1st Dec 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Romania, Kuwait to strengthen relations

www.kuwaittimes.net

MUHARRAM 27, 1435 AH

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6Iran11 40 20 frees Kuwaiti man Kuwaiti ambassador to Tehran hails ties after release

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By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti activists yesterday rally outside the Palestinian Embassy to express solidarity with the Palestinian people on ‘The Day of Anger’ declared yesterday to reject the Prawer Plan that calls to evict 70,000 bedouins from the Negev Desert. Palestinian ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub met the demonstrators and appreciated their support. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Nuclear deal hits gas pedal for carmakers TEHRAN: The nuclear deal struck by Iran and six world powers will put more rubber on the road in the Islamic Republic. The country’s major carmakers stand ready to start receiving parts again from French firms PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault when the sanctions ease. That could see Iran’s stalled car production again take off, proving a boon to local automakers and potentially draw in more foreign investment from other manufacturers hoping to break into the market.

The nuclear deal struck in Geneva puts the brakes on the most sensitive parts of Iran’s uranium enrichment program in return for relief from economic sanctions. The sanctions expected to lift include those affecting Iran’s auto industry, its petrochemical exports, the sale of gold and other precious metals and the supply of spare parts for Iranian airplanes.

Iran’s auto industry has been particularly hard hit by the sanctions. Car production in Iran this year fell by 72 percent compared to 2011, when it produced some 1.6 million cars.

The sanctions relief, due to start in early January, allows for the French companies to resume auto parts to Iran’s biggest carmakers Iran Khodro and SAIPA. Some 100,000 Iranian auto workers have been laid off because of sanctions. Plants in the country now run at less than half their capacity. Officials at an international automobile conference that began Saturday in Tehran eagerly welcomed the deal. “Iran’s global standing in car production, which was 13, has fallen (due to sanctions). I’m sure Iran will be able to compensate the fall of its share in the near future,” said Patrick Blain, president of the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.

“International investors are expected to re-enter Iran’s market soon.”

Iranian Industr y Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said Iran’s biggest carmakers are now holding talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault in Tehran for new joint venture projects and joint car spare parts production. That will greatly help Peugeot, Europe’s No. 2 automaker, which saw its profits hurt by the sanctions. Peugeot sold more than 450,000 cars annually in Iran before the sanctions. Renault sold more than 100,000 cars in Iran in 2011 before pulling out. — AP

KUWAIT: Iran released a Kuwaiti citizen who was handed over to the Kuwaiti embassy yesterday after four days of confinement that involved coordination on high diplomatic levels to secure his release. “We received citizen Adel Al-Huwal from the Iranian authorities and he is in good condition,” Kuwaiti ambassador in Tehran Majdi Al-Thafiri confirmed. Arrangements were underway to send him back home to his family as soon as possible, he added.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry had launched coordinated efforts to secure Huwal’s release after news emerged about his arrest in Shiraz. It summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires and made an official request to release him. Huwal was reportedly questioned on charges of offending the Iranian regime as well as verbal assault charges pressed by staff member of a hotel he was staying in. Earlier reports suggested that a quarrel started when the staff member asked Huwal to reduce the volume of an audio recording of the Holy Quran, after which he made the verbal assault.

Thafiri praised the cooperation of the Iranian authorities, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Security Ministry and other departments for securing release of the Kuwaiti citizen. Such cooperation on part of the Iranian authorities reflects high level of understanding between the two countries and distinctive status of Kuwaiti-Iranian ties, he added.

Egypt panel votes on constitution CAIRO: An Egyptian panel began voting yesterday on a new constitution intended to pave the way for a return to elected rule after July’s military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. If adopted, the charter will be put to a popular referendum early next year in the first milestone of the militaryinstalled government’s transition roadmap, to be followed by presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-2014. Voting on the 247 articles began with 48 members of the 50-member panel in attendance, and was expected to continue Sunday, said Amr Mussa, the head of the panel and former foreign minister under Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by a prodemocracy uprising in 2011.

Within the first two hours the panel approved the first 50 of the 247 articles of the draft charter, including one stipulating that Islamic sharia law will be the main source of legislation. This clause has been retained from the Mubarak-era constitution. After the army ousted Morsi in July, Egypt’s interim rulers suspended the 2012 constitution, which had been hastily drafted during his year in power by a panel dominated by Morsi’s Islamist allies. The roadmap stipulates

that a referendum on the constitution be held by the end of the year, but officials have said it is now expected in the second half of January.

The panel includes representatives from civil society, political parties, institutions such as the army and police, and the Coptic church. But it includes just two Islamists, neither of whom is from Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which won a series of polls following Mubarak’s ouster but has in recent months been the target of a sweeping crackdown that has seen more than 1,000 people killed. Mussa told reporters earlier that the panel “reached an agreement on the entire constitution which has been extensively revised” from the one adopted under Morsi.

But rights groups and activists criticised the draft, particularly Article 203, which would allow military trials of civilians accused of “direct attacks” on the armed forces, a provision they fear could be applied to protesters, journalists and dissidents. The article says that “no civilian can be tried by military judges, except for crimes of direct attacks on armed forces, military installations and military personnel.” — AFP

CAIRO: A member of the Egyptian security forces throws a plastic stool during clashes with protesters who gathered in support of a prominent secular activist who turned himself in yesterday. — AFP

Indian editor arrested in sexual assault case PANAJI, India: The editor of an Indian magazine known for exposing abuses of power was arrested yesterday in a sexual assault case that has fueled fresh outrage over the treatment of women in the country, police said. Police took Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal into custody within an hour of Judge Anuja Prabhudesai rejecting his bail petition, said Sunita Sawant, the police officer investigating the case. The allegations against Tejpal by a female colleague have touched a nerve in part because he is the face of a publication that has pushed Indian society to vanquish corruption and confront the scourge of sexual violence. The journalist alleged that Tejpal cornered her in a hotel elevator and assaulted her twice, on Nov 7 and 8.

Formal charges could be filed when the investigation is complete.

Tejpal was sitting in the office of crime branch of the state police when the court order came. “We are already cooperating with the police in investigation,” said Geeta Luthra, Tejpal’s attorney. Details of the court order were not immediately known. Indian media have chronicled every turn in the Tejpal case, which is playing out through leaked emails, police reports and a resignation letter in which the accuser says she is enduring “intimidation, character assassination and slander”.

“Tehelka’s Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal sexually molested me on two occasions in November this year,” the woman said in the resignation letter, which was printed in India media. “I am deeply traumatized by the lack of support offered by the organization.” On Friday, the woman, whose name and job title have not been made public, released a statement saying she was disturbed that her complaint had been described by some as a

Tarun Tejpal political gimmick. “(I)n this case, the law is clear: what Mr Tejpal did to me falls within the legal definition of rape.”

Tejpal came under investigation after the woman told the magazine’s managing editor about the alleged assault. The woman had been working at Tehelka Thinkfest, the magazine’s annual conference at a coastal hotel resort in Goa, where her duties involved escorting Robert De Niro and his daughter to events. A detailed account of the alleged attack, apparently written by the accuser, was leaked to the media and posted on social media last week. The police used that email in their investigation.

As the allegations became public, Tejpal apologized for “a bad lapse of judgment, an awful misreading of the situation” and said he was stepping down for six months, according to a staff email widely circulated in Indian media. But his words, seen to be downplaying the case, only fueled public outrage. Tejpal then backpedaled and described the sexual encounter as consensual and fleeting. — AP

8 dead as chopper crashes into pub GLASGOW: Eight people were killed and 14 others seriously injured when a police helicopter crashed into the roof of a packed Glasgow pub, trapping many inside in choking dust and debris, Scottish police said yesterday. Witnesses said the helicopter dropped from the sky like a stone onto the busy Clutha Pub in Scotland’s biggest city on Friday night while more than 100 people were crammed inside, listening to a live music concert. The helicopter crew - two police officers and the civilian pilot - were among the dead and the others were discovered inside the wreckage of the building, Chief Constable of Police Scotland Stephen House told reporters. He said 14 others remained in hospital with serious injuries.

The 12-m helicopter - a twin-engine Eurocopter EC135 T2, made by a subsidiary of

EADS - spiralled into the pub in the centre of Glasgow, destroying part of the roof. The mangled wreckage remained embedded in the middle of the building as the search continued through yesterday. “We are still in ... a rescue and recovery situation,” House said. “Until the helicopter is out of the way we won’t know what ... is going on underneath.”

Immediately after the crash, revellers caked in dust and blood rushed out into the street.

Passers-by including the local member of parliament formed a human chain to bring out the injured from the building. “It was fairly busy, we were all having a nice time and then there was like a ‘whoosh’ noise,” Grace MacLean, who was in the pub at the time, told the BBC. “There was no bang, no explosion, and then there was what seemed like smoke, and we were all jok-

ing that the band had made the roof come down, and then it started to come down more and someone started screaming, and the whole pub filled with dust and you couldn’t see anything, you couldn’t breathe.”

Tearful relatives and friends of those caught up in the incident gathered during the day, some laying flowers at the scene, and Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister David Cameron were among those to express their sympathy. “ This is a black day for Glasgow and for Scotland,” said Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, noting that Saturday was St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. Celebrations in Glasgow were cancelled, flags were flown at half-mast on government buildings and a special service was held at Glasgow’s Roman Catholic cathedral. — Reuters

GLASGOW: Part of the helicopter tailfin and rotor is seen after the wind blows off the sheet covering the scene yesterday following the helicopter crash at the Clutha Bar. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

LOCAL

Maximum two cars ownership stipulation soon KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry is expected to issue a decision soon under which drivers can only own a maximum of two vehicles in Kuwait, with an exception given to Kuwaitis willing to pay an extra fee to register a third or more cars. This was announced

by Assistant Undersecretary Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali, who said that the proposal is included in “a comprehensive study on the reasons for traffic jams that is set to be submitted to Deputy Prime Minister

and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah”. Under the new instructions, a minimum wage will be set for expatriates to be able to register two cars under their names, but it was not specified in Ali’s statements.

Currently, a minimum salary of KD 400 per month is required for an expatriate to obtain a driving license in Kuwait. Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti national would be entitled to obtain two vehicles with no

restrictions, but pay higher and higher ‘fees’ for every new car registered under his or her name.

“There are over 1.7 million registered vehicles in Kuwait, which is a large number by all standards,” the senior official said, adding the study he mentioned “is part of many intended to address the traffic problem”.

There is no timetable for when the new stipulation will be put into effect, but Ali’s statements

seem to suggest that it will be applied in the very near future. The ministry has already started implementing a new procedure under which a driving license is compulsory for a person to register a vehicle in his or her name. Ali’s statements came during a traffic crackdown in Khairan on Thursday night, during which he announced that the Interior Ministry has collected KD 41 million out of KD 51 million owed in traffic fines. — Al-Jarida

Steps to fight absenteeism in elementary schools Cheers and jeers for new move

By Nawara Fattahova

KOC devotes special attention to safety KUWAIT: Health and safety of Kuwait’s inhabitants top Kuwait Oil Company’s priorities, said a company official yesterday.

The KOC is concerned about the human being’s health and safety in Kuwait, and preserving the environment comes on top of the company priorities, said the KOC media team chief, Mohammad Al-Basri.

Citing a concrete example affirming this approach, Al-Basri underlined the company’s recent campaign to clean up Kuwaiti beaches.

Latest of such efforts were on Friday, when the KOC teams cleared beaches around the Green Island, he said, also noting that this campaign was carried out simultaneously with other missions of such kind in the other GCC countries.

Cleaning the beaches is a means to educate the citizens and residents of Kuwait about necessity to safeguard the environment, he said, adding that these efforts include seminars addressed to students.

Some individuals are totally negligent with respect of the environment, and some deal with it crudely, with no consideration whatsoever to cleanliness, he said, criticizing various damaging activities by seagoers, campers and weekend recreation seekers.

The KOC plans to carry out a campaign aimed at preserving the Kuwaiti desert. It will be coupled with a major promotional campaign.

Al-Basri urged residents of the country to protect the environment and cleaning up locations which they frequently visit. —KUNA

KUWAIT: To fight absenteeism in elementary schools, the Ministry of Education may start reducing marks of absent students. The student will lose marks in all subjects if he is absent without an acceptable reason. This is not all. Even an absent student with an acceptable reason will lose one mark in all subjects after the 15th discontinuous day of absence in a school term. Any absent student with acceptable or unacceptable reasons for three terms during an academic year will repeat his class for not meeting the attendance conditions.

Hanan, mother of a 7-year-old girl, noted that this rule should be applied. “This rule will make the student respect attendance and teach him responsibility. I also suggest punishing parents by writing them warning letters, and let the parents receive the letter personally and not through the driver or maid. My daughter is never absent from school, and I would never allow her to stay at home unless she is really sick,” she told Kuwait Times.

There are some parents that see this rule as oppres-

sive. “I agree with this decree. If a student’s absence is due to an unacceptable reason, he should be punished.

But if the student is absent due to an acceptable reason, he shouldn’t be punished as he is most probably sick and needs to stay at home,” noted Yaseen, a father of two children in elementary school.

Hosam, a teacher at an elementary school, noted that this decision is just. “Many students are not serious and stay absent whenever they want with the support of their parents. I know many students who bring sick leaves although they are not really sick, with the help of their irresponsible parents who teach him these bad manners and arrange sick leaves with wasta. This new rule will force the parents to respect attendance,” he pointed out.

Some parents don’t believe that this rule will affect them. “I believe this may be applied in public schools only and not private schools as each private school has its own grading system. In general, we are more strict with absenteeism than public schools, and being absent is not very common in this school,” stressed George, a father of two children in elementary grade.

Boats collide at Sharq marina

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: In yet another boat collision, two boats collided at Sharq marina when one of them was sailing out and the other sailing in, said security sources, pointing out that the first boat was carrying a man and his four sons. The sources added one of the two citizens onboard the second boat were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment. Marine fire brigade manager Col Tareq Al-Sabti urged everybody to fully observe safety precautions while sailing in and out of harbors, make sure the boat lights are on and horns properly function.

A fire broke out in an abandoned building in Salhiya, said security sources, noting that firemen from the City and Hilali stations rushed to the scene to discover that the fire had started in dumped wood, cardboard and old doors on the ground floor and basement. The fire was quickly contained and prevented from spreading.

During the operation, part of the ceiling fell on top of Lt Aaleh Al-Bosaili, who survived thanks to his helmet and full gear. However, he hurt his knee on his way out and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Al Ahli Bank participates in job fair exhibition KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait sponsored the 30th NUKS conference - USA branch in San Diego. The Bank participated in a job fair exhibition that was attended by the Prime Minister representative Sheikha Dr Rasha Al-Sabah and Sheikh Salem Al-Abdullah AlJaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s ambassador to the United States of America.

The aim of participating in this job fair was to attract Kuwaiti fresh graduates, and offer them employment opportunities, as Banking is one of the main sectors where national youth can be successfully employed. ABK

would like to offer them rewarding career opportunities that are commensurate with their education, skills and ambition.

It is worth mentioning that ABK has a distinctive experience in attracting, training and retaining staff, especially fresh graduates. ABK enrolls them at the ABK Academy where they go through a regimented training program, that can develop their expertise, diversify their skills, and graduate as trained professionals, well equipped to deal with the demands of the banking industry.

KIPCO offers transferable summer courses for students living in US Kuwait renews support for states’ nuclear rights VIENNA: The State of Kuwait yesterday affirmed states’ inalienable right to produce and develop and harness nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, within framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Kuwait’s permanent delegate at UN organizations based here, Yassin Al-Majed, stated Kuwait welcomes the accord, crafted in Tehran on 11th of November between Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Ali Salehi, Iran’s Vice President and Chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), aimed at boosting dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.

Kuwait affirms unwavering support for brotherly Palestinians VIENNA: The State of Kuwait on Friday affirmed its full and unwavering support for struggle of the brotherly Palestinian people for attaining their political rights according to the international legitimacy resolutions.

Addressing a ceremony marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Ahmad Mansour Al-Alaj, Kuwait’s permanent delegate at UN organizations based here, renewed the Gulf State support for the Palestinians’ quest for full UN membership.

Al-Alaj, also the third secretary of the Kuwaiti embassy in the Austrian capital, said the occasion coincided with the first anniversary of the UN General Assembly historic resolution, accepting Palestine as an observer in the UN. He was addressing the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

He called on the international community to pressure Israel, as an occupation authority, to stop “hostile and inhumane practices against the Palestinian people.” He also called for scrapping policy of land expropriation, settlements’ expansion, bringing down the “separation wall” and halting Jerusalem’s judaization.

The occupation authority continuous violations, without any deterrence, hinder the peace process, Al-Alaj said, urging the international community to refrain from disparaging UN resolutions.

Al-Alaj, in his statement on behalf of the State of Kuwait, stressed a just and comprehensive peace could only be achieved through Israel’s execution of the UN resolutions, namely those stipulating the Israelis’ withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and recognition of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, according to the Arab peace initiative. In 1977, the UN General Assembly called for annual observance of November 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. — KUNA

KUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company - is providing an opportunity for students studying in the United States to explore the option of taking transferable summer course credits back to their respective universities abroad through the American University of Kuwait (AUK).

The initiative comes as part of the participation of KIPCO and its Group companies in the 30th Conference of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students USA Branch (NUKS-USA) held in San Diego, California.

AUK, a member of the KIPCO Group, was present to help advise students who want to spend their summer vacation in Kuwait on how to apply for summer courses at the university. AUK representatives explained the application process, procedures needed and required approvals to ensure that the credits are transferred to students’ universities in the United States.

KIPCO is the Platinum Sponsor of the 30th NUKS-USA Conference for the third consecutive year. The company’s participation is part of its responsibility as a Kuwaiti company to help provide bright and enthusiastic young Kuwaitis with suitable career development opportuni-

ties when they return from studying abroad. KIPCO is committed to supporting the development of educational initiatives and continues to encourage youth to achieve their personal and professional ambitions.

The annual event was held under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah. Alongside AUK, Burgan Bank and Marina FM were also present at the conference as representatives of the KIPCO Group.

The KIPCO Group is one of the biggest holding companies in the Middle East and North Africa, with consolidated assets of US$ 29 billion as of 30 September, 2013. The Group has significant ownership interests in over 60 companies operating across 24 countries. The group’s main business sectors are financial services, media, real estate and manufacturing. Through its core companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, KIPCO also has interests in the education and medical sectors.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

LOCAL

Zain, NUKS-USA celebrate 30 years of accomplishments KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, is proud to announce the company’s participation in the National Union of Kuwait Students-USA’s (NUKS-USA) 30th Annual Conference held in San Diego, at which Zain Group Chairman Asaad Al-Banwan made the keynote address.

The conference, held under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, and under the slogan ‘Let Us Make a Decision...To Correct Our Path’, is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of Kuwaitis outside of the country with over 3,000 attendees. The event brings together distinguished national figures from Kuwait who have had a significant impact on the country’s political, economic, cultural and sporting life, and is a rare blend of intellectual and social content for the attendees to appreciate.

As part of his keynote presentation, AlBanwan stated: “While some believe that

wagering on youth is the key to unlocking the future, there are others who have no doubt that the youth of any nation are the true custodians of that country’s future.”

Addressing selected Kuwait students and many influential public and private sector executives, Al-Banwan continued: “We are proud of our youth who are forward-looking and ambitious and who are set to lead us to a better and brighter future. Events like this conference; which address important and relevant national messages, are an opportunity for communication between the future leaders and the current decision makers, thereby ensuring continuity in leadership and decision-making.”

Al-Banwan highlighted that Zain’s participation in the conference coincided with the celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary of founding, which also corresponded to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Kuwait’s national students’ union.

Pointing out that Zain is a regional and international telecom pioneer, Al-Banwan hailed youth in all markets in which the company has a presence for the crucial role they play in propelling the company forward, and

events such as the NUKS-USA Annual Conference is a fantastic opportunity for Zain to renew its promise to remain a strong supporter of Kuwait’s citizens in all local and international forums.

Al-Banwan said: “We are confident that the young people in Kuwait will be able to shoulder many responsibilities in the near future.

They should be provided the full support and patronage in order to help them assume their responsibilities in an effective manner.”

The Zain Group Chairman concluded his comments by saying: “The building of nations is not just a theoretical idea. It must be actualized by hard work and perseverance. With a lot of hope, we optimistically look forward to the role young people will assume in the future after having armed themselves with knowledge in order to become a contributing member of the development of their country.”

Being one of the largest publicly listed companies in Kuwait, Zain assumed the role of the platinum sponsor of this year’s NUKSUSA’s conference. This sponsorship highlights Zain’s awareness of the importance of participating in youth events, especially the events that showcase student activities.

Iran ‘welcomes’ Kuwaiti bid to solve Saudi-Qatar dispute FM Zarif starts regional visit KUWAIT: Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrives in Kuwait today in a regional visit that includes Saudi Arabia and Oman on dates to be announced later. Commenting on the visit, a senior Iranian official told a Kuwaiti daily that Zarif’s stop in Kuwait “has special implications” and is “extremely important in light of the recent regional and international developments that reflected on the Arab World and the Middle East”.

The official who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program and the Arab - Iranian relations will be on the table of discussion during the Iranian minister’s visit. “Kuwait is a neighbor state that adopts a moderate approach and is appreciated by all Gulf states”, the official spoke about Kuwait’s role as he also mentioned “the compromise-seeking approach that was displayed recently by His

Highness the Amir of Kuwait between Qatar and Saudi Arabia”. Al-Rai identified the official as a member of Iran’s national council that draws the Islamic Republic’s foreign policies. “Since exchanging ambassadors in 2011, Kuwait sought positive relations with Iran which was expressed by the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah when he rejected foreign intervention and use of violence against Iran while he recognized Iran’s right for uranium enrichment for peaceful use”, he said.

The official appreciated Kuwait’s position “which came against the position of other Islamic states that grew alarmed by Iran’s nuclear program that was depicted by the West as being a military program”.

And while expressing “mutual desire to improve bilateral relations” between Kuwait and Iran, the official welcomed “any Kuwaiti initiative between Iran and a regional partner that can help

achieve accord in the region”, in reference to Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the official reassured that the Bushehr Nuclear Reactor is built as per safety standards “approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency”, and also spoke about “ambitions to improve security cooperation with Kuwait to address pending issues that are related to protecting Kuwait’s security and Iranian prisoners there”.

Asked about Kuwait’s recent plan to improve its Patriot missile defense system which was seen as being in anticipation of a potential Iranian risk, the official said that “Kuwait is our neighbor and ally, and is a neighbor and ally for Iraq, the ally of Iran and Kuwait”. “We understand that Kuwait is keen on maintaining balance between its relations with the Middle East and the West, therefore the presence of protection methods that reassure Kuwait reassure as well”, he added.

Grillings to continue until key ruling

KUWAIT: The cultural attache at Iran’s embassy in Kuwait, Dr Abbas Khamayar, recently received condolences on the demise of Iran’s cultural attache in Lebanon, Shaikh Ibrahim Al-Ansari, who was killed in a recent explosion targeting Iran’s embassy in Beirut. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Ministry hails HORECA Kuwait KUWAIT: HORECA Kuwait gained significant importance due to the great positive impact it leaves on the hospitality and catering industries in the country and region, a senior Ministry of Commerce and Industry official said in a statement yesterday.

Assistant Undersecretary for Touristic Department, Samira Al-Ghareeb made those remarks as she announced her ministry’s sponsorship to the 2014 HORECA Kuwait Exhibition which kicks off next month. “[The decision to sponsor the event] comes in recognition to its position as a gathering place for experts and specialists in the fields, during which they can exchange their ideas and discuss plans and strategies that help Kuwait maintain its regional position in this field”, she said.

Al-Ghareeb mentioned ‘positive impact’ she received during her observance to the 2013 HORECA Kuwait exhibition “which saw large participation of leading companies, hotels and restaurants as well as experts from Kuwait and all over the world”.

“This reflects the importance of specialized fairs in drawing future plans and contributing to the country’s developmental ambitions especially those focused on

encouraging young men and women to enter local markets”, Al-Ghareeb added. She further expressed confidence that the upcoming exhibition “will live up to the expectations”.

The 2014 HORECA Kuwait is organized by the Leaders Group in cooperation with Hospitality Services Company, and takes place at the Badriya Ballroom in the Jumeirah Hotel between Jan 27 and 29.

Samira Al-Ghareeb

KUWAIT: After surviving a marathon session in which four grilling motions were debated, a report yesterday suggested that MPs are waiting for the Cabinet to finish catching its breath before several more interpellations are filed for the Dec 24 session. Speaking to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity, parliament sources revealed that grilling motions are currently ‘in the works’ against Minister of Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, Minister of Public Works AbdulAziz Al-Saleh, Minister of Commerce Anas AlSaleh and possibly a new one against Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

The parliament will not be able to convene on Dec 10 when Kuwait will be hosting the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, while the agenda of Dec 24 session already includes debating a grilling against Minister of Housing and State Minister of Municipality Affairs Salem AlOthaina. Furthermore, MP Hamdan Al-Azmi has already filed his grilling against Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra Al-Rashidi, while MP Saleh Ashour announced that a grilling against minister Hajraf is ‘ready’ to be filed at a later date.

The sources believe the ‘wave’ of grillings will continue until a constitutional court ruling on Nov 23 which might render the parliament annulled for the third time in less than two years.

In the meantime, the sources noted that the Cabinet put on hold plans to carry out a reshuffle “that includes 6 or 7 portfolios” until after the key ruling. MPs are also expected to vote on a no-confidence motion against Minister of Planning and Minister of State of Parliament Affairs Rola Dashti on Nov 24. Sources said that Dashti is expected to survive the motion “with growing belief among MPs that she was able to successfully fend off the allegations mentioned in her grilling”. According to the sources, the constitutional court ruling will serve as the ‘critical point’ to determine the shape of the relationship between the two authorities going into the new year. “Grillings will continue until the ruling determines whether the parliament is annulled or not; at which point a Cabinet reshuffle will be carried out to achieve stability in the political scene,” they explained.

In the meantime, lawmakers quoted by AlJarida daily yesterday expressed ‘deep frustration’ over the large number of grilling motions filed since the parliament resumed sessions more than a month ago. “Using political tools at unsuitable timings hurts the relationship between the parliament and Cabinet while it pushes the country back to square one at a time in which citizens have high hopes on both authorities to meet their demands,” Al-Jarida reported quoting several MPs.

Dive Team marks Volunteer Day KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team announced hosting several activities to mark the International Volunteer Day on Decr 5, which includes uploading 18 movies on social networks that documents the team’s environmental activities.

The clips will be available in Arabic and English on the team’s YouTube channel and show footage of the Ushairej beach cleaning campaign, the Kuwait Volunteering Forum, an operation to remove shipwreck in Shamlan docking area in Sharq, and others.

Meanwhile, marine operations supervisor Waleed Al-Shatty announced that the seventh campaign to clean the Ushairej beach will start on Decr 7.

Kuwaiti pavilions attract visitors VIENNA: Kuwait Embassy in Austria participated in Vienna’s 45th Annual International Charity Bazaar organized by the UN Women’s Guild, with the participation of international embassies aiming to help children in need.

The Kuwaiti pavilion was supervised by Hind Marafi, wife of Kuwait’s Extraordinary Ambassador and Consul in Austria Sadiq Mohammad Marafi.

She said yesterday that this was an important event, adding that the Kuwaiti pavilion contains traditional clothing, famous local dishes, food products, coffee, Bakhoor (Incense), and souvenirs.

Marafi noted that the Kuwaiti section recorded the highest sales in the last three years, adding that Kuwait always participates in charitable events,

which represent its humanitarian side.

She also said that such events make great opportunities for people to get to know different cultures. She said that despite the bazaar organizers’ decision to raise prices this year, Kuwaiti products still attracted large numbers of visitors, doubling last year’s records.

The money will be given to the bazaar officials to be used for charity purposes such as surgeries for poor children, said Marafi. She thanked all companies which participated in the Kuwaiti pavilion.

Other countries of the world including Arab and GCC countries had also participated in the event to showcase their cultures, traditions, products, food, and different tools of daily uses. — KUNA

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

The humble sheikh

Unprofessional, undiplomatic

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

A

fter the unwise decision to transfer Dr Kefaya Malak for her professionalism and commitment to her job, the government’s intrusion and ridiculousness affected Kuwait Airways which is supposed to be an independent institution with self-management.

The decision to suspend CEO Sami Al-Nisf was not only ill-advised, but also undiplomatic and lacks technical and administrative justifications. Politically, the health minister and Cabinet on the whole face the issue generated by transferring Dr Malak and doctors’ protest in her support as well as against ministerial interference. Diplomatically, the position of Kuwait Airways’ CEO is considered on the same level as a minister’s post.

Not to mention the fact that current CEO Sami Al-Nisf is a former minister who held the Ministry of Communications portfolio before Essa Al-Kandari did.

This makes it extremely inappropriate to suspend AlNisf through a ‘ministerial decision’ that - like all other ministerial decisions - lacks technical and administrative justifications. A minister’s job does not include direct interference in work process. Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways is considered a private institution that faces the responsibility of saving the carrier.

The minister’s interference in selecting the technical and financial specifications to improve the Kuwait Airways’ fleet reminds me of MPs’ intervention in the KDow project. MPs lacked knowledge in oil, chemistry, finance or investment, yet they decided that chemical experts and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation technicians who studied the project for years were all wrong.

Eventually, it was discovered that the MPs were wrong while experts’ opinions were correct. Yet, KPC was accused of ‘wasting public funds’ by paying the fine resulting from the decision taken under parliamentary pressure to cancel the deal.

Our problem is that we try to hold people accountable for a mistake before it even happens, or convict a thief before he steals anything. While logic requires that you invest the money you have, we keep our money in

The minister’s interference in selecting the technical and financial specifications to improve the Kuwait Airways’ fleet reminds me of MPs’ intervention in the K-Dow project.

MPs lacked knowledge in oil, chemistry, finance or investment, yet they decided that chemical experts and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation technicians who studied the project for years were all wrong.

Eventually, it was discovered that the MPs were wrong while experts’ opinions were correct.

Yet, KPC was accused of ‘wasting public funds’ by paying the fine resulting from the decision taken under parliamentary pressure to cancel the deal. lockers and stand outside to safeguard them.

Another thing about the Kuwait Airway’s deal is that the minister was perhaps against renting aircraft instead of buying new ones, much less renting used ones from India (as local dailies stressed on that point).

But I say that this is neither the minister’s business, nor is it of the government’s business. A board of directors was hired, and it has to be allowed to operate and after that it can be held accountable. Buying used aircraft is a pure technical decision. It could be very wise, and it could be just like any decision taken by companies around the world which can either by right or wrong.

Kuwaitis should not be upset about the deal, the same way the MP whose relative was moved by Dr Malak out of the ICU shouldn’t. But the same way the lawmaker felt ‘offended’ instead of feeling glad that his relative no longer needed intensive care, Kuwaitis felt that renting aircraft from India hurts the Kuwait Airway’s reputation, instead of looking at the decision as a way to compete in the market which ultimately benefits the passenger.

Kuwait Airways will never be able to compete commercially as long as the minister and citizens continue to believe it belongs to them and not a company that strives to make profit. Maybe the best thing that the company’s board of directors should do is to change its name to convince the public that it is a private company, and no longer a national carrier. — Al-Qabas

By Abdullah Buwair

local@kuwaittimes.net

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kuwait digest

Failure of aircraft deal

By Terki Alazmi

A

l-Nisf stood in defence of the government — he was communications minister and became chairman of the board and managing director of Kuwait Airways — that ended with a press conference about the Indian aircraft deal. The deal was a personal vision of him as a leader who has the ability to make a decision, but what happened was not within the norms followed in strategic thinking due to the absence of the most important factor, which is to “resort to governance”, which is the nature of institutional work. It is bound to professional standards that brings out leadership decisions in a way that meets all conditions the leader should follow.

The issue of the Indian aircraft deal which was not completed was the reason behind the suspension of Captain Sami Al-Nisf because, as a leader, he did not follow the frameworks of governance before the deal (the negotiation process), and after reaching an agreement which did not materialize. It was said that the issue is related to providing a certain amount of money, and it was said they are used, then it was said the aircraft will come refurbished from the Airbus factory.

We know that the nature of decision making in our establishments is affected by several factors, and every leader should understand them because they are part of the society’s culture. I believe the problem of Kuwait Airways is that it is “suspended”, because it is neither a private nor government entity and is considered a strange model in the modern world, especially since it is operating in a market that is witnessing strong competition between aviation companies. Meanwhile, 30 percent of the Indian company is owned by a Gulf emirate according

to some newspapers, and there are repercussions for the decision to buy the Indian aircraft that Al-Nisf did not take into account in a way that mixes the company’s government status, and the private way it operates!

We learn from this deal that the ability of the leader to take a decision will fail if it was not decided according to previously set governance systems, and we have the best example in the Dow deal. You find the change of chairmen in some of our establishments something common, and there is no protection for the establishments and their workers in some cases. But, if it was proven that the minister was not informed about Al-Nisf’s case, then the events regarding the issue of renting the Indian aircraft are logical!

So I believe the government is required to inject fresh blood in leadership posts, and the loyalty that some candidates have for leadership posts is not good and money saved is not worth it. The government is required to put forward special governance with regards to leaders’ action that their decisions come are transparent and professional. Only loyalty as a factor in selecting leaders is a defect. We know that Kuwait is rich with competencies and manpower, but the government did not do good in selecting them, and the failure of deals that are or to be completed is evidence of this bad choice! If we want the country to move ahead, we must understand the ideology and the moral condition that sets the mechanism of choosing leaders and work on correcting it, then set rules that enables the leader to take decisions on a professional basis, so that he is not thanked, then asked to submit his resignation! — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

International dialogue wanted

By Dr Abdelmohsen Jamal

T

he enemy can become a friend overnight, or at least becomes neutral. This is the case with politics, which is the art of the possible and in it there is no permanent friend or a permanent foe, rather permanent mutual interests. This is what we learned in school curricula and this the way life taught us. It is clear that some people did not understand this first lesson in political science - it is also the first lesson in life and practical experience for a statesman who wants to lead his people to peace.

People in Geneva slept at night while following the political and technical talks between Iran on one side and the group of 5+1 on the other, and they were still not in agreement on the final draft about the Iranian nuclear issue. When it was dawn in Switzerland, they were in agreement at 5 am on Sunday. Is not politics strange, especially when we see negotiating parties shake hands and congratulate each other?

The question is, does this agreement have a positive or negative effect in the Arabian Gulf countries? In my opinion, to start with, we must all deal with events with logic, not emotion, because international politics does not care

for emotions no matter how high they are, but they deal with their own interests. So our interests must be in agreement with the international ones, especially that we in Kuwait posses an extensive experience of rational political dealing during the liberation of Kuwait, and how the political leadership along with the people were able to make the interest of liberating Kuwait part of the international interest. The world has started today only the first step with Iran, and it will continue following with more.

The United States will be busy with its withdrawal from Afghanistan and will give more attention to its local economy as well as Europe, so the idea of launching wars will be postponed for a long time, and peaceful negotiations to end many issues will be the worry of the entire world. Negotiations need readiness, brains and extreme patience, and we in the Gulf, particularly Kuwait, have good capabilities to appear in any regional political dialogue that draws a picture for future benefit with security, peace, development and the region’s people’s luxury, as they are an integral part of the world’s loving people. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Kuwait one vote system

By Waleed A. Al-Ghanim

S

ix grillings at one time, and more to follow, and it does nimity. So did the four-vote system cause the crisis then?

The one vote has advantages, as the frequency of sectarinot seem that the current assembly will rest, despite my belief that it will not reach any conclusion on any an talk increased and reached its peak during the days of subject for two reasons: the government is still in the leader- voting during last elections, and they did not cool down ship post as a large group of MPs are under its wings on one after the assembly convened from those who attempted to hand, and maybe because of the speaker’s keenness to avoid make people believe they are wise and promote unity. Now real clashes between the two authorities or postpone it as we seem them flexing their political muscles to appease votmuch as possible, even if the rules were violated or the real ers even if it caused a meltdown in the society. Despite all this the only important thing is the one vote. accountability subdued.

The one vote has advantages, as The one vote has some the tribal division reached its maxiadvantages indeed, and The one vote has some mum, and instead of bi-election in proved to people that develthe past, there appeared elections opment does not have anyadvantages indeed, and at the tribe’s sections level to thing to do with the number of electoral votes, as the govern- proved to people that develop- increase the societal division from ment’s performance after one ment does not have anything large groups to small entities and - all this thanks to the one year since the last assembly of to do with the number of elec- units vote system. the four votes was dissolved, is The one vote succeeded in the same and did not improve. toral votes, as the governincreasing our belief that the probOn the contrary, confusion ment’s performance after one lem in Kuwait was neither in the continued in its performance and achievements as it has year since the last assembly of number of votes, nor in the number of constituencies, or in the disbeen seen over the past few the four votes was dissolved, is tribution of areas, but in the govyears.

The one vote has advan- the same and did not improve. ernment’s inability to perform their duties by applying the law and tages and is also not related to achieving social justice, economic the number of electoral votes, as the knights of the one vote, after it became constitutional- growth for the citizen and the wise management of the ly immune and are practicing the same usual roles in the country’s funds... so when and how are we going to correct form of grillings and questioning with unprecedented una- this path? —Al-Qabas

stopped by the diwaniya of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah the other day to visit him, and found that it was crowded with citizens who came for the same reason. Honestly, I was not surprised, knowing Sheikh Nasser’s hospitality, but the large number of guests still could not remove the bad memory of what happened with him during his tenure as prime minister. At the time, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad was subjected to a fierce campaign carried out by deceived crowds who demanded that he step down from his position, and committed heinous acts in the process.

History books will forever indicate that Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah was the first prime minister to take the podium and face a grilling motion in Kuwait, and the first head of government to accept questioning in the Arab World. He offered to resign more than once, but eventually agreed to stay for the best interest of Kuwait, despite the level of offense he was subjected to at the time.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah made the right choice when he handpicked Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah as the state’s prime minister. Sheikh Nasser was born on Dec 22, 1940 as the second child of the first defense minister in Kuwait, the late Sheikh Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. He received primary and intermediate education in Kuwait, and completed his studies abroad. His first educational mission abroad was to London, which he first went to in 1954 through Basra, Iraq because at the time there were no direct air links between Kuwait and London.

Sheikh Nasser speaks about his memories while studying outside Kuwait. He recounts stories of traveling with Kuwaiti students back home only once a year during the winter. “Flights were difficult, and were not available as they are nowadays, not to mention that funds were limited for us students at the time,” he says.

After his educational journey in the United Kingdom, Sheikh Nasser headed to Switzerland and earned a bachelor’s degree in political and economic sciences from the University of Geneva.

Sheikh Nasser began his career in 1964 when he was appointed as a third secretary in Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry, marking his first stop in a lengthy diplomatic career. Sheikh Nasser still speaks fondly about his stay in London during the 50s of the past century, saying that it was ‘very beautiful’ at the time and ‘a true English city in all senses of the word’. During my stay in his diwaniya, Sheikh Nasser spoke about his time serving as the youngest dean of diplomatic corps in Iran, and moved to speak about the revolution of technology and how he believes it changes the shape of human’s relationships with their surroundings.

Sheikh Nasser - who speaks four languages - also believes that technology will continue to be a significant part of our lives despite the spying stories that we hear about these days. Sheikh Nasser served as Kuwait’s prime minister from Feb 7, 2006 to Nov 30, 2011. Despite the unfortunate campaign he was subjected to, we can say that Kuwait has been and still is lucky to have a citizen like Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah as a source of pride for fellow citizens.

kuwait digest

A dark road in front of Arabs

By Dr Hassan Abbas

T

here is no doubt that the situation Arab countries are going through these days is the worst since they were divided into separate states following World War II. Arabs have failed to achieve victories and restore their past glory since the beginning of the era of humiliation singled by their expulsion from Europe. Loss after loss suffered starting from the Battle of Covadonga until the Fall of Grenada. Arabs were ruled afterwards by the Ottomans until the beginning of the past century.

When international conflicts emerged in Europe, the Ottomans sided with the ‘Axis Powers’, dealing the heaviest blow to the entire Arab race.

In 1916, the Arabs came under the impression that their revolution against the Ottomans, known in history books as ‘The Great Arab Revolt’, was the turning point after which their star can shine bright once again, and they can reclaim their position as a strong nation following years of treachery, betrayal, and backstabbing. Led by Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Makkah, and following raids against an exhausted Ottoman Empire, Arabs were able to regain national identity and land.

But soon enough, it was discovered that Arabs were, once again, a tool in the hands of others. But once they discovered that, it was already too late. What do you think of an ‘Arab Revolt’ led by a British advisor (Lawrence of Arabia) with English and French funding and arms?

The reality was that the region was being divided and distributed as per the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Jerusalem was given to the Jews, and the rest was divided between France and Great Britain. During the colonial era, Western countries divided the Ottoman Empire which resulted into the formation of Arab states as scattered cantons separated by borders and international treaties.

Many decades later, Arabs still have not changed their miserable reality. Different nations and sectarian groups around the world have reached accords, but Arabs haven’t. The Kurds are more coherent than ever, the Iranians are considered a pseudo-superpower, and the Turks launched their new Ottoman project. Meanwhile, Russia continues the plan that started years ago to revive multipolarism and eliminate the concept of unipolarism in the world, while China is taking steady steps to becoming the world’s largest economy. The German and Japanese recovered strongly after World War II, while the ‘Axis of Evil’ and ‘Great Satan’ became friends. Only Arabs find themselves in front of a road that promises more killing, disintegration, fighting, ignorance and poverty. —Al-Rai

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

LOCAL

KD 22,000 stolen from royal’s house in Salwa Prison break plot foiled KUWAIT: Investigations are ongoing in search for three thieves who stole thousands of dinars from a ruling family member’s house in Salwa. The royal had reported to the area’s police station following the incident and said that three people broke into his house and forced him inside his bedroom at knifepoint. The suspects stole KD 2,000 in cash, then ordered the man to open a safe and stole KD 20,000 that was kept inside before escaping, he added.

Detectives are looking to identify and arrest the suspects based on descriptions that the victim provided.

Escape attempt Central Jail security foiled a prison break attempt by three inmates on Thursday night. According to sources, two inmates managed to sneak through vents and climbed to the roof of the solitary confinement building before they were spotted by surveillance cameras. The attempt happened less than a week after a convicted drug trafficker managed to escape before being captured last Wednesday.

Reckless driver A senior Interior Ministry official

gave orders to deport a man after investigations confirmed that he was responsible for staging drag races during which fatal accidents have taken place. The 34-year-old Egyptian man was arrested during a crackdown carried out by Hawally police, who discovered that he was wanted for at least 100 traffic violations including overspeeding, jumping the red light and reckless driving. Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali gave orders to deport the suspect after investigations revealed that he hosted several car races illegally, including some that saw accidents during which drivers were killed.

Child drowns A toddler drowned in a pool at a farm in Abdali during the weekend.

The 2-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics who rushed to the farm with police after the incident was reported. Crime scene investigators were summoned to examine the body before it was taken to the forensic department for an autopsy. A case was filed to investigate the circumstances behind the accident.

Rape case A search is on for a Kuwaiti man wanted for raping his girlfriend according to legal charges pressed at the Mahboulah police station during the weekend. In her statements to police, the Saudi woman said that she agreed to meet the suspect behind her house in the area where he reportedly committed the crime. She gave police his information and phone number.

Angry husband A man filed a case at the Salmiya police station and accused his wife of stealing cash from his bank account.

The man, a Kuwaiti in his thirties, said that he headed to the bank branch after receiving a text message which indicated that KD 770 was withdrawn from his account. He asked to review CCT V tapes after bank employees told him that the money were withdrawn through the ATM. The tape showed his wife using his ATM card to withdraw the money, after which the angry husband went to the police station and charged her with theft.

Police are looking to summon the wife for questioning.

KUWAIT: The participants of the World Diabetes Day pose for a group photograph.

MSD MARKS World Diabetes Day KUWAIT: MSD recently celebrated World Diabetes Day which is marked worldwide on Nov 14 every year. The global healthcare leader invited several speakers who are specialized in various fields and they spoke about the disease and how to live with it from different angles. Head of the diabetes unit at Rashid hospital, UAE, Dr Ghaida Kaddaha, said the World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign of diabetes in the world. She said the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) introduced the day in 1991 in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world. It is worth mentioning that the day itself marks the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1922.

Dr Kaddaha said that IDF’s global estimate of diabetes mellitus around the world placed Kuwait in third place while five of the top 10 countries are GCC members.

She said diabetes is a chronic disease that is characterized by high blood glucose lev-

She said the symptoms of diabetes may include excessive urination, thirst, dehydration, fatigue, weight change, blurred vision and of course hyperglycaemia. Dr Kaddaha said when managed correctly, its adverse effects can be delayed for a long time, but complications may occur. Such complications include diabetic retinopathy, which leads to blindness in adults. It can also cause diabetic nephropathy causing damage to the kidneys. She said that diabetic neuropathy also leads to non-traumatic lower extremity amputations. Diabetes in some cases may cause stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Kaddaha said management of type 2 diabetes starts with lifestyle modifications, followed by anti-diabetic agents. It may later require insulin, and finally full insulin paradigm. She concluded with the saying that controlling blood sugar levels include exercise, healthy eating and monitoring.

Meanwhile, Dr Issa F Haddad from Jordan spoke about the management of type 2 diabetes through diet and physical activity, which involve lifestyle changes. He said that food components include

els, which may result from the body not producing insulin (type 1), or insulin already in the body does not work efficiently (type 2). She said type 1 diabetes is known to hit at a young age, and can be treated only with insulin and can be caused by genetic, viral or environmental factors, meanwhile type 2 is found in those above 40 years old, and can be managed by oral medications or in combination with insulin. She said the symptoms in this type are slow occurring and can be related to family history, obesity and lack of activity.

macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). He stressed that one should know his/her carbohydrates and gave a list that showed the amount of carbs per serving in each type of food such as bread, which has 15 gm, fruits 15 gm, milk 12 gm, vegetables five grams, meat 0 gm and fat 0 grams. Dr Haddad said that the metabolic hormone insulin is an anabolic hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas that regulates sugar metabolism in the body. He said that insulin levels vary during

By Abdellatif Sharaa

the day depending on our circadian rhythm. Insulin levels are also highly influenced by food, specially carbohydrates, stress and exercise. Genetic factors and some pathological conditions alter the effectiveness of this hormone in the body over time.

Haddad said that consumption of more carbs/sugars will lead to higher levels of insulin. He said that recent studies suggest that the higher the pressure on the pancreas to produce more insulin as a result of high amounts of carbohydrates in the diet, it will lead to higher levels of a protein which results in insulin depletion. Haddad insisted that one should not eat fruits at night, rather vegetables are recommended. He said that the advantages of proteins in the diet include that they are not converted into sugar as fast as carbohydrates, while keeping us full for a long period of time and it takes a lot of energy to burn them, therefore less energy is stored.

Dr Haddad said that moderate to intense regular physical activity, not less than 300 minutes per week, is a must for patients with type 2 diabetes, while a combination of cardio and resistance training is vital for achieving the goals of any exercise program. He said that exercise will lower insulin levels by improving target cell response towards insulin, which in turn lowers glucose levels. It helps weight loss and lowers total cholesterol levels while lowering LDL and raising HDL. MSD Middle East Medical Director Dr Samer El-Ali the number of people with diabetes is increasing in every country according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), while half of those with diabetes don’t know they have it. Dr Samer gave a brief presentation on the phases of drugs and the long researches and developments that make a drug effective and safe for use. He said that MSD has spent $27.8 billion during the past three years.

MSD will launch a new treatment for diabetes in Kuwait in an effort to more efficiently combat type 2 diabetes. The announcement was made during the event. The new treatment combines the efficacy of two agents in a once daily single does to help improve glycemic control in patients of type 2 diabetes.

Kuwait a leading country in fighting AIDS: Al-Shomer KUWAIT: Kuwait is one of the top countries in the world in taking measures aimed at the fight against AIDS, since the deadly virus was discovered in the 1980s, an official said yesterday.

There are currently about 34 million people suffering from the disease around the world, according to 2012 World Health Organization records, said Chairperson of the AIDS Data and Statistics Office at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hind Al-Shomer, on the occasion of World AIDS Day on Dec 1.

The ministry has set up modern facilities aimed at diagnosing the virus in its early stages, and offers adequate medication to those affected in accordance with the latest international treaties and protocols, she added.

Article number 62 for 1992 stated protecting the rights of

those infected and to respect the privacy and confidentiality of their cases, she said, adding that article number 31 for 2008 considered the necessity of medical examination of those intending to get married, to determine any infections with the virus in order to protect families.

Al-Shomer said that Kuwait has a low record of AIDS due to the strict procedures the ministry follows to ensure having a safe transfusion of blood, put blood donors into a thorough checkup, and sterilizing policies. The ministry also works on preventing AIDS infection especially in key medical depar tments such as dialysis and organ transplant, she added.

She said that the medical examination given to expatriate labor in their countries and the checkup they receive in Kuwait

before gaining their residency permit is another positive strategy to prevent AIDS infection.

The ministry is continuously in contact with the UN’s Joint Program on AIDS, WHO, and other international organizations, including participating in international, regional and GCC related meetings and conferences.

Kuwait had presented reports required by the UN’s Millennium Development Goals issued by the UN’s millennium summit held in 2000, where the 6th goal stated that AIDS must be fought and prevented, she noted.

Al-Shomer also added that the UN’s main aim in the years 20112015 is to prominently decrease the numbers of new AIDS infections to reach zero, including reducing the numbers of deaths caused by the virus to zero as well.—KUNA

LOCAL

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Romania, Kuwait committed to further strengthen relations Romania celebrates National Day KUWAIT: The 1st of December 1918 represents, for the Romanian people, the triumph of centuries of struggle and sacrifices for achieving the national unitary state. This historical process, taking place on the entire Romanian area, scored significant developments in the 1784’s popular revolts, 1821 and 1848’s revolutions, the unification of Moldova with Wallachia (Muntenia) in 1859, the Proclamation of Independence after the 1877-78 anti-Ottoman war and was completed with the expression of the self-determination’s will, in Chisinau, Cernautzi and Alba Iulia, during the year 1918, of the Romanians living under foreign domination.

On 1st of December, 1918, at Alba Iulia, in the center of Transylvania, the Great National Assembly (Marea Adunare Nationala) approved the unification of Transylvania, Banat, Crisana and Maramures with the Kingdom of Romania. The large impressing popular gathering represented the crowning of the previous self-determination acts of unification from Chisinau (March 27/April 9, 1918) and Cernautzi (November 15/28, 1918) stipulating the return of Bassarabia and Bucovina to Romania, respectively.

The accomplishment of the national state set up for the Romanian nation the framework for an efficient utilization of its creative capacity, conducive to a rapid progress of economy, science, education and culture. The next 20 years represented for the Romanian nation the most successful period of democratic evolution and development until after the victory of the anti-Communist Revolution of 1989.

This year, Romania celebrates 24 years since December 1989 Revolution which ended the Communist regime, 24 years since Romania was reborn as a free nation.

Today Romania is an example of what democracy and the rule of law can bring: stability for itself and others.

Romania and the State of Kuwait are linked by traditional and friendly mutually beneficial relationships which offer strong potential and determination for progress. We are committed to further strengthen our traditional relations with the State of Kuwait. Kuwait is one of our main partners in the Arab world. It is also, formally, our oldest friend among the GCC countries, being the first Arab country in the Gulf to establish diplomatic ties with Bucharest.

Romania established diplomatic relations at embassy level with the State of Kuwait on June 10, 1963. This year, Romania and Kuwait celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations.

On this occasion, the President, the Prime Minister, the President of the Senate and the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent congratulation messages to their distinguished Kuwaiti counterparts. At the same time, the Embassy of Romania, in kind partnership with the Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce, organized a special seminar dedicated to the economic relations between our two countries within the last half a century.

Among the cultural events to mark this important moment in our traditional relations we could mention a common music evening - Romanian-Kuwaiti violin and piano concert and a Kuwaiti traditional music, at the Al Babtain Library; presenting two paintings signed by one of the best Romanian artists in Europe, Mrs. Georgeta Grabovschi to His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and to Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; starting the process of naming a street in Kuwait as Bucharest Street and one in the capital of Romania as Kuwait Street; an exhibition of postal stamps, part of a family collection from Romania, well-known on the international arena; launching an anthology of Kuwaiti poetry in Romanian language and Romanian poetry in Arabic, during the month of December, in partnership with the AlBabtain Library.

On the other hand, on June 10, 2013, the anniversary day, the Arab press in Kuwait kindly published articles dedicated to the event.

The state of Kuwait also organized a series of cultural events in Romania to introduce the wonderful world of Kuwaiti culture and traditions to the Romanian public.

This is a great moment in the history of our bilateral relations. During this period, both countries have always been supporting each other by promoting and developing bilateral relations in various fields: political, economical, business and trade, cultural, science and tourism.

The friendly relations between our countries and peoples have received a fresh and strong impetus with the visit to the State of Kuwait by the President of Romania who attended on 25-26 February 2011 the ceremonies occasioned by the 50th anniversary of independence and 20th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.

This was the most recent high level encounter between the two heads of state, as there have also been others in the past: in Romania - in September 1981, in Kuwait - in March 1976, November 1982, July 1992, October 1999 and May 2008. These visits paved the way for the present status of the Romanian - Kuwaiti friendly relations in all fields of mutual interest. As a member of the European Union, Romania is supporting the EU strong determination to foster its relations with the Gulf States.

A traditional commercial and economic partner of the State of Kuwait, Romania is equally interested in expanding its

which is aligned with that of the GCC states, a good history in relations between the two countries at international level and a good relationship between the authorities of the two close friend countries.

The main products exported in 2013 from Romania in Kuwait are: components for oil equipment, gwood and articles of wood, metal, optical products, chemicals, plastics and rubber, food, wood and wood products, materials and articles textile, automotive etc.

Analyzing the bilateral economic cooperation, Romanian companies conducted a series of works and supplies in Kuwait, including: technical assistance to repair , operation and maintenance of power plants and power distribution networks ( Romelectro SA ) to fire extinction in oil fields (Rompetrol SA ) technical support to the maintenance and operation of the Wafra oil ( Petrom SA ) in mechanical maintenance and construction , siting mobile network (Romelectro )

trade and cooperation with this country. Several hundreds of Romanian engineers, technicians, university professors, teachers, medical staff work on Kuwaiti oil and gas fields, hospitality, schools and hospitals.

The Embassy of Romania in the State of Kuwait is working closely with the appropriate Kuwaiti institutions in order to promote bilateral business opportunities as well as scientific, educational and cultural contacts, aiming at bringing the ever growing potential of our economies and values to the knowledge of the two friendly people. In this respect, the legal framework that is governing the bilateral relations comprises of a large number of bilateral agreements in different areas, such as: economic cooperation, investments, transportation by road, air or sea, education, culture, science, information, tourism.

We are also determined to work for ensuring the substantiation of the cooperation frameworks established by Romania with its close and traditional partners and friends on the international scene, such as the Gulf countries. Our goal is to increase the effectiveness of these special partnerships.

Kuwaiti - Romanian economic relations were always stable and reliable, helped by the excellent diplomatic and political relations between the two close friend countries.

In spite of the fact that the total value of the commercial exchanges is not according to the existing potential in our both countries the trend is positive and continuously developing. Considering trade volume of 2012, it has been increased up to 15% this year and we have the belief that it will continue to grow.

The most important aspects that favor the development of bilateral trade relations Romania-Kuwait are: growing interest of Kuwaiti companies for doing business in Romania, Romania’s strategic location and stable political and economic climate, existence of a developed banking system in Romania,

for construction and assembly polyethylene plant ( NUCLEARMONTAJ ) water pipe in Shuaiba industrial Area ( TMUCB ) delivery of communications towers and skilled labor in the installation and commissioning of GSM stations ( Romconsult ) execution of new overhead lines for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Water and electricity ( ELECTROMONTAJ).

Among the main economic sectors that we consider having a great potential for developing the cooperation between Romania and Kuwait we can count: oil & gas industry, an area with a very old history between the two countries, one of the main advantages of Romanian companies being the fact that, beside holding the technical equipment, we also have the know-how and the qualified human resources to ensure the installation, operation and maintenance of the installations; Construction and Infrastructure, a field with great dynamics in the State of Kuwait, in which Romanian companies always proven their abilities, at European standard; IT&C industry, where we have a long history with Kuwait, especially in areas like E-government, E-learning and implementation of integrated IT security, where Romanian companies like SIVECO, UTI and BitDefender are aiming to get this cooperation at a higher standard; car industry, where Romania was able to cover a certain segment of Kuwaiti market, with Dacia Renault; agriculture, an area where Romania was the potential to cover the Kuwaiti needs, both for organic products (like lamb meat, honey, milk products, sweets etc.) and investments from Kuwaiti companies.

Romanian companies had an important role even in innovation and research in Kuwait, our inventions winning more gold medals at the International inventions exhibition organized by the Kuwait Scientific Club, which represent valuable assets for leading Kuwaiti companies operating in the fields of oil, construction, water and security analysis.

Romanian people is one of the most innovative people

throughout history. Innovation is the culture of the Romanian people in order to find solutions and ideas to make life easier and more productive. Romanian people took high place in many ideas for inventions and technical innovations since the beginning of history.

We can mention the discovery of coins before 5 thousand years with the writing that is similar to the ancient Sumerian manuscripts, a variety of inventions of: water turbines, many innovations in the fields of aviation, the invention of pens, inventions in the field of cars, in the field of pharmacy, cosmetics, and the end of the field of innovation modern computer applications, where a large number of Romanians IT specialists works with Microsoft’s famous Company.

Last but not least, we want to highlight the tourism potential that Romania has, which attracts more and more Kuwaiti citizens each year. In this particular field we would like to pinpoint the fact that, apart promoting the resorts that Romania has, covering both seaside and mountains, we are concentrating our efforts in boosting the medical tourism and spas in Romania, which developed a lot lately and is a well-known area that Romania is famous for.

In March 2011, it has held at Bucharest the GCC- Romania Economic Forum - Business Opportunities in Central and South Eastern Europe. The event was the first of this scale in Central and South -Eastern Europe and was aimed towards highlighting the opportunities for collaboration in the economic, investment, business and trade between the participating countries.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy from Romania, General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce, under the patronage Romanian Presidency, following an initiative belonging to the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council , HE Abdulrahman H. Al- Attiyah .

The Forum was attended by over 120 officials and companies in Gulf and more than 200 officials and presidents of companies operating in Romania, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade of Saudi Arabia, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the State of Kuwait, along with other senior officials of member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, leaders of business organizations and chambers of commerce.

Considering the success this forum had, there will be a new edition in May 2014, in Romania.

Romania promotes commercial and economic relations through economic missions and participation in trade fairs.

That’s why Romania organized every year at least one trade mission to State of Kuwait. We are expecting between Nov 30 and Dec 2 an important IT&C trade mission to visit the State of Kuwait as an efficient way of developing our trade relations.

Kuwait is a very active player in the region and internationally. We are extremely satisfied that our friendship relation existing between our countries developed and acquired new values of cooperation at international level. The visit of H.H. the Kuwaiti Prime Minister at Bucharest (2006), followed by the visit of the Romanian President in Kuwait (2008), has essentially contributed to the dynamic of the bilateral relationship.

It is of great importance the fact that the excellent political relation are based on a closed relationship and very solid at the public opinion level. We have great values in common to share, like family relationships, respect for tradition and heritage, friendship values and this is the existential base for our long lasting relationship.

Between Romania and the State of Kuwait there has always been a good sense of cooperation within the United Nations and other international bodies, especially in supporting each other’s candidatures at different UN committees and organizations. Kuwaiti authorities have expressed their gratitude for the support received from Romania as a member of the UN Security Council, during the Gulf War , including the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners held by Iraq.

At the 95th anniversary of the Great Union of 1918, the National Day of their country, Romanian people wish to the Kuwaiti friendly people further progress and prosperity and a brilliant future to the Romanian -Kuwaiti relations.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Japanese imperial couple makes historic trip to India

Iran’s red line - dismantling nuke facilities Page 8

Page 11

SANAA: Yemeni riot police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the ban imposed on motorcycles in the capital Sanaa yesterday. — AFP

Mozambique Airlines plane crashes, killing 33 WINDHOEK: Police yesterday found the burned wreckage of a Mozambican Airlines plane a day after it went missing in a remote area in northeastern Namibia, saying none of the 33 people aboard from several countries had survived. It is one of the worst accidents on record in Mozambique’s civil aviation history.

“My team on the ground have found the wreckage. No survivors. The plane is totally burned,” Willie Bampton, a regional police coordinator in Namibia’s Kavango region said. The aircraft, en route from Mozambique to Angola, went down in deserted, swampy terrain in the Bwabwata National Park, where Namibia turns into a narrow strip of land sandwiched between Botswana and Angola. In Maputo, LAM, the acronym for Mozambican Airlines, had not yet officially confirmed the crash.

It only said that flight TM470 had 27 passengers and six crew on board, including: 10 Mozambicans, nine Angolans,

five Portuguese, one French national, one Brazilian and one Chinese. In Lisbon, the foreign ministry said the Brazilian had, in fact, dual Portuguese-Brazilian nationality. The Mozambique government was holding an emergency meeting in the presidential palace but likewise made no immediate statement, other than to confirm that 33 people had been on board. The European Union banned LAM and all air carriers certified in Mozambique from flying in its airspace in 2011, citing “significant safety deficiencies”.

The concern was about Mozambique’s civil aviation authority, rather than the track record of the various airlines.

The LAM plane took off from Maputo at 0926 GMT Friday for the nearly four-hour flight to the Angolan capital Luanda.

Mozambican authorities confirmed the plane was a Brazilmanufactured Embraer 190 aircraft and said it was the newest plane in the LAM fleet. With 100 seats, it was two-thirds empty. Last contact with air traffic controllers was made at 1130

GMT over north Namibia during heavy rainfall. The airlines speculated Friday it may have landed in that area.

Namibia police sent a search team to the area after Botswana officials alerted them of a plane crash in the area.

“Botswana officials informed us that they saw smoke in the air and they thought the crash happened in their country, but when they came to the border they realized that it was in Namibia,” Bampton said. The search for the plane was hampered both by the rough terrain and torrential rains pounding the area where the plane went missing, Bampton said. “There are no proper roads, you have to go through the bush, slowly and its making our job difficult,” he said. Villagers who had heard explosions helped point police in the right direction.

Before the wreckage was found, people close to those on board gathered at Maputo airport, many frustrated at what they said was the lack of information. “They told us it was a forced landing. I know it’s a crash,” said Luis Paolo, a friend of

one of what were said to be two Portuguese businessmen on the flight. Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco published a condolence message to the families of the victims. “According to information available at this point, six Portuguese citizens were on board,” it said. “With great sorrow, we will continue to follow developments in this tragic accident.”

The accident is the deadliest for Mozambique since a plane carrying then president Samora Machel crashed in 1986 in South Africa en route home from an Africa’s leaders’ summit.

That crash, which shocked the world, remains a mystery but was thought to be linked to tensions with the then apartheid regime in Pretoria. The crash claimed at least 34 lives.

Mozambique said it would set up a commission of enquiry to work with Namibian authorities over Friday’s crash. The Bwabwata National Park, a 6,100-square-kilometre reserve, is a sparsely-populated area covered by wetlands and dense forests. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

‘Morsi a dream turned into nightmare’ EJS Chairman Rashwan denies affiliation to Brotherhood

By Osama Hassan Abdul Bari

C

hairman of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate (EJS) Diya Rashwan stressed that one of the fruits of the Jan 25, 2011 and the June 30, 2013 revolutions in Egypt was that Egyptians grew more daring and fear nothing. He explained that ‘freedom’ was the second public demand after ‘food’.

He also stressed that being the main pillar of the media and as a main means of free expression, journalism has gained more freedom after the revolution in the form of a remarkable increase in the number of newspapers, magazines and private satellite TV channels.

Rashwan stressed that transitional periods are usually characterized by chaos and instability that soon fade away. He also denied that the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice newspaper was banned after July 4, 2013. Moreover, Rashwan said that EJS has adopted a proposal made to the constitution’s founding committee to include an article banning the closure, suspension or confiscation of newspapers or any other media means.

Rashwan also denied being proMuslim Brotherhood or affiliated to them. Further, Rashwan described Morsi’s tenure as ‘a dream that turned into a nightmare’. He added that disagreements within the founding committee were subject to discussion and voting prior to reaching the final constitution draft. Rashwan added having a different affiliation than that of his father’s, who was a National Democratic Party (NDP) member, had not affected their relation despite NDP’s discontent.

Notably, Rashwan is an Egyptian journalist and politician. He was appointed head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in March 2013. He holds a BA in Political Sciences from Cairo University (1981) and an MA in Political History from Sorbonne University, Paris (1985). Rashwan worked as a researcher for Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) since 1981.

In the 1990s, he served as an adjunct researcher for a number of academic institutions in Japan and France. In 2011, he was appointed head of ACPSS as a successor to Dr Gamal Abd El-Gawad.

Late in 2009, he ran for the EJS chairmanship elections against incumbent Makram Mohammed Ahmed, who won.

He also ran for parliament elections in 2010 representing his home town Armant, but he lost and blamed NDP for forging the results.

He has abstained from running for any elections after the revolution but he changed his mind and ran for EJS chairmanship in March 2013 and won by 55 percent of the votes while his opponent

Abdul Mohsen Salamah got 45 percent.

His father had represented NDP and the governorate of Qena in parliament several terms. The following are the interview details: QUESTION: As EJS chairman, how do you see the freedom of the Egyptian press before and after the Jan 25, 2011 and June 30, 2013 revolutions?

A: Egypt is completely different after the two revolutions. This applies to many aspects including the achievement of the second public demand the people made after ‘food’; that is ‘freedom’. The first meaning of freedom is to be able to express yourself, voice your

in EJS’ headquarters. What were your motives for such an invitation?

A: To start with, some people have claimed that the F&J newspaper was banned after July 4, 2013, which is not true. The newspaper is still being published and printed at the governmentrun Al-Ahram establishment, to whom they are still owe £2,800,000 up to the last month. Nevertheless, it is still being sold in various outlets. It never disappeared as those describing the June 30 revolution as a militar y coup claim except on July 4 when they designed their front page to show a full-page sized photo of Morsi with the title of

EJS chairman Diya Rashwan (right) speaking to Osama Hassan ideas and be listened to. Herein lies the significance of media in general and journalism in particular, namely print journalism, which is the oldest form of information exchange man has ever known. Therefore, journalism is the pillar of the media, which is a means of expression and freedom.

Taking into consideration the chaos and instability Egypt is going through after Jan 25, 2011, which is a basic element in all transitional phases, one has to admit that the most significant gains of the revolution is that Egyptians have nothing to fear anymore. This has been reflected in journalism and the media in general. Many new newspapers, magazines, e-papers, social media, blogs and private satellite T V channels were launched since, but this is not the end of the story. We still need to regulate the operation of these media the same way we need to reorganize the situations on the ground. However, I’m fully confident that this chaos will come to an end and things will get better by time.

QUESTION: There was a great deal of controversy and calls to close down the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party’s newspaper, and you invited its editors to operate from your office

“The Legitimate President”, which made Al-Ahram hesitate in printing the issue.

I made some calls and insisted on publishing the issue as it is and called the editor-in-chief through EJS member and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated colleague Mohammed Abdul Qoddous to inform him of the approval to publish the issue. It was the editor-in-chief who refused printing the issue to imply that it had been banned by the authorities in power, which is not true and the paper is still published today.

As far as inviting the F&J journalists to work through my office is concerned, the editor-in-chief informed me of his fears of an imminent attack on the newspaper’s headquarters. I advised him either to inform the interior ministry and request protection or to come and work through my office, though none of his staff (except him) is an EJS member. They refused my invitation twice and promoted stories that the authorities have stormed their headquarters. I went to verify their allegations in person and found out they were false. What happened is that the headquarters used to be the former premises of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Office in Manial and that its closure was ordered by court.

So I definitely say that there is no suspended newspaper in Egypt.

Accordingly, EJS has adopted a proposal made to the founding committee to include an article in the new constitution banning the closure or suspension of any newspaper or media at all. In addition, this article stipulates alternative penalties to violators such as fining them. We are for freedom for all - be they governmental, private or party papers.

QUESTION: Some political blocs believe that you are pro-Muslim Brotherhood. What is your response to that?

A: That’s absolutely untrue. I have been classified for over twenty years of Mubarak’s tenure as a researcher in Islamic movements and political regimes. All my writings defended the rights of the oppressed, such as the Muslim Brotherhood who had been oppressed for long by Mubarak’s regime.

And out of believing in turning dreams into reality to find out whether they posed new hopes or nightmares, like what happened with Morsi who was a dream that turned into a nightmare, I wrote calling for integrating them in political life. Many others did the same calling to give the Muslim Brotherhood a chance to show what they were made of.

Therefore, many accused me of being pro-Muslim Brotherhood and this was used against me in the EJS chairmanship elections against Makram Mohammed Ahmed. The same was done in the 2010 parliamentary elections. So to be accused of being pro- Muslim Brotherhood under Mubarak and to severely criticize the Muslim Brotherhood while in office would surely mean that I belong to neither of them!

Now I assure you that there is no such thing as the Muslim Brotherhood - there are a few individuals belonging to a party, a human rights society or a charity.

No state would accept the presence of an anonymous group without knowing who runs it, the number of its members, who funds it or who its leaders are. Such a thing does not exist in UK, Japan or even Turkey, which supports them!

QUESTION: You have been quoted in many interviews saying that you have many friends amongst the Muslim Brotherhood. Accordingly, does any of these acquaintances condemn the violence and sabotage committed by the Muslim Brotherhood?

A: Any large group or body may have ‘hawks’ and ‘pigeons’ amongst them.

Take the American Republican Party, for instance. It includes liberals and neocons. Similarly, the Muslim Brotherhood includes moderate and more fundamental members but they are led by Qutbists, who are far more violent and fundamental.

QUESTION: Being a member in the founding committee, do you have any conservation about its performance?

A: I might disapprove of a clause in a certain article but this is usually manifested within the committee where we discuss it and finally take votes and it becomes final once it is approved because all committee members will be responsible for the entire constitution.

QUESTION: You mentioned that security forces had forged the 2010 parliamentary election results in favor of your opponent, the NDP candidate. My question here is not about you, it’s rather about your late father Hajj Yousif Rashwan who represented the NDP in parliament for several terms and was later appointed as a Shura Council member. In view of your different political beliefs, how was your relation with him?

A: My father became MP in 1968 when he was only 38 years old. He was also an MP in the 1971, 1976 and 1979 parliaments. He was appointed by Mubarak’s regime as a Shura Council member in 1986 where he remained until he ran for the parliamentary elections again and won in 1995. He passed away one year later. My father has always known and respected my political beliefs and never interfered to altered or talked me out of them. Despite being his only son, he never interfered when I was imprisoned for the first time in 1981.

Regarding his NDP membership, that is his business and I fully understand his motives. Like many others, he was an NDP member as well as member of the Arab Socialist Union before it. But we both share the same concern of achieving people’s aspirations, each from his own perspective. Still, I owe my father a lot and we never disagreed despite what happened in 1984, which is something I have rarely mentioned. That year, he was banned from running for the parliamentary elections because of my invitation to the head of the National Progressive Unionist Party (AlTagammu’) - for which I was running for parliamentary elections in Armant Khaled Mohieddin, to visit our hometown. This angered the NDP and they warned to ban my father’s candidacy unless the visit was cancelled. My father left the choice to me and I chose to carry on with my campaign. That was the first time my father was not elected MP since 1968 until he was later on appointed in the Shura Council.

QUESTION: Rashwan, thank you very much for your valuable time and tolerance with my questions.

A: You are most welcome. It was my pleasure.

NOTE: Osama Hassan Abdul Bari is a second-year media student at MTI University, Cairo

Dismantling nuke is Iran’s ‘red line’ Nuclear freeze to start by January

TRIPOLI: Sunni Muslim gunmen supporting the anti-Assad rebellion clash with their Alawite neighbors in the Al-Shaarani neighborhood in the Lebanese northern coastal city of Tripoli yesterday. —AFP

Four shot dead in Lebanon’s Tripoli TRIPOLI: Four people were killed in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli yesterday in exchanges of fire between neighborhoods which support rival sides in Syria’s civil war, security and medical sources said.

Among the dead are- a teenage schoolboy and a man in his 30s - were from the Sunni Muslim Bab Al-Tabbaneh district, whose residents overwhelmingly support the Sunni Muslim rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Eighteen people, including two soldiers, were wounded in the shooting between gunmen in Bab Al-Tabbaneh and the adjacent Alawite neighborhood of Jebel Mohsen, which suppor ts the Alawite Syrian leader. Yesterday’s fighting followed repeated attacks on Alawites in Tripoli, residents said. Several people were shot and wounded in separate incidents this week, and Alawite men were beaten in an attack on a bus earlier in November.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli, held talks with the interior minister and other security officials in the Mediterranean city to discuss how to end the violence, which erupted despite the deployment of soldiers in both rival districts. Sniper shots and rocket fire could still be heard in the area at around 1 pm

(1100 GMT), more than two hours after the fighting broke out, residents said.

The divisions in Tripoli, 20 miles from the Syrian border, reflect the sectarian gulf across Lebanon over Syria’s civil war. But the northern city, where tensions between the Sunni Muslim majority and small Alawite community have festered for decades, has seen some of the heaviest violence this year. Two car bombs in August killed 42 people and wounded hundreds at Sunni mosques in Tripoli, just a week after a car bomb in a Shiite area of Beirut killed 27 people. Clashes between fighters in Bab Al-Tabbaneh and Jebel Mohsen have flared several times in recent months, killing dozens since the beginning of the year.

In the Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese army said it defused three 107-millimetre Grad rockets on Friday near the northeastern town of Al-Qaa near the Syrian border. It said the rockets were ready for launching when they were discovered. Suspected supporters of the Syrian rebels have fired several rockets at Shiite targets in the area, saying they were in response to the intervention by Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah militia in Syria’s civil war. The conflict has also drawn in Sunni Muslim fighters from across the Middle East. —Agencies

LONDON: Iran will not dismantle its nuclear facilities, President Hassan Rouhani said in an interview with The Financial Times published Friday after a historic deal between Tehran and world powers. Asked by the newspaper whether dismantling Iran’s atomic facilities was a “red line” for the Islamic republic, Rouhani replied: “100 percent”. Israel has bitterly opposed the deal struck in Geneva last weekend, saying that any pact with Tehran must have the sole purpose of dismantling Iran’s nuclear capability.

Pending negotiations for a broader agreement, the deal struck in Geneva early November 24 calls for a six-month’s freeze of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief.

But it does not call for dismantling Iran’s nuclear facilities. Rouhani meanwhile held out hope for further improvements in Iran’s relations with the United States. “Iran-US problems are very complicated and cannot be resolved over a short period of time. Despite the complications, there has been an opening over the past 100 days, which can widen later,” he told the FT. Meanwhile, Iran’s six-month freeze of its nuclear program agreed with world powers in Geneva will start by early January, Tehran’s envoy to the UN atomic watchdog indicated Friday. “We expect that either at the end of December or the beginning of January we should start implementing the measures agreed by both sides,” Reza Najafi, envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters. The breakthrough accord struck last weekend between Iran and the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany-the P5+1 — foresees Tehran rolling back some of its

nuclear program temporarily in exchange for sanctions relief.

The freeze is meant to make it more difficult for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and to build confidence while Tehran and the P5+1 hammer out a long-term accord. Israel has demanded that dismantlement should be part of any deal. But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday that Tehran would not do so. Asked by the newspaper whether dismantling Iran’s atomic facilities was a “red line” for the Islamic republic, Rouhani replied: “100 percent”.

Iran has pledged to limit uranium enrichment to low fissile purities. It will also lower the purity of its stockpile of medium-enriched material, which is relatively easy to convert to weaponsgrade, or convert it to another form. Iran also committed for six months “not to make further advances” at its Fordo and Natanz uranium enrichment sites and at the Arak heavy water reactor, which could provide Tehran with weapons-grade plutonium once operating.

The Islamic republic, subject to painful UN and Western sanctions, will continue enriching uranium to low levels and it will retain its stockpile of low-enriched material. It has been unclear since Geneva when the accord was due to take effect, with technical discussions between Iran, the powers and the IAEA, whose job verifying Tehran’s compliance will be key, set to work out the details.

“We have had preliminary discussions with the agency with regard to the nuclear-related measures ... to be verified by the agency,” Najafi said Friday. “We are going to continue those dis-

cussions.” The IAEA already keeps close tabs on Iran’s nuclear work, with personnel almost constantly in the country inspecting machinery and measuring stockpiles. But under Sunday’s deal this will go further, with daily IAEA visits to enrichment sites and access to centrifuge assembly sites, uranium mines, and more frequent trips to Arak-in addition to verifying the enrichment freeze.

This will mean an increased workload for the IAEA and its Japanese chief Yukiya Amano, who said Thursday that “some time”-and more money-would be needed to work out how to verify the deal. “This requires a significant amount of money and manpower.... The IAEA’s budget is very, very tight. I don’t think we can cover everything from our own budget,” Amano told reporters. In exchange for the freeze, Iran will receive some $7 billion (5.2 billion euros) in sanctions relief and the powers promised to impose no new embargo measures for six months if Tehran sticks to the accord. But the vast raft of international sanctions that have badly hobbled the Iranian economy, more than halving its vital oil exports and sending inflation soaring, remain untouched. Israel, widely assumed to have nuclear weapons itself and which has refused to rule out military action, is deeply unhappy with the accord, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a “historic mistake”. “Israel, sitting on 200 nuclear warheads all of them targeted at Muslim cities ... is crying wolf about nuclear proliferation”, Najafi told closed-door meeting of the IAEA’s board of governors, according to the text of his remarks.—Agencies

Battlefield gains to boost Assad hand at peace talks BEIRUT: Divisions in rebel ranks and more committed loyalist fighters are helping the Syrian regime notch up military victories that would give it the upper hand at peace talks, analysts and rebels say.

The army’s capture this week of the strategic town of Qara, north of Damascus, followed three days of fighting against Al-Nusra Front jihadists.

It comes after a series of government advances in Damascus province and southwest of Aleppo, in northern Syria. The army’s advances are being seen as part of a new strategy devised by Iranian experts sent to back President Bahar al-Assad’s regime, as well as the arrival of new well-trained, highly motivated Shiite fighters from Lebanon and Iraq. A rebel commander, Abdel Jabbar Al-Okaidi, who led the assault on Aleppo in July 2012, said “Iran, Hezbollah and the (Iraqi) Abul Fadl Al-Abbas militia are com-

ing to fight here with conviction and belief.”

While the majority of Syria’s rebels-like the population-are Sunni Muslim, mainly Shiite Iran and Iraq have sided with Assad, who hails from an Alawite clan, an offshoot of Shiism. “During any battle there were defections from the regime’s side... so it would always end up losing. As for these (Shiite) fighters who have arrived... they obviously don’t have any defections, and they are able to resist for longer,” said Okaidi, an experienced commander.

According to David Hartwell, a Middle East expert at IHS Jane’s, divisions among rebels are also contributing to the shift. “Disarray among the opposition is a key factor... and it is difficult to escape the infighting that is going on... particularly between (the jihadist) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Free Syrian Army,” Hartwell said. The

mainstream FSA, said Hartwell, has frequently accused ISIL of turning its firepower against the rebels and of failing to back the opposition in its battles against government forces.

The jihadists are also accused of seeking to impose control by terrorizing the population in opposition-held areas, including rebels, into submission. Just this week, ISIL executed in the northwestern province of Idlib a rebel commander and two members of his brigade, accusing them of corruption and possessing a bottle of arak, a local aniseed-based spirit. Activists say such practices are common in areas where ISIL is trying to eliminate its adversaries. ISIL has also waged battles in several areas across Syria’s north, notably against powerful Salafi current Ahrar Al-Sham and mainstream group Ahfad Al-Rasul.—AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

Should you worry or is US military ready?

‘Better hope we never have a war again’ WASHINGTON: Warnings from defense officials and some experts are mounting and becoming more dire: The nation’s military is being hobbled by budget cuts. “You’d better hope we never have a war again,” the House Armed Services Committee chairman, Rep Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif, said of the decline in what the military calls its readiness. So should Americans be worried? A look at what the Pentagon means by “ready” and where things stand: It’s the armed forces’ ability to get the job done, and it’s based on

ple, well-trained in their various specialties, to conduct its tasks.

Military units are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the best, or fully ready. Typically, a unit freshly returned from a tour of duty would carry a 5 rating, since it ’s missing people because of casualties or because some are moving on to other jobs, and it’s missing equipment that was battered or worn in the field and is in for repairs or must be replaced. A unit can be sent out in less-thanfull ready status, but officials warn that would mean it could do less,

the American people that cutbacks, par ticularly in training budgets, are creating a precarious situation.

For instance, an Air Force official says they ’ve grounded 13 combat fighter/bomber squadrons or about a third of those active duty units. And the Army says only two of its 35 active-duty brigades are fully ready for major combat operations. The service typically wants to have about 12 ready at any given time so a third of the total can be deployed, a third is prepared for deployment and a

OKINAWA: US Navy FA-18 Hornets cram the flight deck of the USS George Washington during a joint military exercise with Japan in the Pacific Ocean near Japan’s southernmost island of Okinawa. The 13-day drill ended in the day as an air defense zone newly declared by China in the East China Sea has raised some tensions in the region. — AP the number of people, the equipment and the training needed to carry out assigned missions. As an example, an Army brigade has a list of the things it would have to do in a full-level war, called its “mission essential task list.” And a 4,500-member brigade is deemed ready when it has the right supplies and equipment, is in good work ing condition and pretty much has that full number of peo-

take longer to do it, suffer more casualties, or all of the above.

US MILITARY RATING NOW Detailed information on that is classified secret so adversaries won’t know exactly what they’re up against. But because of ongoing budget fights, officials in recent weeks have given broad examples of readiness lapses in hopes of convincing Congress and

third is working to get ready.

Analysts say a decade of massive spending increases have built a strong force superior to anything else out there. “We could certainly fight another war on the order of the first Gulf War (1991) without any problems; the Air Force could do air strikes in Syria,” said Barry M Blechman of the Stimson Center think tank. “We wouldn’t want to get involved in another protracted

war (like Iraq and Afghanistan), but in terms of the types of military operations we typically get involved in, we’re prepared for that.”

THE PROBLEM Even those who believe the situation is not yet dire say that eventually these budget cuts will catch up with the force. Some analysts say another two or three years of training cuts, for instance, will leave the US military seriously unprepared. As an added wrinkle, the cuts come just as the military had planned a significant re-training of the force. That is, the bulk of US forces were organized, trained and equipped over the past 12 years for counterinsurgency wars like Iraq and Afghanistan and now need to sharpen skills needed to counter other kinds of threats in other par ts of the world. For instance, much of the Air Force focus in recent years has been on providing close air support for the ground troops countering insurgents and not on skills that would be needed if the US were involved in a conflict with a foreign government - skills like air-to-air combat and air interdiction.

A SOLUTION There’s broad agreement in Washington that budget cuts should be tailored rather than done by the automatic, across-theboard cuts known as sequestration over the next decade. There is not agreement on politically sensitive potential savings from closing and consolidating some military bases, holding the line on troop compensation that has grown over the war years or drawing down more steeply from the wartime size of the force. Finding replacement cuts for sequestration is the priority of budget talks led by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his Senate counterpart, Patty Murray, D-Wash., who are facing an informal Dec. 13 deadline to reach a deal. Any agreement that they negotiate could still be rejected by their colleagues.—AP

‘Preferred’ pronouns gain traction at US colleges OAKLAND: The weekly meetings of Mouthing Off!, a group for students at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, always start the same way. Members take turns going around the room saying their names and the personal pronouns they want others to use when referring to them - she, he or something else.

It’s an exercise that might seem superfluous given that Mills, a small and leafy liberal arts school historically referred to as the Vassar of the West, only admits women as undergraduates. Yet increasingly, the “shes” and “hers” that dominate the introductions are keeping third-person company with “they,” “ze” and other neutral alternatives meant to convey a more generous notion of gender.

“Because I go to an all-women’s college, a lot of people are like, ‘If you don’t identify as a woman, how did you get in?’” said sophomore Skylar Crownover, 19, who is president of Mouthing Off! and prefers to be mentioned as a singular they,

but also answers to he. “I just tell them the application asks you to mark your sex and I did. It didn’t ask me for my gender.”

On high school and college campuses and in certain political and social media circles, the growing visibility of a small, but semantically committed cadre of young people who, like Crownover, self-identify as “genderqueer” - neither male nor female but an androgynous hybrid or rejection of both is challenging anew the limits of Western comprehension and the English language. Though still in search of mainstream acceptance, students and staff members who describe themselves in terms such as agender, bigender, third gender or gender-fluid are requesting - and sometimes finding - linguistic recognition.

Inviting students to state their preferred gender pronouns, known as PGPs for short, and encouraging classmates to use unfamiliar ones such as “ze,’”sie,” “e,” “ou” and “ve” has become an accepted back-to-school practice for professors,

UN agency unveils Palestinian archive JERUSALEM: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has unveiled a trove of pictures and film captured over more than 60 years chronicling the collective memory of those who fled or were forced into exile. Established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees who lost their homes when the state of Israel was created a year earlier, UNRWA has digitised the archive and put it on display in east Jerusalem. More than half a million negatives, prints, slides, films and videocassettes collected by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency show men, women and children eking out new lives in refugee camps across the Middle East.

Called “The Long Journey,” a collection of the works has been on display at the Al-Ma’mal Centre in east Jerusalem since Thursday. “This project is important for the history of Palestine and Palestinians, in order to defend and preserve their identity,” UNRWA commissioner general Filipo Grandi said at the launch of the exhibit. “It is a contribution for building a national heritage” and “a beautiful project to help the Palestinian diaspora to preserve their identity.”

Former UNRWA filmmaker and photographer George Nehmeh contributed over the years countless pictures and videos of refugees and landscape, some of which no longer exists. Nehmeh, a Lebanese, prepared a special documentary for the exhibit, in which he says “each frame is a snapshot of history that is indelibly part of the Middle East.” At the onset of the 1970s Nehmeh took pictures of refugees in the Gaza Strip’s Khan Yunis camp and the Baqaa camp just outside Amman.

Forty years later he went back in search of some of them. A skeletal, dehydrated year-old baby he once photographed clutching his mother is now a father of five, and the documentary shows Nehmeh reunited with him in Gaza. Another snapshots shows a couple who have fled Jericho after the 1967 Six Day War to the misery of a refugee camp. Now they proudly boast 70 to 80 grandchildren and great grandchildren. UNRWA is estimated to care for about five million Palestinian refugees in impoverished camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Jordan and now war-hit Syria. Because of its historical and cultural significance, the archive has been inscribed UNESCO’S “Memory of the World” list since 2009. Grandi said UNRWA chose to digitize its Palestinian archive because it was “literally decaying” and the task is being undertaken by young students in Amman and in Gaza. Denmark and France have provided technical assistance, and Palestinians have privately provided funds for the mammoth project.—AFP

dorm advisers, club sponsors, workshop leaders and health care providers at several schools. The phenomenon gained notice in the San Francisco Bay area in early November after an 18-year-old student at a private high school in Berkeley suffered severe burns when a 16-year-old boy set fire to the student’s skirt while the two were riding a public bus. The parents of the injured student, Sascha Fleischman, said their son is biologically male but identifies as agender and favors they as a pronoun.

At the University of Vermont, students who elect to change their names and/or pronouns on class rosters now can choose from she, he and ze, as well as the option of being referred to by only their names. Hampshire College in Massachusetts advertises its inclusiveness by listing the gender pronouns of its tour guides on the school’s web site. And intake forms at the University of California, Berkeley’s student health center include spaces for male, female or other.—AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Demonstrators are detained by riot police near the US Embassy during a protest against Haiti’s President Michel Martelly in Port-au-Prince on Friday Nov 29, 2013. Several thousand Haitians marched in parallel protests. One group marched to the US Embassy, decrying what they saw as political interference. — AP

Nearly 4 years after quake, Haitians still living in tents PORT-AU-PRINCE: Eight-year-old Widlene Gabriel has lived nearly half her life in a camp for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the devastating January 2010 earthquake in desperately poor Haiti. As the fourth anniversary of the disaster approaches, more than 170,000 Haitians are still living in makeshift housing, in extremely precarious conditions and sometimes facing eviction. Widlene and her family live in a tent on a private lot along a main road linking the capital Portau-Prince to the eastern suburb of Petionville. The girl has never been to school and spends her days staring blankly at cars and trucks speeding along the road nearby.

“On January 12, 2010, the roof of our house fell on top of our heads. I wasn’t hurt but our house fell apart and so we came here,” Widlene recalls, her bare feet covered in dust. Manette Nazius, a mother of six, says Widlene is hardly the only child seemingly left behind. “All the kids here are in the same boat. All days are the same. They drag around all day. In fact, we are living without hope and we all feel abandoned,” she says. An estimated 250,000 people were killed in the quake, and the rebuilding process has been slow in Haiti, which was already one of the world’s poorest countries when disaster struck.

In the immediate aftermath, more than 1.5 million people were homeless. Huddled under Tent 15, which doubles as a church at the entrance of the camp, a small group of women chanted “Blessed be the lord.

Blessed be the lord.” The pastor, in his 60s, stood at the entrance, but the faithful were few. “We still support them in prayer,” said the 60-something pastor, who gave his name as Pierre. “They are people who have been abandoned by the authorities. They have nothing. But God does not punish twice.” Nevertheless, the young and homeless say they are without hope and feel

they have been forgotten.

NO LIFE Since 2011, the government has been able to relocate more than 60,000 families and take back some of the public spaces occupied by the unsanitary camps. But about 172,000 people still live sprawled across 300 camps, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Residents of the camp where Widlene lives say they have no alternatives, surviving thanks to odd jobs and whatever food scraps they can gather. “We live like brothers and sisters. We help each other out but we don’t expect anything from the government,” said Bladimir Eliancy, a 30-something resident who was trained as a mechanic.

At another camp-a group of tents were set up on a property once owned by the Italian mission-the feeling of despair is the same. “We have been forgotten by the authorities and international organizations no longer visit us,” said a dejected Donald Duvert. “Sometimes, we get angry. But we are good citizens. We don’t go out into the streets to attack the rich. But just take a look at how we live,” he added, pointing to the dilapidated tents that house 150 families. Joseph Gino, seeking a bit of shade under a mango tree, echoed Duvert’s hopelessness. “Before, life was very difficult for us. Today, there is no life. Only God knows when we’ll get out of here-or maybe the decision-makers do,” he said. A mother with a four-year-old son born in the camp added: “At this time of the day, nobody can stay under the tents. The children are suffering from the heat under the tarps.” The boy has never slept in a bed or in a real room. But some still hold out hope for a better future by advancing their studies to lift themselves out of decrepit poverty. “I am a little bit behind, but it’s my only exit,” said 18-year-old Fabienne.— AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

Toxic mafia dumps sow panic in ‘Triangle of Death’ CAIVANO: Anger is boiling over near Naples after revelations about toxic mafia dumps blamed for rising cancer rates that have prompted accusations the state is ignoring a vast public health crisis. Thousands have taken to the streets amid growing evidence that a far wider swathe of territory than originally thought was used by the local Camorra crime syndicate to burn or secretly bury millions of tons of waste for years.

The smoke-choked area north of the city has been dubbed the “Triangle of Death” and it is a grim sight-a short trip but a world away from the postcard images of the Bay of Naples and its famous cuisine. Hidden out of sight down dirt tracks in the countryside, vast mounds of illegal and hazardous garbage, from broken sheets of asbestos to car tyres and containers of industrial-strength glue, lie rotting next to farmed fields.

Periodically set alight, they billow black fumes towards neighboring towns, but locals say the real killer lies in aquifers feeding tomato, cabbage and broccoli crops which are poisoned with chloroform, arsenic and heavy metals. Environmental groups say the toxic garbage could affect one and a half million people living in the Naples and Caserta provinces. “People are terrified. Cancers are sharply up, along with allergies, foe-

tus deformities and infertility,” doctor Luigi Costanzo, who treats some 1,600 people in the town of Frattamaggiore said.

Toxic waste has been buried in the area for decades, ever since the Camorra decided to branch out into the lucrative waste disposal business in the 1980s. Instead of paying exorbitant sums to have it disposed of legally, companies paid mobsters a fraction of the cost to dump it in fields, wells and lakes. “There were those who suspected what was going on, but farmers who tried to go to the police were threatened,” said Pasquale Crispino, a farmer who has grown potatoes in the area for years. The latest revelations about the extent of the problem came last month when parliament made public a 1997 confession by top mafia turncoat Carmine Schiavone which described in detail how and where the rubbish was disposed of. Schiavone’s words carry weight because he is the brother of a notorious local crime boss, Francesco Schiavone, the jailed leader of the powerful Casalesi clan who is better known by his underworld moniker “Sandokan”.

“It became a real business which brought money in but the residents risked dying of cancer within 20 years.

I don’t think they can be saved,” he was quoted saying

then-a claim that has fueled outrage over government inaction. Tens of thousands of locals took to the streets of Naples this month chanting “No to Camorra!” and slamming the government for failing to act. More protests are planned as the extent of the problem comes into focus. “This is a humanitarian crisis. There is not one home here that does not have someone sick with a tumour,” said local priest Maurizio Patriciello.

“We see black smoke at every hour of the day and night, it steals our breath and sentences us to death.

Those supposed to defend us have failed,” he said.

According to environmentalist group Legambiente, some 10 million tons of industrial waste from across Italy and farther afield was buried in the area between 1991 and 2013, dumped mainly at night by over 400,000 lorries. “Only politicians’ widespread inertia, ‘oversights’ by controllers, a dense network of collusion and a mafia code of silence could have resulted in the ‘invisibility’ of such a column of lorries,” it said in a report last week.

The number of tumors in women in the area has risen by 40 percent and those in men by 47 percent, according to the Pascale national tumor institute, and local cemeteries have sections for the growing number

of child victims. “As mothers we are paying the highest price. No-one has yet seen fit to tell us... ‘we have killed your children, we accept responsibility and will intervene to save those living’,” said Tina Zaccaria, whose daughter Dalia died aged 13.

Zaccaria is one of several mothers pictured holding photographs of their dead children on thousands of postcards sent to Pope Francis-who this week telephoned a local nun, Sister Teresa, to express his concern and support. “Someone must pay, until then this will remain a no-man’s land,” Zaccaria said. The government has set up a task force aimed at preventing garbage blazes, seizing polluted fields and devising a plan for a mammoth clean-up mission.

It has its work cut out: according to a parliamentary commission report, illegal waste in the Campania region “has caused incalculable damage... the progressive effects of which will reach a peak in around 50 years time.” But sceptics say that the Camorra, after creating an environmental time-bomb in the area, will now be angling for lucrative clean-up contracts. Local campaigner Enzo Tosti said: “The opportunities are huge: if we mapped all the land where this stuff is buried we’d have to clean up half of Italy.”— AFP

Victims fear release of rapists, killers in Spain Convicts to be freed under human rights ruling

KIEV: Protesters clash with police on Independence Square in Kiev yesterday. — AFP

Ukraine riot police break up pro-Europe protests Demonstrations follow policy U-turn KIEV: Ukrainian riot police used batons and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of proEurope protesters yesterday after President Viktor Yanukovich opted not to sign a pact with the European Union. Helmeted police bearing white shields, stormed an encampment of protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square, as they sang songs and warmed themselves by campfires, the opposition said.

Tension had been building since Friday, when Yanukovich declined to sign the pact with EU leaders at a summit in Lithuania, going back on a pledge to work toward integrating his ex-Soviet republic into the European mainstream. Police first fired stun grenades and then waded in with batons. TV footage showed police beating one young woman on the legs and kicking young men on the ground. Several people were given emergency treatment on the spot for cuts to the head.

The interior ministry said the riot police moved in “after the protesters began to resist the (ordinary uniformed) police, throwing trash, glasses, bottles of water and flares at them”. Police detained 35 people but later released them, it said. There were no hard figures on how many people were hurt. “By my count we are talking of tens of cruelly beaten people, perhaps hundreds,” Andriy Shevchenko, an opposition deputy, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

“It was absolute savagery. Yanukovich said he had declined to sign the EU pact as the cost of upgrading the economy to meet EU standards was too great and that economic dialogue with Russia, Ukraine’s former Soviet master, would be revived. The protests evoked memories of the “Orange Revolution” of 2004-5 against sleaze and election fraud which doomed Yanukovich’s first bid for the presidency. But those protests took place peacefully without police action and yesterday’s violence was unprecedented in Kiev. The events set the scene for possibly more confrontation today when a pro-Europe rally has been called. About 100,000 people turned out at a similar gathering last Sunday.

‘NO LONGER UKRAINE’ The protesters were mainly young supporters from the main three opposition parties including that of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - who are united in pressing for a westward shift in policy towards the European Union. Police cleared away antiYanukovich posters and political graffiti and took down flags and banners, including the EU blue and gold standard, before sealing off the area.

After the police action, the remnants of the protest - about 100 people - shifted to St Michael’s cathedral - formerly a 12th century monastery which was destroyed by Soviet authorities in 1937 and rebuilt after independence in 1991. “We gathered here after riot police beat us and chased us out of the square.

It’s the only safe place we could go to,” said Roman Tsaldo, a 25-year-old protester who said the police had beaten him in the legs.

Ustim Kholodnyuk, 19, said he was knocked unconscious by police and finally crawled away from the square on his hands and knees.

“People took me here in a taxi so at least I would be safe somewhere,” he said. Opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk lamented Yanukovich’s U-turn on the EU, saying it left Kiev firmly in the orbit of Moscow, comparing Ukraine’s situation to that of neighboring Belarus which has been under one-man rule since 1996. “Ukraine has woken up in a different state after Yanukovich refused to sign in Vilnius. It is no longer Ukraine.

It’s closer to Belarus,” he said.

Heavyweight boxing champion turned opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko said: “After the savagery we have seen on Independence Square we must send Yanukovich packing.”

“They undermined the agreement (with the EU) so as to untie their hands for outrageous behavior which would be unthinkable by European standards,” said Klitschko, a likely contender for the presidency in 2015. At least four people were beaten by police earlier on Friday night, including a Reuters cameraman and a Reuters photographer, who was bloodied by blows to the head by police. — Reuters

French rail commuters get English skills back on track REIMS: “Welcome aboard, ready for the lesson?” the teacher asks three passengers sitting down to their English class in one of the carriages of the 7:43 am commuter train to Paris. It is not your usual classroom inside this train making the 45-minute trip from the city of Reims, in the heart of France’s champagne country.

But the French state railways company SNCF thinks it has found a good solution for timesqueezed commuters who need to brush up on the language of Shakespeare. The pilot program, aptly named “English on track” service, was launched in September on six routes from the eastern Champagne-Ardenne region, a popular commuter hub for people working in the French capital. Boarding the train at Reims in the semidarkness of early morning is Jerome Maillot, a buyer in a Paris firm and already a fan of the scheme.

“I use English all the time in my job and since I get home late, it’s difficult for me to fit in lessons. So using the journey to improve my skills is a real time-saver,” says the 29-year-old, as he settles down for the lesson held either in first class or another designated space in the train. As the train races at 300 kilometers an hour through the green countryside, Jerome’s teacher-a native English speaker-sticks up papers on the window in lieu of a blackboard. Each 45-minute lesson prioritizes conversation practice around different themes and uses a tablet computer hooked up to a speaker system for listening comprehension exercises.

With such a small group, “it’s practically a private lesson”, says Jerome, who has signed up for 30 lessons, four times a week, paid for by his employer as part of on-the-job training. “And since the other students and I have gotten to know each other, we are less scared to speak and are progressing fast,” he adds. Flavie Bleuse, a 24-year-old sales representative, finds the novel scheme an antidote to the boredom of commuting. “Starting your day by speaking English is very stimulating,” she said. “In public transport you are just waiting for the journey to end.”

Many French employees are increasingly required to use English on their jobs. “Even if the lesson only lasts 45 minutes, practising regularly means you can improve pretty quickly and the sociable aspect of being on the train makes conversation easier,” explains Calum MacDougall, the director of the SpeakWrite language institute which provides the training. For the moment the service is limited, with only one lesson for a group of up to six people offered on each of the six routes. The 30-lesson package, which costs 690 euros (about $925), can be taken two, four or even five times a week. If successful, the program may well be extended, says David Potier, SNCF sales director for the Champagne-Ardenne region. “We have limited places but if there is strong demand, we will look at adding lessons to the return trains in the evening or offer two lessons at a time on a train” instead of one. —AFP

BARCELONA: Spanish courts are releasing serial rapists and killers under a European human rights ruling, terrifying their victims as authorities warn the convicts risk reoffending. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg last month overruled a Spanish doctrine that let judges effectively prolong the jail terms of the most serious offenders. As well as freeing dozens of convicted members of the Basque armed separatist movement ETA-enraging victims’ families-the ruling has led to the release of notorious serial rapists and killers.

Among them is Manuel Gonzalez, known as the “madman in the tracksuit”, who was jailed in 1997 for raping 16 women between 1991 and 1993 and killing one of them. “The problem is not only that the victims feel uneasy, but that it puts all women in danger,” said Maria Jose Varela, lawyer for one of Gonzalez’s victims. The European court said Spain had acted illegally by denying certain prisoners shortened sentences for good behavior. Gonzalez was sentenced to 169 years in jail in 1997 for the string of assaults in which he would attack his victims from behind with a knife.

He was released from jail in Barcelona last week after ser ving 20 years.

“According to the experts, he is not cured of his urges,” the Catalonia region’s interior minister, Ramon Espadaler, told Catalunya Radio. “We are aware that this is an issue that naturally causes unease.”

He said the courts ordered “non-intrusive” surveillance of Gonzalez by police, but acknowledged there were limits to how closely the convict could be monitored. Varela told AFP that Gonzalez “has come out of jail without having been rehabilitated and with a medical report that says there is a high risk that he will commit the same deeds again. That is a cause for fear.”

In the weeks since the Strasbourg ruling, Spanish courts have released several other rapists and killers. The latest one was freed on Friday: Miguel Ricart, who raped and killed three children in the Valencia region in 1992. A court cut his prison time by 10 years. “The outlook for his return to society is not favorable,” prisons director Angel Yuste warned ahead of his release. Under the previous doctrine, overturned by the European rights court, his years of remission were subtracted from his full 170-year sentence instead of being deducted from the maximum 30 years of prison time prescribed by Spanish law.

‘ALL COMING OUT AT ONCE’ Emilio Munoz, who was convicted of kidnapping and killing a girl in 1993, was freed on Wednesday less than halfway through his 43-year sentence. Talking to reporters after leaving prison, he expressed regret for his crimes. “I do not consider myself a danger,” he said. “I made a serious mistake and I have paid for it.” Also released on Wednesday was Valentin Tejero, convicted of raping and killing a nine -year-old girl in 1992.

Among the other cases, a court has also freed Pablo Garcia Ribado, who was sentenced in 1996 to 1,721 years’ jail for 74 rapes. “They are all coming out at once, which makes us feel fear in our gut all day,” said Varela.

The releases have sown “rage, outrage, impotence and sadness”, said Luisa Ramon, a lawyer acting for the family of one of Ricart’s victims. “This is a man who is going to be released and could reoffend. He is a danger and a risk to society.”

Spain’s central government is working on a reform to the penal code to strengthen monitoring of released convicts considered at high risk of reoffending, Ramon noted. “But that has not come into force yet.” — AFP

STRASBOURG: Judges of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) take part in the hearing regarding the complaint of a young French Muslim woman challenging France’s full-face veil ban at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, eastern France. — AFP

Franco’s tomb divides Spain 38 years decades after death MADRID: Thirty-eight years after the dictator Francisco Franco died, Spaniards remain divided over his body, which lies in a controversial monument carved into a mountain near Madrid.

Since his death in 1975, Franco has lain in a basilica in a giant hillside monument called The Valley of the Fallen, along with tens of thousands of Civil War dead transferred from other graves around the country.

To mark the 38th anniversary of Franco’s death, an association for his victims has called a demonstration at the entrance to the mausoleum, where his admirers still come to lay flowers on his grave. The protesters called the rally “to denounce the maintaining of the Valley of the Fallen as a mausoleum for Franco and a place of pilgrimage for international fascism”, they said in a statement. Fausto Canales, 79, son of one of the victims, says he cannot bear to go the Valley of the Fallen, even to protest, knowing that his father buried there.

“That monument absolutely revolts me,” said Canales. “It makes me psychologically uneasy, as if my father were being kidnapped and murdered all over again.” Canales was three when his father, a farm laborer and republic sympathizer, was taken away on August 20, 1936, shot and thrown into a mass grave. In 1959, he says, his father’s body was taken from that grave and buried in the Valley of the Fallen. The monument was built between 1940 and 1958 by the forced labor of republican prisoners. Modern Spain does not lack those ready to defend Franco’s memory, however.

‘RESENTFUL PEOPLE’ Efforts to alter the monument “are initiatives of resentful people, who do not want to recognize their own part in history,” said Jaime Alonso, vice-chairman of the Francisco Franco Foundation. “From a legal point of view, there is no possibility” of Franco’s body being moved, he

added. “And we will do everything possible to stop it.” A commission appointed by the outgoing Socialist government in November 2011 recommended that Franco should be dug up from the mausoleum and reburied elsewhere. The opposition Socialists last month renewed the drive to have him moved.

They launched a parliamentary motion for the site to be converted into a monument for “reconciliation” and “dignity” for all victims of the war and the dictatorship. The conservative government, which during its two years in office has focused on dragging Spain out of its economic crisis, said the tomb issue was not a priority. “Do you really think that the Spanish people would understand if at this time we allocated 13 million euros ($18 million) to something that the commission itself said we should only do when we have the resources?” said Justice Minister Alberto RuizGallardon.

Edurne Rubio, leader of a grouping of victims’ associations, retorted: “The state’s legal obligations to the victims have nothing to do with the crisis... It is a question of political will, not economics.” The row over the tomb is just one of the open wounds that still fester in Spain concerning historical memory and justice for the victims of the 1936-1939 civil war and the four decades of dictatorship that followed.

A United Nations working group in September urged Spain to investigate the suspected forced disappearances of 100,000 people during that period. Groups representing victims’ families demand that their loved ones be exhumed from mass graves and identified, but no national effort has been launched to do so.

Bids to bring legal action over alleged atrocities have been overturned on the grounds of a 1977 amnesty law, which was seen as a necessity by the leaders tasked with unifying the country after the dictator’s death. — AFP

MADRID: Supporters of late Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco perform the fascist salute as they attend the 38th anniversary of the dictator’s death, at the Plaza de Oriente in Madrid. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Driven from towns, Nigeria extremists target villages YOLA: The businessman heard his neighbors’ screams around midnight. He ripped off his pajamas and jumped out the window, hoping his dark skin would not be visible from the bush at night. Like many villages in northeast Nigeria in recent weeks, Mbitiku was under attack from Islamic militants competing with the government for support in the Nigerian countryside.

Before the attack, the insurgents sent threatening letters to the village ordering young men to join their Boko Haram insurgency. “Boko Haram people were going from one house to the other slaughtering people by slicing their throats,” the survivor told The Associated Press of the Nov. 4 attack. He insisted on anonymity for fear of being targeted by the extremists.

Security forces have pushed Boko Haram out of cities and towns in northeastern Nigeria in recent months but the militants are now terrorizing rural villages to prevent them from supporting security forces, according to Thomas Hansen, an Africa analyst for Control Risks. “Boko Haram needs to make sure that local communities do not support government,” he told, “And they’re using violence to try and further that aim.”

Among their latest targets are young people who do not join their rebellion. Scores of school and college students have been killed and dozens of schools forced to close in a region of the country that already suffers the worst poverty and literacy rates. In Mbitiku, a village of mud huts, a primary school and a few concrete buildings, the businessman said 30 fighters marched in carrying large guns. They slit the throats of 10 young men, he said, so the sound of gunfire wouldn’t scare off other potential victims. Cutting throats the Muslim method for slaughtering animals - also signals disdain for the victims.

As the insurgents left the town they burned several houses to the ground, he said. Mbitiku is about 100 kilometers southeast of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital that is the birthplace of Boko Haram, near the border with Cameroon in an area where insurgents are using mountain caves as hideouts. Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in the past four years in a bid to force Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, to adopt the group’s harsh version of Islamic law.

Three northeastern states, including Adamawa, have been under emergency rule for six months and the United States now classifies Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization.

Several villages in Adamawa state have been attacked in recent weeks and families that can are moving to the cities for safety, said the businessman. But most rural people are subsistence farmers growing corn and rice and have no choice but to remain at home despite the danger, he added.

The United Nations has documented some 10,000 people fleeing northeast Nigeria to neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger in recent months but says the numbers are probably much larger. Many more are displaced inside the West African nation. Tens of thousands of farmers have abandoned their fields.

Mbitiku residents said that before the attacks, police had closed their local posts to make villages less tempting a target. Boko Haram fighters, they said, are often better armed than security forces. Soldiers have moved back into the Adamawa countryside since the Mbitiku attack, they added.

The businessman said he still runs his shop in the village by day, selling items like soap and flashlights, but he hides in a government building at night. He has sent his wife and three children to a nearby town for safety. — AP

Security tightened as Thailand protesters seek PM’s downfall Protesters vow to storm ministries BANGKOK: Police tightened security in Thailand’s capital yesterday as about 2,000 protesters rallied outside a state telecommunications group and vowed to occupy Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s office to paralyze her administration. Faced with dwindling support, demonstrators have started to up the ante and briefly occupied the headquarters of the army on Friday, urging it to join their side in a complex power struggle centred on the enduring political influence of Yingluck’s billionaire brother, ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

“Today, brothers and sisters, we will announce our victory and our defeat of the Thaksin regime,” protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told a rally of thousands late on Friday. A crowd of about 2,000 massed outside stateowned TOT Plc, a telecoms company. Others huddled under umbrellas at a protest base in Bangkok’s historic district where many said they planned to stay until marching to various ministries today.

Suthep has called on supporters to surround the headquarters of the national and city police, along with the heavily barricaded Government House and even a zoo today. “We need to break the law a little bit to achieve our goals,” said Suthep, a deputy prime minister under the previous government that Yingluck routed in a 2011 election. The threats heighten a nearly decade-long conflict that broadly pits Thailand’s traditional establishment of top generals, royalists and the urban middle class against the mostly rural, northern supporters of Thaksin.

Thaksin remains intensely polarizing. The populist leader was removed in a 2006 military coup and convicted two years later of graft-charges he says were politically motivated. He remains closely entwined with government from self-imposed exile, sometimes meeting with Yingluck’s cabinet by webcam. Suthep has urged his followers to shut a government administrative complex today, move on the ministries of labour, foreign affairs, education and interior. A few thousand protesters gathered peacefully at the government complex yesterday, many sitting in groups munching food.

But it remains unclear whether he can besiege multiple government offices. Protester numbers peaked at more than 100,000 last Sunday. By Friday, Suthep drew just 7,000 people to his regular evening speech, police said. “We will not allow protesters to seize Government House, parliament or the national police headquarters. I don’t believe protesters can get close to Government House because we have roadblocks and other blockades in place to stop them,” National Security Chief Paradorn Pattanathabutr said. Hundreds of police spilled out of buses and vans near Government House. One police official said about 5,000 police would reinforce the area over the day.

PEOPLE’S COUNCIL Suthep, a silver-haired politician from Thailand’s south, just weeks ago resigned from the opposition Democrat Party, which has not won an election in more than two decades and is backed by Bangkok’s royalist elite. He has

Extortionists cash in by posing as Pakistani Taleban ISLAMABAD: It began innocuously enough-two men on a motorbike delivered a plain brown envelope to the home of Mohammed, an Islamabad businessman. But the contents plunged him into a terrifying three-month nightmare. The letter, headed with the banner of the Pakistani Taleban, informed Mohammed that a Taleban judge had found him guilty of not living by Islamic principles. It said Mohammed-not his real name-had been fined five million rupees ($50,000) and threatened dire consequences if he went to the police or failed to pay up.

“Our squad of suicide bombers is always prepared to send non-believers to hell, God willing,” the letter seen by AFP read. At the bottom, the name of feared Tehreek-eTaleban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud was written in bold followed by a signature that resembled his name. Mohammed had no way of knowing it, but the signature was fake. He had been snared by criminals exploiting the terrifying reputation of the Pakistani Taleban to extort money from rich businessmen in Islamabad and its twin city Rawalpindi.

The Rawalpindi chamber of commerce says its members regularly receive extortion demands of up to $100,000, and last month a property dealer in the city who refused to pay a demand found explosives hanging from the door of his office. The leafy capital, home to foreign embassies, international aid organizations and well-to-do officials, has remained relatively peaceful in recent years as attacks by homegrown Islamist militants have rattled other parts of the country.

But fear of the TTP, which has killed thousands of people in a bloody campaign against the state over the past six years, runs deep and criminals are cashing in. Multiple sources in the security agencies and among the militants confirmed that the signature on the letter sent to Mohammed was fake and did not resemble that of Mehsud in any way. Mehsud has since been killed in a US drone strike, but at the time, his name alone was enough to strike terror into Mohammed. “I was scared to death when I read

the letter. It was the most frightening experience of my lifeI didn’t know what to do,” Mohammed said.

“I avoided going out of the house and didn’t even go to work. I was also worried about my family’s safety, my kids going to school.” He shared the letter with his wife but even then they were too afraid to go to the police. “She said the Taleban were also attacking the police and intelligence agencies, they can’t protect us from them,” he said.

The letter gave a phone number and time to call, and the man who answered spoke with a Pashtun accent-the main language of the northwest, where the Taleban have strongholds.

There followed a series of calls from strange numbers which he later came to know were from Waziristan, in the tribal areas where the Taleban have hideouts, and Afghanistan. It took three months for Mohammed to resolve the situation, but he refused to say how he paid the money. Over the past two years at least four businessmen are thought to have been killed by militants for not paying ransom demands, and a senior intelligence official said it was natural victims would take threats seriously.

“Posing as member of the Pakistani Taleban is the easiest thing because the victims then get the impression that they are dealing with a very mighty thing,” a senior intelligence official said. “So they don’t report the case with the police and are very ready to cooperate with the criminals.”

Islamabad police say 17 extortion cases have been reported this year-compared with none last year-but there could be many others that go unreported because the victims are too afraid to go to the authorities.

The situation has become so severe that the TTP were recently forced to issue a statement denouncing extortion attempts. “Threats are being hurled out and money being extorted from rich people in all big cities including Peshawar in the name of Tehreek-e-Taleban,” said the statement posted on the TTP media arm’s website. “We consider wealth of a Muslim as sacred as his life and announce our disassociation from such acts.” — AFP

Imperial couple arrives in India on goodwill trip NEW DELHI: Japan’s imperial couple arrived in India yesterday on their first ever official visit, billed by New Delhi as a symbol of goodwill towards Asia’s biggest democracy.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will meet the Indian premier and other dignitaries during their six-day visit, the first by any Japanese emperor to India. The royal couple, who had visited India in early 1960s as crown prince and princess, were received by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the airport tarmac in New Delhi.

The Indian foreign ministry said the government was according “utmost importance” to the visit to ensure the royal couple have a memorable trip. The visit “is a symbol of the goodwill of the emperor and the Japanese people towards India”, a top Indian foreign ministry official told reporters in New Delhi ahead of their arrival. “We are very honored to be able to accept this goodwill gesture from the Japanese side,” East Asia affairs director Shambhu Kumaran said.

Japan’s emperor is the nominal head of state and does not enjoy political powers. But customarily, the emperor’s

visit to any country is highly significant and signals a high point in ties. Japan has said the visit reflected the “very strong” relationship the two countries have forged in the last few years. “The visit is a recognition of the very robust relationship and long historical ties between Japan and India,” a Japanese embassy official said earlier this week.

The couple will take part in a host of official programs and private engagements in Delhi before flying to the southern city of Chennai on Wednesday.

Ties between the two countries are on the upswing with Singh visiting Japan in May during which both sides agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation. Before embarking on the India tour, the couple said they hoped their visit would contribute to deepening the friendship between the two countries. Japan has warm commercial ties with India which is an attractive market due to its growing middle class, although its activities in South Asia are only a fraction of its investment in China. Tokyo is also keen to forge regional partnerships to offset Beijing’s growing might. — AFP

BANGKOK: An anti-government protester attacks people they suspected of supporting the current Thai government on the bus in Bangkok yesterday. A mob of anti-government protesters smashed the windows of a moving Bangkok bus in the first eruption of violence after a week of tense street protests. — AP called for a “people’s council,” which would select “good people” to lead the country, effectively suspending Thailand’s democratic system. A defiant Yingluck has rejected that as unconstitutional and has repeatedly ruled out new elections.

The protesters have accused the government of acting above the law after senior members of the ruling Puea Thai Party refused to accept a Nov. 20 Constitutional Court ruling that rejected their proposal to make the Senate fully elected. Puea Thai has argued the judiciary has no right to intervene in the legislative branch. The measure would have strengthened Yingluck’s government by giving her strong support in vote-rich northern Thailand.

The ruling casts a spotlight on Thailand’s politicized courts, which annulled an election won by Thaksin in 2006 and brought down two Thaksin-allied governments in 2008 after similar protests. Members of Yingluck’s party have said the judiciary had no right to intervene in the legislative branch. Yingluck has sought to keep her distance from the issue, never openly rejecting the court ruling and stressing that she is not head of the Puea Thai Party. That has done little to allay the flag-waving, whistle-blowing protesters.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister, said Yingluck had “acted above the law” by rejecting

the Constitutional Court. He delivered a letter to the US embassy on Friday explaining why she must go. “May our whistles be heard to Washington DC,” Korn Chatikavanij, a senior Democrat and former finance minister, told the crowd. The protests are the biggest since red-shirted Thaksin supporters paralysed Bangkok in April-May 2010 in a period of unrest that ended with a military crackdown in which 91 people, mostly Thaksin supporters, were killed.

The Oxford-educated Abhisit and his then-deputy Suthep both face charges of murder in connection with that unrest, accused of allowing soldiers to open fire on protesters. Bangkok is on edge again. Since Monday, demonstrators have surrounded ministries and rallied in a commercial district and outside Yingluck’s party headquarters, though the number of protesters appears to have declined steadily through the week.

Friday’s brief invasion of the Royal Thai Army’s headquarters, which lasted about three hours and ended peacefully, illustrates how the protesters see the military as a potential ally because of its attempts to intervene against governments led or backed by Thaksin over the last decade. Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, however, told protesters not to drag the military into politics. “We hope all sides will unite and not use the army as a tool,” he said.— Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

In Borneo jungle, natives stand up against Malaysian dams LONG KESEH: With a grimace on his sunbronzed face, Borneo tribal chieftain Lenjau Tusau glares down a dirt road that vanishes into a rainforest mist, on alert for what he views as a mortal enemy.

Evoking their past as feared headhunters, Malaysian indigenous men and women in traditional longboats knifed down the Baram river in Sarawak state on October 23 to chase off surveyors and roadbuilders at the site of a proposed dam.

They now man two blockades on roads into the remote region, the latest front in a battle against a colossal plan to convert Malaysia’s largest, wildest state into an industrial powerhouse. “We will not leave. Our life is here, our culture. The land, rivers, and rocks belong to us,” said Lenjau, 70, whose ear lobes droop from tribal piercing. Occupying northern Borneo island, much of Sarawak is a jungled landscape crossed by untamed rivers. State authorities are pushing plans to build as many as a dozen hydroelectric dams-Sarawak already has three-hoping that cheap electricity will lure foreign industrial investment to the underdeveloped state.

Billions of dollars in such investment have been committed, the authorities say. “The state has not only the right, but the duty to develop the state’s resources for the benefit of present and future generations,” state-linked Sarawak Energy, which is spearheading the dam campaign, said in a statement to AFP. But environmentalists believe the project threatens one of the world’s last great rainforests at the heart of Borneo, an island shared by Muslim-majority Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

To members of Sarawak’s mostly Christian tribes, their culture is in peril.

“We don’t want the dam and will do whatever we have to do. If they bring a dam, I bring a spear,” said Daniel Jalong Manok, 49, one of dozens of Kenyah, Kayan and Penan people manning the Baram blockades. Scores of Penan, upset with relocation terms, have blocked access to the newly completed Murum Dam 120 kilometers away since authorities began filling it in late September.

Eight were briefly arrested in early November and dozens remain defiantly in their homes, despite rising waters.

Tribes who depend on jungles and rivers for survival say Sarawak’s once-rich rainforests are already rapidly disappearing due to decades of state-backed logging and expanding plantations. Data published in the US journal Science this month showed Malaysia lost 14.4 percent of its forests from 2000-2012, the world’s highest rate. In the 1980s, the nomadic Penan were swept aside when they tried to block timber companies by seizing roads into interior regions.

But Baram residents say a new resolve has developed as a budding native activist movement has grown, spreading the anti-dam message through visits to remote areas and word of mouth. Some key activists are also using social media to project their concerns abroad. “We trusted the government,” Lenjau said in Kenyah through an interpreter. “But there is a change of our mindset, how we view the world, the land and the rivers.” At a road blockade on a stunning ridge-top, Baram protesters rail against authorities between joyous bursts of native song and dance. Their ultimate target is Sarawak’s all-powerful chief minister for the last 32 years, Taib Mahmud.

Opponents accuse Taib, 77, and his

family of illegally running indigenous people off ancestral lands and plundering Sarawak’s rich resources, charges he denies. Swiss environmental and human rights group the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) last year estimated his wealth at $15 billion, citing financial records, which would make him Malaysia’s richest person. Sarawak’s first mega-dam-the 2,400megawatt Bakun facility, one of the world’s largest-went online in 2011 after decades of delays plagued by corruption and mismanagement.

Locals say it has destroyed the Balui River ecosystem, and many relocated villages accuse authorities of shabby treatment. A joint statement by 80 leading Malaysian NGOs this month accused Taib of “cultural genocide” and “systematic and disastrous environmental destruction”. Bakun’s capacity alone dwarfs Sarawak’s current 1,000-megawatt consumption, but Sarawak Energy insists all Bakun and Murum output has been sold to prospective industrial investors.

Suggestions of massive oversupply are “ignorant or malicious”, it added. Taib’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Indigenous activists say the Baram dam would flood an area half the size of Singapore and displace 20,000 people including villages like Tanjung Tepalit.

The Kenyah community is set in a verdant Baram valley several hours upstream from the blockades.

Dominated by a huge longhouse the size of a city block, it has a Catholic church, volleyball court and landscaped walkways. Residents fish and hunt game and tend paddy fields, oil palm, and other small-scale agriculture in surrounding forests. But village chief James Nyurang

LONG KESEH: Villagers sort vegetables at the second blockade camp near the proposed dam on the Baram River in Long Keseh, in Malaysia’s Sarawak state on the island of Borneo. — AFP Usang, 63, said logging has severely depleted the forest’s bounty. The Baram, clear in his youth, runs brown due to logging-related erosion and fish are scarce.

Many villagers make ends meet by working for timber companies or in cities. Nyurang, who travelled to Murum and Bakun to view conditions there, said many felt tricked and promised jobs at Bakun did not materialize. “If we have to move, it will be the end of us,” said Nyurang, whose longhouse quarters feature the mounted skin of a clouded leopard, wooden Kenyah war shields and a wide-screen TV. “I don’t know if I can hold the community together somewhere else.” Sarawak Energy insists no decision

has been made on whether to build the Baram dam.

But activists say the company-whose chairman is Taib’s cousin-has a history of misleading communities and shutting out dissenting voices, which Sarawak Energy fiercely denies. Instead of dams, Nyurang wants government investment.

His village has no electricity, school, or road access besides the logging roads along which huge trucks laden with giant trees thunder toward the coast.

Neither Sarawak Energy nor the government has indicated their next steps.”Whatever millions they give, I don’t want it. Money vanishes, land does not,” said Jalong.—AFP

Britain’s Cameron ‘turns page’ on Dalai Lama row UK tries to deepen economic ties

PYONGYANG: US citizen Merrill Newman reads a written apology for his alleged crimes both as a tourist and during his participation in the Korean War in Pyongyang. — AFP

N Korea showcases detained US pensioner as war criminal SEOUL: North Korea accused a detained US veteran yesterday of killing civilians during the Korean War 60 years ago and showed a video of the 85-year-old making a full confession and apology as if the battles are still raging. The North’s KCNA news agency said Merrill E Newman, a former Special Forces officer, was a mastermind of clandestine operations and had confessed to being “guilty of a long list of indelible crimes against DPRK government and Korean people.”

In the patchy video, Newman appears composed and is shown reading aloud from a handwritten statement dated Nov 9, 2013 in a wood-paneled meeting room. At the end, he bows and places a finger print on the document. “I realize that I cannot be forgiven for my offensives (offenses) but I beg for pardon on my knees by apologizing for my offensives (offenses) sincerely toward the DPRK government and the Korean people and I want not punish me (I wish not to be punished),” Newman, who has a heart rhythm disorder, was quoted as saying by KCNA. DPRK is short for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. One of the world’s most isolated states, it nourishes memories of the 195053 war with South Korea and the United States to keep its impoverished people distracted and the family of founder Kim Il Sung in power. His grandson, Kim Jong Un, is North Korea’s current ruler. It remains technically in a state of war with the South and with the United States because the 1950-53 conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. Newman, a pensioner from Palo Alto, California, was pulled off an Air Koryo flight in North Korea minutes before it was due to depart for Beijing on Oct 26.

His wife, Lee Newman, told CNN earlier this week that her husband went to North Korea to “put some closure” on his time during the US military. It was “an important part of his life,” she said. Newman worked as an “adviser” to a partisan regiment during the Korean War as “part of the Intelligence Bureau of the Command of the US Forces in the Far East,” KCNA said in a separate report. “He is a criminal as he masterminded espionage and subversive activ-

ities against the DPRK and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army and innocent civilians,” KCNA said.

Newman, in his statement carried by KCNA, said he trained scores of men in guerrilla warfare against the North, including how to sabotage communications and transport lines and disrupt munitions supply. “In the process of following tasks given by me, I believe they would kill more innocent people,” Newman said in the statement. Public documents in South Korea and the United States show US officers worked as “advisers” to groups of anti-communist partisans during the Korean War. The conflict pitted the Communist North, backed by China and the Soviet Union, against the republican South, backed by the United States. These officers trained Korean anti-communist guerilla units to launch attacks behind enemy lines.

Newman belonged to the 8240th Unit, nicknamed the ‘White Tigers’, said guerrillas who were trained by him. “We co-operated and helped with each other and fought,” Kim Hyeon who lives south of Seoul said in an interview with Reuters. Hyeon remained in touch with Newman after the war and visited him with his family in 2004. “In the past we couldn’t even speak up (about our activities,)” said Kim, who served as a staff officer of the Kuwol Regiment of partisans, referring to the clandestine operations it conducted under Newman’s supervision.

KCNA gave no indication of what might happen to Newman.His family has appealed to the North Korean government for his release saying they believed “some dreadful misunderstanding” was behind the detention. “If Newman was with the partisans that may explain his detention,” Bruce Cumings, an expert on the Korean War at the University of Chicago said. “The North Koreans would treat someone like that with much more disdain than a regular line soldier or officer in the American forces.” A US State Department spokesman said there was no immediate comment on the news. The State Department had previously refused to provide any details of the arrest other than confirming the detention of a US citizen.— Reuters

LONDON: Britain has put a diplomatic rift with China over the Dalai Lama behind it and Prime Minister David Cameron has no plans to meet Tibet’s spiritual leader again, a senior source in his office said ahead of a visit by the British leader to Beijing. Instead, Cameron will use a three-day visit to China next week, his first since the Dalai Lama rift, to focus on deepening trade ties with the world’s second largest economy, taking with him a delegation of around 100 business people.

“This visit is forward looking. We have turned a page on that issue,” said the source when asked whether Cameron would raise the issue of Tibet during his trip. “It’s about shifting UK relations up a gear and looking to the future.”

Foreign trips often pose a public relations problem for the British leader as he has to balance his policy of helping Britain win what he calls the global economic “race” with speaking out about any human rights concerns.

It is a circle he has sometimes found hard to square and campaigners often accuse him of putting trade before rights. Cameron, who is likely to visit Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, had been expected to travel to China last autumn. But he didn’t go after China took offence at him holding

a meeting with the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing deems a separatist.

China summoned the British ambassador to protest at the time, saying the meeting had “seriously interfered with China’s internal affairs”, urging Britain to “correct the error”.

he should raise the issue of Tibet with the Chinese. “It’s clear from this poll that only a handful of British people believe trade with China is more impor tant than human rights in Tibet and that they expect Mr Cameron to act like a statesman, not a salesman,” Eleanor

NEW DELHI: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama laughs as he talks on Wisdom Of Compassion organized by Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, India yesterday. — AP Free Tibet, a group that campaigns against what it says are rights abuses in the autonomous Chinese region, released a poll on the eve of Cameron’s visit showing that 58 percent of Britons thought

Byrne -Rosengren, the group’s director, said in a statement. Last month, George Osborne, Britain’s finance minister, visited China with Boris Johnson, the mayor of London.

Both men declined to discuss the Dalai Lama, focusing instead on what they said was the huge potential for enhanced economic ties. Osborne announced less stringent rules for Chinese banks operating in London in a push to make the British capital the main offshore hub for trading in China’s currency and bonds. He also opened the door to Chinese investors taking majority stakes in future British nuclear plants. The source said British exports to China had increased by 20 percent in the first six months of this year, while inward investment by China was at its highest level in decades.

The timing of Cameron’s trip was good, the source said, because it came soon after China’s communist leadership set new long-term policy priorities which included opening up the economy further.

Xavier Rolet, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, is expected to travel with Cameron.

The business delegation is also expected to include Andrew Witty, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline. The company was drawn into a bribery case in China earlier this year which resulted in police detaining four Chinese GSK executives. Peter Humphrey, a British man running a risk advisory group, was also detained and is still being held.—Reuters

US forces, planes operating ‘normally’ in China air zone BEIJING: US military chiefs have insisted they will not change their operations despite China scrambling fighter jets to monitor American and Japanese aircraft in Beijing’s newly declared air defense zone. But the State Department said US commercial airlines should observe China’s demand to be given notice of aircraft entering the zone, while stating that compliance “does not indicate US government acceptance of China’s requirements”.

China flew warplanes into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday, Chinese state media said, nearly a week after it announced the zone, which covers islands at the centre of a dispute between Beijing and Tokyo, raising regional tensions. The Xinhua report indicated that Japan and the United States are continuing to disregard China’s demands that aircraft submit flight plans when traversing the area in the East China Sea or face unspecified “defensive emergency measures”.

“We have flights routinely transiting international airspace throughout the Pacific, including the area China is including in their ADIZ,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said on Friday. “These flights are consistent with long-standing and well-known US freedom of navigation policies that are applied in many areas of operation around the world. I can confirm that the US has and will continue to operate in the area as normal.” Compliance by commercial flights “does not indicate US government acceptance of China’s requirements for operating in the newly declared ADIZ,” the State Department said in a statement.

Japanese airlines, under pressure from Tokyo, stopped following China’s new rules on

Wednesday, after initially complying. In its evening edition yesterday, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said Japan’s two biggest airlines were unlikely to change their stance even after the US announcement that commercial airlines should observe China’s demand. Japan Airlines said it had “no plan to change our stance at the moment” while All Nippon Airways said it would follow instructions from the transport ministry, the daily reported the two companies as saying.

Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke said Friday that several combat aircraft were scrambled to “verify the identities” of US and Japanese aircraft entering the air defence zone, according to Xinhua. The Chinese planes, which included at least two fighter jets, identified two US surveillance aircraft and 10 Japanese aircraft including an F-15 warplane, Shen said. Japan and South Korea both said Thursday they had disregarded the ADIZ, showing a united front after US B-52 bombers also entered the area.

Despite the scrambling of jets referred to in China’s state media, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera yesterday said there were no “peculiar developments”. “We do not recognize there have been peculiar developments that we should disclose such as one where aircraft suddenly came close as the Chinese side announced yesterday,” he said. “We have been making our utmost efforts to be vigilant and we will continue,” he added.

Onodera also called on China to use “common sense” over the air defense zone. “It is important for both sides to respond in a calm manner,” he said, according to the Kyodo news agency. “We want (China) to deal with this issue according to common sense in the international

community”. Beijing is facing considerable internal pressure to assert itself. China’s state media called Friday for “timely countermeasures without hesitation” if Japan violates the zone but it shied away from threatening Washington.

Washington has security alliances with both Tokyo and Seoul, and analysts say that neither China nor Japan-the world’s second and thirdbiggest economies, and major trading partners of each other-want to engage in armed conflict.

The Communist Party seeks to bolster its public support by tapping into deep-seated resentment of Japan for its brutal invasion of the country in the 1930s. Such passions are easily ignited, and posters on Chinese social media networks have urged Beijing to act.

China’s rules covering the zone require aircraft to provide their flight plan, declare their nationality and maintain two-way radio communication-or face unspecified “defensive emergency measures”. Both Japan, which denies that there is a dispute over the islands, and Washington have ADIZs of their own, and China accuses them of double standards though China’s zone includes a rock that is disputed between Beijing and Seoul, as well as islands controlled by Japan and claimed by China.

The European Union added its voice to the criticism of the zone, with its top foreign affairs official Catherine Ashton saying it “contributes to raising tensions in the region”. The Yomiuri Shimbun yesterday reported that the United States and Japan would issue a joint statement demanding China scrap the air zone during a visit to Tokyo by US Vice President Joe Biden this week. Biden will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.—AFP

SUNDAY, DECDMBER 1, 2013

14

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Is EU’s east Europe policy in tatters?

T

hough the European Union appears to have lost to Russia in the first round of an East-West tussle over winning friends and influence in eastern Europe, some analysts would disagree.

Moscow instead may be on a slippery slope.

Europe’s leaders headed home disappointed and dragging their feet after a two-day Eastern Partnership summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, this week designed to draw six ex-Soviet states closer to the West, first and foremost among them mighty Ukraine. The president of the country’s 46 million people, Viktor Yanukovych, handed the 28 leaders of the 500-million strong European Union a stinging snub. He refused to sign a historic deal negotiated over years that was to have been the centrepiece of the EU’s Eastern Partnership project.

The project spawned in 2009 and dear to the heart of the EU’s newest members - onetime Soviet satellites - aims to strengthen ties between the bloc and countries lying on its eastern flank that remain very much in Russia’s orbit. Though the countries themselves see special ties with the EU as a stepping-stone to membership, there is decreasing appetite within the bloc for bringing in new members as anti-immigrant movements across Europe take root.

Yanukovych blamed his sudden change of mind on economic pressure from Russia that has caused Ukraine’s exports to its former Moscow master to drop 25 to 40 percent. With Ukraine caving in to Russia - though the president says talks with Brussels will continue and the EU says the door remains open - that leaves Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan as candidates of the EU’s Eastern Partnership drive. But Belarus is already a member of Moscow’s competing Customs Union and Armenia, though once seen as a staunchly pro-Western nation, recently chose to join the union in fear of Russian retaliation.

Azerbaijan is simply not interested in Europe.

“The idea of a regional approach of the EU towards its eastern neighbourhood flounders with the dropout of Ukraine,” said Steven Blockmans of the European Centre for Policy Studies. “What remains are enhanced bilateral relations with Moldova and Georgia, which could also come under Russian pressure over the issue of the breakaway republics of Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where Russia has a military presence,” he added.

Moldova, with 3.5 million people, and Georgia with 4.5 million, both initialled “historical” trade and political deals with the EU at the Vilnius summit, but face the threat of Russian retortion in the months before the agreements are officially signed and sealed. Georgia’s new president Giorgi Margvelashvili said his country was wary. “We try to deliver the message to all capitals that a prosperous, democratic Georgia can only be a benefit for any of Georgia’s neighbours, including the Russian Federation”, he said.

But clearly Russia can exert energy supply and trade issues and use its political influence inside these countries to influence decision-making. “I think Moldova and Georgia may face bigger pressure,” said Ramunas Vilpisauskas, who heads the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius university. That is exactly why analyst Jan Techau, who heads Carnegie Europe, says the Vilnius summit trumpeted by most as a failure in fact marks a success for the Eastern Partnership. “It is a small, short-term triumph for Russia that it prevented Ukraine from signing now,” he told AFP. “In the long run, Russia’s diplomatic brutality will not pay off.”

With countries already trying to become more independent from Russian pressure by building new pipelines to avoid dependence, for example, “Russia has only accelerated this trend”, he said. So while some commentators saw the Vilnius summit as the end of the Eastern Partnership “in my opinion it is the beginning of it”, he added. “So far it was a technical game on rules, agreements and trade. From now on it is about geopolitics. The real Eastern Partnership has only just started.” — AFP

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Thai premier faces down protesters

By Andrew R C Marshall

T

he French have the best phrase for Thailand’s turbulent politics - deja vu. Five years ago, a Thai government led by Somchai Wongsawat, the brotherin-law of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was besieged by ultraroyalist street protesters bent on overthrowing what they saw as a corrupt and illegitimate regime. Today, another Thaksin relative, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, is prime minister, and Bangkok’s streets are again overrun by thousands of Thais proclaiming their hatred of Thaksin and their love for the long-reigning King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

But deja vu has its limits. The hapless Somchai spent less than three months in office. But Yingluck, while facing the biggest threat yet to her administration, is proving much harder to dislodge. The campaign against Yingluck began in earnest after her ruling Puea Thai Party tried to pass an amnesty bill that critics said would have nullified the graft conviction of her billionaire brother Thaksin, who was deposed in a 2006 military coup.

At least 100,000 people gathered in old Bangkok last Sunday to demand Yingluck’s overthrow. Tens of thousands have since fanned out across the capital, occupying the Finance Ministry and laying siege to other ministries and government offices. Thousands more have massed at city halls in dozens of provinces. On Thursday, protesters cut power to the national police headquarters in Bangkok in a tense stand-off that seemed designed to provoke a heavy-handed response from Yingluck. So far, however, she has not obliged.

With the number of protesters apparently dwindling, she easily survived a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday, before appealing to protesters to halt their action and enter talks with the government.

Suthep Thaungsuban, the firebrand politician who resigned from the opposition Democrat Party to lead the protests, has rejected talks and vowed to continue his campaign to “uproot Thaksinism”. But his hardline tactics could be alienating moderate supporters, while his quirky political vision perplexes even his natural allies in the Democrat Party. Suthep’s idea for a “people’s parliament” to replace Yingluck’s administration, for example, was rejected by Korn Chatikavanij, a senior Democrat member and former finance minister. “I have

no idea what Suthep means by a ‘people’s parliament’,” Korn told Reuters. “We think the best way to find a solution to all of this is for the government to resign and dissolve parliament.”

Yingluck says she will not dissolve parliament and call a snap election. While she appeared fraught at the end of the two-day confidence debate, the former business executive has since regained her trademark composure and seems determined to outlast the protests.

Yingluck’s confidence could derive in part from assiduously cultivated relations with the monarchy and the military, which, along with the courts, have intervened to break past political deadlocks. The military has staged at least 18 coups in modern times, not all of them successful. “If there is no other choice, if we can’t do this peacefully, I welcome military intervention,” said retired farmer Satien Piankird, 65, one of thousands of protesters outside a government complex in northern Bangkok.

In 2008, Thailand’s top brass made little attempt to stay out of politics. “If I were prime minister, I would have resigned,” army chief Anupong Paochinda publicly declared in the wake of violent clashes between police and protesters in October that year. Two years later, troops launched a bloody crackdown on red-shirted Thaksin loyalists across Bangkok in which scores of people were killed. This year, however, the military has remained aloof and shown no sign of wanting to leave barracks, even after 1,000 protesters broke into its Bangkok headquarters on Friday. “The army wishes all sides to solve the problem with the country’s best interests in mind,” said deputy army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree.

The military might act if there is bloodshed between protesters and police, or if protesters cause widespread damage to property, says Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University’s Centre for Southeast Asian Studies.

“But it would be a limited intervention,” he says. “The military would be dealing with a specific (security) issue rather coming out to side with anti-government forces to overthrow the Yingluck government.”

Retired farmer Satien and other protesters have called for King Bhumibol to appoint an interim government to replace Yingluck’s. But the aging and widely revered monarch has not commented on the current unrest. He is at his seaside palace in Hua Hin, about 190

km south of Bangkok, after a long spell in hospital in the capital. His son, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, expressed concern on Sunday about the political unrest and urged people to settle their differences peacefully. The appeal was issued through Bangkok police chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, a staunch Thaksin ally.

Yingluck has also been careful to maintain relations with the palace. In a highly symbolic meeting in August, Yingluck visited the Bangkok residence of retired General Prem Tinsulanonda on his 94th birthday. Prem, the president of the king’s Privy Council, is accused by many Thaksin loyalists of masterminding the 2006 coup.

Afterwards Prem urged the armed forces to support Yingluck. The Democrats are regarded as the royalist party, but Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party has strived “to create the image as a protector of the palace”, said David Streckfuss, an independent scholar of Thailand. It has done this by “aggressively” pursuing those deemed to have insulted the monarchy under strict lese majeste laws.

More likely than a royal or military intervention is a legal challenge. Past decisions by Thailand’s courts have ended the rule of two Thaksin-backed prime ministers and dissolved two previous incarnations of the Puea Thai Party. On Nov. 20, the Constitutional Court ruled that government efforts to amend the constitution were illegal but stopped short of dissolving Puea Thai.

But Yingluck and her party still face a threat from Thailand’s usually slow-moving National AntiCorruption Commission (NACC). It is considering a petition from protesters to investigate 312 MPs and senators for backing a constitutional amendment that would have changed the make-up of the Senate.

The Constitutional Court said on Nov 20 that government plans to change the constitution were illegal, paving the way for the NACC to suspend 312 politicians and eviscerate Puea Thai. Some observers expect a decision after the king’s birthday celebrations on Dec 5. But any NACC decision to disband Yingluck’s party could spark a confrontation with pro-Thaksin red shirts, tens of thousands of whom are gathering at a stadium in eastern Bangkok. Despite such support, and her commanding majority in parliament, the protests represent a “real threat” to her government, says scholar Pavin. “To say that Yingluck is confident is a little bit surreal,” he says. — Reuters

Americans unhappy with Reps and Dems

By Steven R Hurst

A

mericans are deeply unhappy with Congress and President Barack Obama, and there’s no quick fix in sight. The cause: political mistakes on both sides of the bitter partisan divide. The effect: an uncertain outcome in next year’s congressional elections. Will the Republicans hold the House of Representatives? Can they take majority control from Democrats in the Senate? Both parties are weakened, and Obama’s popularity is sinking. The Republican party is at war within, with its tea party-aligned minority having set an agenda that sent par ty approval sinking. Conservative ideologues insist on dramatic measures to shrink government and slash taxes. Many of their proposals are at odds with what the majority of Americans want, but the rhetoric plays well in conservative congressional districts.

Using their tactical power, tea party members last month pushed reluctant House leaders into a politically costly budget battle with Senate Democrats, triggering a government shutdown. They also threatened to force the US into default on its debt, a move meant to hurt Obama’s health care overhaul and force further budget-tightening for Americans. The effort failed under a wave of public disgust. When the shutdown ended, the Gallup polling organization showed Congress had a 9 percent public approval rating.

For a couple of weeks, Obama and the Democrats were riding high. Then came the Obama administration’s troubled launch of his all-important health care overhaul, with a web portal that didn’t work and that still struggles to handle the volume of Americans trying to sign up for newly mandated coverage. Obama’s approval rating has sunk to a new low of 37 percent, just two points above former President George W Bush’s approval rating in his fifth year in office, according to a CBS television poll. A new CNN/ORC

poll found 53 percent of Americans now say they don’t believe Obama is “honest and trustworthy.”

Some congressional Democrats, fearful of the party’s re-election prospects, are starting to distance themselves from Obama, even recently joining Republicans in voting for measures to weaken the healthcare law. Adding to the fiasco, millions of people received notifications that their health insurance policies would be canceled because the plans did not meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

That went against one of Obama’s key selling points of the law: that Americans who were happy with their insurance would be able to keep it. While those losing current coverage are only a slice of the 5 percent of the Americans who buy health insurance in the private market, Obama was caught making a promise he knew he could not keep. Obama was forced to order the cancelled policies re-instated for a year, even though the move could seriously damage the delicately balanced funding for the costly overhaul.

It’s hard to say which political party will look worse to Americans in elec tions nex t year. James Riddlesperger, a political scientist at Texas Christian University, said the most recent trouble -over health care - is the one most likely to stick in voters’ minds.

The CBS poll showed that just 31 percent of Americans now support the Obama overhaul, down 12 percentage points from a month earlier. The Obamacare rollout mess was a political gift for Republicans, who have been determined to destroy the health care law since it was adopted in 2010, when Democrats held the majority in both chambers of Congress.

Since the Republicans regained control in the House, they have taken more than 40 largely symbolic votes to rescind the program. After the shutdown dis-

aster, the anti-Obamacare campaign briefly seemed doomed. Now, the website woes and insurance cancellation notices have ensured that healthcare will be a tough issue for Democrats during the congressional elections. Still working in favor of the Democrats is an ideological war for the soul of the Republican party that traces back decades. Some students of American politics say the disillusionment fueling the tea party dates to the 1980s presidency of conservative hero Ronald Reagan.

David Ryden, political science professor at Hope College, said Reagan had “great rhetorical success in setting the table for smaller government.” But “tangible evidence was pretty marginal” that the government was shrinking, fostering deep disappointment within the hard right-wing, he said. After George W Bush’s eight-year presidency, many conservatives thought, “This guy did as much to expand the reach of government as anyone,” Ryden said. The tea party sprang to life as a named entity after Obama’s 2008 victory, with the health care law becoming emblematic of their fight to limit the government’s social and economic role. Tea party loyalists also remain determined to block immigration reform and press for cuts in the government program that provides food assistance for the poor.

That puts the Republican Party in a quandary.

Republican leaders are concerned that the tea partyers are alienating independent voters and other key groups, particularly Hispanics who favor immigration reform. But some mainstream Republicans are fearful of angering the party’s conservative base by pushing back against the tea party. Amid the malaise, a recent Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans believe the country needs a third party. That number is driven by the opinions of independent voters, but large percentages of Republicans and Democrats agree. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

S P ORTS

Vonn returns to training after injury

Lokomotiv Kuban’s Pashutin appointed Russia coach

Announcer introduces Panesar in Indian accent

VAIL: US ski star Lindsey Vonn made a successful return to training on Friday as she battles to overcome a recent injury to recover in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Vonn said on Twitter that she put in some super-G training in Vail on Friday, as her alpine World Cup rivals tackled the first downhill of the season at Beaver Creek. “Trained SG today in Vail and felt great,” Vonn tweeted. “Taking it step by step and so far so good!” Vonn, the reigning Olympic downhill champion, had been slated to race in Beaver Creek this week for the first time since surgery in February to repair her right knee, which she injured in a frightening fall at the World Championships in Austria. But Vonn suffered a partial tear of one of her surgically-repaired ligaments in a training run 10 days ago. She skied again for the first time on Thursday, and has said she could compete at next week’s World Cup stop at Lake Louise, Canada. Vonn said in a television interview this week that she was confident she would be able to ski in February at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

Vonn, the girlfriend of 14-time major golf champion Tiger Woods, won World Cup overall titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 and with 59 race wins she is three shy of matching the women’s World Cup record owned by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell. —AFP

MOSCOW: Evgeny Pashutin has been named Russia basketball coach although he will continue to manage his club side Lokomotiv Kuban, the country’s basketball federation (RBF) said on Friday.

Pashutin replaces Vasily Karasev, whose four-month spell at the helm ended following Russia’s disappointing performance at the European championships in Slovenia in September.

Russia, the European champions in 2007 when Pashutin was assistant to American David Blatt, won only one game and finished bottom of their group, failing to qualify for next year’s World Cup. “I’d like to thank everyone for the trust, I’m ready to work day and night,” Pashutin told a news conference.

He led Lokomotiv to the Eurocup last season, Europe’s second-tier basketball competition behind the Euroleague. “Besides tactics and training process, we will have to improve relations with the players and fans,” added the 44-year-old, whose contract runs until the end of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “It is a big responsibility and a huge volume of work.” The 44-year-old Pashutin has also been head coach at Spartak St Petersburg, CSKA Moscow, who he led to the 2010 Final Four in Paris, and UNICS Kazan where he won the Eurocup in 2011 before steering the team to last year’s Euroleague playoffs.—Reuters

ALICE SPRINGS: A ground announcer for England’s drawn tour match in Alice Springs yesterday was stood down by Cricket Australia for pronouncing Monty Panesar’s name in an Indian accent.

David Nixon had also been cautioned on Friday for comments made about Joe Root, according to a report. “Cricket Australia deemed the conduct of the PA announcer as inappropriate and as such he will take no further part in the match,” a CA spokesperson said.

Panesar, 31, who has played 48 Tests, was born in England of Indian descent. Australian Associated Press said Panesar had not heard the remarks made on the final day of the tourists’ match with the Chairman’s XI. England’s team management said they had no knowledge of the matter until the announcer was replaced. A News Limited report said Nixon had been warned over comments made on Friday’s first day of play. They included: “You can go and have another drink now, Joe” when England’s Root was dismissed.

The cricketer had a late-night clash with Australia’s David Warner in an English bar during the Ashes series earlier this year. — AFP

Pikus-Pace DQ’ed from win in World Cup opener CALGARY: Noelle Pikus-Pace was all smiles after winning the season’s first World Cup skeleton race. An hour or so later, she was in tears, and the victory was gone. Pikus-Pace was disqualified from the event in Calgary, Alberta, on Friday after her sled failed a post-race inspection, and told The Associated Press that the British team complained about an extra piece of tape that was wrapped around the handle.

The sled - and the tape - had both been approved for competition earlier in the week, Pikus Pace said, and US officials are now appealing the disqualification.

“Clearly, clearly, I should not have been disqualified,” Pikus-Pace told AP in a phone interview. “I’m so frustrated. People get away with whatever and I get disqualified for a piece of tape? A piece of tape that they said was OK? It has no competitive advantage whatsoever.”

Sleds have to adhere to very strict rules, and inspectors gave Pikus-Pace’s sled the all-clear on Tuesday, with the extra tape around her handle. The tape, Pikus-Pace said, assists her start of races and in theory would only adversely affect her times.

After the disqualification, Britain’s Elizabeth Yarnold was placed first, Russia’s Elena Nikitina moved up to second, and Australia’s Michelle Steele went into third.

“Many other athletes have the same thing,” Pikus-Pace said. “We were all told it’s OK.” The FIBT, the sanctioning body for bob-

sled and skeleton, did not immediately return a request for comment. On its web site, the FIBT said Pikus-Pace was disqualified for an “incorrect sled,” without elaborating further.

“Noelle is devastated,” US coach Tuffy Latour said in a statement released by the team. “She didn’t violate the spirit of the rule. But I’ll tell you what; this has released the lioness in her. She is going to be on a tear, and I have no doubt she’ll back on the medal stand next week in Park City, Utah.” Park City is the site of the next World Cup stop. Pikus-Pace’s hope is to end her final Olympic skeleton season with a gold medal. She was in line for a medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games and finished 0.10 seconds shy of the bronze, which some in the American camp felt she should have been awarded because of what they argued were irregularities with a British slider’s helmet.

And now, this Olympic season is starting with some drama as well. “It’s a travesty,” US assistant coach Zach Lund said.

“There’s no competitive advantage, and we are really disappointed.” Pikus-Pace was in second after the first run, then overtook Yarnold in the second and final heat. Pikus-Pace’s two-run time was 1 minute, 54.88 seconds. Yarnold was 0.16 seconds back and Nikitina took third, another 0.24 seconds off the winning pace.

OHIO: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Jack Johnson, top, collides with Edmonton Oilers’ Anton Belov, of Russia, in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday. — AP

Sabres upend Maple Leafs 3-2 in OT OLD TRAFFORD: Australia’s Cooper Cronk (C) is tackled during the Rugby League World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Traffordin Manchester yesterday. — AFP (see page 16)

Clermont go top with crucial win at Perpignan PARIS: French Top 14 favourites Clermont took over at the top of the table ahead of yesterday’s matches with an entertaining 30-23 win at Perpignan on Friday night. Fiji centre Noa Nakaitaci, scrum-half Thierry Lacrampe and left-wing Julien Malzieu scored tries for the Vulcans while the hosts earnt a losing bonus thanks to a penalty try and a score from winger Sofiane Guitoune.

Wales international fly-half James Hook kicked two conversions and three penalties for the Catalans. It was only Clermont’s second away win of the season, following on from their opening day victory at rock-bottom Biarritz. “It’s an interesting and important win,” said New Zealander manager Vern Cotter.

“It’s come at the right time because we have back-to-back matches against Scarlets (in the European Cup) from next weekend.

“It’s important because we wanted to test ourselves away from home. This year in the European Cup we’re need to win in Wales (they have already lost at Racing-Metro).

“Now we can prepare with more serenity.” Perpignan manager Marc Delpoux felt it was a missed opportunity for his team. “I’m disappointed because we had the game in our hands,” he said.

“The match turned on some difficult facts. We had five players go off injured during the match.” They were off to a confident start, though, when Hook knocked over two early place-kicks but Perpignan then gifted the visitors a try.

Algeria-born Guitoune, who made his France debut earlier this month against Tonga, came in off his right wing into the backline but without looking sent a wayward pass that eluded two team-mates.

Nakaitaci pounced on the loose ball and ran in under the posts, with New Zealander fly-half Mike Delany kicking the extras for a 7-6 lead. Perpignan responded well and broke from right to left with Hook sending South African wing Wandile Mjekevu over in the corner.

Referee Sebastien Minery originally referred the score to the video judge but

having then consulted his touch judge, controversially changed his mind and decided Hook’s pass had been forward, a decision that television replays demonstrated to be questionable.

The Catalans didn’t lose heart, though, and piled on the pressure in the forwards.

That told as Clermont’s Australian-born Scottish lock Nathan Hines and prop Clement Ric were both shown yellow cards, after which Perpignan were handed a penalty try as the visitors’ scrum disintegrated when being shoved back over their line.

Delany and Hook exchanged penalties and Perpignan went in at the break leading 16-10. Clermont came out all guns blazing after the restart and although prop Thomas Domingo had what looked like a valid score overruled by an unsighted video judge, Lacrampe took advantage of a moment’s hesitation in the home defence to dart out from behind a ruck and touch down under the posts, Delany again converting.

Perpignan looked set to go back in front as Mjekevu kicked ahead down the left and appeared to have won the foot-race to the loose ball, only for emblematic Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie to slide in and kick the ball out of his hands a yard from the tryline.

Perpignan weren’t to be denied, though, and Guitoune exchanged passes with Mjekevu before beating Malzieu on the outside and charging into three Clermont defenders, with his momentum taking him over the line to score.

Hook kicked the conversion and Perpignan led 23-17. Delany was replaced

by Australian Brock James who immediately kicked a penalty. He then made a decisive break in midfield before passing to Malzieu to dot down on the left, with James converting too.

In yesterday’s plum tie of the weekend, Stade Francais host European champions Toulon, who will be looking to reclaim the Top 14 leadership just lost. —AFP

BUFFALO: Christian Ehrhoff scored 38 seconds into overtime and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a five game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.

Matt Moulson and Luke Adam also scored for the Sabres, who got 22 saves from Ryan Miller and came from behind twice to force overtime.

Nikolai Kulemin and Phil Kessel scored for Toronto, which has lost six straight road games. Ehrhoff carried the puck from the right point to the center of the ice before sending a soft wrist shot on goal that went through James Reimer’s legs.

Buffalo’s second home win over the Leafs was just its third win at home in 15 attempts and its sixth win overall. Toronto opened the scoring 2:12 into the first period when Kessel came down the left wing and put a snap shot over Miller’s left pad.

Buffalo tied the score on the power play at 7:57 of the second period. With Reimer out of position, a falling Ville Leino used his backhand to find Moulson, whose scored his 10th goal of the season.

The Leafs took the lead back 21/2 minutes later after Brian Flynn gave the puck away behind the Sabres net. A pass from Trevor Smith deflected in front of the goal, where Kulemin shot it out of the air and past Miller. Adam shot a Reimer rebound under the goalie’s glove at 18:50 of the second and the teams finished the second period tied at 2. The score was Adam’s first NHL goal since April 5.

The third period was light on scoring chances until the 12:42 mark, when Reimer made consecutive left pad saves on Adam. James van Riemsdyk had a chance to end the game in regulation on a lastminute breakaway, but Matt D’Agostini caught the Leafs forward from behind and swiped the puck into the corner.

Flyers 2, Jets 1 Scott Hartnell and Sean Couturier provided the offense while Steve Mason stopped all but one shot as the Philadelphia Flyers skated to a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday afternoon.

The Flyers (11-12-2) won their fifth straight game at home after dropping their previous two on the road at Florida and Tampa Bay. Mason

consecutive triumph on home ice.

Kunitz opened the scoring seven minutes in, taking a pass from Crosby and lifting it past Lightning goalie Ben Bishop from the left circle. Kunitz sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:43 remaining in the game. Brandon Sutter scored the second Pittsburgh goal on a power play midway into the third period.

turned away 25 shots in the early matinee, including an impressive pad save on Matt Halischuk on a 2on-1 Jets chance in the second. He improved to 3-0-1 in his career against the Jets (12-12-4). Both Flyers goals came off Winnipeg turnovers.

Bruins 3, Rangers 2 Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron scored third-period goals to lift the Bruins. Brad Marchand also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, who improved to 9-2-2 in their last 13 games. Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers, who completed a five-game road trip 3-2. Tuukka Rask stopped 17 shots for Boston, which hasn’t lost in regulation at home in its last 10 games (8-0-2). Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves for the Rangers, who played their first game in Boston since the Bruins eliminated them in five games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last spring.

Sharks 6, Blues 3 Brent Burns got his first NHL hat trick and the Sharks ended a fivegame home losing streak. Joe Thornton, Tomas Hertl and Tommy Wingels also scored for the Sharks, who won their fourth straight and seventh in eight. Ian Cole scored his first goal in nearly two years as the Blues had their five-game winning streak halted. David Backes and Jaden Schwartz also scored for St. Louis. Antti Niemi stopped 21 of 24 shots for his 14th win of the season.

Brian Elliott took the loss, his first in eight games, after giving up four goals on 12 shots. He was lifted for Jaroslav Halak, who had 18 saves.

Penguins 3, Lightning 0 Chris Kunitz scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 21 shots. Sidney Crosby had assists on all three goals for Pittsburgh, which extended its winning streak in the series to eight games.

Pittsburgh halted Tampa Bay’s bid to tie a club record with an eighth

Red Wings 5, Islanders 0 Daniel Alfredsson had two goals and an assist, Darren Helm had two goals and Jimmy Howard made 29 saves. Detroit got its first regulation victor y against New York in a decade. Detroit won its third in a row as the reeling Islanders lost

their fifth straight. Since beating Boston 3-1 on home on Nov. 2, the Islanders are 2-10. New York came into the game with a 6-0-1 mark against Detroit in its past seven meetings. The Red Wings hadn’t beaten the Islanders in regulation since November 2003. The shutout was the second this season for Howard and the 18th of his career.

The 29-year-old goaltender entered with a 0-3-4 record in his past seven starts, allowing at least three goals five times during the streak.

Ducks 5, Flames 2 Dustin Penner had two goals and Saku Koivu had two assists in his long-awaited return to the lineup. It was the Ducks’ 18th win in a row over the Flames at home. The streak is the Ducks’ longest against any opponent at Honda Center.

Calgary hasn’t beaten Anaheim on the road since Jan. 19, 2004; only three players on Calgary’s current roster had made their NHL debut by then: Michael Cammalleri, Jiri Hudler and Matt Stajan. Sami Vatanen and Corey Perry scored 54 seconds apart in the first period.

Perry and Andrew Cogliano each had a goal and an assist during Anaheim’s 42-shot barrage, and rookie Frederik Andersen made 19 saves for the defending Pacific Division champions, who are off to a franchise-best 10-0-1 start at home.—Agencies

NHL results/standings Philadelphia 2, Winnipeg 1; Boston 3, NY Rangers 2; Pittsburgh 3, Tampa Bay 0; Detroit 5, NY Islanders 0; Anaheim 5, Calgary 2; San Jose 6, St. Louis 3; Washington 3, Montreal 2 (So); Colorado 3, Minnesota 1; New Jersey 5, Carolina 2; Columbus 4, Edmonton 2; Buffalo 3, Toronto 2 (OT); Chicago 2, Dallas 1 (SO).

San Jose Anaheim Los Angeles Phoenix Vancouver Calgary Edmonton

W 17 18 16 15 13 8 8

Chicago St. Louis Colorado Minnesota Nashville Winnipeg Dallas

19 18 18 15 13 12 12

Boston

17

Western Conference Pacific Division L OTL GF 3 5 88 7 3 88 6 4 69 6 4 83 9 5 72 13 4 68 17 2 70 Central Division 4 4 97 4 3 89 6 0 73 8 4 66 11 2 60 12 4 73 9 3 68 Eastern Conference Atlantic Division 7 2 72

GA 57 73 56 79 70 92 93

PTS 39 39 36 34 31 20 18

74 57 50 64 72 80 70

42 39 36 34 28 28 27

54

36

Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Toronto Ottawa Florida Buffalo

16 13 14 14 10 7 6

9 1 76 66 33 7 7 74 71 33 9 3 69 55 31 9 3 73 69 31 12 4 76 86 24 14 5 58 86 19 20 1 48 84 13 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 17 9 1 81 63 35 Washington 13 11 2 79 76 28 NY Rangers 13 13 0 55 64 26 New Jersey 10 11 5 58 64 25 Carolina 10 11 5 55 75 25 Philadelphia 11 12 2 54 61 24 Columbus 10 13 3 66 77 23 NY Islanders 8 15 3 70 90 19 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

S P ORTS

Godolphin and Coolmore in Sheikh Joaan’s sights LONDON: Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani signalled his determination to oversee the “best racing operation” in the world with the launch of the UK arm of his Al Shaqab outfit.

Harry Herbert, the leading British turf figure and manager of the successful Highclere syndicate, has been appointed as a full-time racing adviser to the Qatari royal’s new British division, complete with new racing silks.

But Sheikh Joaan’s racing ambitions go well beyond fresh colours, with the aim of contesting the sport’s biggest prizes alongside the established global giants of Godolphin, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s international racing stable, and Coolmore, the Irish operation overseen by businessman John Magnier.

“To be competing with such organisations is an amazing feeling,” said Nasser Sherida Al Kaabi, Sheikh Joaan’s media manager, at Friday’s launch at London’s Dorchester Hotel.

“Our goals and objectives are to be the best racing operation in the world.

“We want the best horses, the best trainers and the best people and the appointment of Harry is to help secure our future. “He is one of the most highprofile figures in European racing and has enjoyed great success with his syndicate ownership company.”

Sheikh Joaan’s horses have raced at the highest level internationally in 2013, with Treve’s victory in France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s premier allaged flat race, last month the most highprofile of four elite Group One wins.

Al Shaqab Racing has around 110 horses in training split between England and France, but the global aspirations of the organisation were highlighted by plans to send a handful of horses to race in America for Todd Pletcher next season.

The racing operation is just one part of the Al Shaqab plan, however, with a full-scale breeding operation also in the pipeline. Sheikh Joaan broke the world record price at auction for a yearling last month when he paid five million guineas ($9.11 million) and the spending spree could continue.

Dancing Rain, the 2011 English Oaks winner, is in foal to Frankel, unbeaten in his 14-race career and once the highestrated racehorse in the world, and is to be sold at Tattersalls in Newmarket,

England, on Monday.

“Frankel was a tremendous racehorse and has one of the best pedigrees in the world,” Al Kaabi said. “Nothing can stop him from being a great sire. We are going to buy good horses, and Dancing Rain is in our sights.”

It has been a meteoric rise within the ‘sport of kings’ for Sheikh Joaan. The 27year-old had not seen a thoroughbred racehorse win in his grey and maroon silks before August 2012 but in Group One company this season, in addition to Treve, Toronado provided him with victory in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in England in July.

Olympic Glor y, who handed the Sheikh his first win at the highest level last year in Paris, triumphed in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot,

south-west of London, last month.

“Sheikh Joaan has ambitious plans for Al Shaqab Racing and the exciting thing for me is to have an opportunity to be involved at the highest level and be part of a team that is very serious about their aspirations,” Herbert said.

Sheikh Joaan has also signed arguably the world’s most famous jockey in Frankie Dettori as his retained rider and Al Kaabi revealed the Italian is set to mentor Faleh Bogunaim, a 21-year-old promising Qatari rider, next season.

“It is important that we show people that Qataris are interested in racing,” Al Kaabi added. “This is part of our vision.

“We hope one day Faleh might win a Group One. It would be a major joy for Sheikh Joaan and His Excellency the Amir of Qatar.” — AFP

Pakistan women break new ground at kabaddi world cup

OLD TRAFFORD: Australia’s captain Cameron Smith, right, coach Tim Sheens, center, and man of the match Johnathan Thurston, left, celebrate after their 34-2 win over New Zealand in their World Cup Final International Rugby League match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, yesterdau. — AFP

Australia crush NZ in one-sided final MANCHESTER: Australia ran New Zealand ragged to claim their tenth World Cup title with Billy Slater and Brett Morris scoring two tries apiece in a 34-2 victory yesterday.

Cooper Cronk also touched down as Australia underlined their dominance of the code and gained revenge for their 2008 final defeat when New Zealand fought back from 16-12 down to win 34-20 and claim their first world title.

Australia led 16-2 at the break but any hopes of another Kiwi fightback were extinguished immediately after the restart when Slater scampered away for his second try.

Their victory was built on the back of quick work around the ruck and precision kicking which allowed the Kangaroos to dominate territory and possession. A ferocious defensive effort meant New Zealand barely had a sniff of crossing the line at Old Trafford, and by holding them tryless it meant Australia did not concede a fourpointer in the tournament since their opening victory over England.

“I am extremely proud,” Australia coach Tim Sheens told the BBC. “We came over in front of a great crowd and performed really well. Our defence was great and our attitude was terrific.

“We didn’t start the game thinking that (hold New Zealand tryless) but with 20 minutes to go we did and to their credit they really dug in.” After an early penalty to Johnathan Thurston New Zealand suffered a blow when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who scored twice in the semi-final and eight times in the tournament, was forced to leave the field with a recurrence of the shin injury that put him in doubt for the match.

Shaun Johnson, who scored the lastgasp winning try in the semi-final win over England, replied with a penalty of his own

but that was the last time the Kiwis got close as their bitter-rivals upped the tempo.

After forcing New Zealand to drop out from their own goaline, a perfectly placed chip by Thurston allowed Slater to outleap Kieran Foran and dive over from close range.

Melbourne Storm halfback Cronk got the second score, latching on to the ball after a break and grubber by Darius Boyd, after which Thurston overtook Mick Cronin as international league’s highest point scorer with the resulting conversion.

While New Zealand would have been hoping of another second-half fightback, any lingering hopes were dashed immediately after the restart when interplay play down the left by Smith, Thurston and Boyd freed Slater for another simple try.

On 52 minutes Morris ensured the New Zealand reign as world champions would come to a disappointing end, reaching the ball first after a kick-ahead by Jarryd Hayne.

He collided with an advertising hoarding after touching down, reminiscent of the incident that saw Australia forward Luke Lewis miss most of the tournament after dislocating a shoulder in a pool match against Fiji.

With the match effectively sealed the Kangaroos did not let their defensive effort slip, comfortably repelling the few opportunities New Zealand created and with eight minutes remaining Morris scored his second after a Hayne intercept.

New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney said their rivals were simply too good. “I thought Australia’s performance today was outstanding, they were ruthless today,” he said. “For us to have an opportunity we needed a lot of things to go our way but none of it happened for us. They saved their very best for this performance and we couldn’t match them today.” — Reuters

UTEP blown out by No. 23 Iowa, 89-53 PARADISE ISLAND: Box-and-one, triangleand-two, nothing was working on the defensive end for Texas-El Paso. As such, the Miners knew right away that their trip to the Bahamas wouldn’t be capped by playing for a championship.

The Miners let No. 23 Iowa shoot 53 percent, allowed as many points as they ever have in a regulation game under coach Tim Floyd, and wound up falling 89-53 to the Hawkeyes in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Friday night.

Julian Washburn scored 13 for UTEP (43), which will play in the third-place game yesterday. No other Miner finished with more than seven. “Our inadequacies were obvious to even the casual basketball observer,” Floyd said. “We didn’t get back on defense. You shoot the kind of percentage they shoot, you’re shooting open shots, layups, uncontested shots, rebound-putback baskets. And we had deficiencies in rebounding the ball. I think we’ve been outrebounded by 45 boards, something like that, in two nights.”

I t was only the fifth time that the M i n e r s l o s t by m o re t h a n 2 0 p o i n t s since Floyd took over as coach before the 2010-11 season. UTEP’s worst loss u n d e r Fl o yd h a d b e e n 7 3 - 4 9 t o Vanderbilt at the Old Spice Classic in

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. on Nov. 25, 2012.

The Miners’ low for points this season had been 67 - and that was in a blowout win. The 89 points matched the secondmost allowed by UTEP since Floyd took over; the most was 100, and that was in a triple-overtime game.

“This is an embarrassing loss,” UTEP’s Jake Flaggert said. “It’s going to motivate us.” Aaron White scored 17 points, Zach McCabe added 14 - including the first dunk of the senior forward’s collegiate career and Peter Jok also scored 14 for the Hawkeyes (7-0), who moved into the title game.

“That was my first one,” McCabe said of the dunk. “Took a long time.” That it did.

Wrapping up this win, that took far less time. After needing overtime to beat Xavier in the quarterfinals, Iowa took care of this one early. A 13-0 run in the opening minutes put the Hawkeyes in control, and Iowa’s first 20-point lead came a mere 14 minutes into the contest.

“I’d be more apt to look at the fact that we had 22 assists on 31 field goals,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “To me, the way we distributed the ball, that shows you your transition game is working because guys are finishing, whether it’s Zach’s dunk or someone else.”—AP

LAHORE: Sixteen young Pakistani women will make history this weekend as they compete in the kabaddi world cup-the first time the conservative Muslim country has ever fielded an international women’s team in the sport.

The traditional tag-wrestling sport involves players trying to tag an opponent before making it back to their half of the field. Kabaddi is hugely popular in the Punjab provinces of India and Pakistan, where it originates, and is played in countries around the world with South Asian populations.

It has traditionally been seen as a macho sport but now Pakistan is sending a women’s team to the November 30-December 14 World Cup in India. For 24-year-old Sayeda Fareeda Khanum, who comes from a conservative, religious family where she fought for years to be allowed to compete in sports, it is a dream come true.

“I have been sports crazy since childhood and was selected for national events in various sports many times, but I was never allowed by my family to attend a training camp outside college or university,” she told AFP. “But when I got selected for the kabaddi team, I told my mother that I would play this sport at any cost and left home to join the camp in Lahore.” Khanum, the team’s best defender, spoke to AFP between sessions in a tough fitness workout at Lahore’s Punjab stadium.

“Getting the national colours was my childhood dream. I am going to India to make a do-or-die battle for my nation and prove that Pakistani girls can do whatever women do in other countries,” she said.

India and Pakistan, neighbours and ferocious sporting rivals, have met in two of the three men’s world cup finals held so far, with India prevailing both times. The women are determined to succeed where their male counterparts have failed.

LAHORE: In this photograph taken on November 26, 2013, members of Pakistan’s women’s kabaddi team take part in a practice match at the Punjab Stadium in Lahore. Sixteen young Pakistani women they compete in the kabaddi world cup — the first time the conservative Muslim country has fielded a women’s team in the event. —AFP “We decided to participate in this team for the sake of Pakistan, and for the sake of true patriotism.

And we have tried our level best, and by the will of God we will succeed,” vice-captain Sumera Zahoor, who comes from a martial arts background, told AFP. Having decided to build the women’s team, the authorities wrote to top sports organisations and educational institutions, collecting a group of girls coming from diverse sporting backgrounds.

Half already represent various other sports like athletics, weightlifting and racket games, while a few new players with the right attitude and ambitions have also earned a place in the team.

Training for the women in green,

yellow and blue tracksuits begins with prayers and a recitation from the Koran. After chants of “Long live Pakistan” and “God is great”, they begin physical training before moving on to wrestling techniques.

It has not been an easy task for the support staff to get the team together and direct their potential.

“All the girls come from different games, some are from athletics, some are weightlifters,” Aisha Qazi, the team’s coach, said.

“These are individual players’ games but kabaddi is a team event, so there is a huge difference and it has taken me some time to teach them.”

Qazi, herself a first-class cricketer and international baseball player, said they were thrilled to be

the first women’s team to represent Pakistan in international kabbadi.

Head coach Ghulam Abbas Butt said he was confident the women’s team would live up to their promise. “I hope the boys’ team will win the World Cup this time and the girls would also not disappoint in their first appearance,” he said.

“I have done this training with my heart, and they followed it the same way. These were new girls and they have done whatever I asked them to do. That’s why I know that they will play well,” he said.

The Pakistan women face England, Mexico and Denmark in their pool matches while arch rivals India play the United States, Kenya and New Zealand. —AFP

Scott opens four-shot lead over McIlroy SYDNEY: Adam Scott holds the upper hand in his duel with Rory McIlroy going into the final day of the Australian Open after the home favourite posted a four-under-par 68 to open a four-shot lead over the Briton yesterday.

Two-time major champion McIlroy looked down and out after a patchy front nine but rallied for a 70 to remain in the hunt for his first win of the year in front of bumper galleries at the Royal Sydney Golf Course.

Most of the crowd were backing Scott’s bid to secure a “triple crown” of Australian titles and a huge cheer went around the course when he birdied the last to double his overnight lead by reaching 16-under for the tournament.

“It’s an exciting position to be in, obviously a great chance to win my national championship tomorrow,” Scott, who has already won the Australian PGA and Masters titles this month, told reporters.

“And then also win the three events down here

which is an unbelievable spot to be in. If you’d told me a month ago, I wouldn’t have believed you.

“One round to go but a lot can happen. It’s a phenomenon playing behind me and I’m sure he’s going to throw plenty at me... but as long as the eye stays in with the putter, I think I should hold on.” McIlroy missed a shorter birdie putt at the 18th and so will resume on Sunday on 12-under, four shots clear of Australians Max McCardle (69), Matt Jones (72) and Richard Green (73) in a share of third.

“I played a good back nine, it could have been a couple better, I felt I left a couple out there,” the 24year-old said. “But obviously I’m four back now and I’ve got a tough job on my hands to try and catch Adam.”

Scott started the day with a two-shot advantage over McIlroy and, with the sun shining brightly, it looked being a day of low scoring when both players birdied the opening hole.

McIlroy found himself in a thicket with his drive

SYDNEY: Matthew Jones of Australia hits out of a bunker during the third round of the Australian Open golf tournament played at the Royal Sydney course, in Sydney yesterday. — AFP

at the second but rallied to save par brilliantly as Scott lipped out with a birdie putt. The Northern Irishman’s bogey at the fourth was not a disaster as Scott followed suit after finding a bunker but the Australian opened up a four-shot lead as the wind whipped up at the fifth.

McIlroy undercooked successive chips from the bottom of a greenside slope and then two-putted for a double bogey, while Scott missed a 10-foot birdie putt but sank his second attempt from a foot for par.

Former world number one McIlroy was now buried in the chasing pack and when Scott picked up shots at the three holes before the turn he moved to 15-under, five clear of Jones and Green in second.

Scott drove into the trees and then the sand to take a bogey at the 10th, however, and McIlroy capitalised with the first of three birdies in five holes, the last coming after he hit the pin with his tee shot at the short 14th.

Scott was only a little less accurate with his iron for a birdie at the same hole and the marquee pairing were now clear at the top of the leaderboard.

Both found the greenside bunkers at the 16th but saved par, McIlroy just missing out on a birdie with a long snaking putt, and the pair got up-anddown from off the green for pars at the next before Scott drained his crucial five-footer at the last.

“I had to make (my putt) because I believed he would make his,” Scott added. “If it went the other way and I missed and he made, it’s two shots and that’s nothing. That can be gone on the first green tomorrow. Four shots is a slightly better buffer.”

McIlroy, who has endured a disappointing season after a stellar 2012, lamented his miss with the putter at the 18th but has not given up hopes of overhauling his Australian friend. “(It’s possible) on this golf course, where there can be a lot of twoshot swings and someone makes a couple of pars and someone gets off to a fast start and makes a birdie and an eagle and you’re right back in it,” McIlroy said.

“There’s plenty of chances out there and it’s just a matter of taking your opportunities when they come.” — Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

S P ORTS

Bell ‘willing’ to fill in for Trott at number three ADELAIDE: Ian Bell is “absolutely willing” to replace Jonathan Trott at the number three spot in England’s batting order when the second Ashes test against Australia starts on Thursday. Trott, the regular number three, left the tour to deal with a stress-related problem a day after England’s comprehensive defeat in Brisbane.

“We’ve spoken about it, and obviously I’ve said I’m absolutely willing to go to number three,” Bell, who bats at five, told reporters after the tourists drew their

warm-up match against a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI yesterday.

“That decision is probably out of my control. We’ve got a number of options with the batting and the balance of the side - but absolutely I’ll put my hand up.

We’ll soon see.” Joe Root (one), another contender for Trott’s position, was the only second innings casualty in England’s score of 47 for one wicket when stumps were drawn in the twoday warm-up match.

Gary Ballance, who struck a patient

half-century in the first innings to stake claim for a test debut, was unbeaten on eight with Michael Carberry (37) at the crease. “Gary Ballance has done really well, batting for a long period on a wicket that was not easy to score runs fluently,” Bell said. “We want guys who are going to bat long periods of time in this series, so he showed some good character.” The home side earlier declared their first innings on 254 for eight as the English pace trio of Boyd Rankin, Steven Finn and Ben Stokes failed to impress.

The ineffectiveness of the pacemen will surely open the path for Tim Bresnan to earn a spot if he can prove his fitness.

Bresnan, hoping for a recall after recovering from a stress fracture in his back, took four wickets and made a half-centur y while playing for the England Performance squad this week.

Graeme Swann picked up four wickets while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar scalped three in welcome signs for the England bowling attack ahead of Adelaide, where the pitch has historically

aided the batsmen more.

Panesar was England’s trump card during the series win in India last year but has been blighted by disciplinary issues during the English summer. “It’s not easy coming on tour when you’ve not played a lot of cricket,” Bell added.

“I’m sure he’ll be a bit sore, but he bowled really well. “It was nice to see him settle into a rhythm very quickly and it is a possibility he could play (in Adelaide) - we’ve got that flexibility if we need two spinners.” — Reuters

England draw with Australia Chairman’s XI ALICE SPRINGS: England failed to get a boost ahead of next week’s second Ashes Test as they conceded an innings lead to a modest Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI in Alice Springs yesterday.

The two-day tour match ended in a draw but the Chairman’s XI finished moral winners trumping England’s first innings declaration of 212 for seven with their 254 for eight declared.

At stumps on the final day, England hit the front in the 16th and final over of their second innings at 47 for one with Michael Carberry unbeaten on 37 and man-of-thematch Gary Ballance on eight.

Only five players from last week’s 381run loss to Australia in the first Brisbane Test played, but there was little for the tourists apart from sightseeing to take out of their visit to the Northern Territory.

As the temperatures soared into the high 30s, the tourists were left a little red faced as their quick bowlers were embarrassed by the little-known Chairman’s XI batsmen.

Ashton Turner (39 not out) and Josh Lalor (45) shared a 64-run stand for the seventh wicket before Turner combined with tailender James Muirhead (29 off 17 balls) for an entertaining partnership of 48 for the Chairman’s XI. Pacemen Boyd Rankin (1-52), Steven Finn (0-61) and Ben Stokes (0-37) failed to impress, amid speculation seamer Chris Tremlett’s Test spot could be under scrutiny for the Adelaide Test. Test offspinner Graeme Swann gained some confidence following his mauling by Australia’s batsmen in last week’s first Test by picking up

four for 56 off 23 overs while Test hopeful Monty Panesar claimed three for 41 from 19 overs.

Facing a drop-in pitch in Adelaide, England might be tempted to recall Panesar in a twin-spin attack for the second Test. Swann removed Marcus Harris (49), Michael Hill (13) and Alex Keath (four) before lunch. Western Australia’s Harris added 78 for the first wicket with Tasmania’s Steve Cazzulino (48).

Sixteen-year-old NSW Second XI batsman Jake Doran beat his age by one run before becoming Swann’s fourth victim.

Panesar dismissed Lalor in the last over before the second new ball was taken.

Muirhead top-edged a pull shot for a single in the next over as the home side advanced to 213 and overtaking England’s first innings total amid loud cheers from the fans. Not a single member of the 12man Chairman’s XI side is a current Sheffield Shield player.

Uncapped England Test hopeful Gary Ballance was named player of the match for his first-innings 55 lifting his hopes of grabbing the number six batting spot in an expected reshuffle caused by the sudden departure of Jonathan Trott with a stressrelated illness.

The ground announcer was removed from his post by Cricket Australia (CA) yesterday after introducing Panesar in an Indian accent to the crowd.

Panesar was born in Luton of Indian descent. “Cricket Australia deemed the conduct of the PA announcer as inappropriate and as such he will take no further part in the match,” a CA spokesperson said. —AFP

SCOREBOARD ALICE SPRINGS, Australia: Scoreboard at the close on the final day of the two-day tour match between the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI and England at Traeger Park yesterday: England XI 1st innings 212 for 7 declared (G. Ballance 55, J. Bairstow 31 not out; S. Mackin 2-32) Chairman’s XI 1st innings (overnight 16 (Doran), 6-142 (Robins), 7-206 (Lalor), 8254 (Muirhead) for 0): Bowling: Rankin 14.5-5-52-1, Finn 15-2Steve Cazzulino b Panesar 48 61-0, Swann 23-5-56-4, Stokes 13-3-37-0 Marcus Harris c Finn b Swann 49 (1nb), Panesar 19-4-41-3.

Michael Hill c Finn b Swann 13 England 2nd innings: Alex Keath c Stokes b Swann 4 Michael Carberry not out 37 Jake Doran c Ballance b Swann 17 Joe Root c Doran b Mackin 1 Ashton Turner not out 39 Gary Balance not out 8 Luke Robins stpd Bairstow b Panesar 2 Extras (w1) 1 Josh Lalor c and b Panesar 45 Total (1 wkt; 16 overs) 47 James Muirhead c Bairstow b Rankin 29 Fall of wicket: 1-13 (Root) Extras (b6, lb1, nb1) 8 Bowling: Herrick 4-0-18-0 (1w), Mackin 5Total (8 wkts declared; 84.5 overs) 254 4-3-1, Lalor 3-1-6-0, Muirhead 3-0-20-0, Did not bat: Simon Mackin, Michael Beer Fall of wickets 1-78 (Harris), 2-96 (Hill), 3- Harris 1-1-0-0.

107 (Keath), 4-125 (Cazzulino), 5-137 Match drawn.

ALICE SPRINGS: England’s batsman Michael Carberry (R) executes a powerful shot over the boundary for six runs as Australia’s Chairman’s XI wicketkeeper Jake Doran looks on during day two play of the tour cricket match between England and Australia’s Chairman’s XI at Traeger Park in Alice Springs yesterday. — AFP

Ex-India batsman Kambli stable NEW DELHI: Vinod Kambli, the former India batsman once considered as gifted as his school friend Sachin Tendulkar, was recovering in a Mumbai hospital yesterday after a suspected heart attack, doctors and his family said.

Kambli, 41, who had undergone angioplasty on two blocked arteries last year, was admitted to the Lilavati hospital on Friday morning after complaining of chest pain while driving.

“He is in the intensive care unit and we are monitoring his medical parameters,” hospital director Narendra Trivedi told reporters. “He is stable and there is nothing to worry about.” Kambli’s wife, Andrea, also issued a statement saying he was “stable and recovering well”.

Kambli shot to fame along with Tendulkar in 1988 when the two

teenagers shared a then world record 664-run partnership in an inter-school match in Mumbai, with both batsmen making unbeaten triple centuries.

While Tendulkar retired earlier this month as the world’s leading run-maker in both Test and one-day cricket and an unprecedented 100 international centuries against his name, Kambli faded after a bright start.

The flamboyant left-hander hit two double-centuries and two hundreds in his first eight Test innings after earning a debut in 1993, but another three-figure knock in Tests eluded him. Kambli played the last of his 17 Tests in 1995 before he had turned 24, finishing with 1,084 runs at an average of 54.20. He also scored 2,477 runs in 104 one-day internationals with two centuries. — AFP

CENTURION: South Africa’s cricketer Wayne Parnell plays a shot during the final One-Day Internationals (ODI ) match between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport in Centurion yesterday. Pakistan won the series 2-1. — AFP

Philander sets up South African win CENTURION: Vernon Philander led a strong performance by South Africa’s bowlers to set up a four-wicket consolation win for the hosts in the third and final one-day international against Pakistan at SuperSport Park yesterday.

Philander took three for 26 in a Pakistan total of 179 all out. South Africa made heavy weather of the chase but won with 68 balls to spare, steered home by an unbeaten 48 from captain AB de Villiers.

Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq also played a captain’s innings, making 79 not out. But no other Pakistan batsman scored more than 25.

Philander, recently recalled to the one-day side after starring for the South African Test team, struck with the fourth ball of the match when Ahmed Shehzad was caught at first slip without scoring. Shehzad made a century when Pakistan clinched the series by winning the second match in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

Fellow new ball bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Asad Shafiq caught behind in the fourth over and Pakistan were unable to build any significant partnerships against hostile bowling on a pitch which offered good bounce.

The best stand of the innings was 51 for the eighth wicket between Misbah and Abdur Rehman (22). South Africa made a fast start, with Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla putting on 39 on 35 balls for the first wicket before De Kock mistimed a hook against Bilamal Bhatti and was caught at backward square leg.

The momentum slowed as new cap Henry Davids was tied down by Saeed Ajmal before being stumped off the off-spinner after struggling to seven off 18 balls. Davids was a late

replacement for Graeme Smith, who was absent because of a family bereavement.

Amla made 41 before being run out after a superb stop and quick throw by Umar Amin at backward point. In contrast to his dazzling 74 off 45 balls in Port Elizabeth, where he played one big shot too many and was out before South Africa “crossed the line”, in his words, De

Villiers played a risk-free innings to ensure that South Africa successfully chased down a target for the first time in eight recent attempts, facing 63 balls and hitting only three boundaries. Ajmal was again the best Pakistan bowling, taking two for 34 in 10 overs. With the series decided, both sides showed several changes. — AFP

SCOREBOARD CENTURION, South Africa: Scoreboard yesterday in the third one-day international between South Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park: Pakistan Umar Amin c Amla b McLaren 25 Ahmed Shehzad c Amla b Philander 0 Asad Shafiq c De Kock b Tsotsobe 1 Sohaib Maqsood c & b McLaren 25 Misbah-ul-Haq not out 79 Umar Akmal c De Kock b Philander 5 Bilawal Bhatti c Amla b Tahir 1 Anwar Ali c De Kock b Philander 1 Abdur Rehman c Amla b Tahir 22 Sohail Tanvir c Parnell b Tsotsobe 6 Saeed Ajmal c De Villiers b Parnell 0 Extras: (1lb, 13w) 14 TOTAL: (all out) 179 Overs: 46.5 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-7, 3-48, 4-67, 5-85, 6-96, 797, 8-148, 9-164.

Bowling: Vernon Philander 10-3-26-3 (2w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 10-2-38-2 (4w), Ryan McLaren 8-1-28-2, Wayne Parnell 8.5-0-30-1 (2w), Imran Tahir 10-0-56-2.

South Africa Quinton de Kock c Ajmal b Bhatti 15 Hashim Amla run out (Amin/Akmal) 41 Henry Davids st Akmal b Ajmal 7 JP Duminy c Akmal b Rehman 16 AB de Villiers not out 48 David Miller c Akmal b Tanvir 24 Ryan McLaren b Ajmal 17 Wayne Parnell not out 7 Extras: (4lb, 2nb) 6 TOTAL: (for six wickets) 181 Overs: 38.4 Did not bat: Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir.

Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-49, 3-75, 4-84, 5-124, 6164.

Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 7.4-0-42-1 (2nb), Anwar Ali 2-0-15-0, Bilawal Bhatti 8-1-35-1, Saeed Ajmal 101-34-2, Abdur Rehman 9-0-40-1, Sohaib Maqsood 2-0-11-0.

Result: South Africa won by four wickets.

Series: Pakistan won three-game series 2-1.

Sledging gets Ashes off to a bumpy ride LONDON: Andy Roberts, a fearsome fast bowler in the formidable West Indies side of the 1970s, was renowned for not talking to opponents on the field. If you ask those who faced him if this meant he lacked for ‘commitment’ or ‘aggression’, chances are you’ll receive a very hollow laugh.

Equally, it’s pretty difficult for everyone involved in a cricket match, where teams can be in the field for several hours at a stretch, to be as tight-lipped as Roberts. Indeed when on the opening day of the first Test at Brisbane in 1946 Australia great Don Bradman, having made an unconvincing 28, was given “not out” after England were certain he’d nicked the ball to Jack Ikin at second slip, England captain Wally Hammond is reported to have said: “That’s a (expletive deleted) fine way to start an Ashes series.”

Roll the clock on some 67 years and there was general agreement Australia captain Michael Clarke had gone too far in threatening England No 11 James Anderson with a “broken arm” towards the end of the recent Ashes opener in Brisbane, which the hosts won by the crushing margin of 381 runs.

That was certainly the view of the International Cricket Council, who fined Clarke

20 percent of his match fee. But afterwards Mitchell Johnson, England’s tormentor-in-chief at Brisbane with his fiery left-arm fast bowling, said of the sledging: “I think it’s worked for us. I definitely think they (England) are rattled by it.”

It was all a far cry from the kind of amusing exchange enjoyed by Australia bowler Merv Hughes and England batsman Robin Smith.

Hughes, having told Smith he wasn’t much of a batsman, saw his next ball hit for four.

“Hey Merv we make a fine pair. I can’t bat and you can’t bowl,” Smith said, although his precise reply was a touch more colourful. But given the increasingly crude nature of current sledging, former Australia captain Ian Chappell said this week he feared it might lead to physical violence.

“Something personal will be said at the wrong time and you’ll have fisticuffs. I think we’re getting close to fisticuffs,” said Chappell, who resents suggestions his Australia side of the 1970s were sledging ‘pioneers’.

“If I was playing now, firstly, I’d tell whoever was talking to shut up or it’s going to be a long day, because I don’t face up until you shut up,” added Chappell, who said he’d talk to the bowler at the non-striker’s end if he got no redress from the umpire.

Steve Waugh, when captain of the successful Australia side of the 1990s and early 2000s, made great play of “mental disintegration”. But one of Waugh’s key players, Glenn McGrath made a crude comment to West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan about the supposed nature of his relationship with Brian Lara, the batsman’s reply of “ask your wife” saw the Australia paceman react furiously.

What Sarwan didn’t know was that Jane McGrath was suffering from cancer, a disease that ultimately took her life. Equally, Australia’s David Warner had no idea Jonathan Trott was about to leave the current tour with a stressrelated illness when he called him “poor and weak” after the England batsman twice fell cheaply to Johnson.

“I think Dave Warner’s comments were out of order. I don’t believe you should comment on someone else personally on the opposition,” Waugh said. No doubt match officials will have stern words with Clarke and England captain Alastair Cook ahead of next week’s second Test in Adelaide.

Meanwhile Waugh said Australia could cut down on the ‘verbals’. “They’re playing well, so they don’t need to do so much talking out there now,” he added. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

S P ORTS

George leads Pacers past Wizards 93-73

MAINZ: Mainz’ Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki (C) vies with Dortmund’s Greek defender Sokratis (L) and Dortmund’s midfielder Sebastian Kehl during the German first division Bundesliga football match FSV Mainz 05 vs Borussia Dortmund in Mainz yesterday. — AFP

Mourinho expects response after Chelsea’s Euro flop LONDON: Jose Mourinho has warned his Chelsea stars he won’t tolerate a repeat of their Champions League flop when the Blues host Southampton yesterday.

Mourinho was disappointed by his team’s lacklustre effort in a 1-0 defeat against Basel on Tuesday and promised changes ahead of an important clash against the Saints, who would move above third-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table with a victory at Stamford Bridge.

“I never tolerate it but I have to live with it,” Mourinho said of his side’s low energy levels in Switzerland. “It’s football.

Especially in teams in the building process, not the end product, not a team with years and years of work together or with maturity enough to keep that stability match after match.

“But I didn’t like the performance, of course not. And we will try everything not to repeat. The good thing in the Champions League is that, when we felt the pressure, we always reacted and performed.

“When we responded to the first defeat, starting the matches in Bucharest and against Schalke, we were under pressure and knew if we made a mistake we’d be in big trouble, and at that moment the team reacted and played very seriously.

“Probably, in this game, because we felt the situation was under control, added with some fatigue-I could easily identify that-we had a bad performance.

“Hopefully today we will be ready because, in this moment, our situation is fine.” Chelsea are four points behind leaders Arsenal and by the time Mourinho’s men kick-off today that gap will have stretched to seven if the Gunners beat Cardiff 24 hours earlier.

Mourinho has no intention of panicking

just yet, though, and he believes Chelsea are still in a strong position to challenge for silverware on all fronts. “We are a close distance to Arsenal, we are qualified for the last 16 in the Champions League and we will play the League Cup quarter-final,” Mourinho said.

“We have to improve stability in our game, we have to improve aspects. Of course we have to. We also have to improve individually, especially with the younger players, but we are OK.” Spain’s Fernando Torres is expected to replace the injured Samuel Eto’o up front for Chelsea, while Ashley Cole could return in a defence that will continue to be without David Luiz, who has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.

Southampton have made great strides in a short space of time under Mauricio Pochettino and begin the weekend in fifth place, just two points behind Chelsea and with a superior defensive record.

Pochettino has pitted his wits against Mourinho before but tasted only defeat when his Espanyol side played Real Madrid.

Espanyol didn’t even score a goal in those fixtures but the Argentinian has a better record against Chelsea. Last season Saints won 2-1 at St Mary’s in March, when Rafa Benitez was still in charge of Chelsea, but will go into the game on the back of a 2-0 defeat at leaders Arsenal.

The clinching goal was the result of a debatable penalty award and defender Jose Fonte, the man penalised for shirtpulling, called upon referees to be more consistent.

“I did have my hand on him but I just wish the referees would be consistent,” he said. “If they give that penalty why don’t they give penalties like that every week against Arsenal and Man United?” — AFP

Man United out to prolong Spurs pain LONDON: Seven days on from their 6-0 humiliation at Manchester City last weekend, Tottenham Hotspur face another daunting assignment on Sunday when improving Manchester United visit White Hart Lane. Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas branded the result at the Etihad Stadium “extremely embarrassing” but if his side are to get back on track, they will need to overcome United at home for the first time in 12 years.

United were also left disappointed last Sunday after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Cardiff City but they responded in masterful fashion in the Champions League. Wednesday’s 5-0 success at Bayer Leverkusen took David Moyes’s side into the last 16 and was the club’s biggest victory away from home in Europe since the 1960s heyday of legendary former manager Matt Busby.

It also extended the champions’ unbeaten run to 11 games, but although United’s recent record at White Hart Lane suggests they have little reason to approach Sunday’s game with trepidation, Moyes feels it is too early to write Tottenham off.

The north London club trail Moyes’s side by only a point in the Premier League standings-with United sixth and Tottenham ninth-and the former Everton manager says that they remain dangerous opponents. “Tottenham are not that far away,” said the Scot.

“Sometimes people can get a little bit ahead of themselves. Personally, I don’t see him (Villas-Boas) being under pressure, but

maybe that is for other people to say. “No matter when you play Tottenham Hotspur, it will always be a hard game.

The matches against Manchester United have been good. “After a result like they had last week, the reaction can vary. We are both coming off the back of European games as well. The main thing for us is to try and win the game.”

The damaging loss to Spurs sparked speculation in the British media that VillasBoas’s days at the club could be numbered, but the Portuguese saw his side respond in positive fashion with a 2-0 victory at Tromso in the Europa League on Thursday.

Spurs are now guaranteed to finish top of Europa League Group K and Villas-Boas believes the victory will have helped his players to move on from the traumatic loss at City. “I am very happy for the players to have bounced back from the defeat against Man City,” he said.

“Obviously the opponent we have on Sunday is the biggest that we can have.

But to prepare for that game, it was important to get back to winning ways and we did it in a fashion where we looked solid and created lots of chances.”

Villas-Boas is expected to recall firstteam players such as Kyle Walker, Paulinho and Sandro, all of whom were rested for the trip to Norway. However, Emmanuel Adebayor, who made his first appearance of the campaign at City, is doubtful with a groin injur y, while Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen will not play due to an ankle problem.—AFP

INDIANAPOLIS: Paul George scored 23 points and Roy Hibbert added 13 and eight rebounds to lead the surging Indiana Pacers past the injury hampered Washington Wizards 93-73 on Friday night.

The Pacers won their sixth straight and extended their best start in franchise history to 15-1.

Lance Stephenson flirted with his third triple-double before departing late and had seven points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Indiana, which shot 44 percent and forced 18 turnovers while limiting Washington to 40 percent shooting.

The Wizards (7-9) trailed by as many as 25 in the fourth quarter and lost their 11th straight game in Indianapolis. Star point guard John Wall struggled badly, rarely attacked the rim and finished with eight points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Washington power forward Nene did not play due to a sore right Achilles tendonAlso missing were starting shooting guard Bradley Beal and prized rookie Otto Porter, the No. 3 pick in the draft. The Pacers begin a five-game road trip against the Western Conference on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Four of the five opponents are above .500 and the slate ends with games against Oklahoma City and reigning conference champ San Antonio. The Wizards made their only push in the second quarter with George and Hibbert on the bench. They scored on 10 of their first 15 possessions and got as close as 38-34 when Trevor Booker hustled for an offensive rebound and made a layup.

Indiana allowed just two points over the final 41/2 minutes of the half to take a 43-36 lead into the locker room. As usual, the Pacers took control in the third quarter. They entered the game outscoring opponents by an average of 6.7 points in the third and followed that script once more by outscoring Washington 26-20 to carry a 69-56 lead to the fourth.Hibbert scored 10 points in the third on 4-of-5 shooting after an 0-of-5 first half. Indiana shot 11 Thunder 113, Warriors 112 (OT) The Oklahoma City Thunder extended their winning streak to six games with an 113-112 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors, winning on a three-point basket by point guard Russell Westbrook with 0.1 seconds left. The Thunder advanced to 11-3 this season while the Warriors continued to struggle, dropping to 9-8 and losing their fifth game out of the last six. The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry’s 32 points while Westbrook scored 34 for Oklahoma City.

Spurs 109, Magic 91 It did not take long for the San Antonio Spurs to get back on track, rolling to an easy 109-91 victory over the Orlando Magic. The Spurs (14-2) had their 11-game winning streak snapped in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, but they responded by notching another victory with forward Tim Duncan scoring 19 points while pulling down nine rebounds in just 24 minutes. The Magic (6-10) got 17 points from guard Arron Afflalo and 15 from guard Victor Oladipo.

Bobcats 92, Bucks 76 Center Al Jefferson had 23 points and 12 rebounds, including 19 points in the second half, as the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Milwaukee Bucks 92-76. The Bobcats led by as many as 15 in the first half, settled for a 41-31 halftime lead, and then pushed the margin back up to as many as 19 in the second half.

Heat 90, Raptors 83 Forward LeBron James scored 27 points for the Miami Heat in a 90-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Guard Dwyane Wade added 22 points for the Heat while guard DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 25 points and forward Rudy Gay scored 21 points with 11 rebounds for the Raptors.

Celtics 103, Cavaliers 86 The Boston Celtics led wire-to-wire and cruised to a 103-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Forward Jeff Green scored a season-high 31 points and guard Avery Bradley added 21 points to lead the Celtics (7-11), who shot 11-for-23 from threepoint range. Guard Jordan Crawford delivered a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Hawks 88, Mavericks 87 The Dallas Mavericks, up by 17 points in the third quarter, went stagnant offensively after point guard Jose Calderon sprained his ankle and the Atlanta Hawks took advantage to win 88-87.

SACREMENTO: Los Angeles Clippers forward Jared Dudley, left, is fouled by Sacramento Kings forward John Salmons, center, while Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, right, watches during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, California.— AP Forward Al Horford hit a 20-foot jumper with 4.2 seconds left to give the Hawks their first lead since the opening quarter before Dallas guard Vince Carter missed a jumper at the buzzer. Point guard Jeff Teague had 25 points for the Hawks (9-8), nine of them coming in the second half, while forward Dirk Nowitzki and Calderon each had 16 points for Dallas (10-7).

Lakers 106, Pistons 102 Forward Wesley Johnson scored 27 points and the Los Angeles Lakers used a late 12-0 run to propel them to a 106-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Forward Shawne Williams had 20 points and nine rebounds and guard Jordan Farmar and center Pau Gasol had 13 points apiece for the Lakers (9-8). Guard Rodney Stuckey led Detroit (610) with 22 points.

Rockets 114, Nets 95 Continuing their torrid play at home, the Houston Rockets jumped out to an early doubledigit lead and coasted to a 114-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets (12-5) claimed their sixth consecutive home triumph by dominating the injury-plagued Nets (4-12) from the opening tip. Brooklyn played without starters Deron Williams (left ankle) and Kevin Garnett (rest) while reserves Jason Terry (left knee) and Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) were also out. Rockets forward Chandler Parsons scored 21 points.

Pelicans 121, Sixers 105 Jrue Holiday scored 20 points, made 13 assists, seven rebounds and three steals in his first game back in Philadelphia to help the Pelicans to a 121105 victory over the Sixers. The Pelicans (7-8) received 26 points from guard Eric Gordon and 22

points and 10 rebounds from forward-center Anthony Davis, 18 points from forward Ryan Anderson and 16 from guard Tyreke Evans.

Suns 112, Jazz 101 Coach Jeff Hornacek improved to 2-0 against his old team as the Phoenix Suns blasted the Utah Jazz 112-101. Phoenix shot 54.7 percent from the field and had six players score at least 13 points while improving to a surprising 9-7. Reserve forward Markieff Morris led the Suns with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Marvin Williams scored 18 points to lead the Jazz (2-15).

Nuggets 97, Knicks 95 Forward Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 27 points but missed a tying jumper with 2.1 seconds left and the Denver Nuggets beat the New York Knicks 97-95. Guard Ty Lawson had 22 points and eight assists and guard Randy Foye had 17 for the Nuggets, who are winners of five straight.

Center Andrea Bargnani had 22 for the Knicks (312), who are on their longest losing streak in four seasons.

Clippers 104, Kings 98 (OT) Jamaal Crawford’s 11th assist of the game, a dish to forward Blake Griffin alone under the basket for an easy dunk, provided the 17th and final lead change as the Clippers scored the final 10 points to beat the Sacramento Kings 104-98 in overtime. The Clippers (12-5) survived without point guard Chris Paul (strained hamstring) for the entire game and shooting guard J.J. Reddick (sprained wrist) for the second half, getting a third win this season over the Kings (4-10). Crawford finished with a game-high 31 points, Griffin added 21 points and 12 rebounds. —Agencies

NBA results/standings Charlotte 92, Milwaukee 76; San Antonio 109, Orlando 91; Miami 90, Toronto 83; Atlanta 88, Dallas 87; Boston 103, Cleveland 86; LA Lakers 106, Detroit 102; Houston 114, Brooklyn 95; Oklahoma City 113, Golden State 112 (OT); Indiana 93, Washington 73; New Orleans 121, Philadelphia 105; Denver 97, NY Knicks 95; Phoenix 112, Utah 101; LA Clippers 104, Sacramento 98 (OT).

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

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L 6 9 7 11 6 11 4 12 3 12 Central Division 15 1 7 7 6 10 4 12 2 13 Southeast Division 13 3 9 8 8 9 7 9 6 10

PCT .400 .389 .353 .250 .200

GB 0.5 1 2.5 3

Portland Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota Utah

.938 .500 .375 .250 .133

7 9 11 12.5

LA Clippers Phoenix LA Lakers Golden State Sacramento

.813 .529 .471 .438 .375

4.5 5.5 6 7

San Antonio Houston Dallas Memphis New Orleans

Western Conference Northwest Division 13 3 11 3 9 6 8 9 2 15 Pacific Division 12 5 9 7 9 8 9 8 4 10 Southwest Division 14 2 12 5 10 7 8 7 7 8

.813 .786 .600 .471 .118

1 3.5 5.5 11.5

.706 .563 .529 .529 .286

2.5 3 3 6.5

.875 .706 .588 .533 .467

2.5 4.5 5.5 6.5

Liverpool’s Mignolet aims to block out top four talk KINGSTON UPON HULL: Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet insists his side can make a successful bid to qualify for the Champions League as long as they don’t get carried away by their surprise challenge. Brendan Rodgers’s side have capitalised on inconsistent starts from both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham to move into second place in the Premier League table behind leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool have not finished in the top four since the 2008-09 season but a return of 24 points from their opening 12 matches has seen them touted for a return to european football’s elite club competition. However, Mignolet has urged his colleagues

to simply focus on the immediate challenges in front of them-starting with a trip to face Hull at the KC Stadium today-rather than worrying about what is going on at other clubs.

“From now until February, there are a lot of games to be played, so for us it’s about making sure everybody stays fit, everybody works hard and we pick up as many points as we can during that period,” Mignolet said.

“We cannot look too far ahead, so we have to make sure we approach the game against Hull well.

“It’s not important to look at the opposition at this moment in time, it’s still too early and we have to look at ourselves and make sure we do the right

things, then we don’t have to worry about what other teams are doing.

“We’re doing well in the league and it’s important to try and stay up there and build on our start to the season. Hopefully we can do it with a win on Sunday against Hull.” Mignolet, 25, was signed by current Hull manager Steve Bruce when he was in charge of Sunderland.

And the Belgium international claimed Liverpool will face a battle against any side managed by Bruce. “I know Steve from my time at Sunderland,” Mignolet added. “I know he always tries to get the lads up for it, so I’m sure they will be and put us under pressure.—AFP

Martino seeking response from defeated Barca MADRID: Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has urged his side to bounce back from their first defeat of the season to Ajax in midweek when they travel to face Athletic Bilbao yesterday. Various players, along with Martino himself, criticised the Catalans’ lack of intensity and focus as they were beaten in Holland having already sealed their passage into the last 16 of the Champions League.

And he is hoping the negative reaction to their display will ensure there will

be no repeat per formance in what appears to be their toughest match remaining between now and the winter break in three weeks’ time.

“What we need to do is show a different face, we need to change what we did in the first 45 minutes, no matter who the opponent is. “I don’t want to speak about a process. Before we had won by four goals and I would sign up to losing one game in every 20.

“We lacked intensity compared with

Ajax who were playing with a very different need and that showed. We need to show we have learned from the errors we committed. We have spoken and we all recognise it.”

Barca will once again be without long-term absentees Lionel Messi, Victor Valdes and Jordi Alba, whilst Martino confirmed Dani Alves and Carles Puyol would also miss the trip to the Basque country. Adriano and Alexis Sanchez do though return to Martino’s 18-man

squad, whilst Sergio Busquets will start having been rested in midweek. Athletic are unbeaten in six games since the opening of their new stadium in September and could move up to fourth with a win following Villarreal’s 1-1 draw with Malaga on Friday.

Martino has consistently stressed that his side’s injury problems cannot be used as an excuse given the depth of quality they have on offer. And he said it was the strength of Athletic rather than

Barca’s sizeable injury list that is causing him most concern.

“The opponent is very difficult, they are a team replete with technically gifted, good players and they worry me. “It is a very important match, one which will show us where we are, independent of what happened in Ajax.

“We will need to be at our best to win the game. I don’t think they will change how they line up because they always play in the same manner.” —AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

S P ORTS

Bayern see off Braunschweig to extend record BERLIN: European champions Bayern Munich extended their record unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 39 games with a 2-0 win over bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig yesterday.

Having set a new Champions League record of ten consecutive games after their 3-1 win at CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, Bayern cruised to victory in Munich with two Arjen Robben goals before the break.

Even with hamstring-victim Philipp Lahm, plus France’s Franck Ribery and Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger on the walking wounded list, Bayern had too much fire-power for Braunschweig.

Having warned his side not to take

lightly the threat of Eintracht, who have never won in Munich, Dutch winger Robben was as good as his word.

The Netherlands star put the hosts ahead with a header after just two minutes, then slammed home a 30th-minute shot, but this was not an impressive performance as Bayern barely got out of second gear.

Borussia Dortmund picked up their first win in three league games with a hard-fought 3-1 win at ten-man Mainz 05 to stay third and seven points behind Bayern. Dortmund took the lead on 70 minutes when Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired home a superb freekick, but the lead lasted just four min-

utes before Cameroon’s Eric ChoupoMoting fired home a penalty.

Mainz were reduced to 10 men when Colombia’s Elkin Soto was sent off for stopping the ball going into the net with his hand and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski fired home the 79thminute penalty.

Lewandowski then made sure of the points with his second penalty when he converted the 94th-minute spot kick when left-back Erik Durm was up-ended.

Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from their 5-0 drubbing at home to Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday-their worst home result in Europe-with a 3-0 win at home

to Nuremberg to stay second.

South Korea striker Son Heung-Min netted twice while Germany’s Stefan Kiessling hit their second after a superb back-heel from midfielder Jens Hegeler.

Werder Bremen warmed up for their visit of Bayern Munich with their first point in three games in an eight-goal thriller. Hoffenheim raced into a 2-0 lead after Sejad Salihovic converted two early penalties, but Bremen hit back within two goals inside a minute on the stroke of the half-time break.

Midfielder Aaron Hunt concerted a penalty then provided the cross-through the legs of Hoffenheim goalkeeper Koen Casteels-for Dutch forward Eljero Elia to

make it 2-2 at the break.

Further Hoffenheim goals by Kevin Volland and Kai Herdling put the hosts 4-2 up before Werder’s Nils Petersen made it 4-3 for the final half hour.

But Bremen replacement Philipp Bargfrede-with the squad number 44 — equalised in the 91st-minute to make it 4-4 and share the points. Augsburg-who face holders Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the third round of the German Cup-warmed up with goalless draw in the capital against Hertha Berlin.

On Friday, Hamburg continued their revival under ex-Holland boss Bert van Marwijk with a 1-1 draw at fifth-placed VfL Wolfsburg. — AFP

Norwich City’s Hooper spoils Pulis’s Palace bow Norwich 1

when standing on the line. Pulis’s new charges continued to press in the second period but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Bassong sliced a low cross from Dean Moxey narrowly over his own crossbar. —AFP

Crystal Palace 0

Matches on TV NORWICH: Tony Pulis’s debut as Crystal Palace manager ended in disappointment yesterday after his side lost 1-0 at Norwich City and slipped to the bottom of the Premier League.

Pulis was taking charge of the London club for the first time since succeeding Ian Holloway on a two-and-a-half-year contract, and he saw his team beaten by a 30th-minute strike from Gary Hooper.

It was Palace’s first defeat in three games and saw them slide below Sunderland to the bottom of the table, six points from safety after 13 games of the season.

In contrast, Chris Hughton’s Norwich are now four points clear of the relegation places, having claimed only their second victory in seven league games.

Pulis, the former Stoke City manager, made two changes to the Palace starting XI, with Jason Puncheon and Cameron Jerome coming in for Dwight Gayle and the suspended Yannick Bolaise, while Norwich recalled Sebastien Bassong, Johan Elmander and Wes Hoolahan.

Norwich came within millimetres of opening the scoring in the 10th minute, when Leroy Fer saw a header hit the crossbar and bounce on the goal-line, but Hawkeye’s goal-line decision system showed that the ball had not crossed the line. Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni then had to save from Norwich winger Nathan Redmond, before Martin Olsson produced a timely block at the other end to thwart Jerome.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 30th minute, with Elmander helping Redmond’s right-wing cut-back into the box and Hoolahan steering the ball back across the face of goal for former Celtic striker Hooper to tuck home.

Palace responded impressively but goal-line technology came into play again to deny them an immediate equaliser after confirming that Olsson had brilliantly diverted a shot from Barry Bannan up onto the bar with his head

(Local Timings) English Premier League Tottenham v Man United Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Hull City v Liverpool Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Chelsea v Southampton Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Man City v Swansea Aljazeera Sport 4 HD

15:00 17:00 19:10 19:10

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GOODISON PARK: Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, second right, has a shot on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Stoke City at Goodison Park, Liverpool, England, yesterday. —AP

0:00 14:00

Deulofeu shows potential as Everton rout Stoke

19:00 21:00 23:00

Everton 4

German Bundesliga Hannover 96 v Eintracht Dubai Sports Borussia v SC Freiburg Dubai Sports

17:30 19:30

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Stoke 0

16:00 19:00 23:00

LIVERPOOL: Gerard Deulofeu enjoyed a memorable first Premier League start for Everton as the onloan Barcelona teenager inspired a 4-0 rout of Stoke yesterday.

Deulofeu is a graduate of Barca’s La Masia academy and he showed enough potential at Goodison Park to suggest he could be the latest star to emerge from the Spanish club’s production line.

The 19-year-old forward, who had already impressed in eight league substitute appearances for

the Toffees, scored his second goal for Everton, and his first in the top-flight, with a first half strike that opened the floodgates for Roberto Martinez’s team.

Seamus Coleman, Br yan Oviedo and on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku all netted in the second half as Everton climbed to four th in the table ahead of today’s fixtures. Deulofeu’s potential, having scored 18 goals in 34 games for Barcelona B last season and with five first-team appearances under his belt, was never in question but his ability to adapt to English football was his manager’s primary concern.

The first-half focus was almost entirely on the Barca prodigy, who fittingly produced the first and last action of the opening 45 minutes with plenty of contributions in between.

Having seen an early low freekick parried by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, Deulofeu’s angled shot was also denied at the near post. Begovic produced a brilliant double save to stop Leon Osman’s deflected shot and Lukaku’s closerange follow-up either side of another two angled efforts from Deulofeu, before Lukaku headed wide from Oviedo’s cross.

Just as it appeared Everton’s dominance would go unrewarded Deulofeu struck, cutting in from the left and getting the ball back via Osman and Gareth Barry to finally beat Begovic with just seconds in the half remaining. Four minutes after the break right-back Coleman made it 2-0 when his mis-hit shot looped past Begovic.

Deulofeu was far from finished and he drew a fine save from Begovic, who then denied Lukaku

on the rebound. Oviedo added the third in the 58th minute as Ever ton pressed home their advantage.

The Costa Rican, deputising for the injured England lef t-back Leighton Baines, collec ted Deulofeu’s short corner, switched the ball on to his weaker right foot and powered it home from distance.

Oviedo then turned provider with the cross for Lukaku to score his eighth league goal of the season from close range.

Luk aku was immediately replaced by Nikica Jelavic, who has scored just one league goal since December 9, and the Croatian’s lack of confidence showed as with only Begovic to beat he bundled a shot straight at the goalkeeper in the 89th minute. —AFP

West Ham brush aside Fulham West Ham 3

Fulham 0

NORWICH: Crystal Palace’s English striker Cameron Jerome vies with Norwich City’s Irish midfielder Wes Hoolahan during the English Premier League football match between Norwich City and Crystal Palace at Carrow Road in Norwich yesterday. —AFP

Black Cats hold Villa to goalless draw Aston Villa 0

Sunderland 0

LONDON: Aston Villa shared the points with struggling Sunderland in a terse 0-0 Premier League draw at Villa Park yesterday.

Not even the presence of Villa fan Prince William, wearing a club scarf and coat as he watched from owner Randy Lerner’s executive box, could inspire the hosts to match the 6-1 showing in the corresponding fixture last season.

Sunderland’s Emanuele Giaccherini missed a glaring chance and Fabio Borini hit the bar, but the point was sufficient to take Gus Poyet’s side off the bottom at Crystal Palace’s expense.

The Black Cats had come closest to all three points as they chased their first away win of

the season, but had to settle for their first away point since late August. Villa manager Paul Lambert had handed starts to Gabriel Agbonlahor, Andreas Weimann and Fabian Delph after the trio came off the bench to inspire a late comeback in Monday’s 2-2 draw at West Brom.

Poyet made three changes from last week’s 2-0 defeat to Stoke at the Britannia Stadium with Borini, Andrea Dossena and ex-Villa midfielder Craig Gardner recalled. Centre-back Wes Brown was included in their lineup after last week’s controversial red card at Stoke was rescinded upon appeal. Villa pushed ahead in the opening ten minutes with Agbonlahor having two early efforts saved, but Sunderland soon got into their rhythm.

Gardner converted Borini’s pass after 41 minutes but was ruled offside as the flag was up moments earlier. Giaccherini missed a chance to break the deadlock for Sunderland just before the break but his close range effort flew over the net to the delight of the home fans. — AFP

LONDON: West Ham eased away from the relegation zone yesterday and put Martin Jol’s job as Fulham manager in jeopardy with a comfortable 3-0 win at Upton Park. Second-half goals from Mohamed Diame as well as substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole did the damage for Sam Allardyce’s men who move three points above the drop zone.

Fulham meanwhile remain entrenched in the bottom three and with Jol suffering his ninth defeat in 13 matches, it will be debatable whether he will keep his position after another shocking display from the Cottagers.

West Ham broke a scoreless deadlock two minutes after halftime when French-born Senegalese international Diame let fly with a shot from outside the box that was cruelly deflected past Fulham’s Dutch ‘keeper Martin Stekelenburg.

Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell was caught in possession in midfield while Jol will feel aggrieved that play wasn’t stopped with Scott Parker down injured. It was the first goal of the season for the 26-year-old Diame who arrived at Upton Park in 2012 after three seasons with

Wigan and a prior spell in Spain with Rayo Vallecano.

After Ravel Morrison should have put West Ham further in front when he missed an open goal, his fellow substitute Carlton Cole showed the way with his seventh goal against Fulham.

He swept home Stuart Downing’s cross with eight minutes remaining as the match slipped away from the Craven

Cottage outfit. His namesake Joe Cole then put the result well beyond doubt six minutes later after excellent work from the impressive Morrison as Allardyce saw two of his three substitutes get onto the scoresheet.

Fulham’s dismal record playing London derbies away from home worsens, having now won just six times in 57 matches, including 32 defeats. Fulham with-

stood a first half onslaught and went in at the break 0-0 after Modibo Maiga came closest for the home side when he crashed his header against the post following a Mark Noble free-kick from the right wing.

But it was just a matter of time before West Ham broke the stalemate and likely just a matter of time that Jol hangs on to his job. — AFP

LONDON: West Ham United’s Welsh defender James Collins (L) vies with Fulham’s Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt during the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Fulham at Upton Park in London yesterday. — AFP

Australia crush NZ in one-sided final

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

16

Deulofeu shows potential as Everton rout Stoke

19

George leads Pacers past Wizards 93-73

Page 18

CARDIFF: Arsenal’s French defender Bacary Sagna (up) is fouled by Cardiff City’s South Korean midfielder Kim Bo-Kyung during the English Premier League football match between Cardiff City and Arsenal at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff yesterday. — AFP

Ramsey sends Arsenal 7 points clear Cardiff 0

Arsenal 3

LONDON: Aaron Ramsey’s brace inspired Arsenal to a 3-0 win at Cardiff City yesterday that sent Arsene Wenger’s side seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The former Cardiff academy starlet, who joined the Gunners as a 17-year-old, bagged a brilliant first-half header and added a second in stoppage time-his 13th goal of the season-after Mathieu Flamini had made it 2-0 with a late strike.

It was no more than Arsenal deserved on a day when Ramsey once again proved his worth to the north London club. The visitors might have taken the lead inside two minutes when Jack Wilshere shifted

the ball from right foot to left before striking the Cardiff bar with goalkeeper David Marshall beaten.

Ramsey had been given a warm welcome by the Cardiff fans on his return to the Welsh capital, as home manager Malky Mackay had requested in the build-up to the game.

And though Cardiff did their best to overload the middle third in a bid to snuff out the Welshman’s threat, Ramsey was immediately to the fore alongside Wilshere and Mesut Ozil.

An early clash of heads saw Per Mertesacker temporarily leave the pitch and in the Arsenal centre-back’s absence, Cardiff almost took the lead when Kevin Theophile-Catherine’s measured cross was headed inches wide by Fraizer Campbell.

At the opposite end, there followed one of the season’s more bizarre moments.

Wilshere’s pass found its way to the feet of Olivier Giroud but with only Marshall to beat, the Frenchman hesitated, expecting the assistant referee’s flag to be raised for offside.

There was no flag, however, and Giroud’s hesitation gave Steven Caulker enough time to recover himself and clear the danger. Wenger appeared displeased but it did not deter Arsenal, who continued to dominate.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Ozil picked out Ramsey with a precise cross and the 22-year-old star beat Marshall with a firm header. His didn’t celebrate, giving rise to an extraordinary standing ovation from large sections of the home crowd.

It could have been 2-0 a minute into the second half when Ramsey waltzed his way to the byline and picked out Giroud. This time, the Frenchman was on target with a smart shot but Ben Turner stuck out a leg and cleared to safety.

However, Arsenal were grateful to Wojciech Szczesny a minute later when Campbell’s downward header looked destined for the bottom corner, only for the Polish goalkeeper to pull off an outstanding save.

It was Cardiff’s most prolific spell of the

game, with Peter Whittingham twice having shots blocked before Szczesny dropped smartly to field Theophile-Catherine’s shot from distance.

Wenger was quick to emerge from the Arsenal dug-out, doubtless demanding greater urgency and quality in the midfield third.

He was justified in his request as Arsenal were beginning to look a touch vulnerable, but in committing more and more men forward, Cardiff themselves became susceptible to a counter-punch and Santi Cazorla should have done better from eight yards after being teed up by Ramsey.

Cardiff continued to push as they had done in the final moments against Manchester United last weekend. They snatched a late equaliser on that occasion but this time there was to be no repeat performance.

Instead, it was Arsenal who scored a second when Ozil picked out Flamini, who fired the ball into the roof of the net, before Ramsey wrapped things up at the end of a breakaway in stoppage time. — AFP

EPL results/standings Aston Villa 0, Sunderland 0; Cardiff City 0, Arsenal 3; Everton 4, Stoke City 0; Norwich City 1, Crystal Palace 0; West Ham United 3 Fulham 0.

Arsenal Liverpool Chelsea Everton Man City Southampton Man United Newcastle United Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa Swansea City West Bromwich Hull City Norwich City West Ham United Stoke City Cardiff City Fulham Sunderland Crystal Palace

P W 13 10 12 7 12 7 13 6 12 7 12 6 12 6 12 6 12 6 13 4 12 4 12 3 12 4 13 4 13 3 13 3 13 3 13 3 13 2 13 2

D L 1 2 3 2 3 2 6 1 1 4 4 2 3 3 2 4 2 4 4 5 3 5 6 3 2 6 2 7 4 6 4 6 4 6 1 9 2 9 1 10

F 27 24 21 21 34 15 20 17 9 13 17 14 9 11 12 12 11 11 8 7

A Pts 10 31 13 24 10 24 13 24 12 22 7 22 15 21 17 20 12 20 14 16 16 15 14 15 15 14 23 14 14 13 18 13 20 13 24 10 24 8 22 7

Sissoko thunderbolt sends Newcastle fifth Newcastle 2

West Bromich 1

NEWCASTLE: Moussa Sissoko scored a spectacular goal to give Newcastle United a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion yesterday that catapulted them to fifth place in the Premier League.

The France international midfielder rippled the West Brom net with a soaring long-range drive in the 57th minute, after Yoan Gouffran’s opener had been cancelled out by visiting skipper Chris Brunt.

Sissoko’s strike gave Newcastle a fourth consecutive league victory and left Alan Pardew’s side a point behind second-place Liverpool and third-place Chelsea, both of whom play on Sunday, and fourth-place Everton.

West Brom fall to 12th, meanwhile, and have now won just once in eight league fixtures, having previously let a 20 lead slip in a 2-2 draw at home to

Aston Villa on Monday.

With Newcastle in such fine form, manager Pardew elected to make just one adjustment to his starting XI, with right-back Mathieu Debuchy coming in for Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa after serving a suspension.

Full-backs Liam Ridgewell and Billy Jones returned to the West Brom side after injury, while midfielder James Morrison was also drafted in by Steve Clarke.

West Brom began with purpose and saw Brunt extend Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul with a 30-yard free-kick before Debuchy had to block from Stephane Sessegnon at the resulting corner.

Newcastle slowly took control, however, and after top scorer Loic Remy had miscued with a header from Debuchy’s right-wing cross, they took the lead in the 36th minute.

Yohan Cabaye’s left-wing corner was met by an unconvincing punch from goalkeeper Boaz Myhill that succeeded only in sending the ball looping into the air, and Gouffran had the relatively simple task of heading into an unguarded net.

Things might have got worse for the visitors shortly before half-time, but last

man Jonas Olsson’s sly tug on Remy’s jersey went unnoticed by referee Phil Dowd despite animated Newcastle appeals.

The pattern of the match looked set to continue when Myhill had to save at Remy’s feet early in the second half, but in the 53rd minute West Brom drew level.

Shane Long narrowly avoided making contact with Morgan Amalfitano’s inviting right-wing cross, but the ball fell to Brunt at the back post and he thumped a lusty half-volley into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Newcastle might even have fallen behind had Olsson’s downward header not narrowly eluded the lurking Long, but a minute later Sissoko restored their lead with a memorable goal.

Remy nodded the ball into his path 25 yards from goal and the former Toulouse man adjusted his feet before crashing a glorious drive beyond Myhill’s fingertips and into the top-right corner.

Newcastle had a strong penalty appeal for handball against Jones waved away by Dowd, while Debuchy shot straight at Myhill following a loose pass from Brunt, but Sissoko’s strike proved a fitting winner. — AFP

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United’s French striker Yoan Gouffran scores the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park in Newcastle upon Tyne yesterday. — AFP

Business SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Ratan Tata sees brighter future for upmarket Nano Page 23

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller brings PSB to Middle East Page 26

China, India cut back Iran crude, duck US sanctions

Expo 2020 to bolster tourism in UAE, region

Page 22

Dozens of foreign truck drivers are blocked in a motorway during a demonstration near Phalsbourg, eastern France, to protest against government’s controversial plans for a tax on heavy vehicles yesterday. — AFP

Post-typhoon rebuilding to take 5 years Philippines reconstruction could cost $2 billion MANILA: Rebuilding areas devastated by a super typhoon that killed thousands in the Philippines will take up to five years and cost more than two billion dollars, officials said yesterday.

The comments came as the death toll from Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the country, continued to rise. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 5,632 people had been confirmed dead while 1,759 were still missing following the category five storm earlier this month.

“The total rehabilitation will take three to five years, depending on the pace of our support system and the projects we implement,” Eduardo del Rosario, executive director of the NDRRMC, said.

He told reporters that President Benigno Aquino did not want to merely repair the damage but wants the new structures to be better than those that were standing before the storm.

“Our president wants the rehabilitation to be ‘build-back better communities,” so they can withstand future storms,” del Rosario said. Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said: “We are looking at over a hundred billion pesos ($2.2 billion) of reconstruction, from livelihood, commerce, social services,” as well as infrastructure and power facilities.

That figure does not include the huge amounts already spent on immediate relief for the millions of people who were injured or left without food, water or shelter. About 15 to 20 billion pesos will go to providing shelter with some 60,000 to 80,000 families to be re-settled in two to three years, said Singson. This will include the people whose homes were destroyed by the storm as well as those who will have to move out of a recently-declared 40-metre (131-foot) “no-build zone” from the coastline, Singson added. The zone is intended to prevent a repetition of the large number of deaths that occurred after Haiyan brought massive storm surges that flattened seaside communities.

Earlier this week, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Haiyan would cut 0.3-0.8 percentage points from gross domestic product growth in the final quarter of 2013. The United Nations made an initial humanitarian appeal for $301 million in aid for the typhoon victims just days after Haiyan hit. The UN will make another appeal for more funds in December.

A spokeswoman for the local UN office, Orla Fagan, told a news conference on Friday that donors had forked out $164 million so far. — AFP

Prince Alwaleed’s CFO to leave investment firm DUBAI: The chief financial officer of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s investment vehicle, Kingdom Holding, is to leave the firm, two banking sources aware of the matter said.

Shadi Sadeek Sanbar, who has worked with the firm for more than eight years and is seen as a close aide of the Saudi billionaire, will leave the firm at the end of the year, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the matter has not been formally announced.

Another source familiar with Kingdom Holding said Sanbar, 66, is retiring from the firm and will move with his family to the United States. He will continue to be on Kingdom’s board of directors, the source added.

Alwaleed is a closely-watched figure in international markets because of investments through Kingdom Holding in companies such as Citigroup Inc and Rupert Murdoch’s

News Corp.

The prince, a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, invested $300 million in social media giant Twitter in late 2011. Sanbar is leaving to spend more time with his family, a second Saudi-based banking source said, adding deputy chief financial officer Mohammed Fahmy Soliman was seen as the most likely candidate to replace him.

Sanbar will be the second senior executive to leave Kingdom in recent months. In June, Ahmed Reda Halawani, the company’s executive director of private equity, resigned for personal reasons, Kingdom had said in a statement at the time.

Kingdom said last month that its third-quarter net profit had risen 1 percent.. The investment firm’s shares have risen 7 percent on the Riyadh bourse year-to-date. — Reuters

Page 25

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

BUSINESS

China, India cut back Iran crude, duck US sanctions

Bayt.com weekly report

Five myths about career shifts and how to overcome them

By Lama Ataya

N

o matter what you tell yourself, it’s never too late to start again. According to the Bayt.com ‘Career Reinvention and the MENA Workplace’ poll, June 2011, more than 80 percent of Middle East professionals are looking to switch their career path.

In fact, we’ve seen many investment bankers turn into internet gurus, lawyers turn into businessmen, businessmen turn into real estate developers, engineers turn into designers and the list is endless. So if you’re feeling completely unfulfilled with your career and know that changing jobs, companies or locations won’t change that, don’t fret. It’s never too late to start afresh, providing you plan ahead and follow a few basic rules.

Below are some myths about career shifts along with tips from the career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number 1 job site, on how to overcome them to ease you through your career transition: Myth 1: It’s too much work to change careers. Where would I ever begin?

Bayt.com Tip: The first step in considering a career change is to think carefully about what really drives you. It’s important to first discover your primary interests and passions as this can open doors to careers that you might not have considered. Once you have that foundation, you can start fine tuning your search for the right career. You may be surprised at how you can fit your passions into a new career.

Myth 2: I’m too old to make a career change.

Bayt.com Tip: If you have worked for a number of years, you may feel that you’ve put too much time and effort into your career to change midstream. Or you may be concerned about retirement and health benefits. However, the more you’ve worked, the more likely you are to have skills that can transfer to a new career. Employers look for these skills when they’re interviewing you. According to The Bayt.com Middle East Job Index Survey, August 2013, most regional employers are looking for professionals who have the ability to communicate well in both English and Arabic (50 percent), who are team players (48 percent), and with good leadership skills (47 percent). Candidates with experience in managing a team (42 percent), computer skills (31 percent), and sales and marketing (27 percent) are also sought after.

Myth 3: The past dictates the future.

Bayt.com Tip: The biggest limiting belief that comes into play when someone is attempting to make a career change is the belief that they are stuck in their current career simply because that is what they’ve always done. It takes a mindset shift to realize that your job title is only a tiny piece of the unique experiences that have shaped you. Once you’ve settled on your new career path, identify any gaps and make a plan to obtain those new required skills. Making a dramatic change is difficult, but being armed with the confidence and knowledge that you are uniquely qualified will make it easier to keep going when things get tough.

Myth 4: It will be impossible for me to learn new skills.

Bayt.com Tip: Being a lifelong learner is the new age professional mantra and is widely acknowledged to be vital for career success. Of course there will be a learning curve to any new career you try. But isn’t having a new professional challenge part of why you seek this change? The biggest mistake professionals can make in advancing their career as per 28.6 percent of polled professionals in the Bayt.com ‘Career Reinvention and the MENA Workplace’ poll is not improving and updating their existing skills and not learning new skills regularly. The goal is to find a career that taps into your innate strengths and interests, as for the aspects of the job that may intimidate you (such as becoming tech savvy), accept that getting proficient in these skills may be frustrating and difficult, making mastery of these challenges even more gratifying. According to the same poll, 30.5 percent of the region’s professionals claim that willingness to learn is the most important quality required to succeed in one’s career.

Myth 5: If I make a career change, I’ll be starting over at the bottom.

Bayt.com Tip: Not necessarily. You’re not the same person you were when you first entered the job market. You’ve gained an extensive array of skills, and you have the wisdom and perspective which are acquired only through time. The key to bypassing entry-level status is to market these assets in your next interview. Again, the skills that made you successful may be ‘transferable’ to your dream job. Believing and convincing yourself, and your interviewer, of your ability to reinvent yourself will put you ahead of younger competition. These pointers should help you overcome common myths about career shifts and go about this shift in the smartest way possible. Good luck!

Kerry: Countries qualified for exception to sanctions WASHINGTON: China and India are among countries that have dodged US sanctions by cutting back on Iranian crude, Washington said as it pledged to “aggressively” enforce such punitive measures despite a recent nuclear deal with Tehran.

President Barack Obama determined that global crude production was enough “to permit foreign countries to reduce significantly their purchases of Iranian oil” after taking note of a report on the topic, the White House said. “In this context, it is notable that many purchasers of Iranian crude oil continue to reduce, or have ceased altogether, their purchases from Iran,” it added.

This biannual evaluation is mandated by a 2012 law aimed at drying up Tehran’s oil revenues by forcing third countries to stop buying Iranian crude or face sanctions. But the law allows

the US executive branch to grant waivers to states that cut back on their purchases.

“I am pleased to announce that, based on additional significant reductions in the volume of their purchases of Iranian crude oil, China, India, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, and Taiwan have again qualified for an exception to sanctions,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.

The top US diplomat also noted that Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore, and Sri Lanka have also avoided sanctions “because they no longer purchase crude oil from Iran.”

The announcement comes less than a week after world powers-the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany known as the P5+1 — reached a historic deal with Iran on its disputed nuclear program.

Pending negotiations for a broader agreement, the Islamic state agreed to freeze parts of its program in exchange for an estimated $7 billion of relief from crippling sanctions. “The effectiveness of the international sanctions regime has proven essential in bringing Iran to the table to negotiate,” Kerry said.

However, he added, the interim November 24 deal struck in Geneva does not provide sanctions relief for countries who up their Iranian crude purchases or for potential new customers. “We will continue to aggressively enforce our sanctions over the next six months, as we work to determine whether there is a comprehensive solution that gives us confidence that the Iranian nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes,” he said. — AFP

Warba Bank platinum sponsor of 3rd Industries & Building Exhibition KUWAIT: Warba Bank announced yesterday its platinum sponsorship of the 3rd Industries and Building Exhibition. The Exhibition, which will be held during 2-5 December, will witness a high turnout and immense participation by numerous industrial companies seeking to promote the industrial sector and exchange various expertise in this field.

Platinum Sponsorship On this occasion, Adnan Al-Salem, Chief Retail Banking Officer indicated that Warba’s Platinum Sponsorship of the Exhibition is intended to support significant economic exhibitions and introduce Warba’s Sharia compliant products and services. Al-Salem pointed out that this exhibition will be suitable platform to introduce Warba’s financing services offered to the industrial and building sectors as they have been witnessing ongoing marketability.

Further, he added that other banking products and services will be introduced to visitors, stressing that Warba’s representatives will be available throughout the exhibition period to meet all interested and concerned parties and elaborate on the facilities that the bank can offer them on the long term.

Financing services Al-Salem highlighted that Warba bank focuses on diversifying its income resources through concentrating on economic sectors with

returns and low risks. In a step that further enhances this significant elaboration, Al-Salem stated that major governmental bodies such as The Ministry of Electricity & Water, Savings and Credit Bank, Kuwait Municipality, The Public Authority for Industry, and the Public Authority for Housing Welfare will be attending. During the Exhibition period, Warba will be providing its retail financing solutions, in cooperation with leading companies, and contribute to providing suitable financing tools. Talking about Warba’s retail financing services, AlSalem noted that, through Personal Finance Department, Warba provides a range of value added and Sharia compliant products and services that cater for the needs of our customers at a competitive rate and a flexible repayment period.

Objectives Al-Salem concluded that various leading industrial companies will participate in the exhibition that will present the latest innovations in the field of building, under one roof. In addition, governmental bodies interested in the building materials will also participate. The sponsors will offer 20 great prizes through a daily raffle draw. It is worth mentioning that Warba shows major interest in attending similar significant events locally and regionally. This is in line with the bank’s strategy to be in close contact with premium economic sectors, widen its customer-base and invest in mega projects and opportunities with lucrative profits.

Adnan Al-Salem - Chief Retail Banking Officer

Burgan Bank announces winner of its new Al-Thuraya Account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced Sabry Hamed Al-Hajeej as the winner of its brand new luxurious car “Audi R8”, Al-Thuraya Account prize from Burgan Bank, in the midst of a grand celebration at the Grand Avenues that involved exceptional entertainment and valuable prizes presented to the attendees.

Leading the launch night were MC’s Salman Al-Nijadi and Basma Al-Sultan, who also explained the benefits of the AlThuraya Account, while the car was displayed at the main event stage. The account aims at raising the frequency of customers being lucky winners of one of the world’s most admired sports cars, where in customers can now win four luxurious Audi R8 cars on a quarterly basis. Also, a customized branded motorized ATM machine that distributed tickets to

the raffle draw at the event, was designed specifically for this event and was located throughout the day at the mall. In order to create a wave of interest among the visitors, raffle draw prizes were distributed during the event itself.

Al-Thuraya Account is the only salary account that gives its customers an ongoing chance to win the Audi R8 dream car.

Opening an Al-Thuraya account is simple; customers are required to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and obtain all the necessary details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center 1804080.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercial Bank and third largest by assets in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and financial institutions sectors,

as well as having a growing retail and private bank customer base.

Burgan Bank has five majority owned subsidiaries, which include Gulf Bank Algeria - AGB (Algeria), Bank of Baghdad BOB (Iraq & Lebanon), Jordan Kuwait Bank - JKB (Jordan) Tunis International Bank - TIB (Tunisia), and fully owned Burgan Bank - Turkey, (collectively known as the “Burgan Bank Group”).

The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years through an expanded revenue structure, diversified funding sources, and a strong capital base. The adoption of state-of-the-art services and technology has positioned it as a trendsetter in the domestic market and within the MENA region.

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

2.878 4.647 2.672 2.163 2.924 231.500 36.585 3.642 6.574 9.072 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.684 77.982 737.170 753.820 77.292

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

SELL DRAFT 271.01 278.70 318.39 388.05 282.80 458.26 2.98 3.639 4.578 2.158 2.868 2.666 77.06 752.70 41.03 402.49 735.46 78.09 75.54

SELL CASH 272.000 279.000 318.000 390.000 285.500 462.000 3.000 3.700 4.820 2.500 3.300 2.760 77.400 753.500 41.100 407.500 741.500 78.500 75.800

Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.000 10.015 3.065 3.860 89.290

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

BUY

SELL

Europe Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

0.007366 0.448723 0.006648 0.047494 0.379246 0.043353 0.081774 0.008124 0.039966 0.306721 0.140278

0.008366 0.457723 0.018648 0.052494 0.386746 0.048553 0.81774 0.018124 40.044966 0.316921 0.147278

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

42.900 40.717 1.324 173.730 400.790 1.904 3.083 35.025

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound Canadian dollar Turkish lira Swiss Franc Australian Dollar US Dollar Buying

283.700 390.000 458.350 279.510 143.090 317.870 274.050 282.500 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

248.000 125.000 65.000

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

Selling Rate 283.150 276.220 456.285 385.340 312.980 747.655 77.070 78.620 76.375 399.145 41.040 2.155 4.553 2.669 3.640 6.551 695.475

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

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

Australasia 0.259152 0.229085

0.270652 0.238565

America 0.268140 0.279300 0.279800

0.276640 0.283650 0.283650

Asia 0.003260 0.044844 0.034466 0.004365 0.000020 0.002825 0.003408 0.000253 0.085039 0.002937 0.002526

0.003860 0.048344 0.037216 0.004766 0.000026 0.003005 0.003408 0.000268 0.091039 0.003107 0.002806

Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.006415 0.000069 0.223432 0.022498 0.001827 0.009525 0.008703 Arab 0.745268 0.038500 0.000078 0.000183 0.395501 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022687 0.001200 0.730072 0.077133 0.074937 0.001929 0.168969 0.140278 0.076178

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

0.006695 0.000075 0.229432 0.030998 0.002407 0.009705 0.009253

0.753268 0.041600 0.000080 0.000243 0.403001 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046687 0.001835 0.735752 0.078346 0.075637 0.002149 0.176969 0.147278 0.077327

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.150 387.000 455.450 275.600 4.625 41.075 2.161 3.640 6.565 2.670 754.150 77.150 75.650

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

BUSINESS

EQUATE wins top Mideast CSR award KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company received, for the fourth consecutive year, the Environmental Program of the Year Award during the annual Oil & Gas Middle East Awards 2013 ceremony.

On this occasion, EQUATE VP Technical Services Mohammad Al-Benali said, “Such recognition is a result of EQUATE’s overall commitment to all sustainability related issues, especially the environment. For this purpose, EQUATE

has launched several initiatives to ensure the environment’s safeguarding and preser ving the environment through all possible means.”

Al-Benali, who also heads EQUATE Corporate Social Responsibility Team, added, “The initiatives include Kuwait’s first and only seawater cooling towers, Kuwait’s first CO2 recovery project, as well as the Middle East’s first plant water recycle project. Such a focus on CSR has enabled EQUATE to manifest its world-

class excellence at several levels and reflect its ‘Partners in Success’ tagline.” In recognition of its sustainability achievements, EQUATE has earned several prestigious honors, including His Highness the Amir Award for the Best Plant in Kuwait; The Gold Award in Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) for Gulf private sector companies; The Award for Best Gulf Company in Recruiting Nationals; Arabian Business Best CSR Company Award; Oil & Gas (O&G)

Middle East CSR Award; O&G Best Implemented Environmental Program of the Year; Middle East Chemical Week (MECW) Plant of the Year Award; as well as Kuwait’s CSR Award in the Industrial and Oil Sector. In addition, EQUATE has received the Highly Commended Best Community Program Award during the First Middle East CSR Award Summit.

Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company

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

Expo 2020 win a shot in arm for Dubai’s ambitions NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

Ratan Tata sees brighter future for upmarket Nano NEW DELHI: India’s struggling Tata Nano, billed as the world’s cheapest car, could still have a strong future with a more upmarket image, says Tata group tycoon Ratan Tata, as the company looks to give the hatchback a new start. Tata told US business channel CNBC late Friday he still had high hopes for the tiny Nano in its home market and abroad.

“A re-launched Nano with some of the differences that we’re trying to incorporate, yes I do” believe it has good prospects, Tata said.

“We are going to relaunch the car not as the cheapest car ” but with a different “image”, Tata said, without giving a timeframe. When Tata Motors-part of India’s giant Tata group-launched the Nano in 2009, analysts said it would revolutionise how millions in India travelled. But after poor sales, it become clear the car’s unique selling point-its price-had backfired.

Tata said the branding of the jelly-bean shaped vehicle as the world’s cheapest car was a mistake. “It became termed as a cheapest car by the public and, I am sorry to say, by ourselves,” Tata said, calling the branding “unfortunate”. Rather than embracing the Nano, the poorer but still status-conscious customer base the car

was targeting largely shunned the “cheap” tag and opted for slightly pricier rivals. The base model initially sold for a price of 100,000 rupees ($1,600).

“The Nano should have been marketed towards the two-wheeler owner,” said Tata, who trained as an architect and worked closely on the design. It was “conceived to give people who rode on two wheels with the whole family an all-weather safe form of affordable transportation, not the cheapest”, he said. Families of four and five are regularly seen balancing precariously on motorcycles weaving through India’s notoriously lethal congested traffic.

“Maybe it could get launched in another country like Indonesia, where it doesn’t have the (cheap) stigma and the new image comes back to India,” Tata said. “Or maybe it could be launched as a changed product that gets marketed in Europe.

There’s a lot of interest in the Nano outside India,” Tata said. Tata Motors, which also produces the successful British luxury Jaguar and Land Rover marques, had aimed to sell around 25,000 Nanos a month. But between April and October, it sold just 12,322 units. The base model, sold without air conditioning, now costs 145,000 rupees. —AFP

KUWAIT: Dubai on Wednesday won the bid to host the World Expo 2020, over Izmir in Turkey, Yekaterinburg in Russia and Sao Paolo in Brazil.

The Expo event is held every five years and grants the chosen city greater global recognition and economic benefits that could span years. Shanghai was the last host city; Milan and now Dubai will be next in 2015 and 2020 respectively. The event will give Dubai the opportunity to bring its technology, architecture and culture to the fore in front of millions of visitors and ultimately lead to a plethora of business and investment opportunities.

Dubai’s real non-oil growth rate is currently around 5 percent on the back of a rapid expansion in its real estate, tourism, trade and financial sectors. The UAE government estimates that about $23 billion of output (25 percent of Dubai’s current GDP) will be generated by the event between 2015 and 2021. The preparation in the run-up to the event and the event itself are expected to attract over 20 million visitors, boost foreign capital inflows, provide about 300,000 new job opportunities over the next six to seven years, and propel the pace of development projects. The transport authority

has already announced that it will increase the pace of its $1.4 billion metro extension plan, to cater for the influx of visitors. The total value of the UAE’s proposed projects tops the rest of the GCC: it currently stands at a staggeringly high $1.38 trillion, followed by Saudi Arabia at $1.02 trillion.

A revival in construction and property projects may help alleviate Dubai’s debt burden over time. As the emirate continues to restructure its debt, the win comes as a sigh of relief to debtors as they will likely take advantage of the higher capital inflows to pay off their debts. The IMF estimates that about $64 billion of debt owed by Dubai’s Government-Related Enterprises (GREs) and government will be due between 2014 and 2016. The win will likely facilitate the emirate’s efforts to repay its debt and enhance Dubai’s brand and credibility.

Caution will be more acutely needed in real estate. The government will need to ensure that the new mortgage caps are fully enforced if it is to prevent the repeat of another 20032008 boom bust cycle. The Expo win comes at a time when Dubai’s property sector is already witnessing an impressive rebound, so much so

that the IMF urged tighter regulation in the property market back in July. Property prices (commercial and residential) are by some measures, up almost 30 percent year-to-date. The Expo win could result in the oversupply of residential and commercial property. The new and tighter mortgage lending rules and regulations are due to come into effect very soon. The new mortgage caps along with continued caution should help keep potential speculative bubbles at bay.

Dubai’s ambitious plans together with its relatively small population will no doubt amplify the economic effects of the event. Looking at past events: Shanghai’s 2010 Expo event earned it an operating profit of over $164mn; Germany’s Hanover event however, led to losses of about $1.6 billion after attendance fell far short of forecasts: 18 million versus 40 million.

However, the latter scenario is unlikely in Dubai’s case, especially since the Expo comes to MENA for the first time. Expectations of what Dubai will showcase are high and given its proven track record of accomplishments, it is unlikely to disappoint, though potential excesses will need to be watched.

Foreign trainees in Japan face exploitation KAIZU: When Chinese textile worker Wang Mingzhi heard he could more than triple his income with a three-year stint working in Japan as an apprentice, he eagerly paid a broker $7,300 in fees and deposit money. From afar, Japan seemed a model of prosperity and order. Japanese government backing of the training program he would enter the country under helped ease worries about going abroad. But when he joined the ranks of 150,000 other interns from poor Asian countries working in Japan, Wang was in for a series of shocks.

Promised a clothing factory job, the 25year-old wound up at a huge warehouse surrounded by rice paddies where he was told to fill boxes with clothing, toys and other goods.

Wang and other new arrivals weren’t given contracts by their Japanese boss and monthly wages were withheld, except for overtime.

Anyone who didn’t like the conditions could return to China, their boss told them. But then Wang would have lost most of his deposit. And how could he face his family, who were counting on sharing in the $40,000 he hoped he would earn for three years work.

“We didn’t have any choice but to stay,” Wang said from his bunk in a cramped house he shared with a dozen others in Kaizu, a small city in central Gifu prefecture. Wang’s story is not unusual. Faced with a shrinking workforce and tight restrictions on immigration, Japanese employers such as small companies, farms and fisheries are plugging labor shortages by relying on interns from China, Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia. The training program is intended to help developing countries by upgrading the technical expertise of their workers but critics say it is abused by some employers who see it as a source of cheap labor.

Employers committing violations such as failing to pay wages numbered 197 last year, down more than half from 452 in 2008, according to Japanese officials. Lawyers and labor activists say the true number is many times higher and interns fear being sent home if they speak up despite government attempts to prevent abuses.

In interviews with The Associated Press, eight current and former interns described being cheated of wages, forced to work overtime, having contracts withheld or being charged exorbitant rents for cramped, poorly insulated housing. Some said they were prohibited from owning cellphones. The internship system has been criticized by the U.N. and the U.S. State Department, which in its

annual “Trafficking in Persons Report” said Japan is failing to stop cases of forced labor.

“The program is portrayed as way to transfer technology, and that Japan is doing a wonderful thing, but in reality many are working like slaves,” said Shoichi Ibusuki, a lawyer who has represented several interns in court cases. Some say the plight of the interns highlights the need for Japan to rethink its deep-seated resistance to immigration, out of sheer economic necessity. A government institute projects Japan’s workforce will plummet by nearly half to 44 million over the next 50 years as the population ages and birthrates remain low. At that rate, many companies will run out of workers.

Foreign workers and first generation immigrants make up less than 2 percent of Japan’s workforce. In the United States, the percentage is 14.2 percent, and in Germany it is 11.7 percent, according to UN figures. Unions and others have called for the training program, established in 1993, to be abolished and replaced with a formal system for employment of foreign workers. That will better meet the demand for low-skilled laborers as young Japanese flock to the cities and shun work that is dirty, dangerous or difficult, they say.

“We need to stop the deception,” said Ippei Torii, vice president of ZWU All United Workers Union, which has battled on behalf of interns. “If we need to bring in foreign workers, then we should call them workers and treat them so.” Hidenori Sakanaka, former chief of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau who has become a champion for immigration, said Japan needs 10 million immigrants over the next 50 years or its economy will collapse. “ That’s really our only salvation,” said Sakanaka, now head of a think tank. “We should allow them to enter the country on the assumption that they could become residents of Japan.”

The chances of that happening are low.

Immigration is perceived as a threat to Japan’s prized social harmony, and opponents paint scenarios of rising crime and other problems. About 20 years ago, Japan granted special visas to Latin Americans of Japanese descent but many had difficult fitting in. After the 2008 global financial crisis they were offered money to return home.

The training program got public attention earlier this year after a Chinese intern stabbed to death his boss and another Japanese employee at a fishery in Hiroshima but its ongoing problems have not been front page news.— AP

It’s gold and silks time at Joyalukkas and Jolly Silks KUWAIT: Joyalukkas and Jolly Silks, the one stop destination for silks, Jewelry and fashion has announced a special celebration on gold Jewelry and silk clothing from November 28, 2013 onwards. The celebration will offer gold Jewelry and silk clothing lovers the chance to experience a host of new designs and collections that will be exclusively available at Joyalukkas and Jolly Silks.

To make it convenient for gold Jewelry lovers to pick a new gold Jewelry piece, Joyalukkas is also offering consumers the chance to exchange their old gold Jewelry for a new one without any loss in weight and rate under the ‘No loss in weight or rate’ offer. This offer is valid till 7

December, 2013. The celebration of gold and silks was inaugurated by Subashis Goldar, Charge d’ Affaires, Embassy of India to Kuwait at Panasonic Tower, Kuwait City. Over 10,000 new designs in silk sarees and churidars have been sourced for the celebration to fulfill all the desires of silk lovers during the celebration period. “The beautiful combination of gold Jewelry and silk clothing is every woman’s dream and I am sure this special celebration we have planned will make every woman happy. I have seen the new collections and simply loved them,” said Goldar, after inaugurating the celebrations. “ We have created a dream mix of gold

Jewelry and silk clothing to make our customers’ shopping experience more exciting and enjoyable. We have also kept budget constraints in mind and tailored our ‘No loss on weight and rate’ on old gold Jewelry offer and special price tags on silk clothing to make all shoppers happy,” said John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, Joyalukkas Group.

The new designs have been chosen from the latest trends in India and have been inspired by some of the foremost designers of gold Jewelry and silks clothing there. Joyalukkas and Jolly Silks have also ensured the best prices and created the choice to suite all budgets to make the celebration accessible for all shoppers.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait market witnesses mixed performance BAYAN WEEKLY REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week with variance on its indices. The price index closed at 7,785.48 points, down by 0.71 percent from the week before closing, the weighted index increased by 0.66 percent after closing at 459 points, whereas the KSX-15 index closed at 1,083.31 points up by 1.29 percent.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 16.05 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 28.37 million, whereas trading volume average was 254.76 million shares, recording decrease of 12.99 percent.

The stock market indices closed with mixed performance last week, as the Price Index declined due to the sale-for-profit operations performed on the small-cap stocks, while the Weighted and KSX-15 indices grew by the end of the week supported by the purchasing operations that executed on many large-cap stocks especially in the Banking sector, in addition to the collection operations performed by some portfolios and investment funds on a number of blue-chip stocks in order to benefit from the expected dividends for the current financial year.

Furthermore, the stock market performance generally fluctuated on the daily basis, in light of the mixed transactions performed on some traded stocks during the week, whereas the small-cap stocks continued to play a leading role in such fluctuation, especially the Real Estate sector, as it witnessed quick speculations with negative result, and in turn affected the Price Index to end the last week trading in the red zone. For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 31.20 percent annual gain compared to its closing in 2012, while the weighted index increased by 9.90 percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 7.36 percent growth.

Sectors’ Indices Seven of KSE’s sectors ended last week in

the green zone, while the other five recorded declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the Telecommunications sector, achieving 2.91 percent growth rate as its index closed at 824.37 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Basic Materials sector’s index closed at 1,164.05 points recording 1.33 percent increase. The Oil & Gas sector came in third as its index achieved 0.55 percent growth, ending the week at 1,236.89 points. The Consumer Goods sector was the least growing as its index closed at 1,240.03 points with a 0.31 percent increase.

On the other hand, the Technology sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 2.38 percent to end the week’s activity at 1,039.34 points. The Financial Services sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 1.69 percent, closing at 1,154.90 points, followed by the Industrial sector, as its index closed at 1,171.40 points at a weekly loss of 1.64 percent.

Sectors’ Activity The Real Estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 538.74 million shares changing hands, representing 42.29 percent of the total market trading volume. The Financial Services sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 34.71 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 442.17 million shares.

On the other hand, the Real Estate sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 46.92 million or 33.08 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Financial Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover was KD 37.69 million represented 26.57 percent of the total market trading value. — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, Bayan Investment Co.

How Germany’s taxman used stolen information to squeeze Switzerland DUESSELDORF: In the digital age, pen and paper are useful tools for intrigue. In 2007, Sina Lapour, an assistant to a private banker at Credit Suisse, hand-copied the names of potential tax evaders listed on two of the firm’s internal computer systems. By not downloading information, Lapour avoided leaving electronic fingerprints. His employer did not detect his actions.

He put the notes in his briefcase and took them home, where he created an Excel spreadsheet which he called “Mappe1-test1.xls.” The spreadsheet held names, addresses, and amounts held by clients. Despite trying to cover his tracks, Lapour was eventually convicted of economic espionage, among other crimes. According to a statement he made in a plea bargain, the data he stole gave details of as many as 2,500 clients with combined assets up to 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.2 billion). He sold it to a middleman, who then sold it to German tax inspectors. The information led to police raids in 2010 on Credit Suisse’s main offices in Germany.

Lapour’s spreadsheet was one of a half-dozen sets of stolen data for which Germany has paid millions of euros over the past five years. Those purchases pushed the boundaries of German law; Reuters’ inquiries have found Germany’s 16 federal states all cooperated in making them. German parliament and court records, Swiss legal documents and interviews with bankers and politicians show the states and the central government in Berlin gradually constructed a system, partly funded by Germany’s federal finance ministry, to buy information on tax evaders.

It’s a campaign which involves hundreds of Germany’s roughly 2,500 tax inspectors, includes a formula to calculate each state’s share of a purchase, and continues to this day, German tax officials say. Some German politicians say buying stolen data added to pressure on Switzerland to share more information about tax evaders. Last month, Switzerland, which for decades has nurtured bank secrecy as a cornerstone of its offshore wealth industry, signed a convention to exchange some tax information with other countries. If approved by the Swiss parliament, it could be the end of a long and passionate battle.

Swiss officials accuse the Germans of breaking Swiss laws on banking secrecy and of committing economic espionage.

According to arrest warrants seen by Reuters, the Swiss prosecutor is seeking the arrest of three German tax inspectors on these charges. Swiss finance minister Eveline WidmerSchlumpf declined to comment, but a spokesman for her ministry said Germany’s handling of stolen goods “is highly questionable with respect to the rule of law.” In June this year, Germany’s parliament received a draft law with a clause to exempt from prosecution civil servants who handle stolen data. As Berlin parties haggle over a new government, it has yet to be passed.

Nonetheless Norbert-Walter Borjans, finance minister for North Rhine-Westphalia, the state which bought the Lapour data, says he would support the purchase of such information “so long as there is data containing valuable tips to be bought.” His predecessor, who signed off on the Lapour deal, could not be reached. Switzerland has filed no charges against the politicians involved. Buying stolen data is an “emergency remedy”, a spokesman for Germany’s federal finance ministry told Reuters: It was justified because Germany and Switzerland did not have a deal through which Germany could enforce its tax claims. None of the tax inspectors could be reached, and the state declined to comment on their behalf.

THE DECEASED WITNESS The Swiss prosecutors suspect the German tax inspectors

of more than handling stolen goods. They allege the taxmen even solicited the theft of specific information, according to an international request for legal assistance that Switzerland sent to Germany on the case. In that confidential document, seen by Reuters, Lapour is quoted as saying a middleman showed him a text message in which tax inspectors allegedly requested specific information.

Tax inspectors in North Rhine-Westphalia say they don’t solicit data stealing. Ingrid Herden, a spokeswoman for the state’s finance ministry, said German tax authorities had not actively encouraged theft of client data from Swiss banks.

“There is no evidence that tax inspectors from NRW did such a thing,” she added in a written statement to Reuters. However, Herden added that she could not rule out that a middleman may have incited Lapour to steal information.

That go-between, named in the Swiss request as an Austrian graphic designer called Wolfgang Umfogl, committed suicide in prison in Switzerland in 2010, weeks after his arrest on suspicion of money-laundering, according to police in Berne, Switzerland. Lapour, who was given a two-year jail sentence but spent less than six months in custody, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer declined to be interviewed. North Rhine-Westphalia declined to comment on the details of the case.

THE FITNESS CENTRE Lapour was born in 1983 in Tehran, Iran. By the mid-2000s he was working at Credit Suisse in Zurich and would meet up with Umfogl at the Banane Fitness Centre in Winterthur, according to the Swiss request for assistance, which is also based on Umfogl’s testimony and other material gathered by Swiss police. How the two got talking about stealing data is not revealed. Lapour created a data file on March 2, 2008, containing names, addresses, net worth and contact details for clients, the request for assistance says; Umfogl flew to Duesseldorf to meet German tax inspectors at the end of that month to see what this information was worth. His opening price: 6.75 million euros ($9.13 million).

By that time, North Rhine-Westphalia already had experience of handling stolen information from other sources. In 2008, it emerged that the state’s tax inspectors had obtained data stolen from LGT Group, a Liechtenstein bank, from a thief who originally sold it to Germany’s federal intelligence service, the BND. That year, North Rhine-Westphalia officials commissioned a legal opinion from the regional prosecutors to determine if they were within their rights to buy stolen data from Lapour.

The prosecutors found in their report that for civil servants, dealing with LGT data did not amount to handling stolen goods - the theft happened in Liechtenstein, to a foreign company. They also said “emergency measures” are justified if tax claims cannot be enforced by other legal means: Authorities in Liechtenstein had not cooperated with requests for legal assistance. Tax authorities at three German states would go ahead with deals, buying at least five sets of data since 2008 according to media announcements they made; the data was stolen from banks including UBS, Julius Baer and HSBC. The banks declined further comment or said they had resolved the issues.

THE UPDATED FILE In Switzerland, Lapour was busy. The Swiss prosecutor says his data file was updated on July 21, 2008, four months after Umfogl allegedly first met the German tax inspectors, to add the dates each account was opened. This, the Swiss prosecutor asserts, suggests he was stealing to order: German tax authorities needed the dates to see how long a client had evaded taxes.

In the request for legal assistance, Lapour is cited as saying Umfogl asked him to get that extra data: Umfogl had shown him a text message from June 24, 2008 in which the tax inspectors purportedly demanded more information. The alleged message’s exact contents are not described. In May 2009, Umfogl and the German tax inspectors met again, at the Kronen Hotel in Stuttgart, the Swiss document says.

There, prosecutors say, tax inspectors asked for a sample of the data and for information beyond names and dates.

According to the Swiss prosecutor, Lapour confessed he stole and sold a PowerPoint presentation that Credit Suisse made for staff on how to handle German clients who were “non compliant” - evading German tax. The presentation told staff how to avoid implicating themselves or the bank in aiding tax evasion. The Swiss say the Germans wanted to use it as evidence Swiss banks had a strategy to look after foreign taxevading clients.

Credit Suisse would eventually pay 150 million euros to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to end an investigation into allegations it helped German citizens evade taxes.

Neither the bank nor North Rhine-Westphalia would comment further. Back in 2009, after another meeting in the German lakeside city of Konstanz, Umfogl handed tax inspectors a USB stick containing a sample of 10 percent of the data, according to the Swiss request for assistance. In mid-July, he purportedly handed over the PowerPoint presentation. It’s not clear from the document when or how the rest of the information was handed over or paid for.

In all, Umfogl allegedly paid Lapour at least 65,000 euros for his information; Lapour later told Swiss prosecutors that he used most of the money to support his Czech girlfriend. He showered her with gifts including a car, paid for vacations to Italy, Spain and Egypt, and helped her to pay off a mortgage in the Czech Republic. She was not accused of wrongdoing and could not be reached for comment. Germany’s legal machinery continued to gather opinions on how far tax inspectors could go. In 2010, the North Rhine-Westphalia inspectors got some legal reassurance.

A CHANGE OF VIEW “With the LGT CD, many said it’s a one-off, but then came 2010,” said Borjans, the finance minister of North RhineWestphalia. On Feb 23, representatives from the Federal Central Tax Office, an authority under the jurisdiction of the German Ministry of Finance, contacted officials from what is now Borjans’ ministry and decided to coordinate bank data purchases so different states would not all buy the same set, parliamentary questions show. Days later, Borjans’ predecessor, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, announced he had struck a deal to buy a “client data CD” - the Lapour data - for 2.5 million euros.

In November, a legal opinion from Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court added weight to that plan. The court found that if data had been “received” rather than actively solicited, then those who used it were not guilty of abetting the theft. Whether it was legal to buy stolen data was a question it referred to other courts. “It’s not like I commission a purchase, or people come directly to me,” Borjans told Reuters this year. Tax inspectors, not politicians, are in the driving seat, he said. They act on tips and then ask him for resources.

THE KEY OF KOENIGSTEIN By 2010, all Germany’s tax collectors had reached agreement on how to split the cost if the federal ministry decided to join the states in funding a purchase, parliamentary questions show. Acquisitions of taxpayer names are funded using a formula known as the “Koenigsteiner Schluessel,” which translates as “the key of Koenigstein.” The formula, named

after a wealthy Frankfurt suburb, was devised after World War Two to work out how to spread the cost of funding scientific research in Germany. “Should the Federal Ministry of Finance decide to make a purchase, it will contribute 50 percent of the acquisition costs,” a spokesman for the ministry told Reuters.

All 16 states told Reuters they have helped pay for data: Berlin and Hamburg say these purchases led to the recovery of more than 100 million euros each.

But not all are convinced the system is legal. After initially joining in, one state - Brandenburg - said it was opting out because of such doubts. Last June, when the draft law on handling stolen data went to parliament, Brandenburg’s finance minister issued a news release saying it would “provide long overdue legal certainty for our finance officials.” The state which bought the material paid the shortfall, a spokesman for Brandenburg said. Volker Kauder, head of the parliamentary group for the CDU, is still “highly critical” about buying such data, a spokesman told Reuters. “In doing so the state is in danger of slipping into the role of a dealer in stolen goods,” he said.

THE TELEVISION CABLE In March 2010, Umfogl opened a bank account in Austria.

According to the Swiss request for legal assistance, he was trying to divide the 2.5 million euros he had received between banks in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Staff at a savings bank in Dornbirn, Austria, got suspicious about a deposit of 893,000 euros, and raised the alarm with police on March 25, 2010, believing Umfogl could be a money-launderer. Austrian authorities froze Umfogl’s funds that September, said the prosecutor’s office in Feldkirch, Austria. Swiss Federal Police were notified because Umfogl lived in Switzerland.

They arrested him at his work. A day later, Lapour was tracked down and arrested in the Czech Republic where he was visiting his girlfriend. Lapour was convicted in Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court of economic espionage, violating bank secrecy and violating trade secrecy, by passing client data outside the bank. Besides his 24-month sentence, he was fined 3,500 Swiss francs.

At a house in a suburb on the outskirts of Winterthur, given in the request for assistance as Lapour’s parents’ address, a man told a reporter he did “not know where Sina is.” At about 6.30 am on Sept 29 2010, just days after Umfogl was arrested, he was found dead in his police cell in Berne. He had left a note before hanging himself with a television cable, according to a joint statement issued by the coroner and police.

Both declined to reveal the note’s contents. That month, Switzerland’s government said it had agreed to resolve the problem of untaxed money stashed away by Germans in Swiss accounts.

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Borjans believes the purchase of stolen names was crucial to that. “You could tell this was not only a question of decency,” he said. “It was also about hardcore commercial interests. And that’s why Switzerland was suddenly willing to negotiate.” The Swiss finance ministry said it had been Swiss financial market policy since 2009 to seek international tax agreements. By August 2011, Switzerland and Germany had reached an outline deal on sharing tax information. But the pact failed to win political support within Germany and the upper house threw it out in November last year. Borjans was one of the pact’s opponents. He said he felt Berlin had sold itself short. “It left the door open to bank secrecy and tax evasion,” he said. Last month, Switzerland finally signed onto the international tax convention, giving Germany some of what it wanted. The Swiss request to Germany to arrest three tax inspectors has gone unanswered: Germany’s finance ministry said it is still evaluating it. — Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

BUSINESS

DTCM head office

Hosting Expo 2020 to bolster tourism sector in UAE, region First World Expo to be held in MENASA to attract 25m visitors DUBAI: Hosting Expo 2020 will have a significant impact on the tourism industry of Dubai and the UAE, and provide a unique platform on which to communicate the remarkable story of a young city and nation - according to Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre.

Helal Saeed Almarri

Speaking from Paris, shortly after Dubai was announced as the winning host city for Expo 2020 at the final vote counting in Paris yesterday, Helal Saeed Almarri said: “From the outset, Dubai’s Expo bid was part of the government’s long-term vision that ensures sustainable national development and a prosperous future for the UAE. Hosting Expo 2020 is a once-in-a-

lifetime opportunity and one that will be maximised to accelerate the growth of the tourism industry in Dubai, the UAE and the wider GCC region. We are honored to have been chosen as the host nation and would like to thank the support and directives of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nayhan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai for his incomparable vision; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; the members, committees and secretariat of the BIE; all of the countries which voted for us; and the people of the UAE for their tremendous support.”

Gathered in Paris, France, for the 154th Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE) General Assembly, representatives of the 168 BIE member nations voted on bids from the final four contenders - Dubai, Brazil, Russia and Turkey - to host the 2020 edition of one of the world’s oldest, largest and most significant international mega-events. Dubai’s bid - themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ - won with 116 votes.

Helal Saeed Almarri continued: “In May of this year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Tourism Vision for 2020, a strategy which sets a clear path towards developing Dubai’s tourism industry and furthering its contribution to Dubai’s economy, with the headline target of welcoming 20 million visitors to Dubai a year by 2020. In our journey to achieve our target, we

will can now leverage the hosting of Expo 2020 and the focus it will place on Dubai as a means to attract visitors to Dubai, not just during the six months of the Expo itself, but in the seven years leading up to it.”

Between October 2020 and April 2021, more than 25 million visitors are expected to attend Expo 2020, 70% of which will be from outside the UAE - the largest number of international visitors in Expo history.

Helal Saeed Almarri stated: “The legacy of holding such an event in Dubai is where the real value lies. A wide range of sectors will benefit, including construction, engineering and transportation, and of course the hospitality, retail and aviation sectors will experience a significant positive impact, further strengthening their already robust positions. The announcements made at the recent Dubai Airshow demonstrate the extraordinary strength of the aviation sector in Dubai and the UAE and Retail has been one of the leading drivers of the Emirate’s economic growth to date. With regards to hospitality, there are currently 82,000 hotel and hotel apartment rooms in Dubai with this figure expected to double by 2020: this expanded hotel portfolio will be vital to ensure the demands of the Expo visitors are met and DTCM will work with our partners in both government and the private sector to put in place the infrastructure and processes needed to meet the demand of the 25 million expected visitors over the Expo period.

“Our successful bid demonstrated the value in harnessing the collective power, resources and passion of all of our city stakeholders and the people of the UAE and we will ensure that the world is welcomed in style in 2020.”

DTCM Australia

DCEB Europe Office

Australian govt cool on stake in Qantas

Wataniya launches best postpaid offers today KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom, the first private telecom operator in Kuwait, provides its customers with the best postpaid offers available in Kuwait today. Customers of Wataniya can choose from a variety of the latest smartphones available with affordable and flexible installment plans bundled with the brilliant 4G/LTE internet and local minutes.

Wataniya, the number one provider of the latest handsets, promotions and best offers, is the leader in Android and Windows phones offering a wide range of phones at the most competitive prices.

Customers can choose to have the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the latest in the market, in a unique offer in the market, with the Samsung gear watch in addition to 30 GB 4G/LTE internet and 250 local minutes with a monthly payment of only KD 24.

Customers who are interested in Galaxy S4 handsets can also benefit from the offer and get one for free with a monthly payment of only KD 16. With it, they will receive 4G/LTE internet of 30 GB along with a postpaid line.

In addition, the offer includes Samsung Ace 3, Nokia 625 and Huawei G526 LTE handsets.

Customers can get any of them for free with a monthly payment of only KD 9 along with 4G/LTE internet of 30GB. Nokia Lumina 925 and Nokia Lumina1020 are also available at Wataniya with up to 30 GB of 4G/LTE internet for a monthly payment of only KD 19 for Lumia 925 and KD 21 for Lumia 1020.

The offers are now available at all Wataniya branches, Fono stores and authorized dealers.

Wataniya Telecom continues to bring the latest handsets and best offers and services to its customers.

SYDNEY: Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has indicated he would resist the government taking a stake in Qantas, in comments reported yesterday, after calling for a debate on the national carrier’s future.

A government buyback of 5 or 10 percent of Qantas has been suggested as a measure to help the airline if there is to be no lifting of current foreign ownership restrictions on it, but Hockey appeared cool on the idea. “Of course, the government is very, very reluctant to own an airline,” the Treasurer told The Weekend Australian newspaper.

Qantas claims that it operates on an uneven playing field against rival Virgin Australia, which is now majority-owned by state-backed carriers Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad.

Qantas claims that Virgin’s financial backing means it can set uncompetitively low prices to win customers while it-under the Qantas Sale Act dating from 1995 when the airline was privatised-can only have 49 percent foreign ownership.

Hockey last week called for a debate on whether these restrictions should be lifted.

“The first question is: do Australians want to retain a national carrier and do they want to retain shareholding restrictions on our national carrier?” he said on Friday. “If the answer to both those questions is yes, as I said yesterday, there is a price that needs to be paid.

“We will carefully consider all the options, but the fact of the matter is these

issues need to be dealt with. “I am not someone that is prepared to kick the can down the road on issues. If decisions need to be made, they will be made.” The debate has triggered a sharp response from Virgin Australia, which has urged the government to give the airline the same assistance as provided to Qantas.

“Virgin Australia has succeeded against the odds, in a very difficult marketplace, with a major and dominant competitor three times its size that appears intent on flushing it out of the market,” Virgin Australia’s chief John Borghetti said.

“If any government support was given to the dominant player, we would expect the same level of support.” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government would seek to

do what was best for tax-payers, aviation consumers and Australian companies and there was no hurry for it to make a decision.

“What I want to do is to ensure that we have a strong and competitive Qantas in a vigorously competitive aviation market,” he said.

“There are a number of proposals that are being debated in the community-let’s see where that debate goes.” Transport Minister Warren Truss said the government was “not prepared to fund a market-share battle between our major airlines” but it was keen to ensure Qantas was commercially viable. “I think all Australians want the red kangaroo to continue flying around the world and particularly in our own country,” he said. — AFP

ArcelorMittal, Nippon Steel buy ThyssenKrupp US factory NEW YORK: Steel manufacturing giant ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel & Sumimoto Metal said in a statement they agreed to buy a US steel plant owned by German firm ThyssenKrupp for $1.55 billion.

The agreement is for a 50-50 joint venture partnership between the Luxembourgbased ArcelorMittal and Japanese titan Nippon Steel, the former company said in a statement Friday. The ThyssenKrupp plant in question is located in Calvert, in the south-

ern US state of Alabama, and has a total capacity of 5.3 million tonnes of steel destined mainly for auto manufacturing and construction.

The purchase will be financed through a combination of equity and debt at the joint venture level, the statement read.

ArcelorMittal and the Japanese steel giant already jointly produce steel in the state of Indiana. The deal includes a six-year agreement to buy two million tons of slab annual-

ly from TK CSA, an integrated steel mill complex located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using a market-based price formula.

ArcelorMittal and the Japanese giant already jointly produce steel in the state of Indiana. The yen’s plunge against the dollar since late last year has improved Japanese automakers’ income, but Nippon Steel believes they will continue shifting automobile production overseas, the Nikkei Economic Daily reported earlier. —AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

BUSINESS

DWC highlights Business Park office solutions at the Big 5 DUBAI: Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis, is showcasing the comprehensive office solutions of its Business Park at the ongoing edition of The Big 5 International Building & Construction Show taking place from November 25 to 28, 2013 at the World Trade Centre, Dubai. The preview will provide businesses with first-hand experience on the Business Park’s avant-garde offerings and make it easier for them to acquire the space and flexibility they need to consolidate their position in the region.

During the three-day event, a variety of commercial and offices spaces at the DWC’s free zone offices complex will be in the spotlight. A range of choices from single shared desks to sprawling 15,000 sqm offices, from ready-tomove-in to open plan spaces, is also being presented to cater to the specific needs of companies belonging to diverse industries.

Paolo Serra, Director of the DWC Business Park, said: “Being a part of the multifaceted DWC project, the Business Park offers unparalleled advantages to companies operating here. The multimodal logistics platform with direct access to Al-Maktoum International Airport (AMIA) and Jebel Ali seaport,

combined with the cost effectiveness and scalability of the office solutions, provide for an invaluable and unmatched proposition for international companies and investors looking to expand their business in the Middle East.” “As the premier trade exhibition gathering both local and global companies and showcasing cutting- edge products and services, The Big 5 is an impor tant oppor tunity for us to

enhance brand awareness for DWC. It is also an ideal networking platform to meet potential business partners and discuss strategic agreements. Besides, as a free zone development, we provide licenses to a wide variety of businesses belonging to different sectors and of varying sizes, including trading, construction and specialized equipments companies that are participating at the event. Business Park is the perfect find

for organizations looking for a one-stop business solution in the free zone,” he added. As a key component of the DWC master plan, Business Park offers a fully integrated business environment over and above its state -of-the -art amenities and infrastructure. I t is designed ground up around the concept of business facilitation. Fitted-out with the latest technological systems, it also facilitates quick and easy transac-

tions. In addition, flexible commercial lease terms and availability of Free Zone and non-Free Zone trade licenses ensure that businesses can focus on their growth strategies. More than 250 companies, including CEVA Logistic, Helukabel and Italtouch, are currently operating at the Business Park.

Moreover, the number of companies setting up offices is increasing by 10 to 20 per cent monthly.

Jumeirah celebrates Dubai’s win to host World Expo 2020 Jumeirah Group is proud to be a premier partner

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller brings PSB to Middle East DUBAI: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the Middle East’s leading public relations consultancy, further strengthened its investment in evidence-based communications with the launch of the first Middle East office of Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), the global market research firm and electoral pollster famous for advising President Bill Clinton and the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on winning election campaigns.

Headquartered in Dubai, PSB Middle East will offer corporate and government clients a range of services tailored to communications strategy development and brand positioning, including market and competitor strategy, image management, brand and product entry, and advertising and messaging testing.

PSB is already well established in the Middle East having provided the fieldwork and market research analysis for the annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey since 2008.

Founded in 1976 in New York City, PSB, a WPP Group company, today has eight offices worldwide and a roster of marquee clients from the corporate sphere, advertising and entertainment, and the government and political realm. PSB Middle East will work in partnership with ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller and activate its seven dedicated practice teams: energy and environment, finance, food and beverage, healthcare, media & entertainment, retail, technology and telecommunications.

Particular focus will also be given to the Government sector.

Announcing the launch of PSB Middle East in Dubai, Don Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO of Burson-Marsteller and Chairman of PSB, said: “Effective communications relies on hard data and compelling evidence and insights, and that is as true of the Middle East as it is of any region around the globe. Evidence-based communications is a core pillar of the BursonMarsteller Being More brand promise, and it is a valuable resource that our partnership with PSB will deliver to our Middle East clients seamlessly and competitively.”

Joseph Ghossoub, Chairman and CEO of the MENACOM Group, the regional parent company of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, said: “The astonishingly rapid political and economic changes in the region over the last three to four years underline the importance of further integrating market research into PR and communications strat-

egy development, to align campaigns more closely with shifting audience perceptions.

The MENA market research market is worth an estimated US$300 million but there is substantial room for growth if its potential is fully utilized.”

Jay Leveton, Global CEO, Penn Schoen Berland added: “PSB has helped elect more than 35 heads of government and shape the political debate in five continents. Its original methodologies also support a diversity of blue-chip clients. Every year the firm conducts more than 2 million face-toface interviews in 45 countries, providing scientifically-tested insights on which to build sound communications and marketing strategies. Clients in the Middle East can now benefit from this enviable track record through the collaboration between PSB and ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller.”

Sunil John, Chief Executive Officer of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller and PSB Middle East, said: “The impact of the annual Arab Youth Survey, which in its fifth survey in 2013 interviewed 3,000 Arab national youth in 15 countries, has demonstrated the value of evidence-based communications and the opportunities to be had from further strengthening our partnership with PSB. In a region where research into public opinion is still limited, PSB Middle East will improve access to reliable data on audience and customer perceptions and help communicators in government, business and civil society deliver more effective and strategic campaigns.”

PBS Middle East will operate from the head office of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller in Dubai Media City with a core team of researchers and analysts. The firm’s methodologies cover qualitative and quantitative research and proprietary tools such as AdLab, for profiling the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and marketing material, and BrandAsset, a benchmarking device aimed at evaluating the residual strength of brand and product names.

PSB Middle East’s qualitative tools include focus groups, online communities, in-depth surveys, mobile pulse surveys, influencer mapping, sensory sessions, cocreation workshops and shop-along and in-store intercepts. Quantitative tools cover message testing, corporate reputation management, brand positioning, advertising testing, name testing, micro-targeting, segmentation and crisis management.

DUBAI: Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding congratulates the leadership of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates following the announcement that Dubai has won the bid to host World Expo 2020.

Jumeirah has been one of the six Premier Partners since the start of the selection process and was the proud host of the Theme Symposium, which took place in Madinat Jumeirah in October 2013.

Attended by delegates from 165 nations of the Bureau International des Expositions, and was instrumental in showcasing the finest of Dubai.

The World Expo in Dubai in 2020 will be the first to be held in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. Gerald Lawless, President and Group CEO of Jumeirah Group, said: “This is a testament to the great achievements of Dubai under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, and the bright prospects for the future of the emirate. It is expected that around 20 million tourists will visit Dubai in 2020, up from 11 million in 2013. By then Jumeirah will have extended its presence to more global destinations, as well as having strengthened its portfolio of hotels in the United Arab Emirates.” A series of special ‘2020’ offers have been launched in celebration across Jumeirah hotels in Dubai.

KIPCO shares memorable moments with Kuwaiti students in US through Marina FM

Marina FM’s Khaled Al Ansari (far right) and Dr Hussain Al Mukaimi (second from right) with Kuwaiti students attending the 30th NUKSUSA Conference in San Diego KUWAIT: The Kuwait Projects Company is sharing memorable moments with Kuwaitis studying in the United States by allowing them to reach out to their friends and families in Kuwait through a variety of segments aired by Marina FM, a member of the KIPCO Group.

Marina FM, a Media Sponsor of the 30th Conference of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students - USA Branch (NUKS-USA) held in San Diego, California, has been active throughout the event by providing daily repor ts on the

extensive range of activities held, while also capturing special moments of participating students and airing them live to the radio station’s listeners in Kuwait.

This year, Marina FM aired its Diwaniya Program from the conference venue during the week leading up to the conference, exposing listeners to a two-hour upbeat and innovative radio experience that engaged students in a number of exciting activities. The Marina FM team included Khaled Al Ansari, Nawaf Al-Nejadah, Mahmoud

Khaled Al-Ansari (left) and Dr Hussain Al-Mukaimi broadcasting Marina FM’s Diwaniya Program live from San Diego.

Behbehani, Hmoud Adel and Dr Hussain Al-Mukaimi.

Marina FM is Kuwait’s most popular radio station, and is widely listened to by Kuwaiti students in the US through its smartphone application. The smartphone application provides added value features that enable users to tune in to the live broadcast, listen to their favorite songs, receive the latest updates, while also replaying their favorite programs.

KIPCO is the Platinum Sponsor of the 30th NUKS-USA Conference

Al Mulla Exchange announces results of promotion draw KUWAIT: Al Mulla International Exchange, Kuwait’s premier exchange company, announced the result of its first draw in its ongoing promotion titled ‘Will you be one of the Lucky 7’.

The promotion, which began on 7 November, 2013 and is spread across four months, is open to customers remitting money through any of the 48 branches of Al Mulla Exchange. There will be a total of nine draws, conducted every two weeks,

which will pick seven lucky winners in each draw. The winners of the first lucky draw, with the prizes they won in brackets, are: Ajruden Modydeen (KD 400); Abdullah Mohammed Katouf (Samsung Note 3); Sariff Al Deen (Samsung Fridge); Babu Chenchv Bulaya (Samsung Digital Camera); Karrupiah Kalimuthu (iPad mini 16 Gb); Shaikh Lalu Basha (Samsung 32” LED TV) and Viceroy Eustaquio Guballo (Braun Food Processor). Winners were picked by lucky

draw from all transactions done at any branch of Al Mulla Exchange, during the previous two weeks, including remittances made through Western Union, cash currency transactions and online transactions.

The ‘Will you be one of the Lucky 7’ promotion is yet another reason for customers to remit their money through Al Mulla Exchange, which since its inception in 2001 has revolutionized the exchange industry in Kuwait by continuously offering innova-

tive, customer-centric remittance solutions.

Besides making money transfer a rapid, safe and relaxed experience for customers, Al Mulla Exchange offers free insurance and loyalty points on every transaction. And, in addition to the assurance of SMS confirmation on delivery of remittances, Kuwait’s leading exchange company provides the facility to send money from the comfort of one’s home or office through their online service at www.amxremit.com.

for the third year running. It continues to demonstrate its efforts in suppor ting and encouraging young aspiring students to reach their potential to contribute to the Kuwait’s socioeconomic development. The event is being held under the patronage of H.H. the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah. Alongside Marina FM, Burgan Bank and the American University of Kuwait were also present at the conference as representatives of the KIPCO Group.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 , 2013

technology

Tawasul Telecom connects GCC and beyond Al-Mulaifi: We aim to unify communication structure in Gulf

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Tawasul Telecom, the leading provider of MPLS Networking Services in the GCC and Middle East, hosted a press conference highlighting the company’s role in connectivity across the region and beyond. Hani Al Shakhs, Tawasul Telecom CEO, Fajhan Al-Mutairi, Chief Technology Officer and Salem Al-Mulaifi, Director of Business Development, attended the event. Tawasul was established in 2005 with major stakeholders Gulf Investment Corporation and NTEC - owned by Kuwait Investment Authority - to transform telecommunications in the Gulf region to international standards.

Speaking on the sidelines of the press conference, Muliafi said Tawasul was established to unify the telecommunications structure in the Gulf. “At that time, the communication facilities were fully developed and they were competing with the best international services. The gap is in unifying them. They are not connected fully and each country is servicing their customers according to their desire. The idea was to develop a project where telecommunications will be unified in the Gulf,” he said.

“In the same footsteps and visions of the GCC, we want it to be united. How are we going to do this - unifying but being neutral? We are a Kuwaiti society but our operations are pan-GCC. So we signed agreements with them using the native network and the existing one and became partners. We serve our customers directly as we provide data connectivity,” he explained.

According to Mulaifi, there were two already existing choices - the Internet, which is risky and complicated. The second was virtual private network on rented interna-

tional cables. “It is yours and also secured - it will connect you from one end to another. The problem is it is a single link. If something goes wrong with the cable, then it will take one or two weeks to fix it. Besides, you’ll have to deal with two companies,” he noted.

“Now there is a technology that is very well accepted and we want to provide the latest. The technology is called MPLS which is available and well-commissioned.

When you require a link between Kuwait and Dubai, we set you up with the local link in Kuwait and the local link in Dubai. The local link will take only two weeks or three to set up. So within a month, you’ll be in the running as you have your own cloud. The cost will decrease as you grow,” he pointed out.With regards to their strategy and visions for the future, Mulaifi said they are quite upbeat.

“We built this company to serve the Gulf. But we realized that business goes beyond the Gulf. There are international carriers with businesses here. So we ended up opening international gateways in the UK and Germany to serve the European and American market. This year, we opened a new gateway for the Asian market in Singapore. We have customers from banks and financial institutions and have oil and gas industries using our services. We opened in Egypt in 2011 and will soon open in northern Africa,” he added.

Mulaifi also lauded their achievements in the last five years. “Over the last few years, we have achieved our goals. We established ourselves as a credible international carrier. We have been recognized as an international player. In fact in 2011, we won an award as the best new player in Asia, he said. He said though the company is smaller compared to its giant competitors, it can work

faster than them. “We can satisfy our customers quickly.

We are also bringing new services to our customers like Amazon and Microsoft which are internationally recognized players. Our plan is to bring the same level of services to our Gulf clients,” he pointed out. According to Mulaifi, Kuwait is the pioneer in the Gulf in telecommunications business. “Kuwait’s acceptance was remarkable since we have the best services. But what we lack are proper regulations. It is a challenge for our customers and we want to mitigate the challenge for them,” he said.

With regards to security, Mulaifi noted that Tawasul provides three secure conduits, all away from the Internet.

“So if hackers want to get to your service, they have to come to us first which is virtually impossible because we are isolated. So they have to go through these three secured layers and then through the customers’ own encryptions. So it’s quite difficult for the hackers, if not impossible,” he said.

“We are excited and very happy with the way our company is doing in the market. We came at the right time and we have been very successful in enhancing the telecommunication experience in Gulf. We seek to expand both horizontally and vertically,” he added.

Tawasul Telecom’s core aim is to transform the communications market in the Gulf region by boosting connectivity to a new era marked with convenience and flexibility via a state-of-the art cloud network. By dedicating itself to the enhancement of data development in the region, Tawasul Telecom has been able to add value in a number of key vertical markets where it provides a nonstop, reach-anywhere dimension covering the region and beyond.

Apple unhappy with e-books monitor pay and power SAN FRANCISCO: Apple wants to rein in the pay and power of a monitor hired to watch over the company as punishment for conviction in an e-book price-fixing case. In court paperwork available online Friday, Apple objected to being billed more than $1,000 an hour for the services of former US prosecutor Michael Bromwich.

The Northern California-based maker of iPads, iPods, iPhones and Macintosh computers also protested Bromwich’s intent to question chief executive Tim Cook, lead designer Jony Ive, board member Al Gore and other top executives who aren’t involved in day-to-day operations. “Michael Bromwich is already operating in an unfettered and inappropriate manner,” Apple argued in an objection filed with the federal judge in Manhattan who presided over the e-book trial.

“The $1,100 hourly rate he proposes for himself and the $1,025 rate for his legal support team are higher than Apple has ever encountered for any task,” the filing main-

tained. In a letter to an Apple attorney, Bromwich countered that it is up to the judge to decide whether his pay is reasonable and contended that he has encountered resistance from the Cupertino, California-based firm.

“We have seen little reciprocity and instead a consistent pattern of delay, unresponsiveness and lack of cooperation,” Bromwich said in a letter on file with the court. “We very much hope that changes with our trip to Cupertino the week of December 2.”

In September, the judge who found Apple guilty of illegal price -fixing for e -books ordered the tech giant to steer clear of new contracts with publishers which could violate antitrust law. US District Judge Denise Cote ordered Apple to refrain from any agreement with publishers “where such agreement will likely fix, or set the price at which other ebook retailers can acquire or sell e-books.”

The order followed the judge’s July ruling that Apple illegally conspired with publishers to boost the price of electronic books. A sepa-

rate trial will be held next year to determine damages, but the injunction blocks Apple from making any similar moves to reshape the price structure in the e-books market.

Apple can still sell e-books through its online channels, but cannot make any special arrangements or collude with publishers to fix prices.

The company also must pay for an antitrust compliance officer who answers to the court. The trial focused on a six-week period in late 2009 and early 2010 during which Apple negotiated contracts with publishers ahead of its iPad launch and proposed a new and more profitable business model.

Apple’s deals with five major publishers aimed to undo the “wholesale” pricing model set by Amazon by shifting to an “agency” model where publishers set the price and paid a 30 percent commission to Apple. Cote sided with the government on charges that Apple helped orchestrate the industry’s shift.

Apple is appealing the decision. — AFP

Plexus on verge of oil technology breakthrough LONDON: Oil equipment supplier Plexus is finalizing a piece of subsea kit that should revolutionize production of oil and gas from reservoirs under high pressures and temperatures, Chief Executive Ben van Bilderbeek said. Developed in partnership with oil companies including Shell, Total and Eni, the subsea wellhead a tap controlling flow on an oil well - will be ready for testing by the middle of next year. The company is funding the project alone and will keep all connected patents but the input from oil majors means the product can be honed to their needs.

Plexus is part of a trend of smaller innovators, such as Norway’s Ziebel and ExproSoft, looking to meet the challenges of producing oil and gas from conditions where temperatures hit 150 degrees Celsius and pressure exceeds that in the chamber of a firing pistol. Data for high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) wells is hard to find as drill data tends not to distinguish, but these conditions increasingly accompany big oil finds in places like the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea and offshore Brazil.

Van Bilderbeek, 65, said the move into HPHT had levelled the playing field in a sector typically dominated by a few big players and, in doing so, revitalised his business. The subsea wellhead will use an engineering system Plexus developed over 15 years ago but which has struggled to find broad acceptance in the industry. “I’m not critical about the way things were done in the past, but when I came up with a solution the industry stiff-armed me,” van Bilderbeek told Reuters in an interview in London. “They said we invented problems to sell solutions.” Now Plexus is at the table. “On something cutting edge like HPHT the operators are happy to try something new.”

Plexus has seen profits grow seven fold since

2010 as the company’s surface wellheads, using its patented POS-GRIP system, have become widely used for exploration wells in the North Sea. The POS-GRIP system works from the ‘outside in’ by squeezing the wellhead body onto the device that supports the pipe going into the ground using hydraulics. Conventional wellheads instead work from the ‘inside out’ and use a more complex arrangement to set seals. Plexus says its system is safer, more reliable and cheaper over the long-term.

The technology has brought Plexus head to head with bigger US makers of wellhead equipment like GE Oil and Gas, FMC Technologies and Cameron.

Plexus, which largely loans out equipment to oil companies for exploration drilling, wants to move into selling wellheads for production. To do this it needs to invest heavily to develop its own manufacturing capability or share its patented system. Van Bilderbeek, who funded his first wellhead from the proceeds of property development in London, rules out taking on the debt needed to build the manufacturing capacity alone. Instead he is keen to come to a licence sharing agreement whereby the wider industry can use Plexus’ technology in their own products in the same way as Dolby is used in sound systems or Gore-Tex in weather-proof jackets.

Such an agreement is uncommon in the oil and gas industry and it would be far more usual for Plexus, which has a market value of $350 million, to get bought by a bigger rival. But with management owning 70 percent of the shares and van Bilderbeek in no mood to sell, the future remains uncertain.

Talking about Plexus’ subsea wellhead system, van Bilderbeek said: “We will grow this carrot, polish it. It will be big and fat and beautiful and then we will hang that carrot in front of the industry and see what happens.” — Reuters

LG looking into claim that smart TVs grab user data SEOUL: LG Electronics Inc said it is investigating a claim that some of its smart TVs send information on home viewing habits back to the company without consent. The investigation comes after a British blogger, using network traffic analysis software, detailed how his LG smart TV logged the channels he was watching even after an information collection feature was disabled. The blog said the TV also collected the names of files saved in an external USB hard drive plugged into the TV as well as the TV’s unique identification information.

The information also appeared to be sent to LG unencrypted. The world’s second-largest TV maker said Thursday that customer privacy is its top priority and takes the issue very seriously. An ad platform in LG smart TVs called LG Smart AD lets advertisers reach target audiences by utilizing device information, regional information and demographic details such as age and gender, LG says on its website.

However it was not immediately clear which features in LG’s smart TVs were triggering the data monitoring. — AP

“Tawasul Telecom is committed to achieve continuous excellence in its ability to maintain international grade standards, hassle-free communication setup and maintenance, flexibility, easy scalability and centralized support for data networks in the region”, said Hani Al-Shakhs, CEO of Tawasul Telecom. The company has been playing a key role in the growth of enterprise business in the region while in parallel helping international carriers in different industries including banking and finance, aviation services, resource and energy, retail, enabling them to better serve their customers. While Tawasul started its operations to connect the Gulf, the company has moved forward to establish a presence in key markets across the globe.

“We’ve commenced our operations to connect the Gulf to the world,” commented Shakhs. “Moving forward, we aim at penetrating new markets with high potential of growth. It’s part of the company’s strategy of strengthening its core network infrastructure and services within the GCC, finding smart opportunities for expansion and anticipating future private sector connectivity service needs to and from the MENA region”.

Fajhan Al-Mutairi said: “The provision of IP VPN/MPLS cloud services is a key part of Tawasul Telecom’s strategy, central to our mission to be the trusted supplier of solutions for our clients and partners. Through our network, we offer end-to-end, fully managed IP, provisioning and support across borders in a secured, reliable and effective way”. Tawasul Telecom became an active member of SAMENA telecommunication council in Feb 2013 lending its voice and expertise to the MENA region’s telecommunication industry.

Epson unveils new POS printer DUBAI: Epson has announced the Middle East launch of its TM-T70II POS printer featuring fast print speeds and grayscale printing for clearer receipts. It is designed to help busy hospitality and retail businesses deliver faster and more efficient customer service. The printer’s compact design allows it to fit under most till counters and can easily be operated from the front.

With a Mean Cycle Between Failure (MCBF) of 17 million lines and an auto cutter life of 1.7 million cuts, the TM-T70II is ideal for high-volume environments where reliability is crucial. Its fast print speeds of up to 250mm per second enables businesses to serve more customers quickly.

An optional protective wire cover can prevent accidental spillages from reaching cables and other electrical outputs to offer maximum protection when the printer is stored on or underneath counters.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Aside from being fast and reliable, the TM-T70II also offers an automatic paper reduction function. This feature enables businesses to reduce paper wastage and save mon-

ey. It also enables users to provide greater customer service, as they can concentrate on their customers rather than on replacing paper rolls quite so often.” “We have worked closely with retailers for over 40 years to make sure that we understand what’s important at the point of sale. This new model is the next step in ensuring that we continue to maintain our supremacy in Point Of Sale (POS) printer technology,” El-Dalu added.

Among the key features of the TMT70II are its ability to facilitate the quick changing of receipt rolls through frontfacing drop-in paper loading, a small footprint that allows under-the-counter storage and operation, a fast and reliable receipt printer, faster customer service via a print speed of 250 mm/sec, and the ability to print more receipts for longer with a print head life cycle of 120 km. The printer also has an auto cutter that can carry on working for up to 1.7 million transactions, wide connectivity options with built-in USB plus one additional selectable interface, and an automatic paper reduction function. Epson’s new POS printer is also ENERGY STAR-qualified for reduced energy bills and environmental impact.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

Staying active all day linked to healthy aging STOCKHOLM: A generally active life, even without regular exercise sessions, was tied to better heart health and greater longevity in a study of older Swedes.

Based on nearly 3,900 men and women over age 60 in Stockholm, the study adds to evidence suggesting that just sitting around may be actively harmful, researchers say.

“We have known for 60 years that physical activity is important for the heart,” said lead author Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the ?strand Laboratory of Work Physiology of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm.

But until recently the research has mainly focused on exercise and has “forgotten” about the background activity that we do during daily life, she told Reuters Health.

Whether someone exercises vigorously or not, it still usually only takes up a small fraction of the day.

That leaves the rest of the time for either sitting still or engaging in non-exercise activities, like home repairs, lawn care and gardening, car maintenance, hunting or fishing.

For older people, who tend to exercise vigorously less than younger people, spending more time doing low-intensity activities like these could help cut down on sitting time, Ekblom-Bak and her colleagues write in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Between 1997 and 1999, more than 5,000 60-year-olds were invited to participate in the study, which began with a questionnaire about health history, lifestyle and daily activities, as well as medical tests and measurements.

At the study’s outset, people who were more active on a daily basis, regardless of their exercise levels, tended to have smaller waists and healthier cholesterol levels.

The participants were followed for the next 12.5 years. During that time nearly 500 people had a first-time heart attack or stroke, and nearly 400 people died from any cause.

People who had reported high levels of daily non-exercise activity were less likely to suffer a heart-related event and less likely to die than those who were the least active.

For every 100 people reporting low activity lev-

Crucial weekend for Obamacare website WASHINGTON: A crucial weekend for the troubled website that is the backbone of President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul appears to be off to a shaky start, as the US government took the HealthCare.gov site offline for an unusually long maintenance period into Saturday morning.

Just hours before the Obama administration’s self-imposed deadline to get the insurance shopping website working for the “vast majority ” of its users by Saturday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it was taking down the website for an 11hour period that would end at 8 am yesterday.

It was unclear whether the extended shutdown of the website about seven hours longer than on typical day - represented a major setback to the Obama administration’s highstakes scramble to fix the portal that it hopes eventually will enroll about 7 million uninsured and under-insured Americans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

At the very least, the shutdown suggested that nine weeks after the website’s disastrous launch on Oct. 1 prevented most applicants from enrolling in coverage and ignited one of the biggest crises of Obama’s administration, U.S. officials are nervous over whether Americans will see enough progress in the website to be satisfied. For the administration and its Democratic allies, the stakes are enormous.

The healthcare overhaul is Obama’s signature domestic achievement, a program designed to extend coverage to millions of Americans and reduce healthcare costs. To work, the program must enroll millions of young, healthy consumers whose participation in the new insurance exchanges is key to keeping costs in check.

After weeks of round-the -clock upgrades of software and hardware, Obama officials said they were poised to successfully double its capacity by this weekend, to be able to handle 50,000 insurance shoppers at one time.

But if the website does not work for the “vast majority” of visitors this weekend as the administration has promised, uninsured Americans from 36 states could face problems getting coverage by an initial Dec 23 deadline. It also could create ripples that extend to the 2014 elections when control of the US House of Representatives (now controlled by Republicans) and the Senate (now led

by Democrats) will be up for grabs.

Obama’s fellow Democrats who are up for re-election in Congress already have shown signs of distancing themselves from the president and his healthcare program. If the website does not show significant improvement soon, some Democrats - particularly the dozen US senators who are from states led by conser vative Republicans and who are up for reelection next year - might call for extending Obamacare’s final March 31 enrollment deadline for 2014.

That would delay the fines that are mandated by the law for those who do not have insurance by that date, a scenario that insurers say would destabilize the market. It also would fuel Republicans’ arguments that Obamacare, and its website, are fatally flawed and should be scrapped.

In broader political terms, the website’s immediate success has become vital to Obama’s credibility, which polls indicate has been tarnished by the site’s problems as well as Obama’s admission that he overreached in promising that everyone who liked their healthcare plan would be able to keep it under the new law.

Obama has been forced to apologize for oversimplying how the law would affect certain Americans, and

has ack nowledged being embarrassed and frustrated by the website’s failures. Recent polls have shown that Obama’s approval ratings are at the lowest point of his presidency.

“It is a lot harder to reboot public trust than it is to reboot software,” said David Brailer, chief executive of the Health Evolution Partners private equity firm and a former health official in George W. Bush’s administration.

“But the good thing about when you’re down is that usually, you got nowhere to go but up,” Obama said in an interview that aired on Friday on ABC. Several technology specialists told Reuters that it will be difficult to independently assess on Saturday whether the HealthCare.gov site has met the administration’s goals of functioning for most users most of the time, including handling 50,000 users at once.

“There won’t be anything you can tell from the outside,” said Jonathan Wu, an information technology expert and co -founder of the consumer financial website ValuePenguin.

When the site opened for enrollment on Oct 1, many users found that they could not complete the simple task of creating an account. Now, the website is functioning better but any remaining problems lie much deeper within the site, Wu said in an interview.

Eleventh-hour checks were not encouraging, said Matthew Hancock, an independent expert in software design who said he could tell within hours of the site’s launch that its problems were the results of poor system design and bugs, rather than the heavy traffic that the administration blamed initially.

“I have tested the site every several days trying to buy a health insurance plan, but haven’t been able to,” Hancock said.

“I think the issues the site faces now are more complex to diagnose from the front end, whereas before the site was immediately failing and returning error details,” he said.

Questions also remain about the website’s ability to direct payments to private insurance companies when consumers enroll in their plans.

Portions of the system handling those functions are still being built, officials say.

“The real tests are: Were my premium payment and subsidy accurately calculated? Am I getting the coverage I signed up for? If my income situation changes, will the reconciliation occur in a timely fashion?” said Rick Howard, a research director at technology consultant Gartner.

Heading into this weekend, administration officials tasked with rescuing Obamacare showed signs of confidence that the series of fixes by tech specialists would work.

The officials gave a “virtual tour” of what they had branded the “tech surge” to a group of White House reporters.

The White House also invited a group of IT specialists to tour the website’s “command center,” where an engineer on unpaid leave from Google Inc directs disparate contractors and monitors their progress.

It was a convincing show that the team had the crisis under control, said John Engates, chief technology officer at Rackspace, a web hosting firm in San Antonio, who participated.

Engates, who had been publicly critical of the launch, said he felt it was likely the website would be able to handle 50,000 concurrent users on Saturday, although he did not know for sure.

“Whenever you have a date and a number, you need to be pretty sure that you can hit that date and that number,” Engates told Reuters.

“It’s just another loss of confidence if you don’t make it.” — Reuters

els who had a heart attack or stroke, for example, only 73 highly active people experienced such events. For every 100 of the least active who died, only 70 of the most active did. “ These are fascinating findings,” said David Dunstan, of the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, “but not really surprising since other studies that have looked at this from a different angle - that is, describing the detrimental relationship between excessive sitting and mortality outcomes - are essentially showing the same thing but in reverse because there is such a high correlation between sitting time and nonexercise physical activity behaviors.”

While sitting, muscles do not contract and blood flow decreases, which reduces the efficiency of many body processes, like absorbing glucose from the blood, said Dunstan, who studies heart health and exercise.

Non-exercise activity likely prevents the general slowing-down associated with sitting, he told Reuters Health.

“In addition to engaging in regular health

enhancing exercise, people should be encouraged to also think what they do during the long periods in the day in which they are not exercising,” he said in an email.

“Engaging in regular exercise is still important,” Ekblom-Bak said. “We saw that those who exercised regularly and that also had a daily physically active life had the lowest risk profile of all.”

Moderate-to-vigorous exercise helps strengthen the heart muscle and other body muscles, and may help regulate blood pressure more than general activity, Dunstan said.

But it is important for doctors and society in general to promote daily activity, not just exercise, she said. “Human beings are designed to move,” said Phillip B. Sparling, a professor of Applied Physiology and Health Behavior at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta who was not involved with the new study.

“Ideally, we should have a mix of all levels of activity,” he said. “But, regardless of whether one exercises or not, the new message is to move more and sit less throughout the day.” — AP

Healthier lifestyles help halt dementia Focus on exercise, diet, education SAN FRANCISCO: Experts said yesterday that the risk of dementia may also be falling thanks to better education and prevention of key risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. Lead researcher Dr Kristine Yaffe, professor of psychiatry, neurology, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California in San Francisco, said: “This is a fascinating example of personal health changes earlier in life having an impact on personal and public health in late life.”

Dr Yaffe and Dr Eric Larson, who is executive director of the Group Health Research Institute, reviewed several recent studies that show how rates of dementia in ageing populations have declined for people born later in the last century.

The article, published in The New England Journal Of Medicine, also cites other factors affecting this trend.

Dr Yaffe and Dr Larson have previously shown that regular exercise may help delay dementia. In an article published earlier this year in the journal, Dr Larson’s team reported that people with lower blood sugar levels tend to have less risk of dementia.

To help more avoid dementia, we’ll need to find better ways of preventing obesity and avoiding obesity-linked health risks including diabetes And Dr Yaffe and her team have focused on a host of other lifestyle factors that have the potential to reduce risk.

Dr Yaffe said: “We need to be aware that recent increases in obesity and diabetes threaten to reverse these gains because of the impact these conditions can have on the ageing brain. The obesity and diabetes epidemics are not affecting age groups most at risk of

SAN FRANCISCO: The onset of dementia could be delayed by a healthy lifestyle.

dementia - yet.”

Dr Larson added: “People are tending to live longer, with worldwide populations ageing, so there are many new cases of dementia.

“But some seem to be developing it at later ages and we’re optimistic about this lengthening of the time that people can live without dementia.

“To help more avoid dementia, we’ll need to find better ways of preventing obesity and avoiding obesity-linked health risks including diabetes. “We must focus on exercise, diet, education, treating hypertension and quitting smoking.” In 2008, Dr Larson reported one of the first studies suggesting a decline in US dementia rates, using information from the

China all set to launch moon rover BEIJING: China will launch its first ever moon rover mission tomorrow, state media said, as Beijing embarks on the latest stage in its ambitious space programme.

A rocket carrying the vehicle, named “Jade Rabbit” in a nod to Chinese folklore, will blast off at 1:30 am local time.

“The Chang’e 3 is set to be launched for its moon mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 2,” state broadcaster CC T V said on its verified Twitter account on Saturday. Official news agency Xinhua also confirmed the launch date, citing officials at the satellite launch centre in Sichuan province.

If successful, the launch will mark a major milestone in China’s space exploration programme, which aims to create a permanent space station by 2020 and eventually send someone to the moon.

“Apart from launching astronauts into space, this is probably the most complex space mission attempted by China,” Australian space analyst Morris Jones told AFP. “It will also make China only the third nation to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon.”

Beijing sees its military-run space programme as a marker of its rising global stature and growing technological might, as well as the ruling Communist Party’s

success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

China has previously sent two probes to orbit the moon, with controllers sending the first of them crashing into the lunar surface at the end of its mission.

Early in November, Beijing offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme when it put a model of its sixwheeled moon rover on public display.

The rover was later named “Yutu”, or jade rabbit, following an online poll in which more than three million people voted. The name derives from an ancient Chinese myth about a white rabbit that lives on the moon as the pet of Chang’e, a lunar goddess who swallowed an immortality pill.

Ouyang Ziyuan, head of the moon rover project, told Xinhua earlier this week that the ancient beliefs had their origins in the marks left by impacts on the lunar landscape. “There are several black spots on the moon’s surface. Our ancient people imagined they were a moon palace, osmanthus trees, and a jade rabbit,” he said.

The rover ’s designer, Shanghai Aerospace Systems Engineering Research Institute, claims several technological breakthroughs with the vehicle. —AFP

HANOI: Drug addict inmates watching a music concert named “Bringing music into hospitals” organised by a group of local artists to mark the World Aids Day at an official center for treatment of drug addicts in Hanoi. Official reports said drug addicts are among people the most vunerable to AIDS in the Southeast communist nation. — AFP

US Health and Retirement Study.

That found that the decline was in line with education, income, and improvements in health care and lifestyle. Since then, several studies in Europe have confirmed this trend.

Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We can’t say for sure what may have caused a fall in dementia rates but much evidence points to a role for better education and cardiovascular health in reducing the risk of the condition.

“It’s also important to remember that age is the biggest risk factor for dementia, and with an ageing population the condition affects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.” — AP

Kidney transplant helps mother, daughter strengthen their bond WASHINGTON: Doesn’t sound like anything too remarkable, until you learn that just a month ago, the 70-year-old grandmother underwent kidney transplant surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center and has since been on a regimen of 20 pills a day to keep her body from rejecting the new organ.

Her daughter, Kiki McLaughlin-Cook, was the donor, and she’ll be the one hosting that big Thanksgiving dinner. The pair say this year’s celebration will be especially sweet in light of how well the recent operation turned out.

“The statistics were heavy, the (donor) search was heavy ...

Whenever anything came along, I just chose to focus on God’s promises, and then the joy would come,” McLaughlin said. “I couldn’t even explain. It was just, ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’” Her surgery was the UW’s 6,000th successful transplant since the program began in the late 1960s.

She learned she had kidney failure about two years ago during treatment for a brain aneurysm that was caused by hypertension. That condition also contributed to her kidney problems.

“Ninety percent of people who have a brain aneurysm die before they hit the hospital floor. (Others) then have other occurrences in the ICU and then have some handicap issues after,” McLaughlin said. “I’m the 5 percent that had nothing.”

But the medical tests that caught a pending second aneurysm a short time later also pushed her body into kidney failure. After that, she and her doctors began immediately looking for a potential living donor, as it would take up to six years for her to receive one from the national waiting list for organ transplants.

Of McLaughlin’s five sisters, only one qualified to be a donor, but in the end, she was ruled out for health reasons.

“And that’s when Kiki said, ‘Mom, I will do it for you; it’s my joy and my privilege,’” McLaughlin remembered.

Even McLaughlin-Cook’s children had volunteered to give their grandma a kidney.

“That has been such a blessing to me - who would give up a kidney?” she wondered. “This is a big deal.”

McLaughlin-Cook’s healthy lifestyle paid off, and she “zoomed” through the qualification tests. She said there was never any question of not going through with the surgery, and knowing what it meant to her mother, she hopes more people consider becoming organ donors.

“It’s changing someone’s life. It’s life-giving,” she said. And now, from where they opened her up, she says, “I have a beautiful love scar.”

Both mother and daughter praised the UW medical staff for making sure their needs were met and questions answered along the way. McLaughlin said the 10 doctors who attended to her made her feel incredibly “valuable,” and McLaughlinCook said she was blown away by how well the physicians “guard your entire life.”

That’s good to hear, said Dr Steve Rayhill, who oversaw the surgery. He’s been working with tranplant donors for 12 years, and was happy with the result of this procedure.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

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

In poor countries, cancer carries mystery, stigma Health-care infrastructure still lacking AUSTIN: In poor and middle-income countries, a lethal malady once prominent mainly in affluent parts of the globe is raising its ugly head.

Cancer incidence rates are increasing at double that of the rest of the world. Especially alarming are the fatality data. As Jason Gale reports in the December issue of Bloomberg Markets magazine, while developing countries account for about half of new cancer cases, they have about 70 percent of cancer deaths.

Lack of access to the latest diagnostic technology and chemotherapy is partly to blame.

Also culpable, however, are cultural factors: In countries where people are not yet familiar with it, cancer still carries mystery and stigma. A woman in India who feels a lump in her breast, the Markets article illustrates, often tries to ignore it, fearing it will bring shame to her entire family and not realizing that the longer she delays seeking help, the more likely it is that the tumor will kill her.

This issue, at least, can be addressed with relative haste. The ultimate goal is to make stateof-the-art diagnostic equipment and advanced cancer treatments available to everyone who needs them. But in the meantime, poor countries can build up their health systems and engage in the public education necessary to get people to seek whatever rudimentary care is available-be it manual exams, biopsies, surgery or chemotherapy.

Such progress can in itself improve cancer

survival rates significantly-as the US experience illustrates. For decades before the mid-1970s, when mammography came into wide use, US breast cancer mortality rates steadily declined, thanks to increasing access to routine checkups.

At the same time, the American Cancer Society promoted self-examination, and people generally became more comfortable talking about breast cancer.

The same progress should be possible now in countries that are new to cancer treatment.

The first step is to get people talking to one another-and, especially, relating stories of survival. A 2007 survey of more than 4,500 people in 10 countries by the Livestrong Foundation of Austin, Texas, found that cancer carries stigma because people think that it is untreatable and incurable, that victims bring it on themselves, and that it will ostracize them even from their families. The foundation has had success in combating such myths through public education efforts in Mexico and South Africa that are aimed at helping cancer survivors tell their stories publicly.

Of course, such publicity relies on people having access to health-care providers who know what cancer is and can refer patients to regional treatment centers. In many poor countries, this health-care infrastructure is still lacking. One of the benefits of increasing awareness of cancer, perhaps, could be greater demand for-and availability of-basic health care.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani technicians work in a laboratory alongside a poster promoting the forthcoming World AIDS Day in Islamabad yesterday. The World Health Organization has issued new recommendations to address the specific needs of adolescents both for those living with HIV and those who are at risk of infection. —- AFP

W H AT ’ S O N

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

KDNA Malabar Mahotsavam, a dazzling show 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

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o matter how many birthdays, you’ll always be our little girl. Happy Birthday, Leah! Best wishes from your loving mom, dad, Harriet, relatives, and friends.

ozhikode District NRI Association Kuwait (KDNA) held its mega event ‘Malabar Mahotsavam’ with great pomp and enchantment and time has approached to bid goodbye to Malabar Mahotsavam 2013 with an early start of the new arrival of Malabar Mahotsavam 2014. This dazzling program was conducted in Manachira square, Indian Central School, Abbassiya. The variety of programs and presentation enthralled the audience.

The morning session started under the leadership of Kerala Home Minister Tiruvanjoor Radhakrishnan with the ribbon cutting by the famous Malayalam writer, director and actor Joy Mathew. Kalathil Abdurahiman, the vice president of KDNA welcomed the audience followed by henna designing competition and cooking competition for the KDNA lady members. A photo exhibition paved the way to the old history of Malabar that was the highlight of the Malabar Mahotsavam 2013.

A colorful procession with the accompaniment of a pageant and ‘chenda melam’ with elephant including variety of Malabar arts forms was also held.

The session started with the welcome speech of the KDNA Secretary Suresh Mathur followed by the presi-

dential address by Zubair M M. Balaram Upadyaya, the counselor of Indian Embassy inaugurated the function.

The speech by the chief guest joy Mathew was stunning that he emphasized without Kozhikode his famous film shutter would not have conceived. The function was felicitated by the Indian school secretary Vijayan Karayil, Sony Sebastian, Krishnan Kadalundi, Basheer Batha, Shamsudheen and Nasar Thikkodi A souvenir was published on this occasion by Sony Sebastian handing over to Abid. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes of henna competition were distributed to Fathima Noufal, Thasneem and Khadeeja respectively. Cooking competition prizes were distributed to Shobitha, Noorul Fathima and Mubeena Sagaf.

The children of KDNA members who came out in flying colors for the10th and 12th exams were honored during the function. Hritik Keshav Prem Kumar came as the topper for 10th Std and Sana Zubair ,the topper for 12th Std. Cash award was distributed by Rexzcy Williams.

‘Mazhavil Manorama’ comedy festival Team ‘Calicut V4U’ regaled the viewers with their comedy skits followed by Kairali TV Patturumal winner Dilna Hassan

who captivated the crowd with melodious voice. The entire music program was coordinated by Rafi Kallai and Shameer Vellayil .Other cultural program by Nandhananm School of Dance, Heart Beats Kuwait, Crown Guys Kuwait, Abhinaya Kuwait and Smart Kuwait enchanted the audience. The family members of KDNA gave a good treat to the spectators with their performances in dance, music and other cultural programs.

PUC’s Dr Habib Abul Attends AUK Faculty Recognition Evening

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appy birthday Merin Mol and Andrew Mon. May God shower his blessings upon you both. Loving wishes, dad, mom, Sibi, Kichu, Gigi, friends and well wishers.

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

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Danseur NV Krishnan

ast week, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) organized its annual Faculty Recognition Evening to recognize the scholarly contributions of its faculty members. The event took place at the Marina Hotel Six Palms restaurant and was attended by the Secretary General of the Private Universities Council, Dr Habib Abul, the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Kuwait University, Dr Jawad Behbehani and by the Chief Operating Officer of KIPCO and AUK board member, SamerKhanachet.

Interim President Dr Nizar Hamzeh welcomed the faculty members and guests to the Recognition Evening that was prepared in their honor. During his opening remarks, he discussed the importance of the institutional relationship between AUK and the Private

Universities Council (PUC) and how they support each other in different areas of higher education including research and publications.

Dr Hamzeh stressed the role of faculty and how their contributions play a vital role in building AUK’s academic excellence in research, publications and scholarly creative work. He acknowledged faculty members who made significant contributions to the different scholarly venues.

This year, AUK recognized 46 faculty members whose research and creative work produced: 5 books, 4 book chapters, 30 journal articles, 2 book reviews, 76 conference papers, and 22 exhibitions/designs/ performances; and for receiving 7 external grants and 1 fellowship.

Teacher of Manju Warrier defends Kalakshethra system

By Sunil Cherian

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fter 30 years of teaching, dance master Naduvile Veettil Krishnan is as fresh as his student years under Dhannjjayan and Shanta, his Alma matter. Now settled in his hometown Payyannur, the 65-year old master continues to teach students every day. The eminent danseur, more popular by training Manju Warrier when the actress was a 6th grader, was in Kuwait this past weekend to take part in Friends of Kannur expats (FOKE) program. He held a dance workshop at Upasana Dance School, Salmiya too. Jetlag, programs and workshop did not seem to affect the dancer who appeared robust and rocking.

“I derive energy from teaching dance”, said the animated guru. There are factors that are disappointing, the guru admitted. Students and teach-

ers who take dance as crash course spoil the art, he said. There are students who are sandwiched between 7am to 7pm packaged activities and there are teachers who don’t move their body nor tell the background stories of a dance theme.

Whatever is the source of the dance story - the Puranas, classics or popular literature - the students should have enough knowledge and love towards the art he or she is performing.

Grandparents used to tell stories to kids but nowexpats children and children who grow back home are the same - both grow up without living with their grandparents, the guru who is a grandfather said. His daughter Sangamithra is helping him with the dance classes even after her marriage. He danced with his daughter in Guruvayur last May. The dancer who is an exponent of

Bharathanatyam has trained in Kalari, Kathakali and other dance forms since he was 8. But to his school, he invites teachers from Andhra Pradesh to teach Kuchuppudi not because he does not know how to teach the dance form but he wants the learners to learn from the original source. “I still consult my gurus and my disciples including Manju still learn from me. (Both Manju and Krishnan are preparing for Manju’s Mumbai performance next week).

It’s a lifelong learning “, he said. “The learner learns quarter from gurus, quarter by self, quarter from friends and quarter gradually. Acharyaal paadamasuthe (quarter by gurus), Padam zishya svamedhaya (quarter by disciple), Padam sad brahmachariyo (from friends), Padam kaalakramena (gradually)”, he said.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N Safir Hotel & Residences organize a donation campaign for Haiyan victims

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n the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, that devastated the Philippines, with thousands killed and millions left without the most basic necessities, Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait organized a donation campaign in coordination with the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino Community in

Kuwait. Saif Eddin Mohammed, General Manager said, “Our hearts go out to all of those who have suffered in the Philippines from the devastating storm. The Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait family would like to express its support and solidarity especially to all its Filipino associates in this time of great

need”. The amount of money collected will be deposited through the bank account provided by the Philippine Embassy and goods collected will be forwarded to the relief operation organized by the Filipino Community.

REHAM GALLERY unveils 1st Indian Art Exhibition

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EHAM GALLERY unveils its 1st Indian Art Exhibition titled “King and His Six Queens” by Pisurwo Under the Patronage and Presence of Embassy of India. Renowned Indian fine artist Jitendra P Suralkar, also known as ‘Pisurwo’ grace the occasion. The 1st Indian Art Exhibition will be inaugurated at 7pm today and continues until Thursday 5th December at REHAM GALLERY, 9th Floor of Al Ghunaim Tower, located nearby The Sheraton Hotel in Qibla area at Kuwait City.

Sukai Restaurant opens at Costa Del Sol Hotel

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osta Del Sol Hotel celebrated the opening of Sukai Japanese Restaurant in an event that was attended

by Chariman Fahad AlMailam, as well as the Japanese ambassador to Kuwait Toshihiro Tsujihara, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Senegal Abdul Ahad Mbacke, Sheikh Fahad AlJaber Al-Sabah and other guests. Located at the 19th floor with a breathtaking view on the Arabian Gulf, Sukai Restaurant provides an exceptional experience to enjoy the Japanese cuisine with its menu of sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, teriyaki, maki and other items.

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

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.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

03:25 Cheetah Kingdom 03:50 Cheetah Kingdom 04:15 Bondi Vet 05:05 ER Vets 05:30 ER Vets 05:55 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:45 Gator Boys 07:35 Call Of The Wildman 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Bondi Vet 09:15 The Most Extreme 10:10 Bad Dog 11:05 Cheetah Kingdom 11:35 Cheetah Kingdom 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Monkey Life 13:20 Call Of The Wildman 13:50 Meet The Sloths 14:15 Meet The Sloths 14:45 Biggest And Baddest 15:40 Cheetah Kingdom 16:05 Cheetah Kingdom 16:30 My Cat From Hell 17:30 The Most Extreme 18:25 Baby Planet 19:20 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 20:15 Bondi Vet 21:10 ER Vets 21:40 ER Vets 22:05 Cheetah Kingdom 22:35 Cheetah Kingdom 23:00 Outback Rangers 23:25 Outback Rangers 23:55 North America 00:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:45 Human Prey 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

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

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

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

04:30 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 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

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

BIKER BOYS ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION 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 23:00 00:00

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 The Client List Psych

01:00 The Carrie Diaries 02:00 Downton Abbey

04:00 How I Spent My Summer Vacation 06:00 The Tourist 08:00 Tombstone 10:15 Ip Man 2 12:15 Vanishing On 7th Street 14:00 The Man Inside 16:00 Ip Man 2 18:00 Biker Boyz 20:00 The Man Inside 22:00 Beneath The Darkness

04:00 06:00 08:15 10:15 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Tourist-PG15 Tombstone-PG15 Ip Man 2-PG15 Vanishing On 7th Street-

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

Blame It On The Bellboy 3 Holiday Tails A Kiss For Jed Wood Tower Heist Blame It On The Bellboy The Year Dolly Parton Was My Tower Heist Who Framed Roger Rabbit A Few Best Men The Sitter Stakeout A Few Best Men

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:45 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

03:45 05:15 07:30 09:30 11:15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15 01:15

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

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

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

The Man Inside-PG15 Ip Man 2-PG15 Biker Boyz-PG15 The Man Inside-PG15 Beneath The Darkness-PG15 Bunraku-18

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

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 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 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 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

SHARQIA-2 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-3 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG)

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

MUHALAB-2 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) CARRIE (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM

MUHALAB-3 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM

FANAR-1 PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-2 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-3 THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-4 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

12:45 PM

SITUATION VACANT

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (28/11/2013 TO 04/12/2013) 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 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-5 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

2:00 PM 5:00 PM 8:00 PM 11:00 PM

MARINA-1 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG)

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

MARINA-2 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-3 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG)

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

AVENUES-1 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-2 BULLETT RAJA (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) BULLETT RAJA (DIG) LAST VEGAS (DIG)

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

AVENUES-3 THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-4 THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG) THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-5 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) 1:30 PM DELIVERY MAN (DIG) 3:45 PM NO FRI DELIVERY MAN (DIG) 6:00 PM NO FRI Special Show “THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE (DIG)” 4:00 PM FRI-29.11.2013 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) 8:15 PM CARRIE (DIG) 10:30 PM CARRIE (DIG) 12:30 AM

Driver needed for Kuwaiti family, full-time or parttime. Tel: 60623330. (C 4588)

360º- 1 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

360º- 2 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG)

2:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:45 PM

360º- 3 PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 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)

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

AL-KOUT.2 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) THOR: THE DARK WORLD (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3 THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.4 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

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)

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

Required English speaking maid/nanny. Please call 99824597. (C 4587) 30-11-2013 A Kuwaiti family is looking to hire a driver with a valid driver’s license.

Contact: 99401126.

(C 4581) 25-11-2014 CHANGE OF NAME I, Mohammed Zakir, holder of Indian Passport No. H4591862 issued in Kuwait on 24/08/2009, address: 86-10-2, Chegunta Ramanpet, Medak, AP, hereby change my name to Zakir Alfouddin Shaikh.

(C 4583) 26-11-2014 FOR SALE Nissan Pathfinder, 2003 model, in good condition, call 97277135 1-12-2013

2005 model Mitsubishi Nativa, 4x4, 6 cylinder, silver color, price KD 1,900. Tel: 66104141. (C 4586) 27-11-2013 Honda Accord 2008, company maintained, excellent condition. Tel: 99787716 or 99673239.

(C 4584) 26-11-2013

MATRIMONIAL Inviting proposals for God fearing Marthomite boy 27/174/BE, working as an Engineer in Kuwait. Please contact email: oommenanoop@gmail.com or ansa.nick@gmail.com (C 4585) 27-11-2013

Nissan Pathfinder 2003 model, in good condition, white. Serious buyer may contact 97277135 25-11-2013 KIA Optima model 2006, excellent condition, maintained with company price KD 1200. Tel: 99839511.

(C 4579)

Prayer timings

Fajr:

05:01

Shorook

06:24

Duhr:

11:37

Asr:

14:30

Maghrib:

16:49

Isha:

18:11

No: 16003

BAIRAQ-2 CARRIE (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) PARKLAND (DIG) CARRIE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-3 DELIVERY MAN (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG) DELIVERY MAN (DIG) THE FROZEN GROUND (DIG)

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines BBC JAI THY QTR JZR JZR RJA DLH ETH GFA THY UAE ETD JAI RBG MSR CLX QTR FDB KAC THY DHX QTR FDB JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA IRC JZR MEA IRC UAE JZR MSR FDB QTR KAC

Arrival Flights on Sunday 1/12/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 1084 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 637 DAMMAM 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 576 COCHIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 612 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 1076 DOHA 67 DUBAI 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 8524 DOHA 69 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 332 TRIVANDRUM 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 1070 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 213 BAHRAIN 6666 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 6507 SHIRAZ 871 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 57 DUBAI 1078 DOHA 774 RIYADH

Time 00:05 00:10 00:45 00:55 00:40 00:40 01:05 01:10 01:45 02:10 02:15 02:35 02:45 02:50 02:55 03:10 03:40 03:45 04:00 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:45 05:50 06:05 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:10 08:15 08:45 08:45 08:40 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:40 10:35 10:40 11:00 11:30 11:55 12:05 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:50 13:55 13:30

KAC KAC SVA KNE GFA KAC UAE QTR ETD RJA SVA ABY GFA AFG JZR UAL KAC JZR QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA OMA FDB JAI AXB ABY MSR KAC DLH ALK MEA RAB ETD UAE GFA KAC QTR FDB KLM JZR JZR JAI AIC FDB UAL JZR PIA

742 672 500 472 221 788 857 1072 303 640 510 127 215 415 777 982 542 177 1080 63 786 502 618 166 674 562 102 217 647 61 572 393 129 606 514 634 229 402 300 307 859 219 172 1074 59 417 135 239 576 981 61 981 185 205

DAMMAM DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN KABUL JEDDAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA PARIS DUBAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA NEW YORK BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH LUXOR TEHRAN FRANKFURT COLOMBO BEIRUT SHARJAH ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT DOHA DUBAI AMSTERDAM BAHRAIN AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA COCHIN CHENNAI DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI LAHORE

13:30 14:00 14:30 14:35 15:00 15:10 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:20 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:25 19:55 19:35 19:30 19:55 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:45 20:45 20:55 21:10 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:20 22:15 22:30 23:00 23:10 23:20 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB UAL JAI BBC DLH ETH THY RBG UAE ETD MSR QTR FDB QTR CLX JZR FDB JAI JZR THY RJA GFA QTR THY FDB BAW KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE KAC KAC ETD QTR FDB KAC KAC GFA KAC IRA IRC KAC JZR MEA KAC IRC JZR MSR

Departure Flights on Sunday 1/12/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA 490 MANGALORE 981 WASHINGTON 573 MUMBAI 44 CHITTAGONG 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 556 ALEXANDRIA 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 1085 DOHA 68 DUBAI 1077 DOHA 792 HONG KONG 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 575 ABU DHABI 164 DUBAI 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 8525 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 171 FRANKFURT 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 773 RIYADH 302 ABU DHABI 1071 DOHA 56 DUBAI 741 DAMMAM 501 BEIRUT 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 6667 AHWAZ 103 LONDON 776 JEDDAH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 6508 SHIRAZ 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Time 00:05 00:15 00:55 01:10 01:45 02:10 02:45 02:55 03:35 03:50 04:00 04:10 04:15 04:40 05:15 05:45 06:20 06:30 06:35 06:55 07:05 07:05 07:15 07:15 07:30 08:30 08:45 09:10 09:25 09:30 09:40 09:55 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:10 10:20 10:30 11:10 11:25 11:30 11:35 12:00 12:20 12:25 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:45 14:00

UAE FDB KAC QTR KAC KAC KNE GFA SVA KAC JZR ETD QTR JZR UAE RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR AFG JZR JZR UAL FDB QTR GFA FDB OMA ABY KAC JAI AXB MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC FDB UAE KAC KAC KLM QTR JAI KAC JZR FDB KAC KAC

872 58 561 1079 673 617 473 222 503 513 238 304 1073 538 858 641 128 511 216 184 415 266 134 982 64 1081 218 62 648 120 361 571 3944 619 171 230 403 308 220 301 60 860 205 351 417 1075 575 343 502 62 415 411

DUBAI DUBAI AMMAN DOHA DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN MADINAH TEHRAN AMMAN ABU DHABI DOHA CAIRO DUBAI AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH BEIRUT BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH COLOMBO MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD KOCHI DAMMAM DOHA ABU DHABI CHENNAI LUXOR DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK

14:15 14:30 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:15 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:20 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:10 21:15 21:45 21:50 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 385

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19)

ARIES The history and culture of past- and present-day country life, in some place other than your own home, is of interest to you now. You are encouraged to study and learn all you can. This could be a country close to your own country or one that is no longer in existence such as atlantis, etc. This is just one of the few things you aim to add to your list of growing interests about new discoveries and interesting places, etc. You enjoy studying cultural differences, art from different cultures and new ideas that would benefit you and your own work. This may mean you are a tour guide, a travel director, etc.

There is an opportunity to break up old habits—get out of ruts, etc. Insights into your career and practical skills may reach a high point.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Circumstances affect you in a very direct manner. You may become disgusted at an ongoing mess around you just now. A move may be in order—an upgrade from where you are now. Whatever the case, you will change a negative to a positive or create the opportunity to move beyond any difficulties. You have a lot of mental energy now to help you in whatever sort of endeavor you seek to accomplish. If there is no part-time job to keep you busy just now, you might find that your friends are particularly supportive and will keep you company through some social activity this evening. You enjoy the support you receive from those around you. You also enjoy the study of genealogy and may do research tonight with some ongoing information.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. An unforeseen obstacle.

4. (biology) A taxonomic category below a class and above an order.

12. A caustic detergent useful for removing grease.

15. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

16. Of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth.

17. A tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle.

18. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

19. Outstanding Italian operatic tenor (1873-1921).

20. A city of central China.

21. A port in southern Sweden.

23. English writer (1672-1729).

25. The compass point that is midway between north and northeast.

26. A unit of length (in United States and Britain) equal to one twelfth of a foot.

28. Obvious and dull.

30. Stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings.

36. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

37. A feeling of intense anger.

39. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

40. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

41. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

45. The compass point midway between south and southeast.

46. An Italian poet famous for love lyrics (1304-1374).

49. Being one more than fifty.

50. Being one more than one.

52. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

53. Small Asian deer with small antlers and a cry like a bark.

55. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

56. A committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign and military and national security.

58. Type genus of the Coerebidae.

61. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

62. A town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean.

65. A pale rose-colored variety of the ruby spinel.

68. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

70. The atomic weight of an element that has the same combining capacity as a given weight of another element.

71. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

72. Widely cultivated herb with leaves valued as salad green.

75. Jordan's port.

77. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

78. Someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place.

80. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

81. A knockout declared by the referee who judges one boxer unable to continue.

82. A person who is interned.

83. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment.

2. The inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm.

3. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

4. Coming next after the first in position in space or time or degree or magnitude.

5. Fiddler crabs.

6. A Russian soup usually containing beet juice as a foundation.

7. King of Denmark and Norway who forced Edmund II to divide England with him.

8. Fail to keep or to maintain.

9. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic protozoa that form temporary pseudopods for feeding and locomotion.

10. A complete metric system of units of measurement for scientists.

11. Beer brewed for immediate consumption.

12. North American evergreen with small pinkish bellshaped flowers and oblong leaves used formerly for shinplasters.

13. The provision of money temporarily (usually at interest).

14. 100 sene equal 1 tala.

22. A member of the extinct Algonquian people formerly living in northern Indiana and southern Michigan.

24. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

27. Hard outer covering or case of certain organisms such as arthropods and turtles.

29. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

31. Deciduous round-headed Asiatic tree widely grown in mild climates as an ornamental for its heartshaped leaves and fragrant yellow-green flowers followed by hanging clusters of fleshy orange-red berries.

32. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

33. Massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws.

34. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

35. Of or relating to or caused by a toxin or poison.

38. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829).

42. Tall perennial herb of tropical Asia with dark green leaves.

43. An inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin.

44. Salt pork from the back of a hog carcass.

47. A variety of chert containing magnetite and hematite.

48. Living in or characteristic of farming or country life.

51. Any tree or shrub of the genus Inga having pinnate leaves and showy usually white flowers.

54. Immense East Indian fruit resembling breadfruit of.

57. A rosid dicot genus that includes moon carrots.

59. United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938).

60. The mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico.

63. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

64. Jordan's port.

66. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

67. A nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine.

69. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

73. (prefix) Reverse of or absence of.

74. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedgeshaped white tail.

76. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

79. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

You will find successful results from your probing questions today. You may be able to successfully complete a project that others have begun long ago.

Because of some experience you have had in the insurance business, you could be called in to help with some diagnostic coding procedures for medical insurance reimbursement issues. You will teach others to become proficient in some long-ago endeavor that turned out very successful for you. Sympathy and understanding from others is of greater importance now. Give sympathy and understanding to others and you will easily have the same.

It is wisdom and not knowledge that counts most now. You may spend a little time this evening mending or taking care of your work clothes.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You are not really the one to cook when it’s time to join a gathering but there are lots of other areas in which to participate if people at work want to gather for a party soon. You might find yourself volunteering to help with refreshments.

Learning how to successfully entertain requires mastering the basic essentials of style, etiquette and planning. You seem to be very organized with little time. Allow yourself the simple ways this season. People find you at your most imaginative and you have lots to offer when it comes to planning. You will also be helping to guide a group to positive results when it comes to decision making. Today’s activities in the workplace may soon point you in the direction of a raise or a better professional position.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are interested in the telecommunications industry and may find yourself studying the emerging new technologies and products. Detailed descriptions of the public networks, data communications including local area networks, current and future products and services may become available to you now. Making your mark on the world has special significance for you. Achievement, ambition and authority take on greater importance. Ambitious schemes and the pursuit of success and status take on a high priority this afternoon. This brings a focus on the practical, the successful, the pragmatic— whatever it takes to get you ahead long term. Tonight you and a friend are on the same wavelength and conversations are a lot of fun; there’s laughter!

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a good time to organize and discipline your mind and methods of communication. Perhaps this is also a time for serious thinking. Education and studies of all kinds may be in order. This is a time for perspiration in the idea department. Science, philosophy or religion seems to hold the vital answers at this time in your life—if not for you, someone in your family. True wisdom lies in discovering that there are no ultimate answers, only good questions. Ideological crusades can set your head spinning; distant journeys can stir your soul. This evening you may touch upon very emotional parts of you and find yourself analyzing and psychoanalyzing. You may find yourself caring too much about what others think of you; easy.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) An important relationship, perhaps with an older person or someone in authority, may come into focus. There could be some tension or sense of opposition requiring compromise or negotiation on your part. An opportunity for understanding and even growth is available. Circumstances could dictate your taking action. Be very careful with your words and everyone will be a winner—all day long. This evening you will feel healthy and natural and may decide to encourage those around you to join you in some exercise routine. A light dinner followed by a fun dessert can be an impressive way to enjoy your evening. Yes, even those you live with enjoy being impressed from time to time. Family, home and your sense of roots in life are most important to you.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Unusual vocations may come to your attention and you may want to skirt the crowd and common job trends to head for parts unknown. However, you are beginning to feel more confident and outgoing within your own job structure.

Work that was once placed to the side for another time will now take precedence. You should plan to work hard to bring out and give shape to the ideas you have inspired over these last few weeks. You are beginning to move forward now and can expect rewards for your hard work. You have a growing self-confidence. A problem in the home has your attention this evening, but not for long. Your approach to most problems is original and you develop ways of doing things that create successful and positive solutions.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your city will hold an impounded and abandoned vehicle auction soon.

Check this out and you can help yourself or a friend obtain a long-needed vehicle for driving back and forth to work. Before going off to work today, you grab a bag of books that will be gratefully received at a thrift shop this afternoon. There is more than one way to save money or to make a little extra money and you could write a book.

Discovering what you truly believe in is a personal priority. Religion, law, politics, travel and higher education are some of the arenas where this takes place. You may find yourself examining and testing ideals. There is time for relaxation this evening. You may enjoy escaping realities with a good book or a little television this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may become informed of some unusual phenomena that a few scientists have discovered. There may be some research involved in today’s work.

You have some insight into ways you can be helpful. Before presenting your work, proofing or testing the work will catch mistakes you had not been aware of before now. You and others will be quite pleased with the results of your work today. Others respect your ideas as well as your good insight. Your organizational abilities and a sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful. There is talk about becoming involved in some new exercise or new hobby this afternoon. Tonight, a close relationship will take on more meaning and magnitude.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You have an inner need for communication of all kinds but may have too many things going on to keep up with the pace you have created. You can be all over the place, always trying to make one more connection. Speaking and writing are naturals. You have a need for lots of variety. You put forth a lot of effort, in particular regarding your career. Your drive and ambitions work well with the management skills you have. You create a harmonious work environment. You are at your most efficient when it comes to dealing and working with others. Outer circumstances are favorable and it should be easy for you to see positive results from your efforts. This is a new time in your life when the past should be left behind and new doors open.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Unforgettable, charismatic characters are what make novels and short stories into best sellers and award winners. If you are not writing today, you will be proofing the work of a very good artist. You have respect for whatever work you do.

Your ambition is high and your achievements are many. A period of intellectual creativity has dawned in your life; expressing yourself with flair comes to mean more to you. Beating the odds through cleverness is appealing and may lead to an interest in all kinds of financial speculation. A lover or child who is bright and articulate plays a bigger role in your life.

This is a real time for communication—by phone, letter or in person. You may want to walk or exercise this afternoon. Tonight there is romance.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 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

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Salem soso

22618787 General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

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 Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

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

Neurologists 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

Endocrinologist Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

lifestyle G o s s i p

Kris Jenner ashamed of Kim Kardashian K

ris Jenner is reportedly “ashamed” of Kim Kardashian’s appearance in the ‘Bound 2’ video. The showbiz matriarch - who is also her daughter’s manager - only got to see Kanye West’s new video two days before it was made public and is said to have told the brunette beauty that appearing topless in the promotional film is “degrading” and damaging to her credibility. A source said: “Kris went ballistic, telling her daughter this is worse than the 2007 leaked sex tape that Kim made with her exboyfriend Ray J, because that was meant to stay private, while this was meant to go public. She started crying, saying how ashamed she was to see her

daughter being ‘forced into something so degrading’. She’s saying that Kim destroyed all of her credibility.” And Kim’s sisters are also said to have been critical of the video and Kanye’s influence over her.

The source continued: “The family is appalled, because it’s just not like Kim. Everyone is blaming Kanye and questioning just how much he controls Kim.”Kourtney told her she thought the video was disgusting and disrespectful, to the family and all their relatives, but also questioned why Kim did it.”

The family is now planning to urge the reality star who has five-month-old daughter North with Kanye - to join them for group therapy. The source told

heat magazine: “They are considering an intervention. They think Kim is really struggling and ‘all over the place’ since she had baby North. Kim has never let herself be this influenced before when it comes to her image and brand. So everyone wants to go into family therapy sessions - they sit the person down and tell them they are all worried and have therapy as a group.”

Beckhams

have ‘ups and

downs’ in their marriage

V

ictoria Beckham admits she and husband David have had “ups and downs” in their marriage. The singer-turned-fashion designer has been married to David for 14 years and she says they’ve had to endure their fair share of tribulations like any other couple but they have always had respect for one another. Speaking in the new issue of Paris Vogue magazine, she said: “David and I have been through so much together. We’ve had our ups and downs but we’re so proud of each other.”

Victoria - who has guest edited this issue of the magazine - has been the biggest supporter of her husband David’s soccer career and she has felt privileged to enjoy his sporting successes with him and their children, Brooklyn, 14, Romeo, 12, Cruz, nine, and two-year-old Harper. The 39-year-old star added: “We have always been and I include the children in this - amazingly happy about the success David has achieved. All those matches where we stood cheering on the terraces.” David, 38, retired from soccer in May after winning the Ligue 1 title in France with Paris SaintGermain (PSG). His illustrious career included trophy-laden spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan and he also captained the English national side.

Charlize Theron has ‘major chemistry’ with Luke Grimes

T

he ‘Monster’ actress was seen at a party with the 29year-old actor - who has been cast in the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ movie - where they reported got close. A source told Life and Style magazine: “She had her hand on his knee at one point. Charlize then seductively led him onto the dance floor and he put his hands around her waist.” The couple were then said to have exchanged numbers at the end of the night. Luke will play Elliot Grey in the adaptation of erotic thriller ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, opposite Jamie Dornan, who will play lead character, Christian Grey.

Welcoming him to the production, Jamie recently tweeted: “Stow your twitchy palms ladies... our man is here.

Welcome to #TeamFifty @JamieDornan1. (sic)” Charlize, 38, broke off her engagement to Irish actor Stuart Townsend after nine years together in 2010, and has since been linked to Keanu Reeves. She was also seen having a lunch date with a mystery man in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Charlize is also a mother to son Jackson, who she adopted last year. Speaking of being a single parent, she has previously said: “You know, I don’t think any mother aims to be a single mom. “I didn’t wish for that, but it happened. I always knew I would adopt. Always.”

Charles Saatchi ‘brokenhearted’ after losing

Nigella Lawson

T

he art dealer told of his devastation while giving evidence in court yesterday in the case of sisters Francesca and Elisbabetta Grillo, former assistants to Nigella, who stand accused of spending £685,000 on his company credit card for their own personal expenses. Nigella split from Charles earlier this year after he was pictured with his hands around her throat while they dined at an upmarket London restaurant and they divorced in July. Speaking at the trial this afternoon, Charles said: “I am divorced. “I am utterly heartbroken at having lost Nigella and wish this last year had never happened. “So if you think this process is giving me any pleasure - I hate it. “I adore Nigella now. I absolutely adore Nigella and I’m brokenhearted to have lost her.” Lawyers defending the Grillo sisters have claimed Nigella abused drugs including cocaine and marijuana for the decade they worked for the TV chef, but despite an email written by Charles to Nigella speculating she was “so off your head on drugs you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked” he said today he had no evidence of Nigella ever using illegal drugs. When asked about the email in court, Charles said he was “very upset” when he wrote it and called it “nasty,” adding: “It was hearsay. I personally have absolutely no knowledge that Nigella has ever taken a drug ever. “I don’t like drugs at all and I didn’t like reading what the Grillos said was the culture in my house. I may have believed it but I may have been completely wrong and they may have been deluded. “Like I said, you like proof in this courtroom and I cannot provide proof.” The trial has now been adjourned until next Wednesday when Nigella will give evidence.

Charlie Sheen is romancing Brett Rossi

T

he ‘Anger Management’ star posted a picture of him with his arms around the porn actress as they holidayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, over Thanksgiving yesterday. Charlie captioned the picture: “Best Thanksgiving ever. I’m thankful for ‘giving’ the world another face-load of planet jealous! Hashtag HowYaLikeMeWow. (sic)” The couple were also spotted kissing on the balcony of their hotel. Brett tweeted: “Finally in Cabo with my love,” before later adding: “Beautiful ending to a beautiful day. Period. The end.” Charlie, 48, is no stranger to dating porn stars, as in December last year he treated 24-year-old adult actress Georgia Jones to a romantic break, also in Cabo San Lucas, and they were reported to be living together in January. During a more turbulent period in his life, when he had just been fired from his most successful TV show, ‘Two and a Half Men’ in 2011, Charlie also dated two girls at the same time - former nanny Natalie Kenly and porn star Bree Olson. When asked if the three had sex together, Bree said: “We do whatever Charlie wants us to. This is the type of lifestyle I’ve always wanted and I’m thrilled with it.”It’s an unconventional family. Charlie is the man with the ball and we’re on either side looking out for him. “All three of us are in a relationship, and if Charlie ever wants to go outside ‘The Wedge’ and act out on his sexual desires, that’s fine with Natty and me. We’re laid back.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

lifestyle G o s s i p

Cher does not celebrate Thanksgiving

T

he ‘I Got You Babe’ singer doesn’t mark the traditional holiday - held on the fourth Thursday in November in the US to celebrate a good harvest, which has its roots in a three day feast between pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621 - because she sees it as the point where the oppression of the nation’s native population started.

When asked by a fan on Twitter whether she celebrated, Cher responded: “I don’t. For me and my family, it’s a day when everyone is free for dinner and a movie, not to celebrate the beginning of a great crime.” When asked to elaborate, the singer - who has Native American Cherokee roots - added: “Stealing land from a people who believed owning land was like owning sky! We gave them blankets laced with smallpox.” Cher, 67, has been increasingly politi-

cally motivated this year, declining an invitation to appear at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, next February after the country passed new laws making life difficult for gay people. Cher - who has long campaigned for gay rights and has a transgender son, Chaz - said: “I have so many Russian friends and I wanted to go to the Olympics and now I can’t. I don’t understand it. The first time I went to Russia everything was fine and then this just exploded. “My friend Oleg said, ‘This is so strange because it’s truly not the way the people feel out there. They are afraid over there.’ “

T

he ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ star claims her high-profile acting career has robbed her of her freedom and she regrets not being able to hang out in coffee shops any more without fans hounding her. She told Spanish website Mujerhoy.com: “My personal life is now ruined. I’ve had to create a new one and get used to this new life. It’s hard and it takes time, but I’m sure I will get it. “I’m just mourning my old life. I miss that. I don’t want to forget what it’s like going to a coffee shop and people looking at me like a normal person. A part of me can’t get used to it and it makes me sad.” The 23-year-old actress - who landed an Oscar earlier this year for her performance in ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ - is best known for her portrayal as selfless heroine Katniss Everdeen in ‘The Hunger Games’ franchise, and she admits to feeling just as uncomfortable as her alter-ego when she was first thrust into the spotlight. Jennifer explained: “It is funny how she and I have made this trip together from the beginning. In the first movie they force her to wear make-up, wear dresses and people talk about things that she doesn’t understand. “I know exactly how she feels ... I experienced the same thing. This can be a very weird world, but after a while, you’re not afraid anymore and you can handle it.”

Jennifer Lawrence’s fame ruins her personal life

Michelle Dockery Lady Gaga wishes millions of T

gets star-struck all the time

‘Little Monsters’ for Thanksgiving

T

he 31-year-old actress has been catapulted to the spotlight as Lady Mary Crawley on hit TV series ‘Downton Abbey’, and since then she has acquired a huge fan base including Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger and her own idol, ‘The Sopranos’ star Edie Falco. The admiration of these A-Listers has come as a bit of a surprise to her and she in awe when they approach her, “falling over in shock”. She explained to Boston Common magazine: “She’s [Edie] one of my acting heroes. I just think she’s one of the best, and apparently she caught up watching ‘Downton’, which is just amazing to hear because I think she’s incredible. “I’m just so star-struck by so many people. Most of them come over and say they’re fans of the show. It makes us fall over with shock ... It’s something that we weren’t really expecting.” The brunette beauty hasn’t taken her success for granted and is delighted that the role has given her other opportunities.

Michelle said: “I went to the US Open just now in New York, which was amazing. We sat so close [that] we could see every expression. It’s wonderful that we get these opportunities now.”

Leona Lewis won’t

twerk like Miley Cyrus

T

he 28-year-old singer says her musical style, consisting of big, soaring ballads, doesn’t suit the latest dance craze and she won’t be seen shaking her rump any time soon. Leona said: “I feel like my songs don’t really suit twerking so it might look weird if I just started suddenly.” The ‘Bleeding Love’ hitmaker - who is due to release her festive album ‘Christmas, with Love’ next week - shot to fame as a contestant on the UK version of ‘The X Factor’, on which she was mentored by Simon Cowell, 54, and she says she still enjoys a close friendship with the music mogul, who is also her record label boss. She explained: “He’s definitely in my phonebook, I worked closely with him on this record and work closely with him on all of my records.” As

one of the richest men in the world with a slew of expensive possessions, including his prized Bugatti car, Simon is notoriously difficult to buy Christmas gifts for. However, Leona has figured out one item he doesn’t own. She quipped to UK TV show ‘Daybreak’: “I’ve not seen him in a Christmas jumper yet, maybe I’ll buy him one for Christmas!”

he ‘Do What U Want’ hitmaker tweeted her 40 million followers thanking them for their continued support before her performance with Kermit the Frog and the Muppets is aired on ABC TV to mark the American holiday. The 27-yearold posted on Twitter: “Happy Thanksgiving little turkey+tofurkey monsters, I love you with all my heart and thought all day about how grateful I am to be a performer in this life, writing you songs and singing to you year after year! #thankful4monsters. (sic)” The pop superstar also got emotional earlier on in the day when preparing for the Thanksgiving special and tweeted: “I was getting ready for a tv today and I just burst into tears, all my beautiful costumes, the amazing stage shows. It’s all because of you. “Everyone keep warm & bundle up! I’ll see you tonight with the Muppets on ABC. And if your already warm, turn up the freezer it’s the holidays! (sic)” In tonight’s show Gaga is seen surrounded by the famous Muppets, including Miss Piggy, Walter, Fozzie Bear and Animal. Kermit said about the show: “We have a long history with Ms Gaga, so we jumped at the chance to do a holiday special with her. “We won’t even mind if she mistakes some of the Muppets for pieces of her wardrobe - again.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

lifestyle

A memorial to Elvis Presley is displayed outside Graceland, Presley’s Memphis, Tenn.

In this photo, a 1968 Elvis Presley advertising proof hangs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

— AP photos

Elvis items featured at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame O

A rare Gibson double-necked guitar belonging to Elvis Presley hangs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

ld-time Elvis Presley fans and lots of newer, younger ones flocked to a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Friday to see his stylish ID bracelet, custom-made motorcycle, eye-catching rings and military mementos. The exhibit opened in conjunction with Elvis Presley Enterprises and includes more than 40 artifacts loaned by his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee.

The items include a walnut-size 41-carat ruby and diamond ring, a 25.5-carat opal ring and a sapphire pinkie ring. The rock hall inducted Presley in 1986 and calls him “the undisputed King of Rock and Roll.” The rock hall says he holds records for the most Top 40 hits with 104 and the most Top 10 hits with 38.

“Elvis was the creator, he was the beginning,” said fan Peter Webster, 72, of Portland, Maine, while visiting the rock hall during a family holiday gathering in Cleveland. “There were other people who sang rock ‘n roll music before he did, but he brought rock ‘n roll music onto the stage.”

Visitors lined up to watch a video montage and check out Presley’s 1975 custom made SuperTrike motorcycle and the white suit that he wore when he performed the song “If I Can Dream” in a television special.

There’s also the script for a 1968 NBC special and a 1971 souvenir menu for Presley’s shows in Lake Tahoe. Presley’s Army service beginning in 1958 at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, gets the headline treatment, including his fatigue shirt, his induction orders and his signed receipt for an M1 rifle.

His military service and smiling photo pointing to his sergeant’s stripes may sur-

prise people more familiar with the antidraft sentiment years later during the Vietnam war. “I think people respected him because he served in the Army,” Webster said. The Presley exhibit at the rock hall alongside Lake Erie is updated every two years with loaned items from Graceland.

“We’re using it as a chance to introduce

The Elvis exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland sits nearly empty.

some really iconic artifacts and also to change up the exhibition space. It’s more than just a refresh,” said rock hall president and CEO Greg Harris. “We all know Elvis didn’t invent rock ‘n roll. He was the shot heard ‘round the world for everybody to

US rappers say they filmed music video in N Korea

T

wo aspiring American rappers said yesterday that they had filmed part of a music video in North Korea, hoping the novel locale will make a hit. The rappers known as Pacman and Peso did not say where and how they filmed the footage, which their fundraising proposal suggested would be done on a karaoke party bus in Pyongyang. Their custom trip was arranged through a travel agency specializing in taking Westerners to North Korea, according to the proposal.

Americans are able to travel to North Korea on arranged tours and are constantly accompanied by North Korea minders. After an elderly American was detained in the country, the US State Department issued a travel warning on Nov 19, advising against all travel by US citizens to North Korea. The two rappers said their trip shied away from politics. “I mean we did not go there to be political. We just go down there to shoot our video and that about the reason why we went, not political,” said Pacman - whose real name is Anthony Bobb.

The duo from the Washington area spoke to reporters at an airport in Beijing upon their return from a five-day trip to North Korea. “Nobody shot a video in North Korea, let

embrace it and be moved by it,” Harris said. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Jan 8, 1935, and grew up surrounded by gospel music. He died of a heart attack at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 42. Elvis Presley Enterprises was created by the Elvis Presley Trust to manage its assets. — AP

alone thought of it. Nobody even thought of making a video in North Korea. You know what I’m saying?” said Peso, whose real name is Dontray Ennis. They raised more than $10,000 on the crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter to fund their trip.

The rappers said the unusual move could jumpstart their music careers. They hope to release the video next month. North Korea has detained at least six Americans since 2009, including journalists accused of trespassing and others accused of trying to spread Christianity. North Korea state media claimed Saturday that 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman had apologized for committing “hostile acts” against the state during a trip in October, but the report could not be independently verified. The rappers said they encountered no problem while in North Korea. “They treated us well, like I was sick out there for good two days and they took care of me until I got over the sickness,” Peso said. — AP

Japan director turns to crowd-funding for anti-nuclear film

J

apanese film director Takafumi Ota had a problem. He needed studio financing for a film that was harshly critical of the nuclear industry in the aftermath of Fukushima, but no one was interested in funding his project the traditional way. Large sections of Japan’s movie industry wanted nothing to do with it, and he was told that influential sponsors did not want to be associated with anything that criticised the powerful atomic sector.

“It wasn’t only major film distribution companies but also DVD companies-who usually get interested in investing in films to share copyright-who showed no interest in my plan,” said the 52-year-old Ota, whose previous work includes the critically acclaimed 2006 film “Strawberry fields”, which screened at the Cannes International Film Festival. “A senior film director told me ‘Don’t do this. You’ll never be able to make commercial films.’”

With few options to make the film, but a groundswell of anti-nuclear feeling in post-Fukushima Japan, Ota turned to the public to make his film in another example of how crowd-funding is changing the face of traditional financing.

The practice sees individuals or firms raise micro-donations from small investors over the Internet. While still small, the market has been booming, with companies such as the pioneering KickStarter offering donation-based funding for creative projects.

Globally, the crowd-funding market grew 81 percent last year and was on track to raise $5.1 billion in 2013, with investments in everything from business startups and philanthropic projects to films and music, according to research firm Massolution. For Ota, raising money through his blog from a public suspicious of the nuclear industry got him the crucial 10 million yen ($100,000) that he needed to make “Asahi No Ataru Ie” (The House of Rising Sun), a film about a family pulled apart by a Fukushima-like nuclear crisis. Each donor was offered the chance to see their name on the credits. “The 10 million yen budget is extremely low for a feature-length film, but actors and other staff got on-board despite low salaries,” Ota said.

Careers on the line Among them was Taro Yamamoto, a 39-year-old actor who is a household name in Japan thanks to his appearances in movies, television dramas and on variety shows.

Yamamoto, who became an outspoken lawmaker following last year’s national elections, began campaigning against nuclear power weeks after the nuclear crisis erupt-

US rapper Pacman at the Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing, after returning from Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday.

— AP

A 41-carat ruby and diamond gold ring purchased by Elvis Presley in 1975 is pictured.

ed in March 2011, hoping he could use his fame to bring further attention to the issue. But he suddenly found the oxygen of publicity-and the source of his salary-cut off. “Job offers dried up,” Yamamoto said. “Whenever my name was mentioned, sales department people pressured” producers to drop him from a cast, he told AFP. Ota’s film tells the story of a farming family whose lives are turned upside down in a chaotic and badly-managed evacuation after a nuclear accident, where government information is scarce or unreliable. Yamamoto’s character is a relative who tries to persuade the family to move to Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost island, as they suffer through futile efforts to decontaminate their strawberry fields and one of them develops cancer. It is now being screened at about 10 independent movie theatres and cinema complexes in Japan. The film taps into the strong feelings of critics who accused the Japanese government and nuclear industry of jointly downplaying the severity of the Fukushima disaster and dragging their heels on releasing information.

Like most of Japan, Ota watched in horror as the nuclear crisis unfolded in 2011 after a huge tsunami slammed into the nuclear power plant on the country’s northeast coast. Three of its reactors went into meltdown, venting a plume of radiation that polluted land, sea and air, with tens of thousands of people living in the area forced to flee. Many are still unable-or unwilling-to return home.

The tsunami drowned or swept away 18,000 people, but the nuclear crisis itself is not officially recorded as having directly killed anyone. “In March 2011, when I saw television reports of the tsunami and the developments afterwards, I felt an urge to do something for people in Japan,” Ota said.

“What the government said initially-that there is no immediate risk to health-was dubious,” Ota said, echoing a now-common distrust among the public about nuclear power. Yamamoto meanwhile recently caused outrage from the nation’s conservatives by handing a letter to Emperor Akihito during a royal garden party-a breach of protocol-to let the revered royal know directly about the plight of people affected by the Fukushima disaster.

lifestyle

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

Kris Jenner ashamed of Kim Kardashian

36

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013

The Sonic the Hedgehog balloon floats above the street during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 28, 2013 in New York City. — AP/AFP photos

The Spiderman balloon makes its way down Central Park West.

Balloons steal show at NYC parade after wind fears R

Residents in an apartment block watch as giant balloons float past during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Ronald McDonald balloon makes its way down Central Park West.

A Santa’s Elf balloon floats above the street.

evelers at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gave thanks for the giant balloons that flew above the city streets Thursday after a blustery storm accompanied by high winds nearly grounded them for only the second time in the parade’s 87-year history. “The balloons are the best part,” 11-year-old Matthew Ragbe said as he watched them leave their launch pads on 77th Street and turn the corner to face the crowds of parade-goers, many of whom waited hours to secure a good viewing spot.

Across the country, millions of Americans celebrated their blessings, gobbled up turkey and pumpkin pie and prepared to kick off the official start to the Christmas shopping season. In Detroit, former Tigers manager Jim Leyland served as grand marshal of the city’s parade, while Philadelphia celebrations were subdued slightly by gusting winds that limited the use of balloons.

In New York City, tens of thousands of people lining the parade route were not disheartened by freezing temperatures or the drama over whether Spider-Man, Julius, Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants would make their scheduled appearances along with a dozen other puffed-up sky-bound creatures.

“We thought they’d find a way to pull it off,” said paradegoer John Mispagel, of San Jose, Calif. “It’s really fun seeing so many people having such a great time.” Dozens of balloon handlers kept a tight grip on their inflated characters, keeping them close to the ground to fight winds that reached the mid20 mph range. Caution was necessary to prevent a recurrence of the kind of high-wind accident that crashed a Cat in the Hat balloon into a light pole in 1997, seriously injuring a spectator.

Balloons were only grounded once in the parade’s history, with bad weather to blame in 1971.

The balloons were sprinkled along a parade led by a bright orange Tom Turkey float that gleamed in the sunlight. Also featured were thousands of baton twirlers, clowns, cheerleaders, marching musicians and performers including Brett Eldredge, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, the Goo Goo Dolls and Kellie Pickler. “It’s amazing,” Pickler said, preparing to sing “Little Bit Gypsy.” “This is such an honor to be a part of this parade. I grew up watching this.”

The parade largely went off without a hitch, though Sonic the Hedgehog got briefly hung up in the branches of a tree and a spinning dreidel balloon became temporarily deflated on a float meant to mark the start of Hanukkah, which fell on Thanksgiving for the first time in centuries. Farther down the more-than-40-block parade route, 11-year-old Ema Kelly, of Manhasset, was protecting confetti buried 4 inches deep in her knitted hat, waiting for the parade’s end: the Santa Claus float.

She shared confetti collection duties with her neighborhood friend, 10-year-old Matthew O’Connor. “He forgot his hat so he’s helping me collect it, and then we’re going to split it on the bus ride home,” she said. Nearby, Columbia Law School student Andrew Leff said he had arrived at 5 am to get a front-row spot to watch the parade for the 23rd time in his 24 years. Greg Packer, of Huntington, said he would still make it to the stores when they open.

“I expect turkey, and I expect shopping,” he said. A few blocks away, a line was forming outside a Best Buy store slated to open seven hours later. In Philadelphia, gusty winds of 28 mph limited use of balloons during its annual parade, with offi-

cials citing concern for the safety of participants and spectators.

Instead of flying along the entire route, the balloons soared only around Eakins Oval and the broadcast area near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Elsewhere in the country, Thanksgiving traditions were largely unaffected by the weather. In Detroit, the Tigers’ popular former manager served as grand marshal of that city’s Thanksgiving Day parade, which is billed as the nation’s second largest, behind New York’s. Revelers braved snow showers and slick roads to see two dozen floats and a performance by singer Ruben Studdard.

In Washington, President Barack Obama and family celebrated a quiet holiday at the White House. The menu was quintessential Thanksgiving, including turkey, cornbread stuffing, greens and six choices of pie. He also called several members of the armed forces to thank them for their service to the country.

In New York City, volunteers from Citymeals-on-Wheels escorted dozens of elderly residents from neighborhoods affected by Superstorm Sandy to a Manhattan restaurant feast. The organization funded almost 20,500 Thanksgiving meals, including 13,000 delivered in advance to homebound elderly.

On Wednesday, two American astronauts on board the International Space Station, Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio, released a video from 260 miles above Earth showing off their traditional Thanksgiving meal: irradiated smoked turkey, thermostabilized yams, cornbread dressing, potatoes, freeze-dried asparagus, baked beans, bread, cobbler and dehydrated green bean casserole. — AP

SpongeBob Squarepants baloon makes his way down Central Park West.

The How To Train Your Dragon balloon floats down Central Park West.

Singer Ariana Grande makes her way down Central Park West.