20th Dec 2013 by Kuwait Times

Ashour files to grill education minister

Raja stun Ronaldinho’s Atletico

FR EE

Egypt’s Shafik may stage a comeback

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NO: 16022- Friday, December 20, 2013

Want a peacock for your garden? PAGE 6

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Local Spotlight

Man for all seasons By Muna Al-Fuzai

KUWAIT: The camping season in Kuwait in full swing. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

muna@kuwaittimes.net

think this was the title of a movie although right now, I can see how ironic it is. The men for all seasons are the street cleaners who wear a yellow uniform and work throughout summer and winter without objecting and nobody even noticing them. Every time, I leave the house early in the morning, I see these men everywhere on the streets. They start their day very early when we’re nicely tucked in bed under heavy sheets, enjoying the warmth and soft pillows. These men whose misfortune lead them to this kind of work are forced to clean out streets where we throw our trash and dirt. Yes, they are doing their job for which they get paid but we still have a responsibility to make sure their rights are protected and nobody abuses them just because they’re poor and working in a job which we label as “low” in our old-fashioned minds. I feel sorry when I see them wearing the same summer uniform in this biting cold and feel very upset when I don’t see the media or any human rights activist taking the trouble to highlight their plight. My second concern is regarding the company owners who are responsible for these cleaners. If they force them to wear their summer uniform in winter, can you imagine their accommodation and working hours? I also wonder if the Ministry of Social Affairs makes any routine or sudden visits to check their accommodation and penalize the company owners for neglect. Finally, I blame the MPs who don’t treat these issues seriously while we are ethically responsible to be the voice of these helpless people. They don’t dare complain against the way they are treated out of fear of losing the only job they hold or being imprisoned. This is why they accept their condition and just pray for help. The people from the media and others who claim to care should be their voice and help them out of their misery. Now we have holidays. I took a small step and donated my sons’ old jackets to the cleaners with a small bag of fruits and biscuits and a little food. You don’t need to make a show of your generosity. This is just a small way to show how much you care for them and appreciate their work. I’m sure we all have something that is not fashionable and can manage to spare some food for the lesser privileged during this weather. Our huge budget will not be affected by showing a little concern for them. It is a great feeling to give and help others in need. Please spread this spirit of giving amidst your family and friends.

KUWAIT: Sheesha time: Coffee shops in Kuwait are flocked by hubbly-bubbly lovers. —Photo by Joseph Shagra

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Kuwait’s my business

‘I don’t know how’ isn’t a valid excuse By John P Hayes

local@kuwaittimes.net

his week’s mail included numerous letters from readers concerned about paying US income taxes, the topic of my column last Friday. “Yikes, your article scared the beegezus (sic) out of me,” wrote one reader. And with good reason! Next year the US plans to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) which will force the world’s banks to report information about their customers who are US citizens (that includes Kuwaitis who hold US passports or green cards) to the Internal Revenue Service. All US citizens are required to file tax returns annually, regardless of where they earned their income or how much money they earned. At least one major Kuwait bank is gearing up to report information to the USA; the penalties for not doing so are severe. “I’ve been in Kuwait for almost 18 years . . . I’ve never filed a tax return since I’ve been here.” This reader said she earned less than

$40,000 a year and thought she did not have to pay taxes. American citizens working abroad can earn a large amount of money tax free ($97,600 for 2013), and this reader most likely doesn’t owe taxes. However, it’s a federal offense not to file an annual tax return! “I’m worried about my bank accounts. I have one in the USA and one in Kuwait. My husband puts all his earnings in my account (he makes more than I do). Is this taxable?” I don’t know; I’m not a tax advisor. And this is a complicated question. If the husband isn’t a US citizen he doesn’t have to file a return, but will the bank differentiate between the husband’s income and the wife’s income when reporting to the USA? I wouldn’t count on that! Several readers said they did not know how to file a tax return. Other readers said they did not have family support in the USA, or contacts that could help them prepare their taxes. But Uncle Sam doesn’t accept those excuses. “I didn’t know I had to file a return!” That’s not a valid excuse either. Uncle Sam doesn’t let you off the hook for ignorance of the law. “But I’m a Kuwaiti.” If you are also an American citizen, or you have a green card, you are subject to the laws of the USA, including the requirement to file a tax return. You may not owe any money, but you must file the return! (Somehow that seems a difficult message to get across).

“I plan to avoid going back to the USA,” said one reader, and another wrote, “I’m going to give up my US passport and keep my Kuwaiti passport.” These may be good decisions, but they do not protect people from the requirement to file a tax return. You can’t simply “give up” your passport. You must renounce your citizenship, and when you do the US Government will likely check into your tax reporting history. You may be accountable for paying taxes (and penalties if you did not file on time) for the previous ten years! “But I earn all my money in Kuwait!” So do many other US citizens, and all are required to file a return! “I own property in the USA, but I do not file a tax return because I make less money in Kuwait than the foreign exemption.” This reader could have a serious problem because the IRS can seize real assets, or withhold bank funds, but I advised this reader to contact a tax attorney, or a tax preparer, for clarification. It appears that FATCA isn’t going away, even though many people are working to repeal the law. The US intends to enforce the law (through the bank networks) beginning in June 2014. At this point, the best advice is to comply with the law because the penalties for not doing so are far worse than filing a return, especially if you don’t owe any money! questions@hayesworldwide.com.

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Indian peafowl

On sale: 629 animals Animal

Black wildebeest

By Nawara Fattahova

new business, this time not on Instagram, is opening up in Kuwait. The Kuwait Zoo will begin selling animals from its collections including peacocks, European and red deer, pygmy goats, parrots, ponies, wildebeest and others. Need a peacock for your garden or a pony for your children’s birthday parties? Head to the zoo starting from December 30 to pick out the perfect less-thanexotic pet. The zoo, which has faced criticism in recent years due to overcrowding and less than ideal conditions for the animals, said that it has too many animals and

too little space and therefore will sell some of the most populous breeds off. For the high demand items like ponies - the zoo will hold a draw. Those interested to buy can register and on the appointed day, zoo officials will draw names. “Each person is only allowed to buy one animal, and must show their civil ID. Also the buyer won’t be able to specify a particular animal - [he cannot choose the black pony, for instance.] The buyer will get a pony but they will be chosen and distributed at random to avoid any conflicts,” Abdulmuhsin Mustafa, Head of Administrative Department at the Zoo told the Kuwait Times.

Price in KD Number Male Female Pony 400 400 7 Asian deer 100 140 82 Red deer 150 200 20 European deer 80 140 80 Nilgai deer 900 1200 10 Black wildebeest 500 800 24 Barbary sheep 150 250 37 Mouflon lamb 70 140 23 Common sheep 50 100 50 Pygmy goats 50 150 210 Princess Parrot 20 20 28 Indian Blue Peafowl 100 100 17 Pygmy chicken bantam 10 10 41 Australian Cockatiel parrots 6 6 15 Asian Fischer’s Lovebird 5 5 40 Java starlings 3 3 180 White pigeons 5 5 43 Archangel pigeons 5 5 40 City pigeons 5 5 33 Damson pigeons 5 5 33

Date December 30 -31 January 2 -9 January 12 - 19 January 20 -24 January 26 -28 January 29 -30 February 2 - 5 February 6 - 10 February 11 - 13 February 16 - 18 February 19 - 20 February 23 - 24 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3 March 2 -3

And the remaining kinds of animals will then be sold March 4 -6.

Previously the zoo has auctioned off animals but now prices for all the animals have been fixed and the dates as well. Other animals may be placed up for sale in the future. The zoo also has some basic requirements: “For instance the buyer should provide suitable transportation for the animals. We won’t allow him to transfer a deer or pony in an open pickup vehicle,” said Mustafa. “He should have a suitable cage vehicle. Also these are not rare animals so people in general know what to feed them,” he added. The animals for sell do not include wild animals as the law forbids selling or even processing them. Plans for a new, larger zoo are still in the earliest stages and are not expected to be realized any time soon. Kuwait zoo does not use any contraceptive methods or sterilization that control unwanted breeding. Separating the animals in different cages is the method Kuwait zoo has chosen to use as a method to reduce mating. Located in Omariya, off the Fifth Ring Road and Highway 55, the Kuwait Zoo welcomes visitors daily from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. Entrance is 500 fils.

Children feeding deer.

Asian deer. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Pigmy goats in Kuwait Zoo waiting for new homes.

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

The tough job of the special forces commando By Velina Nacheva Living on the edge, jumping from trucks loaded with explosives and hopping from chopper to chopper airborne are Hollywood-concocted images of the commando routine that bear little, or no resemblance, to the real job of a commando. Hard work, discipline and commitment are the most necessary qualities

Living the army life has not only taught Nasser a myriad of skills but has also reshaped his character. “Being a solider made me more organized, patient and cooperative.”I learnt to take care of my soldiers. I learnt so many things,” he said. For commandos who learn to operate as individuals and as part of a team, comradeship is very important, Nasser says. of a commando, says Major Nasser AlAdwani, from Commando Brigade 25 of Kuwait Armed Forces for whom the gamut of hazardous endeavors that everyone has seen on TV “is just TV.” Nasser, a Kuwaiti, is part of a platoon of specially-trained military servicemen called commandos who are prepared to undertake special secret missions, commando raids and have the tactical readiness to respond to different kinds of threat.

Nasser’s love for Kuwait and unrelenting patriotism made his career choice easy. “Our country Kuwait has given us a lot. It is time for me to give back to my country” says Nasser. Holding a sniper and demonstrating special missions equipment during a recent defense exhibition held in Kuwait, he recalled his first steps in the fearless job. Ready, steady, go The allure of the military attracted Nasser to join the ranks of Kuwait’s Air Force in 2002. The lack of sufficient challenge in the air force, however, prompted him to move to the special forces. “There was not a lot of movement and action in the air force. I preferred and still prefer to be part of the special forces,” Nasser says explaining that joining the ranks of the special forces means hard work but is not comparable to what movies portray of his job. Talking with contagious passion about his military career, Nasser explains that in real life commandos do battle and counter-terrorism navigation, shooting and airborne (training and preparedness). Commandos in Kuwait are trained to handle all kinds of arms and ammunition. Sniper, camouflage night goggles and a tiny camera for observation that sneaks under a door to check if a room is threat-infested are just a tiny part of the equipment commandos use. Nasser and his platoon mates are trained to do many different tasks. The primary mission for him, however, is to be in good shape every day. “That is why we train hard every single day,” he said. An average day with the commandos translates into early morning physical training - running and other exercises, as well as shooting and counterterrorism tasks, in addition to many other physical exercises. For commando Nasser, training every day is one of the best aspects of his career. Being a commando for Nasser means constant readiness to deal with any dangerous situation. He is prepared to jump from a chopper or a military aircraft at any time. Preparedness is key for a commando, Nasser observes. “I am prepared to jump into any hot zone due to long-term practice,” he says, elaborating that his platoon has not really been on a special

Major Nasser Al-Adwani

assignment in a danger zone. Previously this was not the case. In the 1980s, Kuwait’s commando brigade secured Kuwait’s embassy in Beirut and in 1993 they had missions in Somalia and handled special missions during Iraqi Freedom. “Hamdullilah now we are at peace and have no missions but we are ready to do anything at any time.” Fear factor Controlling your fear is key to handling any kind of situation in the airborne field. “I am adventurous and I like this kind of work; that is why I joined the army. “Sometimes you have to feel fear because when you are scared, you will be safe.” Living the army life has not only taught Nasser a myriad of skills but has also reshaped his character. “Being a solider made me more organized, patient and cooperative.”I learnt to

take care of my soldiers. I learnt so many things,” he said. For commandos who learn to operate as individuals and as part of a team, comradeship is very important, Nasser says. Platoons from different countries undergo similar combat training which allows them to hold joint exercises on different grounds. The commandos have joint exercises with their counterparts from the region, the United States and other geographical places. Currently, a platoon of commandos is doing a joint military training in Jordan, Nasser said. There are similar such joint exercises with the US and Qatar. Having a demanding military career needs a very understanding family, which Nasser, father of two girls, says is happy to have. “If I have a son I will support him if he decides to follow in my footsteps. If he wants to become a commando, it will be his choice. I will not stop him.”

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Ex-convict on the prowl after firing at police Arab employer rapes Asian maid KUWAIT: Farwaniya detectives are on the lookout for an exconvict who fired at police while driving a car he robbed from a Kuwaiti and later tried to sell in Firdous. The Kuwaiti man put his car up for sale on the Internet and an interested buyer called him. They met up in Firdous and agreed on a price and the car owner received the deposit and went to get the vehicle officially registered. When he called the buyer again and he didn’t respond, he felt suspicious and looked for the car which had gone missing by this time. He rushed to the police and heard Sulaibiya detectives asking for backup after the driver of a 4WD vehicle fired shots at them before escaping on foot. Upon investigating, police discovered that it was the same vehicle which was earlier reported stolen. Car crimes A sheikh reported that his car was missing when it was parked in Messila. He rushed to Sabah Al-Salem Police Station to file a complaint. Detectives are investigating. A Kuwaiti accused a bedoon youngster of torching her car. The resident of Saad Al-Abdallah was shocked to find her car on fire and rushed to the local police station and accused a bedoon of setting it ablaze. Investigations are underway.

Asian maid raped An Asian domestic helper accused her Arab employer of forcing himself on her and reported him to Rumaithiya police. She said the incident took place at his house in Rumaithiya and added that despite her vehement refusal, he came on to her and raped her. Police are currently investigating. ‘Phoney’ friend A citizen told South Surra police that a man broke into her house and stole her mobile phones while she was asleep. A security source said the woman told police that she was fast asleep and woke up when she heard footsteps in her room. She saw a man she had a relationship with a long time ago trying to leave with her mobile phones and when she tried to stop him, he pushed her away and escaped. Investigations are underway. Pregnant maid An Asian maid was detained in Jabriya police station and booked for adultery. Her Kuwaiti sponsor took her to Mubarak Hospital as she was always exhausted and was surprised when he was told that she was pregnant. She admitted that the father of her baby was an Asian living next door. —Al-Rai, Al-Anba

Kuwait steps up pace of education reform KUWAIT: A new national curriculum, possible regulations for private sector providers and plans to outsource certain functions in the school system are among changes Kuwait’s government has proposed for the education system. In November, Education Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf announced his department was developing a new structure for the national curriculum, one that could be used as a reference point for the system in the future. Having already made advances in improving the provision of education, the new framework will further define parameters for higher quality, the minister told a seminar on curriculum development. “The National Curriculum Framework will define national education standards, the objectives of each subject and consequently the required teaching hours,” AlHajraf said. “The national framework will enable the ministry and the National Centre for Education Development to gauge the efficiency and the outcome of the educational system.” The process of reform will also extend to the private sector. In late October, at the beginning of the new legislative year, Al-Hajraf said the coming parliamentary term should see new laws on the regulation of private schools tabled for approval. According to local media reports, the rules would require private institutions to respect the regulations of the public school system regarding exams, educational planning, curriculum and admissions. Private schools are increasingly popular in Kuwait, accounting for around 40 percent of students. Reform in line There have been a number of calls for education reform, with much of the focus on creating a learning environment that will support the push for economic diversification. Among those to stress the need for Kuwait to reinforce its education system as part of wider efforts to strengthen the economy was Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF. During a visit to Kuwait in early November, Lagarde said it was important for the government to act on its national development plan, which has a modern education system as one of its cornerstones.

“To the extent that the plan advocates diversification of the economy, education of the best possible quality for all and investment of public funding in infrastructure for the country, we applaud it,” she told a press conference on November 9. In the IMF’s latest Article IV consultation concluding statement for Kuwait, published in September, the international lender recommended enhancing educational quality and vocational training, as well as coordinating with the private sector to establish skill improvement programs, as part of broader efforts to diversify the economy. The use of e-learning - ie, the use of computers to deliver all or part of a course - could help boost skill levels both in the workplace and schools, according to industry players. In an interview with the local press, Mohammed Amro Maken, CEO of Arab Information Management Services, said several government organizations have shown an interest in using e-learning to train employees, and noted the Ministry of Education was open to the idea of increasing the use of technology in schools. Ministry mulls outsourcing, cost cutting It is not just in the classroom where the ministry is seeking change. In mid-2013, the ministry announced it was planning to transfer some of the administrative functions within schools to the private sector, a change aimed at allowing teachers to focus more on core activities. Such a move would go some way to alleviating the shortage of trained teachers within the system, while also offering opportunities to firms operating in the business process outsourcing sector and other professional administrative service providers. It will likely be some time before the government unveils its National Curriculum Framework, although the state’s intent seems clear. By looking to define educational objectives, set targets and put in place mechanisms to gauge the efficiency of both the public and private segments of the system, while simultaneously moving to reduce the administrative burden on educators, the government is seeking a more responsive, accountable and above all productive education framework. —Oxford Business Group

Drug-pusher arrested KUWAIT: Narcotic officials arrested an Asian expat with heroin. The arrest was made after the authorities were tipped off. The suspect was arrested in a residential area with 50 grams of heroin which he admitted was for sale.

Traffic violator blacklisted KUWAIT: Traffic officers searched a car whose driver committed hundreds of traffic violations while the license plate number did not carry the information of the car it was on. The car was found in front of a house and the owner was questioned. Though he first denied knowledge of the false license plate, he later admitted that he knew about it a year earlier. When asked why he did not tell police about it, he remained silent. Traffic records and cameras showed that the driver was reckless on roads and endangered lives of many by committing more than 280 traffic violations such as jumping red traffic lights. In total, the penalties amounted to KD9,000. When the authorities placed him on blacklist, he attempted to seek legal recourse to evade payment of penalties. But the officials did not allow him to do so.

Bus driver, passenger in brawl KUWAIT: A fight broke out between a bus driver and a passenger in a moving bus. The passenger allegedly tried to grab the steering wheel as the bus reached Salhiya near the Kuwait Municipality. The fight in the running bus led to a car accident in which three persons were injured. Firemen were summoned to free the injured from the wreckage of the car. The accident also caused material damage to nearby stores, sources said.

Local FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Iran spy chief runs military ops in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen? KUWAIT: Informed Gulf intelligence sources said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief General Qasim Suleimani runs the military operations in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, Al-Qabas reported. Suleimani is considered an iron man in Iran and his involvement is clear in establishing training camps for some Gulf citizens in Lebanon, where they are trained on using arms, explosives and waging street wars. Al-Qabas learned that Hezbollah and its branches in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Arabian Gulf receive instructions directly from Suleimani, the latest of which is the firing of rockets in Al-Ouja triangle close to the Iraq-Saudi borders. Suleimani supervises directly two brigades of Iraqi and Iranian volunteers, one belongs to Jerusalem Legion (Iran) and the other called Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas (Iraq). Both are fighting in Syria claiming to protect the Tomb of Zainab in Damascus. Meanwhile, the sources said that the number of Hezbollah men who were killed in Syria has reached more that 650 so far.

KOC signs KD117m contract with France’s Technip KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) signed a KD 117 million contract with ‘Technip’ for carrying out consultancy services, project management and engineering related to the construction of new oil gas infrastructure facilities as well as upgrading existing ones. KOC said in a statement yesterday that the contract, approximately valued at $400 million, was signed by KOC’s Acting CEO Saad Al-Azmi and senior vice president of ‘Technip’ PMC Riccardo Moizo. The signing of the contract was attended by France’s ambassador to Kuwait Christian Nakhle and a host of officials from the two companies. Al-Azmi noted that the contract is considered a new phase of partnership and cooperation with the French company for the next five years. On his part Moizo said that “We are proud to have been awarded this contract by KOC. This award establishes ‘Technip’ as one of the top-tier project management consultancy companies worldwide.”He expressed hope that his company would achieve the desired goals of KOC in developing its oil and gas production. The French envoy, meanwhile, expressed wishes for this partnership to succeed. ‘Technip’, a French company, is a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry. The Group has a regular workforce of 36,500 people worldwide, fully-integrated capabilities and widely acknowledged expertise in three business segments: Subsea infrastructures, Offshore platforms and Onshore processing facilities. —KUNA

KUWAIT: MP Saleh Ashour arriving to file a motion to grill the Minister of Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf at the National Assembly yesterday. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Ashour files to grill education minister Motion lists 4-point corruption charges By B Izzak KUWAIT: MP Saleh Ashour yesterday carried out his threat as he filed to grill Education Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf over a string of allegations that included corruption at the ministry of education, Kuwait University, and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Saleh had threatened to grill the minister several weeks ago after charging that he was involved in a number of violations. The grilling will be listed on the agenda of December 24 if the session is held. Hajraf is also under fire from two other MPs, Roudhan Al-Roudhan who said on Wednesday that he will file to grill the minister after all grillings are debated, while Ahmad Al-Azemi also threatened to grill the minister without setting a date. Ashour’s grilling is based on four major issues which all focused on alleged administrative irregularities in violation of the law and the constitution. The lawmaker claimed that the minister should be held responsible for the administrative corruption at Kuwait

University being its chairman as the minister for higher education. He said that the state-owned Kuwait University is in bad need for a large number of teachers after the number of students hit 38,000 and despite that, the university administration has failed to resolve the problem. Ashour said that the number of students doubled over the past five years although the number of teachers increased by just 14 percent to under 1,500, reflecting a dire need for more teachers to cope with the rise in students. The lawmaker said that the university just managed to add 115 new teachers although it urgently needs 465 teachers. He claimed the university deliberately refused to review many applications by teachers for an unexplained reasons. Ashour said that a number of such applicants have sued the university and won their cases in courts. The lawmaker also accused the university administration of applying a double standard policy in promotions among teachers at Kuwait University, citing the case of a lecturer at Chemistry Department whom the univer-

sity refused to promote despite fulfilling all the conditions, while it promoted another teacher with less qualifications and less experience. He also accused the minister of forcibly and illegally sending senior officials at the education ministry on retirement in order to create vacations for people from outside the ministry who have personal links with the minister. The lawmaker accused the minister of misusing his powers to vacate the positions and then appoint people who are not qualified for the jobs, thus undermining public interests. Ashour also accused the minister of being responsible after the education ministry allowed a contractor to continue work on some buildings of PAAET in Shuwaikh even after Kuwait Municipality experts recorded serious violations that threaten the lives of students and employees. The lawmaker charged that the minister failed to take action against an adviser at an educational facility for people with special needs who is suspected of committing some sexual harassment cases.

Kuwaiti, Iraqi envoys report to UN on Khor Abdullah deal NEW YORK: The Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi and his Iraqi counterpart Mohammad Ali Al-Hakim presented UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon with a copy of a recently reached navigation agreement. They met Ban which was the second within a few months and said to be requested “to relay some good news.” The officials reported that the neighboring countries signed and ratified an agreement regulating navigation in Khor Abdullah. This development is within the framework of article 102 of the UN

Charter. The article states, “Every treaty and every international agreement entered into by any Member of the United Nations after the present Charter comes into force shall as soon as possible be registered with the Secretariat and published by it.” In remarks after the meeting, AlOtaibi said he had stressed to the UN top official that the two countries are next to set up a joint management body for the Khor Abdullah waterway. He also stressed, he added, that the two states are keen on improving relations in all fields, recalling several agreements signed during the third session of the

Ministerial Joint Committee held in Kuwait, December 15-16. “We are pleased with the progress we are seeing in bilateral relations between our two countries,” he remarked. AlOtaibi also said that Ban had expressed keenness to visit the two countries ahead of attending the Syria donors conference in Kuwait, due January 15. On the Iraqi side, Ambassador AlHakim told KUNA the agreement is another step on the way of improving economic, political, and social interaction between the two neighbors. “We are done with ‘all problems’ and are now moving on to the next step of bolstering

economic, political, and social cooperation and of increasing exchange of visits by our officials. “There is no going back,” he said of efforts to improve relations. Recalling that Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari was just in Kuwait earlier in the week to sign several agreements, he stressed, “We are moving forward along this track.” In comment over the meeting with Ban, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said, “this indicates that matters reached a stage of ‘solution’ through continued cooperation on both sides and good neighborly conduct.” —KUNA

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

NSA surveillance needed to fight terrorism: Putin

Kerry ‘regrets’ diplomat fiasco

UN uncovers systematic disappearances in Syria

LONDON: This file photo shows Britain’s Prince Williams with his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge —AP

Kate Middleton’s phone hacked Court hears William call Kate ‘Babykins’ LONDON: The phones of Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton and Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, were hacked by staff working for Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid, a London court was told yesterday. Prosecutor Andrew Edis told the Old Bailey criminal court that recordings of messages to Kate from William, including one in which he called her “Babykins”, were discovered at the home of the paper’s ex-royal editor and a private eye working for the tabloid in 2006. Then-editor Andy Coulson, who was later Prime Minister David Cameron’s media chief, is on trial, along with six others, on charges that include conspiracy to illegally intercept voicemails from mobiles. They all deny the charges. “Hi baby, it’s me,” William, second-in-line to the British throne, said in one message read to the jury by Edis. The prince was at the military acad-

emy Sandhurst at the time and he tells his thengirlfriend how he almost got shot while on a training exercise. “I walked into some other regiment’s ambush, which was slightly embarrassing because I nearly got shot. Not by live rounds but by blank rounds, which would be very embarrassing though,” the message said. He adds he might later send her “a cheeky text”, ending the call “All right, baby, lots of love”. In another voicemail, he refers to Kate by her pet name “Babykins”, while in a further call he discusses plans to go “beagling” - hunting with beagle dogs, Edis said. Details which featured in the calls later appeared in exclusive News of the World stories. William and Kate, who met as students at St Andrew’s University in Scotland in 2001, married in a spectacular ceremony in April, 2011,

watched by up to two billion people globally. The couple have always attracted huge media interest. The court also heard extracts of a message left on the phone of Williams’s younger brother Harry in which an unknown male put on a high voice and pretended to be the prince’s then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy. ‘Big, hairy ginger’ “I just want to say I miss you so much and I think you are the most, best looking ginger I have ever seen - although you really are quite ugly for a ginger,” said the transcript which was shown to the jury. “I’ll see you very soon, you big, hairy, fat ginger.” The paper later ran a story saying the joke message was left by William for his brother. While it was known that royal aides had previously been targeted by the paper, it was the first time it had been disclosed that any

royal family members themselves were victims. In August 2006, the News of the World’s former royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were arrested and later charged with hacking the telephones of royal aides by accessing voicemail messages. In January 2007, Goodman and Mulcaire admitted the charges and were sentenced to four and six months in jail respectively. Further revelations about phone-hacking at the News of the World in 2011 led to widespread public anger, and the paper was closed amid a growing scandal which engulfed not just Murdoch’s News Corp but much of the British establishment. Mulcaire has now pleaded guilty to further phone-hacking charges while three senior journalists from the tabloid have also admitted conspiracy to illegally tap mobile messages.—Reuters

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International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Egypt court rulings pave way for Shafik’s return Mubarak’s sons, PM acquitted of corruption

ALEPPO: In this citizen journalism image, a Syrian man cries while holding the body of achild who was killed following a Syrian government airstrike. — AP

UN uncovers systematic disappearances in Syria GENEVA: A UN panel probing war crimes in Syria reported yesterday that people around the country are systematically vanishing without a trace as part of a widespread campaign of terror against civilians. The expert panel said it found “a consistent country-wide pattern” of Syrian security, armed forces and pro-government militia seizing people in mass arrests or house searches and at checkpoints and hospitals, then making them disappear - and denying that they even exist. Most of the victims have been young men. Among the cases were a 60-year-old woman put in Homs prison for asking about her missing son, and a peaceful protester’s brother taken in a house raid by political security agents. An air force defector has described orders not to provide information about the whereabouts of detainees or to speak to their relatives, the report said. The four experts’ report said that rebel groups such as the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant that control large parts of northern Syria also have begun seizing people and running secret prisons. It said the opposition’s abductions of human rights advocates, journalists, activists, humanitarian workers, religious leaders and perceived supporters of President Bashar Assad’s government usually differ because the victims tend to be taken as hostages for ransom or prisoner exchanges, and their existence isn’t concealed. However in recent months the groups have also begun adopting the government’s practice of making people vanish. Amnesty International also reported yesterday, based on interviews with former detainees, that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has “ruthlessly flouted the rights of local people” at secret prisons in northern Syria at which torture and summary killings are common. In an 18-page report, the Britain-based watchdog said children as young as eight are held along with adults in seven ISIL-run detention facilities in Syria’s Aleppo and Raqqa provinces. Many are held for challenging ISIL’s rule, crimes like theft or for committing purported “crimes against Islam” such as smoking cigarettes. The disappearances are “part of a widespread campaign of terror against the civilian population,” and amount to a crime against humanity, reported the UN Syria war crimes panel, chaired by Brazilian diplomat and scholar Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. The panel pressed Syria’s government to provide information and called on both sides to stop the practice. Syrian human rights monitors have said the number of those gone without a trace is in the thousands and the targets often are doctors, aid workers, lawyers and other peaceful regime opponents.—AP

CAIRO: An Egyptian court yesterday acquitted former leader Hosni Mubarak’s two sons and his last prime minister of corruption charges, a verdict announced just hours after security forces arrested a prominent activist as part of an intensifying crackdown against icons of the nation’s 2011 uprising. The Cairo criminal court found Gamal and Alaa Mubarak and Ahmed Shafiq innocent of corruption in a case that arose from the 1995 sale of a plot of land to Mubarak’s sons by an association led at the time by the former prime minister. Prosecutors claim the land was sold to the two at a price lower than its market value and were given a larger plot than what was stated in the contract. Also acquitted were four retired generals who served as board members of the association. Alaa, a wealthy businessman, and Gamal, his father’s onetime heir apparent, are facing a separate trial on other corruption charges. They have been held in detention since April 2011, two months after their father resigned in the face of a popular uprising. A small group of Mubarak supporters in the courtroom cheered the verdict. “Oh Gamal Mubarak, the presidency awaits you,” they chanted. Shafiq, a career air force officer like Mubarak, has lived in exile abroad since he was narrowly defeated by Islamist Mohammed Morsi in a presidential runoff in June 2012. Security officials at Cairo’s airport say yesterday’s verdict repeals standing instructions that Shafiq must be arrested on arrival at any of the country’s entry ports, clearing the way for his return. It is not clear whether Shafiq plans to resume his involvement in politics. A statement by the court said that the irregularity committed by Mubarak’s sons and Shafiq is no more than an

“administrative violation” that is not criminal. It also said that Alaa and Gamal Mubarak have given back the plot. It did not say whether the two could face any other penalties. Morsi was toppled in a popularly backed military coup on July 3 and is on trial for inciting murder while awaiting a separate trial on charges of conspiring with foreign militant groups. Mubarak was sentenced to life in 2012 for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his 29-year rule. He was acquitted on appeal and is now being retried. The airport officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists. Meanwhile, authorities arrested Mohammed Adel of April 6, one of several youth movements that led the 2011 uprising. Lawyer Gamal Eid said Adel and five others from The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights in Cairo were seized along with computers during the raid early yesterday. All six were blindfolded and handcuffed when taken to an unknown location where they were kept for seven hours. Eid said the six were later taken to a police station before the five were released. Adel remained in police custody. The lawyer said security officers pushed a gun inside the mouth of one of the five during their detention to make him be quiet and beat up another. His account could not be independently verified, but rights activists have complained of growing police brutality in the five months since Morsi’s ouster. A statement by 14 Egyptians rights groups denounced the raid, saying it pointed to a “new chapter of repression, dictatorship and autocracy in Egypt.” Already in detention are three of the 2011 uprising’s best known youth leaders: Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Ahmed Douma and Ahmed Maher. They are accused of

breaking a recent law that places draconian conditions on street protests and of assaulting police. The acquittal of the Mubarak sons and Shafiq and the detention of the 2011 uprising leaders likely will give credibility to claims that the government installed by the military in the wake of Morsi’s removal was prepared to accommodate Mubarak-era figures to counter the opposition by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. Cozying up to the Mubarak-era figures and businessmen also could widen the government’s base of support at a time when the battered economy is showing no sign of a quick recovery and activists are stepping up criticism of its human rights record. Nearly all policemen charged in the killing of more than 800 protesters during the 2011 uprising have been acquitted or receive suspended sentences, causing an outcry among activists and victims’ families. Morsi’s supporters wage near-daily protests in Cairo and other major cities to demand his reinstatement. The protests often end violently. The government will face its first test when the draft constitution penned by a 50-member panel appointed by the Interim President Adly Mansour is put to a nationwide vote on Jan. 14-15. The Brotherhood says it will boycott the vote and called on its followers to take to the streets to protest during the two-day referendum. Parliamentary and presidential elections are expected by the summer of 2014, although it has not been finally decided which will be held first. Mansour, the chief judge of the Supreme Constitutional Court, yesterday held the first of four meetings with politicians, associations, unions and youth groups at the end of which he is expected to announce a firm and final timetable for the two votes. — AP

Europe launches billion-dollar telescope BERLIN: The European Space Agency successfully launched its star-surveying satellite Gaia into space yesterday in a bid to produce the most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way, and provide an insight into the evolution of our galaxy. The satellite was lifted into space from French Guiana aboard a Russian-made Soyuz rocket, the agency said. It is heading to a stable orbit on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, known as Lagrange 2, where it will arrive in about a month’s time. Timo Prusti, ESA’s project scientist, likened the mission’s goal to the switch from two-dimensional movies to 3D. At the moment, scientists are working with a largely “flat” map of the galaxy. “We want to have depth,” he said. Once Gaia arrives at the Lagrange 2 point some 1.5 million kilometers (930 million miles) from Earth, the satellite will unfold a 10meter (33-feet) circular sun shield. This will protect Gaia’s sensitive instruments from the rays of the sun, while simultaneously collecting solar energy to power the spacecraft. Using its twin telescopes, Gaia will study the position, distance, move-

ment, chemical composition and brightness of a billion stars in the galaxy, or roughly 1 percent of the Milky Way’s 100 billion stars. The data will help scientists determine the Milky Way’s origin and evolution, according to Jos de Bruijne, deputy project scientist for the Gaia program. “The prime importance of this mission is to do galactic archaeology,” he said in a phone interview from French Guiana. “It will reveal the real history of our galaxy.” The project is the successor to ESA’s Hipparcos satellite, which was launched in 1989 and measured the position of 100,000 stars in the Milky Way. Gaia, which is named after an ancient Greek deity, will go far beyond that. Scientists have compared its measuring accuracy to measuring the diameter of a human hair from 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away. “There is still a lot that we don’t understand about the Milky Way,” said Andrew Fox, an astronomer with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. He is not involved in the project, but his position at the science

center is funded by the European Space Agency. ESA has dubbed Gaia the “ultimate discovery machine” because its sophisticated instruments will allow scientists to look for small wobbles in stars’ movements that indicate the presence of nearby planets. “Those are the stars that people are going to go out and look for planets around, and ultimately for signs of life,” said Fox. Equipped with dozens of cameras capable of piecing together 1,000-megapixel images, scientists also expect to find hundreds of thousands of previously undiscovered asteroids and comets inside our solar system. Beyond that, scientists hope that Gaia can also be used to test a key part of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity that predicts “dips” and “warps” in space caused by the gravity of stars and planets. Carmen Jordi, an astronomer at the University of Barcelona who is involved in the mission, said the satellite’s findings would become the main reference for scientists in the years to come.— AP

International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Iraq suffers disastrous year with key mediator absent BAGHDAD: With Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Germany for treatment, the country has been without a key mediator during a disastrous year of political conflict and surging violence. Talabani, a veteran Kurdish leader who is now 80, left Iraq for treatment on December 20 last year after suffering a stroke two days before, and has yet to return. His skills as a mediator, who has sought to bring

together feuding politicians, Sunni and Shiite, Arab and Kurdish, during the repeated political crises that have plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003, have been sorely missed in his absence. “Talabani’s absence affected the political elite and relations between them in a major way, as he was able to adjust the political game and prevent

things from getting out of control,” said Ihsan Al-Shammari, a political science professor at Baghdad University.”This year was the hardest for Iraq in years, and Iraq lived it without the protector and the sponsor of the constitution,” he said, referring to Talabani’s role as president. Without him, Iraq’s various branches of government and institutions “became chaos,” Shammari said. The day Talabani

left the country, security forces arrested guards of then-finance minister Rafa AlEssawi, an influential Sunni Arab politician, on terrorism charges. The arrestsseen in Iraq’s minority Sunni Arab community as just the latest example of the Shiite-led government targeting one of their leaders-sparked a political crisis. Protests-which are still ongoingbroke out soon afterwards, and quickly

became about far more than Essawi. There is widespread resentment among Sunnis at heavy-handed tactics by security forces in areas where they form the majority, such as mass arrests. The discontent has been a key factor in a sharp rise in violence this year, boosting recruitment for militant groups and decreasing cooperation with security forces. —AFP

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International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Suicide bombers in Iraq leave 33 dead BAGHDAD: Two suicide bombers detonated explosives belts among Shiite pilgrims in Iraq yesterday, killing at least 28 people, while militants shot dead a family of five, officials said. The deadliest attack hit the Dura area of south Baghdad, where a bomber targeted pilgrims at a tent where they are served food and drinks on their way to the shrine city of Karbala, killing at least 20 people and wounding at least 40. Among those killed in the blast was Muhanad Mohammed, a journalist who had worked for both foreign and Iraqi media, one of his sons told AFP. He was the seventh journalist to be killed in the country in less than three months. The second suicide bomber struck pilgrims in Yusifiyah, south of the Iraqi capital, killing eight people and wounding at least 32. At Yarmuk Hospital in Baghdad, wounded people were rushed in on gurneys for treatment, and those injured included children and an old woman whose face was covered in blood. One distraught man in the lobby of the surgery department repeatedly struck himself in the face with both hands, overcome with grief. In the street outside, empty wooden coffins were mounted on vehicles, while people cried and screamed over the loss of loved ones. Hundreds of thousands of people make pilgrimages to the city of Karbala, many of them on foot, during the 40 days after the annual commemoration marking the death of the Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) grandson, known to Shiites as Imam Hussein. The 40th day, known as Arbaeen, falls on December 23 this year. Sunni militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target members of Iraq’s Shiite majority, whom they consider to be apostates. The throngs of pilgrims on the roads make for an easy target, and they have been hit by a series of attacks in the past few days. On Wednesday, a suicide bomber targeted Shiite pilgrims in Khales, north of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 10. The toll would likely have been higher were it not for the selfless actions of a policeman who embraced the bomber just before the attack, in an effort to shield others from the blast. On Tuesday, two attacks against pilgrims in and near Baghdad killed at least eight people, and on Monday two car bombs targeting pilgrims south of the capital killed at least 24. Also yesterday, militants dressed in army uniforms attacked the house of an anti-Al-Qaeda militiaman in the Abu Ghraib area, west of Baghdad, killing him, his wife and their three children. The Sahwa militia are made up of Sunni Arabs who joined forces with the United States from late 2006, helping to bring about a significant reduction in violence. They are often targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them traitors. Violence in Iraq has surged this year to levels not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a brutal sectarian conflict. More people were killed in the first eight days of this month than in all of December last year. And more than 6,550 people have been killed since the beginning of 2013, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources. Analysts say that widespread discontent among Iraq’s minority Sunni Arab community is a major factor fuelling the surge in unrest, while the civil war in neighbouring Syria, which has bolstered extremist groups, has also played a role. And though the government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sahwa fighters, underlying issues remain unaddressed. —AFP

S Sudan civil war fears grow as rebels advance Soldiers carry out ethnic killings: HRW JUBA: South Sudan rebels battled government forces yesterday as days of fierce fighting sparked fears of a descent into civil war, with countries in the region scrambling to kickstart peace efforts. Rebelling troops loyal to fugitive former vice president Riek Machar seized the town of Bor late Wednesday, army spokesman Philip Aguer said, as fighting continued in eastern Jonglei state following an alleged failed coup attempt against South Sudan President Salva Kiir. “Our soldiers have lost control of Bor to the force of Riek Machar late on Wednesday... there was shooting last night,” Aguer told AFP. He confirmed that some 450 people had been killed in Juba since battles broke out late on Sunday, including around 100 soldiers, but added that troops had “restored calm” in the capital of the world’s youngest nation. But Human Rights Watch said witnesses had reported horrific cases of both soldiers and rebels executing people based on their ethnicity, warning it could lead to “revenge attacks and more violence.” The battles have raised concerns of ethnic conflict, with Kiir coming from the majority Dinka people and Machar from the Nuer. Soldiers in Juba “asked individuals about their ethnicity before killing or releasing them”, or identified them from traditional facial scarring, HRW said, citing witness reports. However, the government insists the clashes are over power and politics, noting that both sides include leaders from different tribes. The United Nations peacekeeping mission said it was sheltering civilians in six state capitals, including Juba and Bor, as well as in Bentiu, the main town of the crucial petroleum-producing state of Unity. Foreigners are being evacuated from the

troubled country, with the United States and Britain sending in flights for their citizens, and others fleeing overland south to Uganda. Long lines of aid workers and expatriates began crowding Juba’s airport on Wednesday waiting to board the first flight they could out of the country, with delays after an airplane that crash landed-with no casualties-blocked the runway for several hours. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more terrified civilians have fled their homes to seek protection at UN bases since the fighting broke out. UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned Wednesday fighting could spread. “There is a risk of this violence spreading to other states, and we have already seen some signs of this,” Ban said, adding the crisis “urgently needs to be dealt with through political dialogue.” ‘On the cusp of a civil war’ There were fears that the poor and unstable nation, which broke free from Sudan in 2011, could slide back into all-out conflict. “The scenario many feared but dared not contemplate looks frighteningly possible: South Sudan, the world’s newest state, is now arguably on the cusp of a civil war,” the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank warned yesterday. Top ministers from four regional countries flew in yesterday to try to launch peace efforts. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Amina Mohammed, who said she was “en route to South Sudan to offer first hand assistance”, told AFP she was working with diplomats from Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda. “It’s a regional issue and the government of Kenya must be part of the solution process,” she said. All are members of a regional body, the Inter-Governmental

Authority on Development (IGAD), whose members played key roles in pushing forward the 2005 deal that ended Sudan’s two-decades long civil war with the south. President Kiir has blamed the bloodshed on an attempted coup bid by his arch-rival Machar, but has said he was ready to “sit down” with him to try to resolve the crisis. But Machar, who was sacked by the president in July and is now on the run, has denied any coup attempt, and in turn accuses Kiir of using it as an excuse to purge his political rivals. Security forces arrested 10 key figures after the fighting began, many of them former powerful ministers. “Kiir wanted to use the alleged coup attempt in order to get rid of us,” Machar told the Paris-based Sudan Tribune website. ‘Ghastly acts of revenge’ The capture of Bor raises ugly ghosts from South Sudan’s past. The town, which lies some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Juba, is the capital of the state of Jonglei, one of the most volatile regions in the young nation. Machar, who fought on both sides during Sudan’s 1983-2005 civil war, has been accused of leading a brutal massacre in Bor in 1991. Powerful military commander Peter Gadet-who rebelled in 2011 but then rejoined the army-has also mutinied again, launching attacks in Jonglei in support of Machar. “They are fighting in the bush,” said Aguer. The UN also reported shooting in Eastern Equatoria state. Jok Madut Jok, a former government minister and academic now running Juba’s Sudd Institute think tank, warned that while the capital was now calm there had been “ghastly acts of revenge... stoking what might escalate into tragic acts of ethnic cleansing.” —AFP

Nigerian lawmakers defect to oppn coalition

ANTANANARIVO: Children leave a rally for presidential candidate Hery Rajaonarimampianina in Antananarivo ahead of the upcoming presidential election today. Voters are expected today to choose a new president since President Andry Rajoelina seized power in a 2009 coup, with many hoping it will put an end to years of political turmoil. —AFP

ABUJA: Thirty seven Nigerian lawmakers have defected to Nigeria’s main opposition coalition, giving it a slim majority in the lower house of parliament, in a further blow to President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid. The move follows a defection by five powerful governors last month to the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) and a scathing denunciation of Jonathan by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that has emboldened both dissenters within his party and the opposition. “We the undersigned members of the House of Representatives elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), wish to inform you that we have joined the APC,” they said a letter dated Wednesday. With the move, the PDP now has 171 members in the lower house, while the APC has 172, although the defecting parliamentarians may yet lose their seats as a result of the switch, leaving the PDP in control. The PDP has been in power since shortly after the end of military rule in 1998, but it has been riven by internal squabbles centred on Jonathan’s assumed intention to run for another term in office in polls expected in 16 months. —Reuters

International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Tokyo governor resigns in money scandal TOKYO: Tokyo’s governor, one of the main faces of the mega-city’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics, resigned yesterday after admitting he was naive for accepting an undeclared $500,000 from a hospital tycoon. Naoki Inose, who was elected head of one of the world’s biggest conurbations a year ago, had faced weeks of intense pressure over suspicions that the money amounted to a bribe in an attempt to influence policy. “I have decided to resign from the post of Tokyo governor,” Inose told a hurriedly arranged press conference. “I intended to fulfil my duty of explaining to the city assembly, people of Tokyo and people of the nation, but regrettably I could not clear doubts over me.” Inose was a key figure in Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Olympics and he said his resignation was partially aimed at

avoiding a negative impact on preparations for the Games. “At this important juncture when Japan needs to... jump-start towards 2020, we can’t afford to paralyse the metropolitan government with my problems,” he said. “I decided that my stepping down is the only way to break the impasse.” The resignation came the day after the publication of his latest book, whose title translates as “How to Win Through”. The book was ranked sixth on Amazon Japan’s bestseller list at 7:30 pm (1030 GMT) yesterday. Inose acknowledged in November he had received 50 million yen ($500,000) from the political family behind the huge Tokushukai medical group before last year’s gubernatorial election. The money, handed to him in cash, was kept in a safety deposit box and Inose said it was a personal loan

that had nothing to do with his campaign for the city’s top job. Under Japanese election law, campaign treasurers must report all income such as donations related to electioneering. Those who violate the law can face prison terms of up to three years or fines of up to 500,000 yen. Inose, who inherited the mantle of Tokyo governor from firebrand nationalist Shintaro Ishihara, has cut an increasingly lonely figure over the past few weeks as the furore around him swelled. He has been grilled by a hostile assembly on several occasions, with the media picking apart his appearance and stuttering performance, focusing on beads of sweat that dripped down his neck. At hearings and in press conferences he has waved around a piece of paper he insists amounted to a loan agreement, although observers noted that

Thai protesters take aim at US Thai PM calls for snap polls; protesters reject BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters marched in Bangkok yesterday in a bid to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office but their numbers appeared far smaller than earlier in the month, when she called a snap election to try to defuse the crisis. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban is demanding political and electoral reforms before any vote is held and wants these to

US embassy. The United States has annoyed the protesters by calling for the democratic process to be respected, effectively endorsing the holding of an election. Nititorn Lamlua, a protest leader, said US Ambassador Kristie Kenney ought to be transferred. “If she needs to leave the embassy, she’ll have to go by helicopter because she has badmouthed the protest-

BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters flash victory signs as they march through the streets of Bangkok during an ongoing rally yesterday. —AFP be overseen by a “people’s council” that his movement will help nominate rather than by Yingluck, who is caretaker prime minister until the election, set for Feb 2. Thailand’s National Security Council said only 6,500 people gathered at the busy Asoke intersection in central Bangkok at around mid-day, although office workers and others lined the route of the march to voice support. A separate group of about 1,000 student-led protesters marched to the

ers,” he said. On Dec 9, when Yingluck called the election, about 160,000 protesters had massed around her office complex, and before that some had occupied ministries and other state buildings, but police say no more than 2,000 people are now camped out at the main protest sites in Bangkok’s historic quarter. Demonstrators yesterday held banners saying “We are anti-corruption” and “No elections before reform”. One sign read: “We

will not accept Square Face”, a nickname given to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s brother and the figure at the centre of Thailand’s eight-year, on-off political crisis. Thaksin, a former telecommunications tycoon, is adored by the rural poor because of cheap healthcare and other policies brought in while he was in power, but he was toppled by the military in 2006 and now lives in self-exile. Yingluck won a landslide victory in 2011 and her Puea Thai Party is well placed to win the next election because of Thaksin’s enduring support in the populous north and northeast. Ranged against them are a royalist establishment that feels threatened by Thaksin’s rise and a middle class that resents what it sees as its taxes being spent on wasteful populist policies that amount to vote-buying. Thaksin fled in 2008 before being sentenced to jail for abuse of power in a trial he says was politically motivated. Suthep’s movement gained impetus in early November after Yingluck’s government tried to push through a political amnesty bill that would have allowed Thaksin to return home a free man. Rally on Sunday After failing to get the politically influential military on his side, Suthep is trying to re-energise his supporters with marches this week and a rally on Sunday. A court has issued an arrest warrant for Suthep on a charge of insurrection but police have done nothing to apprehend him, despite his appearance at a military seminar and other events. On Wednesday the Department of Special Investigation, Thailand’s equivalent of the U.S. FBI, said it would ask banks to freeze the accounts of 18 rally leaders, including Suthep, to investigate what it called suspicious transactions. —Reuters

it bore no date for repayment and showed no terms and conditions. On another occasion, he produced a bag in which he claimed to have carried the large bundle of cash. Opponents delighted in trying to prove that the sum would not fit inside the holdall. ‘I was an amateur politician’ Yesterday the 67-year-old Inose admitted he had been naive about the cut and thrust of politics. “I didn’t know how strict professional politicians need to be,” he said. “I was an amateur politician even though I knew well about policies. I myself thought it was extraordinary that I became Tokyo governor,” he added. Pressure grew when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party supported Inose’s run for the job, was reported to be keen on drawing a line under the scandal. —AFP

Alarm rises for Afghan women prisoners after troops leave HEART: After Farida’s husband sold their three-year-old daughter to support his drug habit of several years, she took a knife and stabbed him to death in their house in the western Afghan province of Herat. The young mother of three then dragged his body into the street and called the police. Farida is now serving a 20-year sentence in Herat’s prison for women.”I do not agree with the sentence,” she said, her gaze steady from beneath a green headscarf. “They didn’t consider the bad situation I was in.” Farida, 31, expected the police to kill her rather than send her to prison where the first four years of her term have been relatively comfortable. Foreign aid donors have ensured regular meals, heating and healthcare. But those arrangements are now at risk and fears that women like Farida may be abandoned are growing as the prison’s main benefactor, the Italian Provincial Reconstruction Team, winds down operations alongside most foreign troops. The government has shown little interest in protecting hard-won rights for women and most of its limited funds will be devoted to fighting a growing Taleban insurgency. “If the government doesn’t feed them they don’t eat,” said Heather Barr, a researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The government has an important role after the provincial reconstruction team leaves and it’s hard to imagine they will have the will, or the ability, to continue maintaining the conditions in prisons as outside funding declines.” With 169 inmates, the Heart jail is Afghanistan’s second-largest prison for women after a jail in the capital, Kabul, that holds around 230. The prison also offers training in English and computer classes, skills that inmates jailed for fleeing abusive or forced marriages might never otherwise have acquired. Age-old attitudes The best hope for women in Afghanistan was for foreign aid donors to tie cash to progress, said Suraya Pakzad, who runs women’s shelters in several provinces. “The budget allocated for women’s activities is nothing,” said Pakzad. “The year 2014 - everybody is talking about that. It creates fear among women in the community.” She attributed the fear to the fact that many Afghans’ age-old attitudes towards women have not changed. The judicial process invariably punishes women, whatever their defence. Farida, for example, said she killed her husband in reaction to years of beatings and watching him drain the family’s funds to feed his drug habit. Many fellow inmates said they had fled abuse and been accused of “zina”, or sex between unmarried people, by angry husbands or family. Upon arrest, they faced intrusive virginity tests and imprisonment for attempted adultery even if the test results were negative, Pakzad said. Rape victims are also routinely jailed for “zina” and left to give birth in prison. Ten babies were born at Herat’s jail this year and more than 70 are growing up behind bars. Concern about a future without foreign support is all the more acute now that the United States has threatened to pull out all its troops over a crucial security deal Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign. —Reuters

International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

As Modi storms into elections, a quiet alternative emerges BHOPAL: Five months before India’s next elections are due, there is already an air of victory around Narendra Modi as he strides from one jam-packed rally to the next. And yet, a regional leader from his Hindu nationalist fold is quietly emerging as an alternative to lead the country. The main opposition party’s candidate for prime minister, Modi is unquestionably the man to beat as the ruling Congress party, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, stumbles towards a vote that opinion polls show it will lose. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is tipped to win the election but it may not get an outright majority, and he may be unacceptable to potential coalition partners. Ever since a 2002 spasm of sectarian bloodshed in the western Indian state he rules, Modi has been unable to shake off allegations that he carries a deep-seated bias against Muslims, a community that makes up 13 percent of the population. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a softly spoken and unassuming leader of the centre-right BJP, could be a more acceptable figure for would-be coalition allies. This month, Chouhan notched up a thumping election victory in Madhya Pradesh, a sprawling central state with a population larger than that of France, becoming its chief minister for a third time. “Shivraj Chouhan is no threat to Modi, he is not a challenger, but his huge victory raises the stakes,” said Girija Shankar, a political consultant with close ties to the Madhya Pradesh administration. “On the scale of electability and performance, the message is - he is not any weaker than Modi.” Congress did something similar after elections 10 years ago after wresting power from the BJP, its leader, Italianborn Sonia Gandhi, declined the prime ministership. By naming unassuming technocrat Manmohan Singh as prime minister, she denied the opposition any chance of using her foreign roots to attack the government. A farmer-turned-politician, Chouhan is similarly far less divisive than Modi. There are other BJP leaders waiting in the wings for the premiership if minor parties that are expected to hold the key to power after the election insist on a prime minister other than Modi as the price for their support. Among them are Lal Krishna Advani, a veteran of the party who is still seen as a contender despite his 86 years, as well as former government ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. All three are virtually household names across India, and Chouhan - a former parliament backbencher has a far lower profile. Earning his spurs Chouhan has long been an outsider among the political elite of New Delhi. When he was first elected to parliament in 1991 he didn’t have a sweater to ward against the capital’s winter chill, recalls a former associate Anurag Pateriya, who picked up a cheap one from a street market before they boarded the train. Chouhan declined requests to be interviewed for this report. Swimming below the national radar, he has transformed Madhya Pradesh from a poverty-blighted backwater, unleashing average annual economic growth of 10 percent over the past five years on the back of an unprecedented agriculture boom. The explosion in farm output - agricultural growth in the state was 18 percent last year, the country’s highest has been fed by interest-free loans to farmers, a trebling of irrigation cover and a dramatic improvement in electricity supplies. Out on a modern four-lane highway from the state capital Bhopal to the commercial city of Indore, the rural prosperity is hard to miss. Fields upon fields of soybeans, mustard and wheat stretch out, broken only by factories starting to come up on cleared land. Children in uniforms scurry to school on bicycles provided by the state government, pedalling along new roads that are linked to remote villages. They will all be given a free lunch. Nearby, expectant and new mothers collect free packets of soya, a mixture of rice and lentils and sweets, a Chouhan initiative to lift the state’s infant and maternal mortality rates up to the national average. “As a consequence of our pro-poor policies, we subsidise agriculture,” said Manoj Srivastava, principal secretary to Chouhan, pointing out that 80 percent of the state’s population is dependent on farming. — Reuters

Kerry ‘regrets’ diplomat fiasco Maid tried to blackmail diplomat: Indian official NEW DELHI: An Indian diplomat who was arrested in New York City and accused of paying her housekeeper about $3 dollars an hour had claimed the woman blackmailed her over the summer, an Indian official said yesterday. The case has sparked a diplomatic furor between the United States and India, which is incensed over what its officials described as degrading treatment toward Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York. The US Marshals Service confirmed it had strip-searched Khobragade and placed her in a cell with other female defendants last Thursday, saying the measures are “standard arrestee intake procedures.” Khobragade was charged with lying on a visa application, saying she paid the housekeeper an Indian national - $4,500 a month, but actually paid her far below the minimum wage. She pleaded not guilty and was released on $250,000 bail. The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a stripsearch is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade’s treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper. Yesterday, an official in India’s External Affairs Ministry said Khobragade filed a complaint with New York police and New Delhi police in July, saying the maid had disappeared and was trying to blackmail her. According to the official, the housekeeper said she would not report Khobragade if she agreed to pay her more money and change her visa

HYDERABAD: Left party activists shout slogans during a protest against the alleged mistreatment of New York based Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, near the US Consulate yesterday. — AP status to allow her to work elsewhere in the US. New Delhi police issued a warrant for her arrest if she returned to India, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. Having a live-in maid or part-time domestic help is common in Indian households, even among the lower and middle classes. A salary of $3 an hour, or around $24 for an eight-hour day, is more than what a well-paid maid would earn in New Delhi or Mumbai. Typical salaries for a full time, live-in maid range from $100 to $150 per month, with most families also offering lodging, food, clothes and medical assistance. Khobragade’s case has chilled USIndian relations, and India has revoked privileges for US diplomats in protest.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called a top Indian official to express his regret over what happened. On Wednesday, US Attorney Preet Bharara said Khobragade was treated very well, even given coffee and offered food while detained. “One wonders whether any government would not take action regarding false documents being submitted to it in order to bring immigrants into the country,” Bharara said, making the highly unusual move of issuing a lengthy statement addressing issues not in a criminal complaint. “And one wonders why there is so much outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian national accused of perpetrating these acts, but precious little outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian victim and her spouse?”—AP

‘Village of Widows’ struggles after floods DEOLI-BENIGRAM: The Indian government still doesn’t have a final toll for the thousands of people killed in massive flash floods earlier this year, but in the Himalayan hamlet known as the Village of Widows, the loss is all too specific: 57 people killed, about a quarter of its population. Six months after walls of melted glacier, mud and debris came crashing down the mountainside, the village officially named Deoli-Benigram has 37 widows from the floods, making up about a third of its remaining inhabitants and giving the town its grim new name. Along with their loved ones, the grieving women’s livelihoods were also lost, and they say the state’s help is not enough. “Just six months ago, we were the richest family in this village, and now

UTTARKHAND: Shakuntala Devi who lost two sons wails in Deoli-Benigram village in Rudraprayag district in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India. — AP

we do not know where our next meal will come from,” says Bijaya Devi, tears rolling down her face as her orphaned 1-year-old grandson reaches up to touch her cheek. Devi lost her husband, three of her sons and a nephew in the June 17 floods, which devastated the temple town of Kedarnath where most of the men in the village made their livings. At age 64, Devi is the village’s oldest widow. The youngest is her 22-year-old daughter-in-law. Both their husbands worked in the family’s small lodge and grocery store in Kedarnath which catered to pilgrims to the shrine. The Indian government has been criticized for its slow response to the floods in the northern state of Uttarakhand, near Tibet. In all, about 1,000 bodies were found and some 5,700 people are missing. The early monsoon floods struck near the end of the summer Hindu pilgrimage to the Kedarnath shrine - one of four major temple towns in the area 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) high in the Garhwal Himalayan mountain range. Many of the surrounding people depend on temple tourism to make their livings, either as priests, innkeepers or guides with mules to take pilgrims up the steep trails. The Kedarnath temple - dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva - was not badly damaged itself but the area around it is still strewn with piles of debris up to 4 meters (10 feet) high. The government has distributed 500,000 rupees (about $8,000) to families in the area who lost a breadwinner, but the villagers say what they need are jobs, and for roads and electricity to be restored. They worry that next summer’s pilgrims won’t come to the devastated area, even if they did have a way to rebuild their businesses. But with the harsh Himalayan winter setting in, many are concerned just with surviving. “Earlier, the life in the hills was dangerous, but now it is hell.— AP

International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

US sees fewer executions in 2013 WASHINGTON: The past year has seen fewer executions and death sentences in the United States, where more than 3,100 inmates still linger on death row, a non-profit group reported yesterday. Thirty-nine executions were carried out in nine states, down from 43 last year and only the second time in 19 years there have been fewer than 40 executions, the Death Penalty Information Center said. Eighty death sentences were handed down, two more than last year but still far below the peak of 315 seen in 1994 and 1996. “The key reason for the decline in the death penalty has been the revelation of so many mistakes,” said the center’s executive director Richard Dieter. “Over 140 people have been exonerated and freed from death row, including another inmate in 2013,” he said in an email to AFP. He added: “Juries are less likely to impose the death penalty and prosecutors are less likely to seek it.” “Life without parole, which is now quite prevalent, has become the alternative to the death penalty and will likely replace it completely in the future.” The United States ranks fifth in the top 10 list of nations with the most executions between 2007 and 2012, according to Amnesty International. China tops the table with “thousands” of executions, followed by Iran and Saudi Arabia, the human rights group has said. Of the 3,108 inmates on death row around the United States, the biggest number are in California (731) followed by Florida (412) and Texas (298). Citing an annual Gallup poll, the center said popular support for the death penalty among Americans is, at 60 percent, at its lowest level in four decades. Forty percent don’t believe the death penalty is administered fairly-and after the Boston Marathon bombing in April, only one in three respondents to a Boston Globe poll thought the sole living suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, should be executed if convicted. Thirty-two of the 50 US states have the death penalty, after Maryland earlier this year became the sixth in six years to end capital punishment. But the majority of executions in 2013 took place in two states-Texas (16) and Florida (seven). “If crime were to suddenly spike upwards, the public would demand more punishment. But the problems of the death penalty will remain,” Dieter said. “Once it is abolished, it rarely comes back. The demise of the death penalty in the United States is a state-by-state decision, and that process is likely to continue for the near future.” In its report, the center mentioned another reason for fewer executions-frustration in finding a consistent way of conducting an execution through lethal injection. Many drugs used in such injections are made in Europe, but their export to the United States for use in execution is banned. Some states such as Georgia, Missouri, Ohio and Texas have turned to tailor-made drugs from compounding pharmacies, but such facilities are not subject to federal drug regulators, opening the door to legal challenges from death-penalty opponents. Arkansas’s attorney general Dustin McDaniel has told sheriffs that “essentially pointless litigation” might ultimately lead to either the demise of the death penalty or changes to the method of execution. The UN General Assembly called in 2007 and 2008 for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty-an EU initiative that the United States voted against alongside the likes of China, North Korea and Iran. — AFP

WASHINGTON: An activist dressed as a spy using a “shoe phone” demonstrates at the Office of the US Trade Representative. — AFP

NSA surveillance needed to fight terrorism: Putin Putin pardons jailed tycoon Khodorkovsky MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that National Security Agency surveillance is necessary to fight terrorism, but added that the government must “limit the appetite” of the agency with a clear set of ground rules. Putin’s comment was surprising support for President Barack Obama’s administration, which has faced massive criticism over the sweeping US electronic espionage program. He was speaking at his tightly choreographed annual press conference, a televised affair that goes on for many hours and attracts hundreds of journalists, some of whom were holding signs - or in one case an Olympic mascot teddy bear - in an effort to get called on for a question in front of a nationwide audience. The Kremlin sees the event as key in burnishing Putin’s father-of-the nation image. Putin, a 16-year KGB veteran and the former chief of Russia’s main espionage agency, said that while the NSA program “isn’t a cause for joy, it’s not a cause for repentance either” because it is needed to fight terrorism.

He argued that it’s necessary to monitor large numbers of people to expose terrorist contacts. But “on political level, it’s necessary to limit the appetite of special services with certain rules,” he said. Putin added that the efficiency of the effort - and its damage to privacy - is limited by the sheer inability to process such a huge amount of data. Asked about former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, whom Russia has granted asylum, Putin insisted that Moscow isn’t controlling him. He argued that any revelations published by Snowden must have come from materials he provided before landing in Russia, and reaffirmed that Moscow made providing refuge to Snowden conditional on his halting what he called antAmerican activities. Putin said he hasn’t met with Snowden. He insisted that Russian security agencies haven’t worked with him and have not asked him any questions related to NSA activities against Russia. Meanwhile, Putin decided to pardon former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky

after receiving a pardon request signed by the ex-Yukos CEO personally, his spokesman told AFP. “Vladimir Vladimirovich received a pardon request,” his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP. He said the request had been submitted “recently” and had been “signed” by Khodorkovsky. Spokespeople and defence laywers for the former oil tycoon said they had no knowledge of any such request. Putin dismissed a report claiming that Moscow stationed its state-of-the art Iskander missiles in its Kaliningrad exclave region that borders NATO and EU members Poland and Lithuania, but added that he continues to consider such a move a possible way of countering the US-led missile defense system in Europe. Both Poland and Lithuania have expressed concern about such a possibility, and Washington warned Moscow against making destabilizing moves. Putin said Russia has long considered it, but added that “we haven’t made the decision yet” on deploying them. —AP

Obama’s brother writes about abuse

HONG KONG: In this photo, Mark Obama Ndesanjo, US President Barack Obama’s half-brother, holds his selfpublished book “Cultures: My Odyssey of Self-Discovery” during an interview.—AP

HONG KONG: President Barack Obama’s half brother is publishing an autobiography that details the domestic abuse that served as the theme for his earlier semiautobiographical novel, which featured an abusive parent patterned on their late father. Mark Obama Ndesandjo also recounts his sporadic but intense encounters with his brother over the years in “Cultures: My Odyssey of Self-Discovery.” The self-published book, to be released in February, also tries to set the record straight on some points in the president’s bestselling 1995 memoir, “Dreams From My Father.” In that book, Obama seeks to learn more about their father, a mostly absent figure, after learning of his death in a car crash in 1982 at age 46. Ndesandjo’s book comes four years

after his novel, “Nairobi to Shenzhen: A Novel of Love in the East.” As in his first book, Ndesandjo wanted to raise awareness of domestic abuse by using his family’s story, although he said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that the president’s relatives have not universally welcomed his airing of private matters in public. Ndesandjo spoke ahead of a news conference to launch the book in Guangzhou yesterday. When asked how he would describe his relationship with his brother, he said, “Right now it’s cold and I think part of the reason is because of my writing. My writing has alienated some people in my family.” Even though he felt their relationship was distant, “I hope that my brother and I can really hug each other after he’s presi-

dent and we can be a family again,” said Ndesandjo, who resembles Obama. Like the president, Ndesandjo also has a white American mother, Ruth Ndesandjo, a Jewish woman who was Barack Obama Sr.’s third wife. Ndesandjo, 48, has lived for 12 years in the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen, next door to Hong Kong. He moved there to teach English after losing his job when the US economy cratered following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and now works as a consultant. Ndesandjo, who is married to a Chinese woman, learned to speak Chinese and immersed himself in the study of Chinese culture, including poetry and brush calligraphy. Trained as a classical pianist, he gives lessons as a volunteer at an orphanage. —AP

Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

EU launches case against Brazil at WTO

Bernanke’s new formula for investors PAGE 22

Page 21

KIEV: An elderly woman sells pies in the street in Kiev yesterday. — AFP

Bahrain’s Batelco’s foreign ambitions crimped Analysts question merits of purchase; Profits shrink DUBAI: Attempts by Bahrain’s Batelco to offset shrinking earnings at home by expanding abroad have run into trouble as parts of its biggest acquisition have fallen foul of regulators. Lacking the firepower of Gulf rivals for multi-billion dollar deals, state-run Bahrain Telecommunications Co bought Cable & Wireless Communications’ (CWC) Islands division for $570 million in April. But an agreement to acquire the firm’s Seychelles operations for a further $110 million fell apart early this month after it failed to win regulatory approval. Now another part of the deal - this time involving Monaco Telecom - has collapsed. Instead of being able to exercise an option to buy the whole of a company that owns 55 percent of Monaco Telecom, Batelco is now selling back the quarter of that firm which it had bought for $100 million. Batelco said the two parties had agreed to reverse the sale because Cable &

Wireless did not expect to win the necessary approvals by next April. “There is no question of us selling our operator to Bahrain,” Monaco’s government said in a statement dated Dec 4. Batelco had hailed the Cable & Wireless deal as key to diversifying from Bahrain - where it faces competition and sporadic instability that has helped drag profit lower for 15 out of the past 17 quarters. At a record low, its shares are down over 18 percent this year. The company did not respond to an emailed request for comment on where the collapse of the Seychelles and Monaco aspects of the deal leaves its strategy. SMALL ISLANDS “Batelco still faces the core problem of its domestic market position continuing to deteriorate,” said Matthew Reed, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media in Dubai.

Batelco now appears to have paid $470 million for operations in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Falkland Islands, St Helena, Ascension and Diego Garcia, plus a 52 percent stake in the Maldives’ Dhiraagu. But profits at most of the small operators acquired with the Cable & Wireless purchase have also been falling - a contrast with Monaco Telecom, whose operating profit rose 12 percent in the first six months of its accounting year. The small markets also do little to complement Batelco’s existing footprint, which includes mobile firms in Yemen and Jordan and fixed line operations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Given what it is now left with, Batelco could have paid less for the Cable & Wireless deal, said Shrouk Diab, assistant vice-president for research at NBK Capital in Dubai. “I doubt there are many synergies for Batelco at an operational level from this deal,”

Diab said. Batelco has recently been hit by the departure of some of its most senior executives - a factor which cannot make it easier to court regulators. The company is currently headed by a three-person committee. Batelco’s $1.3 billion market value is dwarfed by the likes of the UAE’s Etisalat at $25 billion and Qatar’s Ooredoo $12.1 billion. Combined, they have spend the best part of $9 billion on acquisitions in recent years. At home, Batelco vies for customers with Kuwait’s Zain , Saudi Telecom Co unit Viva Bahrain and about 10 internet service providers. It also feels the impact of Bahrain’s economic and social difficulties. Protests led by the island kingdom’s Shiite majority broke out in early 2011 and discontent has simmered ever since. “Batelco remains a profitable company, but if you’re asking where the company can go from here there are few easy or obvious answers,” Reed said.— Reuters

Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Irish economy on sounder footing as bailout ends DUBLIN: A buoyant construction sector drove strong growth in Ireland’s economy in the third quarter, putting the country on a sounder-than-expected footing as it emerges from an international bailout. Gross domestic product expanded 1.5 percent year on year, data showed yesterday, adding to signs of a pick-up with the jobless rate down to 12.5 percent from last year’s 15.1 percent peak

and property prices in Dublin on the rise. Ireland became the first euro zone member to successfully complete a European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout program last week. It now requires growth to take hold if it is to meet a target of cutting its high debt pile by a quarter by the end of the decade. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected GDP to grow by 0.7 percent to

expand for a second quarter in a row. Ireland emerged from its second recession in five years earlier in 2013. “This certainly suggests that there is a good bit of momentum in the economy and that the consumer is slowly coming back,” said Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy Stockbrokers. “Construction spending is up 15 percent on the year which is an extraordi-

European shares rally as US Fed sugar-coats taper move Japan shares rally, Asian currencies give ground LONDON: European shares rallied yesterday after the Federal Reserve sugar-coated the decision to start winding down its crisis-era stimulus with a promise to keep record low interest rates in place even longer than previously signaled. After months of agonizing, investors took the Fed’s decision to trim its bond buying by $10 billion to $75 billion a month largely in their stride, considering it a modest step the US economy could well withstand. Wall Street had ended at a record high and after big gains in Tokyo and some other parts of Asia, European stocks raced out of the blocks up 1.5 percent in their biggest jump in over two months. The dollar was the other major beneficiary, though it was showing signs of fatigue as European trading

picked up steam. It had surged as far as 104.37 yen but was back at 103.90 by 0915 GMT, while the euro was finding its feet again having toppled back to $1.3675 from a $1.3811 top. Crucially, the Fed softened the blow by making its forward guidance on interest rates even more dovish. “It likely will be appropriate to maintain the current target range for the federal funds rate well past the time that the unemployment rate declines below 6-1/2 percent, especially if projected inflation continues to run below the committee’s 2 percent longerrun goal,” the Fed statement said. Samy Chaar, senior investment strategist at Lombard Odier’s private banking division noted the Fed’s forecasts for the funds rate

TOKYO: A woman uses her mobile phone next to a share prices board in Tokyo yesterday. Japan’s share prices rose 249.88 points to close at 15,837.68 points at the morning session of the Tokyo Stock Exchange after the US Federal Reserve said it would start scaling back its bondbuying program from next month. —AFP

had also been trimmed out to the end of 2016. “It’s a dovish taper and for now it’s the perfect deal,” he said. “The equity market has appreciated the move but what is also important is that the bond market has not reacted negatively.” The market seemed to agree, with the Dow ending Wednesday up 1.84 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 1.66 percent and the Nasdaq 1.15 percent. In Asia, stocks gained from Sydney to Seoul, while MSCI’s broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.2 percent. The slide in the yen was viewed as positive for Japanese exports and profits, and thus for the Nikkei which climbed 1.7 percent, hitting its highest closing level in six years. Shanghai broke ranks with a drop of 0.6 percent after China’s central bank declined to add liquidity to the banking system, pushing up money market rates. BONDS KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON The Fed’s message that tapering was not tightening looked to have resonated in debt markets as Fed fund futures held broadly steady out to the early 2016 contracts. A first hike in the funds rate is not fully priced in until November 2015. Treasury yields were stable for three years ahead, while rising at the longer end as the yield curve steepened. Yields on 10-year notes increased marginally to 2.88 percent, but remain below their 2013 peak of 3 percent. European debt markets barely blinked. Benchmark German borrowing costs actually nudged lower, while their was little reaction elsewhere in the euro zone or in UK gilts. Still, tapering could be a double-edged sword for some countries since it could accelerate the “great rotation” of funds out of emerging markets and into developed world assets. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia have all been hit to a varying extent in recent months. The Indonesian rupiah hit a fresh five-year low, though the Fed’s move was welcomed by Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, Perry Warjiyo. “The announcement provides more clarity for the direction of Fed monetary policy,” the deputy governor said. Others are also better prepared for the change. Notably the mood around India has improved enough that its central bank held off on hiking interest rates on Wednesday, surprising many. Commodity markets showed some trepidation. Gold slumped over $20 to a six-month low of $1,203 an ounce and uncomfortably close to the year low at $1,180.74. Copper fell the most in nearly three weeks to be down 0.8 percent. Oil prices took only a small hit, with investors perhaps encouraged by signs of a pick-up in global growth. Brent crude eased 5 cents at $109.57 a barrel. US oil futures were steady at $97.84 a barrel and still up over a dollar on the week so far. —Reuters

narily large rate of expansion.” Ireland’s trade-dependent economy continued to feel the effects of the downturn in Europe, with exports down by 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter. But the domestic economy is showing signs of revival with consumer spending bouncing back from a sharp contraction earlier in the year to grow 0.9 percent in the quarter. —Reuters

Gold stumbles to 6-month low LONDON: Gold slid more than 1 percent yesterday to its lowest since late June after the US Federal Reserve took its first step away from the ultra-loose monetary policy that had helped drive bullion prices to record highs in recent years. The Fed said on Wednesday that the US economy was finally strong enough for it to start scaling back its massive bond-buying scheme, winding down the era of easy money that saw gold rally to $1,920.30 an ounce in 2011. Spot gold was down 1.2 percent at $1,203.85 an ounce at 1000 GMT, having earlier touched a low of $1,200.25. US gold futures for February delivery were down $32.00 an ounce at $1,203.00. That move came despite the Fed blunting its taper with a continued dovish message on interest rates - that tapering was not tightening. “This is another sign of increasing normalization for the world economy,” Macquarie analyst Matthew Turner said. “Gold’s insurance function is less desirable in that environment.” On the wider markets, the dollar rallied 0.5 percent, adding to pressure on gold, which is priced in the US currency and tends to move in the opposite direction to it. European shares leapt 1.5 percent to a two-week high yesterday, tracking gains on Wall Street and in Asia, in a broad rally after the Fed’s pronouncements. German Bunds held steady however after the Fed offset a decision to reduce its bond-buying program by promising to keep interest rates low for longer than many investors had expected. Investors snapped up gold after the Fed’s stimulus program was first announced, as the scheme kept interest rates at record lows, cutting the opportunity cost of holding nonyielding bullion, while boosting its appeal as an inflation hedge. Expectations that the program would be unwound have knocked gold more than 25 percent lower this year, its biggest price drop in more than 30 years, with its confirmation yesterday pushing prices back towards June’s threeyear low at $1,180.71. PHYSICAL GOLD FUNDS SOLD “What happens in the next few days could also determine to some extent how the gold price performs in the longer term,” Commerzbank said in a note. “If the gold price should succeed in forming a stable and long-term bottom at above $1,220 per troy ounce, investor interest is likely to pick up again - after all, the considerable uncertainty over QE3 is gone, meaning that the spectre of ‘tapering’ has lost its ability to scare the gold market. On the other hand, if the gold price were to fall below $1,200, this could provoke a renewed wave of selling.” Investors are continuing to sell out of gold-backed exchange-traded funds, which have seen outflows of some 800 tons this year. The largest gold ETF, SPDR Gold Shares, said its holdings fell another 4.2 tons on Wednesday. Among other precious metals, silver was down 2.2 percent at $19.29 an ounce, while spot platinum was down 0.5 percent at $1,324.25 an ounce. Only palladium bucked the trend to hold steady at $695.25 an ounce, after five straight days of losses. The new head of Russian precious metals repository Gokhran said yesterday the body may consider buying palladium on the market to add to its stocks. “The government should have some amount of it (palladium) in its stocks,” Andrey Yurin said after a briefing in Moscow. He Yurin declined to comment on the current level of Gokhran’s stocks. Sales of Russian state palladium stocks have been a major factor balancing the market in the last decade, but speculation has been rife in recent years that the inventories may be depleted. —Reuters

Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Bernanke’s new formula for pleasing investors WASHINGTON: In his final performance, Ben Bernanke rewrote the script. Investors had been on edge for months about when the Federal Reserve might slow its economic stimulus. A pullback in the Fed’s bond purchases, they feared, could jack up interest rates and whack stocks. Bernanke’s mere mention of the possibility in June had sent stocks tumbling. So on Wednesday, Bernanke showed something he’d learned from leading the Fed and addressing the public for eight years: Tough news goes down best when it’s mixed with a little sweetener. At his last news conference as chairman, he explained that the Fed would trim its monthly bond purchases by $10 billion to $75 billion - a prospect that had worried the markets. Yet Bernanke also calmed nerves by walking back a plan to consider raising short-term rates once unemployment reaches 6.5 percent from the current 7 percent. That 6.5 percent threshold the Fed had been using? Not much of a threshold anymore. The Fed now says it expects to keep its key short-term rate near zero “well past” the time that unemployment falls below 6.5 percent. The message: The Fed expects low-cost loans to boost the economy for, well, for a very long time. Investors rejoiced by sending the Dow Jones industrial average rocketing nearly 300 points to a record high. It means that five years after the Fed responded to the financial crisis by cutting its key short-term rate to near zero, it has no plans to change course. Low rates encourage spending, hiring and investing. At the same time, critics say it can inflate dangerous bubbles in stocks, housing and

other assets. Bernanke’s remarks suggested that three factors had led him to the balance he struck Wednesday: The unemployment rate can be misleading. The Fed wants to avoid setting unrealistic expectations. And infla-

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks during a news conference after a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting December 18, 2013 at the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC. — AFP tion remains so low that it poses a potential problem for the economy. “It comes out of the danger that you’re getting so specific with these unemployment rates, you end up in a situation where you put yourself in

EU ministers reach banking union deal BRUSSELS: EU finance ministers have reached a banking union accord which will hand Brussels unprecedented new powers to prevent failing banks from wrecking the economy, official sources said. “Today is a momentous day for banking union,” EU Financial Markets Commissioner Michel Barnier said after some 12 hours of tough talks. “We are producing revolutionary changes to Europe’s banking system so that taxpayers will not foot the bill in banking crises, ending an era of massive bailouts,” Barnier said. Crucially, it will promote “financial stability... so that banks can lend to the real economy” again, helping produce much-needed growth and jobs, he said. Ministers formally agreed on what is known as the Single Resolution Mechanism which will close failing banks before they do too much damage. It forms the banking union along with an already agreed new supervisory regime to be overseen by the European Central Bank. The last element, establishing a common deposit guarantee system, was put in place Tuesday following agreement with the European Parliament. The banking union was drawn up in response to the financial and then debt crises which brought down many banks and nearly drove the euro-zone to its knees as governments had to be bailed out after rescuing their lenders. POWER TO BRUSSELS The new framework means a big pooling of sovereignty and would mark a big step towards EU cross-border authority. All 17 countries-shortly to be 18 - sharing the single currency will be bound to the scheme while other states in the EU have the option of joining. A key sticking point, especially between France and Germany, has been who will have the final say in deciding to close a bank and how this will be paid for. For the moment, it appears that Germany has got its way that responsibility remains with national governments, as opposed to France which wanted the European Commission to have a greater say. The plan also calls for the banks to contribute to a special fund to pay for bank closures, phased in over 10 years, so sparing a call on the cash-strapped taxpayer.—AFP

a corner,” said Wells Fargo chief economist John Silvia. “Sometimes you can be too specific and too transparent, certainly in the uncertain world of economics.” With the Fed essentially dropping the 6.5 percent unemployment threshold, Bernanke signaled that he now sees greater public transparency - a longtime priority of his as chairman - as being somewhat flawed. It also means his likely successor, Janet Yellen, will feel at liberty to show similar flexibility. Though the Fed will be scaling back its monthly bond purchases, Bernanke called the buying of Treasurys and mortgage bonds merely a “supplementary tool” compared with the “main tool” of the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate. At his December 2012 news conference, Bernanke had announced the 6.5 percent unemployment threshold as a way to “allow the markets to respond quickly and promptly to changes” in Fed policy and act “like an automatic stabilizer.” “We’re transparent about what’s going to determine our policy in the future,” Bernanke said then. But over the past year, the decline in the unemployment rate to 7 percent from 7.8 percent hasn’t necessarily reflected a much stronger job market. So Bernanke adapted. Unemployment has fallen in part because the equivalent of more than 7 million Americans left the workforce and were no longer counted as unemployed. Some of this reflects an aging population. Some of it comes from a discouraged group of Americans who can’t find jobs. All of it suggests an underlying weakness in the economy. “We want to look at hiring, quits,

vacancies, participation, long-term unemployment,” Bernanke said Wednesday. “So I expect there will be some time past the 6.5 percent before all of the other variables we’ll be looking at will line up in a way that will give us confidence that the labor market is strong enough to withstand the beginning of increases in rates.” Most Fed officials now expect unemployment to drop to 6.5 percent by the end of next year, according to new projections released Wednesday. Many projected that rates would increase starting in 2015 - seven years after the financial crisis erupted. Secondly, more transparency has not stabilized the markets. The stock sell-off that occurred in June after Bernanke suggested that bond purchases could soon end eventually turned into a rally. After the Fed chose not to pull back on its buying at its September meeting, stocks set record highs. Instead of stabilizing the markets, Bernanke’s specifics had created a yo-yo effect. Economist Stanley Fischer, who taught Bernanke at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, warned that overly specific forward guidance had made financial markets more volatile. A former governor at the Bank of Israel who is expected to be nominated by President Barack Obama to become the Fed’s vice chairman, Fischer believes that rates should be determined by a series of economic conditions that are hard to forecast. “We don’t know what we’ll be doing a year from now,” he said at a September conference in Hong Kong. “It’s a mistake to try and get too precise.” And, lastly, there is the trouble created by low inflation.— AP

A truce in the US fiscal wars Senate passes 2-year budget accord WASHINGTON: The US Senate passed a compromise two-year budget accord on Wednesday, marking a truce in the fiscal wars that have plagued Washington and reducing the likelihood of a government shutdown in January. The measure, which already cleared the House and passed the Senate 64-36 with the support of nine Republicans and the entire Democratic caucus, now goes to President Barack Obama, who said he was “pleased” with the vote. He is expected to sign the legislation before heading to Hawaii on Friday for his Christmas break. The deal lays out top-line spending limits for 2014 and 2015, while erasing some painful and automatic spending cuts that were due to kick in on January 1. The legislation was one of the final major accomplishments for Congress in 2013, which by all accounts has been a miserable year for US lawmakers. Following the expected approval of a massive defense spending bill later this week as well as several executive and judicial nominations, the Senate recesses until early January. Obama described the agreement-the first time in years that Congress has passed a budget-as “a good first step away from the shortsighted, crisis-driven decision-making that has only served to act as a drag on our economy. “It helps chart our economic course for the next two years, which means that the American people won’t be exposed to another painful and unwise government shutdown,” he added. The bill’s authors, Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray and her House counterpart,

WASHINGTON: (From left) Sen John McCain, Sen John Barrasso, and Sen Ben Cardin rush to the chamber for the final votes on the bipartisan budget deal designed to keep Congress from lurching from one fiscal crisis to the next and ease the harshest effects of the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester at the Capitol in Washington. —AP Republican Paul Ryan, were standing up the legislation as a major accomplishment in an era of brutal partisan warfare. The agreement “breaks through this partisanship and gridlock and shows that Congress can function,” Murray told her colleagues. Lawmakers from both chambers now have until January 15 to craft a series of spending bills under the new limit, or risk another shutdown like the one that paralyzed Washington in October. The bill increases the $967 billion cap for 2013 spending to $1.012 trillion next year and

$1.014 trillion in 2015, and brings some normalcy to a process recently rocked by chaos. According to Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, the vote “shows both parties-in both chambers-can find common ground. We can work together.” But he stressed it was just a small first step toward greater financial reform. “We need to do a lot more,” Ryan said. Many Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted against the deal, arguing it breaks spending limits set in 2011 legislation. —AFP

Business FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

EU launches case against Brazil at WTO EU unhappy with 30 percent tax on vehicle imports

BRUSSELS: The European Union launched a case against Brazil at the World Trade Organization yesterday over Brasilia’s taxes on imports ranging from cars to computers, but insisted the dispute should have no bearing on delicate free-trade talks. The European Union is Brazil’s biggest trading partner - accounting for a fifth of its total exports - and both sides are close to agreeing a far-reaching trade accord seen as crucial to the South American nation’s emergence as a major world economy. After 10 rounds of talks between

Brussels and Brasilia and several meetings in Geneva, home to the WTO, neither side have managed to resolve a long running row over Brazilian import taxes that Europe says are unfair and break global trade rules. “The protection of Brazil’s domestic industry comes at the expense of Europe’s imported goods and that is unacceptable,” said an EU official close to the discussions. “We have had many bilateral meetings but Brazil has taken no concrete steps.” The European Commission, which handles trade issues for the EU’s 28 members,

and the Brazilian government now have 60 days to try to end the dispute or face a legal process that could allow Brussels to impose sanctions, although that is years off. Brazil’s 30 percent tax on imported motor vehicles, as well as import levies on goods ranging from computers to smartphones and semiconductors, have also angered Japan, the United States and other big trading nations, which could joint the dispute. But EU officials say there is no link between the WTO case and Europe’s efforts to wrap up lengthy talks with the

South American trade bloc Mercosur early next year. If all goes to plan, that would see Brazil signing its first major free-trade agreement next year and gaining dutyfree access to the European Union’s market of 500 million consumers. Brazil, which exports goods from chemicals to coffee, is already the fifth largest foreign investor in Europe and wants greater access to EU markets for its agricultural exports, especially beef. “This WTO case is business as usual,” said another official. “There is no link (between the trade talks and the WTO case).” —Reuters

Libya steps up fuel imports as strikes hobble refinery

TRIPOLI: Libyan army soldiers stand guard in a petrol station in the capital Tripoli. The army was deployed to secure gas station during a fuel shortage in the country. —AFP

Facebook, Zuckerberg, banks face IPO lawsuit Sandberg, Morgan Stanley, others also sued NEW YORK: Facebook Inc, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and dozens of banks must face a lawsuit accusing the social media company of misleading investors about its health before its $16 billion initial public offering, a federal judge said. In a decision made public on Wednesday, US District Judge Robert Sweet in Manhattan said investors could pursue claims that Facebook should have prior to its May 2012 IPO disclosed internal projections on how increased mobile usage and product decisions might reduce future revenue. “The company’s purported risk warnings misleadingly represented that this revenue cut was merely possible when, in fact, it had already materialized,” Sweet wrote in his 83page decision. “Plaintiffs have sufficiently pleaded material misrepresentation(s) that could have and did mislead investors regarding the company’s future and current revenues.” In a statement, Facebook said: “We continue to believe this suit lacks merit and look forward to a full airing of the facts.” Facebook went public at $38 per share. The Menlo Park, California-based company’s share price rose as high as $45 on May 18, 2012, its first day of trading, but quickly fell below the offering price and stayed there for more than a year. Investors including pension funds in Arkansas, California and North

Carolina claimed that Facebook negligently concealed material information from its IPO registration statement that it had provided to its underwriters’ analysts. They sought damages resulting from their having sold or holding onto the shares as they fell below the IPO price, bottoming at $17.55 on Sept 4, 2012. The lawsuit does not allege fraud. More than 40 defendants were sued, including Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, lead underwriter Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co. In Wednesday trading, Facebook shares closed up 71 cents at $55.57. Facebook is expected to join the Standard & Poor’s 500 index after the close of trading on Friday. FACEBOOK: LAWSUIT LACKS MERIT In court papers, the defendants had argued that Facebook had no obligation to make the requested disclosures, which they called immaterial, and that Facebook’s actual results exceeded original projections. They added that the US Securities and Exchange Commission and other courts have said revenue projections need not be disclosed before an IPO because they are “inherently speculative and unreliable.” Morgan Stanley spokeswoman Mary Claire Delaney declined to comment. The lead plain-

tiffs are represented by the law firms Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, and Labaton Sucharow. Both firms “are quite pleased with the thorough and detailed opinion by the court,” said Thomas Dubbs, a Labaton Sucharow partner, in a phone interview. “We look forward to prosecuting this action vigorously.” Dubbs said US securities laws allow damages to be pursued by IPO investors who sold shares at a loss, as well as by investors who held on while the share price remained below what it would have been absent the alleged violations. Zuckerberg, 29, founded Facebook about a decade ago. Forbes magazine said he was worth $19 billion in September. Sweet oversees litigation arising from the IPO, and the investor case combined 30 lawsuits brought around the country. On Monday, the judge issued a decision that investors could also pursue claims accusing Nasdaq OMX Group Inc of concealing technology problems that led to difficulties in processing trades on Facebook’s first day of trading. He dismissed claims over Nasdaq’s decision not to halt the IPO or cancel trades. Sweet’s decisions are dated Dec 11 but were not made public for several days. The case is In re Facebook Inc IPO Securities and Derivative Litigation, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No 12-md-02389. —Reuters

ZAWIYA: Libya is stepping up fuel imports, with four tankers queuing at one port as the OPEC producer’s second-largest refinery is running at only half its capacity due to oilfield strikes, a senior official said. A mix of militias, tribesmen and civil servants demanding political rights or a greater share of Libya’s oil wealth have occupied several oilfields and ports, cutting exports to 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) from over 1 million bpd in July. The government has struggled to keep the 120,000-bpd refinery in Zawiya operating since protesters in October closed the El Sharara oilfield that feeds it. Since then, Zawiya has runs off existing stocks and supplies from the eastern Brega port, which officials have closed for exports for that reason. Zawiya is key to supply the capital Tripoli, some 40 km to the east, and western Libya with petroleum products. The country’s biggest refinery in Ras Lanuf has been shut along with its adjacent export port by strikers since summer. The government is trying to maintain supplies of motor fuel to ease social tensions as it struggles to assert control of the North African country, still at risk from militias who kept their weapons after helping to topple Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The Zawiya refinery is running at about half of its capacity due to crude shortages, operations manager Mohammed Hassan Al-Haj said. “We have two units with a capacity of 60,000 bpd each. The second is currently shut due to a lack of supplies,” he said during a visit to the refinery and its port on Wednesday. “The other train (unit) is at full refining capacity of 60,000 bpd.” Engineers in the refinery’s control room put production slightly lower, at around 50,000 bpd, as the unit still in operation was running at 80 percent of capacity. MORE TANKERS COMING Still, Haj said the refinery’s daily production of 1.26 million liters of petrol - half of its usual output - was enough to meet domestic demand thanks to rising imports. Analysts say the government has no choice but to increase fuel imports, though this is exacerbating budget problems as a result of the loss of vital oil revenues - Libya’s lifeline. “There is no lack of supplies due to imports,” Haj said, blaming recent long queues at petrol stations in Tripoli on logistical problems and chaos as angry motorists tried to refill. Frightened petrol station owners closed for days. The fuel situation in the capital has improved in the past few days since soldiers were deployed to protect petrol stations and organize queues. The Zawiya refinery is awaiting some 110,000 tons of oil products coming from abroad this week. Four tankers could be seen waiting at the port. One tanker had just discharged 25,000 tons of gasoline while a second was unloading 29,907 tons of gasoil, Haj said. Another tanker carrying 30,000 tons of gasoil and a fourth with 25,000 tons of gasoline were waiting to unload. The refinery had also received two crude cargoes from Brega and was expecting another tanker, bringing total crude shipments from there to almost 1.8 million barrels, he said. Engineers in the control room said the refinery had about two weeks’ worth of crude stocks. Haj also said the shutdown of one refinery unit had halved output of liquefied petroleum gas for domestic consumption to around 360 cubic meters a day. Prime Minister Ali Zeidan had hoped to persuade an eastern autonomy group to reopen three ports that previously accounted for exports of 600,000 bpd. But the group’s leader, Ibrahim Jathran, said his militia would keep the ports shut because Tripoli had not agreed to share oil revenues. —Reuters

Pe t s FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

These rodents run the show Tips to care for hamsters

efore you bring your new hamster home, make sure to have the habitat and all your other goodies and supplies set up to ensure a smooth, undisrupted transition to his new home. Your hamster can live in a wire habitat with a solid bottom or a glass aquarium with a well-ventilated wire mesh top. Don’t choose a plastic aquarium because hamsters can easily chew through them and escape. Line your hamster’s habitat with 1 to 2 inches of clean aspen, pine or recycled paper bedding. All habitats should have an opening that’s large enough to fit your hand through. Well ventilated home (minimum size 12x12x12” with wire spacing no more than 1/2” apart) Water bottle Heavy food bowl (can be attachable to the habitat) Exercise wheel Hide house or tunnel Chew toys Nesting material and bedding (avoid cedar which can be toxic) Timothy hay, orchard grass, brome hay, botanical hay, or oat hay Before you bring your new Guinea Pig home make sure to have the habitat and all your other goodies and supplies set up to ensure a smooth, undisrupted transition to its new home. Helpful hint: Your hamster may have a much easier transition to his new home if you

incorporate a handful of shavings from his previous habitat into its new habitat. The set up Find a place for your hamster’s habitat that’s secluded from your other family pets, especially cats and dogs, and away from a window (hamsters do not do well in direct heat, cold or drafts). During your hamster’s first day allow him to adjust to his new surroundings by only taking him out of the habitat once for a few minutes. You can sit near the habitat and talk softly as he explores, and when you’re ready to pick him up for the first time try offering a piece of food and gently stroke its head while he eats. If your hamster scurries away, just be patient and try again in 10-15 minutes. Always make sure to scoop up the hamster gently and to avoid picking him up when he’s been sleeping (hamsters can be grumpy and may bite when awoken). Day to day Your new pet will be relatively low maintenance, but will require specific daily care, keeping in mind that the first three weeks of your hamster’s new life will be a big transition for you and him both. Feeding Place your hamster’s kibble or block feed in a food bowl never on top of habitat bedding - you don’t want your hamster to ingest bedding. Try choosing a complete, fortified

pellet to prevent your pet from picking out his favorite pieces and leaving healthy pieces behind. Refresh food daily, keeping the bowl approximately three-quarters full. Every other day you can offer fresh vegetables (to make

Pe t s FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

up 20 percent of diet), including dark, leafy greens like kale and collard greens as well as vegetables like zucchini and shredded carrots. Only offer an amount that can be consumed in four hours and check the habitat for stashed food; hamsters are notorious hoarders. Always make sure your hamster has plenty of water to drink. Ongoing It’s best to establish a veterinary relationship when you first get your Hamster; you may want to consider a specialty small pet vet. Check your local pet hospital to see if a small pet vet is on staff. Bring your hamster to the vet at least once a year for an annual checkup as well as any time your hamster exhibits out-of-the-norm behavior, including: Loose stools Blood in urine Overgrown front teeth Bald patches of fur Sores on the feet Wheezing

Runny nose Irregular eating or drinking Feeding In addition to your hamster’s daily diet of pellets and vegetables you can feed fruit, including papaya, banana, and mango, once a week (5 percent of diet). Your hamster’s teeth never stop growing so providing hard, crunchy treats offers not only a yummy surprise for him but also helps keep his teeth trimmed. Cage maintenance Bedding should be spot cleaned weekly and completely changed monthly. Playing/grooming Provide daily exercise for your hamster to promote good health and good behavior with an exercise wheel or ball. Never leave your pet unsupervised inside an exercise ball. Hamsters are very clean animals. They engage in an elaborate, and often adorable, cleaning ritual that involves them washing their face and ears with both hands and cleaning out their ears with their feet. There’s no need to worry about grooming or bathing your hamster. — www.mypetsmart.com

Did you know?

amsters have fur-lined pouches that extend from their heads to their shoulders to transport food. They will store the food in a special hiding place. Housing Dwarf Hamsters can be friendly and social if raised together. House same gender pairs only. Your Dwarf Hamster needs a home large enough for a (A) food dish and (B) water bottle, a hiding area and an exercise wheel. There should be plenty of room for all cage accessories, and for your hamster to move around freely. Minimum cage size is 12x12x12” with wire spacing no larger than 1/2” apart. Cage placement Place the habitat in a cool 65-75? F (18-24? C), low humidity area, out of direct sunlight. They will require an exercise wheel. Remember hamsters are nocturnal and may use the exercise wheel after your bedtime. Hamsters also enjoy running in an exercise ball when outside of the habitat. Houses should be easily cleaned. Edible homes give the additional benefit of encouraging normal chewing behavior. Chew Toys Your Dwarf Hamster’s front teeth never stop growing, so your pet needs lots of healthy things to chew on like treat sticks and chews. Chew toys should be available at all times. Dust Bath The container should have enough room for your pet to flip and roll around. Add 2” of bath dust to a container 2-3 times per week to let your hamster take a dust bath for 10-20 minutes.

Nesting material Hamsters will shred material and make sleep areas. Paper or cotton fabrics are acceptable. Bedding Dwarf Hamsters love to hide and burrow, so provide lots of clean aspen, pine or recycled paper bedding. Line the home with a minimum of 1-2” of bedding. Cedar shavings are not recommended for small pets. Bedding should be spot cleaned weekly and completely changed monthly. Traits and behaviors Be careful, especially when waking your pet. If startled, your pet may bite. Take extra care when awakening your hamster and always handle your pet gently. Exercise Dwarf Hamsters have tons of energy and need to run on a wheel in their habitat, or in an exercise ball daily. You’ll notice your Dwarf Hamster grooming frequently while awake. Health New surroundings and environments can be stressful for hamsters. Prior to handling your hamster, give her 3-4 days to adjust to her new surroundings while monitoring her behavior for any signs of excessive stress or illness. Things to Watch For Cloudy, sunken or swollen eyes Overgrown front teeth Bare patches in the fur Diarrhea or discolored droppings Lethargic behavior Weight loss; not eating or drinking normally Sneezing; discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth

Opinion FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

ALEXANDRIA: In this file photo, Egyptian women supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi stand inside the defendants’ cage in a courtroom facing six charges after holding an early morning protest in Alexandria, Egypt. Long kept in the background by conservatives, the women supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have stepped ferociously into the front line of Islamist protests against Egypt’s military. —AP

‘Muslim Sisterhood’ on the frontline By Maggie Michael

hey tirelessly hold rallies, whether at night or under cold rain, chanting for the return of Egypt’s ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. They clash with police, hurling back fuming tear gas canisters and getting dragged by their veils and thrown behind bars. At protests in universities, they get into fistfights with rival female students. Women supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have stepped into the front line of Islamist protests, once of the few branches of the organization not crushed by a heavy crackdown since Morsi’s removal in a July 3 coup. Former group members say it’s an intentional survival tactic by the Brotherhood, aiming to keep its street pressure alive and betting that security forces are less likely to strike heavily against women - and that if they do, it will win public sympathy for the Islamists’ cause. It’s a major change in role for the Muslim Sisterhood, as the women’s branch is known. Like the Brotherhood’s male cadres, its women are highly disciplined and undergo years of indoctrination instilling principles of obedience - often from childhood - but in the women’s case, they have largely been trained to play a mostly backseat, family-centered part. In daily protests the past months, they have proven determined and ferocious. “We are protecting our religion. I came out for the sake of Islam,” said a slim veiled 13-year-old Souhidah Abdel-Rahman, who was arrested along with her mother during a pro-Morsi protest in October in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Abdel-Rahman was immediately released because of her age, but her mother remained in detention. “They want to break our back but we are not going to back off,” she said, speaking to The Associated Press as she visited her mother earlier this month at a prison in the Nile Delta city of Damanhour. A male Brotherhood youth leader from the southern city of Assiut said he and many members are “hibernating” in the face of the crackdown. But he said the group is betting that the public, which largely backed Morsi’s ouster, will eventually turn

against the military and interim government under pressing economic conditions. He spoke of the “butterfly” tactic of swift, snap demonstrations organized by the group’s surviving lower cadres. Women and students, he said, play an important role. “The women are hardly harmed because no one knows them. Security authorities don’t have files for them,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Also, women help heal the relationship between the Brotherhood and the public, he added, acknowledging that “the group is hated in the street now.” The attempt to win public sympathies appears to be having mixed success. One win for the group came when 21 women arrested in the October Alexandria protest, including seven juveniles, received heavy sentences of up to 11 years in prison for protesting. The harshness of the sentences - along with images of the handcuffed women and girls in their white robes in the courtroom’s defendants cage - shocked even some opponents of Islamists. The sentences were reduced to one-year suspended prison terms on appeal and the women have been released. Tarek elBeshbeshi, a former senior Brotherhood member who defected this year from the group, said the Brotherhood is waging a “war of attrition” with constant protests to wear down state resources. Along with university students, women “are making the biggest impact because they are the most zealous and enjoy a societal immunity from prosecution to some extent.” Still, another ex-Brotherhood member, Ahmed Ban, noted that the heavy sentences against the women were a message from authorities “that there are no red lines in the confrontation. If you wave the women card in my face, I will deal with them as if they are men.” At the same time, the Brotherhood women have at times faced a public backlash during the protests. Sisters at the Islamic AlAzhar University, including the “Al-Azhar Girls Ultras,” have been among the most aggressive. In past weeks, their protests at the women’s dormitories in the university’s Cairo campus have turned into clashes, with police

blasting women with water cannons as girls throw volleys of stones from the dorm balconies. When police fired tear gas, women picked up the smoking canisters and hurled them back. Speaking to an AP reporter on a recent visit to the campus, one proBrotherhood woman, Walaa, recalled with pride how their “steadfastness astonished the world.” The 20-year-old engineering student and several other Brotherhood backers with her spoke on condition they be identified only by their first names for fear of arrest. As they spoke, they were interrupted by other female students angry over the

It’s an intentional survival tactic by the Brotherhood, aiming to keep its street pressure alive and betting that security forces are less likely to strike heavily against women - and that if they do, it will win public sympathy for the Islamists’ cause protests. Minna Mohammed, a 20-year-old student with her face covered by a conservative veil, snapped that their protests forced the entire university to stop classes. “I don’t want to skip my classes because you want to hold protests,” she said angrily. “They are cutting the roads, interrupting classes, irritating police. Police warned them several times before firing tear gas but they don’t listen.” Another student, Hanan Mohammed, showed bruises she said were from proBrotherhood women who beat her when she flashed a V-for-victory sign from her balcony in support of police cracking down on the protesters. She said the women threw broken

glass in the face of her roommate, leaving her bleeding. “Are you from the traitors’ room? Room 106?” a pro-Brotherhood woman, Esraa, shouted at her as she showed the bruises. Gen Hani Abdel-Latif, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, said the leading role of Brotherhood women and students show the group is “using its last reserves.” For decades, the Sisterhood played a largely subordinate role in the male-dominated organization. They held weekly meetings to report on potential new recruits and ran charities, schools and kindergartens in the group’s crucial grassroots network, a source of funding and recruits. During elections, they go house-to-house, knocking doors of housewives garnering votes that helped the group score major victories in post-Mubarak elections. As part of their indoctrination, Sisters learn by heart the diaries of Zeinab El-Ghazali, an iconic female Brotherhood member who was imprisoned in 1960s and sentenced to death, though the sentence was commuted to life in prison. In the Sisterhood, she is elevated to near sainthood because of her descriptions of abuses in prison. In her diaries, she says jailers put hungry dogs in her cell to attack her but she survived without shedding a drop of blood and that when they let in mice, the rodents fled from her. But Sisterhood members are not included in the decision-making hierarchy or leadership bodies. While male members have rankings defining their missions, women only hold the titles of “lover” - as in, of God - or “Sister.” The founder of the 83-year-old Brotherhood, Hassan Al-Banna, underlined that women are for “housekeeping and children” and that extra education is “unnecessary.” Sisters are not permitted to marry nonBrotherhood members. A former sister, 42year-old Azza Afifi, said when her Brother husband quit the group, she was told by Brotherhood officials to either divorce him or quit with him. She chose the latter. “I was very obedient, blindly following them. Unlike my husband, I never argued or expressed opposition,” she said. “They exploit the young women and men. They knew how to press the right buttons ... Now I see the women are used.”— AP

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013 www.kuwaittimes.net

Trainers wearing Santa Claus costumes perform with a bottle-nose dolphin (R) and a fake killer whale (L) during a show at the Aqua Stadium aquarium in Tokyo on December 18, 2013. Visitors can enjoy the Christmas special show which will be held through to December 25. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;AFP

Beauty FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Kiss panda eyes goodbye T

ired of being told you look tired? Here’s how to get rid of eye bags, puffiness, dark shadows, and circles. Noticing bags or dark circles under your eyes ? You’re not alone. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons get asked about dark circles and under-eye bags all the time. “I hear patients voice complaints several times a day,” says dermatologist Valerie Goldburt, MD, PhD, of NYU Langone Medical Center. Good news: There are fixes for under-eye flaws. The first step is figuring out just what the problem is.

lems can cause under-eye fluid retention, notes New York dermatologist Craig Austin, MD. Dark circles When dark shadows or bags linger, the cause typically is not something temporary, like a few too many cocktails. It might be something you’ve inherited. Pigmentary issues that cause under-eye discoloration are common among people of Asian or African descent. Age also contributes to dark circles. With age, the skin around the eye thins, expos-

ows are more prominent, go for more coverage with a cream or cake concealer. Lightly pat the concealer on from the inner corner of your eye to just past the outer corner. Other, more expensive options, including treatment with IPL or intense pulse light, can help by destroying those pigment cells and smoothing the skin. A series of four IPL treatments, at about $200 each, is typically needed to see improvement. Skin lightening creams that contain hydroquinone or kojic acid may also diminish the darkness. These fixes are less successful when the

Fillers for hollow eyes Some people choose to get hyaluronic fillers, such as Juvederm or Restylane, injected under their eyes. “Fillers mimic a youthful look by correcting the contours of the eye socket,” Eviatar says. If you pursue this, you really want someone who knows what they’re doing. Injecting dermal fillers under the eye is, Moelleken warns, a very “technique-dependent” procedure. The filler needs to be injected deep under the muscle rather than into the superficial layers of the skin. An inexpert job can lead to puffiness. So choose a skilled, board-certified dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or ophthalmic surgeon who is experienced in under-eye injections. The procedure costs

Morning-after puffy eyes Seasonal allergies, a cold, a sinus infection: These are some of the things that can lead to water building up under the eye. “We have the thinnest skin around our eyes, so it’s the area that’s most influenced by the in-and-out flow of fluids,” Goldburt says. A dinner heavy with salty food or a night of crying while watching a tearjerker movie can also cause morningafter puffiness. The reason is osmosis. “Water always travels from areas in the body where there’s low salt concentration to tissues where there’s more salt, Goldburt explains. That principle holds true whether the salt comes from tears or from soy sauce. Simple fixes for under-eye bags Addressing the underlying cause will help treat these temporary eruptions of puffiness. Here are steps to try Treat hay fever, if that’s the problem. There are non-sedating, over-the-counter allergy medications that may help. If you have or suspect hay fever, talk with your doctor about how to treat it (whether or not it’s affecting your eyes’ appearance). Try a neti pot. Irrigating the nasal cavity with a neti pot — a device that looks like a small teapot — can help relieve fluid buildup caused by allergies, sinus congestion, or a cold. Switch your sleep position. Your sleep position may be contributing to undereye bags. Thanks to gravity, sleeping on your side or stomach can encourage fluids to collect under your eyes. If you’re a side sleeper, you may notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on. Goldburt advises her patients who wake up with puffy eyes to sleep on their back and add an extra pillow under their head. Changing your sleep position takes some getting used to, says Goldburt, a self-described “former eye-bag sufferer” and stomach-sleeper herself. Still, she says, “The earlier you start changing your sleep position, the better, because after a few years under-eye bags can became permanent.” Other everyday habits, including rubbing your eyes frequently, going to bed with makeup on, and excessive drinking, can contribute to under-eye bags, too. “Sleeping in eye makeup can irritate your eyes, causing fluids to pool,” Goldburt says. That weakens the delicate skin around the eyes, making it more likely to sink into a pouch. Eye bags are very common, and are usually not related to your health. But if your bags appear suddenly and you’re not suffering from allergies, a sinus infection, or a cold — and they don’t ease up when you try the lifestyle steps mentioned above — it’s a good idea to see your doctor. Some thyroid or kidney prob-

Goldburt says. To calm puffy eyes, place cold spoons, slices of cucumbers, chilled tea bags, or even a package of frozen peas under your eyes. The cool temperatures — rather than any special properties of cucumbers or peas — reduce swelling. And, yes, placing a hemorrhoid cream under your eyes might help get rid of puffs, too. “We have patients who swear by it,” says Brent Moelleken, MD, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, “but we suggest a retinol eye cream instead.”

ing the tiny blood vessels that lie just below. Still, you can do something about it. If you pull the skin sideways and the darkness turns blotchy, that’s evidence the problem is caused by excess pigment in the area, says Joseph Eviatar, MD, a New York ophthalmic plastic surgeon. Most often, dark circles aren’t about changes in the color of the skin at all. Instead, they’re created by a loss of volume in the area around the eye. That exposes the orbital bone, creating a hollow trough that shows up as a dark circle. With the delicate eye area one of the first spots to reveal signs of aging, this can happen as early as the late 30s or 40s. What can you do? Makeup can help conceal dark circles. Hiding dark circles with concealer is simpler than you may think, says New York makeup artist Kimara Ahnert. Choose a concealer that matches your skin tone. If you have mild discoloration, pick a liquid formula. If your shad-

dark circles are caused by extremely thin skin. “That’s really difficult to treat,” Eviatar says. “Eye creams that contain caffeine may help a bit because they constrict the underlying blood vessels.” Prevention and quick fixes Here are four things you can do — without surgery — to help keep your eyes looking youthful. Don’t smoke, and always apply a sunscreen around the eye area. Smoking and exposure to UV rays both weaken collagen and cause premature wrinkling and sagging. Apply a moisturizer to the eye area nightly. “You don’t need to spend a lot,” Goldburt says. “Almost any drugstore moisturizer will provide the hydration you need.” Add a prescription retinoic acid — the vitamin A cream that goes by the generic name tretinoin — to your daily skin care regimen. “It’s the single best thing you can use to prevent wrinkles and improve existing lines,”

about $500 to $700. Results last about eight months. Ask your doctor about side effects, such as minor swelling and bruising that can last for a week or two. Your doctor may suggest injecting Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin (wrinkle-smoothers that erase crow’s feet) at the same time. But it’s up to you how much, or how little, you want to do. Eyelid surgery gets a makeover Some people choose to go further to address sagging skin that creates pouches under their eyes. Today, eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is done through incisions made in the eyelid. Doctors may remove a little bit of fat, reposition the fat, or even add fat grafts, depending on what’s needed. Lasers are used to firm up loose skin. These procedures cost between $2,500 to $5,000, and recovery from bruising and swelling takes 10 days to two weeks. www.webmd.com

Food FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Milking it for all its worth:

Best

Dairy desserts Homemade Yoghurt Ice Cream Ingredients 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 3/4 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 12 ounces 2 percent Greek yogurt Pinch of salt

Hasty Chocolate Pudding Ingredients 1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 cups milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Directions In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa and cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so

the mixture does not have any dry lumps. Place in the microwave, and cook for 3 minutes on high. Stir, then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 to 4 minutes, or until shiny and thick. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

Place the cream, milk, and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook until very hot but not boiling (the milk should bubble around the edges and start steaming), stirring frequently. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Temper the egg yolks: slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the hot milk-cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks. Turn the heat to low and pour the tempered yolks-milk combination back into the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Pour through a metal sieve into a

Vanilla

heatproof bowl. Let cool, either by setting the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, or by covering and placing in the fridge for several hours. When cold, beat the yogurt with a fork until smooth. Pour about 1/2 cup of the custard mixture into the yogurt, beating as you go. Slowly pour the rest in. Pour the custard mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Scrape into a storage container, smooth the top, cover, and place in the freezer. Freeze for 4-6 hours before scooping and serving.

Mango Pudding

Pudding

Ingredients 2 cups milk 1/2 cup white sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon butter Directions In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until bubbles form at edges. In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour into hot milk, a little at a time, stirring to dissolve. Continue to cook and stir until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into serving dishes. Chill before serving. Ingredients: 2 cups of milk 1/3 cup of sugar 3 tablespoons of corn starch 1 egg 1 tablespoon of butter 1 teaspoon of vanilla 4 bananas, 3 of them cut into thin slices crosswise 24 chocolate cookies Method 1. Place 1 of the bananas on a parchment-paper lined sheet, and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes or until skin blackens. Remove roasted banana from skin and lightly mash with a fork. Set aside. 2. Place the milk, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, mix well with a whisk, and heat on medium, continu-

ously stirring. 3. When liquid comes to a boil, let it boil for 30 seconds, add the mashed banana, and then turn down the heat to low and continue to stir until mixture is thick. 4. Beat the egg in a separate dish with a couple of tablespoons of pudding, and then incorporate egg mixture into pudding. 5. Mix in the vanilla and butter. 6. Remove pudding from heat. 7. You can either make individual pudding cups or one big pudding dish, but here’s the general procedure for assembly: layer some of the sliced bananas and cookies in a dish, and then pour some pudding over bananas and cookies until dish is half full. Repeat layers and then stick some of the cookies on top in a decorative flourish.

Ingredients 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 lb very ripe mangoes (4 or 5) 1 (1/4-oz) envelope unflavored gelatin 1 1/4 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup canned evaporated milk Garnish: 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and diced Preparation Peel and pit mangoes, then purÈe in a food processor until smooth (you should have 2 1/3 cups purÈe). Force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any fibers, scraping bottom of sieve with a rubber spatula (discard fibers). Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften. Heat sugar and remaining cup water in a small saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, then add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Add purÈed mango and heat, stirring, just until mixture reaches a bare simmer. Remove from heat, then stir in evaporated milk until combined well. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Divide among 8 (1/2-cup) goblets and chill, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 24 (for flavors to develop; puddings will be softly set). - www.yummly.com

Health FRIDAY, DECEMBR 20, 2013

Living with diabetes Being overweight, physically inactive and eating the wrong foods contribute to our risk of developing type 2 diabetes

iabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia). There are three types of diabetes: 1) Type 1 Diabetes The body does not produce insulin. Some people may refer to this type as insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes. People usually develop type 1 diabetes before their 40th year, often in early adulthood or teenage years. Type 1 diabetes is nowhere near as common as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 10 percent of all diabetes cases are type 1. Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their life. They must also ensure proper bloodglucose levels by carrying out regular blood tests and following a special diet. Between 2001 and 2009, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes among the under 20s in the USA rose 23 percent, according to SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth data issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 2)Type 2 Diabetes The body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells in the body do not react to insulin (insulin resistance). Approximately 90 percent of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type. Some people may be able to control their type 2 diabetes symptoms by losing weight, following a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercise, and monitoring their blood glucose levels. However, type 2 dia-

betes is typically a progressive disease - it gradually gets worse - and the patient will probably end up have to take insulin, usually in tablet form. Overweight and obese people have a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with a healthy body weight. People with a lot of visceral fat, also known as central obesity, belly fat, or abdominal obesity, are especially at risk. Being overweight/obese causes the body to release chemicals that can destabilize the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Being overweight, physically inactive and eating the wrong foods all contribute to our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Drinking just one can of (non-diet) soda per day can raise our risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 22 percent, researchers from Imperial College London reported in the

journal Diabetologia. The scientists believe that the impact of sugary soft drinks on diabetes risk may be a direct one, rather than simply an influence on body weight. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is also greater as we get older. Experts are not completely sure why, but say that as we age we tend to put on weight and become less physically active. Those with a close relative who had/had type 2 diabetes, people of Middle Eastern, African, or South Asian descent also have a higher risk of developing the disease. Men whose testosterone levels are low have been found to have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, say that low testosterone levels are linked to insulin resistance. Measuring the glucose level in blood

3) Gestational Diabetes This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of glucose. Diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made during pregnancy. The majority of gestational diabetes patients can control their diabetes with exercise and diet. Between 10 percent to 20 percent of them will need to take some kind of blood-glucose-controlling medications. Undiagnosed or uncontrolled gestational diabetes can raise the risk of complications during childbirth. The baby may be bigger than he/she should be. Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University found that women whose diets before becoming pregnant were high in animal fat and cholesterol had a higher risk for gestational diabetes, compared to their counterparts whose diets were low in cholesterol and animal fats. What is prediabetes? The vast majority of patients with type 2 diabetes initially had prediabetes. Their blood glucose levels where higher than normal, but not high enough to merit a diabetes diagnosis. The cells in the body are becoming resistant to insulin. Studies have indicated that even at the prediabetes stage, some damage to the circulatory system and the heart may already have occurred. Diabetes is a metabolism disorder Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is

Health FRIDAY, DECEMBR 20, 2013

broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood - it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies. When our food is digested, the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, as soon as glucose enters the cells blood-glucose levels drop. A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia). This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements. Why is it called diabetes mellitus? Diabetes comes from Greek, and it means a “siphon”. Aretus the Cappadocian, a Greek physician during the second century AD, named the condition diabainein. He described patients who were passing too much water (polyuria) - like a siphon. The word became “diabetes” from the English adoption of the Medieval Latin diabetes. In 1675, Thomas Willis added mellitus to the term, although it is commonly referred to simply as diabetes. Mel in Latin means “honey”; the urine and blood of people with diabetes has excess glucose, and glucose is sweet like honey. Diabetes mellitus could literally mean “siphoning off sweet water”. In ancient China people observed that ants would be attracted to some people’s urine, because it was sweet. The term “Sweet Urine Disease” was coined. Controlling diabetes - Treatment is effective and important All types of diabetes are treatable. Diabetes type 1 lasts a lifetime, there is no known cure. Type 2 usually lasts a lifetime, however, some people have managed, through a lot of exercise, diet and excellent body weight control to get rid of their symptoms without medication. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale showed that gastric bypass surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes in a high proportion of patients. They added that within three to five years the disease recurs in approximately 21 percent of them. Yessica Ramos, MD, said “The recurrence rate was mainly influenced by a longstanding history of Type 2 diabetes before the surgery. This suggests that early surgical intervention in the obese, diabetic population will improve the durability of remission of Type 2 diabetes.” Patients with type 1 are treated with regular insulin injections, as well as a special diet and exercise. Patients with Type 2 diabetes are usually treated with tablets, exercise and a special diet, but sometimes insulin injections are also required. If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significantly higher risk of developing complications.

Complications linked to badly controlled diabetes: Eye complications - glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and some others Foot complications- neuropathy, ulcers, and sometimes gangrene which may require that the foot be amputated Skin complications - people with diabetes are more susceptible to skin infections and skin disorders Heart problems - such as ischemic heart disease, when the blood supply to the heart muscle is diminished

Hypertension - common in people with diabetes, which can raise the risk of kidney disease, eye problems, heart attack and stroke Mental health - uncontrolled diabetes raises the risk of suffering from depression, anxiety and some other mental disorders Hearing loss - diabetes patients have a higher risk of developing hearing problems Gum disease - there is a much higher prevalence of gum disease among diabetes patients Gastroparesis - the muscles of the stom-

ach stop working properly Ketoacidosis - a combination of ketosis and acidosis; accumulation of ketone bodies and acidity in the blood. Neuropathy - diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage which can lead to several different problems. HHNS (Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome) - blood glucose levels shoot up too high, and there are no ketones present in the blood or urine. It is an emergency condition. Nephropathy - uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to kidney disease PAD (peripheral arterial disease) - symptoms may include pain in the leg, tingling and sometimes problems walking properly Stroke - if blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose levels are not controlled, the risk of stroke increases significantly Erectile dysfunction - male impotence Infections - people with badly controlled diabetes are much more susceptible to infections Healing of wounds - cuts and lesions take much longer to heal. www.medicalnewstoday.com

Tr a v e l FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little pre-trip planning and flexibility, you can significantly reduce your transportation, food and lodging expenses. Travel in the off season You might not experience perfect weather, but you’ll be able to save money on airfare, lodging and sightseeing while avoiding the crowds. Spring and fall are usually excellent times to travel on a budget. It’s easier to negotiate for lower rates on lodging and other services when tourists are scarce. To get a better deal, you sometimes just have to ask. Go for it. During slow periods, most in the travel industry would rather sell a room or seat at a discounted price than not sell it at all. Be sure to ask for the corporate, student or teacher rate, if applicable. Do your research Get a guidebook tailored to budget travelers, such as those from the Lonely Planet series. New editions are ideal, but used guidebooks can work fine, too. No matter how old it is, always be sure to check on the Web for the latest prices.There are also many excellent travel websites you can peruse (some of the better ones are referenced below). Many of these allow you to compare prices and shop

engine that scours other sites. Airtreks.com and Bootsnall.com are both search engines that specialize in multi-destinations. Kayak.com is a search engine that searches Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com and CheapTickets.com to find the best available price. Keep in mind that booking your flight for less-popular times or days of the week can usually save you money. Avoid travel on Fridays and Sundays as these are the most expensive days. Other options to consider:

ty in mind. Take precautions with money when in crowded situations and research in advance for any tourist warnings about particular routes or late-night travel.

Standby flights Jessica Knowles of the REI Dallas store has been “flying standby forever” thanks to her mother who worked for Delta Airlines. She notes, “Patience and a backup plan are very important for standby travel. Your best odds of getting on the plane are midweek or on the earliest flight of the day. Standby space during peak travel times is much more limited but you could get lucky.” If you’re really flexible with your schedule, consider flying on a space-available basis through a consolidator such as Airtech. As long as you don’t care about your exact destination, you could get to Europe or Hawaii cheaper than anyone else using this approach.

Car rentals While renting a vehicle is a more expensive way to get around, you can usually save money, sometimes significantly so, by making your reservation at a non-airport location. Many rental car companies will provide pickup service to and from the airport.

Share taxis, buses and guides Get to know your fellow travelers on the road. Private buses and guides can get expensive but sharing costs with other travelers makes opportunities to see out-of-the-way places more affordable.

eling during a major festival, holiday or during the height of tourist season. Once you arrive, make a few phone calls to find the best deal, or go to an area with many hotels and check rates in person. You may have the most success in the evening with the night manager. This approach can be effective but is obviously a bit more time consuming so it may not be right for everyone. If you don’t mind sharing a common bathroom with the other rooms on a floor, you can save money by getting a room without an attached bathroom. Hostels These aren’t just for youth and backpackers. Families, couples and older people all use hostels. However, keep in mind that the quality can vary from hostel to hostel. In some

Overbooked flights When flights get overbooked, airlines will issue travel vouchers for free travel if you volunteer your seat to another passenger. Let the airline gate agent know right away of your willingness to give up your seat if needed. Of course, this approach requires some flexibility in your schedule, as the next available replacement flight may be hours later.

for the best deals. Even so, most sites offer similar rates, so your best savings strategy is to keep your itinerary flexible. Travel agencies can still be a good option if you’re time starved, dislike planning tasks or are just not sure where to get started. Let a travel agent do the work, and you’ll reduce your pre-trip stress. Finally, don’t overlook word of mouth. Carina Bandle, REI Boston store employee and frequent traveler, advises that you can often find the most beautiful and cheapest spots to stay by asking other travelers or locals you trust. “When landing in Quito, Ecuador, at midnight,” she recalls, “I had a name of a hotel but when I arrived it was gone. Literally, there was a hole in the ground where the building once stood. But the woman I shared a taxi with was willing to split a room at another place a local suggested, and we both saved money.” How to save on air travel One of the best ways to find deals on air transportation is to shop online using a search

Courier flights If you are traveling solo and can pack light, consider traveling as a “casual courier.” Couriers leave from designated cities and are usually limited to carry-on baggage. When you travel as a courier, documents or freight are checked as your baggage allowance (you don’t handle the freight yourself) and you get a ticket for roughly one-half of the coach fare. The International Association of Air Courier Travelers is a leading resource (their website is Courier.org). Downsides: There is a small membership fee to join, you have little control over the schedule and you are responsible for your travel costs should you miss the return flight. How to save on local transportation Public transit Once at your destination, use public transportation. Subways and buses are an inexpensive, efficient way to travel. Buy a weekly pass when it makes sense with your plans. If you’re not sure about which train to take, ask an employee. Bus drivers are usually extremely helpful. If you tell the driver where you’d like to go, he or she will often make sure you get off at the right stop. Be sure to keep your safe-

How to save on lodging Camping is always the cheapest way to go. But if you don’t want to bring a tent and sleeping bag on your trip, you still have some thrifty options. Hotels Use the internet to research places to stay. Online rates are frequently less expensive than what you would be quoted at the front desk. One approach is to check Priceline.com or similar sites for current promotions. If you are booking in a tourist area with several accommodations, you can call one hotel with your budget and see if they have any suggestions for other hotels in your range. Calling ahead gives you a good idea which hotels may be more flexible on stay minimums and prices. Another strategy is to avoid making advance hotel reservations unless you’re trav-

places, you could luck out with a room all to yourself and an amazing view. Other times, you could end up in a room with 20 bunk beds and a snorer. Read the traveler reviews at Hostels.com for guidance. Some hostels will allow you to work for your stay. You may be able to negotiate a reduced rate in exchange for helping out with laundry or serving food. Of course, this makes sense only if you have time to spare on your trip. A tip for international backpackers: Andrew Tomlinson from REI’s Reno store advises to buy your stove in the country you are visting. “Customs hates anything that smells like fuel and views it as a safety hazard,” he says. “The likelihood that your favorite stove will have to be left behind is good. On your last night, stay in a hostel and try to sell your stove to someone who’s on their first night. You might make a portion of your money back.” — www.rei.com

Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Beyonce

album

sets iTunes sales record, tops Billboard chart

Producer Scooter Braun, singer/producer Justin Bieber and producer Usher arrive at the premiere of Open Road Films’ ‘Justin Bieber’s Believe’ at Regal Cinemas LA Live Wednesday in Los Angeles, California. —AFP

Morgan Freeman mistaken for Mandela in India billboard gaffe File photo shows Beyonce at the 55th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. — AP

&B star Beyonce’s latest self-titled album surpassed 1 million copies sold worldwide in six days on Wednesday and set a record for iTunes, Apple Inc and Columbia Records said. “Beyonce,” the fifth solo studio album from the singer, which was unexpectedly released in the early hours of Dec 13 without any prior fanfare, contains 14 new songs and 17 videos. It swiftly topped the iTunes album charts across the world. The album also debuted at the top of the weekly Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, with 617,000 copies sold in the United States by the week ending Dec 15, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The deluxe digital album, exclusively available on iTunes, can only be purchased as a complete set of songs and videos, and retails for $15.99 at the US store. A physical version will be made available for sale in time for the holiday period this month. The surprise release of the album caps a year in which the 32-year-old Beyonce made a carefully choreographed return to music after taking time out to give birth to her first child, daughter Blue Ivy, with rapper husband Jay Z. Both Blue Ivy and Jay Z feature as collaborators on the new album and appear in accompanying music videos. Releasing an album without any prior fanfare or publicity is rare, especially for one of the top players in the music industry. But Beyonce’s success does not necessarily mean other artists will be able to copy her stealth release strategy. The singer has numerous factors in her favor, including a loyal online fan base of more than 53 million Facebook fans, 13 million Twitter followers and 8 million Instagram fans, and a year performing in the spotlight that has created buzz for an album release. Beyonce kicked off the year performing at US President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in January, headlined the Super Bowl half-time show in February and launched her “Mrs Carter Show” world tour in April. Her latest album has outperformed some of this year’s other most-anticipated new releases, selling more copies than albums from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Britney Spears. Currently, the year’s top-selling album is Justin Timberlake’s first part of “The 20/20 Experience,” which was released in March with 968,000 copies sold in its opening week, and has topped 2.3 million sales in the United States to date. Nielsen SoundScan compiles sales in the week ending Sunday, meaning that Beyonce’s new album only showed three days of sales in the Billboard chart. — Reuters

n Indian owner of a billboard dedicated to Nelson Mandela was redfaced yesterday after the discovery that a photo of actor Morgan Freeman was used instead of one of the anti-apartheid heroes. The billboard was erected on the side of a road in the southern city of Coimbatore as part of memorials across India and the world to Mandela, who died on December 5. But Freeman’s face loomed large in the billboard over small

images of rights icons Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi. “We should be proud that we were part of an era when they lived,” read the Tamillanguage condolence message on the board. Cloth merchant Chandrashekhar, who paid for the board in a private capacity as a mark of respect to the former South African leader, said it was a mistake by the designer. “We will replace it with the correct picture of Mandela,” the merchant,

who uses one name, told AFP by telephone from the state capital Chennai, adding that he did not know how the gaffe occurred. Morgan Freeman played Mandela in the 2009 film “Invictus”. A photo of the billboard was being Tweeted yesterday. India declared five days of national mourning for Mandela, who was hailed as a “true Gandhian” and a “great friend” by the country’s leaders. —AFP

Demi Lovato confirms ‘X Factor’ exit

emi Lovato says she’s leaving “The X Factor” to focus on her music career. In an interview after Wednesday’s performance show the 21-year-old singeractress said she wanted to return to her “roots.” Lavoto plans to devote next year to touring and working on a new album. “X Factor” producer-judge Simon Cowell said working with Lovato has been “fun,” but

the timing is right for “something new.” Cowell would not comment on potential replacements for Lovato. This is the “Heart Attack” singer’s second season on the judging panel of the Fox competition. Lovato’s fourth studio album, “Demi,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in May. The season three “X Factor” winner will be announced during today’s finale.

Streep to receive Icon Award at Palm Springs Festival

eryl Streep has joined the lineup of heavy hitters who will receive honorary awards at the 2014 Palm Springs International Film Festival, PSIFF organizers announced on Wednesday. Streep will receive the Icon Award, an honor that was created and given for the first time to Michael Douglas three years ago. The award will be presented at the PSIFF Awards Gala on Jan. 4, in the desert resort 100 miles east of Los Angeles. It comes as Streep has received Golden Globe, SAG and Critics’ Choice Movie Award nominations for her performance as the pill-popping, bile-spewing center of John Wells’ film

version of the Tracy Letts play “August: Osage County.” “Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Violet Weston, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family reunited by a tragic incident, will be remembered in her long list of iconic character roles,” said PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner in a release announcing the award. The three-time Oscar winner (and 17-time nominee) will join her “August: Osage County” costar Julia Roberts as an honoree in Palm Springs, where the industry annually takes awards contenders for a no-pressure publicity opportunity and campaign stop. —Reuters

File photo shows Demi Lovato, poses backstage at the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles. —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Pulp Fiction,’ added to National Film Registry British singer-songwriter Adele Adkins holds her medal after being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music presented to her by the Prince Charles, Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London yesterday. —AFP

LaBeouf could face legal action for lifting idea

‘M

ary Poppins” is back on the big screens thanks to Walt Disney Pictures’ “Saving Mr Banks,” so it seems appropriate that the studio’s original adaptation of P.L. Travers tale of a magical governess has been selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress. The beloved children’s film joins 25 motion pictures in the National Film Registry. Other works deemed to be culturally, historically or aesthetically significant are more adult in nature, such as Quentin Tarantino’s film noir pastiche “Pulp Fiction” and Mike Nichols’ blistering marital drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The list also includes the science-fiction adventure “Forbidden Planet,” the space drama “The Right Stuff,” Michael Moore’s auto industry documentary “Roger & Me,” the silent era spoof “A Virtuous Vamp,” the Rita Hayworth star vehicle “Gilda” and the court room drama “Judgment at Nuremberg.” The Library’s goal is to guard against the degradation of film stock and to restore older films so they can be rediscovered by younger generations. “The National Film Registry stands among the finest summations of more than a century of extraordinary American cinema,” the Librarian of Congress, James H Billington, said in a statement. “This key component of American cultural history, however, is endangered, so we must protect the nation’s matchless film heritage and cinematic creativity.” This year’s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 625. Films selected for the 2013 National Film Registry: Bless Their Little Hearts (1984) Brandy in the Wilderness (1969) Cicero March (1966) Daughter of Dawn (1920) Decasia (2002) Ella Cinders (1926) Forbidden Planet (1956) Gilda (1946) The Hole (1962) Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) King of Jazz (1930) The Lunch Date (1989) The Magnificent Seven (1960) Martha Graham Early Dance film (1931-44) Mary Poppins (1964) Men & Dust (1940) Midnight (1939) Notes on the Port of St Francis (1951) Pulp Fiction (1994) The Quiet Man (1952) The Right Stuff (1983) Roger & Me (1989) A Virtuous Vamp (1919) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) Wild Boys of the Road (1933)—Reuters

here may be legal ramifications for Shia LaBeouf after he acknowledged borrowing from another artist’s work without giving proper credit. LaBeouf debuted his short film, “Howard Cantour.com,” online on Monday starring Jim Gaffigan. It examines the life of an anguished online film critic. That was also the story

line of a 2007 graphic novella by artist Daniel Clowes titled “Justin M Damiano.” Clowes declined to comment directly, but according to his publisher, Fantographics’ Eric Reynolds, Clowes “is exploring his legal options.” Reynolds said Wednesday he was “baffled” by the news of LaBeouf’s project, which he and Clowes got wind of on Monday. — AP

‘Batman Vs Superman’ recruits ‘Argo’ writer Terrio C

hris Terrio, who won an Oscar for writing “Argo,” has been hired to write the latest draft of “Batman Vs Superman,” an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap. Warner Bros has no comment. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill star as the titular superheroes, while Gal Gadot will be introduced as Wonder Woman. Jason Momoa is also in talks for an unspecified role, and the studio reportedly has its eye on its “Her” star Joaquin Phoenix to play Lex Luthor, though his representatives had no comment regarding that rumor. Phoenix has been sought for several high-profile roles over the years, though the notoriously selective actor has turned many of them down in order to do more challenging indie films such as “The Master” and “Her,” for which he recently earned a Golden Globe nomination. “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne will also return for the comic book sequel, which hits theaters July 17, 2015. Terrio scripted Affleck’s Best Picture winner “Argo,” so he has a strong relationship with the Batman actor. He will rewrite David Goyer’s screenplay, as Goyer is in the midst of developing several projects including WB’s “Sandman” movie, which he’ll produce with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Terrio is represented by WME, Anonymous Content and attorney James Feldman. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news. —Reuters

Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

2014 travel

Sochi, Brazil, Berlin, Sarajevo

The exterior of a new gallery, Norsk Kultur in the Norway pavilion at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — AP

he Olympics, the World Cup and commemorations of World War I, D-Day and the fall of the Berlin Wall are some of the events that will spotlight destinations like Sochi, Brazil, Sarajevo, Normandy and Berlin in 2014. Elsewhere abroad, a potentially game-changing high-speed rail service has just launched linking Paris and Barcelona. Some travelers may now prefer the train over a plane, with the train ride cut in half to just over six hours between the two cities. Back in the US, St Louis marks the 250th anniversary of its Feb 15, 1764 founding with celebrations in February including a reenactment, parties and a music festival. Other events are planned throughout the year. Harry Potter fans will have a new reason to visit Florida next summer when the Universal Orlando theme park opens a new area with attractions inspired by the books’ fictional scenes in Diagon Alley and London. A train called the Hogwarts Express will take visitors back and forth between the new Potter attractions - including a restaurant called the Leaky Cauldron - and Universal’s existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal also plans an 1,800-room 1960s-themed resort and eight new restaurants at the CityWalk dining area for 2014. Nearby, Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla, will open a new family coaster, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, in the spring. Olympics and world cup The Winter Olympics, Feb7-23, take place in Sochi, a Russian Black Sea resort that’s one of the least-known Olympic destinations in years. The indoor events will be held in ice arenas on the coast, while skiing and snowboarding are in the Caucasus Mountains 30 miles (50 kilometers) inland. With its subtropical climate and lush greenery, the coastal area of Sochi has long been a popular destination; some elaborate worker resorts from the Stalinist era remain, and new winter resorts are under construction. The World Cup soccer games, June 12-July 13, will be held in 12 cities in Brazil: Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuaiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Paulo. The most exotic destination, Manaus, a steamy city in the Amazon jungle, may also be the most controversial: England soccer coach Roy Hodgson called it “the place ideally to avoid,” while the London tabloid the Mirror called it a “crime-ridden hell-hole.” But loads of soccer fans are likely to travel there despite the bad press to attend some of the tournament’s top matches, including EnglandItaly and Portugal-U.S. The city is also a gateway to Amazon tourism, with Manaus-based operators offering boat trips and tours into the jungle. Remembering war The summer of 2014 marks a century since World War I was triggered by the June 28, 1914

File photo shows thousands of Berliners crowding at the Brandenburg Gate and stand on top of the Berlin Wall after two new crossings were made, reuniting the divided city after 28 years.

This artist rendering provided by NBC Universal shows the new Harry Potter-themed area of the Universal theme park in Orlando, Fla, planned for 2014. communism in Eastern Europe and the Cold War. The wall, built in 1961, not only physically cut East Berlin off from the West, but also symbolized the division between Western Europe and communist-controlled Eastern bloc countries. The wall was completely torn down in 1990, but its destruction began in 1989. In the years since, reunified Berlin has become a trendy tourism capital - described as “poor but sexy” by its mayor. Events and exhibits are planned to mark the 25th anniversary, including an installation of illuminated balloons on a 7.5-mile (12-kilometer) path where the city was once divided.

The graves of three German World War One soldiers at the German Military Cemetery, Soldatenfriedhof, in Menen, Belgium.

Torch bearers hold Olympic torches after skiing down the mountain during the Olympic torch relay in the Sheregesh winter sports resort near Tashtagol, Kemerovo region, western Siberia.

assassination of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, now the capital of BosniaHerzegovina. Events are planned across Europe to commemorate the centenary- and some US tour operators like Road Scholar are offering itineraries visiting places connected to the war. Famous battlefields include Verdun, France; Gallipoli, Turkey, and Western Belgium, where red poppies still bloom in Flanders Fields, a battlefield immortalized in the famous poem: “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row.” June 6 is the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, which marked a turning point in defeating Hitler in World War II. Past milestone anniversaries have drawn veterans of the invasion, but that generation is rapidly dwindling. President Obama, Queen Elizabeth and other heads of state have been invited to mark the solemn day on the Normandy coast. Nov 9 will mark 25 years since the Berlin Wall was breached, a powerful moment in ending

Homecoming, frozen, Vermeer and hobbits Scotland hosts its year-long “Homecoming,” inviting emigres and their descendants to return for clan gatherings and other events, including a reenactment of the Battle of Bannockburn, an important victory 700 years ago in the Wars of Scottish Independence. The Homecoming is held every four years. In Holland, the Mauritshuis museum reopens in June in The Hague. This small but important museum, housed in a 17th-century palace, is home to Vermeer’s masterpiece, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” which has been drawing huge crowds at the Frick in New York following showings in San Francisco and Atlanta. The painting has been traveling with “The Goldfinch” and works by Rembrandt and other Dutch masters while the Mauritshuis underwent a two-year renovation. In Norway, the Geirangerfjord will get some additional visitors as Adventures By Disney adds the destination to a new itinerary inspired by the movie “Frozen.” The film’s fantasy kingdom of Arendelle was based on the fjord. New Zealand is hoping for an increase in visitors inspired by the second movie in the “Hobbit” trilogy. Tourism connected to “The Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” films has become a big business in New Zealand, where the movies were filmed. —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Jordan

offers

ancient sites and a warm welcome By Amir Bibawy

f you are keen on getting your Middle Eastern fix of ancient sites, sun, mint tea, and falafel, the Arab Spring may have challenged your travel plans. Although tourists have stayed largely safe in the Arab world in the past several years, the turmoil in Egypt, war in Syria and spill-over in Lebanon have kept some visitors away. But fear not. Jordan is a world removed from the instability that has engulfed the region and Jordanians warmly welcome tourists

year-round. On a recent visit, my first to Jordan, I found myself falling in love with its tranquility and hospitality. Jordan’s sites are spread out, but there’s a good road and transportation system, and not an overwhelming number of things to see. It’s easy to meet and talk with locals, many of whom speak English. The serene capital, Amman, was originally built on seven hills on the ruins of ancient Philadelphia. The modern-day city has developed over a hundred years into a hip town full of young people and a regional

A structure made of rock such as this one shown in Petra’s valley.

Petra’s breathtaking Treasury. hub for tech start-ups. The capital’s most prominent sight is a Roman amphitheater that’s right in the middle of Amman. On the grounds of the amphitheater, do not miss the Folklore and Popular Traditions Museum where you can see displays of traditional dress from Jordan and Palestine and learn more about the cuisine and ways of life of the nomadic Bedouins. The Citadel on Amman’s highest hill is impressive, home to a Roman temple, Islamic palace, cistern and Byzantine

church. From its vista you can get a full appreciation of the massive 2,000-year-old amphitheater a stone’s throw away. What the capital lacks in ancient sights, it makes up for in food. In a short span of several days, and accompanied by local friends, I was able to feast on the country’s famed kebabs and mezze - small dishes and even had pretty good sushi. Whatever you do, do not miss a late-night meat fix from Reem on the 2nd Circle (roundabouts in old Amman are numbered).

Lifestyle FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

This August 2013 photo shows the rose-red ancient site of Petra, in Jordan. The city was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in an online poll in 2007. — AP

One of several odd looking buildings that sometimes look like they were on other planets, in Petra.

Find the line of hungry Jordanians waiting outside this takeout shack for sandwiches ($1), and you’re in good hands. The meat is marinated, grilled and topped with onions, tahini, tomatoes and salad for an unforgettable pita sandwich. The wait is long but worth it. Jafra, also in the old city, combines a radical intellectual ambiance with a robust menu of traditional favorites. Photos of pro-Palestinian activist Edward Said, Palestinian poet

Ancient ruins at Amman’s Citadel.

Many of the traditional dishes served at Jafra, a restaurant in Amman’s old city. Mahmoud Darwich and Western left-wing celebrities adorn the walls, but the crowd is split between decidedly hip young Ammanis and middle-class families. Sit on the terrace to soak up the street atmosphere below you. Outside Amman your travels could take you to ancient castles and Christian and Judaic sites or to wild natural reserves. But all paths will lead to Petra, an ancient city built in rosered rock that remained largely undiscovered till the 19th century. Petra was built by the Nabataeans, Arabs who controlled the region’s trade routes over 2,000 years ago. The structures they left behind are so fascinating they were voted as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a global poll six years ago. This led to more visitors, so early morning is the best time to beat the crowds. To get to Petra, you can take a JATT bus from Amman (three hours) or hire a car and a driver for about $120 a day. Entering from the official gate, you pass through a tourist market in a street that descends into a wide valley where Petra’s architectural gems begin. Walking through the winding Siq, a gorge formed when land movement split the massive rock mass, you come to appreciate the site’s enormity. You may even gasp out loud when you first glimpse the majestic “Treasury” building through the narrow gorge. The Treasury is actually a burial building and not, as myth had it, a place where treasures were hidden. The intricate facade of the building is Petra’s most famous image, made even more famous by appearing in

A marble map on Jordan’s Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land for the first and last time in his life.

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Continue along a wide and sunny route past the Theatre, High Place of Sacrifice, Royal Tombs and other structures. The site’s undiscovered gem, at its highest point, is the Monastery, a first century B.C. building. There’s

good reason few people make it there: It’s at the end of a 45-minute climb of 800 rocky steps. But it’s worth it. Beyond the Monastery at that elevation is a spectacular view of the entire city of Petra and the colorful valley, Wadi Araba.

I ventured also to Jordan’s well-preserved Judeo-Christian sites, including Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the promised land. A map there shows the distance to towns in Israel and the Palestinian Territories; Jerusalem is less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) away. Close to Mount Nebo is the historically Christian town of Madaba, whose St. George’s Church houses an unusual floor map of the Middle East, done in colorful mosaics almost 1,500 years ago. Another unique mosaic is the large and almost-intact floor piece at the Church of Saint Lot and Saint Procopius in the nearby town of Khirbet al-Mukhayyat. These mosaics were discovered in a family’s house when a cooking fire ruined the plaster hiding the original floor. The keeper of the church and son of that family holds the keys. He’ll let you in and proudly explain that the house belonged to his Muslim family before they donated it to the government, which in turn made it into a church. He earns very little as the guardian of the site, according to my guide, and appreciates a tip of a dinar. Beyond all this, there’s the Dead Sea, along with more ancient Roman sites, Islamic castles and natural wonders - all beautiful and worth visiting. But if you are tempted to simply lounge about with a glass of Jordanian shiraz and a water pipes, staring at the stars in Amman’s clear skies, go ahead. Enjoy it. —AP

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG)

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KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (19/12/2013 TO 25/12/2013) TARZAN (DIG-3D) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG-3D) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG-3D) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG-3D) FANAR-5 A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) MARINA-1 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) MARINA-2 HOURS (DIG) SAVING SANTA (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) HOURS (DIG) HOURS (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) HOURS (DIG) MARINA-3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) TARZAN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) AVENUES-1 A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) THE CITIZEN (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) A MADEA CHRISTMAS (DIG) AVENUES-2 HAUNTER (DIG) SAVING SANTA (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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Te c h n o l o g y FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

How cloud computing works The future is now By Jonathan Strickland et’s say you’re an executive at a large corporation. Your particular responsibilities include making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need to do their jobs. Buying computers for everyone isn’t enough — you also have to purchase software or software licenses to give employees the tools they require. Whenever you have a new hire, you have to buy more software or make sure your current software license allows another user. It’s so stressful that you find it difficult to go to sleep on your huge pile of money every night. Soon, there may be an alternative for executives like you. Instead of installing a suite of software for each computer, you’d only have to load one application. That application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs. It’s called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry. In a cloud computing system, there’s a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease. The only thing the user’s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system’s interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud’s network takes care of the rest. There’s a good chance you’ve already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, then you’ve had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an e-mail program on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer — it’s on the service’s computer cloud.

Cloud computing architecture When talking about a cloud computing system, it’s helpful to divide it into two sections: the front endand the back end. They connect to each other through a network, usually the Internet. The front end is the side the computer user, or client, sees. The back end is the “cloud” section of the system. The front end includes the client’s computer (or computer network) and the application required to access the cloud computing system. Not all cloud computing systems have the same user interface. Services like Web-based e-mail programs leverage existing Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other systems have unique applications that provide network access to clients. On the back end of the system are the various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the “cloud” of computing services. In theory, a cloud computing

system could include practically any computer program you can imagine, from data processing to video games. Usually, each application will have its own dedicated server. A central server administers the system, monitoring traffic and client demands to ensure everything runs smoothly. It follows a set of rules called protocols and uses a special kind of software called middleware. Middleware allows networked computers to communicate with each other. Most of the time, servers don’t run at full capacity. That means there’s unused processing power going to waste. It’s possible to fool a physical server into thinking it’s actually multiple servers, each running with its own independent operating system. The technique is called server virtualization. By maximizing the output of individual servers, server virtualization reduces the need for more physical machines. If a cloud computing company has a lot of clients, there’s likely to be a high demand for a lot of storage space. Some companies

computing system. Why would anyone want to rely on another computer system to run programs and store data? Here are just a few reasons: l Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time. They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the Internet. Data wouldn’t be confined to a hard drive on one user’s computer or even a corporation’s internal network. l It could bring hardware costs down. Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side. You wouldn’t need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal. The terminal could include a monitor, input devices like a keyboard and mouse and just enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. You wouldn’t need a large hard drive because you’d store all your informa-

require hundreds of digital storage devices. Cloud computing systems need at least twice the number of storage devices it requires to keep all its clients’ information stored. That’s because these devices, like all computers, occasionally break down. A cloud computing system must make a copy of all its clients’ information and store it on other devices. The copies enable the central server to access backup machines to retrieve data that otherwise would be unreachable. Making copies of data as a backup is called redundancy.

tion on a remote computer. l Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to computer applications. The companies don’t have to buy a set of software or software licenses for every employee. Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing company. l Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they don’t have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone else’s hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end. l Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and oper-

Cloud computing applications The applications of cloud computing are practically limitless. With the right middleware, a cloud computing system could execute all the programs a normal computer could run. Potentially, everything from generic word processing software to customized computer programs designed for a specific company could work on a cloud

ating systems. l If the cloud computing system’s back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take advantage of the entire network’s processing power. Often, scientists and researchers work with calculations so complex that it would take years for individual computers to complete them. On a grid computing system, the client could send the calculation to the cloud for processing. The cloud system would tap into the processing power of all available computers on the back end, significantly speeding up the calculation. Cloud computing concerns Perhaps the biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. The idea of handing over important data to another company worries some people. Corporate executives might hesitate to take advantage of a cloud computing system because they can’t keep their company’s information underlock and key. The counterargument to this position is that the companies offering cloud computing services live and die by their reputations. It benefits these companies to have reliable security measures in place. Otherwise, the service would lose all its clients. It’s in their interest to employ the most advanced techniques to protect their clients’ data. Privacy is another matter. If a client can log in from any location to access data and applications, it’s possible the client’s privacy could be compromised. Cloud computing companies will need to find ways to protect client privacy. One way is to use authentication techniques such as user names and passwords. Another is to employ an authorization format — each user can access only the data and applications relevant to his or her job. Some questions regarding cloud computing are more philosophical. Does the user or company subscribing to the cloud computing service own the data? Does the cloud computing system, which provides the actual storage space, own it? Is it possible for a cloud computing company to deny a client access to that client’s data? Several companies, law firms and universities are debating these and other questions about the nature of cloud computing. How will cloud computing affect other industries? There’s a growing concern in the IT industry about how cloud computing could impact the business of computer maintenance and repair. If companies switch to using streamlined computer systems, they’ll have fewer IT needs. Some industry experts believe that the need for IT jobs will migrate to the back end of the cloud computing system. Another area of research in the computer science community is autonomic computing. An autonomic computing system is self-managing, which means the system monitors itself and takes measures to prevent or repair problems. Currently, autonomic computing is mostly theoretical. But, if autonomic computing becomes a reality, it could eliminate the need for many IT maintenance jobs. www.computer.howstuffworks.com

Stars

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Aries (March 21-April 19)

There's a fast-paced frenzy to the day that might leave you feeling a bit left out. You may want to take things more slowly, yet the day's energy doesn't allow for hesitation or delay. This is a good time to get out and be social. Make important contacts with others and try to multitask. Keep your humor handy and your manner flexible.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

This is an excellent day for you. People are on your wavelength more than usual. You can get quite a bit accomplished. You might want to take a disciplined approach today. Consider being a bit more realistic with your actions. Overall, you should enjoy a good mood all day. Your quick wit and humor will carry you through with flying colors.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Try to keep your emotions in check today. It's possible that you could become extremely angry and do some damage to yourself and others around you. It's important to maintain certain modesty and humility at all times. You'll build good character that earns the respect of others, including your superiors.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

There's a great deal of fuel for your fire today, so go for it. Spend time with children and be creative. Put your fun-loving personality to good use by encouraging others to play along. This is a good day to offer your talents to group efforts. You'll be a welcome addition to every social situation.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

It may be hard to make a decision today. You're so bombarded by facts and information that you're unsure how to proceed. Don't get overwhelmed. You're the master of analysis and organization. If anyone can sort things out, it's you. Trust your ability and make it happen. Keep things light and energetic. Don't get too bogged down with details..

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

This is a great day for you. You're able to get a lot done. You might find a marked seriousness to your emotions that helps you stay on track with everything you need to do. Integrate your plans with others and see what kinds of incredible breakthroughs you can have. You can maintain a pleasant demeanor in every social situation.

COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

It may be difficult to fit in with the current trends of the day. The energy is light and airy, while you feel the need to get more deep and penetrating. Take a break from your usual intensity and try to keep things light. Stay on the surface and be social. By integrating with the mood of the day, you might be more balanced and well rounded in general.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You may want to go in many directions today, yet something seems to keep you from going anywhere. This annoying conflict of energies may make it difficult to make the most of your day, but you can handle it. Don't act too hastily. Evaluate all your choices before you make a final decision. If nothing seems to fit, don't push it.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

There's a somber mood hindering your emotions today, but things favor you generally. The contacts you make now can be extremely valuable. You could gain a great deal of information from social interactions. This is a good day to multitask and cross as many things off your list as possible.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

It may seem like people have lost their sensitivity today. Meanwhile, you're left feeling indecisive and unsure about which way to turn. People want to hear from you. They want to know what you're thinking. Don't be afraid to say your peace even if it goes against the general mood. Don't get down if things don't exactly go your way. Things will get better soon.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Your emotions may be dampened today, but don't let it get you down. To make the most of this day, it would behoove you to work with the energy. Engage in tasks that require more discipline and willpower. Get in serious mode and get things done. Tackle practical tasks that require a steady hand and focused thought. You can get quite a bit accomplished.

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 Republic 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 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

Stars

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Word Search

Yesterdayʼs Solution

C R O S S W O R D 4 0 4

ACROSS 1. Influential German idealist philosopher (1724-1804). 5. A disagreement or argument about something important. 12. Perennial herb of East India to Polynesia and Australia cultivated for its large edible root yielding Otaheite arrowroot starch. 15. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale. 16. Covering designed to be worn on a person's body. 17. European cave-dwelling aquatic salamander with permanent external gills. 18. (Old Testament) The second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. 19. A communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea. 20. Being one more than two. 21. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography). 22. A genus of Mustelidae. 25. An ornamental jewelled headdress signifying sovereignty. 26. A man who has been castrated and is incapable of reproduction. 28. An honorary degree in science. 31. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed. 32. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light. 33. A name for the Old Testament God as transliterated from the Hebrew YHVH. 35. Being nine more than ninety. 40. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 41. A small cake leavened with yeast. 43. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine. 44. United States astronomer (1835-1909). 46. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders. 47. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid. 48. A village of huts for native Africans in southern Africa. 52. The dried fibrous part of the fruit of a plant of the genus Luffa. 54. (Greek mythology) One of the three Graces. 56. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners. 59. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa. 61. That is to say. 62. The bivalent radical UO2 which forms salts with acids. 64. The range within which a voice can be heard. 68. As if new. 69. An impure form of quartz consisting of banded chalcedony. 72. Combined or joined to increase in size or quantity or scope. 73. Austrian physicist and philosopher who introduced the Mach number and who founded logical positivism (1838-1916). 74. The principal bullfighter who is appointed to make the final passes and kill the bull. 76. The products of human creativity. 77. On or toward the lee. 78. French philosopher and theologian. 79. Rate of revolution of a motor.

Daily SuDoku

DOWN 1. A Chadic language spoken in Chad. 2. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates. 3. Pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance. 4. A landlocked desert republic in north-central Africa. 5. Indigo bush. 6. The sciences concerned with gathering and manipulating and storing and retrieving and classifying recorded information. 7. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off. 8. Low stingless nettle of Central and South America having velvety brownish-green toothed leaves and clusters of small green flowers. 9. A large vase that usually has a pedestal or feet. 10. Someone given to teasing (as by mocking or stirring curiosity). 11. Any of various trees of the genus Ulmus. 12. Thick stew made of rice and chicken and small game. 13. (anatomy) Of or relating to the ilium. 14. An American follower of the Mennonite Bishop Amman. 23. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank. 24. Squash bugs. 27. Fiddler crabs. 29. A heavy wooden pole (such as the trunk of a young fir) tossed as a test of strength (in the Highlands of Scotland). 30. An Indian tree of the family Combretaceae that is a source of timber and gum. 34. The environment as it relates to living organisms. 36. A genus of Ploceidae. 37. The capital and largest city of Yemen. 38. Of or relating to Iraq or its people or culture. 39. (Greek mythology) A princess of Colchis who aided Jason in taking the Golden Fleece from her father. 42. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan. 45. Any of various showy orchids of the genus Calanthe having white or yellow or rose-colored flowers and broad leaves folded lengthwise. 49. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine. 50. Of or relating to chaetae (setae or bristles). 51. Lose blood from one's body. 53. The syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization. 55. United States financier (born in France) who helped finance the War of 1812 (1750-1831). 57. Bearded reddish sheep of southern Asia. 58. A long pointed rod used as a weapon. 60. English monk and scholar (672-735). 63. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism. 65. The sixth month of the civil year. 66. Wrap us in a cerecloth, as of a corpse. 67. A television system that has more than the usual number of lines per frame so its pictures show more detail. 70. Light informal conversation for social occasions. 71. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment. 75. A state in northwestern United States on the Pacific.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Armstrong’s admission overshadows Froome dominance PARIS: Almost every year cycling reaches peak interest at the end of July with the culmination of the Tour de France, but 2013 was the year in which Lance Armstrong ensured mid-January saw the sport’s defining moment. Armstrong took to the US airwaves to finally admit what everyone already knew, that he had been a drugs cheat throughout his career. Accepting an invitation from the queen of chat-show hosts Oprah Winfrey, whose inexperience as an investigative reporter-or perhaps due to contractual obligations - made for a rather shallow and unrevealing admission, Armstrong began the quest to rebuild his reputation by coming clean. He admitted to have taken doping products, notably the blood-booster EPO,

throughout all seven of his record number of Tour de France successes, of which he had already been stripped by the US Anti-Doping agency (USADA). But he stopped a long way short of lifting the lid on the hows, whys and who were involved of his sordid past, leaving many viewers feeling a sense of frustration at having been told no more than was already widely suspected. But the end of that long-running saga, which had seen Armstrong relentlessly pursued by journalists aiming to uncover his dodgy dealings throughout his career, and then by a subsequent federal inquiry followed by a USADA investigation, promised to cast a shadow over the entire season. And so it proved as Briton Chris Froome’s excel-

lence and domination of the greatest race of them all was accompanied by a steady stream of unsavoury speculation. Time and again Froome was forced to answer questions about doping, about whether he was involved and about whether cycling could emerge from its tainted past into a bright new, and clean, future. Froome himself was majestic, winning the Grand Boucle by more than four minutes from talented Colombian climber Nairo Quintana. And he also did so without the dominance from Team Sky that his teammate and predecessor Bradley Wiggins had enjoyed the previous year. He had crashed in the neutral zone on the very first stage in Corsica, effectively lost two team-mates to

Big partnership revives Windies after collapse HAMILTON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin rebuilt West Indies’ first innings with a 200-run partnership to guide their side to 289 for six at the close of play on the first day of the third and final test against New Zealand yesterday. Chanderpaul was in sight of his 29th test century on 94 with captain Darren Sammy on nought at stumps in Hamilton after wicketkeeper Ramdin was dismissed for 107, his fourth century, with three overs remaining in the day. The pair had manufactured a salvage operation after they had been thrust together with West Indies in deep trouble at 86-5 after the home attack had taken four wickets for nine runs

in the hour following lunch. Both men rode their luck, however, with New Zealand’s bowlers frustrated as balls flew just short or wide of fielders, while Ramdin was dropped twice after he passed 50. Ramdin brought up his century when he flashed a Trent Boult delivery over backward point for his 18th boundary, though he had earlier been dropped by Kane Williamson and by Tim Southee. He did not last much longer after passing the milestone, jamming down on a Corey Anderson delivery that caught the edge and flew to wicketkeeper BJ Watling with the umpires checking to see if the ball had hit the ground first.

HAMILTON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (center) of the West Indies plays a shot during day one of the third international cricket Test match between New Zealand and the West Indies at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday. —AFP

SCOREBOARD HAMILTON: Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the third Test between New Zealand and the West Indies at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday: Total: (6 wickets; 90 overs) 289 West Indies 1st innings Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Powell), 2-77 K. Brathwaite c Williamson b Southee 45 (Brathwaite), 3-78 (Edwards), 4-82 K. Powell c Watling b Wagner 26 (Samuels), 5-86 (Deonarine), 6-286 K. Edwards c Watling b Southee 6 (Ramdin) M. Samuels c Williamson b Anderson 0 To bat: S. Narine, T. Best, V. Permaul S. Chanderpaul not out 94 Bowling: Boult 19-1-67-0 (w1), Southee N. Deonarine lbw Anderson 2 20-1-56-2, Wagner 20-4-66-1, D. Ramdin c Watling b Anderson 107 Anderson 14-3-25-3, Williamson 4-0-14-0, D. Sammy not out 0 Sodhi 13-0-53-0 Extras (lb6, b2, w1) 9

Chanderpaul and Ramdin’s partnership ensured the visitors ended the day with a marginal points victory after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. “It looks a pretty good wicket but we have bowled on flatter and slower wickets before so it’s no excuse,” Southee told Radio Sport when asked if the pitch had given them much assistance throughout the day. “It is a good cricket wicket. “Ramdin played extremely well. He came out and played his shots and had a good innings so it was nice to get a fresh one (batsman) out there for the morning.” SEIZED INITIATIVE Kieran Powell was the only wicket to fall in the first session when he tried to cut a rising Neil Wagner delivery, having tried a similar shot earlier but missing the ball, to be caught by Watling for 26. New Zealand’s pace bowlers then seized the initiative when they took four wickets for nine runs in the hour after lunch. The visitors, who must win the match to halt Brendon McCullum’s side from winning their first test series against a major cricketing nation since 2006, were 71-1 at lunch, with Kraigg Brathwaite well set on 41 and Kirk Edwards on three. The dismissal of Brathwaite sparked the collapse when he was unable to get over the top of a Southee delivery that reared off a length and steered it to Williamson in the gully for 45. Edwards followed shortly after for six when he got a faint edge to a Southee delivery before Marlon Samuels then wafted at a wide Anderson ball without moving his feet and Williamson took the sharp catch in the gully. Anderson struck again shortly after when he trapped Narsingh Deonarine in front for two which left the visitors’ struggling. “We got some stern words at lunchtime because our standards are higher than what we showed in that first session,” Southee added. “After lunch, we bowled very well and managed to throw a few wickets on top to make it look better. “It was a disappointing middle to end of the day but good to pick up that one at the end of the day. “We will take a look at it and I think there is room for improvement... and hopefully we can finish them up tomorrow.” —Reuters

crashes early on in the race and was left isolated on stage nine, the day after his imperious victory up Ax 3 Domaines had put him in yellow. Only gritty determination ensured he lost no time to the relentless attacks launched by a particularly sprightly Movistar team, whose leader Alejandro Valverde would eventually be eclipsed by younger statesman Quintana. Froome’s super-domestique Richie Porte had cracked that day but he came back to form in the final week to help his leader extend his lead with victory on Mont Ventoux. It capped a fine year for Froome in which he won the Tour of Oman, Criterium International, Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine, while finishing second in the Tirreno-Adriatico. —AFP

Olazabal determined to end Royal Trophy pain GUANGZHOU: Former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal is aiming to fill a void in his trophy cabinet by leading Europe to victory in this week’s Royal Trophy against an Asian team led by Y E Yang. Twice previously the Spaniard has been a losing captain in the matchplay contest that was founded by the late Seve Ballesteros. It is a record Olazabal hopes to put straight when the seventh edition of the annual event tees off on Friday at the Dragon Lake Golf Club in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The two-times US Masters champion, who masterminded Europe’s stunning Ryder Cup triumph at Medinah last year, admitted the lack of a Royal Trophy win was a “blot on his record as a captain”. “I serve notice to Asian captain Y E Yang and his players that I do not intend to allow this state of affairs to continue,” he said. “I take the captaincy very seriously and the Royal Trophy is very special to me because my dear friend Seve Ballesteros asked me to take over from him as the team leader in 2009. “We all still mourn Seve’s passing two years ago. Wanting to fulfill his faith in me adds another dimension to my determination to emerge as a winner in the competition he dreamed up, and then brought to glorious fruition.” However, Olazabal acknowledges it will not be easy to wrestle back the trophy, which Asia won for only the second time in Brunei last year. “We are aware that this is a very strong Asian team - but I think you will see that so is ours,” said Olazabal. The eight-man European line-up is Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, Danish player Thorbjorn Olesen, Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, Englishman David Howell, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and the Scottish trio of Paul Lawrie, Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren. “We have world-class players, Ryder Cup winners and players who have won tournaments all over the world. We have respect for our opponents, but it is our intention to go out and kick ass,” said Olazabal. Five of the European team are ranked in the world’s top 100. The highest-placed player in the Asian team is 46th-ranked Thai Thongchai Jaidee, who will spearhead Yang’s team. Yang, Asia’s sole major winner following his victory at the 2009 PGA Championship, is confident Asia can retain the Royal Trophy for the first time, although he conceded that the late withdrawal of Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama through injury was a blow. “I think we have one of the strongest and best balanced teams Asia has fielded so far,” he said. “There were so many players in contention that I decided I could not pick myself. I think we are formidable opponents for any team.” In addition to Thongchai and his compatriot Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Yang is relying on his South Korean compatriots K T Kim and Kim Hyung-Sung, China’s Liang Wenchong and Wu Ashun and the Japanese duo of Ryo Ishikawa and Hiroyuki Fujita. —AFP

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Heat overwhelm Pacers 97-94 MIAMI: Dwyane Wade scored 32 points, Ray Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just under a minute left and the Miami Heat erased a 15-point deficit in the second half to beat the Indiana Pacers 97-94 on Wednesday night. LeBron James scored 24 on a bad left ankle for the Heat, who closed within a game of the Eastern Conferenceleading Pacers. Chris Bosh added 15 points for Miami, including a 3 that tied it late in the fourth. James set up Allen for the 3 that put Miami in front for good with 59.5 seconds left, capping a 10-0 run. Paul George scored 25 points but missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it with 4 seconds left. David West had 23 and Lance Stephenson added 13 for the Pacers, who have dropped two straight. Down by one, the Pacers saw their best chance go awry when George Hill turned the ball over on a bad pass with 14 seconds left. Allen made two free throws with 10.3 seconds remaining to put Miami up by three, and that capped a big comeback win for the two-time defending NBA champions.

19 each as Houston used a big third-quarter run to pull away from Chicago. The Bulls trailed by three with 51/2 minutes left in the third before their offense went cold. Houston took advantage of the scoring drought, using a 15-1 spurt to make it 83-66 entering the final period. Rockets coach Kevin McHale returned after missing the previous three games following the death of his mother. Jimmy Butler’s 20 points led the Bulls, who have dropped three in a row and 12 of 15. WIZARDS 113, NETS 107 John Wall scored 21 points and made two big defensive plays against Deron Williams down the stretch to lead Washington over Brooklyn. Nene added 17 points in his return

18 points and tied a career high with 15 assists. DeMarcus Cousins scored 28 points, Rudy Gay had 22 and Isaiah Thomas 20 for the Kings, who allowed a season high in points. The Hawks outscored the Kings 3920 in the fourth quarter of their 12th consecutive victory against Sacramento. Horford made consecutive jumpers to help Atlanta open a 117-105 lead with 2:49 left. JAZZ 86, MAGIC 82 Trey Burke had a career-high 30 points and eight assists, leading Utah to the road win. Orlando had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but Jameer Nelson’s layup rolled off the rim and was rebounded by Utah with just 3 seconds left. Gordon

ures. Josh McRoberts had 13 points, Ramon Sessions and Gerald Henderson each scored 11 and Anthony Tolliver finished with 10 points. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and Kyle Lowry had 17 for the Raptors. Amir Johnson fouled out with 10 points and 13 rebounds. PISTONS 107, CELTICS 106 Brandon Jennings led Detroit to its third win in four games, scoring 28 points and matching his season high with 14 assists. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 16 rebounds and Josh Smith added 20 points for the Pistons, who won for the seventh time in 11 games overall. Jared Sullinger scored 19 points, Jordan Crawford had 17

TIMBERWOLVES 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 109 Kevin Love had 29 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, powering Minnesota to the victory. Nikola Pekovic had 30 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 22 for the Timberwolves, who led by 32 in the second quarter and held off a charge in the second half from the Blazers. Damian Lillard had 36 points, six assists and six rebounds and LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and 14 boards for the weary Trail Blazers, who lost for the first time in six games. It was just their fifth loss of the season in 27 games and it came at the end of a four-game road trip. SPURS 108, SUNS 101 Manu Ginobili scored 11 of his 24 points in the final 4-plus minutes, and San Antonio pulled away to snap Phoenix’s five-game winning streak. Tim Duncan added 17 points and 13 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard scored 14 for the Spurs, who were without injured point guard Tony Parker. Channing Frye scored 15 of his 22 points in the first quarter for the Suns. Goran Dragic had 18 points and Eric Bledsoe 15, but the two guards were a combined 12 of 33 from the field. Led by Ginobili, the Spurs outscored the Suns 15-6 over the final 4:11 after Phoenix took a 95-93 lead. MAVERICKS 105, GRIZZLIES 88 Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points in his return to the lineup and Dallas defeated short-handed Memphis. The Mavericks (1510) have won two straight to equal their season high of five games over .500. Memphis (10-15) has lost five in a row and seven of eight. Monta Ellis scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half for Dallas. Nowitzki added six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one blocked shot. While the Mavericks got their star forward back following a one-game absence due to a stomach virus, Memphis was without three injured starters. Tayshaun Prince missed his first game this season because of a sore left knee, and the Grizzlies already were without point guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol. Tony Allen led Memphis with 16 points and 11 rebounds - 10 on the offensive end. ROCKETS 109, BULLS 94 Dwight Howard scored 23 points and James Harden and Chandler Parsons added

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (top) scrambles for a loose ball with New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Dec 18, 2013. — AP

from injury for the Wizards, who completed a New York sweep after a victory over the Knicks on Monday following a four-game losing streak. Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal each finished with 15 points. Paul Pierce had a season-high 27 points for the Nets, and Brook Lopez added 22 after missing two games with a sprained left ankle. Joe Johnson finished with 20. The Nets shot 53 percent from the field, but the Wizards put seven players in double figures and made 12 3-pointers. HAWKS 124, KINGS 107 Kyle Korver made seven consecutive 3point attempts on his way to a season-high 28 points, pushing Atlanta to the victory. Al Horford added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who have won two straight and five of seven. Jeff Teague finished with

Hayward, who scored 15 points for the Jazz, then made a pair of free throws. The Jazz snapped a two-game losing streak and extended their win streak over the Magic to six games. Orlando played without leading scorer Arron Afflalo, who was sick. He had started every game this season. Nelson led Orlando with 17 points. Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 14 rebounds. BOBCATS 104, RAPTORS 102, OT Kemba Walker hit a buzzer-beating jumper in overtime, and Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak in Toronto. Walker had 29 points and Al Jefferson collected 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Bobcats won their second straight. Five of Jefferson’s points came in overtime. Charlotte had six players score in double fig-

and Avery Bradley 14 for the Celtics, who lost for just the third time in nine games. Boston’s Jeff Green missed a driving onehander wildly just before the horn sounded. He had 13 points. KNICKS 107, BUCKS 101, 2OT Tyson Chandler returned from his broken leg and J R Smith hit a go-ahead jumper in the second overtime to help New York beat Milwaukee. Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and Beno Udrih added a season-high 21 for the Knicks. Chandler, who had been out since Nov 5, had nine points and nine rebounds. Smith scored 19. Brandon Knight had a career-high 36 points for the Bucks, who have lost four straight. John Henson had 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 20 points.—AP

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Sochi is the goal as Vonn credits Tiger VAL-D’ISERE: There are not many athletes in the sometime-closeted world of alpine skiing to have become household names on a global level, but American Lindsey Vonn is certainly one of them. Prodigious talent and ability on the slope to one side, Vonn has allied her bubbly personality, good looks and, lately, her liaison with top golfer Tiger Woods with smart business acumen to capitalize her “branding”. A savage fall at last February’s World Championships in Schladming saw her suffer terrible knee injuries which required reconstructive surgery followed by months of rehabilitation. But the 29-year-old has bounced back, taking to competition in three races at Lake Louise in the first week of December, not long after re-tweaking her rebuilt knee. Vonn is being selective in what she chooses to race, skipping St Mortiz and Courchevel but appearing in Val d’Isere, a resort where she has enjoyed much success, with one eye always on the bigger objective. “My goal is the Olympic Games, they’re in February and that’s more than enough time,” Vonn told the Red Bulletin magazine in a refreshingly frank interview. “To win gold after this injury, personally that would be my greatest success. The accident was the lowest point in my career. Gold in Sochi would be my highest.” Vonn admitted that she was confident of surpassing Austrian Annemarie MoserProell’s record of 62 women’s World Cup victories - the American has 59 - and even Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s male mark of 86. “I’ve already been thinking about that. My current plan is to keep going until the 2015 World Cup. Then I’ll see how far away I am from that number and then I’ll decide what to do, whether I’ll keep going in every discipline or maybe just downhill and super-G and concentrate on that record,” she said. “Records are the only thing which remains of an athlete. The only thing that people will remember. “If I want to ensure that people don’t forget me, I can only stop once I’ve set the bar as high as possible for anyone coming after me. “That means that as long as I can keep winning,

I’ll keep skiing. Essentially it’s about what I leave behind and that means statistics, records.” Vonn has found herself propelled into the tabloid spotlight after she started dating Woods, one of the most successful golfers of all time with 14 Major victories. But she insists she would not have it any other way, crediting Woods with making her a “better athlete” for showing her unprecedented levels of professionalism, dedication to fitness and a mental toughness to resist pressure. “He pushes himself a lot further than he perhaps needs to and to see that pushes me in turn,” she continued. “There were moments at golf tournaments where I said to myself, ‘OK, Lindsey, this is the next level of self-confidence, concentration, control. When you make it to this level, it will make you a better skier’. “This experience with Tiger will really help me at big events. At the Olympics or World Cup, it’s not just about the one-anda-half minutes of racing: you’re there for two weeks and permanently in racing mode, everything’s significant, everyone’s looking at you.” Vonn also acknowledged that she had overcome the “insanely stressful” habit of using popularity as a crutch to get over her own insecurity at times when she suffered from depression and before her divorce from former husband Thomas Vonn. “I was almost addicted to people liking me, but the more I feel confident in myself, the less it matters to me what other people think about me,” she said. The American also admitted to being a “brand” whose bottom line could only increase by high-profile - and sometime uncomfortable - media outings such as on the David Letterman and Jay Reno US television shows. Celebrity status as Woods’ girlfriend had also upped tabloid interest. “It’s fun, honestly, because it’s so absurd, much more so than I had imagined,” she said. “One magazine wrote that I was moving to Pakistan because I didn’t want to have kids with Tiger. How do they come up with this stuff? “Tiger and I had a lot of fun with that at breakfast: ‘Bye, honey, sorry, I’m leaving you. Pakistan awaits.’ “And he’s like: ‘Good luck, say hi to the Pakistani ski team for me’.”—AFP

Sutter leads Penguins to a shootout victory NEW YORK: Pittsburgh’s Brandon Sutter scored in the third period and then rescued the Penguins with the only goal of the shootout, giving the visitors a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday. Sutter gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead just 1:01 after Pascal Dupuis had put the side ahead, but Pittsburgh could not hold the edge as Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard tied the game with late goals. It took until the fifth round of the shootout for the deadlock to be broken for good, and the Penguins skated off with their fifth straight victory. Chris Kunitz had a goal and assist for the Penguins while Sidney Crosby had two assists to push his NHL-leading

points total to 49. In the day’s other game, Jaromir Jagr moved up the list of all-time scorers as he netted to help New Jersey beat Ottawa 5-2. Jagr moved past Steve Yzerman and into sole possession of eighth place on the NHL goals list with 693, one behind Mark Messier. The 41year-old Jagr’s first power-play goal of the season gave him a team-leading 12 goals. Reid Boucher, by contrast, scored his first career goals, while Stephen Gionta, Damien Brunner and Eric Gelinas also scored for the Devils. Colin Greening and Milan Michalek scored for the Senators. —AP

Photo of the day

Marc Marquez (ESP/ Honda) races at Moto Grand Prix 2013 at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan. —www.redbullcontentpool.com

Somali bandy team get their skates on BORLAENGE: Somalis on ice skates seems as implausible as Jamaicans in a bobsled but a Swedish-based team are preparing to represent the troubled African nation at next month’s world championships - in the sport of bandy. Formed just months ago and made up of immigrants who have settled in Borlaenge, a town some 200km north of Stockholm, the Somalia bandy team is an unlikely tale that has echoes of the 1988 Jamaican winter Olympians immortalized in the film “Cool Runnings”. Recruited from a local soccer club, the team have been taught in a short time to skate and play a game similar to ice hockey but with differences. Bandy is played on a soccer-sized field, there are 11 players on each team, a ball is used instead of a puck, the goals are larger and the sticks shaped differently. The learning curve has been steep and long. But despite being thrashed by a local side in their first competitive game earlier this month, the Somalis have cheekily declared themselves African champions for 2013 based primarily on the fact that no other country on the continent has a team. “They want to inspire their brothers and sisters that live here in Borlaenge, and all other Somalis and immigrants who live elsewhere in Sweden,” team coach Pelle Fosshaug, who won six Swedish bandy titles and was crowned world champion five times with Sweden during his playing career, told Reuters. “That is what we want to do, and I believe we’ve already started to do it.” Scandinavia, Finland, the former Soviet republics and north America are considered the game’s strongest footholds, with Somalia, improbably, set to join Japan, Ukraine and Germany in the B group at the world championships in Irkutsk, one step below the elite nations. The idea of a Somalian team came from Patrik Andersson, a local entrepreneur, who saw it as a way to help integrate some 3000 Somalis resident in the town. He contacted the Somali government and Olympic committee as he sought a way for sport to help the new arrivals settle in the

Swedish town - and to help the Swedes learn more about Somalia. “I registered the team with the Federation of International Bandy and got in touch with the government and the Olympic committee in Somalia to get their permission to do this. Somalia has never had a team in a world championships, not in any team sport,” he said. “Many have come in a short time and it’s not easy for them to get jobs. There is a lot of segregation. They live in two areas in particular and have a hard time getting into the labour market.” To help bring the Swedes and Somalis together, Andersson approached a local soccer club with a lot of Somali players and asked them if they would like to play bandy, and the idea of a Somali national team was born. The team is already a source of great pride to many in the local Somali community, who packed the rickety wooden stands on a freezing night to wave their flags and see their team play its first game against a local side. Though they were on the wrong end of a 15-0 drubbing, there is a widespread belief that the team can improve. “These players only started playing five months ago, and some of these guys have been in Sweden for less than a year,” said Said Ali, who travelled to Borlaenge from Stockholm to film and photograph the historic game. Somali goalkeeper Ahmed, voted man of the match, said he was disappointed with the result but that his team had played “okay” for their first outing. “We want to win at all costs, but we’re looking forward to the world championships,” he said, before revealing that he first put on a pair of ice skates only three months ago. Andersson is well aware of the strong feelings of patriotism among the Somalis, and says that not everyone in the town is behind the initiative. “There’s a lot of their countrymen who say ‘What are you up to? You’re making a show of yourselves!’ It’s not easy for them.” Borlaenge is something of a bandy stronghold and local fans are warming to the team. “It’s getting better and better,” says Andersson. “There are those who are against it, I’ll be honest about that, but I feel we have great support.” —Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Raja stun Ronaldinho’s Atletico at Club WCup MARRAKECH: Raja Casablanca converted a late penalty kick to upset Ronaldinho’s Atletico Mineiro 3-1 Wednesday and set up an unexpected encounter with Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup final. The Moroccan club will play the Champions League winner on Saturday after an improbable victory set off by captain Mohsine Moutaouali’s 84th-minute penalty, awarded when Atletico defender Rever was judged to have tripped Mouhssine Iajour inside the area. Iajour had put the local favorite ahead in the 51st before more than 35,000 fans at the Marrakech Stadium before Ronaldinho equalized for the Brazilian team from an exquisite free kick in the 63rd. But stunned Atletico coach Cuca could only look on in silence as substitute Vivien Mabide put the result beyond doubt with a stoppage time goal. Now the Moroccans must pull off an even bigger upset over Bayern. “Who would have believed we would come to this,” Raja coach Faouzi Benzarti said through a translator. Despite Ronaldinho’s equalizer, the Brazilian playmaker was the one leaving the field red-eyed after the Copa Libertadores champion’s unexpected loss. Ronaldinho was mobbed by jubilant Raja players who competed for his jersey, some even untying laces to remove his shoes as a souvenir of perhaps their most memorable night of football. The more than 10,000 Atletico fans left in a state of shock, many sobbing. Atletico certainly did not look the expected class above Raja, which used its speed on the counter to upset Atletico’s backline of Leonardo Silva and Rever, who was exposed throughout but especially in the deciding spot kick. Raja defender Zakaria El Hachimi celebrated the penalty by performing ‘the worm’ along the grass. “In every team there are some drawbacks, and I felt they were very slow,” said Benzarti, who has won all three games since taking over coaching duties just before the start of the tournament. “To score three goals against a great team is not a bad thing.” The second goal came as Atletico looked set on avoiding an embarrassing upset, but the Brazilians’ poorly organized defense left it open to too many attacks as Iajour unleashed a low shot in between Lucas’ legs to open the scoring with his second goal of the tournament. Ronaldinho stuck to the script and provided his team’s heroics as he curled a free kick over the defensive wall to curl inside the far post to equalize, but Mabide had no trouble volleying home Moutaouali’s shot after it came off the crossbar. “They were quick and speedy off the counter, and we were not up to the challenge,” Cuca said through a translator. “I’d like to apologize to all the fans that made the trip here from Brazil.” Bayern, which also won Bundesliga, German Cup, and European Super Cup trophies in 2013, had dispensed of Asian champion Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 in Tuesday’s other semifinal. The Chinese champions will play Atletico in Saturday’s third-place game. Earlier, Monterrey of Mexico thrashed Al-Ahly of Egypt 5-1 for fifth-place.— AP

Brazil deliver on the pitch amid off-pitch headaches RIO DE JANEIRO: On the pitch at least, Brazil answered key questions in 2013 with a crushing success over world champions Spain in the Confederations Cup final. As the year dawned, Brazilian fans wanted to know the following: Could the five-time world champions mould a team worthy of their history with a home World Cup fast approaching? Could they win with style rather than functionality? And could the decision to ignore the never-go-back philosophy by re-hiring the man who delivered their last world title more than a decade ago prove inspired? Over the past 12 months Brazil have managed to answer all three questions with an emphatic ‘yes’. Whether new-old helmsman Luiz Felipe Scolari really is the man with the midas touch-he certainly was not in between his two spells in charge with glaring club failures at Chelsea and Palmeiras-can only be determined come July 13, World Cup final day. But what Scolari has done is galvanize the team and the fans, not least in sending an admittedly weary Spanish side packing in Rio last June. That 3-0 triumph, with Barcelona-bound Neymar starting to live up to the hype that he could be the ‘new Pele’, at least belatedly introduced a feelgood factor to a tournament hit by mass countrywide protests. More than a million people took to the streets across Brazil in a mass show of discontent at government corruption, maladministration and, not least, the garguantuan cost of staging top sports events. The World Cup is set to cost $11bn with around $15bn more being spent on the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. For the bill, Brazilians will get some upgraded transport and communications infrastructure-but they will also get swanky new stadiums in places lacking a top football team, such as Manaus, Natal and even the capital, Brasilia.—AFP

STOKE: Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic (left) and Erik Pieters (center) fight for the ball against Manchester United’s Rafael during their English League Cup quarter-final soccer match at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday Dec 18, 2013. — AP

Man United reach League Cup semis New-look Tottenham crash out LONDON: Manchester United beat Stoke City 2-0 to reach the League Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, while the post-Andre Villas-Boas era at Tottenham Hotspur began with defeat by West Ham United. After a first-half hailstorm briefly forced the teams off the pitch at the Britannia Stadium, United prevailed through fine strikes from Ashley Young and Patrice Evra. Their reward was a semi-final tie against Sunderland, 2-1 victors over Chelsea on Tuesday, while West Ham will play Manchester City, with the first legs of both ties due to be played in the week beginning January 6. “The first goal tonight, whoever got it was going to make a big difference,” United manager David Moyes told Sky Sports. “It was a tight game. We had some good play at times. We hadn’t created too many chances, but I didn’t think Stoke City created too many chances either.” On the prospect of facing Sunderland, he added: “It’s a cup game. It shows you how well Sunderland played-they beat Chelsea last night and they played well to get that result. “They’ve got a new manager (Gus Poyet) as well, so a lot of things can happen between now and then, but obviously we’re just really pleased that we got ourselves into the semi-final.” With Wayne Rooney absent due to an unspecified injury, Moyes deployed Danny Welbeck as a lone striker, while

Chris Smalling, Anderson and Young were all brought into the team. Young was given an early sight of goal when a square pass from Welbeck found him in space on the edge of the box, but he could only find the side-netting with his rising shot. The hail arrived in the 28th minute, sending players and match officials scurrying for the cover of the changing rooms, before play resumed following a 10-minute delay. Jonny Evans might have put United ahead shortly before half-time but he could not get a shot away after latching onto Smalling’s near-post flick-on. Moyes introduced Javier Hernandez with just over half an hour remaining and moments later Young made the breakthrough in stunning fashion. The former Aston Villa winger played a pass forward to Hernandez and when the ball came back to him on the edge of the box, he met it with a first-time drive of searing power that Thomas Sorensen got his gloves to but could not stop. Stoke rallied, briefly, but United put the game to bed in the 78th minute when Evra exchanged passes with Young before curling a fine shot inside the right-hand post with his seldom-used right foot. Playing for the first time since Villas-Boas was sacked on Monday, Spurs let a 1-0 lead slip in a 2-1 loss at home to London rivals West Ham. Villas-Boas’s departure appeared to have caught the producers of the

Tottenham match-day programme by surprise, with the Portuguese still listed as “Head Coach” on its back page. Interim coach Tim Sherwood picked an adventurous team, giving Emmanuel Adebayor his first start of the season alongside Jermain Defoe up front, and the pair combined to give Spurs the lead in the 67th minute. Defoe crossed from the left and Adebayor slid in to slam home an emphatic volley via the underside of the crossbar. However, there was a blow for Spurs when Andros Townsend was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury and in the 80th minute West Ham levelled when Matt Taylor teed up Matt Jarvis to beat Hugo Lloris at his near post. Modibo Maiga completed West Ham’s comeback five minutes later, heading in a Mohamed Diame cross to give Sam Allardyce’s side a second consecutive win at White Hart Lane following a 3-0 league success in October. Maiga almost made it 3-1 in stoppage time but his drive from 20 yards came back off the bar. “This is a major disappointment tonight, for myself, for the boys and the football club,” said Sherwood, a former Spurs midfielder who was previously working as the club’s technical coordinator. On his chances of holding onto the role on a permanent basis, he said: “I haven’t spoken to the chairman (Daniel Levy). “We have to have a chat and see. It has to fit me and the club.”—AFP

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Cavani double eliminates holders St Etienne P A R I S : A double by Paris Saint Germain’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani eliminated French League Cup holders St Etienne 2-1 from this season’s competition after extra-time of their Last 16 clash on Wednesday. Cavaniwho has scored 18 times in 23 games for PSG since he joined from Napoli in the close season-had given the hosts the lead in the first-half only for former PSG striker Turkish international Mevlut Erding to level in the second period to force extra-time. However, Cavani grabbed the winner two minutes from the end of extra-time, though, he looked to be in an offside position when he knocked home Jeremy Menez’s low cross. It was revenge for PSG as they had been knocked out by St Etienne on penalties in the competition last season. PSG’s bitter historical rivals Marseille also progressed by the same scoreline against Toulouse which resulted in their interim coach Jose Anigo announcing he would still be in the role after the winter break as he celebrated his first win in charge. Former Toulouse star Andre-Pierre Gignac grabbed Marseille’s winner from the penalty spot in a competition that Anigo-who stepped in after Elie Baup was sacked earlier this month-said is low on his list of targets compared to the French Cup despite Marseille having almost made it their own in recent years having won it in 2010, 2011 and 2012. “I am very happy with this result,” said Anigo. “But I know that first thing in the morning it will be time to sit down and assess how we approach this weekend’s game with Bordeaux which will not be an easy one as they are the side playing with the most confidence at the moment.” Earlier seven-time French champions Lyon reached the quarterfinals with a 3-2 win over fellow Ligue 1 side Reims. Lyon, who have won the League Cup just once in 2001, twice took a two goal lead only to see Reims come back to trail by just a goal. Goals by France international forward Bafetimbi Gomis and Alexandre Lacazette-both scorers in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Marseille-seemingly put Lyon in a comfortable position at 2-0 up by the hour mark. Gomis nodded home at the far post from Lacazette’s cross in the 58th minute while the latter extended their lead on the hour with a super right-foooted shot after excellent lead-up work by playmaker Yoann Gourcuff. Gourcuff, whose inconsistency has attracted criticism, restored their two goal advantage-after Prince O’Niangue had made it 2-1 - eight minutes from time with a cracking shot from long range having already gone close only to see his shot come back off the post. However, Lyon’s habit of letting slip leads throughout the season-they led Marseille 2-0 last Sunday before being held to a draw-looked as if it was going to happen again as Reims scored four minutes from the end of normal time through Floyd Ayite’s penalty.— AFP

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani kicks the ball to score during the French League Cup round of sixteen football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Saint-Etienne (ASSE) on December 18, 2013. — AFP

Arsenal, Chelsea look to find form at the top LONDON: Arsenal and Chelsea fill two of the Premier League’s top three spots but will be hoping to shrug off indifferent form as they get the busy Christmas period underway when they clash on Monday (2000 GMT). The feelgood factor around Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal was dented following their 6-3 battering at the hands of Manchester City tomorrow, a result that trimmed their advantage at the top to two points. That loss came on the back of a 2-0 Champions League defeat by Napoli, a result that knocked them into second place in the group and a resulting last 16 match-up with European champions Bayern Munich. Wenger pointed the finger at a congested schedule for recent results, rather than any longer-term malaise, but was hoping for a tighter defensive effort after coughing up eight goals in two matches. “We didn’t defend well from up front and did not show enough solidarity defensively,” Wenger said after the City loss. “That’s too easy going. We had the best defense until now in the league and to give six goals like we did is just difficult to accept because we lost our discipline and in the big games and you pay for that. “The schedule didn’t help us, let’s be fair as well,” he added. “You could see that the legs were tired and you play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday morning, it’s too difficult.” Arsenal could be without Jack Wilshere, who faces a two-game suspen-

sion for making an offensive gesture towards City fans at the Etihad Stadium. Chelsea will also be hoping to pick up momentum, having lost in extra-time to struggling Sunderland in the League Cup on Tuesday, and having put in an unconvincing performance in battling past Crystal Palace 2-1 last weekend. They managed 17 shots on target against Sunderland, and manager Jose Mourinho said they were paying the price for failing to be ruthless in front of goal. “It is the same story of Stoke, of Everton, of every match we lost,” the Portuguese said. “We never lost a match because the opponent is stronger than us. “We don’t kill the opponent, we give them life. It’s always the same.” AGUERO BLOW Having won all eight home matches and scored 35 goals in the process, fourthplaced Manchester City will head to Fulham tomorrow (1500) hoping to translate that dominance to their travels. Sergio Aguero, who has scored 13 league goals this season, could be out for up to two months with a calf injury, while fellow Argentina international Pablo Zabaleta is doubtful after hurting a hamstring in the 3-1 League Cup win over Championship side Leicester City. Second-placed Liverpool, level with Chelsea on 33 points and fresh from their Luis Suarez-inspired 5-0 mauling of Tottenham Hotspur - a result that cost

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas his job will look to put pressure on Arsenal and Chelsea with a victory over Cardiff City tomorrow (1245). French defender Mamadou Sakho said they were determined to prove they deserved their place back among the top echelon of English football. “I think it’s a very strong message that we’ve sent, and while our main aim is to be in the places for the Champions League, we will see how things stand towards the end of the season to see if we are in the running for the title itself,” he told the club’s website (www.liverpoolfc.com). Tomorrow’s other matches see Crystal Palace host Newcastle, champions Manchester United host West Ham, Aston Villa travel to Stoke, Sunderland play Norwich and West Bromwich Albion, who sacked head coach Steve Clarke tomorrow, host Hull (all 1500). Southampton host Spurs on Sunday (1330), hoping to take advantage of the upheaval at the north London club and arrest a slide that has seen them fail to win in five league matches. Tim Sherwood will be in the dug-out for Spurs for his first league match in charge since replacing Villas-Boas on a temporary basis, having led them to a 2-1 defeat by West Ham in the League Cup quarter-final on Wednesday. Sunday’s other match sees in-form Everton travel to Swansea City (1600).—Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Barca ‘vulnerable’ without Messi, Neymar MADRID: Barcelona are looking to extend their record run at the top of La Liga and sign off for the winter break with a win when they play at eighth-placed Getafe on Sunday but the modest Madrid-based club are eyeing an upset. Barca will travel to the Spanish capital without injured World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, who is continuing his recovery from a muscle strain in his native Argentina and is not due back until the middle of January. Coach Gerardo Martino is also missing in-form Brazil forward Neymar, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Villarreal, and Getafe president Angel Torres believes the absence of the two forwards boosts his side’s chances. Sunday’s game is the first of three meetings between Barca and Getafe over the next few weeks as they also clash over two legs in the last 16 of the King’s Cup early next month. “Let’s see if we can get them this time, it’s a good moment for it,” Torres, whose side knocked Barca out of the Cup in 2007, told reporters at a charity event on Wednesday. “Messi is the best player in the world and Neymar is coming into good form but it must be said that they have plenty of backup,” he added. “We will have to play at 150 percent on Sunday as well as in the Cup. “We will have a go. We did it in 2007 and we will give it the best possible shot.” With Messi and Neymar unavailable, the goal-scoring burden will likely fall on the shoulders of Alexis Sanchez, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas. Spain forward Pedro has seven goals in La Liga this term, one more than Neymar, and scored Barca’s opening goal in Tuesday’s King’s Cup victory against third-tier Cartagena. “Scoring always helps with your confidence,” he told reporters. “I am pleased with the goals I am bringing to the team and also for having a chance to play.” RECORD RUN Barca’s success at home to Villarreal meant the champions had held top spot for 54 consecutive matchdays extending back to last season, surpassing the record set by arch rivals Real Madrid between the 1986-87 and 1987-88 campaigns. By the time Barca take to pitch at Getafe’s Coliseum stadium on Sunday (1600 GMT), however, they could already be three points behind closest rivals Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side, who like Barca have won all eight of their home games, host 11th-placed Levante on Saturday (1900) and are level on 43 points at the top. They have the same goal difference as Barca but are second because they have scored one goal fewer. Real Madrid are five points adrift of the leaders after they were held to a 2-2 draw at Osasuna last weekend and play at troubled Valencia on Sunday (2000). Mired down in ninth, Valencia are yet to name a replacement for coach Miroslav Djukic, who was sacked on Monday, and B team boss Nico Estevez has taken charge in the meantime. The club were in talks with former Barcelona and Spain striker Juan Antonio Pizzi, who won Argentina’s league title with San Lorenzo on Sunday, Spanish media reported. Real coach Carlo Ancelotti is waiting to see if record signing Gareth Bale will be available for the game at the Mestalla after the Wales winger took a knock to the calf in training on Tuesday.— Reuters

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Argentinean midfielder Angel di Maria (center) controls the ball during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) finals stage second-leg football match Real Madrid CF vs Olimpic de Xativa on December 18, 2013. — AFP

Real see off Olimpic threat Real Madrid, Atletico book Cup last 16 MADRID: Real Madrid reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a comfortable 2-0 win over Olimpic Xativa at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. Without the injured Gareth Bale and suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti gave a number of his younger players another chance to impress despite being held to a 0-0 draw in the first-leg 10 days ago. The Italian was rewarded as Asier Illaramendi slotted home his first goal for the club before Angel di Maria’s penalty made it 2-0 at the break. Madrid failed to add to their tally in the second-half, but were never threatened by their third-tier opponents as they eased into the next round where they will face Osasuna. “I think we started the game well, but we slowed down when we were 2-0 up. Our rhythm dropped too much in the second-half and I didn’t like it,” said Ancelotti. And the former Chelsea boss stressed that the likes of Jese Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata need to make the most of their opportunities in the absence of Ronaldo and Bale. “It wasn’t easy to prepare for the

game because we changed the team a lot. Some players that haven’t played a lot need more minutes to reach optimal condition. “In general the young players need work because playing for Real Madrid is not easy. They need to be ready because this season we will need everyone, they need to be concentrated so that when the opportunity arrives, they take it.” Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, were forced to come from behind to beat minnows Sant Andreu 2-1 on the night at the Vicente Calderon to progress into the last 16, 6-1 on aggregate. Alberto Carroza had fired the visitors into a shock lead as Atletico conceded for the first time at home since early October. Atletico then passed up a host of chances to level before the break as Jose Gimenez had a goal harshly ruled out for offside, while Adrian Lopez blasted a penalty over the bar. With such an advantage from the first-leg, Atletico boss Diego Simeone had handed a night off to the majority of his firstteam regulars and had to turn to 18year-old Hector Hernandez in his search for an equaliser. The young forward duly delivered

when he turned home Adrian’s cross 12 minutes from time. Sant Andreu looked like they may still hold out for a famous draw, but they were cruelly denied with the last action of the game as Toby Alderweireld headed home Gabi’s freekick deep into stoppage time. Atletico will now face Valencia or Gimnastic in the next round. Racing Santander produced the surprise of the evening as they overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit with a 2-0 win away to 10-man Sevilla. David Miguelez pulled the visitors level in the tie from the penalty spot after Stephane M’bia had been sent-off for hauling down Mariano Sainz inside the area. Mahamadou Kone then sealed the comeback in stoppage time when he fired home from close range. Real Sociedad set up a meeting with Villarreal in the last 16 with a convincing 4-0 win over Algeciras thanks to goals from Javi Ros, Haris Seferovic, Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory. La Liga sides Almeria and Real Betis also progressed despite being held at home on the night by lower league Las Palmas and Lleida respectively.— AFP

Leverkusen primed to close in on absent Bayern Munich BERLIN: As Bayern Munich take a break from domestic action to pursue more silverware overseas, Bayer Leverkusen will be hoping to close within four points of the all-conquering Bavarians with a win over Werder Bremen ahead of the German winter break. Bayern will be aiming to claim a fifth trophy of 2013 when they face surprise package Raja Casablanca in the Club World Cup final in Morocco on Saturday and with their 17th league game put back to January, Leverkusen have a chance to cut their lead. As third-placed Dortmund struggle for con-

sistency, Leverkusen have emerged as Bayern’s main challengers for the Bundesliga title despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt last week that halted a four-game winning streak. After clinching a Champions League knockout stage berth last week, they bolstered their squad with the loan signing of 20-year-old South Korean forward Ryu Seung-woo on Wednesday from FC Jeju for the second half of the season. For coach Sami Hyypia’s team, the Bremen game tomorrow represents a last chance to turn on their attacking style before the winter break

against a team with the joint worst defensive record in the league after conceding 37 goals in 16 matches. “Every time our opponent gets into the penalty area, it becomes extremely dangerous for us,” Werder sports director Thomas Eichin said of the 14th-placed side’s fragile defense. Werder have conceded 14 goals in the last three games in the absence of injured central defender Sebastian Proedl and their 16 pointhaul after as many matches represents their lowest Bundesliga tally in 39 years. Tensions have also risen off the pitch with captain Clemens

Fritz involved in a scuffle with a team mate during training this week. Werder coach Robin Dutt is well aware that another defeat following the 7-0 drubbing at Bayern and a 3-2 loss at Hertha Berlin in the past two weeks could cost him his job. “We are having a bad run, there’s no question about it,” Dutt told reporters. “But it does not do us any good to talk about the standings. I can read the table and there are not many teams behind us.” Dutt’s cause has not been helped by the possibility of having to deal with the absence of midfielder Aaron Hunt, who suffered a muscle injury during training. — Reuters

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Madrid see off Olimpic threat Page 47

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STOKE: Manchester United’s Brazilian defender Rafael (left) vies with Stoke City’s Moroccan midfielder Oussama Assaidi during the English League Cup Quarter-Final football match between Stoke City and Manchester United at Britannia Stadium in Stoke on December 18, 2013.— AFP

Man United book League Cup semis PAGE 45