasr Ibraheem and Al-Oqair Beach are major tourist attractions.

LONDON: Gold edged lower yesterday, failing to capitalize on dovish Federal Reserve’s comments as investors awaited the release of the minutes of the US central bank’s policy meeting later in the session for clues on when it will trim its stimulus.

In a speech that echoed comments by his nominated successor, Janet Yellen, Bernanke said that while the economy had made significant progress, it was still far from where officials wanted it to be.

“The key issue today is the FOMC minutes and investors will look to see if there is any surprise in the announcement, although I doubt it,” Sharps Pixley CEO Ross Norman said. “There is nothing really new in terms of macro drivers at the moment ...the tapering discussion continues and prices may remain under pressure until the Fed clarify the timing of it.”

Spot gold fell 0.3 percent to $1,270.96 an ounce by 1058 GMT. The short-term upside was capped at 10-day moving average of $1,290, while a break below $1,260 would trigger losses to $1,220, VTB Capital said in a note. US gold futures for December delivery fell 0.3 percent to $1,270.10 an ounce. The dollar was marginally lower against a basket of currencies ahead of the minutes for the October 29-30 Fed meeting, due for release at 1900 GMT. Investors were looking for detail of Fed discussions on the timing of any tapering.

Bernanke also said that the Fed will maintain ultra-easy monetary policy for as long as needed and will only begin to taper bond buying once it is assured that labor market improvements would

AirAsia profit slumps for 3rd quarter in row KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, Asia’s largest low-cost carrier by fleet size, said yesterday its third-quarter net profit fell 77.5 percent year-on-year due to foreign exchange losses despite an increase in passengers. Net profit for the quarter ending September 30 stood at 35.48 million ringgit ($11.14 million) compared to 157.81 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue increased 3.5 percent to 1.28 billion ringgit from 1.24 billion ringgit the previous year, supported by a 11 percent growth in passengers, it said.

Operating profit rose by 5.0 percent to 291.06 million ringgit for the quarter. But the bottom line was hit by foreign exchange losses on borrowings.

Average fares also fell 12 percent from the same quar-

ter last year as AirAsia cuts prices to stay ahead of competitors, including struggling national flag carrier Malaysia Airlines and the recently set-up Malindo Airways, an affiliate of Indonesia’s budget carrier Lion Air. “The main thing to highlight is that despite irrational competition by competitors, AirAsia is able to post higher operating profit and margins,” the company said in a statement.

AirAsia said the outlook was “strong” for the rest of the year. “Passenger numbers are expected to be particularly strong in November and December during the year-end holiday period and remain strong for the rest of the quarter in line with the seasonal patterns,” it said in the stock market filing. The airline’s profits slumped 62 percent in

the second quarter and 39 percent in the first quarter year-on-year. This follows a highly profitable 2012, when AirAsia recorded a 238 percent jump in net profit for the full financial year despite a 1.0 percent rise in the average fuel price. AirAsia, run by flamboyant boss Tony Fernandes, has grown from a struggling two-plane operation in 2001 to a total fleet of more than 120 A320s. The airline, one of the biggest customers for European aircraft maker Airbus, is expecting nearly 360 more aircraft to be delivered up to 2026. It has also set up subsidiary budget carriers in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand and plans to launch a no-frills joint venture in India later this year. — AFP

Chevrolet Impala scoops ‘Best Large Sedan Award’ KUWAIT: The 2014 Chevrolet Impala drove away with the top honor in the Large Sedan category at the Middle East Motor Awards 2013- which took place on October 29 at Sharjah’s Al Majaz Waterfront. Attendees at the prestigious gala award ceremony included Maurice Williams, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East Operations and Markus Leithe, Regional Marketing Director.

The 2014 full-size flagship sedan was nominated in the Best Large Sedan category based on a slew of criteria comprising performance prowess, head-turning design, a spacious refined interior, advanced technologies and great value. The winning vehicle was then selected by a highlyacclaimed judging panel - featuring the Middle East’s most renowned automotive journalists- following a comprehensive seven-month assessment period.

“It is a true honor to have received the coveted Best Large

Sedan Award at this year’s Middle East Motor Awards,” said Maurice Williams, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East Operations. “Such recognition - stemming from the region’s leading annual automotive awards - is further testament to the 2014 Chevrolet Impala’s extensive roster of pioneering features, introduced to ensure the highest standards in design quality and performance.” He added, “We are very proud to have earned this award - which we believe further cements General Motors’ indelible legacy of excellence and leadership.”

Introducing new levels of comfort and technology, the new full-size sedan presents one of the most comprehensive collections of standard and available safety features in the segment, such as 10 standard air bags, forward collision alert, lane departure warning and side blind zone alert. Indeed, it recently received the highest possible five-star Overall

Vehicle Score for safety as part of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.

Inside, the 2014 Impala offers ultimate comfort in a quiet environment with spacious front and rear legroom, generous storage and smartphone-influenced connectivity with MyLink, Chevrolet’s new infotainment system.

Powered by a 3.6L V6 engine featuring fuel-saving direct injection and lightweight components, it provides an excellent fuel economy of 8.1 L/100km (highway). Electric power steering system and enhanced suspension provide customers with a truly enhanced driving experience. The 2014 Chevrolet Impala earned the highest score in the United States’ Consumer Reports ratings in the US in August. It was also named the 2014 Best American Full-Size Passenger Car

by Automobile magazine and its related TV program - which airs on Future TV in the Middle East in June.

continue. The speech supported expectations that the Fed would not immediately roll back its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases. The US central bank may need to wait until next year, possibly until March, before beginning to wind down its stimulus program, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said.

The bond purchases had been a support for gold prices until recently as investors sought a hedge against inflation. However, gold has dropped nearly 25 percent this year as an improving economy prompted investors to channel money towards stocks and after the Fed in May signalled it would start looking at rolling stimulus back. Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund and the best measurement of gold market sentiment, fell 1.50 tons to 863.01 tons on Tuesday - their lowest since February 2009.

Physical demand from China and other Asian countries has failed to pick up below the $1,300 level as consumers looked to have satisfied their needs when prices fell earlier in the year. “We are now in the heart of the traditional season for buying gold in main Asian markets but demand remains remarkably light and that’s another element of support missing for gold at the moment,” Norman said. Silver rose 0.2 percent at $20.35 an ounce, having touched a three-month low of $20.46 on Tuesday. Spot platinum fell 0.2 percent to $1,408.49 an ounce, while spot palladium was down 0.2 percent at $716.72 an ounce. — Reuters

Best and newest offers at Bumper-to-Bumper KUWAIT: Building on the huge success of the “Japanese Car Campaign” and due to Bumper-to-Bumper ongoing commitment t of providing a safe driving experiences and offering the highest levels of service, products and valuable promotions to each and every customer, Bumper-toBumper launched its free checkup campaign on all Korean vehicles of any model or make. Every car owner of a Korean vehicle can now enjoy a comprehensive vehicle checkup at any of the Bumper-to-Bumper’s branch across Kuwait. This limited time offer ends on 12th of December 2013.

If you have a Korean car and would like to benefit from the free checkup, you can visit the closest Bumper-toBumper branch and benefit from this campaign that provides you with a checkup on tire service including tires’ pressure, brakes and disks as well as thread depth and tire quality. In addition, the electrical system will be checked

by Bumper-to-Bumper’s skilled professionals who will inspect the battery, wiper, lights, brake lights, turn signals and headlights. The suspension system will also be checked, and technicians will inspect the suspension, control arms and bushes.

Ever since its launch in 1980, Bumper-to-Bumper has been one of Kuwait’s first state-of-the-art, one-stop shop for customers who want a quick solution for their vehicle’s problems. Working within four main areas of service including quick service, quick lube, body shop and car wash, the company’s crew of highly-trained technicians uses the most advanced equipment to offer customers an unprecedented level of quick service support.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 , 2013

technology

technology use, risks outpacing audit capabilities PROTIVITI STUDY DUBAI: Despite ongoing efforts to address information technology issues, companies continue to come up short in their IT audit functions, according to a new survey from global consulting firm Protiviti (www.protiviti.com).The study reveals that a large percentage of organizations are not planning and instituting the IT audit coverage necessary to assure critical IT operations, evaluate risk and provide a secure, available IT environment.

Now in its third edition, Protiviti’s latestIT audit benchmarking study, titled From Cybersecurity to IT Governance - Preparing Your 2014 Audit Plan, analyzes the primary technology-related challenges companies face from the internal audit perspective, and identifies trends in the ways organizations evaluate their approach to IT audit functions and capabilities. The survey report can serve as a helpful guide to internal audit functions, audit committees and boards of directors as they build their annual audit plans.

“In today’s organizations, virtually every function is technology-dependent, which means companies face a greater number of challenges to ensure an efficient, secure IT environment,” said Brian Christensen, Protiviti executive vice president of global internal audit. “Based on the study, it’s apparent that there is a tremendous gap between where most companies are and where they should be in terms of managing IT risk and strengthening governance and controls. As audit plans are developed, these technology challenges should also be topof-mind for internal audit.”

Top technology challenges According to the 469 respondents who participated in Protiviti’s 2014 IT Audit Benchmarking Survey, including chief audit executives, IT audit directors, IT audit managers, and other auditing professionals, the top technology-related challenges facing organizations are: IT security (including data security, cyber security, and mobile security; this result was the number one challenge for the second consecutive year); IT governance; Lack of ERP implementations, development, and knowl-

edge; Social media; Vendor management; Cloud computing; Emerging technology and infrastructure changes; Big data and analytics; PCI compliance.

The recurring challenge of IT security points to the need for security teams to tap their organization’s internal audit team’s expertise to develop more efficient, sustainable compliance programs. In a report titled Engage Audit Professionals for Better Security Assessment Outcomes (June 26, 2013),Forrester Research, Inc writes about the benefits of audit and security working together to address security compliance: “There are simple ways for security and audit professionals to coordinate more closely in ways that will help both sides achieve their goals... When done correctly, the audit function becomes a powerful advocate for the security team, helping highlight the strength of the program when appropriate and helping justify more investments when there are gaps to fill.”

PRACTICES STILL FALL SHORT Analysis of Protiviti’s survey results also provides important insights into how effectively organizations are improving their IT audit programs and practices, and some notable findings suggest there is a need for dramatic improvement. These include: A large number of companies fail to devote adequate resources to IT audit and, as a result, are not able to fully assess potential risks.

Also, 42 percent of organizations reported that they rely on outside resources to augment their IT audit departments because they lack the appropriate internal resources.

Many internal audit functions are not performing IT audit risk assessments regularly, and even many of the companies that do perform these assessments need to do so more frequently. Of concern, one-third of companies with less than $100 million in revenue do not conduct any type of IT audit risk assessment, which presents countless potential hazards for their respective businesses. Also a cause for concern is the increase from 2012 to 2013 in the number of IT audit directors who report to

the CIO. Even though the overall number of organizations with this reporting relationship is relatively low, allowing the IT department to audit itself is a potential recipe for disaster because independence and objectivity of assessments are lost. “Although there are areas that clearly need attention, it’s a good sign that more companies are working to implement IT governance policies and procedures,” said David Brand, a Protiviti managing director and leader of the firm’s IT Audit practice. “We have seen an uptick in the number of companies that are evaluating IT governance as part of their audit process.”

The survey report From Cybersecurity to IT Governance - Preparing Your 2014 Audit Plan is available

for download at www.protiviti.com/ ITauditsurvey, along with a short video about the survey results. Additionally, Brand has recorded a podcast discussing the survey findings, which is available at www.protiviti.com/podcasts.

The 2014 IT Audit Benchmarking Surveywas conductedin the second and third quarters of 2013. Eightyfour percent of the responses were from companies in North America, with the rest spread among Europe, AsiaPacific, the Middle East and Africa.Sixty-two percent of the participants’ companies had annual revenues of $1billion or greater. The types of organizations participating in the survey were: Public - 50%; Private - 26%; Notfor-profit - 12%; Government - 11%; Other - 1%.

NASA puts out call for commercial space taxis CAPE CANAVERAL: Despite budget uncertainties, NASA on Tuesday issued a solicitation for a commercially operated space taxi to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station, an attempt to break Russia’s monopoly on crew transport by 2017. The United States has been without a human space transportation system since 2011 when NASA retired its three-ship shuttle fleet due to high operating costs and fundamental safety questions. NASA’s so-called Commercial Crew program is intended to address both cost and safety concerns, as well as return the capability to fly people to space from U.S. soil.

The agency wants to be able to purchase rides on a commercial basis before the end of 2017 to fly four crewmembers to and from the station about every six months. The new solicitation asks for proposals for final design, development, test, evaluation and certification of a human space transportation system, including ground operations, launch, orbital operations, return to Earth and landing. Rather than designing a replacement space shuttle and hiring contractors to build it, NASA decided to partner with industry, offering money, technical advice and oversight.

A precursor program for cargo ships spawned two new supply lines to the International Space Station, a $100 billion research outpost that flies about 250 miles (about 400 km) above Earth. So far, privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, has made one test flight and two cargo runs to the station. Orbital Sciences Corp. completed its test flight in September and is preparing its first resupply mission in December.

NASA contributed about $800 million toward the development of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo capsule and for

Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule. The companies also developed launch sites in Florida and Virginia, respectively, ground control stations and support services. Both firms also now offer orbital launch services commercially. NASA followed up the development work with contracts worth a combined $3.5 billion for SpaceX and Orbital Sciences to fly cargo to the station.

Since 2011, SpaceX, Boeing and privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp. have been NASA’s partners in a sister program to develop commercial space taxis to fly astronauts to and from the station. Since the shuttles’ retirement, only Russia has the spaceships to ferry station crewmembers, a service that costs NASA more than $60 million per person.

The Obama administration is requesting $821 million for NASA’s Commercial Crew program for the fiscal year that began on Oct 1.

Congress has not yet passed a 2014 budget. The Senate is proposing $775 million for Commercial Crew; the House wants to cap the program at $500 million. “It’s now critically important to get full funding from Congress to keep us on track to begin these launches in 2017,” NASA administrator Charles Bolden told reporters last week.

NASA on Tuesday issued what is expected to be the last step in the program, with the goal of having test flights in 2016 and an operational system before the end of 2017, documents posted on NASA’s procurement website show.

In addition to US government business, privately owned Bigelow Aerospace, among others, intends to purchase flight services to ferry researchers, tourists and other paying passengers to planned orbital habitats. NASA intends to award one or two Commercial Crew contracts next summer. — Reuters

Driven to distraction: Carmakers mull gadget risks LOS ANGELES: Talking on the phone while driving is illegal in a growing number of countries, but with the explosion of in-car technologies the potential for drivers being distracted is greater than ever. The dangers of gadget distraction were highlighted Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the LA Auto Show devoted a whole day to the opportunities in the so-called Connected Car, as well as the risks.

Technologies which make driving safer-from anti-collision systems to devices which prod you awake if you drift off-have grown to become increasingly standard on new cars.

But at the same time the modern motorist can choose from ever more sophisticated entertainment systems, while social networking and other hi-tech communications make talking or texting on the phone seem old hat.

“Driver distraction is number one for us,” said Phil Abram, Chief Infotainment Officer for General Motors (GM), told a panel debate on the first preview day of the LA Auto Show. “It’s .. important to get that smartphone out of the hands, and safely in the center console,” he added at the show, which opens its doors to the public on Friday and lasts through December 1.

Increasingly powerful smartphones can nowadays be connected straight into in-car systems, which often have flat panel displays able to stream music, video and more at the touch of a button, or screen. German carmaker Audi presented what it called the “connected car of the future” at the LA show Tuesday, touting the new A3 sedan as the first to provide 4G LTE in the vehicle itself.

But a key problem for auto manufacturers stems from the sheer variety of phones, tablets and operating systems, which often fail to work seamlessly with the car itself, according to a study cited at the LA show. Frustrated motorists are left grappling with infotainment systems that freeze, Bluetooth phones or devices which

do not talk to each other, or other glitches which require them to stab at buttons.

“The car manufacturers are really struggling with this,” Peter Skillman of Nokia’s Here mapping unit told the LA Times, which said electronics problems now outweigh mechanical issues as motorists’ top complaint in recent studies. The sheer proliferation of devices also presents a problem for regulators. Whereas it was relatively easy to ban talking and texting while driving, it is difficult to draw the line with so many technologies. “We’re not close to a standard on this,” said Kevin Vincent, chief counsel for America’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), adding that it is a long way from coming up with new laws.

“We’re making recommendations, but they’re voluntary. There are a lot of questions to be answered. It’s a very complex question,” he said. Mitch Bainwol, head of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, defended car makers, and put the blame squarely on phones and how they are used. “The factor that’s causing death on the highways is the device,” he said, while acknowledging the tough task regulators face. “The pace of technology is faster than regulators can cope with.”

Ford vice president Jim Farley highlighted the importance of in-car technology in his opening keynote speech to the LA Auto Show. “We have literally turned the car into a platform for app developers, who work with us to add value through new features delivered at the speed consumers expect,” he said.

A new Nielsen study, the key findings of which were presented at the show, showed that people are already shopping from their cars, with Amazon.com the fourth most browsed site. “It’s early days to be sure, but you can see that some consumers are already turning the car into a ... shopping center on wheels,” said an executive from the audience ratings service. — AFP

IllINOIS: Photo shows Mark Risinger, 16, checks his smartphone at home in Glenview.

IllINOIS: In this Oct. 24, 2013 photo, Mark Risinger, 16, checks his Facebook page on his computer as his mother, Amy Risinger, looks on at their home in Glenview, Ill. — AP photos

‘Just kidding’ doesn’t make online slurs OK WASHINGTON: In a shift in attitude, most young people now say it’s wrong to use racist or sexist slurs online, even if you’re just kidding. But when they see them, they don’t take much personal offense. A majority of teens and young adults who use the Internet say they at least sometimes see derogatory words and images targeting various groups. They often dismiss that stuff as just joking around, not meant to be hurtful, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV. Americans ages 14 to 24 say people who are overweight are the most frequent target, followed by gay people. Next in line for online abuse: blacks and women. “I see things like that all the time,” says Vito Calli, 15, of Reading, Pa. “It doesn’t really bother me unless they’re meaning it to offend me personally.” Even then he tries to brush it off. Calli, whose family emigrated from Argentina, says people tease him online with jokes about Hispanics, but “you can’t let those things get to you.”

He’s typical of many young people surveyed. The majority say they aren’t very offended by slurs in social media or cellphone text messages - even such inflammatory terms as “bitch” or “fag” or the N-word. Yet like Calli, most think using language that insults a group of people is wrong. The high school sophomore says he has tried, with difficulty, to break his habit of calling anything uncool “gay” or “retarded.”

Compared with an AP-MTV poll two years ago, young people today are more disapproving of using slurs online. Nearly 6 in 10 say using discriminatory words or images isn’t all right, even as a joke. Only about half were so disapproving in 2011. Now, a bare majority say it’s wrong to use slurs even among friends who know you don’t mean it. In the previous poll, most young people said that was OK. But the share who come across slurs online has held steady. More than half of young users of YouTube, Facebook and gaming communities such as Xbox Live and Steam say they sometimes or often encounter biased messages on those platforms.

Why do people post or text that stuff? To be funny, according to most young people who see it. Another big reason: to be cool. Less

than a third said a major reason people use slurs is because they actually harbor hateful feelings toward the groups they are maligning.

“Most of the time they’re just joking around, or talking about a celebrity,” Jeff Hitchins, a white 24-year-old in Springfield, Pa., said about the insulting references to blacks, women and gays that he encounters on the Vine and Instagram image-sharing sites. “Hate speech is becoming so commonplace, you forget where the words are coming from, and they actually hurt people without even realizing it.”

Some slurs are taken more seriously than others. Racial insults are not that likely to be seen as hurtful, yet a strong majority of those surveyed - 6 in 10 - felt comments and images targeting transgender people or Muslims are.

Almost as likely to be viewed as mean-spirited are slurs against gays, lesbians and bisexual people, and those aimed at people who are overweight. Maria Caprigno, who has struggled with obesity since childhood, said seeing mean images on Facebook stings. But she thinks the online world reflects the rest of US society.

“It’s still socially acceptable to comment on someone’s weight and what someone is eating,” said Caprigno, 18, of Norwood, Mass. “We need to change that about our culture before people realize posting stuff like that online is going to be offensive to someone.” Erick Fernandez of West New York, NJ, says what people share online reflects the influence of song lyrics and music videos and movies.

Fernandez, 22, said he was “probably very loose” about that himself before he was chosen for a diversity summer camp in high school that explained why phrases like “That’s so gay” are hurtful. Now a college student, he routinely sees insulting language for women and people of color bandied about online. “I try to call some of my friends out on it but it’s really to no avail,” Fernandez said. “They brush it off and five minutes later something else will come out. Why even bother?”

In the poll, young people said they were less likely to ask someone to stop using hurtful language on a social networking site than face to face. Alexandria Washington said she’s accustomed to seeing men who wouldn’t say offensive things to her in person post pictures

of “half-naked women in sexual positions,” followed by demeaning comments and slurs like “whore” and “ratchet.” “They’ll post anything online, but in person it’s a whole different story,” said Washington, 22, a graduate student in Tallahassee, Fla. There seems to be a desensitizing effect.

Those who report more exposure to discriminatory images and words online are less likely to say it’s wrong than those who rarely or never encounter it. Context is crucial, too.

Demeaned groups sometimes reclaim slurs as a way of stripping the words of their power like the feminist “Bitch” magazine or gay rights activists chanting “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it!”

Washington, who is African-American, said that on most days she doesn’t come across racial slurs on social media. But she stumbles upon bigoted words when race is in the news, such as surrounding President Barack Obama’s re-election, and finds them hurtful in that serious context. Likewise, Calli, the high school student originally from Argentina, said he could stomach almost any name-calling but gets upset when someone uses a falsehood to denigrate immigrants.

Jeffrey Bakken, 23, a producer at a video game company in Chicago, said the bad stuff online, especially slurs posted anonymously, shouldn’t overshadow what he sees as the younger generation’s stronger commitment to equal rights for minorities and gays than its elders.

“Kids were horrible before the Internet existed,” Bakken said. “It’s just that now it’s more accessible to the public eye.” The APNORC Center/MTV poll was conducted online Sept 27-Oct 7 among a random national sample of 1,297 people between the ages of 14 and 24. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Funding for the study was provided by MTV as part of “A Thin Line” campaign to stop digital abuse. The survey was conducted by GfK using KnowledgePanel, a probability-based online panel. Respondents are recruited randomly using traditional telephone and mail sampling methods. People selected who had no Internet access were given it for free. — AP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

‘Too fat to fly’ Frenchman now too fat for Eurostar LONDON: A clinically obese Frenchman stranded in the United States because he was deemed too heavy to fly finally took a plane to Britain Tuesday-only to be refused travel home by the Eurostar cross-channel train. Kevin Chenais, 22, who weighs 230 kilos (500 pounds), arrived at London’s Heathrow airport with his parents after Virgin Atlantic agreed to fly him back from New York. He had been in the US since May 2012 for treatment for a hormone imbalance and had been set to return home on British Airways last month, but the airline refused to accept him as a passenger, saying he was too heavy.

The family subsequently tried to sail across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, but the cruise ship’s owners also refused to have him on board. After arriving at Heathrow, a visibly exhausted Chenais described the ordeal to return home as “terrible, terrible, terrible”. “The

flight was really hard,” he told AFP as he sat on his mobility scooter at the airport. “I didn’t stop crying for the whole flight.”

Chenais, who was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes, praised Virgin for flying him out from New York’s JFK airport and paying for the economy-class flights for him and his parents.

“That was very kind of them,” he said, “but I was very uncomfortable-I have a lot of problems with the skin on my thighs and the seat was small.” Chenais and his parents were met at Heathrow by French consular staff who arranged for them to try for a Paris-bound Eurostar train later Tuesday. But Eurostar then said that he had been refused travel because of its regulations for evacuation procedures. “His weight meant that we would not be able to take care of this person or be able to carry

him to evacuate him,” a Eurostar spokeswoman told AFP. She said Eurostar did not have any specific weight limit, but each train has two places for disabled or limited mobility people and the train’s staff had to be capable of getting each of those people out in case of emergency. Chenais was staying at a hotel near the Eurostar terminal at London’s St Pancras station while the firm looked for other options including cross-channel ferries and taxis, the spokeswoman said.

The family’s eventual destination is their home town of Ferney-Voltaire near the Swiss border. Chenais, who requires frequent oxygen and regular care, had earlier expressed his anger at British Airways and the Queen Mary 2’s owners Carnival for refusing to take him home.

“We were all set to take the boat, then they turned us back without even seeing me, without even trying,” he

said. “So I’m really angry-doubly angry because British Airways refused to take me.” Kevin’s father Rene, 62, said his son had been left feeling “empty” when British Airways refused to let him fly. The same airline had flown him to the United States in the first place, he pointed out. “They took him out there, but they wouldn’t take him back,” he said. “This is a case of discrimination.”

The journey was tiring for Kevin and the plane was not specially adapted for his needs, his father added.

“Kevin has always been kind of alone in life,” he told AFP. British Airways said it would always try to accept a passenger to fly “if it’s possible and safe to do so”.

“Unfortunately it was not possible to safely accommodate the customer and the family was offered a full refund,” the airline said in a statement. — AFP

NASA sends robotic explorer to Mars Maven will conduct experiments from orbit around Mars

BANGALORE: In this file photo, boys participate in 100 meter race during two-day World Athletics Day meet in Bangalore, India. — AP

Kids now less strong than their parents used to be DALLAS: Today’s kids can’t keep up with their parents. An analysis of studies on millions of children around the world finds they don’t run as fast or as far as their parents did when they were young. On average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile (1.6 kilometer) than their counterparts did 30 years ago. Heart-related fitness has declined 5 percent per decade since 1975 for children ages 9 to 17.

The American Heart Association, whose conference featured the research on Tuesday, says it’s the first to show that children’s fitness has declined worldwide over the last three decades. “It makes sense. We have kids that are less active than before,” said Dr Stephen Daniels, a University of Colorado pediatrician and spokesman for the heart association.

World Health Organization numbers suggest that 80 percent of young people globally may not be getting enough exercise. Health experts recommend that children 6 and older get 60 minutes of moderately vigorous activity accumulated over a day. Only one-third of American kids do now. “Many schools, for economic reasons, don’t have any physical education at all,” Daniels said.

Sam Kass, a White House chef and head of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program, told the conference on Monday, “We are currently facing the most sedentary generation of children in our history.”

The new study was led by Grant Tomkinson, an exercise physiologist at the University of South Australia. Researchers analyzed 50 studies on running fitness - a key measure of cardiovascular health and endurance - involving 25 million children ages 9 to 17 in 28 countries from 1964 to 2010.

The studies measured how far children could run in 5 to 15 minutes and how quickly they ran a certain distance, ranging from half a mile to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers).

Today’s kids are about 15 percent less fit than their parents were, researchers concluded. “The changes are very similar for boys and girls and also for various ages,” but differed by geographic region,

Tomkinson said.

The decline in fitness seems to be leveling off in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and perhaps in the last few years in North America. However, it continues to fall in China, and Japan never had much falloff - fitness has remained fairly consistent there. About 20 million of the 25 million children in the studies were from Asia.

In China, annual fitness test data show the country’s students are getting slower and fatter over the past couple of decades.

Experts and educators blame an obsession with academic testing scores for China’s competitive college admissions as well as a proliferation of indoor entertainment options like gaming and web surfing for the decline. China’s Education Ministry data show that in 2010 male college students ran 1,000 meters 14 to 15 seconds slower on average than male students who ran a decade earlier. Female students slowed by about 12 seconds in running 800 meters.

Motoaki Nito of the Sports and Youth Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said there had been a decline in physical fitness among youth since the 1980s. To turn that around, the government has urged municipalities and schools to promote youth fitness. Nito said that this had resulted in a gradual increase of physical strength, which while not equal to levels seen in the 1980s, had reversed the trend.

Tomkinson and Daniels said obesity likely plays a role, since it makes it harder to run or do any aerobic exercise. Too much time watching television and playing video games and unsafe neighborhoods with not enough options for outdoor play also may play a role, they said. Other research discussed global declines in activity. Fitness is “pretty poor in adults and even worse in young people,” especially in the United States and eastern Europe, said Dr. Ulf Ekelund of the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, Norway. World Health Organization numbers suggest that 80 percent of young people globally may not be getting enough exercise. — AP

Leak spurs talk of school carbon monoxide monitors SALT LAKE CITY: A gas leak at a Utah elementary school that sickened more than 40 people has prompted concerns about the fact that the state is among many that don’t require schools to install carbon monoxide monitors. Local and state officials said Tuesday they’re reconsidering Utah’s policy, noting monitors could have prevented levels of exposure that required three people to be airlifted to hospitals after Monday ’s leak at Montezuma Creek Elementary. The community of Montezuma Creek is on the Navajo reservation, about 15 miles from the Colorado border.

The head of Utah’s largest parent advocacy group said Tuesday she was surprised to learn the monitors were not required. “I think for most citizens in the state, that was a little bit of a wakeup call,” said Dawn Davies, president-elect of the Utah PTA. Utah Fire Marshal Coy Porter said his office likely will make a recommendation on carbon monoxide detectors in schools the weeks ahead.

The level of carbon monoxide accumulated in the school Monday morning indicated the leak began sometime over the weekend, Porter said. “Had they had them in there,” Porter said of the detectors, students and staff “probably would have arrived at school with the alarms going off.” State law requires the monitors only in some residences and institu-

tional buildings where people sleep, such as jails, hospitals and nursing homes.

Symptoms of carbon-monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea and weakness, although higher exposure levels can lead to unconsciousness and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who are asleep generally do not detect early symptoms, which can make their exposure fatal.

Utah’s school policy is not unusual.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only two states have laws requiring monitors in schools. The carbon monoxide leak wasn’t unique either: Since last November, at least five other schools in the US have reported them. A leak at an Atlanta elementary school last December sent more than 50 students and adults to hospitals. That school lacked monitors, and Georgia officials considered requiring the detectors in schools. In September, they issued guidelines instead, recommending that all schools review their buildings and take steps to reduce exposure risks.

Connecticut law requires the monitors in all schools, and Maryland statutes says all newly constructed schools or remodeled schools must have the monitors. In other states, carbon-monoxide monitors are mandated in schools because of building codes and municipal rules. —AP

CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on Monday on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.

The Maven spacecraft is due at Mars next fall following a journey of more than 440 million miles.

“Hey, guys, we’re going to Mars!” Maven’s principal scientist, Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado at Boulder, told reporters after liftoff.

Jakosky and others want to know why Mars went from being warm and wet during its first billion years to cold and dry today. The early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life. But much of that atmosphere may have been lost to space, eroded by the sun.

Maven set off through a cloudy afternoon sky in its bid to provide answers. An unmanned Atlas V rocket put the spacecraft on the proper course for Mars, and launch controllers applauded and shook hands over the success. “What a Monday at the office,” NASA project manager David Mitchell said. “Maybe I’m not showing it, but I’m euphoric.” Ten years in the making, Maven had Nov 18, 2013, as its original launch date, “and we hit it,” Mitchell said. “I just want to say, ‘Safe travels, Maven. We’re with you all the way.’” Jakosky, Maven’s mastermind, said he was anxious and even shaking as the final seconds of the countdown ticked away. An estimated 10,000 NASA guests gathered for the liftoff - the most exciting one of the year from Cape Canaveral - including a couple thousand representing the University of Colorado.

Surviving liftoff was the first big hurdle, Jakosky said. The next huge milestone will be Maven’s insertion into orbit around Mars on Sept 22, 2014. To help solve Mars’ environmental puzzle, Maven will spend an entire Earth year measuring atmospheric gases. This is NASA’s 21st mission to Mars since the 1960s. But it’s the first one devoted to studying the Martian upper atmosphere. The mission costs $671 million. Maven short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, with a capital “N” in EvolutioN - bears eight science instruments. The spacecraft, at 5,410 pounds, weighs as much as an SUV. From solar wingtip to wingtip, it stretches 37.5 feet, about the length of a school bus.

A question underlying all of NASA’s Mars missions to date is whether life could have started on what now seems to be a barren world. “We don’t have that answer yet, and that’s all part of our quest for trying to answer, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ in a much broader sense,” said

CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA’s Maven, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, with a capital “N’’ in EvolutioN, atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Monday, Nov 18, 2013. — AP John Grunsfeld, NASA’s science mission director.

Unlike the 2011-launched Curiosity rover, Maven will conduct its experiments from orbit around Mars. Maven will dip as low as 78 miles above the Martian surface, sampling the atmosphere. The lopsided orbit will stretch as high as 3,864 miles. Curiosity’s odometer reads 2.6 miles after more than a year of roving the red planet.

An astronaut could accomplish that distance in about a day on the Martian surface, Grunsfeld noted. Grunsfeld, a former astronaut, said considerable technology is needed, however, before humans can fly to Mars in the 2030s, NASA’s ultimate objective.

Mars remains an intimidating target even for robotic craft, more than 50 years after the world’s first shot at the red planet. Fourteen of NASA’s previous 20 missions to Mars have succeeded, beginning with the 1964-launched Mariner 4, a Martian flyby. The US hasn’t logged a Mars failure, in fact, since the late 1990s. That’s a US success rate of 70 percent. No other country comes close. Russia has a poor track record involving Mars, despite repeated attempts dating to 1960.

India became the newest entry to the Martian market two weeks ago with its first launch to

Mars. If all goes well, Maven will cruise past India’s Mars voyager, called Mangalyaan, or “Mars craft” in Hindi. Maven should beat Mangalyaan to Mars by two days next September, Mitchell said.

“It’s kind of a neat race, and we wish them all the best,” Mitchell said. Earth and Mars line up properly for a Mars flight every two years, occasionally resulting in just this sort of traffic jam. The two planets are constantly on the move, thus the 440 million-mile-plus chase by Maven to Mars over the next 10 months.

Maven’s science instruments will be turned on in the next few weeks. During the second week of December, the University of Colorado’s ultraviolet spectrograph will try to observe Comet ISON, now visible and brightening in the night sky as it speeds toward the sun. ISON will zip within 730,000 miles of the sun on Thanksgiving Day. Astronomers are uncertain whether the comet will survive that blisteringly close encounter. Comets have many of the same gases as the Martian atmosphere, observed the chief scientist for Maven’s ultraviolet instrument, Nick Schneider. “What an ideal opportunity for us to try out our instrument and do some good science along the way,” Schneider said. — AP

Haiyan revives damages row at UN climate talks WARSAW: The devastation wreaked by Typhoon Haiyan has become a rallying cry at UN climate talks, where the Philippines and other developing nations are demanding aid guarantees for future damage from global warming. The demand has created another deep fault line in the divided negotiations, for rich nations see it as a potential trap, locking them into a never-ending liability for compensation.

Many of the world’s poorest nations are also the most vulnerable to the ravages of climate change, from severe storms to slower-onset effects like landencroaching sea level rise and worsening droughts and floods.

More than 130 developing states are now calling for an international “loss and damage” mechanism, bankrolled by wealthy nations, to be embedded in a 2015 global pact on climate change. Rich economies, say poorer nations, bear historic responsibility for global warming as they started the rush to burn fossil fuels which cause the greenhouse-gas problem. “The humanitarian support that is happening now in the case of the Philippines is very important... but at the same time it is also kind of subjective: it not that every country which is affected in the same manner can count on the same support,” explained Sven Harmeling of the CARE International humanitarian agency. “As the problem of loss and damage grows, ad-hoc solutions are no longer sufficient,” he told AFP. Among other things, the proposed mechanism should help developing states develop a technology and knowledge base to mitigate the climate risk and offer financial support to help stricken countries get back on their feet.

An insurance scheme is among the options mooted. The issue nearly scuppered last year’s round of talks in Doha, Qatar-but the day was saved with a compromise to put in place “institutional arrangements” in Warsaw. This will be no easy task.

“Codifying loss and damage issues in an agreement could lead to claims of legal liability, which would be problematic, to say the least,” Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, told AFP. For one thing, it is unclear how individual disasters or losses could be placed at the door of a shifting climate rather than a random weather event, such has happened throughout human history Another question is whether a country hit by a cli-

WARSAW: A couple representing “Ecology” (left) and “Coal” (right) perform a wedding ceremony to show that both can coexist during a Solidarity trade union happening in front of the National Stadium hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 19 yesterday. — AFP mate-related catastrophe may itself be partly to and damage, particularly for slow-onset risks. It also blame by allowing people to live in a risky zone or insists that all the mitigation and adaptation in the failing to provide adequate protection or emer- world will not prevent climate losses in vulnerable gency care. Then there are the surging greenhouse- countries. gas emissions from emerging giants such as Brazil, Tipping point China and India, which will stoke warming in the The planet is already 0.85 degrees Celsius (1.4 future. For these and other reasons, some wealthy nations insist that “loss and damage” should be dealt degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than in 1880, according to the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change. with under existing disaster relief structures.

EU climate envoy Juergen Lefevere told journal- And scientists warn that further increases of up to ists in Warsaw last week there was “a huge number 5.0 C are possible unless urgent emissions cuts are of organisations which actually touch upon these undertaken.

“We are now beyond the point where all the areas”. “It is not really about reinventing the wheel and deciding on a new international body that will impacts that will result from climate change can be jump in and help the Philippines. We are helping the avoided,” said Harmeling. Juan Hoffmaister, lead cliPhilippines.” US negotiator Trigg Talley said the issue mate negotiator for the Group of 77 developing must be dealt with “in a way that takes advantage of nations on loss and damage, said the considerations were very practical ones. “We are trying to negotiate current institutional infrastructure”.

Issues of compensation, he said, “frankly pose a mechanism that will address what happens if food technical and political challenges to implement.” But production is no longer feasible or that people have the developing bloc says existing institutions do not to leave their homelands because of climate have a dedicated mandate to deal with issues of loss change.” —AFP

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

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

Puerto Rico’s glowing lagoon goes nearly dark Bioluminescence drop affects tourism

SUMATRA: This picture taken in Karo shows Sinabung volcano spewing volcanic ash and hot smoke in Karo. Mount Sinabung on western Sumatra island, which has been erupting on and off since mid-September, shot volcanic ash around 10,000 metres into the air, according to Indonesia’s Mitigation Agency (BNPB). — AFP

SAN JUAN: A glowing lagoon off Puerto Rico’s northeast coast has gone nearly dark and biologists on Tuesday were trying to find out why.

Theories range from an increase in construction runoff to inclement weather to people clearing mangroves to allow larger boats into the area. “We have been compiling data,” Carmen Guerrero, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, said in a phone interview as she headed toward Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve with a team of scientists to investigate the problem. “There are a lot of factors that could be at play.”

The bioluminescent lagoon, often referred to as a bay, attracts tourists who set out in kayaks or boats by night from the neighboring city of Fajardo to see waters that glow when microscopic organisms are disturbed. A greenish light swirls off hands and arms as visitors trail them through the water.

But the bioluminescence has dropped so much that tour operators have had to cancel trips and reimburse visitors, Guerrero said.

Fajardo Mayor Anibal Melendez told reporters that the lagoon has been dark for at least eight days. “We’ve never seen anything like that,” he said.

Melendez blamed runoff from the construction of a nearby water and sewer treatment plant, and he has asked that the plant be moved elsewhere.

Officials involved with the plant deny it’s the cause.

But as a preventive measure, the government temporarily suspended construction at the project for two weeks until scientists from various agencies including the US Geological Survey can figure out what is causing the problem, Guerrero said.

She stressed that officials do not know if possi-

SAN JUAN: This file photo shows the Fajardo Grand Lagoon at the Nature Reserve of Las Cabezas de San Juan at dawn, about 35 miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. — AP ble construction runoff is to blame. Recent rains completed by 2016, was approved by the territory’s and a storm that is generating heavy waves is Department of Natural Resources and the US another possibility for affecting the lagoon’s biolu- Environmental Protection Agency, which is providminescence, Guerrero said. “It’s important to give ing the funding.

“The goal of the project is to conserve this these experts room so they can do their job and help us understand what happened in the lagoon valuable resource, and we have designed and and why it has temporarily lost some of its bright- developed this project taking all those requirements into account,” Lazaro said. Laura Velez, who ness,” she said.

Alberto Lazaro, president of the state Water and heads the government Environmental Quality Sewer Authority, said he will evaluate scientists’ Board that monitors such projects, said that the findings before deciding how to proceed in several treatment plant has had adequate erosion and weeks. He said the treatment plant is needed sediment control and that officials have regularly because people are discharging sewage into the inspected it to ensure compliance with environlagoon and nearby ocean. The plant, which is to be mental standards. —AP

W H AT ’ S O N

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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

Announcements 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.

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Um Salama Intermediate Girls School in Rumaithiya organized an awareness day on personal hygiene. Sebamed participated in the event by a lecture on personal hygiene, to students and parents. Sebamed gave samples of its products that promote clean and healthy skin.

FIMA’s Excellence Award to Justice Sachar

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.

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Le Sushi Bar announces home delivery

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IMA-Federation of Indian Muslim Associations honored Justice Rajinder Sachar with FIMA’s Excellence Award recently. FIMA, federation of 15 organizations gives FIMA’s Excellence Awards to those, who are courageous and consistent to fight for the justice. Judges, Lawyers, Human Right Activists and Journalists who have done excellent jobs to protect secular democracy of India are the recipients of this award.

FIMA had declared FIMA’s Excellence Award for Justice Rajinder Sachar in 2009 but Justice Sachar could not make it to Kuwait because of his busy schedule at that time. Justice Rajinder Sachar is a judge, who gave justice within his powers. His work as a Chairman in what is known as Justice Sachar Committee is work of his stature.

Report with detailed Statistics, Analysis in his report gave clear candid picture of minorities in India. How much minority communities are lagging behind was made clear. Justice Sachar’s recommendations are also candid and clear to uplift minorities. Indian society is a secular democratic society. Justice Sachar rightly explains that upliftment of the recommendations would strengthen the secular fabric of Indian society.

FIMA has awarded FIMA’s Excellence Awards in the past to IAS officer turned Human Right Activist Harsh Mander, Human Right Activist Teesta Setalvad, IPS

Officer turned Human Rights Activist RB Sree Kumar, Justice Fatima Bevee, Lawyer Suhel Tirmizi, Jounalist Ajit Sahi, Documentary Director Mahesh Bhatt, Journalist Vinod Dua, philanthropist and social worker Giyasuddin Babu Khan.

72 of 76 recommendations done by Justice Sachar Committee were approved by Government of India and are in process of implementation.

Implementation of recommendations was an issue, discussed with Justice Sachar by the members of CC of FIMA. The issues discussed were implementations by the authorities concerned and disbursement of information of schemes being implemented. Justice Sachar gave good information on the difficulties faced in implementations and parties involved.

Justice Sachar was in Kuwait on invitation of IKFS and FIMA had the opportunity to hand over the FIMA’s Excellence Award to the deserving Judge. FIMA President Engineer Mukhtar Marouf expressed gratitude and appreciation for the work done by Justice Rajinder Sachar as a Chairman of Justice Sachar Committee. FIMA’s Excellence Award in real Gold was awarded to Justice Sachar and a beautiful Souvenir was also presented by members of FIMA. Sami Bubere and Dhaval Bhatia were also present in the function.

16th CETAA cricket - TKM, TEC, AECK, KEA win on opening day

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e Sushi Bar in Al-Hamra Tower announced reaching a deal with a local company specialized in home delivery in order to deliver orders made through phone or online within a maximum period of 45 minutes. “We wanted to provide a new service to our customers by delivering Le Sushi Bar’s signature items to homes or offices throughout the week”, said Le Sushi Bar Manager Mr. Husain Haidar in a press statement. The home delivery service is available everyday from 11.45 am to 11:00 pm, and covers all areas around Kuwait.

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

he 16th Prof Ramachandran Memorial Cricket Tournament (RMC) conducted by College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumini Association (CETAA) and sponsored by GTE Olayan Co began on 15th November 2013 at the Fahaheel Garden cricket grounds.

The tournament was inaugurated by Harikumar, President, CETAA while the Guests of Honor for the occasion Mohamed Al Sahli and Tapan Ramesh spoke encouraging words to the players and organizers.

In the 1st match, winning the toss and batting first TEC went on the attack and put on a record opening wicket partnership of 149 runs when Girish (87 - man of the match) fell to Biju Das. Thereafter Captain Suresh (50 n.o) who played the anchor role accelerated enabling TEC to finish on a match winning 177 for the loss of just 1 wicket of their 12 overs. In reply, facing a daunting task, the youthful NIT could not put up much of a fight against the experienced TEC bowling attack and were all out for 35 in 9.3 overs leaving TEC winners by 142 runs. For NIT half the runs were scored by Rajagopal who remained n.o with 17. For TEC, Sandeep (3) Merton, Sreekumar (2 each), Shajeer, Dinto, Sunil Chandran (1 each) were the wicket takers.

CET, batting first against TKM in the 2nd match could not getting going against the disciplined bowling and fielding of TKM. Only Jose (13) and Daniel (11) could reach double digits. 3 run outs didn’t help their cause and CET finished on 50 for 8 wickets off their 12 overs. For TKM, Riju (2). Ziyad, Anfar and Mukesh (1 wicket) each helped to contain CET. In reply, TKM lost 3 wickets with only 1 run on the board and the match seemed to be heading for an exciting finish. But CET could not maintain the pressure and TKM

ran out winners by 5 wickets in the 9th over with only George (3) and Arun (1) among the wickets for CET. For TKM, Lijo (17 n.o. - man of the match) and Mukesh (13) made sure there were no alarms in the end.

In the 3rd match, put into bat MACE lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out for 62 runs in the 12 over with only Radha (12) and George (10) reaching double figures. For KEA, Renju (3), Biju and Nithin (2 wickets each) kept MACE on a tight leash. In reply, KEA hit off the required runs without fuss in 7 overs with both their openers skipper Tibish (33) and Sreejith (27 - man of the match) remaining not out enabling KEA to a comprehensive 10 wicket win.

In the last match of the day defending champions AECK were expected to dominate but youthful NSS had other ideas. Batting first NSS went on the rampage with opener

Praveen (45 including 5 sixers) with splendid support from Sachin (14) and Anish (17 n.o.) enabled NSS to finish on a challenging 111 for the loss of 5 wickets of their 12 overs.

Munaz, Smithosh, Mahesh and Rafi took a wicket each for AECK but none of them except Mahesh could contain the batsmen. In reply, AECK lost their top order at regular intervals in an effort to keep up with the asking rate. Rafi (15), Remon (20) and Nithin (26 - man of the match) made crucial contributions and amidst mounting tension Smithosh hit the winning runs with 2 balls and a wicket to spare. With this performance, NSS showed they are a real force to reckon with in the later stages of the tournament.

On the 2nd day of the tournament (22nd Nov), TKM will meet AECK and KEA will play NIT(both at 7am), while CET will take on NSS and TEC will clash with MACE (both at 9 am).

W H AT ’ S O N

First Tesol Kuwait Conference at GUST ‘Wows’ Teachers!

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ver 400 educators attended the highly successful, first-ever international conference for English and subject teachers on November 15 and 16 at Gulf University for Science and Technology.

TESOL stands for Teachers of English to Speakers of other Languages, and TESOL Kuwait, just celebrating the end of its first year, pulled off a highly engaging conference and exhibition with renowned international keynote speakers and visiting professors, 30 presentations and workshops, stimulating poster sessions, extensive displays, and numerous publishers exhibiting their latest textbooks.

Until now, English-teaching professionals in Kuwait had to travel elsewhere in the world to enjoy international conferences on such a scale. “I am thrilled that teachers were impressed by our conference and were excited about the range and high quality of profession-

al development sessions on offer,” said Yvonne Johnson, President of the organization. She added, “There were so many people in attendance that were very appreciative of the efforts to provide quality education right here in Kuwait at our fantastic campus here at GUST. I am especially thankful to the many, many volunteers and the encouragement from GUST management that helped to make this event a success.”

Friday’s keynote address was given by the acclaimed Dr. MaryAnn Christison from the University of Utah, who is a former president of TESOL International, the affiliated worldwide teacher organization. Her husband, Dr. Adrian Palmer, a well-known specialist in language assessment, gave the plenary address on Saturday. GUST President, Dr. Donald Bates and his team of Vice Presidents were all on hand to

show their support and enthusiasm.

Special components of the conference included a pre-conference seminar held at Australian College of Kuwait and a dinner with the keynote speaker on Friday at the newly refurbished Radisson Blu hotel as well as free post-conference workshops this week at GUST.The highly successful event was organized by TESOL Kuwait, sponsored and supported by Growmore Books, Amid East, and Gulf University for Science and Technology. The keynote speakers were graciously provided by the Embassy of the United States.Elections were held at the event as well, and a newly elected board will continue to grow the organization of over 600 teachers led by incoming President, Jeffrey McDevitt.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 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

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

German Shepherd owners’ meetings

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he German Shepherd Group invites German Shepherd owners to attend weekly gatherings that will be organized every Saturday at 3:00 pm near the Maseelah Water Park starting from next Saturday. Group leader Badr Al-Sayegh announced that several activities are planned for the gatherings including lectures related to providing best health nutritional care as well as training for their German Shepherd dogs.

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.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

03:25 Shamwari: A Wild Life 03:50 Shamwari: A Wild Life 04:15 Outback Rangers 04:40 Outback Rangers 05:05 North America 05:55 Animal Cops Houston 06:45 Animal Airport 07:10 Animal Airport 07:35 Call Of The Wildman 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 09:15 The Most Extreme 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life 11:35 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Monkey Life 13:20 Call Of The Wildman 13:50 Swamp Brothers 14:15 Swamp Brothers 14:45 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 15:15 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 15:40 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:05 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:30 My Cat From Hell 17:30 The Most Extreme 18:25 My Pet’s Gone Viral 18:50 My Pet’s Gone Viral 19:20 Growing Up...

20:15 Outback Rangers 20:40 Outback Rangers 21:10 North America 22:05 Cheetah Kingdom 22:35 Cheetah Kingdom 23:00 Swimming With Monsters: Steve Backshall 23:55 Gator Boys 00:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:45 After The Attack 02:35 Untamed & Uncut

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

Luther Absolutely Fabulous One Foot In The Grave Nina And The Neurons Poetry Pie The Green Balloon Club Bobinogs Tweenies Nina And The Neurons Poetry Pie The Green Balloon Club Bobinogs Tweenies One Foot In The Grave Come Fly With Me Doctor Who Eastenders Doctors Drop Zone The Weakest Link One Foot In The Grave Doctor Who Come Fly With Me Eastenders Doctors The Weakest Link Drop Zone Doctor Who Eastenders Doctors The Weakest Link Keeping Up Appearances The Office Luther Gavin & Stacey The Cafe Hebburn Daddy Daycare Keeping Up Appearances The Office Gavin & Stacey Luther Eastenders Doctors Daddy Daycare

03:15 Fantasy Homes Down Under 04:00 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 04:25 Cash In The Attic

05:10 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 05:40 Bargain Hunt 06:25 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 07:10 Chef At Home 07:35 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 08:00 Bargain Hunt 08:45 DIY SOS: The Big Build 09:40 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 10:05 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 10:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 10:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 11:20 Come Dine With Me 12:10 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 14:15 Antiques Roadshow 15:10 Holmes On Homes 16:00 Holmes On Homes 16:45 Bargain Hunt 17:30 Cash In The Attic 18:20 Antiques Roadshow 19:15 Homes Under The Hammer 20:10 The Restaurant Inspector 21:00 Planet Cake 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt 00:00 Cash In The Attic 00:50 Homes Under The Hammer 01:40 Come Dine With Me 02:30 Masterchef: The Professionals

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

03:10 04:00 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00

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

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

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

03:45 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 04:35 Unchained Reaction 05:25 Space Pioneer 06:15 The Gadget Show 06:40 Tech Toys 360 07:05 X-Machines 08:00 Junkyard Wars 08:50 Rocket City Rednecks 09:15 Rocket City Rednecks 09:40 The Gadget Show 10:05 Tech Toys 360 10:30 Invisible Worlds 11:25 X-Machines 12:20 Unchained Reaction 13:10 Space Pioneer 14:00 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 14:50 Weird Connections 15:20 The Gadget Show 15:45 Tech Toys 360 16:10 Prophets Of Science Fiction 17:00 Invisible Worlds 17:55 X-Machines 18:45 Unchained Reaction 19:35 Space Pioneer 20:30 Weird Or What?

21:20 Prank Science 21:45 Prank Science 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 Tech Toys 360 23:00 Weird Or What?

23:50 Prank Science 00:15 Prank Science 00:40 Colony 01:30 Weird Connections 02:00 The Gadget Show 02:25 Tech Toys 360 02:50 Weird Or What?

03:30 04:25 Stroud 05:20 06:15 07:05 08:00 Stroud 08:50 09:45 10:35 11:30 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

03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00

Zero Hour Beyond Survival With Les Victory By Design Aircrash Confidential Timewatch Beyond Survival With Les Victory By Design Extreme Engineering In Search Of The King’s Head Marley Africa Road Trip Timewatch Victory By Design Extreme Engineering Aircrash Confidential Commander In Chief Marley Africa Road Trip Timewatch Beyond Survival With Les Daredevils Extreme Engineering Victory By Design Marley Africa Road Trip Daredevils Zero Hour Crimes That Shook The World Marley Africa Road Trip Daredevils

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin And Ally

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

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

03:15 Style Star 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 THS 06:00 THS 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Opening Act 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 Eric And Jessie: Game On 11:35 Eric And Jessie: Game On 12:05 E! News 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 THS 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 What Would Ryan Lochte Do? 17:30 The Soup Investigates 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!ES 20:00 The Wanted Life 21:00 Hello Ross 21:30 Fashion Police 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately 00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Dance Scene 00:55 The Dance Scene 01:25 THS 02:20 E! Investigates

TOMBSTONE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:30 07:10 08:00

13:15 Jelly T 14:45 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers 16:15 Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups 18:00 Three Investigators And The Secret Of Terror...

20:00 Jumanji 22:00 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers 23:30 Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups 01:00 Marco Macaco 02:30 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers

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

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

04:00 Paranorman 06:00 Mandie And The Secret Tunnel 08:00 Super Buddies 09:45 Mission: Impossible III 12:00 People Like Us 14:00 Burden Of Evil 16:00 Super Buddies 17:45 Think Like A Man 20:00 Snow White And The Huntsman 22:15 Butter 00:00 Burden Of Evil 02:00 Think Like A Man

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

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

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

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

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

03:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines 04:00 The Known Universe

05:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 06:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines 07:00 Megacities 08:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai 09:00 Pirate Patrol 10:00 Machines Of War 11:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines 12:00 The Known Universe 13:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 14:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska 15:00 Megacities 16:00 Mega Breakdown 17:00 Pirate Patrol 18:00 Machines Of War 19:00 Alaska Wing Men 20:00 A Traveler’s Guide To The Planets 21:00 Nordic Wild 22:00 Alaska Wing Men 23:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 00:00 Mad Scientists 00:30 Mad Scientists 01:00 Salvage Code Red 02:00 Wild Russia

03:00 How I Met Your Mother 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The War At Home 06:00 All Of Us 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 The War At Home 09:00 How I Met Your Mother 09:30 Family Tools 10:00 Happy Endings 10:30 Friends 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 All Of Us 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 The War At Home 13:30 Friends 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 Family Tools 15:00 Happy Endings 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 All Of Us 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Family Tools 19:30 Happy Endings 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds 22:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:00 The League 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Weeds 02:00 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 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

The Client List Perception Warehouse 13 Psych Necessary Roughness White Collar Perception Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Warehouse 13 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar The Carrie Diaries The X Factor U.S. Downton Abbey

23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00

The Client List Psych The Carrie Diaries Downton Abbey

04:00 How I Spent My Summer Vacation 06:00 Go Fast 08:00 The Tourist 09:45 Tombstone 12:00 The Avengers 14:30 Ice Quake 16:15 Tombstone 18:30 Big Trouble In Little China 20:15 Ice Quake 22:00 The Blood Bond 00:00 No Man’s Land: The Rise Of Reeker 02:00 House Of The Rising Sun

04:00 Go Fast 06:00 The Tourist 07:45 Tombstone 10:00 The Avengers 12:30 Ice Quake 14:15 Tombstone 16:30 Big Trouble In Little China 18:15 Ice Quake 20:00 The Blood Bond 22:00 No Man’s Land: The Rise Of Reeker 00:00 House Of The Rising Sun 02:00 The Blood Bond

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:45 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 01:00

03:45 05:15 07:30 09:30 11:15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15 01:15

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

Shadow Dancer I’ve Loved You So Long Look Again Beneath Hill 60 Shadow Dancer The Terminal Would Be Kings The Wishing Well In Time This Must Be The Place Rabbit Hole The Wishing Well

The Entitled Across The Universe Dog Day Afternoon Teenage Paparazzo Golden Christmas 3 Kathmandu Lullaby Jakob The Liar The Woman In The Fifth Yelling To The Sky Flesh And Bone Out Of Sight The Crucible

Mary & Martha Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax The Three Stooges The Lucky One A View From Here One Life Arrietty The Lucky One The Girl Mama Violet & Daisy Blue Lagoon: The Awakening

04:30 Jelly T 06:00 Arthur 3: And The War Of Two Worlds 08:00 Marco Macaco 10:00 Three Investigators And The Secret Of Terror...

11:45 Santa’s Magic Crystal

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

03:30 ICC Cricket 360 04:00 World Pool Masters 05:00 Live World Cup Of Golf 07:00 Snooker Champion Champions 11:00 Golfing World 12:00 World Pool Masters 20:00 Total Rugby 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Inside The PGA Tour 21:30 European Tour Weekly 22:00 PGA European Tour 02:30 Trans World Sport

Of

04:00 Mass Participation U.K 04:30 Ping Pong World Championship 05:30 U.S Bass Fishing 06:30 Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge Middle East 07:00 WWE Smackdown 09:00 Ping Pong World Championship 10:00 U.S Bass Fishing 13:00 WWE Vintage Collection 14:00 WWE Bottom Line 15:00 This Week In WWE 19:30 Prizefighter 23:00 UFC Prelims 01:00 UFC - Belfort vs. Henderson

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

Off Limits Armed & Ready Armed & Ready Man vs World Airport 24/7: Miami Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Globe Trekker Descending Airport 24/7: Miami Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Bert The Conqueror Trip Flip The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters International House Hunters International House Hunters Hotel Impossible Soul Seeker The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters Luxury Uncovered Luxury Uncovered Monumental Mysteries Airport 24/7: Miami Airport 24/7: Miami World’s Greatest Motorcycle Xtreme Waterparks Xtreme Waterparks

Classifieds THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) SHARQIA-2 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) SHARQIA-3 PARKLAND (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM 1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM 1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-1 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) GORI TERE PYAAR MEIN (DIG) (Hindi) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM

MUHALAB-3 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) FANAR-1 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

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

THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

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

FREE BIRDS (DIG) FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

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

MARINA-1 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

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

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 FREE BIRDS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-3 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.4 LAST VEGAS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-1 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

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

BAIRAQ-2 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:00 AM

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

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

PLAZA PARKLAND (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:45 PM

LAILA THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

5:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM

AVENUES-1 LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG) SUN+TUE+WED THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

11:15 PM

AVENUES-2 ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-3 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG-3D) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

FANAR-2 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

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

FANAR-3 LAST VEGAS (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) ROMEO AND JULIET (DIG) GORI TERE PYAAR MEIN (DIG) (Hindi) LAST VEGAS (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

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)

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

1:30 PM

360º- 3 FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D)

1:30 PM

FANAR-4 FREE BIRDS (DIG-3D)

FOR SALE

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (21/11/2013 TO 27/11/2013)

Mitsubishi Galant 2013, silver color, excellent condition, km 11,000, KD 2,950.

Tel: 66729295. (C 4574) 17-11-2013

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

SITUATION WANTED M.Com (Finance) graduate 9 years of experience is in company accounts (including 3 years in Kuwait), preparation of financial statements, payroll management, portfolio management, dealing of shares and commodities. Good knowledge of Ms-Office and accounting software packages Tally ERP-9.

Transferable visa, Kuwait driving license. Mob: 65008377. (C 4573) 16-11-2013

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

04:54 06:16 11:34 14:31 16:51 18:11

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines BBC JAI KLM JZR JZR THY QTR SAI ETH GFA THY UAE ETD MSR QTR MSC FDB THY DHX QTR FDB JZR BAW RAB KAC JZR KAC IRA FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD IRA FDB IZG GFA DHX MSC MSC JZR MEA SYR TBZ UAE JZR JZR MSR MSR KNE FDB KNE

Arrival Flights on Thursday 21/11/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 574 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 772 ISTANBUL 1084 DOHA 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 612 CAIRO 1076 DOHA 401 ALEXANDRIA 67 DUBAI 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 8524 DOHA 69 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 157 LONDON 300 SHARJAH 412 MANILA 529 ASYUT 206 ISLAMABAD 617 AHWAZ 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 382 DELHI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 1070 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 605 ISFAHAN 55 DUBAI 4161 MASHAD 213 BAHRAIN 872 BAHRAIN 403 ASYUT 405 SOHAG 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 341 DAMASCUS 5483 MASHAD 871 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 241 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 610 CAIRO 579 SOHAG 480 TAIF 57 DUBAI 470 JEDDAH

Time 00:05 00:10 00:30 00:40 00:40 00:45 00:55 01:30 01:45 02:10 02:15 02:35 02:45 03:10 03:45 03:45 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:45 05:50 05:50 06:40 06:30 06:45 06:20 07:40 07:50 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:15 08:10 08:45 08:50 08:40 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:40 10:35 10:40 11:15 11:15 11:20 11:30 11:55 12:30 12:35 12:50 12:55 12:45 13:00 13:05 13:15 13:50 13:55

QTR KAC KAC SVA JZR KAC KNE KAC NIA JZR OMA UAE QTR ETD RJA SVA ABY GFA JZR JZR UAL JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA OMA TAR FDB MSR JAI JZR AXB ABY DLH ALK MEA JZR ETD UAE GFA QTR KLM JAI JZR AIC FDB UAL PIA JZR KAC

1078 672 546 500 257 562 472 788 252 535 645 857 1072 303 640 510 127 215 787 777 982 135 786 502 542 177 1080 63 674 104 774 614 618 176 217 647 328 61 618 572 189 393 129 634 229 402 181 307 859 219 1074 417 576 239 981 59 981 205 185 118

DOHA DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BEIRUT AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA JEDDAH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA CAIRO MUSCAT DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN JEDDAH BEIRUT CAIRO DUBAI DOHA DUBAI DUBAI LONDON RIYADH BAHRAIN DOHA GENEVA BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH FRANKFURT COLOMBO BEIRUT AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA AMSTERDAM COCHIN AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA CHENNAI DUBAI BAHRAIN LAHORE DUBAI NEW YORK

13:55 14:00 14:05 14:30 14:45 14:50 14:35 15:10 15:50 15:50 15:55 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:00 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:45 18:50 18:05 18:20 18:40 18:45 19:25 19:35 19:30 19:35 19:00 19:15 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:55 21:10 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:30 22:30 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:35

Airlines AIC AXB JAI KLM BBC DLH SAI ETH THY UAE ETD MSR QTR MSC FDB QTR JZR FDB JZR THY QTR GFA KAC JZR THY FDB BAW IRA JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE ETD QTR IRA FDB KAC GFA KAC IZG KAC MSC MSC JZR MEA KAC DHX SYR JZR JZR TBZ MSR MSR KNE

Departure Flights on Thursday 21/11/2013 Flt Route Time 976 GOA 00:05 490 MANGALORE 00:15 573 MUMBAI 01:10 411 AMSTERDAM 01:45 44 DHAKA 01:45 635 FRANKFURT 02:10 441 LAHORE 02:30 621 ADDIS ABABA 02:45 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 02:55 854 DUBAI 03:50 306 ABU DHABI 04:00 613 CAIRO 04:10 1085 DOHA 04:15 406 SOHAG 04:45 68 DUBAI 05:00 1077 DOHA 05:15 560 SOHAG 06:20 70 DUBAI 06:30 164 DUBAI 06:55 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 07:05 8525 DOHA 07:15 212 BAHRAIN 07:15 545 ALEXANDRIA 07:15 240 AMMAN 07:20 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 07:30 54 DUBAI 08:30 156 LONDON 08:45 616 AHWAZ 08:50 256 BEIRUT 08:55 534 CAIRO 09:00 787 JEDDAH 09:25 561 AMMAN 09:25 671 DUBAI 09:30 126 SHARJAH 09:40 101 LONDON 09:50 856 DUBAI 09:55 302 ABU DHABI 10:05 1071 DOHA 10:10 606 MASHHAD 10:20 56 DUBAI 10:20 501 BEIRUT 11:10 214 BAHRAIN 11:25 541 CAIRO 11:30 4162 MASHHAD 11:35 165 ROME 11:50 404 ASYUT 12:15 402 ALEXANDRIA 12:20 776 JEDDAH 12:25 405 BEIRUT 12:55 785 JEDDAH 13:00 521 BAGRAM 13:00 342 DAMASCUS 13:30 786 RIYADH 13:35 176 DUBAI 13:45 5484 MASHHAD 13:50 580 SOHAG 13:50 611 CAIRO 14:00 481 TAIF 14:10

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

UAE FDB KNE QTR JZR KAC KAC KNE JZR SVA KAC KAC NIA OMA JZR JZR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR JZR UAL FDB QTR GFA KAC FDB TAR KAC OMA ABY MSR JAI KAC AXB KAC KAC DHX RAB ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC UAE KAC JZR KLM QTR FDB JAI JZR KAC KAC

872 58 471 1079 134 673 617 473 188 505 773 613 251 646 238 180 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 216 184 266 982 64 1081 218 283 62 328 331 648 120 619 571 351 394 343 543 171 303 230 403 308 220 301 860 205 554 417 1075 60 575 528 415 411

DUBAI DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI JEDDAH RIYADH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT AMMAN AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DHAKA DUBAI TUNIS TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI KOCHI KOZHIKODE CHENNAI CAIRO BAHRAIN BAGRAM COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD ALEXANDRIA DAMMAM DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI ASYUT KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK

14:15 14:30 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:40 16:00 16:05 16:35 16:50 16:55 16:55 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:50 19:15 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:30 20:45 20:50 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:40 21:50 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:25 23:55 23:55

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 375

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty. You may be called on to help with a problem co-worker or perhaps a problem customer today. Problems today are valued for the lessons they represent, rather than perceived as obstacles. You are at your most practical when it comes to working with others. If you are wearing a uniform, you are probably a police officer, and a good one. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion. Close relationships and other ties between people become a focus for much of your energy. New partnerships are entered into; old ones are renewed or else they are left behind. You love the earth and all its elements—you and a friend might arrange a future camping trip.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Taking care of business is a major theme this morning. You are happy to get into the swing of things. The lunch hour affords you a bit of time for shopping and before you know it, you hardly have time to squeeze into the elevator and return to your desk. At break there is a lot of chatter about where different families hide their gifts—one could even write a short book. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations, as a new cycle gets underway in your life. This is a time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others, and to seek and promote harmony in the interaction between people.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

4. Bell attached to a sleigh, or to harness of horse pulling a sleigh.

12. A quantity of money.

15. A boy or man.

16. Markedly different from an accepted norm.

17. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

18. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

19. A constitutional monarchy in a tiny enclave on the French Riviera.

20. United States neoclassical architect (18471909).

22. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe River.

24. A small cake leavened with yeast.

26. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

27. A name that has been assumed temporarily.

30. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

31. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

32. A ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another.

35. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity.

36. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

38. Showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness.

40. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

43. The fluid (red in vertebrates) that is pumped by the heart.

46. Trade name for an oral contraceptive containing estradiol and norgestrel.

47. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

50. A magnetic tape recorder for recording (and playing back) TV programs.

51. A long projecting or anterior elongation of an animal's head.

53. Relating to the blood vessels or blood.

56. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

57. A plaster now made mostly from Portland cement and sand and lime.

60. The ratio of reflected to incident light.

61. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

62. Of or relating to or affecting a lobe.

64. An associate degree in nursing.

65. Avatar of Vishnu.

67. A unit of inductance equal to one billionth of a henry.

70. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

71. The sixth month of the civil year.

76. Supply with battlements.

80. The quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength.

81. Support resembling the rib of an animal.

82. A unit of atmospheric pressure equal to one thousandth of a bar.

84. The second larges of the four main islands of Japan.

85. An associate degree in applied science.

86. Being or having an unknown or unnamed source.

87. (prefix) Reverse of or absence of.

DOWN 1. By bad luck.

2. An informal term for a father.

3. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

4. Cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions.

5. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

6. A fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia.

7. Infestation of the pubic hair by crab lice.

8. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

9. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

10. Half the width of an em.

11. Your general store of remembered information.

12. Soviet physicist and dissident.

13. A member of the Uniat Church.

14. Arboreal snake of central and southern Africa whose bite is often fatal.

21. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

23. A genus of Lamnidae.

25. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

28. A state in the Rocky Mountains.

29. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

33. Catlike mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes.

34. Found along western Atlantic coast.

37. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

39. A soft gray malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air.

41. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

42. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

44. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

45. Any of numerous low-growing cushionforming plants of the genus Draba having rosette-forming leaves and terminal racemes of small flowers with scapose or leafy stems.

48. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

49. A primeval personification of air and breath.

52. Any of various showy orchids of the genus Sobralia having leafy stems and bright-colored solitary or racemose flowers similar to those of genus Cattleya.

54. A public promotion of some product or service.

55. Spanish poet and dramatist (1898-1936).

58. Free from dirt or impurities.

59. Express strong disapproval of.

63. A port in southwestern Scotland.

66. A city in western Germany near the Dutch and Belgian borders.

68. Soviet chief of secret police under Joseph Stalin.

69. Wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed.

72. The lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

73. South African term for `boss'.

74. Anise-flavored Greek liquor.

75. A colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.

77. The compass point that is one point south of due east.

78. An inflammatory disease of connective tissue with variable features including fever and weakness and fatigability and joint pains and skin lesions on the face or neck or arms.

79. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

83. A unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

This is a day for thinking and ideas. You may feel like talking a bit more than usual, exploring new ideas or getting happily lost in a conversation. There will be an urge to communicate and solve problems. Also, perhaps a short trip is in order.

Your bright wit and talkative streak make you always ready for a conversation and today you jump right in where most of your co-workers fear to tread—careful. You make sense, but you should carefully make sure someone else picks up the reins so that you are not talking all the time. This will afford you some quiet time. Consider loading up your kids or your neighbors and their kids for an outing to a holiday concert at one of the shopping malls this afternoon or in the next few days. This is a good shopping day.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You cleverly use that quick mind of yours to make wise choices and think things through. Career decisions are clearly set out for you at this time. You will find yourself lecturing or speaking to a group this afternoon. You have more than just the gift of gab. Your words and ideas can transport and enchant listeners, carrying them into a world as they wish it could be. Your inspiration will help change any unhelpful life situations to a most positive reality. You are the sort of person that writes captivating messages, letters, lectures and books. Your imagination and sense of what connects all of life is felt in your speech and the ways you communicate. People seem to enjoy hearing you speak and they have plenty of questions for you to answer.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You have an inner drive to improve and reform the world, to share the wealth—true democracy. You have a feel for groups and any large-scale business or community project. You can be quite independent with a touch of the impersonal. With you, all persons get the same treatment. However, you may realize this and begin to work on a more personal approach with others. You may even find that you waste less time with hurt feelings than before. Consider the metaphysical rule that energy-follows-thought; dare to see yourself as strong, confident, capable, successful and possessed of the patience and stability to keep on moving in the direction of your dreams. Keep those dreams positive— your visions are tomorrow’s reality.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) In the rush toward another new year, you will continue to look back on the past for inspiration and direction. It is the life experience of others and ourselves that guides us through our own life and you may be searching the past for information on management, historical systems and techniques. A new method of working can be taught to others that will save the company money and you and your co-workers the wasted time you navigate through at the end of each month. This evening you may notice an owl or some other creature is visiting your area. If you do a search on the internet you may find a site that would show you the different kinds of birds in your area as well as the sounds they make. See if you can identify the neighborhood birds.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) A tremendous practical sense and drive cuts through all the red tape and exposes the right decisions today. You may have an ability to organize and manage all that is vulnerable and sensitive in the human psyche, the public mind. It looks as though you may be chosen to arbitrate a dispute. You will be discriminating and exact with your input.

Your critical faculties are excellent and you will pick out the important parts of issues in order to create a positive change. Perhaps you will be helping young people learn the art of debate. There are good practical job-related thoughts and ideas available. You are a real charmer—able to enchant others and bring them under your spell. Working with publicrelation issues is your forte.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your career or life-path may depend on your talent for responding and making something out of ideas, whatever is new and challenging. The business world may call for your ability to react and build on opportunities. This is a time for getting ahead, a time to enjoy your career and savor its rewards. The social graces pave your path to success. Your personal reputation and honor are of the utmost importance while visiting with VIPs this afternoon—you will put your best foot forward. The key spot in your personality is your mind—the world of ideas and communication. You will take the opportunity to present your ideas to higher-ups today. Unconventional and possibly eccentric but positive solutions to housing problems are available for you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are driven and passionate in your pursuit of change and inner growth.

You are well advised to seek the advice of someone you trust when it comes to career matters. Things are happening, and your career or path depends upon your own desire to achieve. This is the perfect time to get ahead by taking action. This is a real time to concentrate on your goals. Your sense of responsibility will guide you and prove successful. Your career could assume a much more determined and solid form—a firm foundation. Your support system, family, home and those who give you nourishment, becomes more secure at this time. You are able to dispense with the unessential and develop what is most basic in your life.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may feel you are in your element today—dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste or emotion. You could be asked to lend your commonsense opinion to the development of some project.

Circumstances may force you to stop your own project and lead the way or teach others.

This is all short term and with patience, you will be able to get back to your own project in short time. You are highly praised for the concern and care you show to others. The afternoon should flow along much easier and without interruption. This evening you will do well in activities that include children, young people and your home and surroundings.

You could feel real support and harmony from loved ones at this time.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Work is a bit sluggish today. Perseverance will see you through to quitting time. Close relationships take on more emotional depth, power and importance. Feeling cared for and needed is comfortable. You can become involved in special Olympics, even if you have no expertise in sports, and that is what you seek to do now. You could volunteer to coach in the next special Olympics and could sign up for a training program now. It may be pleasing to a participant to know that a friend or family member will enjoy volunteering. Home and family matters take on a greater importance than ever. This evening, you could be feeling more like sharing some time with your lover or with close friends. You are feeling reflective rather than expressive just now.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is a time during which confidence and self-expression may be limited and disciplined. What you achieve now will prove to be lasting. This time could be seen as a kind of apprenticeship during which you learn much. You may find yourself succeeding and moving ahead by using your mind and thoughts. Also, communication and research in all forms could be a key area for career growth. Your life takes on a kind of mystical quality at the emotional and instinctive levels. Over the last few months, you may have collected quite a lot of antiques and heirlooms that others would like to have and that is what you do now. Plan a unique garage sale that will help you rake in some big bucks as well as get rid of some outdated items.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Levine named People’s sexiest man alive

Madonna tops Forbes highest-paid musician list

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S

inger Adam Levine, the frontman of the Grammy Award-winning rock group Maroon 5 and a judge on the hit NBC singing show “The Voice,” was named People magazine’s sexiest man alive, the magazine announced on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old singer-songwriter, who is engaged to Victoria’s Secrets model Behati Prinsloo, told People magazine he was taken aback by the announcement. “As a musician, you have fantasies that you want to win Grammys, but I didn’t really think that this was on the table,” Levine said. “I was just amazed and stunned and it almost seemed like they were kidding, but they weren’t, so that’s cool.”

Levine joins an illustrious list of prior winners of the award including Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds, George Clooney and Matt Damon. The singer branched into acting last year with his debut role on the television series “American Horror Story.” He also appears in the 2013 film “Can A Song Save Your Life?” with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. “This is just a really interesting time where everything seems to be heading in a certain direction,” he said.

“And I’m not taking any of it for granted.” Levine and Maroon 5 launched their fourth studio album “Overexposed” last year, which received mixed reviews from critics. The group shot to fame in 2002 with their debut album, “Songs About Jane.” The group’s hit singles include “This Love,” “She Will be Loved” and “Moves Like Jagger,” which features Christina Aguilera.

Adam Levine

usiness magazine Forbes named Madonna the highest-paid musician in the world on Tuesday, estimating her earnings at $125 million in the year to June. Revenues from her MDNA concert tour plus sales of Madonna-related products and merchandise put the Material Girl, 55, well ahead of Lady Gaga at $80 million. The Mother Monster’s income would have been higher had a hip injury not forced her to abandon a global concert tour, Forbes said.

Veteran rocker Bon Jovi placed third at $79 million, followed by country star Toby Keith ($65 million) and British band Coldplay ($64 million). Forbes based its list, posted on forbes.com, on pretax income from ticket sales, royalties, merchandising, endorsements and other ventures. It doesn’t take into account fees for agents, managers and lawyers. Only living artists can make the list—otherwise, Forbes said, Michael Jackson would have been number one with a posthumous income of $160 million.

Madonna

The Rolling Stones announces 2014 Australia date

Clarkson announces pregnancy on Twitter

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K

he Rolling Stones are headed to Australia, and they’re taking Mick Taylor along. The enduring rock ‘n’ roll favorites announced Tuesday they’ll be playing a gig March 22 at the Adelaide Oval. They haven’t played in Australia since 2006. A news release says ex-member Taylor will be a special guest for the concert. The date is the latest on the 50 and Counting tour, a celebration of the five decades Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have been together. It began last November.

The Stones will be the first entertainment event at the Oval, a sports field that’s undergone a refurbishment. It’s been nearly two decades since the band visited Adelaide, leading Richards to say, “It’s been awhile, right?” in a promo video.

elly Clarkson says she’s expecting her first child.

The 31-year-old singer said Tuesday on Twitter that she and husband Brandon Blackstock are expecting their first child together. The original “American Idol” champion says in her tweet that the baby is the “best early Christmas present ever.” Clarkson’s publicist, Mika El-Baz, later confirmed the information. Clarkson and Blackstock were married last month. Blackstock is the son of Clarkson’s manager, Narvel Blackstock, and the stepson of Reba McEntire. He manages country star and close Clarkson friend Blake Shelton. Blackstock has two children from a previous marriage. No word on when the baby is due.

Chris Brown

Brown due back in LA court to update judge

C

hris Brown is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom to update a judge on his probation for his 2009 attack on Rihanna.

Yesterday’s hearing is the first time Brown has been in court since he was arrested last month in Washington, DC. A 20-year-old man accused Brown of punching him after he tried to get in a photo with the R&B singer. Brown denied to police that he hit the man but was charged with misdemeanor assault. Since then, the Grammy-winner has entered and left rehab for anger management treatment. Brown’s probation for assaulting Rihanna was briefly revoked this summer after a hit-and-run incident. He was also ordered to redo 1,000 hours of community service because there were questions about whether he actually completed his initial penalty.

Oswalt tapped to host 2014 Spirit Awards

P

Rolling Stones

Thompson is a master, says Santa Barbara Festival

E

mma Thompson will receive the Modern Master Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, SBIFF organizers announced on Tuesday. The award, which comes as Thompson is receiving Oscar buzz for her role as “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers in John Lee Hancock’s “Saving Mr Banks,” will be presented at a tribute on Feb 8, 2014 at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara. Past winners of the award include Ben Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Anthony Hopkins, Diane Keaton, Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges, Peter Jackson and George Clooney. The Modern Master Award is considered the most prestigious of the honors handed out by SBIFF, which typically bestows a number of awards during the crucial period between the announcement of Oscar nominations and the beginning of voting. The 2014 festival has previously announced that honors will go to Cate Blanchett and Oprah Winfrey. Thompson is the only person to win Oscars as an actress and a screenwriter. She was named Best Actress for 1992’s “Howard’s End,” and won the Best Adapted Screenplay award for writing 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility.” Although she won her two Oscars and was nominated five times in a fouryear stretch between 1992 and 1995, she has not been nominated since then. Her career has included “Love Actually,” “Primary Colors,” “Nanny McPhee,” “Men in Black 3,” a voiceover performance in Pixar’s “Brave” and the HBO films “Wit” and “Angels in America.” The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will run from Jan 30 through Feb 9 in the coastal town north of Los Angeles.—Agencies

atton Oswalt has been chosen to host the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent president Josh Welsh said Tuesday. The comedian and “Observe and Report” actor follows in the footsteps of former “Saturday Night Live” funnyman Andy Samberg, who hosted the 2013 festivities. The 2014 ceremony will take place as a luncheon in Santa Monica on March 1, and will premiere exclusively on IFC that night at 10 p.m. “Patton is an incredibly talented writer, actor and comedian whose irreverent humor is the perfect fit for our show,” executive producer Diana Zahn-Storey said of the choice. “We couldn’t be more thrilled that he will be hosting the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.” Noting that Oswalt is a “card holding member” of Film Independent, Welsh added that he “can’t wait” to see how Oswalt will fulfill his hosting duties. “Patton has been a long supporter of our organization, he has participated in several Film Independent Live Reads at LACMA and is also a card holding member of the organization,” Welsh said. “I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us at the Awards show in March.” Oswalt appears in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” alongside Ben Affleck.

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock

Dern to receive Career Achievement Award from Palm Springs Festival

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Emma Thompson Patton Oswalt

ruce Dern can now add the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award to the trophy case of honors he’s already received for his performance in Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska.” PSIFF announced on Tuesday that the 77-year-old character actor will receive the honor at its Awards Gala on Jan 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey have already been named recipients of other awards at the gala, which has become a popular stop for burnishing awards credentials just as Oscar voters are casting their ballots. The gala takes place on the second day of the film festival, which runs from Jan 3-13 in the desert resort two hours east of Los Angeles. Previous winners of the PSIFF Career Achievement Award include Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Sally Field and Helen Mirren. Dern’s career has lasted for more than 50 years and included films with icons like Elia Kazan, Francis Ford Coppola, Alfred Hitchcock, Hal Ashby, Michael Apted, Quentin Tarantino and Dern’s longtime friend Jack Nicholson.

His only Oscar nomination came for 1978’s “Coming Home,” but “Nebraska” has brought Dern some of the most favorable reviews of his career. He won the best-actor award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for his quiet performance as a cranky and delusional man who insists that the sweepstakes letter he’s received guarantees him a $1 million prize. At TheWrap’s screening series presentation of “Nebraska” last week, Dern said he was grateful for the awards attenBruce Dern tion, but added, “The biggest win was to get the damn part!”

37

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

A circular hat with slit detail by British designer Philip Treacy during a press preview for the “Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!” exhibition.—AFP photos

An employee poses next to hats by British designer Philip Treacy.

An employee adjusts an electric blue spike hat.

Style queen: S

tylist, muse, mentor or simply an eccentric aristocrat with a penchant for wearing lobsters—late British fashion editor Isabella Blow was hard to pin down, but most agree she was extraordinary. A new exhibition in London takes a look at Blow’s life and wardrobe, including some spectacular early pieces by designer Alexander McQueen and milliner Philip Treacy who she helped nurture from students to global stars.

Long before Lady Gaga, Blow was a fashion icon renowned for her irreverent sense of style.

She also worked with some of the world’s best photographers and discovered top models such as Stella Tennant. “She had a talent for spotting talent,” said Shonagh Marshall, co-curator of “Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!”, which opened at Somerset House yesterday.

“It was all about the relationships she had with people. She brought everyone together.” Despite her exuberant style, Blow suffered from acute depression and in 2007, at the age of 48, she killed herself by drinking weed killer. It was her seventh suicide attempt in 14 months.

She left behind her beloved collection of clothes which was bought by her close friend, heiress Daphne Guinness.

Guinness is now putting them on public display for the first time, in what she said was “a bittersweet event”. “Isabella Blow made our world more vivid, trailing color with every pace she took. It is a sorrier place for her absence,” she said.

‘Clothes build you up’ Born into an aristocratic English family which had long squandered its wealth, Blow began her fashion career as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue in the early 1980s. She was an eccentric even then, washing her desk with Perrier water and fast becoming known for her unconventional outfits, which only grew more outlandish when she returned to London to work for Tatler, Vogue and the Sunday Times Style magazine.

Blow was a famously early supporter of McQueen, attending his graduate fashion school show in 1992. She was so excited that she tracked down his mother and bombarded her with

Isabella Blow’s wardrobe on show in

phone calls until McQueen got in touch.

Blow bought the entire collection on installment, paying £100 (now $160, 120 euros) a week and receiving one garment a month delivered in a rubbish bag, according to Marshall.

Some of those early designs are on display at Somerset House, including a pink silk frock coat with a black hawthorn print and a black gossamer knit top with glitter detailing. They stand alongside items from McQueen’s seminal autumn/winter 1996 collection, such as a beautiful lilac silk corset with appliqued lace and jet embroidery. The ‘Dante’ show was dedicated to Blow and catapulted McQueen into the big league. A few months later, McQueen was named head designer at Givenchy. Like Blow, he took his own life in 2010.

Blow also spotted hat designer Treacy at art school and the pair became close friends. She styled the milliner’s 1996 collection to huge acclaim, and the exhibition includes a striking silver halfcloche hat with a Rolls Royce figurine on top which featured in the show. Blow wore many of her proteges’ creations, including a legendary Treacy hat featuring a lobster with its legs clinging to her face.

She became as well-known for her outlandish outfits as her job, turning up at one fashion shoot in a hot-pink burkha. She had a passion for creativity and craftsmanship, but the fragile Blow also saw her clothes as a kind of armor shielding her from the outside world.

“If you’re beautiful you don’t need clothes. If you’re ugly like me, you’re like a house with no foundations; you need something to build you up,” she once said. Although she often struggled to pay for the outfits, Blow was not precious about them—she wore one early John Galliano dress while she did the washingup. “They were made to be worn, that was the fun of them,” Marshall said, adding that Blow’s style was “like no-one else’s”.—AFP

London

File photo shows a memorial to Elvis Presley is displayed outside Graceland, Presley’s Memphis, Tenn home to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Presley’s death.—AP photos

Elvis Presley’s

intellectual property rights sold

A

uthentic Brands Group says it has bought Elvis Presley’s intellectual property from CORE Media Group and is partnering with another company to operate the Graceland tourist attraction.

Authentic Brands said Tuesday its purchase gives the company the licensing and merchandising rights to Presley’s image,

Curator Amanda Pescenye holds a 1963 Gibson EBS 1250 double-neck guitar belonging to Elvis Presley.

name and likeness, in addition to the vast collection of photos, movies, television appearances and music specials featuring the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

A purchase price wasn’t disclosed. As part of the deal, National Entertainment Collectibles Association founder Joel Weinshanker acquires Graceland’s

operating rights. Weinshanker, Authentic Brands and the Presley family will partner in operating Graceland. Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, says she will continue to own the Graceland home. New York-based Authentic Brands Group manages brands including Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali.

Al-Mulla Exchange presents ‘Adhe Adhure’ A

l-Mulla International Exchange, the leading remittance service provider in the country, presented the brilliant Hindi stage production ‘Adhe Adhure’ in front of a packed audience at the American International School in Hawally, on the evening of 15 November.

First performed more than 40 years ago, ‘Adhe Adhure’ which translates to ‘The Incomplete One, or the Halfway House’, is penned by Mohan Rakesh, one of the most prominent modern Hindi playwrights, and produced and directed by the acclaimed thespian Lillete Dubey.

Despite the passage of years the play nevertheless remains a classic that evinces strong emotions in audiences. Featuring Lillete Dubey and her daughter Ira Dubey, along with a scintillating cast of Mohan Agashe, Rajeev Sidhartha and Anuschka Sawhney, the play paints a powerful and moving portrait of the life and travails of a middle-class urban family and their self-centered motives.

The Chief Guest of the evening, His Excellency Satish C Mehta, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, along with the specially invited customers of Al-Mulla Exchange, sat captivated throughout the 105 minutes of the play and expressed their appreciation with rapturous applause as the final curtain came down.

Audiences were unanimous in their approval of the initiative by Al-Mulla Exchange in bringing well-known drama productions in different languages to Kuwait, and especially for providing them with a memorable evening of theatrical performance through Adhe Adhure.

38

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

Review

The Beatles, “On Air - Live At the BBC, Vol. 2” (Universal)

e h t m o r f s t e s x Bo

, s e l t a e B

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“The Beatles: The BBC Archives 1962-70,” by Kevin Howlett (HarperCollins) eatles fans, rejoice: More live rarities from the Fab Four are on the way to stores. Nearly 20 years after the first volume of longlost BBC recordings sold millions of copies, a second volume is here, and with it, a coffee table book with rare photos and heretofore unseen historical documents chronicling the band’s interaction with the BBC. Like the first volume, “On Air - Live at the BBC, Vol. 2” is chock full of live covers of other acts’ hit recordings, including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins. The sound quality ranges from crystal clear to exceedingly rough. Not all of the 275 performances the Beatles did were preserved by the broadcaster. Some had to be tracked down from fans’ home recordings, but the raw exuberance of Paul McCartney screaming a hyper rocked-out version of the ballad “Beautiful Dreamer” is a historical nugget in its own right.

There’s tons of on-air banter between all four mop tops and their radio hosts, showing John Lennon’s wry wit and irreverence at an early stage in the band’s career. Outtakes of the band playing “I Feel Fine” are included, showing how the deliberate feedback introduction wreaked havoc with the BBC’s finelycalibrated equipment, causing a technician to ask for multiple takes. The “BBC Archives Book” by Kevin Howlett, one of the leading experts on the Beatles, traces their meteoric early rise with rare photos and even rarer documents from the BBC, including the group’s original audition form, and an evaluator’s report afterward: “John Lennon: Yes. Paul McCartney. No.” And on the offchance you have any money at all remaining after these two, the first volume of BBC recordings has been re-mastered and re-released as well.

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Grateful Dead, “Sunshine Daydream” (Rhino)

H

ow many reviews of archival Grateful Dead releases begin with some variation of this sentence: If you only own one Grateful Dead concert, make sure it’s this one? OK, so let’s get it out of the way early: If you only own one Grateful Dead concert, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for it to be Aug. 27, 1972, a benefit show released as the box set “Sunshine Daydream.”

Amid the roughly 100 archival Grateful Dead releases so far, what makes “Sunshine Daydream” stand out?

First, it’s not just the concert, which plays out over three discs and features the Dead in their prime. There’s also the movie, filmed on a shoestring budget to capture the hastily organized benefit show to help support the Springfield Creamery, owned by Ken Kesey’s brother, in Eugene, Ore. Long available in previous edits as a grainy bootleg, the film is beautifully restored here on DVD. The deluxe edition, available only through the Grateful Dead’s website, comes with a well put-together 30-minute documentary featuring interviews with many of those who were a part of putting the show together, including Merry Prankster and concert emcee Ken Babbs and counter culture icon Wavy Gravy.

Duane Allman “Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective” (Rounder)

D

ig in and dig it, Duane Allman completists (you know who you are). The seven-CD set “Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective” doesn’t include every note Allman ever played, but it probably comes close enough. “’Skydog” sums up the prolific guitar wizard’s tragically brief, sprawling career in comprehensive fashion, making it a testament to the depth and breadth of his incomparable talent.

The set was co-produced by Allman’s daughter, Galadrielle, born shortly before her father died in a 1971 motorcycle crash. Along with his best-loved music as a member of the Allman Brothers Band and Derek & the Dominos, there are samples of his session work with Hall of Famers Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, and with obscure artists such as Johnny Jenkins, Eric Quincy Tate and many, many more. On some cuts Allman solos for only a bar or two, but on longer breaks he sounds like no one else, channeling the blues, soul, jazz, country and rock. Of the 129 tracks, 33 are either previously unreleased or unissued on CD, starting with three nifty 1965 recordings by the Escorts, Allman’s group when he was 18. What he accomplished in the next 6½ years remains remarkable, as this set shows.

The Beach Boys, “Made in California” (Capitol)

W

ith its bright yellow cover and yearbookstyle format, the outside of The Beach Boys’ six-CD set “Made in California” already evokes a sunny California vibe. The music takes you all the way there, with a 50-year, careerspanning collection that includes home demos (complete with the band-member brothers arguing) and new arrangements of beloved hits. Accompanied by more than 30 pages of glossy vintage photos and interviews with the original sextet (Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and David Marks), “Made in California” is the ultimate collectible for any Beach Boys fan.

Lounge into the lush harmonies on a cappella versions of “Can’t Wait Too Long,” “Slip on Through” and “This Whole World.” Dig the old radio spots from the 1960s and rare live studio recordings of “Wendy” and “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man).” Boogie in your bikini to more than a dozen live tracks, many from ‘60s and ‘70s performances.

All the classics are here - “California Girls,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Barbara Ann,” “I Get Around” - plus newer hits like “Kokomo,” and some 130 songs in between, comprehensively illustrating the California band’s longtime and lasting impact on pop music.

Woody Guthrie, “Woody Guthrie: American Radical Patriot” (Rounder) Given Woody Guthrie’s restless nature, it’s amazing he sat still long enough to record five hours of songs and conversation with folklorist Alan Lomax.

Those 1940 sessions by the Library of Congress are included on the sixCD set “Woody Guthrie: American Radical Patriot.” In some of his earliest recordings, Guthrie discusses his youth, the Dust Bowl, bankers, outlaws and life as a frontier troubadour. His snicker is a delight, while his retelling of family misfortunes during the Depression is wrenching. And when he lists famous Hollywood stars from Oklahoma with provincial pride, he sounds like someone’s slightly daft uncle.

Guthrie’s commentary provides fresh context to the music that made him America’s greatest folk singer, and many of his best songs are here, performed informally. Also included are his tunes commissioned to support the US government, including 10 for an anti-venereal disease campaign. This set isn’t the best introduction to Guthrie, and much of it won’t merit repeated listening. But it broadens our understanding of Guthrie, showing how - as the title suggests - the hard-traveling populist militant loved his country.

Eric Clapton “Give Me Strength: The 1974/1975 Recordings” (Polydor/Universal)

W

hen Eric Clapton returned to the studio in 1974 after a long break from recording and performing because of heroin addiction, he embarked on a rebirth as an artist with three major albums that showcased his vocal skills alongside his well-known talents as a guitar god. “Give Me Strength: The 1974/1975 Recordings,” repackages and remasters those two studio albums, “461 Ocean Boulevard” and “There’s One in Every Crowd,” and the live album, “E.C. Was Here!” in a 5-CD, 1 Blu-ray set along with studio outtakes and unreleased ver-

sions of songs he recorded in that critical year.

The songs he recorded in this period are heavy into blues, gospel and reggae, but the live album revisits some of his killer rock guitar skills from his days with Cream and Blind Faith. Some gems in the set are actually when he’s the most muted, such as his dobro performance on “Give Me Strength” or the simple acoustic version of “Please Be With Me.” For fans of Clapton’s solo work, the set provides a detailed look at the turning point in his career and the music that brought him back to the stage.

The Velvet Underground, “White Light/White Heat” 45th Anniversary edition (Polydor/Universal)

W

ho knew that the release on Dec 10 of the 45th anniversary super deluxe edition of The Velvet Underground’s “White Light/ White Heat” would come after the death of the band’s figurehead Lou Reed. This concoction of live tracks, studio cuts and rare outtakes is probably the best eulogy that could be written for the rock genius, and as record sales spike for Reed’s solo material, fans and the curious should do themselves a favor and check out this box set.

Fans of The Velvet Underground will savor previously unreleased versions of their classic tracks such as “Beginning to See the Light” and live versions of “I’m Waiting for The Man” where you can almost feel the sweat dripping down your neck while at New York’s The Gymnasium in 1967.

What is striking but not surprising about the collection is the vast variety of the tracks, which epitomizes The Velvet Underground. The title track is chugging rock ‘n’ roll with distorted guitars and Reed’s nonchalant tones jumping between low and drawling and playfully high. “The Gift” surges in with spoken word, and “Stephanie Says” is so gentle and melodic it could be a lullaby, delicate drum beats laced with harmonizing vocals.

The Ramones, “The Sire Years 1976-1981” (Rhino)

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reak out your leather biker jacket and put on your best punk-rock snarl for this six-disc set from the genre’s American pioneers. All the songs that made you want to grow your hair long and play power chords are here: “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Sheena is a Punk Rocker,” “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” “The Sire Years” comprises the Ramones’ first six albums: 1976’s “The Ramones,” 1977’s “Leave Home” and “Rocket to Russia,” 1978’s “Road to Ruin,” 1980’s “End of the Century” and 1981’s “Pleasant Dreams.”

Each album has its standout tracks - the ones you loved back in high school or whenever you discovered these shaggy-haired New Yorkers.

The albums are presented with the original song order, cover art and arrangements, making the collection familiar, if beloved, territory. It’s nostalgic and comprehensive, but probably redundant for most Ramones fans.

Sly and the Family Stone, “Higher” (Epic/Legacy)

A

fter a thorough listen to the “Sly and the Family Stone: Higher” box set, you’ll quickly realize they’ve made a lot of funky music, but not all of it is worth a second listen. For every heart-warming “Everyday People,” there is “Luv ‘n Haight,” replete with corny horn work and a lackluster approach to funk. For each “I Want to Take You Higher,” and its soul-lifting spirit, there is “I Just Learned How To Swim,” which is Sly Stewart’s funk-tinged surf song that is fun. Maybe once.

That’s what you have in this reasonably comprehensive, four-CD collection that includes 17 previously (perhaps thankfully) unreleased tracks: a band bristling with talent and experimentation, which occasionally struck gold, and sometimes not. Songs like “What’s That Got To Do With Me,” about a love gone wrong, is epic in scope, with sweeping horn-driven crescendo interspersed with bits of dramatic pause and odd vocal insertions. If you like odd, this collection with be full of gems for you. Most Family Stone fans, however, will likely be content with a single disc of greatest hits by the funk super group, forgoing the filler.

Fleetwood Mac, “Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1972” (Reprise)

T

he first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Fleetwood Mac is their seminal album “Rumours.” But the band’s pre-“Rumours” days are rich with bluesy offerings that are well worth revisiting on the new box set “Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1972.” The highlight of the four-album, vinyl collection is the first re-mastered edition of “Then Play On,” Fleetwood Mac’s 1969 debut album on Reprise Records.

This is a raw, young blues-fueled Fleetwood Mac and the sense of urgency to their music is on full display. The opening, bongobacked track “Coming Your Way” bristles with pace and the all-out house rocker “Fighting For Madge” showcases guitarist Peter Green as a force to rival Eric Clapton of that era.

“Future Games” is another winning platter, though it presents a softer Fleetwood Mac. By 1971 we find them putting together the less edgy sound that would prove to be the backbone to their radio mainstay hits to come. “Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1972” aptly presents the formative years of one of the most successful bands in history.

39

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

M o v i e s

Spider-Man Broadway musical close in January, move to Vegas

to

Bieber corrects himself, didn’t meet Mexico leader

File photo shows people line up to enter the Foxwoods Theatre for a matinee showing of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” in New York.—AP

“S

pider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” will end its Broadway run in January, a spokesman said on Monday, and the popular musical is set to move to Las Vegas. The show, the most expensive staged on Broadway, had a rocky start in 2010 with cast injuries during high-wire stunts and opening night delays.

“We are excited to report that the next destination for SPIDER-MAN will be the entertainment capital of the world: Las Vegas,” Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show, said in an email to Reuters. The Broadway show will close in January, he said, and further details will be announced in the coming weeks.

File photo shows Canadian pop star Justin Bieber performs in concert during his Believe world tour in Asuncion, Paraguay.

The show was also embroiled in legal disputes after Tony-winning director Julie Taymor, of “The Lion King,” was fired from the production in March 2011. Taymor reached an agreement with the show’s producers this year. The musical, based on one of Marvel Comic’s most famous heroes, cost more than $70 million to bring to the stage and includes music

by Bono and The Edge. It routinely brings in more than $1 million a week at the box office. However, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the show has been running below its breakeven point for weeks, even though it is among the top shows in attendance figures.—Reuters

Fergie, Duhamel make beautiful baby music together

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Fans of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber scream as they gather outside the hotel in which Bieber is staying in Mexico City, Tuesday.—AP photos

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orry Justin Bieber, Mexico’s president is apparently not a belieber. The pop star was forced to correct himself on Tuesday after claiming on Twitter that he had met President Enrique Pena Nieto before a show in Mexico City, prompting the government to deny such a meeting had taken place. It was the latest twist in the 19-year-old Canadian singer’s controversy-filled “Believe Tour” in Latin America. Late Monday, Bieber, who calls his fans “beliebers,” wrote to his 47 million followers on Twitter that he had “just met some amazing mexican beliebers and the presidente of mexico and his familia.”Minutes later, the president’s office tweeted to its more than 845,000 followers: “@ PresidenciaMX denies a meeting between the holder of the executive @EPN and the singer @justinbieber.”

Bieber changed his tune on Tuesday, writing: “*correction. I met the presidente’s family and all their friends in the private meet and greet with all their security. They were very nice.” The president’s press office said it could

not confirm whether his family had been at the show, but Pena Nieto was busy working with his cabinet at his official residence late Monday.

Bieber, who will perform again on Tuesday in Mexico City, attracted throngs of adoring and screeching fans outside his hotel in the ritzy district of Polanco early Monday. Bieber’s tour of Latin America has been plagued by scandals. In Rio de Janeiro, the singer was charged with tagging the wall of an abandoned hotel, photographed leaving a notorious brothel and thrown out of another hotel. Before heading to Mexico, he caused outrage in Argentina by stepping on an Argentine flag thrown onto the stage during a concert.

Then Argentine authorities seized his concert gear following a lawsuit filed by a photographer who sued for damages, alleging that Bieber’s bodyguards hit him and damaged his equipment as the singer was leaving a nightclub.—AFP

ergie and her husband, Josh Duhamel, are writing songs together, but they’re for an audience of one: their son, Axl. “We have own little home-written songs,” Fergie said in an interview Monday, noting their 3-month-old loves their “little ditties.” “We harmonize and we sing together,” the Black Eyed Peas songstress said before singing part of one tune that began with “Baby you’re my baby” and adding: “We can be quite corny.” She usually sings “Silent Night” to put Axl to sleep because it “sounds like a lullaby.” Fergie also said she and Duhamel play Rockabye Baby! CDs with music from artists like Bob Marley and Led Zeppelin and “mommy’s rap music” from artists like Kendrick Lamar. As for curse words in rap, she said: “I have to figure out how I’m going to deal with that ‘cause mommy loves her rap.” Axl is the couple’s first child.

She and Duhamel say they want a second child and Fergie says she wants to stop at two. The 38-year-old singer said being in “mommy mode” is what prompted her to partner with Unilever’s Project Sunlight File photo shows Fergie at the campaign that launches Wednesday in conjunction with Universal premiere of “Scenic Route” at Children’s Day. She said the initiative is about making the planet a better place for children. “I have an urge to help children everywhere,” the Chinese 6 Theater in Los she said. Project Sunlight encourages individuals to take steps “to live Angeles.—AP more sustainably.” As part of the initiative, UNICEF, the World Food Program and Save the Children are providing school meals, safe drinking and hygiene education to 2 million children worldwide yesterday.

Fergie said she and Duhamel are taking steps to “create a brighter future for our children” by driving a hybrid vehicle, recycling and planting an organic garden at their home. She said she’s thinking about returning to work on a solo album at some point in the future. “I’ve got my notebooks, I’ve got my iPhone and I’ve got ideas.” Will any of the songs she and Duhamel co-wrote be included? “You never know,” she said with a laugh. “Maybe we’ll put them on as interludes.”—AP

The 5 craziest quotes from the Bret Easton Ellis Q&A with West

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ret Easton Ellis is known for saying out-there things on Twitter. But he can’t get a crazy word in edgewise in his new interview with Kanye West.

Ellis kicked off his new podcast Monday by interviewing the creative genius (West’s preferred title, as he explains).

We know it’s going to be a battle of egos when Ellis pontificates for three minutes before letting West, his occasional collaborator, answer a question But once West gets going, it’s gold. He uses an anecdote about Paris to explain why he feels like the protagonist in “12 Years a Slave.” And he says his current mental age is three. Basically, we have a new favorite podcast. Here are West’s wildest comments in his Q&A with Ellis. We’re pretty sure some of them are jokes.

1. “Just explaining to people out there that are listening that maybe have some perceptions or have heard some brash comments that I’ve made like doing like Disney or Steve Jobs comparisons, I have the right to do that and I have the right to say that. It’s fun for me, because to set your goals that high. You know? Steve Jobs was never the best computer programmer but he had an understanding and a feeling.”

2. “If I were to write my title like going through the airport and you have to put down what you do? I would literally write ‘creative genius’ except for two

reasons: Sometimes it takes too long to write that and sometimes I spell the word ‘genius’ wrong. The irony.”

3. “For me, I felt like the main character [in ‘12 Years a Slave’] in what I’m dealing with even as a like mega popular rich celebrity, f—you-who-doyou-think-you-are-to-complain-aboutanything situation that I’m in when I deal with ... attempting to create in other fields. Or attempting to create in clothing. I’ve kind of been on this campaign that started with, ironically, my song, ‘New Slaves,’ where, I was sitting in Paris ... .”

4. “The skill set to dress nice is too high. You know what I mean? If someone looks at you and says ‘Oh you dress nice’ you have to like focus on it so much you have to almost be a scholar of clothing to be a well-dressed person and stuff.”

5. “The better and better I get at what I do, the younger and younger I am. Like, every day I’m getting younger. ... When I made ‘Graduation’ I was 6 years old.

When I made ‘808s’ I jumped to 5 years old. When I, uh, made ‘Cruel Summer,’ uh, I jumped to 5 years old. Then the Taylor Swift thing happened, right? And I had to grow back up. And I delivered what could be considered my most, you know perfected work. And I had to turn to like a 7-year-old. I had to almost reach

10. I almost reached 10 years old when I did ‘Dark Fantasy.’ I had to grow up for a second. ... And then I’m having a little bit of fun.

And then when I went to ‘Yeezus’ I kind of got back to under 5, like fourand-a-half. And now I’m mentally, completely 3 years old. So if I talk to paparazzi, I’m 3 years old. If I get into an argument with Bob Iger, I’m 3 years old. If I get into an argument with Oprah Winfrey for two hours, I’m 3 years old.

But don’t let me get proper money, support backing and to put my work out and let the earth speak back to it.

I’m gonna be two-and-a-half years old.

By the time I’m like 50 I’m gonna be one.

And by the time I’m dead I’m gonna be zero.”—Reuters

Levine named People’s sexiest man alive

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

A folk artist from India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state performs during a procession held as part of the ongoing all India multilingual short play, folk dance competition and theatre seminar in Allahabad, India, yesterday. Artists from different parts of the country are participating in the twelve-day event—AP

Restored Rome catacomb frescoes add to debate on women priests Pa shtu n p o e ts dre am of p e ace in Jal al abad

A fresco is pictured inside the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome November 19, 2013.

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roponents of a female priesthood say frescoes in the newly restored Catacombs of Priscilla prove there were women priests in early Christianity. The Vatican says such assertions are sensationalist “fairy tales”. The catacombs, on Rome’s Via Salaria, have been fully reopened after a five-year project that included laser technology to clean some of the ancient frescoes and a new museum to house restored marble fragments of sarcophagi.

Art lovers and the curious around the world who cannot get to Rome can join the debate by using a virtual visit to the underground labyrinth by Google Maps, a first-time venture mixing antiquity and modern high technology. Built as Christian burial sites between the second and fifth centuries and meandering underground for 13 km (8 miles) over several levels, the Catacombs of Priscilla contain frescoes of women that have provoked academic debate for many years.

One, in a room called the “Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman,” shows a woman whose arms are outstretched like those of a priest saying Mass. She wears what the catacombs’ Italian website calls “a rich liturgical garment”. The word “liturgical” does not appear in the English version.

She also wears what appears to be a stole, a vestment worn by priests.

Another fresco, in a room known as “The Greek Chapel,” shows a group of women sitting around a table, their arms outstretched like those of priests celebrating Mass. Organisations promoting a female priesthood, such as the Women’s Ordination Conference and the Association of Roman Catholic Woman Priests, have pointed to these ancient scenes as evidence of a female priesthood in the early Church.

But the Vatican contests these

interpretations which have also appeared in books on women in Christianity, such as the “The Word According to Eve” published in 1998.

‘Fairy tale’ “This is an elaboration that has no foundation in reality,” Barbara Mazzei of the Pontifical Commission on Sacred Archaeology told Reuters at the presentation of the restoration on Tuesday. “This is a fairy tale, a legend,” said Professor Fabrizio Bisconti, superintendent of religious heritage archaeological sites owned by the Vatican, including numerous catacombs scattered around Rome.

He said such interpretations were “sensationalist and absolutely not reliable”. Bisconti said the fresco of the woman in a gesture of priest-like prayer was “a depiction of a deceased person now in paradise,” and that the women sitting at the table were taking part in a “funeral banquet” and not a Eucharistic gathering. The Church teaches that women cannot become priests because Jesus willingly chose only men as his apostles.

Giorgia Abeltino, head of public policy at Google Italy, said special instruments and smaller cameras were developed for the virtual tour project, which is similar to Google’s street view except that it explores the bowels of ancient Rome. The Catacombs of Priscilla are also famous for a fresco which experts believe is the oldest known image of the Madonna and Child, dating to about 230 AD. Lost for centuries after its entrances were sealed in ancient time, the catacombs were re-discovered in the 16th century and plundered of many gravestones, sarcophagi and bodies.

Excavations in modern times began in the 19th century.—Reuters

Afghan Pashto poets gather as they read their poems.

Afghan poet Baz Mohammad Abid reads one of his poems at a cultural organization.

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t a relaxed open-air recital, twenty Pashtun poets come together every week to share their dreams of peace, indifferent to the drones and helicopters in the Afghan skies above. Jalalabad is regarded as the heartland of Afghan poetry in a region better known for its warriors than its wordsmiths, on a plateau south of the Himalayan mountains of the Hindu Kush. Meeting every Friday—a day of rest in Afghanistan—the poet’s circle consists of men in long traditional white, grey, black or brown Afghan shirts who sit on plastic chairs in a courtyard covered by vine leaves tumbling over a bamboo roof.

They take it in turns to speak from behind a makeshift wooden lectern, their words offering strength and hope in dealing with life in a country ravaged by war for over three decades. Their language, Pashto, is the dominant tongue in the south and east of the country. Poet’s circle member Baryali Baryal said humor is the best antidote to the relentless stress of living with war. “We have been in war for three decades, so everybody is sad, suffering from different problems,” he said.

“So since it’s war, I write funny poems. People are unhappy, so I think if they sit five minutes with us and we make them laugh, they will feel happy.” With a large, earth-colored Afghan shawl on his shoulders, Baryali took his place at the pulpit and began describing life on the streets of Jalalabad, to the laughter and applause of his audience.

‘We need more peace and love’ Baz Mohammad Abid has several collections of poetry to his name. “Three decades of war has strengthened our poetry and created more poets,” he said. His poem “Unity” evokes dreams of peace and reconciliation in a population devastated, divided and

exhausted by conflict. “Peace and unity will come to our country again / From every Afghan mouth comes the words peace and unity / We will stay peaceful if we remain united / We will live peacefully in a house built on unity.”

With quiet composure, Abid says such messages are the “duty” of a poet. “The presence of the poet is for this purpose: being constructive to society. In these times, where we need more peace and love, it is the duty of a poet to write or create poems for peace, and love.” Sometimes referred to as the “City of Poets”, Jalalabad is full of places where poetry can be discovered, with many small basement bookstores providing quiet refuge from the noisy, rickshaw-crammed streets.

“Most visitors come to buy religious books or textbooks, but there are also many who are looking for poetry,” said Zainullah, a bookseller. Jalalabad’s university has a reputation for being highly conservative, but the poetry courses it offers are full up. In one classroom 80 students, including four young veiled women, sit at the front of the class taught by Fazal Wali Nagar, professor of Pashto literature. “The history of writing Pashto poems began 1,300 years ago with the first stanzas of Amir Kror Sori,” he said, adding that it grew significantly in the seventeenth century under the leadership of Rahman Baba, one of the masters of the discipline.

“In the past most of the poems were based on mysticism or imagination.” Today’s generation of poets “want to let the world know that there is more than enough potential in the Afghan people, and that they can play a role in the reconstruction of wartorn Afghanistan,” said Nagar. “Their concentration is towards peace.”—AFP