30th Dec

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

The heat or rather the fireworks is on!

The world braces for retirement crisis

Some with Alzheimer’s find care in far-off nations

23

Giroud steers Arsenal back to Premier League summit

28

20

Saudis strengthen ties elsewhere after US snub

40 PAGES

NO: 16032

150 FILS

3

www.kuwaittimes.net

SAFAR 27, 1435 AH

Riyadh to give $3bn to Lebanese army

It’s c0-0ps vs c00ps as egg prices z00m

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Along with bread, milk, rice, cooking oil and meat, eggs are a diet staple, and when egg prices rise or shortages occur, controversy is sure to follow. Kuwait’s Commerce Ministry has lately taken up the issue of egg ‘price fixing’ and prepared a detailed report to examine the issue.

A crate of 30 eggs costs around KD 1.250 in the market. A recent decision to hike prices was met with widespread outcry from local co-operatives. In mid December, the deputy head of the Consumer Protection Society Khalid Al-Subaei said that co-ops would raise egg prices by 5 percent. The negative response led the Commerce Ministry to commission the report to study whether eggs should be included in subsidized rations. They are currently not part of subsidized foodstuff offered to citizens.

Inconsistency in supply to co-ops has created further aggravation over the issue. Some reports have suggested that co-ops have refused to pay egg suppliers due to the higher prices, while others suggest that shortages in production are to blame. But the report, compiled by the ration department at the Continued on Page 15

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah speaks with French President Francois Hollande during a meeting yesterday. — AP

Max 22º Min 07º High Tide 10:52 & 21:22 Low Tide 04:14 & 15:38

RIYADH: Increasingly vocal in its frustration over US policies in the Mideast, Saudi Arabia is strengthening ties elsewhere, seeking out an alignment that will bolster its position after it was pushed to the sidelines this year. It may find a solution in France, whose president is ending the year with 24 hours of high-level meetings with the Saudi leadership in a visit intended to showcase commercial and diplomatic strength. Also, Saudi Arabia yesterday pledged $3 billion for the Lebanese army to buy equipment from France.

With an entourage of French executives from the lucrative defense and energy sectors, President Francois Hollande arrived yesterday in Riyadh for a flurry of accords and contracts that have been in the works for months. The two countries also find themselves unexpectedly aligned in resistance, if not outright opposition, to US policy on Syria’s civil war and Iran’s nuclear program.

The Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, recently described the policies of some partners toward Iran and Syria as a “dangerous gamble,” while calling for the kingdom to be more assertive internationally after decades of operating in diplomatic shadows. France, with similar fears about Syria, has been one of the strongest backers of the Syrian moderate leadership, and Hollande had pledged military support against Syrian President Bashar Assad until both the United States and Britain backed away. On Iran, the French shouldered their way into the negotiations with Iran, demanding a better deal and warning that the Tehran government needed careful monitoring.

“We cannot remain silent, and will not stand idly by,” Prince Mohammed wrote in a Dec 17 opinion piece in The New York Times.

Continued on Page 15

Bomber kills 16 at Russia station Cabinet urged to fight graft Turaiji quits panel

By B Izzak

LONDON: West Bromwich Albion’s French striker Nicolas Anelka gestures as he celebrates scoring their second goal during a match on Saturday. — AFP

‘Bad boy’ Anelka at heart of new storm PARIS: French striker Nicolas Anelka yesterday faced possible sanctions from British football authorities for celebrating a goal with what many view as a Nazistyle salute amid growing outrage that it was a thinly veiled anti-Semitic act. The 34-year-old, whose career has been marred by tantrums and controversial remarks, was again in the firing line for making the so-called “quenelle” gesture popularised by French comedian

Dieudonne, known for his anti-Jewish comments.

Anelka, who converted to Islam in 2004, had thrust his straightened right arm downwards while tapping his bicep with the other hand after scoring on Saturday in a game between his West Bromwich Albion team and West Ham United. The gesture, which Dieudonne claims only reflects his anti-establish Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: The new Cabinet is expected to be formed before the Jan 7 session of the National Assembly amid calls on Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah to include reformists and focus on fighting corruption. Little news has leaked about the composition of the new Cabinet amid reports that the two female members, Planning Minister Rola Dashti and Social Affairs and Labour Minister Thekra Al-Rasheedi are not likely to be retained.

Others who may not come back include Oil Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali, who does not want to keep his position, and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Justice Shareedah Al-Maousherji, who also requested to be relieved on health grounds.

Maousherji is the only Islamist member of the Cabinet, whose ministers submitted their resignation to the prime minister a week ago. The government has officially announced the resignation news but nothing more. According to reports, all the six ministers from the ruling family, besides the prime minister himself, are expected to retain their posts barring minor changes. Ruling family ministers occupy the posts of foreign affairs, interior, defense, health, information and finance.

The main dilemma facing the premier in the lineup is whether to keep a number of ministers who Continued on Page 15

MOSCOW: A female suicide bomber killed 16 people yesterday in a strike on the main train station of the southern Russian city of Volgograd that heightened security fears just six weeks before the Sochi Olympic Games. Investigators said the unidentified woman set off her charge after being stopped by a police officer at the metal detectors of the central entrance to the station when it was packed with people travelling to celebrate the New Year. Footage captured by

a nearby camera showed a huge orange fireball blow out the heavy front doors and windows from the grey stone threestorey building. Thick billows of smoke then poured out as people scattered along the rain-soaked street.

Russia’s Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said officials had launched an inquiry into a suspected “act of terror” - the deadliest attack in Russia for almost three years.

Continued on Page 15

VOLGOGRAD, Russia: The covered bodies of victims lie on the ground as Russian security personnel inspect the scene of a suicide attack at a train station in this Volga River city yesterday. — AFP

in the

news

Saudi royal faces death for murder DUBAI: A Saudi prince who murdered a fellow Saudi may be executed, a newspaper reported yesterday, in a rare example of a member of the kingdom’s ruling family facing the death penalty. The English-language Arab News did not name the prince or his victim, but said a senior member of the family and government, Crown Prince Salman, had “cleared the way for the possible execution of a prince convicted of murdering a Saudi citizen”. In a message about the case to Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Prince Salman said: “Sharia (Islamic law) shall be applied to all without exception”, the daily reported. Prince Salman’s message followed a statement from the victim’s father that he was not ready to pardon the killer and he was not happy with the amount offered as blood money.

The paper quoted Crown Prince Salman’s message as saying: “There is no difference between big and small, rich and poor...Nobody is allowed to interfere with the judiciary’s decision.

Bahrain frees oppn chief, bans travel DUBAI: Bahrain has freed Shiite opposition leader cleric Ali Salman after a day of questioning, charging him with incitement to hatred and banning him from travel, the prosecution said. Salman had been charged with “incitement to religious hatred and spreading false news likely to harm national security,” attorney general Abdulrahman Al-Sayyed was quoted as saying late Saturday. The prosecution ordered the release of the head of the opposition Al-Wefaq bloc, but “forbade him from any travel for the purposes of the investigation”, he added. The attorney general said Salman was charged with “inciting hatred against a religious community” in the Sunni-ruled country during the address.

He was also alleged to have “accused institutions of the state of engaging in illegal practices”. The speech was followed by “disturbances, acts of violence and aggression against the security forces that caused injuries in their ranks,” the chief prosecutor added.

Mutawaa warn against New Year celebrations RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s religious police has warned against celebrating the New Year’s Eve in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom, the local Okaz daily said yesterday. The Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, known unofficially as Mutawaa, based its warning on a religious edict from the top committee of Saudi clerics banning such celebrations, the newspaper said. Saudi Arabia follows the Muslim lunar calendar, unlike all other Gulf states that use the Gregorian calendar. Members of the commission enforce the kingdom’s rule of strict segregation between sexes, and have traditionally forced women to cover from head to toe when in public. They also go around shops to make sure they are shuttered during prayer times. The religious police have been accused of abusing their powers. But since January last year, the religious police have become more discreet with the appointment of their new chief, cleric Abdulatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheik h, who banned the use of unmarked cars.

Iran keeping new centrifuges offline TEHRAN: Iran’s nuclear chief said the Islamic Republic has not begun using a new generation of centrifuges for enriching uranium after striking a deal to ease sanctions with world powers, state television reported yesterday. The report quoted Ali Akbar Salehi as saying that Iran decided not to put 1,000 new devices installed months ago online because of the November deal. However, Salehi reiterated statements made last week that his engineers are building and testing even newer generations of centrifuges. “We have two types of secondgeneration centrifuges,” he said. “We also have future generations which are going through their tests.” Talks on details of the deal will resume today.

Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi said the talks will last only a single day.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

LOCAL

Banks seek approval for ‘travel loans’ ‘A potential key field’

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving at Bayan Palace yesterday His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.

KUWAIT: Financial planning for vacations can soon become easier in Kuwait, if the Central Bank approves a request from local bank to allow clients to take loans for travel purposes.

The request was made by the Kuwait Banks Association following its latest meeting, and calls for adding travel loans to the list of consumer loans which currently include fields such as financing cars, furniture, treatment and educational costs. This was reported by Al-Rai daily yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the proposal.

Under the Central Bank’s regulations to grant consumer loans, the value of a loan must not exceed 15 times of the client’s monthly salary, and must not also exceed KD15,000. The propos-

al was first made by an Islamic bank in Kuwait which requested permission to offer travel loans among the list of consumer loans for its customers, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A consumer loan is referred to mediumranged personal loans that are granted for clients to finance purchase deals for personal items, or cover expenses such as education and treatment. The loan is paid usually through monthly installment through a maximum period of 5 years. Consumer loans take the largest growth rate in the credit market with a total value of KD1.14 billion by the end of October, and a 10 percent growth rate compared to the beginning of the year.

The growth is mostly attributed to salary increases approved in the public sector in recent years, in addition to promotions made by local banks which reportedly prefer those type of ‘low risk’ transactions.

According to the sources, the recent proposal gained support during the KBA meetings “after banks realized the importance of the travel market as a potential key field for financing in the local market”. Several studies indicated that Kuwaitis spent over $1 billion (KD282 million) on air travel this past summer.

Meanwhile, travel agencies increased from around 160 two years ago to more than 300 now, which reflects the growth featuring in the travel market in Kuwait.

Limited change expected in new Cabinet KUWAIT: At least two ministers showed reluctance to return to the Cabinet whereas reports suggest that the oil portfolio could soon be assigned to a ruling family member in the government, a local daily reported yesterday quoting parliament insiders.

The sources claim knowledge of ‘consultations’ that Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah launched Saturday for his Cabinet’s formation which is expected to be ready before the parliament ’s session on Tuesday, Jan 7. Speaking to Al-Qabas on the

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday.

Amiri pardon rules KUWAIT: The committee entrusted for setting the rules of the 2013 Amiri pardon began its work to determine the rules on those to be included in the Amiri pardon in its final form to be approved by concerned authorities at the justice and interior ministries.

The committee which includes repre-

sentatives from the justice and interior ministries and the Amir Diwan, will examine the conditions for the pardon.

Changes have been made to these conditions this year, and crimes that increased in the country lately such as kidnapping, armed robbery and murder will be excluded from the pardon.

condition of anonymity, the sources indicated that Minister of Oil Mustafa Al-Shamali, as well as Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Sharida Al-Maosharji told the premier that they have no wish to continue with ministerial work.

Meanwhile, the sources said that there are ‘intentions’ to assign the oil ministry’s portfolio to Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah instead of the health ministry.

In the meantime, Al-Anba quoted sources of their own who said that the government is

looking to add a woman to the cabinet with both Dr Rola Dashty and Thekra Al-Rashidi finding themselves on the hot seat.

Candidates for a cabinet post include Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi, Dr Farida Al-Habeeb and Hind Al-Subaih, according to the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The sources also named Salem Al-Othaina, Nayef Al-Hajraf, Mohammad Al-Abdullah AlSabah and Abdul-Aziz Al-Ibrahim as likely to be retained along with all seven ruling family members.

Ministry proposes imposing 15% tax on local companies KUWAIT: The finance ministry recently issued decision number 875/2013 pertaining executive regulations of a decree imposing income tax issued in 1955 and amended in 2008 to impose taxes for the years following the fiscal year ending on Dec 31, 2013. According to the amendments, companies will have to pay 15 percent of their income as tax.

Notably, Finance Minister Sheikh Salem Al-Abdul Aziz had said that his ministry was preparing a proposal to impose income tax on all local companies to help boost government revenues. He also stressed that foreign companies operating in Kuwait were currently paying 15 percent tax but due to the

increasing cost of subsidies that soared fourfold in the past nine years, the state’s revenues were expected to be greatly pressured in the foreseeable future.

According to the new amendments, all companies operating in Kuwait, regardless of where they were founded, will pay an annual tax on profits achieved through contracts executed completely or partially in Kuwait, on sums collected from selling, leasing or franchising a trademark, design or patent, on commissions collected from brokerage, commercial and industrial activities’ profits, profits made through selling assets, profits made through selling

KEPS raises drinking water consumption awareness KUWAIT: Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) issued a series of publications to raise awareness on drinking-water consumption.

KEPS’s Secretary General Wujdan Al-Egab told the press on Saturday that these publications will present in details the various stages of producing high quality drinking-water: beginning from its various resources to its transportation and ending up at the consumersí doorsteps.

These publications promote moderation in water consumption and they act as guidance to wisely consume water in houses, hotels and educational institutes.

Raising such awareness is part of KEPS communal responsibility where it encourages a conscious usage of water and holds many workshops on this regard. — KUNA

Nuwaiseeb FTZ in the offing KUWAIT: Kuwait took a small but necessary step in the development of another free trade zone last week when the Ministry of Commerce and Industry took possession of the land marked out for it.

The new FTZ will be located in the southern part of the country, near the Nuwaiseeb border.

The FTZ will encompass 12 square kilometers and a team has already begun marking the designated area ahead of plans by the government to begin developing it.

Commerce and Industry Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs and Trade Development Abdallah Al-Ali said that Minister Anas AlSaleh, and Undersecretary Abdelaziz Al-Khalidi, expressed special interest in the southern free zone, and ordered the immediate implementation of the following steps, by commissioning a construction proposal. Al-Ali pointed out the geographical importance of the FTZ in the south as it links Kuwait with several neighboring countries, and is close to the proposed railways planned for 2030. It is unclear if the Nuwaiseeb FTZ will eventually be tendered out as a BuildOperate-Transfer project similar to the Free Trade Zone in Industrial Shuwaikh.

or purchasing property or merchandise and opening a permanent office in Kuwait, profits made through leasing any property and profits made through providing services.

The amendments also stressed that the tax would be deducted from net profits after excluding all operational and production costs including grants, donations and aid paid to government bodies. Further, the amendments also stated that if a fiscal year ends in loss, it would be deducted from the following year’s profits if sufficient, otherwise deduction would be extended to the third year at most, after which no deferral would be made.

KD 81m collected in zakat in seven years KUWAIT: Deputy PM and Minister of Finance Sheikh Salem Al-Abdul Aziz said that since the application of law number 46/2006 in 2007 till the end of October, the state had collected KD 81,346,681 of which KD 57,756,217 was transferred to Zakat House while KD 23,590,464 was used for public services.

Responding to a parliamentary inquiry from MP Abdul Kareem Al-Kandari, Sheikh Salem said since putting this law pertaining the contribution of public and closed companies in the state’s budget into practice, the sums collected had been spent on public services.

He added that determining the total sums to be paid as zakat was up to the companies themselves and that each company was entitled to ask allocating its zakat, or part of it, to a certain type of public service, whereas sums paid as zakat were usually transferred to the Zakat House. — Al-Jarida

Food prices in Kuwait Median Milk (regular), (1 liter) 0.40 KWD Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 0.25 KWD Rice (white), (1kg) 1.00 KWD Eggs (12) 0.50 KWD Local Cheese (1kg) 1.43 KWD Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 1.50 KWD Apples (1kg) 0.70 KWD Oranges (1kg) 0.50 KWD Tomato (1kg) 0.41 KWD Potato (1kg) 0.37 KWD Lettuce (1 head) 0.31 KWD Last update: December, 2013 Recommended Minimum Amount of Money for food (2000 calories, balanced diet)

Milk (regular), (0.25 liter) Loaf of Fresh White Bread (130.00 g) Rice (white), (0.13 kg) Eggs (3.60) Local Cheese (0.15 kg) Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (0.25 kg) Apples (0.34 kg) Oranges (0.34 kg) Tomato (0.21 kg) Potato (0.25 kg) Lettuce (0.15 head) Daily recommended minimum amount of money for food per person Monthly recommended minimum amount of money for food per person (assuming 31 days per month)

0.10 KWD 0.06 KWD 0.13 KWD 0.15 KWD 0.21 KWD 0.38 KWD 0.24 KWD 0.17 KWD 0.09 KWD 0.09 KWD 0.05 KWD 1.67 KWD 51.64 KWD

LOCAL

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

KUWAIT: Fireworks to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kuwait Constitution during a brilliant nighttime display on Nov 10, 2012.

The heat - or rather the fireworks - is on!

By Bader Khaled KUWAIT: Friendly competition between Arab Gulf states is nothing new. The six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council states often vie for the tallest tower, the most active stock exchange or the friendliest visa policies (well, OK, maybe not that!). Given the close relationship between the Khaleeji states, sibling rivalry is to be expected.

The latest arena, however, takes Gulf states’ friendly competition to a whole new level - literally sky high. Dubai aims to capture the record for the world’s largest fireworks display this coming New Year’s Eve. Already workers are busy setting up the reported 400,000 fireworks that will be set off from 400 locations along the Dubai shoreline in the United Arab Emirates.

Currently, Kuwait holds the Guinness World Record for the largest firework display. Kuwait used 77,282 fireworks to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kuwait Constitution during a brilliant nighttime display on Nov 10, 2012.

Kuwait’s constitution was issued on Nov 11, 1962 upon a decree from the thenAmir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 11th ruler of Kuwait. The fireworks show lasted for 64 minutes, with firework stations stretched over a 5 km area of seafront in Kuwait City. The pyrotechnic display included a lights and sound show.

Dubai hopes to blow the Kuwait event out of the water with a six-minute firework extravaganza. To kick off the show, fireworks will begin a few minutes before midnight and then count down the start of the new year with bright firework numbers in Arabic and English. Local Emirati icons, the UAE flag, a falcon and other regional symbols are expected to be incorporated into the fireworks show.

Expected to be a dazzling performance, the Dubai fireworks event will add to the regional sense of rivalry and likely mean more fireworks and other manmade efforts to awe in 2014 (P2BK’s massive sand sculpture park, among the largest in the world, will open to the public in Kuwait in January).

Attitudes toward fostering, adoption changing in Kuwait KUWAIT: More than 500 orphans are now being fostered

by Kuwaiti families, according to a recent government announcement. Nasser Al-Ammar, the director of the Family Nursery Department, said that there are 556 children now in foster care with 479 foster families in Kuwait, the majority caring fostering one child.

Kuwait, like many Arab and Muslim societies, does not allow full adoption where the child takes the name of the adoptive parents. Adopted parents may also face limitations and unfair treatment in favor of biological parents should an adoption or fostering be challenged in court.

Attitudes toward adoption, however, are changing. A growing number of adoptive families who have publicized their life, however, along with a growth in local groups like Special Mothers of Kuwait, are positively changing negative perceptions about fostering and adoption.

The government financed an awareness campaign in 2012, Color a Life, aimed at encouraging local couples to adopt. Foreigners are forbidden from adopting orphans in Kuwait. Al-Ammar said his department is keen on expanding and encouraging Kuwaiti families to receive orphans “whose parents are not known,” based on several rules and conditions that guarantee raising them in a normal family atmosphere.

Many children are abandoned in Kuwait due to the country’s harsh illegitimacy law. An unmarried woman who has sex and gives birth can face jail time. Children tendered to the state’s custody may eventually be awarded Kuwaiti nationality. But foreign children who are abandoned by their parents and whose nationality are known will be less likely to be fostered and cannot receive the Kuwaiti citizenship.

MSAL warns of illegal fundraising for Syria KUWAIT: Well-informed sources at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor renewed its warning to all citizen and expatriate donors from dealing with illegal fundraising campaigns organized by individuals, tribes or certain figures claiming to support the Syrian people without prior authorization from the ministry.

The sources added that the donation campaign advertised in local dailies Saturday by a tribe was not authorized by the ministry and poses a violation of the rules of

fundraising for public causes as well as a violation of Cabinet decision number 59 that conditioned the ministry’s charity department’s approval prior to launching any fundraising campaigns.

The sources said while MSAL stressed that its doors were open to take legal permission through the right channels for such activities, it had already contacted the interior ministry to track down and identify those responsible for such illegal campaigns to hold them legally accountable.

KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Public Works Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim taking a field tour to the construction site in Sabiya area yesterday.

Sheikh Jaber Bridge budget exceeds KD 738 million KUWAIT: Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad AlSabah Bridge, the biggest project in the country, will exceed its budget of KD 738 million, Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of Public Works Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim announced yesterday.

The minister told the press, while taking a field tour to the construction site in Sabiya area, that studies made

before launching the construction all indicated that the location was free of obstacles and was environmentally suitable.

The project management has been ensuring, throughout the phases of the construction, that marine life is staying intact; new habitats were made available to accommodate estranged marine creatures, he

added. The 36-km-long bridge will stretch from Shuwaikh to the northern town of Sabiya across Kuwait Bay. It will be made up of two roads, each with three lanes, along with two rest and services stations. What uniquely characterizes the bridge is building a shrimp-farming system; a move that reflects the keenness in preserving marine life. —- KUNA

KUWAIT: Officers from the General Traffic Department as well as the Security Information and Media Department in the Interior Ministry gave a lecture about traffic laws to students at the Wasm Kindergarten in the Hawally Governorate recently.

Arrest warrants for 80,000 with illegally issued visas KUWAIT: Investigations are ongoing in search for nearly 80,000 persons with visas issued illegally in a case involving a senior official in the General Department of Immigration and Passports and other Interior Ministry officers.

The latest update was published yesterday by Annahar

daily quoting ‘high-level sources’, who revealed that the investigations committee looking into the case has been working on identifying expatriates who benefited from the transactions. “After questioning a general director and head of department last week, the committee discovered that 80,000 transactions were carried out illegally”, said

the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

According to the sources, police have been able to arrest 409 Egyptian nationals in operations last week. “The men were caught at the Kuwait International Airport on their way out of the country after learning about the subpoena orders that was issued against those who obtained

the visas illegally”, the sources explained. The investigations committee was formed by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid AlSabah, and is chaired by Brig Gen Ghazi Al-Lumaia, the General Director of the Immigration and Passports Department.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

LOCAL

Carbon monoxide poisoning kills teen, leaves 3 in coma Man saves family from burning house

KUWAIT: Miskan, one of the most beautiful Kuwaiti islands.

Diving Team cleans Miskan Island KUWAIT: Kuwait Diving Team, affiliated with the Environmental Voluntary Foundation, launched the Miskan Island cleaning project which involves lifting metal and plastic scraps in the island.

The Marine Operations Official In-Charge of Kuwait Diving Team Waleed Al-Shatti said in press remarks that the team, in cooperation with governmental and voluntary bodies, cleaned the island.

There was a large number of metal and plastic scraps and fishing nets on the island which posed a great threat to the wildlife and marine creatures, he said.

Miskan Island is considered one of the most beautiful Kuwaiti islands, located close to Failaka Island. It is 344,000 square meters in size, and has rocky shores of 2.5 km during high tides. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A teenager died and three others were hospitalized in critical condition after they inhaled carbon monoxide from burning coal left for heating inside their camp in Kabd desert.

Paramedics and police arrived at the scene on Friday night following an emergency call reporting the discovery of four people unconscious in a camp. Paramedics pronounced an 18-year-old Kuwaiti man dead at the scene, and rushed the three others to Farwaniya Hospital after discovering that they were still alive. The three were admitted inside the intensive care unit.

Meanwhile, preliminary investigations indicate that the discovery happened hours after the victims suffocated, judging from the state of the body that was found in rigor mortis. Medical diagnoses and preliminary tests results on the dead man’s body confirmed that the victims inhaled large amounts of carbon monoxide. The four men had left the coal burning before falling asleep without ensuring proper ventilation, according to preliminary investigations.

Dhajeej accident A pedestrian died in Dhajeej in an accident on Friday night. Paramedics and police found the man on a street located outside the Criminal Evidence Department building where the accident was reported. The victim, an Egyptian man, was pronounced dead at the scene from a fatal head injury. Meanwhile, police arrested a Pakistani man who was driving the car that hit the victim. Preliminary investigations indicate that the man was walking outside a mosque towards his car in a yard nearby when the car hit him while driving in reverse. Inspection of the driver’s car revealed that the breaks malfunctioned. The body was taken to the forensic department and the driver was referred to the authorities for further action.

In another accident, a Kuwaiti man in his 30s died in an accident reported on Mutlaa Road.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was driving at high speed, and lost control over his vehicle which flipped. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was sent to the coroner after criminal investigators were summoned to examine the crash site.

House fire A man was hospitalized in critical condition after a fire broke out in his home. The man helped evacuate his family, injuring himself in the process. The incident was reported Friday morning at a house in Saad Al-Abdullah.

Firefighters, paramedics and police arrived at the scene shortly after an emergency call was made.

They helped rescue the house residents, including the homeowner’s elderly mother who needed assistance to walk. The homeowner, a 38-yearold Kuwaiti, was rushed to Jahra Hospital with breathing trouble due to smoke inhalation, and was admitted in the intensive care unit.

According to the police report, the man suffered smoke inhalation after he insisted that firefighters rescue his mother first before he was rescued.

Woman kidnapped Authorities are searching for a woman who reported in an emergency call Friday night that she had been kidnapped outside a mall in Fahaheel. In her statements to police, the woman said that a person was waiting outside when she came out of the mall, and grabbed her while she was walking towards her car. The man then tied her up, forced her into the trunk of his car and drove to an undisclosed location, according to the woman. The only other piece of information that the woman was able to provide was that the kidnapper’s car carried a Gulf state’s license plates. She was unable to recall the license plate number or identify her whereabouts, according to a security source with knowledge of the case. Police spent hours look-

ing around the location where the kidnap happened, but failed to find the suspect or the woman.

Harassment case A cosmetician has accused a haris of harassment. The man, meanwhile, said that the woman fabricated the charges because he refused to give her a parking spot outside the building. The incident was reported in Jabriya on Friday. In her statements to officers in the area’s police station, the woman said that she took the elevator to the beauty salon where she works, but the building’s keeper followed her and harassed her inside. The man was contacted based on the information the woman provided and was summoned for questioning. He denied the accusations and claimed that she faked the charges because he had previously rejected her requests to allocate a specific spot outside the building for her to park her car. The case was handed to detectives for further investigations.

Campers held Six people were arrested with possession of alcohol inside a camp following a tip in from an off-duty police officer. The detective was reportedly spending his holiday with his family at his camp in Mutlaa when he grew suspicious of a nearby camp which was visited by different groups of male and female guests every night.

Criminal Investigation Department officers headed to the suspicious camp with a warrant.

They arrested six people - three men and three women - inside the camp after discovering a number of liquor bottles there. The camp’s owner said during questioning that he simply invited his female friends for a camping trip, and claimed that he did not know how the liquor bottles ended up inside the tent. The suspects remain in police custody pending legal procedures.

Bosnian-Kuwaiti friendship society established SARAJEVO: Bosnian-Kuwaiti Friendship Society has been established to promote bilateral ties on all aspects of the cultural and societal domains.

Head of the society, former Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Kuwait, Yassin Rawashdeh said yesterday that the society was at first an informal group of diplomats, intellects and businessmen; nonetheless, it developed to be a registered and official society later on.

The establishment of the society aims to foster the strong friendship between Kuwait and Bosnia that has been strengthening in the last few years.

He added that the society would hold cultural activities to familiarize the people of the two countries of their history and heritage.

Former Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic has been chosen to be an honorary president of the society. —KUNA

Dr Rusen Yildrem, Chairman of Health Tourism Buisness Council, Turkey presenting a memento to Dr Abbas Ramadan, Director of Al-Sabah Hospital and Consultant Head of Radiosurgery and Neurosurgery at Ibn Sina Hospital, Kuwait.

Kuwait medical delegation visits Turkey KUWAIT: A senior Kuwaiti medical delegation visited Turkey recently on invitation by the Health Tourism Business Council under the Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK). The delegation visited hospitals in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir to see first hand the advanced medical facilities avail-

Mohamad Jamil Terro

Prof Terro new ACK president KUWAIT: The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) welcomes Prof Mohamad Jamil Terro as its new president at the start of 2014.

Prof Terro obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Lebanese University in 1985 and his Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Manchester in 1987. His PhD thesis dealt with the development of a finite element software that predicts the structural behavior of reinforced concrete structures under the effects of fire. He was awarded his PhD degree in 1992 from the Imperial College London.

In 1993, he joined the Civil Engineering Department at Kuwait University and was promoted in 2007 to professor. He is well known for his achievements in various academic committees within Kuwait University, as well as his membership in the Accreditation Committee in addition to his role as the Chairman of the Technical Engineering Committee at the Private University Council (PUC). As Chairman, Prof Terro led the development of the “Technical Guide” for campus planning in Kuwait, which has since been considered as a regulatory document by both the Municipality and the Ministry of Finance. ACK would like to wish Prof Terro great success in providing more honorable contributions to the Kuwaiti society through his new appointment.

able in Turkey.

The advanced state of the art technology along with highly specialized medical practioners make Turkey an ideal medical tourism destination. The delegation expressed satisfaction at their visit and thanked the hosts for the warm hospitality extend-

ed to them.

The Kuwait Ministry of Health delegation comprised of Consultants from Kuwait Cancer Control Centre, Al-Sabah Hospital, Ibn Sinha Hospital, Amiri Hospital, Farwaniya Hospital, Chest Disease Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing Department.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

LOCAL

Banks eye ‘greater role’ in BOT law amendments Call for a ‘comprehensive review’

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Cuba Andres Gonzalez Garrido visited Kuwait Times and discussed matters of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd AlRahman Al-Alyan.

Education ministry plans infrastructure for new cities KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Education has plans for 306 new schools to be built for two new Kuwati cities, Mutla’a City and Khairan City.

Around 188 schools for each stage for the new Khairan City and 118 schools for each stage in Mutla’a City due to be built within the government’s plan to solve the housing problem.

In this regard, and in response to a parliamentary inquiry made by MP Rakan AlNisf about the ministry’s plan for building new schools, universities and institutes, Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf said the ministry had contacted relevant authorities recommending building three branches of Kuwait University in southern, northern and western regions in addition to a fourth branch in Mutla’a.

Further, Al-Hajraf stressed that the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) had also contacted the housing authority demanding land allocation to build two branches of its institutes

in both cities with a capacity of 10,000 students in Mutla’a and 6,000 in Khairan.

Responding to a similar question, the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Health Minister Sheikh Mohammed AlAbdullah said that the ministry plans building 21 hospitals in both cities with a capacity of 600-1200 beds each. He explained that Mutla’a projects include two public hospitals with bed capacity of 1,200, a health zone similar to Al-Sabah that includes a 1,000 bed hospital and four specialized hospitals with a capacity of 500 beds each. He added that a number of specialized polyclinics and assisting medical service centers, two health insurance hospitals, six private hospitals, a clinic for bachelors, special clinics for industrial areas and ambulance centers would be also build in Mutla’a.

Al-Abdullah also said that a 1,000 bed hospital would be built in Khairan in addition to four specialized hospitals, a health insurance hospital, 19 specialized clinics, 17 polyclinics and several ambulance centers.

KUWAIT: While the financial committee in the parliament studies proposed amendments to the build-operate-transfer (BOT) law, people in the financial and banking sectors in Kuwait continue demands for a ‘comprehensive review’ that addresses shortcomings seen as the reason why the government failed to sign BOT contracts for mega projects since the law regulating publicprivate partnership deals was passed in 2008.

On that regard, Al-Jarida daily spoke to banking sources who indicated that local banks are showing concern regarding the proposed amendments, which they say generate risks for financing BOT projects. According to the sources, the risks mainly pertain with the execution process, securities, while some expressed concern about risks in the re-tendering process which can lead to awarding a project to an unqualified company. Furthermore, sources expressed concern regarding “political risks” giv-

en the government’s power under the proposed amendments to cancel a project for reasons seen as ‘serving the public interest’.

“Banks rule becomes limited as per the proposed amendments, especially when it comes to securities and inspecting the experience and qualifications of the executing parties”, said one of the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Those issues need to be addressed with regards to mega projects that require large financing from local banks”.

Meanwhile, another source demanded that the stipulation which allows the government to cancel a project based on a unilateral decision to be re-evaluated. “Instead, an independent committee that include technical and legal members can be formed to view cases in which the government requests canceling a project for reasons pertaining with the public interest”, he proposed. “As they stand right now, the amend-

ments will drive more investors away from executing or financing projects”.

Another source, meanwhile, suggested that banks are given a ‘greater role’ in case setbacks are suffered during construction. “Plans can be assigned with project management in case the investor fails to execute the project, or the project is awarded to another company”, he said, explaining that banks have flexibility and experience “whereas the government suffers beaurcracy that hinders the decision making process”.

According to the sources, allowing banks to play a more active role in executing BOT projects can help ‘refresh’ the local credit market and achieve true development. “Banks are looking forward for action from the new government to announce new projects as part of the Kuwait Development Plan in 2014, which can help utilize liquidity and refresh the credit market”, the sources explained.

No restrictions on umrah visa KUWAIT: An official source at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Kuwait denied that restrictions have been placed on Kuwaitis seeking to perform umrah, saying that they can visit the kingdom for any purpose without the need for entry visas.

As for expatriates and bedoons, the source said regulations require them to register in a convoy and enter the kingdom along with them to perform umrah, and then leave with the tour.

The source said the umrah visa is designated for the purpose it was given for, which is to carry out rituals, and cannot be used for any other purpose, be it visit or transit through the kingdom, adding that it was noticed that some of those who got umrah visa and used it for other purposes.

The source said that umrah pilgrims cannot enter Saudi Arabia in their private cars to ensure that they do not violate the conditions.

Kuwait invites Sudan to participate in Quran Award KHARTOUM: Sudan received a hand written invitation to participate in the fifth edition of Kuwait’s Grand Prize for the Recitation and Memorization of the Quran, due to be held fromApril 2 to 9.

The invitation was extended by Kuwaiti Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Shareeda Al-Mousherji to Sudan’s Minister of Guidance and Endowments AlFatih Taj Elsir; it was handed over by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sudan Talal Mansour Al-Hajri.

The Kuwaiti envoy said yesterday, that names of candidates who wish to participate in the Holy Quran competition should be received not later than Feb 27.

The Sudanese minister looked forward to his country’s participation in this renowned award. During the meeting, the Kuwaiti envoy and the Sudanese Minister discussed means of waqf cooperation. —KUNA

Oman, Kuwait to cement ties

KUWAIT: Narcotics authorities arrested an Asian with 100 grams of heroin and 500 mind altering tablets in his possession. Detectives received tips about the man who has drugs for sale, then a warrant was obtained and his home was raided. He confessed that he trades in drugs. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Marines in Gulf ready for crisis buildup ABU DHABI: An MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor swooped over the Arabian Gulf and dropped the commandant of the Marine Corps onto what military commanders like to refer to as four floating acres of diplomacy.

When the threat of force fails to avert a crisis, however, the amphibious assault ship Boxer and its force of nearly 5,000 Marines and sailors carries a battalion of infantrymen in its belly and fighter jets on deck, among other aircraft and logistics support.

Gen James Amos flew onto the warship last week during a tour of Marine forces deployed by land and sea in the Gulf, a footprint that has expanded in recent years amid the drawdown in Afghanistan and end of the war in Iraq.

For military commanders like him, proximity is the buzzword for the “new normal” of the post-Benghazi era. They hope to position personnel close enough to respond before another tragedy unfolds like the Sept 11, 2012, attack on the US diplomatic mission in Libya that killed the US ambassador and three people with San Diego ties.

To that end, the Corps has committed to an enduring presence in the Gulf, even as it carries out the president’s rebalance, or pivot, toward the Asia-Pacific, Marine commanders said.

The war in Afghanistan may be ending next year, but “what is not going to stop is all this other stuff going on around the world,” Amos told the Boxer personnel, standing on the flight deck as the ship gently pitched on the sea. “Whether it be Sudan, a potential crisis up in Iran, instability in Pakistan ... this is a dangerous world.”

For the president and secretary of defense, “We are their stopgap. We are the ones who are the insurance policy for America,” Amos said.

The US Navy Fifth Fleet presence in Bahrain dates back more than 60 years. In 2009, the Marine Corps moved a temporary headquarters onto the Gulf island. In summer 2012, the foothold grew as Marine Corps Forces Central Command (Forward) was established with a one-star general posted full-time at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

That fall, a Marine aircraft group comprised of mostly San Diego-based personnel from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing also deployed to the region. The current rotation deployed there, MAG 50, and its fleet of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, KC-130 Hercules cargo and refueling planes, and EA-6B Prowlers flies combat missions supporting the war in Afghanistan and trains alongside allies throughout the Middle East and Africa. Today about 1,500 Marines are deployed to the Gulf as well as an additional 2,200 passing through aboard the Boxer group. —U-T San Diego

MUSCAT: Oman’s State Council President Yahya bin Mahfouth Al-Munthari lauded the Kuwaiti-Omani ties during his meeting with Kuwaiti Ambassador to the country Fahad Al-Mutairi.

Means to bolster bilateral ties, issues connected to regional and international developments, as well as topics of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting, Ambassador Al-Mutairi said yesterday.

Al-Mutairi added that both countries are willing to further develop relations in various fields, stressing that both countries’ relations were strong and historic. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Jahra municipality removed 11 mobile grocery stores and four mobile homes displayed for sale, and 10 citations were issued to roaming vendors, in addition to the confiscation of a lorry that was loaded with food items, wood and coal. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Why we greet Christians

Syria in blood

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

A

reader called Suad sent me a complaint saying that she noticed that I make sure to wish Christians happy holidays in my column every year during Christmas, whereas I never make similar greetings to Muslims during the Eid holidays. The reader then argues that I need to be more fair, and avoid discriminating between people based on religious beliefs, especially that I claim to be a liberal, or something along those lines.

While I do not deny Suad’s statements, I believe that comparing between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East is unfair to begin with. In order to have a fair comparison between two different aspects, the factors of comparison should be equal or at least at a close level to each other.

My columns are originally written in Arabic, and published in a Kuwaiti newspaper that is distributed in Kuwait and the region and is followed online by readers around the world. I also live within a wide Islamic perimeter, and therefore my Christmas greetings are not directed to Christians in the West who enjoy safety and security, as much as they are directed to those living in small gatherings within my perimeter. Those people who lived on this land for over two thousand years, and who have always been an inspiration to many of us.

I write to them in hope that my greetings make them feel that there are people who think about them and wish them good. I write to reassure them and urge them to stay around us, after the majority - if not all - of them have become exhausted by fear, and after their numbers reduced due to migration - if they were lucky - or due to falling victims to fanatics who took their lives, displaced their children, destroyed their houses, burned their churches and bombed their shops only because they are Christians.

I write to greet those who are still living among us. They need to hear the voice of reason and love from us, more than what Muslims do in their wide perimeter and where that job is taken care of by thousands during Muslim holidays.

But if Suad insists that I greet Muslims on their holidays, then I have to ask her this question - what holiday are you talking about? Does Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha retain their joyful spirit when a blast hits a mosque in Peshawar, a husseiniya is bombed in Baghdad, or dozens of worshipers are killed mercilessly during the holiday?

Yes, Muslims do not need my greetings as much as Christians living in constant concern in our countries do. And until the situation improves, I will continue to send messages of love to our Christian brothers and sisters, wishing them every time a year with less pain, blood and tears.

— Al-Qabas

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

A

kuwait digest

Philosophy of freedom

By Muna Al-Wuhaib

T

here are factors and foundations necessary for freedom to be realized. Freedom is not a political concept that is limited to freeing a person from physical restrictions. Instead, freedom is liberation from ideologies under which people are oppressed or confined. There are many among us who do not fully comprehend the philosophy of freedom, especially the incorporeal part of it. Everyone understands the tangible side of freedom, which means freeing a person from confinement and enslavement. But freedom in general is more than that. It means being free from restrictions that limit my activity and production through oppression, and force me to believe in things that go against my principles and values.

Freedom is designed by what we believe in. It is a moral design based on the standards of good.

Freedom and liberty is to have the ability to make choices. To be able to choose, not forced to settle with whatever is chosen for me. It is the ability to chose from options that best serves humanity. Let us be free to express our opinions in adherence to general order, and with respect to different opinions based on what serves the general interest. Do not give us shortened freedom in which our ideologies are restricted and our ambitions are restrained in order to allow individual

interests to be fulfilled. Everyone in the society has a personal freedom connected to his or her capabilities and potentials. While hands can be restrained, our ability to decide and choose the path that our country takes cannot be.

We need to dig deeper into the meaning of freedom in order to get rid of blind subordination wisely and logically through liberating ourselves from extremist ideologies and by educating the public about the real concept of freedom as being part of human nature. Humans naturally reject submission or anything that goes against their instinct to make decisions based on their ideologies, visions and principles.

I am not calling for a state of lawlessness, but instead for a state in which laws are implemented fully and utilized in a way that goes in line with peopleís ambitions, and which achieves the principles of justice and equality. I am not calling for absolute freedom, but instead for liberating people from undeveloped social structures such as the ideology which calls for protecting freedom from intervention intended to safeguard the public from an irresponsible behavior done in the name of freedom. I am calling for freedom that comes within frameworks deep-rooted for thousands of years. — Al-Rai

l Watan TV asked me over the phone on the top issues of 2014. I replied Syria, no doubt. I really believe this to be the most important, dangerous and complicated issue that needs to be addressed by everyone. Don’t be naive to assume that as long you are far from Syria, you are innocent and safe. We are all part of this and no one is excluded or excused .

When the uprising against President Bashar AlAssad in 2011 began, it was not sectarian and for many it was just another rebel against another dictator that ruled for years by fire and sword since the days of his father Hafez. Few tears were shed and the world stood watching and waiting to witness the fall of Syria at the hands of the Syrian people the same way it occurred in Egypt and Tunisia. But surprises kept coming, and none were pleasant.

The increase in the number of foreign fighters is a real threat to any potentially early end to this deadly civil war. The fact is that Assad is still in his seat and fighting back. He is getting weaker every day, and time is running out. Is he the problem or the solution? Maybe a specific arrangement and agreement can be made. He will never be a partner, but he is not Al-Qaeda.

Locally, people are donating money to help the Syrian people during such hard times when innocents are being humiliated every minute. UN agencies all over the region with their luxurious offices and huge staff should be aware that this is the time to help others in need. They must and should open all doors to public donations 24/7. They must accept donations in all forms, even if it is a dollar.

Locals are collecting money from people out of goodwill, but how we can we be sure that the money will not be used to support Al-Qaeda or kill more people? The UN offices must start initial campaigns with local dailies and media directing people to the right channels and not fishy groups of men taking money for the unknown.

kuwait digest

Egypt rulers expanding crackdown

By Osama Al-Sharif

I

t is ironic that the first victims of the controversial protest law that was passed by the militaryinstalled government in Egypt last month were not Muslim Brotherhood supporters but three prominent secular activists who until recently had backed the July 3 ouster of President Muhammad Morsi and the transitional road map to restore democracy.

It is an indication that the new rulers of Egypt are expanding their crackdown on dissent to include once close allies. The development is significant; an addition to the tumultuous events that followed the June 30 mass demonstrations where secular groups, such as the April 6 movement, supported calls to depose Egypt’s first freely elected president and put an end to the divisive rule of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Millions of Egyptians applauded the quick and stern intervention by Minister of Defense Gen AbdelFatah Al-Sisi. That event proved to be an important milestone in Egypt’s so-called Arab Spring. The debate has never ceased on whether that intervention was a coup or a sequel to the Jan 25 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

But the sentencing of Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel to three years in jail, all of whom had played a major part in the uprising that removed Mubarak, signals a divorce between the military and an important segment of secular forces, especially the youth. This parting of ways comes at a crucial phase as well. Next month Egyptians will go to the polls to vote on a new constitution, the adoption of which will represent an important achievement under the roadmap. It should be followed by legislative and presidential elections, thus restoring democratic rule.

Reacting to the unusually harsh jail sentences, April 6 movement announced that it will boycott the referendum and withdrew its support of the transitional roadmap. It has called for protests in defiance of the government - the largest will mark the anniversary of the Jan 25 uprising. It is early to say as to how such calls will affect the outcome of the referendum. The divergence deepened when the government adopted the controversial protest law, which local and international human rights organizations denounced.

Egyptian activists believe they have earned the right to march and demonstrate since their triumph almost three years ago.

Until recently the government was focused on battling pro-Morsi coalition of mostly Islamists forces, which has held demonstrations in Cairo and other cities rejecting the ouster of Morsi and calling for the restoration of “legitimate” leadership. Recently they moved their dissent to universities. The protest law, which was enacted immediately after lifting the state of emergency, was meant to undermine such demonstrations. Thousands of Morsi supporters have been arrested since then. Morsi himself is facing numerous charges, including treason, with other Muslim Brotherhood leaders. The movement was banned, but supporters say they will boycott the referendum and continue with their protests.

The new regime enjoys the support of many Arab

countries and has avoided breaking relations with Washington. The recent friction with secular and some Salafist forces has not affected its drive to crack down on opponents. It still has wide backing from the public although the government it appointed has become increasingly unpopular.

Chances are that the new constitution will be adopted by the majority of Egyptians. People are worn out and are looking for stability and economic recovery. The military has safeguarded its role and influence under the new constitution and the big question today is whether Sisi will run for the presidency next year. If he does, then he can be assured of winning.

But that will not end Egypt’s chronic problems. The fight against the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that still has support in mostly conservative parts of the country, cannot go on forever. The military is yet to emerge as winner in the fight against extremists in

The sentencing of Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel to three years in jail a divorce between the military and an important segment of secular forces, especially the youth.

Sinai. And then there are Egypt’s economic challenges, which in spite of billions of dollars in Gulf aid remain largely insurmountable.

Contrasts between the 1952 military coup against the monarchy and the July 3 overthrow of Morsi cannot be missed. In both cases Egypt succumbed to the rule of a military strongman. Gamal Abdel Nasser fought the Muslim Brotherhood for years and Sisi is doing the same today. But as Nasser’s grip on power got stronger he shifted his attention to other opponents, including communists and leftists. The latest tussle with young secular activists is a reminder of Nasser’s era.

However, there are those who believe that Egypt can only be ruled by a strong and populist leader - an authoritarian governor who understands Egypt’s strategic importance in the region while appealing emotionally to the masses. Nasser’s experiment was a contentious one and it ended in disaster. Can Sisi, who many Egyptians liken to the charismatic Nasser, avoid a similar end?

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Protests against Bangladesh election turn violent Page 13

Lebanon rocket fire draws Israeli strike Page 8

JUBA: A displaced child holds a tyre as a toy as he navigates across a muddy patch of ground to fill an empty bottle with water from a truck at a United Nations compound which has become home to thousands of people displaced by the recent fighting in the capital yesterday. — AP

South Sudan forces battle ‘White Army’ Civilians fear more ethnic-based killings JUBA: South Sudan’s army fought yesterday with the “White Army” ethnic militia, accusing rebels of mobilising the force despite its offer of a truce to end the conflict in the new country.

Two weeks of fighting have left at least 1,000 dead and split the oil-producing country barely two years after it won independence from Sudan. It has also raised fears of an all-out civil war between the main Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups which could destabilise fragile East Africa.

The feared White Army - made up largely of Nuer youths who dust their bodies with ash clashed with government troops near the town of Bor five days after rebels were driven out, army spokesman Philip Aguer said. A rebel spokesman denied the White Army was controlled by Riek Machar, a Nuer, the former vice president whose followers oppose President Salva Kiir, a Dinka.

The army used helicopter gunships against the White Army advance near Bor, Aguer said. “They then dispersed and returned back,” the Sudan People’s Liberation Army spokesman said by phone from South Sudan’s capital, Juba, 190 km south of Bor by road.

The White Army are recognised by the ash, prepared from burnt cow dung, with which they cover themselves to ward off insects. They are armed with machetes, sticks and guns. The army estimated their number at 25,000. Rebel spokesman Moses Ruai Lat said that rather than being under Machar’s control, the armed Nuer youth were an “independently organised force”.

UN Worried The United Nations said the involvement of the White Army brought another volatile ingredient. “South Sudan does not need another escalation of the crisis involving armed youth, pitching communities against communities. This can end in a vicious cycle of violence,” UN Special Representative of the Secretary General Hilde Johnson, said in a statement. Machar made no immediate comment on the rebel force or on the government’s offer of a ceasefire on Friday.

Witnesses spoke of panicked civilians fleeing Bor to escape another round of bloodletting. The scene of a massacre of Dinka in 1991 by Nuer fighters loyal to Machar, Bor was retaken by government troops last Tuesday after several days of

heavy fighting. If there were a repeat of the tactics of 1991, “nothing will prevent devastation”, Aguer said, appealing to Machar to stop the youths. A UN helicopter spotted a group of armed youths 50 km from Bor but could not confirm their numbers.

The army said rebels also advanced yesterday to seize Mayom, a strategic town some 90 km from Unity state capital Bentiu, the main rebel stronghold. Meanwhile, rebels were mobilising youths and armed civilians for another attack on Malakal, the capital of the oilproducing Upper Nile state, the army said.

Rebels were pushed out of the town on Friday.

Among the civilians trying to escape Bor was Juuk Mading. “We are very scared,” Mading, a father of four, said from a crowded river jetty as he waited in the fierce heat for a boat to cross the White Nile river to a neighbouring state.

Some 60,000 people are seeking refuge in UN bases across South Sudan. As well as offering a truce, President Kiir’s government said it would release eight of 11 senior politicians, widely seen to be Machar allies, arrested over an alleged coup plot against Kiir. — Reuters

Hollande talks politics, commerce in Saudi visit RIYADH: French President Francois Hollande met Saudi King Abdullah yesterday on a visit aimed at boosting commercial ties and addressing escalating tensions in the Middle East. The monarch highlighted a “convergence” of positions between the two countries on several issues, a member of Hollande’s entourage said. The French president is also due to meet Lebanon’s former premier Saad Hariri and Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Jarba in the kingdom, an entourage member said. Hollande was met on arrival in Riyadh by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, before taking a helicopter to the king’s Rawdat Khurayim farm, 60 km northeast of the capital. Four ministers and 30 top French business figures are also on the visit.

France and Saudi Arabia share the “will to work for peace, security and stability in the Middle East”, Hollande said in an interview published in the Saudiowned daily Al-Hayat published yesterday. His meeting with Hariri, a staunch critic of the Syrian regime, comes after the killing in Lebanon of his close aide, ex-minister Mohammad Chatah, in a Beirut car bombing on Friday. Hariri, the son of former premier

Rafiq who was also assassinated in a massive car bomb in February 2005, lives outside Lebanon because of security concerns. The Sunni leader is also a strong critic of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah movement, which is fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in Syria’s civil war.

In his Al-Hayat interview, Hollande urged respect for “constitutional deadlines” in Lebanon, starting with “holding presidential elections in May 2014”.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Hollande would deliver a “special message” to Hariri reiterating Paris’s friendship and “calls for the integrity and independence,” of Lebanon. France “rejects the contagion that some want to impose between the conflict in Syria and Lebanon,” he said on board the presidential plane.

On Syria, Fabius said Hollande would tell Jarba that the opposition taking part in the proposed peace conference in Switzerland on Jan 22 was “desirable”. The US-Russian backed talks dubbed Geneva 2 are aimed at reaching an agreement on a transition to end the war which has claimed an estimated 126,000 lives since March 2011 and displaced

millions of people. Syria’s increasingly fractured opposition has said Assad must step down as part of any deal, which Damascus rejects. France intends to support the “moderate opposition and in no way the terrorist movements that paradoxically serve the interests” of Assad, Fabius said.

Hollande reiterated to Al-Hayat that there cannot be a “political solution with Bashar Al-Assad staying” in power. He accused Assad of using the threat of fundamentalist fighters “to put pressure on the moderate opposition”. Assad said this week that Syria was being confronted by a major offensive by Islamist extremists. Radical Islamist groups have taken on an increasingly prominent role in the Syrian conflict.

Hollande also noted in the interview that Saudi Arabia has become France’s “top client in the Middle East” with trade exceeding eight billion euros ($11 billion) in 2013, including French exports worth three billion euros. The balance of trade remains in Riyadh’s favour on the back of its oil exports to France.

Hollande also highlighted contracts won by French companies in the oil-rich kingdom, including Alstom’s Riyadh metro deal. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

Lebanon mourns ex-minister killed in bombing BEIRUT: BEIRUT: Lebanese mourners in Beirut yesterday buried Mohammad Chatah, a prominent critic of the Syrian regime killed in a car bombing that revived painful memories of political assassinations.

Angry citizens chanted against the power ful Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement, an ally of the Syrian regime, which has been accused of killing Chatah and other critics in recent years. Chatah, 62, a Sunni Muslim former finance minister and close aide to ex-prime minister Saad Hariri, was killed on Friday along with six other people in a blast in the heart of Beirut.

The bombing raised fears about the fragile situation in Lebanon, which has seen the war in neighbouring Syria regularly spill over. Heavy security was in place yesterday, as the bodies of Chatah and his bodyguard Tarek Badr were transported from western Beirut to a mosque downtown for prayers and burial. “There is no God but God, the martyr is the beloved of God,” mourners chanted as the bodies arrived. Chatah was buried at the mausoleum of Hariri’s father Rafiq, who was also killed in a huge suicide bombing on the Beirut seafront on Feb 14, 2005 that supporters blame on Syria and Hezbollah.

Hundreds of mourners gathered, including distraught members of Chatah’s family and political dignitaries. His coffin was brought into the mosque draped in a green and cream-striped material with religious verses on it, alongside that of his bodyguard Badr. Inside the mosque, the coffins were laid side by side, and relatives of the two men stood by them, crying. One of Chatah’s sons gripped a relative of Badr’s, embracing him as they both wept.

Outside the mosque, mourners in black watched the proceedings on a large screen, one waving a Lebanese flag. Behind them stood a lit Christmas tree and a newly-erected billboard declaring

Chatah a “martyr for moderation”.

Chatah was seen as an influential figure in the March 14 coalition, which is opposed to the Syrian and Hezbollah, and many of its supporters said

BEIRUT: The coffin of former Lebanese finance minister Mohammad Chatah and that of his bodyguard (behind) are carried out of the Mohammed Al-Amin mosque during their funeral in downtown Beirut yesterday. — AFP

there was no doubt who had killed him. “Syria and its allies in Lebanon, particularly Hezbollah, are the ones who assassinated Chatah, they don’t want this country to be peaceful,” said 40-year-old teacher Youssef Sati. “Whoever assassinated him, we will continue to build the country that Rafiq Hariri and Mohammad Chatah dreamed of,” he added.

Former prime minister Fuad Saniora, addressing mourners at the funeral, also criticised Hezbollah indirectly over the issue of its large arsenal, which remains beyond the control of the state. “We have decided to liberate the country of the occupation of illegitimate weapons to preserve its independence, its sovereignty and its civil peace,” said Saniora, a March 14 member. “We call for liberty and justice, we will not surrender, we will not back down, we will not be afraid,” he said, as mourners chanted “Hezbollah is the enemy of God.” Chatah’s assassination stirred painful memories in Lebanon of a string of assassinations between 2005 and 2012, targeting prominent critics of the Syrian regime. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Chatah, though March 14 has implied Damascus and Hezbollah were behind it without naming them. “The criminal is the same, he who is thirsty for the blood of Syrians... he and his Lebanese allies,” it said. Syria denied the “wrong and arbitrary accusations,” while Hezbollah said the bombing was aimed at destroying “national unity”.

Chatah is the ninth high-profile Syrian regime critic killed in Lebanon since Hariri’s assassination, and his death comes as the war in Syria exacerbates tensions in ever-fragile Lebanon. —AFP

Lebanon rocket fire draws Israeli strike No reports of injuries or further attacks

ANSHAS, Egypt: Egyptian soldiers stand next to the damaged headquarters of the military intelligence for the eastern Sharqiya region in this town east of Cairo following an explosion yesterday. — AFP

Bomb near Egypt intel bldg wounds 4 soldiers CAIRO: A bomb near an army intelligence building wounded four soldiers yesterday, the third such blast within a week after the Muslim Brotherhood’s designation as a terrorist organisation further polarised Egypt.

The explosion, which the army called a “cowardly terrorist” act, comes as the military-installed authorities plan to hold a referendum on a new constitution next month, the first step towards democracy since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July. Yesterday’s blast in Sharqiya province in the Nile Delta destroyed the rear compound wall of the intelligence building, the army said, adding that four soldiers were wounded.

It was the third such attack in less than a week. Another was averted yesterday when experts defused a bomb near the front gate of Al-Azhar’s medical faculty in New Damietta city north of Cairo, security officials said. On Tuesday, a suicide car bomber killed 15 people at a police building in Mansoura, north of the capital. And on Thursday, a bomb in Cairo wounded five people on a bus. The Mansoura attack, one of the deadliest since Morsi’s ouster, triggered widespread outrage.

A day after that attack, which was claimed by Al-Qaeda-inspired jihadists, the authorities accused the Brotherhood of perpetrating it and listed the Islamist movement to which Morsi belongs as a “terrorist organisation”. But the Brotherhood, which prevailed in all elections since the ouster of strongman Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, said it is “innocent of any violent incident that has (been) or

will be committed”.

Designating the Brotherhood as a terrorist group is a hardening of the government position in its ongoing crackdown on Morsi’s Islamist supporters. It means hundreds of thousands of Brotherhood members now face prison sentences if they hold demonstrations or are found in possession of the movement’s recordings or literature.

The designation also means Brotherhood leaders currently on trial face possible death sentences if found guilty.

Yesterday, police in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria arrested three people, including two minors, after they searched a printer’s and found propaganda material backing the Brotherhood and opposing the security forces. The crackdown on Morsi’s supporters since the army ousted him on July 3 has seen more than 1,000 people killed and thousands of his backers arrested. But the Brotherhood has still held demonstrations across Egypt, especially over the past three days, with at least seven people killed in clashes between Morsi’s supporters and opponents.

Universities also saw severe unrest this week, and on Saturday a 19-year-old student was shot dead at Al-Azhar’s Cairo campus, where pro-Morsi students have staged regular protests. The students entered the commerce faculty of the university during an exam and set it alight, before police burst into the campus and fired teargas. A police official said 101 students were arrested and the fire on the first two floors of the building was brought under control. —AFP

Iran lawmaker urges oppn leaders be tried TEHRAN: An influential Iranian lawmaker yesterday urged the judiciary to end the house arrests of opposition figures Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi and to put them on trial. “The protracted house arrests without trial lack legal or religious justification,” conservative MP Ali Motahari told parliament in remarks carried by the ISNA news agency. Mousavi and Karroubi have been held incommunicado under separate house arrests since Feb 2011 for orchestrating massive, unprecedented street protests sparked by a disputed presidential election two years earlier.

The protests turned deadly when authorities resorted to a heavy-handed crackdown in which thousands of protesters, reformist activists and journalists were arrested.

Motahari slammed the judiciary for not having resolved the issue already, more than four years after the 2009 election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president for a second term that Mousavi and Karroubi claimed was rigged. The issue remains a sensitive, polarising issue in the Islamic republic despite Ahmadinejad’s term end-

ing in August when his successor Hassan Rouhani was sworn in to office.

“This crisis will not be resolved as long as one side is not allowed to speak for and defend itself, while the other side continues to mount accusations,” said Motahari, the son of a prominent revolutionary ayatollah. “The only solution ... is the public trial of Mousavi and Karroubi, and also Ahmadinejad,” he said, arguing that the latter had mishandled the crisis. Prosecutor general Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei however dismissed Motahari’s remarks, arguing that those who had levelled “big lies” against the establishment in 2009 had committed a “major sin”.

Motahari also warned, in separate remarks carried by the official IRNA news agency, that “the establishment will have to pay a hefty price, should Mousavi and Karroubi die while under house arrest”.

Both men are suffering health problems, according to reports. Motahari’s comments come as pro-reform and more centrist factions urge Rouhani to work towards ending the detentions of political prisoners, including Mousavi and Karroubi. —AFP

JERUSALEM: Rockets launched from south Lebanon struck northern Israel yesterday and Israel responded with artillery shells across a border that has been largely quiet since a war in 2006. The cross-border fire, which caused no injuries on either side, coincided with heightened political tension in Beirut following the assassination on Friday of a former Lebanese government minister. It was not immediately clear who fired the rockets. Israeli authorities said five rockets were launched from Lebanon but only one or two struck inside Israel, near the border town of Kiryat Shmona. A UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, urging restraint, said it was working with the Lebanese Army to obtain further details of the attack.

South Lebanon is a stronghold of the Iranianbacked Hezbollah, a Shiite group that battled Israel seven years ago and is engaged in Syria’s civil war in support of President Bashar Al-Assad.

But Palestinian factions are also in the area. The strike, to which Israel said it responded with a barrage of shelling, came two days after a bomb blast in Beirut killed Mohamad Chatah, a former minister and leading adviser to Sunni former prime minister Saad Al-Hariri. Hariri has suggested Hezbollah was behind the assassination, drawing parallels with the 2005 explosion which killed his father Rafiq Al-Hariri. Hezbollah condemned Chatah’s killing as a “horrible crime”.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement the military responded to the rocket strike with “massive shelling toward the (rocket) launch area” and he threatened the use of “even greater force” if necessary. A Reuters witness in the Lebanon frontier area said 33 Israeli shells hit near two southern border towns. A Lebanese security source confirmed the count, and said no one was hurt. It was the first rocket strike from Lebanon since August, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel held the Beirut government responsible for any attacks emanating from Lebanese territory.

In his public remarks at Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of being involved in firing the rockets. “Hezbollah deploys thousands of rockets and missiles among the

SARADA, Lebanon: A Lebanese army soldier holds remains of a rocket that struck northern Israel while inspecting an area in this southern village yesterday. — AP civilian population. So it is committing a double war crime under the patronage of the Lebanese government and its army, who do nothing,” said Netanyahu. “We know that Iran, which continues to help the Syrian government to commit massacres against its people and arm terrorist organisations abroad, is behind Hezbollah,” the statement from his office charged.

His defence minister warned Beirut that tougher reprisals could follow. “We will not tolerate fire from Lebanon on our territory... We consider the Lebanese government and army responsible for this morning’s fire,” said Moshe Yaalon. “The Israeli army responded by firing a large number of shells at the area from where the rockets were fired. If necessary, it will be even tougher,” said the Israel minister.

There were no reports of further cross-border

attacks following the initial exchange. Tensions along the border flared this month when a Lebanese soldier killed an Israeli soldier across the border fence, after which the peacekeeping United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) met both sides to restore calm.

Officials suggested at the time that the shooting had been the isolated action of an individual. After yesterday’s rocket fire, UNIFIL’s commander, Major-General Paolo Serra, said in statement he had been assured by the Israeli and Lebanese armed forces of their continued commitment to a cessation of hostilities. “It is of paramount impor tance to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of this attack and we will spare no efforts to this end, working in cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces,” he said. — Agencies

Kerry in New Year trip to Mideast for peace talks JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State John Kerry will make a New Year’s Day trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories aiming to push forward peace talks as a nine-month deadline looms. The announcement of Kerry’s 10th visit to the region since March comes as Israel confirmed it would release another 26 Palestinian prisoners as soon as today. “On January 1, Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, and to Ramallah to meet with president (Mahmud) Abbas,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Saturday. “In these meetings, he will discuss the ongoing final status negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, among other issues,” she added in a statement.

After persuading the two sides to resume talks, Kerry has been pushing the Israelis and the Palestinians to reach a peace deal ahead of a deadline set to expire in late April. Earlier Saturday, a Palestinian official told AFP that Kerry would meet with Abbas on Jan 4. Psaki did not say how long Kerry would stay in Israel, but Palestinian sources said it would be a “number of days”. As part of the US-brokered deal that led to the relaunch of the peace talks in July, “the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners was authorised this evening”, said a statement from Netanyahu’s office. The prisoners were due to be freed “at least 48 hours” after a list of their names was published Saturday night, the statement added.

Israel agreed to free a total of 104 Palestinian prisoners during the peace talks, and has already released 52 in two separate batches.

After the third group is released, the remaining inmates are due to walk free in March 2014. The previous releases in August and October were

accompanied by Israeli announcements of fresh construction on land the Palestinians want for a future state, provoking international condemnation and Palestinian officials to say Israeli settlement plans are destroying the peace process.

Netanyahu is expected to announce plans next week for a further 1,400 homes in settlements in the West Bank, including annexed Arab east Jerusalem. Israeli daily Maariv reported on Thursday that Netanyahu had initially agreed to US and EU appeals to delay an announcement of new construction, but changed his mind under pressure from his coalition partners in order not

to project a “signal of weakness”.

Kerry has insisted that concrete progress is being been made in the peace talks but is remaining mum on details. “I’m personally encouraged that very tough issues are beginning to take shape,” he said in an interview with ABC television on Dec 15. “But we’ve agreed not to be talking about what we’re doing because it just creates great expectations. It creates pressure. It creates opposition, in some cases. I think it’s much better for us to do exactly what we’ve been doing, which is negotiate quietly and privately,” he added. —AP

RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets US Secretary of State John Kerry in this West Bank city in this Dec 12, 2013 file photo. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

Ukrainians rally after beating of journalist Over 50,000 people take to streets

MADRID: People attend an open-air mass yesterday. — AFP

Crowds hold mass after abortion law MADRID: Tens of thousands of Roman Catholics joined in an open-air mass in central Madrid yesterday to celebrate the Holy Family, just days after the Spanish government agreed to tighten the abortion law. As large crowds of believers packed the central Plaza de Colon square, many of them urged the government to go even further and implement an outright abortion ban without exceptions.

Madrid Archbishop Antonio Maria Rouco Varela lamented that Christian families were confronted by a public concept of personal life characterised by “transience”. “Not even the gift of life is understood as being definitive and inviolable and, therefore, neither is the gift of love,” he told the congregation.

Under pressure from the Church, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government announced on December 20 it would roll back a 2010 law that had allowed women to opt freely for abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The new law, yet to pass parliament where the ruling Popular Party enjoys an absolute majority, would allow abortion only in cases of rape or a threat to the physical or psychological health of the mother.

Elena Valenciano, deputy head of the opposition Socialist Party, said the Madrid archbishop had been the first to congratulate the government on its new abortion legislation. “The Catholic hierarchy in Spain has always wanted - as it has done for centuries - to govern the sexuality and uterus of women, who bishops have always distrusted,” she said in a statement.

But as the faithful in Madrid sang hymns and waved banners from regions across Spain and other nations including France and Italy, some of them said the government must take more drastic action. Angelita Yun, 75, who travelled by bus from Pozoblanco in the southern Spanish province of Cordoba to join the mass, said the new legislation should be improved. “If my mother had aborted I would not be here. It is bad. Abortion is terrible. It is a crime,” she said ahead of the mass, which is being held under the banner: “The family is a privileged place to spread the gospel to all nations”.

Her friend, 82-year-old Maria Cardador, agreed. “If they say there should not be a death penalty, then they also should not kill small children,” Cardador said. “They are killing so many children in those clinics. They should shut them all down, and that’s that.” Emilio Alponzeca, a 51year-old sailor from Lepe in southern Spain, said the mass, which is organised by the Archbishopric of Madrid, was a “meeting with God and family”. The new abortion law was no better than the previous version, he said, adding: “You cannot take a life.”

Ignacio Gonzalez, a 49-year-old salesman from Murcia in the south, travelled with his wife and six children to the mass, which included a live video link to Pope Francis’s weekly Angelus prayer in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square.

“The new abortion law does not go far enough; it is still possible to have an abortion,” Gonzalez said. During the 2004-2011 rule of previous prime minister Jose Luis Zapatero, hundreds of thousands of believers attended the annual mass, many of them outraged by his Socialist government’s legalisation of gay marriage in 2005 and the abortion reform of 2010. — AFP

Africa big market for stolen cars ABIDJAN: If luxury cars have become a more common sight on African roads, that is in part due to it becoming a prime destination for cars lifted off European streets. Africa, along with Russia, is believed by Interpol to be the top destination for the quarter of a million unrecovered stolen vehicles in Europe in the past five years. According to Sebastian Schmucker, in charge of combating the trafficking of stolen vehicles at the international police agency, cars stolen in northern Europe usually end up in Russia, while those in southern Europe are shipped to Africa.

Right-hand drive cars stolen from Britain often end up in South Africa, where driving is also on the left.

“Isolated thefts just because a car is beautiful don’t exist anymore,” said Schmucker. “The trafficking of stolen cars is part of organised crime, of drugs, weapons and even terrorism, which it finances. It is relatively simple and the risk is low,” he added. If the number of cars stolen has recently dipped, their value has increased. Thieves are targeting high-end vehicles. SUVs - urban four-wheel drive vehicles are “prefered in Africa due to the condition of the roads”, said Schmucker.

In Abidjan, a source familiar with the market for stolen cars said buyers place an order with an importer for a car, even requesting the colour of the seats. The importer “calls his team, who pore over classified ads in France”. Once they have found the proper vehicle, they turn up to the seller and buy the vehicle. “In fact they pay... but with false bank cheques. When then next day owners see their accounts credited with several tens of thousands of euros the next day they sign over their cars,” said the source.

By the time the banks realise cheques have been falsified the vehicles are already out of the country. Upon their arrival in Abidjan the cars are registered and the new owner thinks he has got a good deal on a used car. “They don’t know where they’ve come from,” said the source. The source said French authorities have been investigating the head of the gang, which is believed to be behind around 400 thefts, but the protection he receives in Abidjan as a result of his believed links to the regime means they have been unable to arrest him. According to Interpol, 160 stolen cars have been recovered in Africa since 2009. In 2012 in Germany alone, some 18,500 vehicles worth Ä250 million were stolen, according to Interpol data. — AFP

KIEV: Tens of thousands of irate Ukrainians rallied yesterday amid swelling anger over the brutal beating of a pro-European reporter who exposed the lavish lifestyles of President Viktor Yanukovych and his ruling elite. The angry crowd of more than 50,000 also planned to drive dozens of cars toward Yanukovych’s heavily guarded Mezhygirya residence on the banks of the Dnipro River that journalist Tetyana Chornovol accused the Ukrainian leader of illegally “privatising” in one of her exposes. “We plan come out here until the day the authorities make changes to the constitution and limit the powers of the president,” said Kiev pensioner Tetyana Kornienko amid a sea of Ukrainian flags fluttering across central Kiev’s iconic Independence Square.

Chornovol - a prominent figure in the proEU protests that have rocked Kiev since Yanukovych abandoned a historic agreement with Brussels in favour of closer ties with old master Moscow last month - was pulled out of her car and assaulted on Tuesday night.

The attack and graphic hospital images of Chornovol’s bloodied and swollen face have added fuel to the fire of weekly pro-EU protests that intially drew hundreds of thousands but began to peter out last Sunday.

The opposition appeared to be taken aback by a $15 billion (Ä11 billion) bailout package that Yanukovych struck with Russian

Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party said Chornovol’s beating showed that the authorities were ready to take grievous measures against their rivals, and called for still stronger protests. “We intend to conduct a ‘political auto rally’ on Sunday. First we will drive to the president’s residence. From there, we visit the speaker’s residence. And from the speaker’s to the residence of the prime minister,” Yatsenyuk said in a statement. “We have three key demands - to free the innocent (protesters arrested by the police), to jail the bandits and to dismiss the government,” he added.

KIEV: Ukrainian opposition supporters raise their hands and shout slogans during a mass rally on Independence Square yesterday. — AFP President Vladimir Putin on Dec 17 that also slashed the price Ukraine had to pay for natural gas imports on which its teetering economy depends. The deal removed the immediate threat of a painful Ukrainian currency devaluation and debt default but also dimmed the prospects of a so-called Association Agreement being struck with the

European Union in the coming months. EU diplomats said that talks with Ukraine can resume only after Kiev spells out its commitment to the terms of a deal with Brussels that the two sides had agreed through years of painful talks.

But opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk of jailed ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko’s

‘Particularly disturbing’ attack Chornovol said from her hospital bed on Friday that she had been followed by assailants “in a black luxury jeep” after spending the day taking photographs of the residencies of Interior Minister Vitali Zakharchenko and Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka.

“When you are struck by a luxury car, you understand that a price has been put on your life,” the 34-year-old told pro-opposition Channel 5 television. The Ukrainska Pravda opposition website reporter has published several investigations about Yanukovych’s “illegally privatised” luxurious residence around 15 km from Kiev. Chornovol said Friday that she had recently discovered another dwelling of the president. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

Obama presidency beset by fits, starts in year 5 WASHINGTON: It was a moment for Barack Obama to savor. His second inaugural address over, Obama paused as he strode from the podium last January, turning back for one last glance across the expanse of the National Mall, where a supportive throng stood in the winter chill to witness the launch of his new term. “I

want to take a look, one more time,” Obama said quietly. “I’m not going to see this again.” There was so much Obama could not - or did not - see then, as he opened his second term with a confident call to arms and an expansive liberal agenda.

He’d never heard of Edward Snowden, who would lay bare the

government’s massive surveillance program. Large-scale use of chemical weapons in Syria was only a threat. A government shutdown and second debt crisis seemed improbable. His health care law, the signature achievement of his presidency, seemed poised to make the leap from theory to reality.

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gestures as he talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. It was a moment for Barack Obama to savor. —AP

Obama had campaigned for reelection on the hope that a second term would bring with it a new spirit of compromise after years of partisan rancor on Capitol Hill. “My expectation is that there will be some popping of the blister after this election, because it will have been such a stark choice,” he’d said.

Instead, great expectations disappeared in fumbles and failures.

Obama’s critics doubled down.

Fractured Republicans, tugged to the right by the tea party, swore off compromise. The president’s outreach to Congress was somewhere between lacking and non-existent. Obama’s team dropped the ball - calamitously on his health care law. Snowden’s revelations had Democrats and Republicans alike calling for tighter surveillance rules. Foreign leaders were in a huff - Brazil’s president snubbing the offer of a White House state dinner, Germany’s Angela Merkel incensed that her cell phone calls had been intercepted. The president’s misplaced pledge that people who liked their health plans would be able to keep them ran into a harsh reality as millions saw their coverage canceled.

The year ended with a small-bore budget deal that was welcomed as breath of fresh air, a telling sign of how wildly things had veered off course in 2013. White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri called it a year of “fits and starts” for the president - and pre-

dicted better days ahead.

“We’ll probably come out of 2013 in better shape in terms of Congress and the White House being able to function together,” she said. Yet Obama’s agenda of gun control, immigration reform, a grand budget bargain and more sits unfulfilled.

Obama’s job approval and personal favorability ratings are near the lowest point of his presidency, with increasing numbers of Americans saying they no longer consider him to be honest or trustworthy. Abroad, too, positive views of Obama have slipped, with confidence in him doing the right thing in world affairs dropping.

The mantra for the Obama White House has always been to take the long view. Officials scoff at the “who’s up, who’s down” churn of Washington’s chattering class and recall with glee Obama’s ability to rebound from moments in his first term when his presidency was declared in peril.

But as Obama embarked on his second term, some of his closest outside advisers warned him that the next four years would have to be different: He was operating on a shorter leash, and might have just 18 months, perhaps as little as a year, to accomplish big domestic priorities. All Obama needed to do was look to his predecessors to see how quickly trouble can consume a second term.

Richard Nixon resigned. Ronald Reagan got ensnarled in the Iran-

Contra affair. Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about his dalliances with Monica Lewinsky. And George W Bush lost the public’s trust through his botched handling of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath and the unpopular Iraq War. Obama’s team thought it had a strategy for overcoming the secondterm curse. They would make a quick play for stricter gun control measures, then capitalize on the GOP’s postelection anxiety by pressing for an immigration overhaul and floating the possibility of a big budget deal.

Each of those efforts failed and Obama quickly found himself consumed by an unending series of distractions. Some were fleeting, like the revelations that the Internal Revenue Service was applying extra scrutiny to conservative groups. But others threatened long-term damage to his presidency: the National Security Agency disclosures and the disastrous rollout of the “Obamacare” health law.

Some events were beyond Obama’s control and his frustration with them was evident when he fumed in September, during the crisis over Syria: “I would much rather spend my time talking about how to make sure every 3- and 4-year-old gets a good education than I would spending time thinking about how I can prevent 3- and 4-year-olds from being subjected to chemical weapons and nerve gas.” —AP

Connecticut gun owners rush to register weapons Ne gun control law takes effect on Jan 1 HARTFORD, Connecticut: Connecticut gun owners are rushing to register certain firearms and ammunition that will be considered illegal contraband in the new year. People have been lining up early in the morning at the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s headquarters in Middletown in recent days to turn in applications for assault weapons certificates and

flood of registrations over the final days of 2013. “It sounds like a lot of these folks were holding off on doing it in anticipation of a potential decision or something,” Lawlor said, referring to pending legal challenges to the state law, which expanded the definition of assault weapons in Connecticut to include more banned weapons. The law also bans the sale or purchase of magazines that hold more

NEWTON: A shattered window at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza gunned own 20 first-graders and six educators with a semiautomatic rifle at the school on Dec 14, 2012, after killing his mother inside their home. Lanza committed suicide with a handgun as police arrived at the school. —AP high-capacity magazine declaration forms so they can legally keep the items.

Under a wide-ranging gun control law, passed earlier this year in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Newtown, gun owners have until Tuesday to submit the paperwork. Michael Lawlor, Governor Dannel P Malloy’s undersecretary for criminal justice, predicted a

than 10 rounds of ammunition. Like the newly defined assault weapons, existing magazines can be kept so long as they’re registered with the state.

“One thing is clear,” Lawlor said. “If you haven’t registered it, on the following day, it is completely illegal contraband” starting on Jan 1. The Connecticut Citizens Defense League, which is participating in a legal challenge of the new law, has

News

in brief

GOP can count ways to Senate majority WASHINGTON: Republicans count enough competitive races to challenge Democrats for control of the Senate in next year’s elections.

But tea party challenges will make it complicated for them. Many Republicans worry about crowded primaries in states such as Georgia, Iowa and North Carolina where tea partyers and social conservatives are fighting for the nomination. Some feel tea party victors in similar fights prevented Republicans from winning a Senate majority in 2010 and again in 2012. Democrats hold an effective 55-45 edge in the Senate now. Republicans need a net gain of six seats to capture control.

The numbers favor them. Democrats will be defending 21 of 35 seats to be decided next November. President Barack Obama’s falling popularity and the unpopularity of his health care law also could help GOP candidates.

Chile plane crash claims 4 lives SANTIAGO: All four people aboard a small airplane were killed when it plunged to the ground at an airport northwest of the Chilean capital, police said yesterday. The plane crashed at the Chacabuco airport, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Santiago. General Richardo Soler, head of the regional police, told the daily La Tercera said that officials will probe the cause of the crash.

been working to remind gun owners that the deadline to register and declare the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is approaching quickly.

“Many people are still not aware of the law itself, or the actual date of implementation,” President Scott Wilson said. “While CCDL wholeheartedly believes that this law is unconstitutional, we want to make sure that law-abiding gun owners do not become felons on Jan 1.” Wilson said his organization is particularly concerned that people may not be aware they’re affected by the law because many handgun magazines and semi-automatic rifle magazines with a capacity to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition were sold standard along with guns before April 4, the last day people could legally purchase or sell those weapons and magazines in Connecticut. There are exceptions for members of the military, law enforcement and others. Wilson has estimated there may be as many as 20,000 weapons in Connecticut affected by the new law.

Lt J Paul Vance, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, said the agency is trying to make the process as smooth as possible for those looking to register their weapons and magazines. For example, notaries have been stationed at the DESPP headquarters to assist applicants. To obtain an assault weapon certificate, gun owners need to submit proof such as a valid sales receipt that they purchased the weapon before April 4. They also can submit a sworn affidavit that must be notarized.

The application requires information such as the individual’s name, address, telephone number, motor vehicle operator’s license, sex, height, weight and thumbprint, as well as information about the weapon, including the serial number, model and any unique markings.

The large-capacity magazine declaration form includes much of the same information, including the applicant’s address and driver’s license number.

Under the new law, the registered large-capacity magazines can be kept fully filled at the owner’s home. They can also be taken to a licensed shooting range or gun club and filled to capacity there.

Ultimately, advocates hope the law will prompt people to turn in the magazines. “I think over time, there’s just going to be fewer and fewer of those in circulation,” Lawlor said. —AP

Nevada again aims to name Tahoe cove for Twain RENO, Nevada: Nevada officials have launched a new bid to give Mark Twain recognition in the state where he assumed his pen name 150 years ago, but it doesn’t come without opposition. The Nevada State Board on Geographic Names is again pushing a proposal to name a scenic Lake Tahoe cove for Samuel Clemens, Twain’s real name. But it no longer maintains the inlet should be named for Twain because he actually camped there in 1861.

The board’s national counterpart rejected the request two years ago in a 5-4 vote, citing as a factor doubt about whether Twain camped at the spot. Nevada board members now say they want to name the cove for Twain merely because of his association with Tahoe and the lack of a geographic feature in the state named for him. His book “Roughing It” put Nevada on the map and included an oft-quoted poetic phrase about the Sierra Nevada lake that straddles the California-Nevada border.

“Whether or not the cove was Mark Twain’s campsite does not matter in the national scheme to put a name to that cove,” Bob Stewart, a member of the state board, said. “The very fact that he was associated with the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe makes an unnamed point on Tahoe eligible for naming for him.” But Stewart, a historical researcher and former US Bureau of Land Management employee, said he still believes Twain camped at the cove on Lake Tahoe’s northeast shore near Incline Village.

“Personally, I’m totally comfortable that this is the campsite, but this is not the point of this nomination,” he said. David Antonucci, of Homewood, California, a civil engineer and history writer who

maintains Twain camped on the California side of the lake, pledged to fight the new bid. His opposition was cited as a factor in the earlier decision by the US Board on Geographic Names.

“It’s just a backdoor attempt to accomplish what was earlier rejected by the national board,” he said. “I don’t think they’re fooling anyone. You’d have to be naive to think if it was named Samuel Clemens Cove that the proponents would not promote that as the site where he camped.”

The request also should be rejected because Lake Tahoe is the ancestral homeland of some Nevada tribes and Twain made racist statements against American Indians, said Antonucci, author of “Fairest Picture: Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe.”

The national board also cited opposition by the US Forest Service as a factor in its decision. But the agency has since sent a letter to the state saying it would not take a position on the new request.

While Twain wrote adoringly about Lake Tahoe, the Forest Service noted that “his legacy also is that he carelessly started a forest fire” at his camp there. Twain accidentally started the wildfire in September 1861 while preparing to cook dinner.

He and a companion staked a timber claim there, weeks after he arrived in Carson City, with his brother, Orion, then secretary of Nevada Territory.

Twain later assumed his pen name as a newspaper reporter in Virginia City.

That first trip to Lake Tahoe inspired Twain to write the famous lines: “As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface, I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” —AP

ESCONDIDO, California: Magali Ortiz bakes traditional Oaxacan goods (left) among other things in his Ortiz Oaxacan Bakery in Escondido, California. As Latinos surpass whites as California’s largest racial or ethnic group early next year, more are getting elected to public office, including the mayors of Los Angeles and Sacramento. Not so in Escondido, which is among a smattering of cities with large Latino populations that have eluded their grasp. —AP

Diversity prompts increased racial isolation WATSONVILLE, California: In a grassy downtown plaza, strolling musicians wearing glitzy cowboy outfits blast a mariachi song, while Spanish-speaking shoppers bustle between farm stands, sampling tart cactus leaves, sniffing roasting chilies and buying bundles of warm pork tamales.

The scene is an increasingly typical one in towns across California, where Hispanics are on pace to become the largest ethnic group next year. And Watsonville is but one of dozens of California communities where Hispanics outnumber whites. The town of 52,000 on the picturesque Central Coast, where good soil and pleasant weather enrich crops of strawberries and lettuce, and a driven and determined low-wage workforce fuels small factories producing everything from high-end shock absorbers to handcrafted glassware.

Spanish is spoken in most homes and businesses in town, and one out of five households is linguistically isolated, meaning no one over 14 speaks English. Rising immigration hasn’t made Watsonville more diverse; it is a community heading toward racial isolation, a growing phenomenon in a state that offers one possible look at how the US may change as non-Hispanic whites become a minority in the coming months.

Like most US towns, Watsonville has been formed by waves of immigrants, Croats, Portuguese, Filipinos and Japanese, each arriving with their own language, customs and cuisine. The current surge of Hispanics has brought a Latin American influence.

“For me, downtown Watsonville is like being in a small Mexican town,” said Oscar Rios, who was Watsonville’s first Latino mayor. “Everyone speaks Spanish. The restaurants are Mexican. It’s got a very different feel than a traditional American town.” Rios came into office after a landmark voting rights case 25 years ago deemed Watsonville’s at-large election system discriminatory and mandated district elections to end all-white political leadership. At the time, 50 percent of the residents were Hispanic.

Today, 82 percent are either immigrants, or descendants of immigrants, mostly from Mexico but also elsewhere in Latin America. “Communities where Latinos live are becoming more and more Latino over time,” said Brown University sociologist John Logan. “And as more Latinos arrive, they’re still living in very separate neighborhoods.”

But predominantly white neighbor-

hoods are also seeing an influx of Latinos, Logan said. Hans Johnson at the Public Policy Institute of California said there are signs of increasing residential segregation, but that that becomes a problem only when places that are highly segregated end up becoming economically depressed for generations of immigrants.

“Here I would say the track record in California has been, so far, that we see pretty strong improvements from the first generation to second generation,” he said.

Watsonville, where 40 percent of the residents are foreign born, is in the early phase of the transformation. The community has a 23 percent unemployment rate, and poverty rates twice as high as the rest of California.

Nahara Villalobos, 17, who will be a senior at Watsonville High School this fall, is determined to move up, educationally and economically. Her parents immigrated to California from Mexico about 25 years ago. Her father works on a mushroom farm and her mother is a housewife, caring for Nahara’s disabled older sister.

Although she was born in the US, Nahara didn’t learn English well until she was 9, and to this day she acts as her family translator at doctor appointments, signing leases, filling out contracts and tax forms.

When her family moved onto an allwhite block five years ago, it was Nahara who had to explain to her father that neighbors were asking if he was an excon, and her mother if she was the housecleaner. “You wouldn’t believe the way the neighbors treated us,” she said. “I’m going to get out of here, be the first in my family to go to college, become a lawyer. I’m not just saying this. I’m going to do it.”

A member of the Watsonville Youth City Council, Nahara interned this summer at City Hall, and ser ves on her school’s Conflict Resolution Team. Walk ing in downtown Watsonville, Nahara doesn’t notice that almost every sign is exclusively in Spanish, from the barber shop, “Cortes de Pelo,” to dress shop notices asking patrons to not bring in food or drink: “Por favor, no pase con comida o bebida.”

At t h e co u r t h o u s e o n t h e co r n e r, interpreters are at work in all four courtrooms, helping judges and lawyers communicate with clients dealing with everything from divorce settlements to murder charges. At the public library, laughter, stories and music ring out from Bilingual Toddler Time. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

Anxious wait for stranded Antarctic ship SYDNEY: Passengers on a Russian research ship trapped in thick Antarctic ice faced an uncertain wait Sunday for one last icebreaking attempt with no guarantees of success.

The MV Akademik Shokalskiy has been marooned by heavy ice since Tuesday about 100 nautical

miles east of the French Antarctic base Dumont d’Urville, with two icebreaking ships so far failing in attempts to reach it.

China’s Snow Dragon came tantalisingly close on Saturday, getting to within six-and-a-half nautical miles of the passenger vessel carrying 74 scientists, tourists

and crew before impenetrable ice forced it to turn back.

The Australian government’s resupply ship Aurora Australis is now en route to make one final bid to free the icebound boat and is expected to reach the Akademik at 11pm Australian time (1200 GMT).

This image taken by passenger Andrew Peacock of www.footloosefotography.com yesterday shows a thin fresh coat of snow on the trapped ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy as it waits to be rescued. —AFP

“It will then assess if it can make it through the ice to the Ak ademik Shok alsk iy,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told AFP. “If the Aurora Australis is not capable of getting through the ice, then we will look at utilising the helicopter on board the Chinese -flagged vessel (the Snow Dragon) which AMSA’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) has tasked to remain in the vicinity.” The Snow Dragon’s helicopter did a reconnaissance flight over the site yesterday afternoon to determine the best approach route for the Australian icebreaker and returned with promising news.

“RCC Australia has been advised that ice conditions are improving,” an AMSA spokeswoman said.

Those on board the ship also reported an easing in the ice, with BBC journalist Andrew Luck-Baker describing “big cracks appearing way towards the horizon”. “Pools of water are beginning to open up and we’re just wondering whether this is our lucky break,” Luck-Baker told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Air rescue planned The Aurora Australis has the highest icebreaking rate of the three vessels initially sent to the

Akademik’s rescue, which also included France’s L’Astrolabe, but there is no guarantee it will be able to reach the Russian ship. The Australian icebreaker can cut ice up to 1.6 metres thick but the Akademik is estimated to be surrounded by ice of between three and four metres.

Aurora Australis captain Murray Doyle said Saturday that his vessel was not built to tackle ice thicker than three metres, likening it to driving a car into a brick wall.

Expedition co-leader Greg Mortimer said contingency plans had been made if the Australian vessel couldn’t reach them “in the next few days” to evacuate the Akademik, using the Snow Dragon’s helicopter to ferry passengers off the ice to other ships to return home “via the Ross Sea or (Australia’s) Casey (Antarctic) base”.

The call to abandon icebreaking efforts in favor of an air rescue would be made by the ships’ captains, led by Doyle, he added.

“We’ll know I guess within 12 hours of the arrival of the Aurora Australis how that’s going to unfold, because if they arrive and the conditions are looking like the winds are going to be in our favour we’ve got a lot more on our side,” Mortimer told The Guardian.

Prevailing south- easterly winds have compressed the ice, making it more difficult to break, and Doyle will be hoping for a westerly which will ease pressure on the ice and boost cutting efforts.

He said the passengers would get off the ship but “what form that takes I don’t know”.

Despite the uncertainty of their plight the ship’s passengers were reported to be safe, well and in good spirits, passing their time by playing board games, watching films and taking walks on the ice to photograph passing penguins. Some recorded video messages to family anxious for news back home.

“Just saying hi to let you know we’re going to be a little bit late, the ship’s stuck in a lot of really really heavy ice and the Aurora Australis is coming in to get us,” Australian marine biologist Tracey Rogers said in a video update for her son and daughter. The group, which includes Australians, Britons and New Zealanders, became stuck when unexpected weather forced their ship into heavy ice. An intense blizzard appears to have increased the buildup of ice around them. They have been on board for three weeks and had intended to return to New Zealand by early January. —AFP

Prayers and vigil as India remembers rape victim Steady stream of new cases of rape continues NEW DELHI: With vigils and prayers, India yesterday marked the first anniversary of the death of a student savagely gang-raped on a bus-a tragedy that sparked nationwide protests against the treatment of women. The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died on December 29 last year, nearly two weeks after being attacked by a gang of six men on a moving bus as she returned home from

memory of our sister,” the brother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said.

“The local villagers have been coming to our home since the morning and giving their wishes and strength to us,” said the brother, who earlier told AFP the family wanted to remember her “in a quiet way, away from all the glare”. The family are following traditional Hindu rituals, with a prayer

NEW DELHI: Indian demonstrators hold candles in honour of a physiotherapy student who was gang-raped and murdered at a protest to mark the one year anniversary of her death in New Delhi yesterday. —AFP the cinema in New Delhi with a male companion.

The attack and her subsequent death shook the country, shone a global spotlight on India’s treatment of women and unleashed seething public anger about sexual violence and harassment of women. The victim’s family held a religious ceremony in their ancestral village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, away from the constant media attention they have faced since the attack, her brother said. “We held prayers in

ceremony and symbolic offerings to their ancestors, which are believed to bring peace to those who have died.

The student, who was repeatedly assaulted with an iron rod during her ordeal, has been praised for her determination to report her attackers to the police before she died of her injuries.

Although the brother welcomed reforms to police and judicial systems since his sister’s death,

Thousands of Cambodians rally to demand PM ouster PHNOM PENH: Tens of thousands of Cambodian opposition supporters, backed by striking garment-factory workers, rallied yesterday to demand longserving Prime Minister Hun Sen step down and call an election. The garment workers have in recent days joined the opposition protests to press their demand that the government raise the minimum wage to $160 a month from $95, as recommended on Dec. 24.

“Hun Sen and his illegal government can hear us, they can’t ignore us, the people show their will for change,” Sam Rainsy, leader of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, told the rally in a Phnom Penh park. “We demand that Hun Sen to steps down and a new election,” Sam Rainsy, a former finance minister, told the crowd, some of whom have been camping out in the park since Dec. 15. Hun Sen’s long-dominant Cambodian People’s Party won a July election but with a reduced majority. It has rejected opposition complaints of voterigging.

Hun Sen, who has been in power for 28 years, has ignored opposition demands for an investigation into the election and says that he will not resign or call a new election. Under Hun Sen, Cambodia has been transformed from a backwater

scarred by the “Killing Fields” rule of the Khmer Rouge, into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economies, helped by a burgeoning garment industry and growing political and investment ties with China. But his authoritarian rule has earned the condemnation of rights groups and that, along with widespread corruption, has alienated many voters.

Many of them have now come out onto the street in a sustained show of defiance that would have been almost unthinkable before the election.

Cambodia’s garment manufacturers, meanwhile, have for years enjoyed low wages and relaxed labor conditions.

But Chea Mony, president of the country’s biggest labor union, the Free Trade Union, told Reuters that more than 200 of 600 factories had closed because of the strike for higher pay.

“The new minimum wage is not acceptable to workers so there must be talks on the demand for $160,” Chea Mony said.

Garment and shoe factory representative said the strike was damaging the industry.

“The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia would like to inform all stakeholders that our industry is unable to continue operations given the current situation,” association Secretary General Ken Loo said in a statement. —Reuters

he said still more changes were needed, including a further shift in society’s attitudes towards women.

“We do think that society as a whole still needs to change its mindset and even women should become more careful about their safety,” he said. The angry and sometimes violent protests against the attack jolted India’s parliament, which this year passed tougher laws against rapists and other sexual offenders. Rape cases reported daily across the country.

Four of her attackers were convicted and given the death penalty in September after the case was fast-tracked, while a juvenile was sentenced to a detention centre. The sixth man died in prison in March in an apparent suicide.

Women’s groups agree that improvements have been made to slow, inefficient and sometimes corrupt policing and judicial systems, and these changes have encouraged more victims to report sex crimes. But a steady stream of new cases of rape continues to be reported daily in the Indian press. An ambulance driver allegedly raped a 10-year-old girl after he drove her sick mother to hospital in the central state of Chhattisgarh, the Press Trust of India reported.

Police have charged the driver over the incident in Kanker district on December 23, the news agency reported on Saturday. In the capital, a small group of school students and workers gathered yesterday at Jantar Mantar, a protest site in the city centre where a makeshift memorial has been set up for the victim. They placed small lamps, candles and flowers around the memorial during a vigil, one of several expected to take place across the city.

They urged lawmakers to push ahead with reforms aimed at reducing crimes against women, including speeding up the justice system. “We want the Indian government to set fixed time-frames for police investigations, court trials and ultimately punishment for the accused,” said Vikas Tyagi, a call-centre worker.

“A lot more still needs to be done to ensure that India becomes an absolute rape-free nation,” Akash Kumar, a school student from the nearby satellite town of Gurgaon, said. —AFP

Families wait for bodies of loved ones in train fire NEW DELHI: Indian families faced an agonizing wait yesterday for the bodies of their loved ones after a fire raced through a train carriage and claimed 26 lives. The blaze swept through the packed carriage on Saturday while passengers were sleeping as the train was travelling from the southern city of Bangalore to the city of Nanded.

Some 20 charred bodies have so far been identified but only eight of them have been handed over to relatives, an Indian Railways official, N Ramesh, said at the scene at the tragedy.

DNA tests were being conducted on the bodies for formal identification, with all of those killed taken to a local hospital in Andhra Pradesh state, he told the Press Trust of India news agency. “These tests take a minimum of 48 hours or more, depending upon doctors. We request the families of the deceased to come forward for (help with) identifying the bodies charred in the train mishap,” he said.

Railways Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($8,000) for the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees for passengers who were injured.

Kharge told AFP on Saturday that the blaze was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault. India’s underfunded and accident-prone rail network, one of the world’s largest, is still the main form of long-distance travel in the huge country despite fierce competition from private airlines.

Some passengers were able to break the toilet windows of the train on Saturday, but other victims were overcome by the thick, swirling smoke. Bodies were found at the windows and doors, reports said. The carriage was gutted by the inferno and was a mass of twisted metal and melted plastic seats.

Adjacent coaches also bore scorch marks, testifying to the ferocity of the fire. —AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf addresses foreign media representatives at his farmhouse in Islamabad yesterday.

Musharraf denounced treason charges against him as a “vendetta” and said he had the backing of the country’s powerful army. —AFP

Musharraf says army backs him over treason ‘vendetta’ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf yesterday denounced treason charges against him as a “vendetta”, and said he had the backing of the country’s powerful army.

The 70-year-old told reporters the “whole army” was upset with the treason allegations, in his first comments to international media since he was put under house arrest in April. The treason claims are the latest and potentially most serious in a flurry of criminal cases relating to Musharraf’s nine-year rule that he has faced since returning to Pakistan in March.

The case puts the government on a possible collision course with the all-powerful army, which is seen as being reluctant to witness its former chief suffer the indignity of being tried by a civilian court. “I would say the whole army is upset. I have led the army from the front,” Musharraf told reporters. “I have no doubt with the feedback that I received that the whole army is... Totally with me on this issue.”

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 66-year history and still wields great influence, has not made any clear public comment on Musharraf’s legal woes. The treason charges relate to Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule in November 2007, and if found guilty he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment. An initial hearing in the case, being heard by a special tribunal, was halted on December 24 after explosives were found along the route Musharraf was to take to court.

The case is due to resume on January 1, but Musharraf said he had not yet decided whether or not he would attend. “The way this tribunal was formed, which involved the prime minister and the ex-chief justice, this itself smacks a little bit of a vendetta,” he said yesterday.

Musharraf ’s lawyers have dismissed the charges as an attempt by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999, to settle old scores through the courts.

Legal barrage Musharraf returned to Pakistan to run in May’s general election-won by Sharif-but his homecoming proved to be disastrous. He was barred from running for office almost immediately and then hit with a series of serious criminal allegations dating back to his time in power, which ended in 2008.

These include murder charges over the assassination in late 2007 of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, as well as the death of a rebel leader, a deadly military raid on a radical mosque and the detention of judges. Musharraf’s tribulations represent a dramatic change in fortunes for the man who led Pakistan into its alliance with Washington’s “war on terror” and was a staunch ally of then-US president George W Bush.

To add to the former commando’s humiliation, in April he was placed under house arrest-an unprecedented move against a former army chief in Pakistan.

He has now been granted bail in all of the cases against him and is technically a free man, but threats to his life mean he lives under heavy guard in his farmhouse on the edge of Islamabad. The cases have ground through Pakistan’s notoriously slow legal system, moving from adjournment to adjournment with little clear progress made apart from the granting of bail. There have been persistent rumors that a deal would be struck to let him leave Pakistan before facing the courts to avoid a clash between the army and government. But no deal has been forthcoming and last week, speaking publicly for the first time since his house arrest began, Musharraf vowed to stay and fight to clear his name. As the treason case has drawn closer, Musharraf’s team have stepped up their media campaign in an effort to enlist international support. At a press conference in London last week, his British lawyers said they had written to urge the UN to intervene in what they called a “stage-managed show trial”. They also urged London and Washington to support Musharraf to “repay their debt” for his support in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. —AFP

Most Japanese want PM to heed fallout over Yasukuni TOKYO: A majority of Japanese voters want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to heed the diplomatic fallout after his visit to a controversial war shrine, but nevertheless largely approved of his job performance, a poll showed yesterday. In a telephone survey taken

by Kyodo News on Saturday and yesterday, 69.8 percent of respondents said the conservative leader should pay attention to the implications of his recent surprise visit to the Yasukuni shrine. It also showed that 47.1 percent said it was “not good” that Abe visited the shrine. The news agency did not immediately release details of the nationwide survey, such as the number of participants. Abe on Thursday visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which is believed to be the repository of around 2.5 million souls of Japan’s war dead-most of them common soldiers, but also including several high-level officials executed for war crimes after World War II. The visit-which came at a time when Japan’s ties with China have turned particularly sour over a territorial

dispute regarding islands in the East China Seaprompted an angry reaction from Beijing, which sees the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s war-time militarism.

Three Chinese government ships entered the territorial waters around the East China Sea islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, for several hours yesterday, according to the Japanese coastguard. Seoul also reacted angrily to Abe’s visit to the shrine, while Japan’s ally the United States said it was “disappointed” by the prime minister’s decision as it will raise regional tensions.

Japanese pundits also voiced worries that the visit could damage Tokyo’s already strained ties with the key neighboring trade partners.

However, the premier’s conservative supporters hailed the visit as a major victory that showed a common sense respect that fallen soldiers deserve, and said foreign governments have no business talking about Japan’s domestic affairs. —AP

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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Deadly clashes erupt in Bangladesh Two die as Zia supporters battle security forces DHAKA: Police barred Bangladesh’s opposition leader from leaving home yesterday to lead a banned march in protest at an upcoming election, as two people died in battles between her supporters and security forces.

Police fired water cannon and shotguns during clashes throughout the capital with hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom threw home-made bombs. Scores of officers blocked Khaleda Zia from leaving her home in an upscale neighborhood in Dhaka in her car for the march, fearing her presence would inflame unrest in the build-up to the January 5 election.

Zia, a two-time former premier, had been scheduled to address supporters converging in Dhaka for the march that she called to try to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and halt the poll. Zia, who is under de facto house arrest, harangued the rows of officers barricading her front gate, as she again urged her supporters to converge in the capital for the socalled “March of Democracy”.

“You’re supposed to be on the streets, why are you now in my gate? Don’t touch me!” Zia told the officers, footage on private Channel 24 television showed. “This government is illegal.

Democracy is now dead,” she told reporters gathered at her house. The march is the latest tactic by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies in a campaign to force Hasina to quit and make way for

a neutral caretaker government to oversee the polls.

Police battled protesters who tried to gather at the opposition’s headquarters, the national press club and other places throughout Dhaka. In the Rampura neighborhood, officers fired shotguns at more than 200 bomb-throwing demonstrators in clashes that left one person dead. A security guard at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station was killed by a small bomb thrown by protesters, a senior police officer said.

“We fired shotguns to disperse the protesters who exploded dozens of small bombs (in Rampura),” assistant police commissioner Nur Alam Siddiqui said, adding that one protester later died in hospital.

Ruling party activists armed with sticks and rocks also attacked pro-opposition lawyers and demonstrators outside the country’s top court and at the press club, a photographer said.

Police on the streets Some 11,000 police and elite Rapid Action Battalion officers were patrolling the capital to try to halt the march, Dhaka police spokesman Masudur Rahman said.

Police fear the rally will provoke more bloodshed after what has already been the deadliest year for political violence since independence in 1971. Protests, strikes and transport blockades called by the opposition

throughout the country since October have left more than 100 dead and crippled the impoverished nation’s economy.

Police detained more than 1,000 opposition supporters as a “preventive measure” before the latest march, while authorities suspended Dhaka-bound bus, ferry and train services-virtually cutting off the city from the rest of the country. Police spokesman Rahman said the arrests were made before the march “to prevent acts of violence and sabotage”. “We’ve not approved the BNP protests. So anyone trying to gather outside the BNP office will face arrest,” he said.

Five sand-laden trucks were parked outside the gate of Zia’s residence before the march, apparently to prevent her leaving. The government has described the march as undemocratic, with the deputy law minister Quamrul Islam urging ruling party supporters to resist the protests “with sticks”.

The strikes and blockades have further damaged the economy, already reeling from the impact on the crucial garment sector of a factory collapse in April which sparked widespread industrial unrest.

Hasina has refused to yield to demands to step down. But the credibility of the upcoming polls has been further undermined by the refusal of foreign countries and organizations to send observers.

With Hasina’s Awami League certain of vic-

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia gestures as she walks out of her home in Dhaka yesterday. — AP tory, the elections are seen as likely to further widen the political divide in a country which has endured nearly two dozen coups in its short history.

Violence triggered by the election protests, and by demonstrations against war crimes trials for opposition leaders, has killed 275 people this year. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

ANALYSIS

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

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

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

Blazing cannabis trail, US states eye tourism surge

By Michael Thurston

M

arijuana users in Colorado and Washington are counting down the hours before the western US states become the first to legalize recreational pot shops on Jan 1. Blazing a trail they hope will be followed in other parts of the United States, cannabis growers and others are also rubbing their hands, while tax collectors are eyeing the revenue the newly-legalized trade will generate.

Enterprising companies are even offering marijuana tours to cash in on tourists expected to be attracted to a Netherlands-style pot culture - including in Colorado’s famous ski resorts.

“Just the novelty alone is bringing people from everywhere,” said Adam Raleigh of cannabis supplier Telluride Bud Co. “I have people driving in from Texas, Arizona, Utah... to be a part of history. “Over the last month I have received somewhere between four to six emails a day and five to 10 phone calls a day asking all about the law and when should people plan their ski trip to go along with cannabis,” he added.

Medical marijuana is already legal and regulated in 19 US states, and has been allowed in some cases for the past 20 years. And in most of them, private consumption of cannabis is not classified as a crime.

But Colorado and Washington are creating a recreational market in which local authorities will oversee growing, distribution and marketing - all of it legal for people to get high just for the fun of it. The market is huge: from $1.4 billion in medical marijuana in 2013 it will grow by 64 percent to $2.34 billion in 2014 with recreational pot added in Colorado and Washington, according to Arcview Market Research, which tracks and publishes data on the cannabis industry. Both states legalized recreational consumption of marijuana in referendums in November last year, but new rules coming into force on Jan 1 allow cannabis shops.

In Colorado, famous for its Rocky Mountain ski resorts, officials this week issued 348 retail marijuana licenses including for small shops which from Jan 1 can sell up to 28 gm of pot to people aged 21 or older. Washington state authorities have received applications for 3,746 marijuana business licenses, including 867 retail licenses, according to The Seattle Times newspaper, which urged caution in an editorial.

“Legalization of marijuana (is) a seismic change in drug-control policy, perhaps the biggest since the end of alcohol prohibition. Supporters and skeptics need to take a deep breath,” it said.

Colorado’s branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) said everyone will benefit. “It will mean jobs, tax revenue for the state and local jurisdictions, increased tourism, and a developing progressive new industry in Colorado,” NORML attorney Rachel Gillette told AFP. “It will also have an impact in that marijuana sales will be brought out of the shadows and the black market,” she added.

Michael Elliott, head of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, noted that Colorado has licensed medical marijuana businesses since 2010, but said the influx of tourists for recreational use of pot could lead to shortages. “It’s tough to know whether supply will meet demand, mainly because it’s tough to know the impact of tourism on this new market,” he said. “It looks like demand will exceed supply, so I anticipate that prices in Colorado will go up ... But as time goes on, more businesses will open meaning there will be more supply,” he added.

Telluride Bud Co’s Raleigh compared decriminalizing pot shops to legalizing same-sex weddings, which are now allowed in more than a third of US states. “Give it six months, and when other states see that the sky didn’t fall and the revenue we are producing, I believe this will spread just like gay marriage,” he said. “You just can’t stop the will of the people.” —AFP

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

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Worker abuse by diplomats a problem

By Colleen Long

T

he prosecution of an Indian consular official in New York accused of forcing her maid to toil for little pay highlights a problem advocates say is all too common - workers for foreign governments who bring along the baggage of human trafficking to the US. Because of the complications surrounding immunity laws, many abuse cases often go unreported or uncharged, advocates say. Victims’ claims often end up in civil court for that reason, they say. There have been at least 20 cases in the past decade filed by workers who said they were brought to the US by diplomatic officials and threatened with abuse, forced to work endless hours and kept isolated, with their employers not charged criminally.

“We’ve seen it across the board, we’ve seen with country missions to the UN, we’ve seen it with consular officials, diplomats of all levels,” said anti-trafficking attorney Dana Sussman, who is representing the maid in the Indian case. The case against Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, is unusual in part because the US State Department has said she does not have immunity, a claim her attorney and the Indian government are disputing. Khobragade, 39, was charged with visa fraud and accused of lying on a form to secretly pay her housekeeper barely $3 an hour.

Her attorney Daniel Arshack has said that his client is innocent and that investigators made a critical error by misreading her visa applications, which were not fraudulent. The case has prompted outrage and protests in India, where officials there say she is the innocent victim of a scheming worker. They say her strip-search and jailing by federal authorities was inhumane. Khobragade has asked to be transferred to India’s UN mission, contingent on State Department approval. She would have broader immunity in that position, but it’s not clear how that would affect her current case.

Advocates worry the outcry could silence further prosecutions. “Everybody in the advocacy community hopes this doesn’t set us back,” said Avaloy Lanning, the head of anti-trafficking program at the nonprofit Safe Horizon. “All of us are applauding the federal government for taking this stand, it was quite courageous and precedent-setting, and sends the message that we care about victims in these cases.”

Immunity Nations provide immunity to diplomats so they can engage in their jobs without fear of detainment or prosecution under a vastly different judicial system. The type of immunity depends on the level of an international worker’s job. When prosecutors wish to prosecute a diplomat with immunity, the State Department requests a waiver, and if the country refuses, the diplomat is deported, a department official said. The State Department says it records mistreatment allegations made against diplomats and international workers in a database, but a spokeswoman would not say how many names were in the database or who was listed.

“We have taken unprecedented steps both to advise domestic workers of their rights in this country, and to impress upon diplomats that they are obligated to abide by our laws,” Psaki said. “And when abuses do occur, we have done everything in our power to get victims out of harm’s way and bring their abusers to justice.”

An Italian consular official in San Francisco who did not have immunity was arrested on charges of abusing his Brazilian servant in 2011, pleaded guilty to lesser charges this year and was sentenced to probation and fined $13,000. US officials also arrested Taiwan’s envoy in Kansas City in 2011, on charges of trafficking maids from the Philippines. The government there at first demanded the woman’s release claiming she had immunity, but eventually relented and she was jailed and deported.

Impunity “The rule of the day has always been to intimidate t h e s e v i c t i m s i n to g o i n g aw ay,” s a i d M a r t i n a Vandenberg, a lawyer who runs a nonprofit that offers l e g a l h e l p to t r a f f i c k i n g v i c t i m s. S h e s a i d t h e Khobragade case shows the US is willing to prosecute, and won’t let diplomatic immunity “mean impunity”, she said. Last year, the Republic of Mauritius waived immunity for its ambassador to the United States, who was charged and fined $5,000 for failing to properly pay a domestic worker minimum hourly and overtime wages in New Jersey after he pleaded guilty to one count of failing to pay the minimum wage rate.

But many cases in recent years weren’t prosecuted criminally, because of a lack of evidence or because of immunity complications, and ended up in civil courts.

In Aug 2011, Santosh Bhardwaj said she was lured to the United States with a promise of $10 per hour wages plus overtime and good working conditions.

Instead, her lawsuit said, she was subjected for a year to forced labor and psychological coercion while she labored from early morning to late at night, seven days a week, at the Manhattan apar tment of the thenConsul General of India at the Consulate General of India in New York. The suit ended in an undisclosed settlement.

In another case filed in July 2010, Shanti Gurung claimed she was “essentially kidnapped in her native India at 17 and trafficked to the US”, where she was held in involuntary servitude for over three years by a counselor at the Consulate General of India in New York, and her husband, an engineer. After arriving in 2006, Gurung was forced to work 16-hour days, seven days a week, and was forced to sleep on the living room floor even though there were empty bedrooms, while enduring isolation and psychological abuse, the suit said. Last year, a judge awarded Gurung nearly $1.5 million. —AP

NYC mayor inherits counter-terror force

By Tom Hays and Colleen Long

A

t a recent briefing in lower Manhattan, the New York Police Department gave an auditorium full of private security executives plenty to worry about. One of the NYPD’s intelligence analysts warned that some New Yorkers have gone to fight in the Syrian civil war and could come back radicalized against the West. A high-ranking officer described drills testing the NYPD’s ability to respond to a dirty radioactive bomb attack.

And a detective offered a detailed analysis of the deadly siege at a shopping mall in Nairobi, brashly challenging the Kenyan government’s claim that the gunmen were dead.

The presentations demonstrated the nation’s largest police depar tment ’s determination to stay at the forefront of counterterrorism, even as the man who spearheaded the effor t - Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly - is headed out the door. Kelly, whose 12-year tenure ends this month without a major successful terror attack on his watch, repeatedly has suggested that anyone considering remaking one of the defining initiatives of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration should proceed with caution. New York “remains squarely in the crosshairs of terrorists”, Kelly said in his final appearance at the recurring briefings. “We must do everything in our power to defend it.”

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio and his designated police commissioner, William Bratton, plan to take a hard look at a counterterrorism operation that grew to lengths never imagined before the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. With the staunch suppor t of Bloomberg, Kelly reassigned about 1,000 of the city’s roughly 35,000 officers to counterterrorism duty, posted detectives overseas to report on how other cities deal with terrorism and spent tens of millions of dollars each year to outfit the department with the latest technology, including a network of security cameras and command centers, to track suspicious activity. Kelly also put the NYPD’s Intelligence Division under

the direction of a former CIA official and directed it to analyze and detect overseas and homegrown threats.

Mission Institutionalized The mission has become so institutionalized at the NYPD that it “would be very difficult to dismantle it” - nor should anyone want to, said Richard Falkenrath, who led the NYPD counterterrorism unit for four years before joining The Chertoff Group security firm. “It’s an extraordinary achievement.”

Bloomberg has heaped praise on Kelly and the NYPD, mostly for overseeing dramatic declines in homicides and other conventional crimes during their tenure together. Both men have credited the controversial stop-and-frisk strategy for deterring crime by discouraging criminals from carrying illegal guns. The stopand frisk program lets police stop, question and search someone when there is a reasonable suspicion that a crime is

about to occur or has occurred - a standard lower than the probable cause needed to justify an arrest.

The mayor has spoken less frequently about the counterterrorism effort. But he has defended claims by the NYPD that it had helped uncover more than a dozen terrorism plots against the city, including what was considered the most serious attempt on the city since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks - a failed conspiracy by Najibullah Zazi and two former high school classmates from Queens to bomb the city’s subway system in 2008. “I could make as cogent an argument there’s double or triple the number that were stopped, we just don’t know about it,” Bloomberg said late last year. Wouldbe terrorists, he reasoned, might look at the city’s beefed-up security “and say, ‘I don’t want to run that risk.’ We’ll never know.”

The campaign to protect the city has had some unintended costs: The NYPD’s

In this Nov 1, 2013 photo, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly responds to a question about his department’s stop-and-frisk policy during a news conference at police headquarters in New York. —AP

Intelligence Division has been accused of interfering with federal investigations, bringing weak cases against suspected homegrown terrorists and being careless with confidential information. The division also came under fire for its surveillance of Muslims, including the secret infiltration of mosques and other tactics detailed in a series of stories by AP. Bloated Program Some say it’s time to rethink the scale of the programs - and the reasons behind them. “ The philosophy that appears to be driving the surveillance programs predicated on the erroneous assumption that all Muslims are terrorists has resulted in a bloated program,” said Donna Lieberman, head of the New York Civil Liberties Union. De Blasio has said he wants Bratton to conduct a review of the department’s intelligence-gathering operations, and he must also decide how to fill the top counterterrorism and intelligence positions that will be vacated at the end of the year.

Still, the police headquarters briefing this month made the argument that, under any administration, the city must keep devoting resources to counter a threat that isn’t going away. As proof, police officials cited a sting last year that snared a man plotting to blow up the Federal Reserve in lower Manhattan, the arrest earlier this year of two men accused of plotting with al-Qaida to derail a train running from New York City to Toronto, and revelations in April that the Boston Marathon bombers had talked about detonating explosives in Times Square.

R e b e c c a We i n e r, d i r e c t o r o f t h e Intelligence Division, emphasized the threat of homegrown extremists with no official affiliation with a terrorist group. She revealed the NYPD is trying t o t r a c k N e w Yo r k e r s d r a w n t o t h e Syrian conflict. “Our overriding concern is what will happen when they come back,” she said. —AP

NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

A child runs with the Palestinian flag as friends and relatives prepare for the release of prisoner Ramy Barbakh, 37, outside his home in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday after receiving the news of his impending release. Israel approved the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners, the third batch to be freed under the terms of renewed US-brokered peace talks. — AFP

Cabinet urged to fight graft

‘Bad boy’ Anelka at heart of new storm

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

were performing well but were either grilled by MPs or were scheduled to be grilled.Commenting on the formation process, Islamist MP Hamdan Al-Azemi called on the prime minister to include reformist ministers in the Cabinet in order to affirm the government’s willingness to cooperate with the Assembly and fight corruption.

Azemi said that indications do not send a positive message after wives of officials and lawmakers have been exempted from disclosing their wealth under the new anti-corruption law. The lawmaker said that MPs want to send a message to corrupt people and the corrupt establishment that “we are watching you and that we will not allow the passage of any legislation that does not serve the interests of the people”, adding that the Assembly will not allow any negative changes to key legislations like the anti-corruption law. “It is the

right of the people to feel worried at the situation in the country because establishments of corruption have surfaced recently and are against the constitution and are stealing public funds,” Azemi said.

In a related development, opposition MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji yesterday announced his resignation from a committee formed by the Assembly to investigate allegations of large illegal payments to about 13 MPs in the 2009 Assembly in what is locally known as the multimillion deposits case. Turaiji said he decided to quit after statements in the press by members of the panel and over the lack of transparency. The lawmaker was referring to tit-for-tat statements between head of the panel MP Ali Al-Omair and member of the panel MP Riyadh Al-Adasani over the conduct of the committee and the number of meetings it has held. The panel was given just one month to complete its work and was also asked to probe the bank accounts of all MPs since 2006.

Saudis strengthen ties elsewhere after...

Continued from Page 1 “We expected to be standing shoulder to shoulder with our friends and partners who have previously talked so much about the importance of moral values in foreign policy,” he wrote in the piece titled “Saudi Arabia Will Go It Alone.”

But it may not have to. The French have been clear that they share Saudi fears that US and Russian concerns over Islamic militants could leave Assad the victor in any peace deal. Hollande’s visit is his second since taking office in May 2012 - a rarity for a French leader outside Europe - and his defense minister has been three times, most recently after the announcement of a Ä1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) contract with the Saudi navy. During their meeting yesterday, King Abdullah expressed his concern over the situation in both Iran and Syria to Hollande, and he praised what he called France’s “courageous” position on these matters, according to a French official familiar with the discussions.

Hollande noted that the two countries had worked together to forge shared positions on Syria and Iran, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic rules. “There is an offensive among the Saudis to try to reach out to different partners and try and see if they can find new allies,” said Valentina Soria, a security analyst with IHS Jane’s. At the same time, she said, Hollande is showing “the kind of willingness to intervene on the international stage in a much more assertive way, a much more convinced way.”

In October, Saudi Arabia stunned diplomats when it rejected its first seat on the UN Security Council. The Saudi Foreign Ministry blasted the council for an “inability to perform its duties” in stopping the war. “The problem in Syria today is ... clear negligence on the part of the world, who continue to watch the suffering of the Syrian people without taking steps to stop that suffering,” Saudi Prince Turki Al-Faisal, an influential member of the royal family and a former intelligence chief, said at a conference in Monaco this month.

The Saudis are particularly annoyed that the US and Britain did not follow through with threats to punish Assad’s government over the use of chemical weapons.

Those decisions caused similar uproar in France for Hollande, who many at home believed was left hanging as the only Western power to pledge military support.

“The Saudi monarchy cannot fathom the fact that Assad might survive this crisis and then turn against them.

They reject this possibility and are willing to do what they can to make Assad go,” said Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Washington, DC-based Institute of Gulf Affairs.

Both countries say they will continue to back the rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, in contrast with the Obama administration’s hesitation. Unlike the US, the French have resisted suspending non-lethal aid to the

rebels and show no signs of changing course. The Syrian conflict, which has claimed more than 120,000 people and spawned a regional refugee crisis, has become in many ways a proxy fight pitting Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-led Arab states against Shiite powerhouse Iran, a major supporter of Assad.

What the Saudis won’t do is send in their own wellequipped armed forces, Ahmed said, because it could empower the Saudi military to turn against them as happened elsewhere during the Arab Spring. The Saudis also watch with trepidation at the warming ties between Iran and the West. The way the nuclear talks were handled - with US officials secretly meeting their Iranian counterparts before more formal talks involving world powers - particularly rankled the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia is clamoring for a major role in shaping the region. They feel they deserve that,” said Theodore Karasik, a security and political affairs analyst at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

Washington has strived to downplay any suggestion of a rift. Senior American officials have traveled to the Gulf recently to reassure allies, including Saudi Arabia.

And Soria, the analyst, said the US partnership, which includes billions in defense contracts, would endure beyond the current tensions. But a closer Saudi-French relationship could mean more of those lucrative deals go to Paris.

Yesterday, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said that Saudi Arabia pledged $3 billion to buy weapons from France for the Lebanese army. “The king of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is offering this generous and appreciated aid of $3 billion to the Lebanese army to strengthen its capabilities,” Suleiman said, adding that it was the largest assistance provided in Lebanon’s history. “His Highness suggested that weapons would be purchased from France, and quickly.”

Hollande said France would supply weapons to the Lebanese army if it was asked to do so. He told a news conference in Riyadh: “France has equipped the Lebanese army for a while up until recently and we will readily answer any solicitation ... If demands are made to us we will satisfy them.” Hollande also highlighted several commercial contracts that had been signed throughout the year and said he and King Abdullah talked about other possible areas of cooperation, like nuclear energy.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US and Saudi Arabia “share the same goals” of ending the war in Syria and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but she stopped short of endorsing a Saudi role at the bargaining table with Iran. Ahmed said Iran would never agree to any talks involving the Saudis, but that wouldn’t stop the kingdom from trying.

“The Saudi obsession that they will be sold out to the Iranians in a grand bargain makes them want to be in these meetings to ensure that does not happen,” he said. — Agencies

ment views, is widely interpreted as a Nazi-style action in France. England’s Football Association told AFP yesterday that it would investigate the incident to determine if Anelka should be punished. He could face a minimum fiveban match under a new anti-discriminatory disciplinary measures introduced in May. The salute, which Anelka on Twitter defended as just a “special dedication to my comedian friend Dieudonne,” has been widely condemned in France. French Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron on Saturday called it a “shocking, sickening provocation” and said there was “no place for antiSemitism and inciting hatred on the football pitch”. Interior Minister Manuel Valls is considering whether to ban all public appearances by Dieudonne. Valls said Dieudonne was “no longer a comedian” but was rather an “anti-Semite and racist” who fell afoul of national laws against incitement to racial hatred.

The latest to join the chorus of condemnation was the head imam of the Great Mosque of Paris who said Sunday that he “strongly condemned any act or words of an antiSemitic or racist nature in the sporting world”. Dalil Boubakeur said the “quenelle” was a “hybrid gesture between a Nazi salute and an inverted ‘up yours’ sign”. He said sports should represent “the highly humanist and universal values of peace, friendliness and fraternity.” The Union of Jewish Students in France (UEJF) also attacked Anelka’s “cowardly support” for Dieudonne, whose full name is Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala.

The comedian at the heart of the controversy meanwhile thanked Anelka in a tweet yesterday, saying “Bravo to Anelka for his ‘quenelle’. Magnificent!!” But he added that the quenelle was “not an anti-Semitic or Nazi sign.”

Dieudonne has been fined seven times for defamation,

insult and provocation to hate, and for racial discrimination. He has made several distasteful remarks, made “Heil” like signs on television as part of a sketch, called the remembrance of the Holocaust “memorial pornography” and evoked the gas chambers while referring to a Jewish radio journalist.

Jean-Yves Camus, an expert on the far-right, said in the Journal Du Dimanche Sunday newspaper that the quenelle was for some simply an “anti-establishment gesture” and for others “an anti-establishment gesture against a Jewish plot”. Dieudonne first used the “quenelle” publicly in 2009 while campaigning in the European elections. Since then it has become his trademark and has been widely reproduced on the Internet and social media, at venues ranging from the Asterix theme park to the exterior of a synagogue.

The European Jewish Congress has also criticised Anelka and called for him to face the same punishment that would be handed down for a Nazi salute. “It is sickening that such a well-known footballer would make such an abusive and hateful gesture in front of tens of thousands of spectators,” European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor said. “There should be no room for such intolerance and racism in sports and we expect that the English Premier League officials as well as the police will give Anelka the appropriate punishment.”

Anelka, who had previously been photographed performing the salute, has been quiet since joining West Bromwich Albion but his first two goals this season were overshadowed by the scandal. On Saturday, West Brom coach Keith Downing said the former France international was “totally surprised” by the reaction to the gesture. “It is dedicated to a French comedian he knows very, very well,” Downing said of Anelka’s celebration. “He uses it in his act and I think speculation (that it is anti-Semitic) can be stopped now, it is absolute rubbish really.” — Agencies

Bomber kills 16 at Russia station Continued from Page 1 “A suicide bomber who was approaching a metal detector saw a law enforcement official and, after growing nervous, set off an explosive device,” Markin said in televised comments.

Doctors and police said 16 people were killed and nearly 45 injured by the explosive equivalent of more than 10 kg of TNT. The lifenews.ru website published a picture of what it said was the head of the young female bomber lying amid a pile of debris with her long brown hair spread across the floor. The website identified the bomber as a woman named Oksana Aslanova who had been married to two different Islamists killed in battles with federal forces in the North Caucasus. Female suicide bombers are often referred to in Russia as “black widows” - women who seek to avenge the deaths of their family members in the fighting by targeting Russian civilians.

The city of Volgograd - known as Stalingrad in the Soviet era - was already attacked in October by a female suicide bomber with links to Islamists in the

nearby volatile North Caucasus. The Oct 21 strike killed six people aboard a crowded bus and immediately raised security fears ahead of the Feb 7-23 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The Black Sea city lies 690 km southwest of Volgograd and in direct proximity to the violence in North Caucasus regions such as Dagestan and Chechnya.

Militants are seeking to impose an Islamist state throughout Russia’s North Caucasus. Their leader Doku Umarov has ordered rebels to target civilians outside the region and disrupt the Olympic Games. President Vladimir Putin, who has staked his personal reputation on the Games’ success, was “immediately” informed of the attack, the Kremlin said. “Vladimir Putin ordered ministers and the heads of security agencies to take all measures necessary to establish the causes and circumstances of this act of terror, catching and bringing to justice those who stand behind it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Militant attacks have become part of daily life in the mainly Muslim North Caucasus but the Volgograd blast will be a particular concern to the authori-

ties as the bomber struck a city of over one million in the Russian heartland.

Yesterday’s strike is Russia’s deadliest since a suicide bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport killed 37 people in Jan 2011.

Russia’s interior ministry said separately that it was immediately stepping up security at all the nation’s main train stations and airports. “These measures involve a greater police presence and more detailed passenger checks,” an interior ministry spokesman told the Interfax news agency. Russian authorities have repeatedly vowed to take the highest security precautions in Sochi.

There have been few indications to date of foreign sports fans cancelling their attendance out of security fears.

Female suicide bombers have repeatedly struck Russian targets during Putin’s 14-year rule. Umrarov dispatched two women to set off blasts at a pair of Moscow metro stations in March 2010 that killed more than 35 people. Socalled black widows were also responsible for killing more than 90 people when they took down two passenger jets that took off from a Moscow airport within minutes of each other in 2004. — AFP

It’s c0-0ps vs c00ps as egg prices z00m Continued from Page 1 Commerce Ministry, said the main reason behind the absence of eggs in some co-ops was due to mismanagement, as these co-op administrations had not been paying overdue bills to egg suppliers.

The sources added that egg prices

had been set in 1997 and remained unchanged despite the increase in production cost, which made producers demand price hikes. Al-Jarida reported that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has decided to stop egg exports in a bid to cover local consumption needs as well as to control egg prices. Kuwait consumes more than 1

billion eggs annually but produces less than 40 percent of this. The country imports eggs mostly from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and India. Egg and poultry farmers in Kuwait complained in 2012 that rising costs of feed, medicines, etc has eaten into profit margins and that the government should subsidize the industry. (See Page 2)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

S P ORTS

Russian great Tsymbalar dead

Injured Wozniacki out of Brisbane BRISBANE: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki yesterday withdrew from the Brisbane International tennis tournament after succumbing to a shoulder injury. The former world number one hurt her shoulder during training and decided to pull out of Brisbane to avoid the risk of further damage.

Wozniacki said she was confident she would be able to play in Sydney next week ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, the first major of the season.

“There is nothing wrong with the ligaments or with the tendons,” she said. “So that’s very positive.

They just said to take it easy over the next few days.

“I’m fine doing some things on the court as well, which is great,” she added. “It’s improving every day, so a few more days and I should be ready. “I just feel like for me it’s more important that I really get 100 percent and make sure that it doesn’t get worse.

“I thought the right decision for me was to withdraw from here.” — AFP

Four-times world champion Kudukhov dead in car crash

MOSCOW: Former Russian international and Spartak Moscow champion Ilya Tsymbalar has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 44 after a glittering career that saw him crowned the country’s top player.

Russia’s Rossiyskaya Gazeta government daily said the diminutive midfielder died on Saturday evening of heart disease. “Tsymbalar had a reputation as the most talented player in contemporary Russian football history,” the state daily wrote on its website. “His calling card was his elegant dribbling and his shot. And as any leader should, Ilya often scored vital goals,” Rossiyskaya Gazeta said.

Tsymbalar was one of the stars of a glorious Spartak squad that won seven titles in the 1990s and was renowned for its skillful passing reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s present Barcelona side. The team also included the likes of central defender Yury Nikoforov and Valery Karpin-two of the first post-Soviet stars to establish reputations in top western European leagues.

Tsymbalar scored 54 goals in 204 matches for Spartak. He also netted the ball on four occasions in 28 caps for Russia during performances that included the 1992 World Cup in the United States and the 1996 European Championship in England. Tsymbalar was officially recognised as the Russian league’s top player on just one occasion in 1995. —AFP

MOSCOW: Russian freestyle wrestler Besik Kudukhov has died at the age of 27 following a car accident yesterday, the domestic federation said.

“The tragedy occurred on the federal highway near Armavir as the wrestler was travelling from Vladikavkaz to Krasnodar,” the Russian wrestling federation said in a statement, adding that Kudukhov’s car collided with a truck.

“Besik Kudukhov will remain forever in our hearts.” Kudukhov was one of the most successful Russian wrestlers in recent years, winning four world titles and two Olympic medals - a bronze at the 2008 Games in Beijing and a silver at the 2012 Games in London.

He also won one European championship title. Kudukhov was due to be one of the torchbearers on the Sochi Winter Olympics torch relay in Krasnodar on February 4, three days before the opening ceremony. “Besik’s death is a huge loss for world sport, not only for Russian sport,” Russian freestyle wrestling coach Magomed Huseynov told local media. — Reuters

Kansas State rolls over Michigan in BWW Bowl TEMPE: Kansas State coach Bill Snyder saw what was coming and tried to avoid it, racing 20 yards down the sideline and out onto the field. Spry as he might be, the 74-year-old coach was no match for players young enough to be his grandchildren, turning just in time to take the full icy brunt of defensive end Ryan Mueller dumping a water bucket over his head.

“I did (see it), but I’m too old to get out of the way,” Snyder said. He’s certainly not too old to win bowl games.

The architect of one of college football’s biggest turnarounds during his first stint at Kansas State, Snyder and his Wildcats won their first bowl game in 11 years by rolling over Michigan 31-14 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on Saturday night.

Jake Waters threw for 271 yards and connected with record-breaking receiver Tyler Lockett on three scores, helping Kansas State (8-5) end a five-game bowl losing streak.

“Nobody on the team won a bowl game,” Lockett said. “It has been 11 years, (like) 4,018 games. We wanted to send the seniors out with a great win in a Kansas State uniform.”

The Wildcats surged at the end of the season and were unstoppable early against Michigan (7-6), scoring on their first three possessions behind Lockett and Waters.

Lockett set a school record with 10 catches for 116 yards and tied the Kansas State bowl record with his three TDs. Waters was efficient in leading Kansas State’s offense, completing 21 of 27 passes and running for 42 yards.

The Wildcats’ defense dominated most of the night, holding Michigan to 261 total yards - 82 of that on a final scoring drive in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

“To win the way we did it put a nice little cap to our season,” Waters said.

“The journey we have been through, to end like this is special.” Freshman quarterback Shane Morris was steady in place of injured starter Devin Gardner, leading Michigan on two early scoring drives. The Wolverines settled for field goals on both and did little the rest of the way.

Morris threw for 196 yards on 24-of38 passing with an interception.

Michigan’s run game didn’t give him much support, particularly early, and finished with 65 yards on 15 carries.

Michigan’s defense also had trouble stopping K ansas State most of the night, giving up 420 total yards in the Wolverines’ second straight bowl loss.

“We didn’t play well enough in a lot of areas,” coach Brady Hoke said. Kansas State finished the season strong after some early difficulties - starting with a home loss to FCS opponent Nor th

Dakota State. The Wildcats won five of their final six games while scoring at least 31 points in each.

Michigan limped to the finish after a 5-0 start, losing five of its final seven games and Gardner along the way. The redshirt junior injured his toe in the regular-season finale against Ohio State and didn’t recover in time for the bowl game, leaving the Wolverines in the hands of Morris.

The freshman hasn’t played much over the past year, limited to four games as a high school senior due to mononucleosis and to nine pass attempts as Gardner’s backup this season. Morris didn’t seem to mind being thrust into the spotlight as the first Michigan quarterback to make his first career start in a bowl game. He was helped by a conservative game plan filled with shor t throws early and started unleashing his big left arm by Michigan’s second drive, completing 15 of 19 passes for 121 yards in the first half.

“You would have thought he was doing it five years now,” Michigan offensive lineman Taylor Lewan said. The problem for the Wolverines was they couldn’t finish off drives, settling for field goals of 22 and 26 yards by Matt Wile.

That was good for Wile, who made one field goal all season, but not for Michigan because its defense couldn’t stop the Wildcats - par ticularly the Waters-to-Lockett combination.

Kansas State set the tone on its opening drive, grinding out 75 yards in 15 plays and 7:51 off the clock. Lockett capped it with a 6-yard touchdown catch after the Wildcats’ line gave Waters just enough time to get the throw off against Michigan’s blitz.

Lockett set up the next drive with a 40-yard kickoff return and capped it with a 29-yard touchdown catch, set up

by Waters’ pump fake that gave him separation behind Michigan’s defense.

Kansas State raced down the field again on its next drive, setting up Lockett’s third touchdown, an 8-yarder from Waters that put the Wildcats up 216 at halftime.

“We wanted to get a fast start and we did,” Lockett said. “We got on top of them early and that helped us out.” The Wildcats bogged down in the second half, but so did the Wolverines.

Michigan had 23 total yards in the third quarter and failed to capitalize on the game’s first turnover - a fumble by Daniel Sams - by going three-and-out.

Kansas State’s Ian Anderson hit a 22yard field goal in the fourth quarter, John Hubert scored on a 1-yard run after Morris’ interception and the Wildcats celebrated Snyder’s seventh bowl victory by chasing him down the sideline for the water-bucket dump. — AP

TEMPE: Quarterback Jake Waters #15 of the Kansas State Wildcats drops back to pass under pressure from linebacker Cameron Gordon #4 of the Michigan Wolverines during the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday in Tempe, Arizona. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: Anderson Silva of Brazil, screams after kicking Chris Weidman of Baldwin, N.Y., and injuring his leg during the UFC 168 mixed martial arts middleweight championship bout on Saturday, in Las Vegas. Weidman won during the second round by a technical knock out after the kick by Silva. — AP

Weidman defends UFC belt, Silva out with leg injury LAS VEGAS: Chris Weidman defended his UFC middleweight title when Anderson Silva broke his left leg on a kick in the second round, ending UFC 168 with a horrific injury Saturday night.

Weidman (11-0) quietly celebrated his victory while medical personnel tended to Silva (33-6), whose left shin bent grotesquely while landing a kick on Weidman’s left leg 1:16 into the round.

“There’s no real excitement in a fight finishing like that, because you never want to see anyone get hurt like that,” Weidman said after his second straight win over the long-reigning champion.

Weidman, who earned his belt with an upset victory in July, also dominated the first round of the rematch. In the second, Weidman used his knee to block Silva’s kick with perfect technique, never anticipating the result.

“I did work on checking kicks,” Weidman said.

“I figured if I (caught) him on my knee, it could really hurt him. Crazy how this happened.”

Ronda Rousey also retained her bantamweight title in the UFC’s year-end event, submitting Miesha Tate with a third-round arm bar.

Rousey then walked away from her bitter rival’s offer of a post-fight handshake, earning ferocious boos from the MGM Grand Garden crowd.

But Rousey’s sportsmanship was dwarfed by the abrupt finish of the main event. Silva’s injury cast a pall over arguably the UFC’s biggest fight card of the year, reminding every fan of the rapidly growing sport about the brutality at its core.

Although the injury happened too quickly to be seen by most naked eyes in Las Vegas, the sound of Silva’s cracking shin could be heard at cageside. Thousands of fans cringed audibly when the replay was shown once on the arena’s big screens. “I knew coming into the fight that what he could hurt me most with was the leg kicks,” Weidman said. “We trained checking the

kick a lot. The idea is to pull your leg and for their shin to land at the knee. That’s exactly what I did, and I felt his leg go right away.”

Referee Herb Dean waved off the fight when Silva fell back, clutching his leg with both hands.

Silva left the octagon strapped to a stretcher with a brace on his leg, screaming in pain. With his belt back around his waist, Weidman paid tribute to the injured ex-champion.

“He’s still known as the greatest fighter of all time,” Weidman said.

Silva’s nearly seven-year reign atop the middleweight division ended nearly six months ago when Weidman stopped the champion with a left hook at UFC 162. With two straight wins, the former Hofstra wrestler has firmly ended the reign of Silva, who engaged in none of the preening and posturing that might have contributed to his first loss. Silva’s injury in the rematch conceivably could end the 38year-old Brazilian’s MMA career.

Thousands of Brazilian fans - including retired soccer star Ronaldo - chanted, sang and waved flags for Silva and several Brazilian undercard fighters, creating a semblance of the huge homecage advantage enjoyed by their fighters back home. The show was heavy on violent stoppages.

Heavyweight Travis Browne knocked out veteran Josh Barnett in the first round with a series of elbows to the head, earning the third straight early stoppage on the pay-per-view portion of the card.

Before the unsettling main event, Rousey (8-0) got the biggest test of her ascendant career.

Rousey had never seen the second round of a mixed martial arts fight after seven straight firstround wins, but Tate tested the champion with striking and tenacity. Although Rousey repeatedly tossed Tate (13-5) to the canvas and pounded

on her, Rousey couldn’t finish until getting a weary opponent into her patented arm bar - the submission move she has used to end each of her eight professional fights.

Rousey and Tate engaged in a brawl worthy of their vicious rivalry, trading big shots and struggling with each other’s strengths. Rousey used her judo skills to drop Tate numerous times, but Tate landed plenty of strikes to Rousey’s head, particularly during a thrilling first round in which she tested Rousey’s chin.

But when Tate attempted to shake her hand, Rousey slowly rose and walked away. The crowd booed vociferously when the replay was shown in slow motion, but Rousey didn’t change her opinion of her opponent.

Nearly two years ago, Rousey defeated Tate by first-round arm bar to claim Tate’s Strikeforce title, cementing her meteoric rise from the U.S. Olympic judo team to the apex of MMA. Rousey and Tate have made no secret of their distaste since that bout, further stoked by their combative appearance as coaches on the most recent season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the UFC’s competition reality show.

Tate got a rematch with Rousey only after Cat Zingano, who beat Tate earlier this year to become the No. 1 contender, was injured. Rousey felt Tate hadn’t earned the chance at the belt, and she proceeded to pound on Tate with judo throws and striking in the rematch until finally landing an arm bar.

Browne continued his ascent up the heavyweight ranks with an eye-popping knockout of Barnett, who went limp while leaning against Browne after absorbing several elbows to the head. Browne earned his third straight firstround victory and closed in on position for a title shot. — AP

Schumacher in hospital for head injuries LYON: Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is receiving treatment in hospital for head injuries after a ski accident at Meribel yesterday, officials at the French ski resort reported.

The seven time German world champion, who reportedly owns property at the resort, was skiing off-piste with other skiers when he sustained a knock to the head in a fall.

The 44-year-old was hospitalised at the nearby town of Moutiers, officials said, before being taken to hospital in Grenoble.

The extent of his injuries was unclear but according to Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte, director of the Meribel resort, he was not seriously injured.

Gernignon-Lecomte told Radio Monte Carlo Sport: “He was shocked, a little shaken but conscious. “It may be a head injury but it is not very serious.”

He added: “He was wearing a helmet and banged (his head) against a rock.” “The accident occurred around 1100 (1000GMT) between the slopes of Georges Mauduit and la Biche,” the Meribel resort’s press office disclosed.

SCHUMACHER FACTFILE

Michael Schumacher Two medical officers attended Schumacher at the scene before he was airlifted by helicopter to hospital.

Schuamcher, who won the last of his world titles in 2004, retired from the sport he had towered over since making his debut in Belgium in 1991 after finishing seventh in the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. —AFP

LYON: Michael Schumacher factfile after the German Formula One legend suffered head injuries in a skiing accident at the French ski resort of Meribel yesterday: Name: Michael Schumacher Date of birth: January 3, 1969 Place of birth: Huert-Hermuehlheim (Germany) Nationality: German Website: www.michael-schumacher.de Career honours World champion: 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Number of Grands Prix raced: 307 Teams: JordanFord (August 1991), Benetton-Ford (Sept 1991-1994), BenettonRenault (1995), Ferrari (1996-2006), Mercedes (2010-2012) Debut in F1: Belgium 1991 First win: Belgium 1992 Last win: China 2006 Last Grand Prix: Brazil 2012 Victories: 91 Podiums: 155 Pole positions: 69 Last pole position: Monaco 2012 Best laps: 77 Points scored in F1: 1,566 (49 in 2012) World championship finishes: 1st (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), 2nd (1998, 2006), 3rd (1992, 1996, 2005), 4th (1993), 5th (1999), 8th (2011), 9th (2010), 13th (2012) Landmarks: 7 world titles, 91 victories, 69 pole positions, 13 wins in one season (2004), 17 podiums in 17 races (2002). — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

S P ORTS

Wawrinka eyes good start in India CHENNAI: Swiss world number eight Stanislas Wawrinka will look to extend the good form he showed in 2013 by when he kickstarts the new season at the ATP Chennai Open from today. Wawrinka emerged from the shadows of legendary compatriot Roger Federer with a string of major semi-final appearances that lifted him into the top 10 after starting the year ranked 17th.

The 28-year-old created a sensation at the US Open in September with a quarter-final win over defending champion Andy Murray, before losing to Novak Djokovic in a five-set semi-final thriller.

Wawrinka then qualified for his maiden ATP World Tour Finals in London last month where he reached the semifinals, before losing once again to Djokovic. The star hopes a good per formance in his sixth appearance in the $450,000-event in Chennai, which he won in 2011, will boost confidence ahead of the Australian Open in midJanuary.

“I feel good to be where I am,” Wawrinka said in an organisers’ media release. “2013 was definitely an outstanding year for me. It showed me how close I am to the top guys and that I have my chances against them.”

Wawrinka said his goal in the new year was to be as consistent as the top players like Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and

Federer. “I’m confident going into 2014,” he said. “Top players are extremely tough to beat and you need to play your best tennis. However, if you work hard and keep fighting everything is possible.” Wawrinka, who enjoyed a 51-23 win record in 2013, faces a tough field in Chennai that includes world number 15 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, number 16 Fabio Fognini of Italy and the 26th-ranked Benoit Paire of France.

Also in the line-up are Canadian Vasek Pospisil, the Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Roberto BautistaAgut, and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Defending champion Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia withdrew from a seventh appearance at the Chennai Open after failing to recover from a heel injury that has troubled him all through the year.

Youzhny, 31, begins his 15th season on the circuit looking for a good work-out in the season-opener where he won the 2008 title with a stunning 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Nadal in the final.

The Russian veteran, who won two titles in 2013, says he takes great pride in the fact that he and Federer are the only two players to finish in the top 50 every year since 2002. “Its not bad when you share an honour with Federer,” Youzhny said. — AFP

NBA results/standings Boston 103, Cleveland 100; Indiana 105, Brooklyn 91; Toronto 115, NY Knicks 100; Washington 106, Detroit 82; Atlanta 118, Charlotte 116 (OT); Dallas 105, Chicago 83; Houston 107, New Orleans 98; Memphis 120, Denver 99; Minnesota 117, Milwaukee 95; Phoenix 115, Philadelphia 101; Miami 108, Portland 107; LA Clippers 98, Utah 90.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Toronto 13 15 .464 Boston 13 17 .433 Brooklyn 10 20 .333 NY Knicks 9 21 .300 Philadelphia 8 21 .276 Central Division Indiana 24 5 .828 Detroit 14 18 .438 Chicago 11 17 .393 Cleveland 10 19 .345 Milwaukee 6 24 .200 Southeast Division Miami 23 7 .767 Atlanta 17 13 .567 Washington 13 14 .481 Charlotte 14 17 .452 Orlando 9 20 .310

GB 1 4 5 5.5 11.5 12.5 14 18.5 6 8.5 9.5 13.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 24 5 .828 24 6 .800 Portland Minnesota 15 15 .500 Denver 14 15 .483 Utah 9 24 .273 Pacific Division LA Clippers 21 11 .656 18 11 .621 Phoenix Golden State 18 13 .581 LA Lakers 13 17 .433 Sacramento 9 19 .321 Southwest Division San Antonio 23 7 .767 21 11 .656 Houston Dallas 17 13 .567 New Orleans 13 15 .464 Memphis 13 16 .448

0.5 9.5 10 17 1.5 2.5 7 10 3 6 9 9.5

Djokovic looking forward to life with coach Becker ABU DHABI: Novak Djokovic saw off David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Saturday and wasted no time looking forward to the season ahead with his new coach Boris Becker.

The world number two was just too strong for the Spanish world number three and stormed to victory in the exhibition title for the third time in a row. It was also his fifth straight title since losing the US Open final to Rafael Nadal-and nothing looks likely to stop him going into next month’s Australian Open, where he is aiming for a fourth consecutive title. He also has his sights set on wresting back the world number one slot from Nadal.

The 26-year-old Serbian hired former Wimbledon champion Becker to improve his game after a disappointing 2013 by his own high standards.

Becker has said he will spend around 20 weeks per year on the ATP Tour with Djokovic and says his young son Amadeus and wife Lilly will join him on occasion. With Becker courtside, Djokovic overcame an early deficit and said: “I have to say I’m really glad to have Boris on the team.

“It’s great that it started with winning this trophy right here. Hopefully, we can win more.” Asked what he expected Becker to bring to the table, Djokovic laughed. “We’ll

Roger Federer see, ask me in half a year,” he said. “It’s still too early to say where he is going to take us.”

Including Davis Cup matches and two unofficial wins in Abu Dhabi, Djokovic has won 26 matches in a row since losing to Nadal in the US Open final. — AFP

Refreshed, relaxed Sharapova looks forward to New Year BRISBANE: A refreshed and relaxed Maria Sharapova believes an injury-enforced break from the game has rekindled her enthusiasm for tennis. Sharapova has not played since August when she was forced to withdraw from the US Open with a right shoulder injury.

The glamorous Russian had earlier suffered a hip injury, which saw her pull out of two tournaments in July, before a shock first-round loss to Sloane Stephens in Cincinatti in early August.

But speaking in Brisbane on the eve of her first tournament of the new season, Sharapova said she was ready to return to the tour under the guidance of new coach Sven Groeneveld. “I’ve had a really healthy off-season, something quite unusual because in the last few years I always had a little injury here and there,” she said.

“So that was nice, because I gave myself time to recover and get better. The 26year-old said she wanted to ensure she did not return to the tour until she was completely recovered. “I knew from the moment I withdrew from the (US) Open that I was going to give myself the right amount of time that I needed-whether that was a week, a month, a few months, I didn’t know. Nobody really knew,” she said.

“I’ve played with an injured shoulder for a while, so it was really important for me to take that time,” she added. “I started quite early, so I made it into two parts. I started slow, took a little bit of a break, and then geared up again with a little bit more intensity.”

The world number four said she still had the motivation to play despite being on tour for more than 10 years. “Certainly when you’re doing it for so many years of

ABU DHABI: Tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland returns the ball to Spain’s David Ferrer during their Mubadala World Tennis Championship match in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. —AFP

Bass’ block saves Celtics in 103-100 win over Cavs BOSTON: Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford each scored 19 points, Brandon Bass added 15 points and had a game-saving blocked shot in the closing seconds Saturday, and the Boston Celtics held on for a 103-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers were playing soon after suspending center Andrew Bynum indefinitely for “conduct detrimental to the team” and banning him from all team-related activities. Bynum, who signed a twoyear, $24 million contract with the Cavaliers in July, did not travel with the team to Boston and it’s likely he has played his final game for Cleveland.

Avery Bradley added 18 points and eight rebounds for Boston, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Bass also had eight boards. Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 32 points, the eighth time in his last 10 games he’s scored 20 or more.

Dion Waiters scored 17 and Jarrett Jack 14 for Cleveland, which lost its fourth straight.

The Celtics led by 19 points entering the final quarter and held a 10-point edge with 4 1/2 minutes to play. Jack nailed consecutive 3-pointers, the second closed it to 98-94 with 2:38 left. Cleveland had it down to four points twice again before Waiters’ two free throws made it 102-100 with 43.3 seconds left. After Jared Sullinger shot an air ball 3point attempt from the right wing that went out of bounds with 19.3 seconds left, Bass blocked Waiters’ shot in the lane and Bradley nailed one free throw with 1.4 seconds left.

After a timeout, Cleveland inbounded the ball to Earl Clark, who threw up an air ball as the horn sounded. Bass’ 3-pointer - just his second this year had pushed Boston’s lead to 64-44 early in the third quarter. Crawford then had a layup, giving the Celtics their largest lead of the game (66-44) 2 1/2 minutes into the third. The Cavaliers didn’t get the deficit lower than 16 points the rest of the quarter.

But they made things interesting midway into the fourth.

your life there are moments where you felt like you need a pick-me-up,” she said.

“I didn’t play for a few months, and that was the reason for me to get back out there. “I know when I’m healthy how I can play and what I’m capable of doing. I needed to get healthy.

So that was the motivation on its own.”

Sharapova, who has won four Grand Slams, believes new coach Groeneveld will give her an edge that she has been missing since she parted ways with Thomas Hogstedt after a second-round loss at Wimbledon.

Groeneveld has worked recently with players Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki, and also previously coached Monica Seles and Mary Pierce. —AFP

Grizzlies 120, Nuggets 99 Zach Randolph scored 20 points and Memphis got 62 points from its bench against Denver. Six Grizzlies finished in double figures and Memphis shot 52 percent while sending the Nuggets to their sixth straight loss. Ed Davis led the reserves with 17 points, and Jerryd Bayless had 15. Mike Conley and James Johnson scored 14 apiece, and Mike Miller added 11. The 120 points were a season high for Memphis, and only two less than the most the Nuggets have allowed in a game this season. Ty Lawson led Denver with 20 points and eight assists.

Rockets 107, Pelicans 98 Dwight Howard had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and James Harden scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter in Houston’s comeback win over

Suns 115, 76ers 101 Miles Plumlee scored a career-high 22 points to go with 13 rebounds, and Phoenix bounced back from its worst loss of the season to beat Philadelphia. Goran Dragic added 21 points and Eric Bledsoe 20 for the Suns, who have won nine of 11. Marcus Morris made three fourth-quarter 3pointers and scored 18. Thaddeus Young scored 30 points, Michael Carter-Williams 27 and Tony Wroten 22 for the 76ers, who lost their 13th road game in a row and have dropped nine of 10 overall.

Evan Turner, Philadelphia’s leading scorer at 19.3 points per game, sat out to rest his sore right knee. Phoenix lost 115-86 at Golden State on Friday night. The 76ers hadn’t played in a week and had been in Arizona since Thursday. Plumlee left the game to get seven stitches for a cut on his chin in the second half but returned.

Heat 108, Trail Blazers 107 With LeBron James injured, Chris Bosh took over for the Miami Heat. Bosh had a season-high 37 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left, and the Heat beat the Portland Trail Blazers 108-107 on Saturday night.

Bosh added 10 rebounds to hand Portland just its third loss at home this season. Wesley Matthews scored 23 points for the Trail Blazers, who had won seven of eight. James injured his right groin and tweaked his left ankle Friday night in a 108-103 overtime loss at Sacramento that

Boston led 59-44 at halftime Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson added 23 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 105-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. George Hill finished with 21 points for the Pacers, who put five players in double figures and pulled away with a third-quarter burst.

Roy Hibbert scored 11 and David West 10 for Indiana, which leads the Eastern Conference at 236. Stephenson also had nine rebounds and seven assists. Paul Pierce scored 18 points for the Nets.

Raptors 115, Knicks 100 Kyle Lowry had a season-best 32 points and 11 assists, Terrence Ross made a career-high seven 3pointers and Toronto beat short-handed New York for the second straight night.

Lowry came within two rebounds of a tripledouble and Ross had 23 points as Toronto won for the fourth time in five games. DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for the Raptors, who overcame a 12 -point deficit in the second half to beat the Knicks 95-83 at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Toronto finished with a season-high 15 baskets from beyond the arc. Amare Stoudemire scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half for the Knicks, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Leading scorer Carmelo Anthony sat out his third straight with a sore left ankle.

Wizards 106 Pistons 82 John Wall had 20 points and 11 assists, Marcin Gortat added 16 points and Washington routed Detroit. Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal each had 15 points for Washington, which snapped a threegame home losing streak. The Wizards have won four of five overall.

One night after their worst defeat of the season, a 22-point loss at Minnesota, the Wizards never trailed, pulling away late in the first half en route to their biggest win. Greg Monroe scored 14 for the Pistons, who have dropped four of five.

Maria Sharapova

Mavericks 105, Bulls 83 Monta Ellis had 22 points and Dallas took control early in coasting to a victory over Chicago. Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter added 18 points apiece for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 32 while bouncing back from a home loss to San Antonio on Thursday.

Joakim Noah led Chicago with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the Bulls had their modest twogame winning streak snapped. Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson each added 13. The Mavericks took command with a 15-2 run to end the first quarter.

Carter, who entered just before the surge started, had seven points during the spurt.

Hawks 118, Bobcats 116, OT Paul Millsap had a season-high 33 points, Lou Williams scored 10 of his season-best 28 in overtime and Atlanta rallied to beat Charlotte. Al Jefferson had 24 points and a season-high 23 rebounds, and Gerald Henderson added 22 points for the Bobcats.

Playing their first game since leading scorer and rebounder Al Horford sustained a torn pectoral muscle, the Hawks trailed by 14 after Henderson hit a 20-foot fadeaway jumper with 4:19 left in the third quarter. But Atlanta, which has won two straight and five of six, rallied to force overtime when backup center Pero Antic made a 3-pointer off one leg from the right wing with 3.1 seconds left in regulation. Jeff Teague finished with 20 points and nine assists for the Hawks. Mike Scott added 18 points, and Millsap pulled down 13 rebounds.

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Clippers guard Darren Collison, below, puts up a shot as Utah Jazz guard John Lucas III defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, in Los Angeles. — AP New Orleans. Chandler Parsons added 19 points snapped Miami’s six-game winning streak. The and seven rebounds, and Terrence Jones had 17 four-time NBA MVP warmed up before the game points and eight rebounds to help the Rockets win Saturday but was declared inactive about an hour their third straight game and snap New Orleans’ before the opening tip. Michael Beasley started in winning streak at two. Jeremy Lin scored all 10 of his place.

The two-time defending champions also were his points in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets made three of five 3-point attempts in the quarter without Chris Andersen (sore back), but Ray Allen after going 3 of 21 from long range in the first (right knee tendinitis) and Wade (rest), who both three periods. Houston was 25 of 32 from the free missed the game against the Kings, were back in throw line, while the Pelicans went 6 of 8. Ryan the lineup. James was the only Miami player to Anderson had 22 points and 12 rebounds for New start the team’s first 29 games.

Orleans. Anthony Davis added 18 points and 16 Clippers 98, Jazz 90 rebounds.

Blake Griffin scored a season-high 40 points, overcoming early foul trouble and a career-worst Timberwolves 117, Bucks 95 Kevin Love had 33 points and 15 rebounds for eight turnovers to lead Los Angeles past Utah. his sixth straight double-double, and Minnesota Griffin made his first 12 free throws and finished 14 climbed back to .500 by routing Milwaukee. Kevin for 17 from the foul line.

The three-time All-Star, who entered this seaMartin scored 20 points, Nikola Pekovic added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Love hit four of son a 61.1 percent career free throw shooter, has Minnesota’s 11 3-pointers. Perimeter defense was made 80.6 percent of his attempts over his last once again a huge problem for the Bucks, who eight games and raised his season mark to 70 perhave allowed opponents to hit at least 10 3s in cent. Chris Paul had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven consecutive games. Khris Middleton scored nine assists for the Clippers, who were coming off 23 points for Milwaukee on 10-of-20 shooting. a pair of narrow road losses to Golden State and Larry Sanders had nine points and 10 rebounds in Portland - the latter in overtime. They haven’t lost 33 minutes, his first start since missing seven three in a row yet this season. Enes Kanter had 17 weeks following right thumb surgery. The Bucks points off the bench for the Jazz, including a 16fell to an NBA-worst 6-24, while Minnesota footer with 4:20 remaining their last field goal of the game. — Agencies evened its record at 15-15.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

S P ORTS

Under-fire Cook wants to stay England captain MELBOURNE: Under-fire Alastair Cook says he wants to carry on as England captain but if the selectors think there is a better man for the job then he would take it on the chin. England are on the brink of a humiliating series whitewash after Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victor y in the four th Ashes Test in Melbourne yesterday with a day to spare.

Somehow the demoralised tourists, who gave up the Ashes in 14 playing days, have to find a way to stop the Australian juggernaut in this week’s final Sydney Test from repeating the 5-0 rout of the 2006-07 series Down Under.

Cook’s position is under scrutiny given England’s woeful series, and he ratcheted up the pressure by dropping two

crucial catches in the first half-hour of Sunday’s play which could have put the Australians under pressure.

It has been a dramatic turnaround from England’s last tour in Australia in 2010-11 when Cook amassed 766 runs at 127.66. Three years later he has scored 232 runs in eight innings at 29.00. But Cook insists he wants to continue as captain, leaving the big call on his post-Ashes future to the England selectors.

“I’m totally responsible as captain for the team and if, at the end of the series, the selectors decide I’m not the best man for the job, then so be it,” Cook told reporters after England’s dispiriting loss.

“It would hurt and I’ve got no plans of going anywhere. I’m desperately try-

ing to use as much of my experience of playing 100 Tests to help turn this team around. “I know that it starts with a lot of hard work and it starts with a performance or two that we jump on the back of.

“I’m 100 percent wanting to carry on.

If someone makes that decision, and says ‘We think there’s a better man’ or ‘You’re not good enough to do it’, then I have to take that on the chin because as a captain, you’re responsible for the team.”

Cook was in the England team that was crushed 5-0 by Australia seven years ago and may face a repeat performance at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the final Test starting Friday. “It’s quite a long time ago now. I think this one obviously,

because it’s in the present, hurts quite a lot, especially as I’m captain as well, it probably hurts even more,” he said.

“When we left England we had high hopes of doing something very special. I did say at the time we’d have to play some very good cricket if we wanted to achieve that and we haven’t done that.

“The bottom line is we haven’t been good enough. The part of this game that makes it even more frustrating is that we got ourselves into a good place to put some pressure on Australia: 100-odd ahead and no wickets down in the second innings.

“I suppose that might be where we are as a side. When you’re winning games of cricket you get yourself in a good situation like that and you really

take advantage of it. But when the confidence isn’t there and you lose a couple of wickets, you don’t.”

Asked if England had players who were no longer good enough for Test cricket, Cook said: “I think that’s a very big shout. We’ve some very good players in our dressing room. We’ve some record-breaking players who will have some fantastic days left in an England shirt, I know that for sure.

“We need that coming out of us now, I think that’s what we need in Sydney now: we need an outstanding 100 or an outstanding 5-for and then everyone jumping on the back of that. That’s what turns around a team that is struggling like we are at the moment to put in a good performance.” —AFP

Ruthless Australia wins 4th Test by 8 wickets

DURBAN: India’s batsman Shikhar Dhawan, plays a shot on the fourth day of their cricket test match against South Africa at Kingsmead stadium, Durban, South Africa, yesterday. —AP

Kallis farewell ton gives South Africa big lead DURBAN: A teary Jacques Kallis scored an emotive farewell century and moved into third place on the all-time list of test run scorers as South Africa built a sizeable first innings lead over India on the fourth day of the second test yesterday.

Playing his last test, the 38-year-old allrounder hit 115 to help steer his side past India’s first innings total of 334 as South Africa reached 497 for eight before rain brought a delay to play and tea was taken early.

A brisk 61 from Robin Peterson, batting at number nine, and Faf du Plessis, 41 not out when the drizzle brought on the covers, ensured a 163-run lead as South Africa sought to force a result with time running out in the two-test series.

Kallis, who announced his decision to quit the test arena in a surprise statement on Christmas Day, reached his ton in 273 balls to a standing ovation from a disappointingly small crowd at Kingsmead. It prompted a brief outpouring of emotion from the usually unflappable Kallis.

Fifteen runs later, as he battled with hamstring cramp, Kallis passed Rahul Dravid’s career tally of 13,288 runs to move behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs) and

Ricky Ponting (13,378) in the list of top test batsmen.

He was out three balls after, top edging spinner Ravindra Jadeja high into the air to be caught by India wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kallis’ 115 was scored off 316 balls and was his 45th test century, a record bettered only by 51 hundreds from Tendulkar, who retired last month.

Playing in his 166th test at the same venue where he made his debut 18 years ago, Kallis was ably supported in the extended morning session by an aggressive Dale Steyn, who had come in as the night watchman at the end of a rain-curtailed third day.

Steyn scored 44 off 93 balls before being caught behind as South Africa moved their overnight tally from 299 for five for the loss of two wickets, taking advantage of India’s surprise decision not to take up the second new ball at the start of the day and instead looked in vain for spin and inswing from the softer old one.

After lunch India still persisted with the old ball and were punished by Peterson and du Plessis in a brisk 110-run partnership. —Reuters

SCOREBOARD DURBAN, South Africa: Scoreboard yesterday after South Africa’s first innings on the fourth day of the second test against India at Kingsmead: South Africa 1st Innings (Overnight: 299-5) India 1st Innings Graeme Smith c Dhawan b Jadeja 47 Shikhar Dhawan c Petersen b Morkel 29 Alviro Petersen c Vijay b Jadeja 62 Murali Vijay c De Villiers b Steyn 97 Hashim Amla b Shami 3 Cheteshwar Pujara c De Villiers b Steyn 70 Jacques Kallis c Dhoni b Jadeja 115 Virat Kohli c De Villiers b Morkel 46 AB de Villiers c Kohli b Jadeja 74 Rohit Sharma b Steyn 0 JP Duminy lbw b Jadeja 28 Ajinkya Rahane not out 51 Dale Steyn c Dhoni b Khan 44 Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Smith b Steyn 24 Faf du Plessis run out (Rohit Sharma) 43 Ravindra Jadeja c Kallis b Duminy 0 Robin Peterson c Vijay b Khan 61 Zaheer Khan c De Villiers b Steyn 0 Vernon Philander not out 0 Ishant Sharma c De Villiers b Steyn 4 Morne Morkel c & b Jadeja 0 Mohammed Shami c Smith b Morkel 1 Extras: (3lb, 15lb, 2w, 3nb) 23 Extras: (7lb, 4w, 1nb) 12 TOTAL: (all out) 500 TOTAL: (all out) 334 Overs: 155.2.

Overs: 111.3.

Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-198, 3-199, 4-199, 5- Fall of wickets: 1-103, 2-113, 3-113, 4-240, 5298, 6-384, 7-387, 8-497, 9-500.

265, 6-320, 7-321, 8-322, 9-330.

Bowling: Dale Steyn 30-9-100-6 (2w), Bowling: Zaheer Khan 28-4-97-2 (1w, 1nb), Vernon Philander 21-6-56-0 (1nb, 1w), Mohammed Shami 27-2-104-1, Ishant Morne Morkel 23.3-6-50-3 (1w), Jacques Sharma 31-7-114-0 (2nb, 1w), Ravindra Jadeja Kallis 11-1-36-0, Robin Peterson 22-2-75-0, 58.2-15-138-6, Rohit Sharma 11-1-29-0.

Series: two-match series level at 0-0.

JP Duminy 4-0-10-1.

MELBOURNE: Chris Rogers struck a sparkling century to fire Australia to a dominant eightwicket win in the fourth Ashes test yesterday, leaving an insipid England staring down the barrel of a humiliating series whitewash.

The victory, completed before tea on day four, pushed Australia to a 4-0 series lead and the prospect of sweeping England in the fifth and final test in Sydney seven years after R i c k y Po n t i n g’s te a m w h i te w a s h e d t h e tourists in 2006-07.

Needing quick wickets to have any chance of salvaging pride at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England were let down badly by their captain Alastair Cook, who put down two catches at first slip in the first half-hour to reprieve Rogers on 19 and his opening partner David Warner for 22.

Though Warner lasted only three more runs, Rogers combined with number three batsman Shane Watson to flog a demoralised attack, their carefree partnership of 136 putt i n g t h e h o s t s w i t h i n 3 1 r u n s o f v i c to r y before the opener succumbed for 116.

Australia captain Michael Clarke (six not out) joined Watson (83 not out) to administer the last rites for England, who played out the final sessions with a deflating weariness that allowed the hosts to mow through the 231 runs required for victory without breaking sweat.

Watson whipped a boundar y square to secure the win in style, and charged down the sun-bathed pitch with arms raised as a crowd of more than 38,000 roared their approval.

“We’ve had our ups and downs. There’s no doubt that the winning feeling is back in our camp,” Clarke told reporters after his team finished a tough year that started with nine straight tests without a win on a high.

“Today could have went one or two ways.

“We could have just got over the line but I think because the boys just have so much confidence in their own ability and in the work that they’ve been putting in, we ended up winning quite convincing today.”

Having started the day needing 201 runs for victory, Rogers added only one run before nicking a Stuart Broad delivery behind but wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, replacement for the dropped Matt Prior, teamed up with Co o k to m a k e a n a b s o l u te m e s s o f t h e chance.

Bairstow stuck barnacle-like to his mark rather than take the catch that was rightfully his, leaving a late-moving Cook to put down the ball after lunging to his right with one hand. England heads dropped further when Cook fluffed the simplest of chances shortly after, with Warner driving recklessly at a Ben Stokes delivery to send the nick straight into the skipper’s lap.

Mercifully for Cook, Warner was out for 25 slashing at another Stokes ball to be snaffled

by Bairstow, but Rogers marched on. He rode his luck to his half-century, moving to 49 when an inside edge whistled past the stumps and beat the keeper to run for four, but brought up the milestone with a lovely cut through the covers for two.

MELBOURNE: Australian batsman Shane Watsons (top) and captain Michael Clarke celebrate the winning run on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match against England in Melbourne yesterday. —AFP Opens shoulders He and Watson helped drive Australia past 100, and then opened their shoulders in the last 40 minutes before lunch to smack 113 runs in the morning session. Rogers gave up another nick two balls after lunch off the bowling of Broad, but a sluggish Bairstow failed to get a hand on the half-chance.

Rogers and Watson cracked boundaries at will, racing to 200 after the 36-year-old opener brought up his ton with a sublime off-drive for four off the bowling of James Anderson. After Watson raised his second half-century of the series, Rogers was finally dismissed by spinner Monty Panesar for his highest score in test cricket, slashing an edge to Bairstow.

“Doesn’t get better than this to win a Boxing Day test and get 100 on the last day. It’s what dreams are made of,” Rogers said in a pitchside interview after making his second test century in a late-blooming international career.

Like Cook before him in the match, Clarke brought up his 8,000th test run in his short innings, adding another milestone in a year in

SCOREBOARD MELBOURNE: Scoreboard after Australia beat England by eight wickets before tea on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

Total (two wickets; 51.5 overs) 231 England first innings 255 Australia first innings 204 Did not bat: S. Smith, G. Bailey, B. Haddin, M. England second innings 179 Johnson, R. Harris, P. Siddle, N. Lyon.

Australia second innings (overnight 30-0) Fall of wickets: 1-55 2-200 C. Rogers c Bairstow b Panesar 116 Bowling: Anderson 11-2-26-0, Broad 10-0-58-0, D. Warner c Bairstow b Stokes 25 Panesar 7.5-0-41-1, Stokes 12-0-50-1 (1-nb), Root S. Watson not out 83 4-1-8-0, Bresnan 7-1-48-0.

M. Clarke not out 6 Australia lead the five-match series 4-0.

Extras (nb-1) 1

N Zealand, WI ODI rained out NAPIER: The second one-day international between New Zealand and the West Indies was abandoned yesterday due to persistent rain. Although it was not heavy rainfall, ground officials said part of the outfield had become too wet to be readied for play

matches also speaks volume for his success, but Herath won’t take it for granted. “Everything is past, I feel you can only take it as confidence but it’s past so I need to start from the beginning on Tuesday,” said Herath, who has 200 wickets in 47 Tests.

Herath rated Pakistan’s top order as strong with skipper Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan. “I think Khurram Manzoor has played well, Shan (Masood) is the only new guy but you have (Mohammad) Hafeez, Misbah, Younis and Asad Shafiq and the top order is much better,” said Herath.

Herath said he knew what was expected of him, more so after the retirement of world record spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in 2010.

“As a bowler I know the responsibility I have, not thinking about who has left, Murali or whoever. I miss him very much and even now if I can bowl with Murali it’s much easier to bowl.

“You know what kind of bowler he was, what kind of class Murali had, you can’t compare him with anyone, so I don’t have words to say about Murali,” said Herath of the off-spinner who took 800 wickets-the most in Test cricket. —AFP

in time for even a reduced 20-over match.

The West Indies lead the five-match series 1-0 after winning the opening ODI in Auckland on Boxing Day by two wickets.

The next game is in Queenstown on Wednesday. —AFP

Relieved Clarke lauds bowlers and Rogers after toss anxiety

Herath ready for Pakistan test ABU DHABI: Ace Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath is hoping lack of Tests will not affect his bowling in the first of three Tests against Pakistan starting in Abu Dhabi from tomorrow.

Sri Lanka have not played the five-day format since beating Bangladesh at home in March this year, but Herath claimed Sunday he would be ready come the first Test.

“As a team we played in March against Bangladesh and if you play regular cricket then your form is much easier to keep but I don’t feel any rustiness and am ready for the three Tests,” Herath said.

The 35-year-old left-armer is seen as Sri Lanka’s answer to Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the Tests but Herath said he was not concerned with the hype.

“Ajmal is a very nice bowler and his record is very good, even I have done well in the last four five years, so somebody can say that it’s a battle but I am not concerned about Ajmal. “I am concerned about my team and how I am going to perform,” said Herath, who took 12 wickets in Sri Lanka’s second Test win against Bangladesh in Colombo.

And his record against Pakistan, 51 in 12

which he became the first player to reach 1,000 runs. Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson, who took eight wickets and ran out Joe Root with a brilliant piece of fielding on day three, was named man-of-the-match for a third time in the series following his awards in the Brisbane and Adelaide tests.

Cook’s dropped catches will only add further pressure on the England skipper, who waited an hour and a half before introducing spinner Panesar in the morning, by which time Australia’s batsmen were well on top.

In truth, England surrendered the match on day three when their batsmen collapsed to be all out for 179 after tea, having lost their last five wickets for six runs to hand the initiative straight back to the hosts. “The good thing about this game is that we got an opportunity to win it,” Cook said.

“In the first half-hour we created three chances. When it’s a low run chase you need to take those chances. We didn’t take them and we got punished for the rest of that. “There’s a lot of things we are struggling to explain.” —Reuters

NAPIER: Head coach of New Zealand Mike Hesson (L) looks out at the rain with conditioning coach Chris Donaldson, players Adam Minle and Jesse Ryder during the second international one day cricket match between New Zealand and the West Indies at McLean Park in Napier yesterday. —AFP

MELBOURNE: Australia captain Michael Clarke was left to thank his bowlers and centurion Chris Rogers for the hosts’ escape in the fourth Ashes test yesterday, having risked his team’s winning streak by opting to bowl first after winning the toss.

Australia completed a dominant win by eight wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday to take a 4-0 lead in the series but Clarke admitted his decision had haunted him throughout the match.

Credited for his aggressive captaincy and his setting of imaginative fields, Clarke has also shown himself a dab hand at calling the toss, winning it all four times in the series to date.

He had resolutely played the percentages up until Melbourne, putting his team in to bat in the three previous victories in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Clarke and his backroom colleagues gleaned something in the MCG’s green-

tinged pitch and overcast conditions in the morning that few others did, but immediately revealed his discomfort with the decision in a television interview after sending his team into the field on day one.

The queasy feeling can only have grown stronger as England survived to stumps at 226-6, with the hosts’ best batsman Kevin Pietersen leading from the front.

“When you win the toss and bowl, the result always dictates whether you’ll be criticised or applauded,” Clarke told reporters.

“Was it the right decision or not? Well the result will say yes, but after the first five overs on day one, the wicket certainly played better than I expected it to. “It certainly wasn’t our bowlers I was second guessing, it was more the fact that I was hoping that the grass on the wicket and the overhead conditions were going to do a little more than they did.” —Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

S P ORTS

Svindal wins in Bormio’ Miller struggles in 35th BORMIO: Aksel Lund Svindal is skiing as if he’s on cruise control. Hard or soft, sunny or dark, the Norwegian just keeps on winning. For Bode Miller and the rest of the US Ski Team, however, this World Cup season has been a different story in downhill.

While Miller’s form has improved in recent weeks, he took a step backward Sunday when he finished 35th in a race won with a perfect run from Svindal. “This wasn’t good for my confidence,” Miller said. “But my skiing was fine.”

Miller was an early starter and attributed his troubles to snowfall during the first half of his run.

“I couldn’t see anything,” the two-time overall winner said. “Not seeing makes the bumps much worse.

But I’ve been skiing well. I skied well in the training runs, so we just got to stay focused.” Svindal mastered the fresh snow conditions on the Stelvio course for his fourth victory of the Olympic season, with just 40 days to go to the Sochi Games. The

Norwegian clocked 1 minute, 54.08 seconds to finish 0.39 seconds ahead of Hannes Reichelt of Austria.

Erik Guay of Canada placed third, 0.51 back, for a strong follow-up to his downhill victory in Val Gardena a week ago. Svindal trailed Guay at every checkpoint but then gained 0.65 seconds over the last few gates, where Guay made a slight but costly error, lifting up his left ski to regain his balance after cutting off a turn too sharply.

The Stelvio is known for its knee-jarring bumps, making fatigue a big factor. “You win Bormio in the last part, because everyone is tired. It’s a mix of you’re tired and it’s a bit scary,” Svindal said. “The last 30 seconds is where you win or lose the race. I had a good plan and was pretty determined to make it happen on the last part.”Svindal has finished in the top five in his last six World Cup downhill races and in 12 of his last 14 dating back to March 2012.

How does he stay so consistent?

“Preparation is big. And material is a big deal,” Svindal said of his equipment. “I think I have really good material.” Miller is also accustomed to having top material but after sitting out last season to let his surgically repaired left knee heal, the 36-year-old racer is trailing in the equipment race.And Miller fell further behind when a pair of his skis - for giant slalom - were stolen from under his personal motor home overnight.

“Unfortunately, now looking at this, it was an omen for how the day was going to go,” said Miller’s wife, Morgan.Still, Miller’s goal is to peak for the Olympics. And while he’s yet to place better than fifth in a speed event this season, he was second in a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, earlier this month. “He’s figuring it out for Sochi and that’s all that matters,” Morgan Miller said, adding that the couple would now head home to California for a

break before returning to Europe for races in Adelboden, Switzerland, Jan. 11-12. “It’s going to be nice to get a little break and see our family and recharge,” Morgan Miller said.

With Miller struggling, the top American finisher was Travis Ganong of Squaw Valley, Calif., who was 10th for his best result of the season. Ganong started second and appeared to face the worst of conditions. “It was snowing so hard I was plowing through snow the whole way,” he said. “I feel like if I had started later today I could have had a better shot. For where I started I’m so happy with my skiing. I stuck to my plan, really pushed hard, had no mistakes and the skiing felt good.”

Bormio will also host the next men’s race on Jan. 6, a Monday night slalom that was moved from Zagreb due to a lack of snow in Croatia. A New Year’s Day race in Munich was canceled due to lack of snow. — AP

Soldado spot on as Spurs rout Stoke Tottenham 3

Stoke 0

LONDON: A Roberto Soldado penalty and fine second-half strikes from Mousa Dembele and Aaron Lennon helped Tottenham beat Stoke 3-0 and record their first Premier League home victory in more than two months yesterday.

The win was also a first for Tim Sherwood in his capacity as Andre Villas-Boas’s permanent successor and lifted Tottenham above Newcastle, who had lost at home to Arsenal earlier in the day, into seventh place.

Villas-Boas had been fired after spending that topped the £100 million (120 million euros, $165 million) mark resulted in a trickle of goals, but this was the second time in three matches under Sherwood that Tottenham had scored three, while it was also their first Premier League clean sheet in nine attempts.

Sherwood, who favours an attacking formation featuring two strikers, made five changes to the side held 1-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day, with Dembele, Kyle Naughton, Zeki Fryers, Paulinho and Aaron Lennon replacing Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Lewis Holtby, Nacer Chadli and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Stoke had to alter the side following a 5-1 thrashing at Newcastle that saw Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson sent off. In came Andy Wilkinson and ex-Spur Wilson Palacios, with

Stephen Ireland displacing Charlie Adam.

Fryers, making his first Premier League start, was fortunate not to be penalised when he appeared to haul Jon Walters to the ground as the Stoke man bore down on the Spurs box in the opening exchanges.

Tottenham threatened when Lennon crossed for Emmanuel Adebayor, whose scuffed shot fell perfectly for Christian Eriksen, however the Dane, taken by surprise, could only poke straight at the goalkeeper.

The hosts continued to attack but Soldado, given a sight of goal by Paulinho’s flick, couldn’t hit the target. Stoke were convinced they should have been awarded a penalty when Oussama Assaidi was sent tumbling at full pelt by Michael Dawson, yet referee Kevin Friend once again ruled the challenge as legal.

Soldado, having seen an enticing cross taken off his head by Ryan Shawcross, was on the end of the next one but his glancing header dropped just wide. A breakthrough was coming and Adebayor made it happen by chesting down Soldado’s pass and launching an acrobatic shot that was blocked by Shawcross’s raised arm.

Soldado made no mistake from the resulting penalty in the 37th minute. Paulinho began the second period by firing a good chance over before Adam, on for Ireland, was only just wide with a free-kick from distance at the other end.

Then a move began by Dembele saw Lennon set up Soldado, only for the Spain striker to scuff his shot straight at Sorensen, who also did well to save a low drive from Eriksen. Stoke were finding possession hard to come by, let alone chances, and were sunk by Tottenham’s second in the 65th minute, a low shot from the edge of the box by Dembele following a series of defender-fooling twists and turns. — AFP

LIVERPOOL: Everton’s English midfielder Ross Barkley (R) vies with Southampton’s English midfielder Jack Cork (L) during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Southampton at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northwest England yesterday. — AFP

Lukaku keeps Everton’s bid for top-four on track Everton 2

Southampton 1

LONDON: Stoke City’s Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios (L) vies with Tottenham Hotspur’s Brazilian midfielder Paulinho (R) during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City at White Hart Lane in north London yesterday. — AFP

LIVERPOOL: Everton kept their bid for a topfour finish in the Premier League firmly on track as Romelu Lukaku’s late strike earned a 2-1 win over Southampton yesterday.

Roberto Martinez’s side had taken an early lead through Seamus Coleman before Southampton threatened to steal a point thanks to a Gaston Ramirez strike midway through the second half at Goodison Park.

But Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, netted his ninth club goal of the season with 16 minutes to play to give Everton their third win in four

matches.

As a result, the Toffees moved above Liverpool into fourth place, although their Merseyside rivals can reclaim that spot with a draw or win at Chelsea later.

Martinez made five changes to his starting line -up from the surprise loss against Sunderland on Boxing Day, with England leftback Leighton Baines returning after a broken toe.

Captain Phil Jagielka was missing due to a hamstring injury, so defender Antolin Alcaraz came in for his Toffees debut.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard and midfielder Gareth Barry were also absent due to suspension, so Joel Robles made his first Everton Premier League start in between the posts.

Everton certainly looked no weaker than usual in the early stages as Coleman’s third goal in four games fired them into the lead in the ninth minute.

The Republic of Ireland international collected the ball from Leon Osman, advanced down

the right flank and then cut into the box, beating James Ward-Prowse in the process, before driving a powerful shot beyond Kelvin Davis.

In the 18th minute, Steven Naismith chased a long ball over the top and, as Davis caught it, the Everton forward went to ground in the area having felt contact from Dejan Lovren, but no penalty was given.

Having juggled the ball into space on the edge of the area, Southampton’s Adam Lallana dragged a shot wide and Ward-Prowse looped another effort off-target.

Southampton drew level in the 71st minute as Ramirez collected the ball from Lallana and sent a dipping effort goalwards that seemed to elude Spanish goalkeeper Robles too easily on its way into the net.

Robles will have surely been relieved to have seen Everton’s advantage restored three minutes later. Having received the ball from substitute Steven Pienaar as the Toffees swept forward, James McCarthy neatly set up Lukaku, who smashed home past Davis from 12 yards. — AFP

Red Wings edge Panthers 4-3 SUNRISE: Henrik Zetterberg scored a goal in his first game back from injury to lift the Detroit Red Wings over the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Saturday night. Gustav Nyquist, Brendan Smith and Daniel Alfredsson also scored for Detroit.

Jonas Gustavsson stopped 30 shots. Pavel Datsyuk had two assists. Zetterberg returned after missing 11 games with a herniated disk in his back. Zetterberg leads the Red Wings with 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists). Sean Bergenheim scored two goals, and Nick Bjugstad also scored for Florida.

Scott Clemmensen made 27 saves for the Panthers. The Red Wings, who have won three of four, beat the Panthers for the first time in three games this season. The Panthers lost their third straight game.

Devils 2, Islanders 1 Cory Schneider stopped 30 shots, and Travis Zajac scored the go-ahead goal with 6:57 left when the puck went in off his face as New Jersey beat the New York Islanders.

Zajac was credited with his seventh goal when a shot by Marek Zidlicky struck him when he stood in front of the net.

Schneider earned his first win since Nov. 30 when he shut out Buffalo.

Adam Henrique gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 11:37 of the first period, and Frans Nielsen tied it 10:31 into the third for the Islanders, who played without captain John Tavares.

Tavares sat out because of an undisclosed lower-body injury that ended his consecutive games streak at 246.

Senators 4, Bruins 3 Bobby Ryan scored with 4:35 left to help Ottawa edge Boston. Patrick Wiercioch, Cory Conacher and Zack Smith also scored for the Senators. Craig Anderson stopped 29 shots to earn the victory.

Daniel Paille, Jarome Iginla and David Warsofsky scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask allowed three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Chad Johnson, who allowed one goal on 18 shots.

Both teams were missing a number of key players, including both captains. The Senators were without Jason Spezza, and the Bruins were without Zdeno Chara.

Canadiens 2, Lightning 1, SO Lars Eller scored the lone shootout goal, Carey Price stopped all three shots he faced in the tiebreaker, and Montreal beat Tampa Bay. Eller made a couple of moves

before beating Ben Bishop on the Canadiens’ first shootout attempt. Tomas Plekanec scored in regulation for Montreal.

Price stopped 23 shots through overtime. Martin St. Louis scored for the Lightning, who also got 20 saves in regulation and overtime from Bishop. Tampa Bay’s five-game winning streak ended.

Ducks 3, Coyotes 2, OT Saku Koivu scored two goals, including the winner 51 seconds into overtime, to lift Anaheim to its 10th straight victory. Anaheim improved its Pacific-Division leading record to 28-7-5. The Ducks are 14-0-2 at home this season.

They are the NHL team without a regulation loss at home.

Andrew Cogliano gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead with his 11th goal of the season on a deflected shot in front, with Koivu getting an assist.Martin Hanzal and Keith Yandle scored in the final five minutes of regulation to earn a point for Phoenix, which has lost all four meetings with Anaheim this season. Jonas Hiller stopped 23 shots and improved to 17-4-4. Anaheim has held opponents to two goals or fewer in nine of the 10 victories during the streak. Thomas Greiss made 38 saves for the Coyotes, who have lost six of seven.

Blues 6, Blackhawks 5, SO Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund scored 1:17 apart late in regulation to tie it and Kevin Shattenkirk netted the deciding goal in the fifth round of a shootout to lift St Louis over Chicago.

Patrick Kane had a goal and assist in the Blackhawks’ second three-goal first period in two nights and extended his point streak to 14 games. Kane added an assist on Brent Seabrook’s goal in the third period. The Blues are 3-0 against the Blackhawks, who lead the NHL with 60 points.

Two wins were by shootout and all three were decided by a goal. St. Louis rallied from deficits of 3-1 and 5-3.

Kane has eight goals and 17 assists during his point streak and has scored in 26 of 27 games overall. Patrick Sharp scored his 22nd goal in the first period and has six goals in three games. T.J. Oshie and Tarasenko also scored in the shootout for St. Louis. Jonathan Toews and Sharp scored for Chicago, which failed on two chances to end it.

Kane, Toews and Duncan Keith had two points apiece in the first period for Chicago.

Predators 3, Kings 2 Mike Fisher scored his second goal of the game with

SUNRISE: Goaltender Scott Clemmensen #30 of the Florida Panthers makes a glove save against the Detroit Red Wings at the BB&T Center on Saturday in Sunrise, Florida. The Red Wings defeated the Panthers 4-3. — AFP 26.4 seconds left to give Nashville a victory against Los Angeles. Fisher also assisted on Patrick Hornqvist’s firstperiod goal for Nashville, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter scored for the Kings, who have lost two straight. The teams combined for three goals in the final 3:18 Fisher put Nashville ahead 2-1 with 3:18 left with a slap shot from the high slot that beat goalie Ben Scrivens low to the stick side. Carter tied it with only 36.7 seconds to go, but Fisher put the Predators back in front 10 seconds later. Hornqvist had given the Predators a 1-0 lead with 5:18 left in the first.

Flyers 4, Oilers 3, SO Michael Raffl scored the winning goal on his first career shootout attempt, and Philadelphia overcame an early

deficit to beat Edmonton. Wayne Simmonds had a pair of goals for the third straight game, and Scott Hartnell also scored for the Flyers (18-16-4), who have won four of five and snapped a five-game, road-losing streak. Philadelphia scored three power-play goals. Taylor Hall, Ryan NugentHopkins and David Perron scored for the Oilers (13-24-4), who led 2-0 but had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Edmonton has lost seven of nine games. The Oilers got off to a quick start and took the lead 32 seconds in when Hall scored on Edmonton’s first shot. Simmonds, who has seven goals in his last five games, is the first Flyers player to have three straight multiple-goal games since Reggie Leach in 1981. Philadelphia outshot the Oilers 38-16 through over time and beat its former goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. — AP

Lukaku keeps Everton’s bid for top-four on track

Ruthless Australia wins 4th Test by 8 wickets

19

18

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Red Wings edge Panthers 4-3

Page 19

NEWCASTLE: Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (2L) scores the opening goal past Newcastle United’s Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul (R) during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James’ Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, northeast England yesterday. —AFP

Giroud strike helps Arsenal regain top spot Newcastle 0

Arsenal 1

NEWCASTLE: Olivier Giroud’s 11th goal of the season sealed Arsenal’s return to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 win at Newcastle yesterday. The Frenchman’s 65th-minute header, his first goal for more than a month, proved decisive as Arsene Wenger’s men were forced to sweat for a victory that rounds off an impressive 2013 for the north London club.

Arsenal racked-up 82 points in the calendar year - the best in the English top-flight - and the

character they showed in withstanding the sustained challenge from an in-form Newcastle side will stand them in good stead as they attempt to end their long trophy drought.

The hosts almost snatched a late draw when Wojciech Szczesny’s attempted clearance cannoned off French forward Loic Remy to bounce just a yard wide of goal with the Arsenal keeper stranded, but Newcastle tasted defeat for only the second time in 10 games to dent their hopes of a top six finish.

As they look down on the rest of the Premier League having regained pole position from Manchester City, Arsenal will no doubt reflect that seven of the last nine teams to head the division going into the New Year have gone on to lift the title in May. However, the Gunners are a notable recent exception when they trailed in third despite topping the table at this stage of the season six

years ago. Mesut Ozil headed Arsenal’s growing list of key absentees, the German international joining Aaron Ramsey (thigh) on the sidelines with a minor shoulder problem that is expected to keep the midfielder out for at least another game.

Also missing were Thomas Vermaelen and Nacho Monreal, who were both unwell. With Mathieu Flamini prompting the visitors from in front of the back four in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Arsenal enjoyed the majority of possession without being able to translate it into chances.

It allowed Newcastle, who showed just one change as Cheick Tiote returned from suspension in place of Hatem Ben Arfa, to end the half strongly, with Moussa Sissoko forcing Szczesny to produce a fingertip save as the Frenchman unleashed a powerful 20-yard drive when following up as Yohan Cabaye’s shot was blocked.

From the resulting Cabaye corner, Mathieu

Debuchy’s looping far-post header bounced down off the crossbar, with Mike Williamson unable to convert the rebound in a major let-off for the visitors.

Cabaye combined several times with Debuchy to cause problems for Wenger’s side, and with better control, the latter would have been clean through on goal as he raced onto a pinpoint 40-yard pass from his former Lille team-mate.

Debuchy also ought to have done better when volleying wide as Cabaye’s raking freekick found him in space just inside the area.

Arsenal’s ball retention and distribution, as ever, was pleasing on the eye, although with Newcastle’s back four again impressing, the Gunners created only half chances before the interval.

Tomas Rosicky aimed a 20-yard effort straight at Tim Krul at the culmination of a four-

man move, before Santi Cazorla cut in from the right to force a low save from the Dutchman with a crisp left-foot shot.

Newcastle threw on Ben Arfa just after the hour in a bold attacking move, but it was Arsenal who took the lead within minutes of the Frenchman’s introduction. Theo Walcott floated a free-kick into the area where Giroud, evading his marker Williamson, sent a glancing header past the exposed Krul from 10 yards.

Walcott almost doubled the advantage soon after, the England forward’s first attempt blocked by the legs of Krul, before Debuchy kept the Arsenal forward’s follow-up out with a spectacular goal-line clearance.

It wasn’t to prove a costly miss, as the visitors held out with relative ease - Ben Arfa firing wastefully into the side-netting in their biggest scare - to record a victory that could prove key when the title is decided in May. —AFP

Battling Chelsea cut Liverpool loose Chelsea 2

Liverpool 1

LONDON: Liverpool’s Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel (R) taps the ball into the net past Chelsea’s Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech (L) to score the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: Chelsea demonstrated their Premier League championship credentials by coming from behind to beat title rivals Liverpool 2-1 in an engaging and keenly contested game at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Martin Skrtel gave Liverpool a third-minute lead, but Chelsea hit back before half-time through Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto’o to give manager Jose Mourinho victory over his former protege Brendan Rodgers.

Having led the league on Christmas Day, Liverpool will finish the year in fifth place, six points below leaders Arsenal, with Chelsea two points off the pace in third place behind Manchester City.

Beaten 2-1 by City on Boxing Day, Liverpool have now lost successive league games for the first time since April 2012, while top scorer Luis Suarez has gone two games without scoring after amassing 10 in his previous four outings.

The game marked the first meeting between Suarez and Branislav Ivanovic since the Liverpool striker was banned for biting the Chelsea defender last season, and the Liverpool man came out on top in their first duel.

Af ter Samuel Eto’o caught Jordan Henderson with a high challenge on the Liverpool left, Philippe Coutinho curled in a free-kick and Suarez got in front of Ivanovic to knock the ball down for Skrtel to prod home.

Chelsea, for whom John Terry was making his 600th appearance, were quick to respond, with Glen Johnson hacking off the line to prevent Skrtel scoring an own goal and Gary Cahill heading wide from a free-kick.

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet then produced a stunning one-handed save to tip over a shot from Frank Lampard, but in the 17th minute the hosts drew level. A sharp Chelsea counter-attack culminated in Mamadou Sakho inadvertently diverting a pass from Oscar into the path of Hazard, who swept a magisterial first-time shot inside the righthand post from 20 yards.

Chelsea then lost Ivanovic to injury, with Ashley Cole coming on, but it did not disrupt their momentum. They went in front in the 34th minute and Mignolet, culpable for City’s winning goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, was again partly at fault.

Oscar’s low cross from the right was toed towards goal by Eto’o and despite getting down quickly, Mignolet could only palm the

ball inside his right-hand post. I t was an impressive reaction from Mourinho’s side, but gradually Liverpool reasserted themselves.

Petr Cech produced a smart save to prevent Joe Allen from equalising with a deflected shot shortly before half-time, before Sakho headed against the crossbar early in the second period.

M ignolet stood up well to stop Eto’o extending Chelsea’s lead at the other end, but Liverpool were soon back on the attack, with Suarez volleying straight at Cech.

The teams continued to exchange chances, Oscar drilling wide for Chelsea, Johnson working Cech in reply, but Liverpool’s early fire had burnt itself out. And when Suarez went to ground theatrically in the Chelsea box after Eto’o ran across him, he received only a shake of the head from referee Howard Webb and a torrent of jeers from the home fans.

Former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres threatened to seal victory at the death after coming on from the bench, but having taken Sakho out of the game, he saw his shot saved

by Mignolet. —AFP

EPL results/standings Standings from the English premier league matches yesterday.

Arsenal Man City Chelsea Everton Liverpool Man United Tottenham Newcastle Southampton Hull City

P 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

W D L F 13 3 3 37 13 2 4 54 12 4 3 35 10 7 2 31 11 3 5 44 10 4 5 32 10 4 5 22 10 3 6 29 7 6 6 26 6 5 8 22

A Pts 18 42 21 41 19 40 18 37 23 36 22 34 24 34 24 33 20 27 23 23

Swansea City Stoke City Aston Villa Norwich City West Bromwich Cardiff City Crystal Palace Fulham West Ham Sunderland

19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

5 5 5 5 3 4 5 5 3 3

6 6 5 4 9 6 1 1 6 5

8 8 9 10 7 9 13 13 10 11

24 18 18 16 22 15 12 19 18 15

25 29 25 32 27 30 28 41 28 32

21 21 20 19 18 18 16 16 15 14

Business

Stocks fluctuate before year-end Page 22

Italy’s Chinese garment workshops flourish

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Page 25

Air Arabia named ‘Low-cost Carrier of the Year’

World braces for retirement crisis

Page 26

Page 23

MIAMI LAKES: Job seekers checking out companies at a job fair in Miami Lakes, Florida. More than 1 million Americans braced for a harrowing, post-Christmas jolt as federal unemployment benefits came to a sudden halt this weekend. — AP

US families losing jobless benefit in throes Americans forced to sell cars, take up minimum wage jobs

Margin calls weigh on Dubai; Saudi up MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Regional shares were mixed yesterday with some margin calls weighing on Dubai’s bourse and investors shifting funds from banks to petrochemical stocks helping Saudi Arabia’s measure snap a three-session losing streak. Dubai’s measure retreated 0.6 percent, slipping off Thursday’s five -year high and trimming December’s gains to 11.4 percent.

Traders expect the trend to be weak until the new year, with little news flow to trigger fresh buying.

“Most brokerage companies are asking clients for margin calls towards the year-end to close their books,” said Hisham Khairy, head of trading for institutional desk at brokerage firm MENA Corp. “There will probably be selling to equalize positions because most of the trading recently was on margin.” Investors trade on margin, or leverage to increase profit margin and have to close their positions, or sell, to reduce their leverage back to zero.

Shares in small-caps drove a rally in December, the typical target for shortterm bets. Gulf Navigation, one such stock, fell 3.6 percent as investors booked recent gains. Union Properties shed 1.7 percent. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark climbed 0.6 percent, a new fiveyear high, and extending 2013 gains to 60 percent. Lagging banks helped boost the bourse; National Bank of Abu Dhabi climbed 2.7 percent to take the year’s gains to 40 percent. Dana Gas rose 2.3 percent to its highest since January 2010. The stock extends gains since saying it received a $53 million payment out of the total of $330 million owed to it by Egypt.

In Saudi Arabia, petrochemical shares helped lift the market. The sector’s index gained 0.5 percent and agriculture and food sector rose 1.1 percent. Banking shares meanwhile,

weighed with the sector falling 0.5 percent, its fifth straight drop since it hit a five-year high last week.

Aside from profit-taking, weak fourth-quarter outlook and unattractive dividends for banks earnings triggered investors to sell shares. Samba Financial Group was the main drag on the bourse, losing 3.9 percent. The lender on Thursday said in a bourse statement it would pay 0.85 riyals ($0.23) per share for the second half of 2013.

“There are two main concerns on banks - that higher provisions will be allocated in Q4 due to difficulties in the construc tion sec tor,” said Hesham Tuffaha, a Riyadh-based fund manager.

Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on illegal workers is resulting in shortage of laborers, which is hitting hard the construction sector, analysts said. Banks that lend to construction firms, may see an impact from delayed interest payment due to a slowdown in projects.

Additionally, weak growth in the bank’s earnings means lack of growth in dividend payouts, Tuffaha said, which is also triggering selling in banking shares. In Qatar, Gulf International Services (GIS) climbed 0.2 percent. The firm said in a bourse statement it is in discussions with Gulf Drilling International, a foreign partner in its joint venture, a acquire a 30 percent stake in the capital of GDI. The acquisition would results in GDI to become a wholly owned subsidiary of GIS. Doha’s benchmark declined 0.3 percent in its third consecutive retreat ahead of a planned new listing next month. Elsewhere, Cairo’s benchmark index shed 0.6 percent, its second decline since Wednesday’s near-threeyear-high. — Reuters

WESTMINSTER, California: The end of unemployment checks for more than a million people is driving out-of-work Americans to consider selling cars, moving and taking minimum wage work after already slashing household budgets and pawning personal possessions to make ends meet.

Greg and Barbara Chastain of Huntington Beach, California, put their two teenagers on the school lunch program and cut back on dining out after losing their T-shirt company in June following a dispute with an investor.

They’ve exhausted their state unemployment benefits and now that the federal extensions are gone, unless they find jobs the couple plan to take their children out of their high school in January and relocate 50 miles east where a relative owns property so they can save on rent.

“We could let one of our cars go, but then you can’t get to work - it’s a never-ending cycle,” 43year-old Greg Chastain said while accompanying his wife to an Orange County employment center. He said they eventually may try their luck in a less expensive state like Arizona or Texas if he can land a manufacturing job there.

The end to the five -year program that extended benefits for the long-term jobless affected 1.3 million people immediately and will affect hundreds of thousands more who remain jobless in the months ahead. Under the program, the federal government provided an average monthly stipend of $1,166.

While the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress want to continue the program, the extensions were dropped from a budget deal struck earlier this month and Republican lawmakers have balked at its $26 billion annual cost.

The end of the program may prompt a drop in the nation’s unemployment rate, but not necessarily for a good reason. People out of work

are required to look for work to receive unemployment benefits. As benefits disappear, some jobless will stop looking for work out of frustration and will no longer be counted as unemployed. The trend has already emerged in North Carolina, which started cutting off extended benefits in July. The state’s unemployment rate went down - from 8.8 percent in June to 7.4 percent in November- even though the number of North Carolinians who said they had jobs rose only slightly in that time.

The North Carolina evidence is consistent with the theory that ending benefits will cause some unemployed to drop out of the workforce, said Michael Feroli, an economist at JP Morgan Chase.

Fed warning That’s what Fed chairman Ben Bernanke meant when he said this month that the end of extended benefits “will bring the unemployment rate down, but for ... the wrong reason.”

Some unemployed people said the loss of benefits might drive them to take minimum wage jobs to get by until they can find work at their skill level and in their field. Richard Mattos, 59, of Salem, Oregon, has been out of work since March, when he was laid off as a case manager at a social services organization. Without the unemployment income, Mattos said he and his wife will have enough money for one month’s wor th of bills. Almost ever y day, he visits employment centers run by the state of Oregon or Goodwill Industries International.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “We could end up homeless because of this.” Since 2008, the federal program paid out benefits to the unemployed after their 26 weeks of state benefits ran out. At its peak, the program offered up to 73 weeks of federal benefits - which are typically offered during periods of

high unemployment - to the long-term jobless.

James Sherk, a labor policy analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said ending the extensions could induce workers to take jobs they might have overlooked initially. Extended unemployment benefits can give workers “a false sense of how much time they have before they have to start broadening their net to less than ideal positions,” he said, adding that the labor market, while not ideal, is stronger and continues to improve.

In November, the country’s unemployment rate fell to a five-year low of 7 percent, but is still above the 5 percent to 6 percent rate that would signal a normal job market. And longterm unemployment remains a problem for the economy as nearly 4.1 million Americans have been out of work for six months or more.

Deborah Barrett, a 57-year-old resident of Newport, is one of them. She was laid off from her management job in accounting in February and has sent out hundreds of resumes since.

She said she doesn’t know how she’ll get by without the federal assistance.

“It’s petrifying,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t believe my story is very unique.” Laura Garay, 57, pawned her jewelry, withdrew retirement funds and relied on support from friends after losing her paralegal job in May, the same month she was diagnosed with lymphoma. Her monthly $1,700 in unemployment covers her house payment in Westminster and the cost of maintaining her health insurance to cover a barrage of exams and radiation therapy. Garay said her illness set back her job search, but as long as she’s healthy, she’ll work at just about anything to get back on her feet and avoid being jobless for too long. “You don’t find a job in two weeks, you don’t find a job in three weeks,” she said. “You find a job after months of searching.” — AP

Global markets see thin trading NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Major global markets have seen thin trading and mixed performance as they were off duty most of last week due to the Christmas break, said the weekly report of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). The Fed’s announcement to taper its Quantitative Easing (QE) program continues to be the most important topic on the table amid signs that economic growth is gaining momentum.

Market expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to reduce its monetary stimulus after tapering quantitative easing this month as the US economy becomes stronger.

Based on a limited trading session last week due

to the holidays, the US dollar had a mixed performance staying relatively weak against most of its counterparts except for the Japanese yen. This is shown in the performance of the Dollar Index, which opened the week trading at 80.53 levels, and stayed flat in the Asian session during the holiday before falling at the end of a short week, closing sessions at 80.338.

The University Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index surged to a 5-month high this month, signaling that Americans are confident in the US economy, and spending will continue to rise. The number of new home sales dropped 2.1 percent to an annual

rate of 464,000 in November from a revised 474,000 in October, holding near a five-year high. The slight drop indicates that the housing recovery was gaining momentum even as mortgage rates climbed.

Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits than expected, indicating that the US labor market is in a better shape. Jobless claims dropped by 42,000 to 338,000. The four-week moving average was 348,000, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 343,750.

The year-end holidays is a time where jobless claims volatility are high, making it difficult to adjust for fluctuations. — KUNA

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

BUSINESS

Stocks fluctuate before year-end BAYAN WEEKLY KSE MARKET REPORT

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended trading last week with mixed performance. The price index closed at 7,626.23 points, up by 0.28 percent from the week before closing, the weighted index increased by 0.01 percent after closing at 451.86 points, whereas the KSX-15 index closed at 1,066.40 points down by 0.88 percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 22.24 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 24.34 million, whereas trading volume average was 250.64 million shares, recording increase of 32.64 percent.

The performance of the stock market’s three indices fluctuated last week due to the traders’ different preferences, whereas the Price Index and Weighted Index realized some gains in light of the purchasing activity return to control the trading direction, which concentrated on the small-cap stocks and a number of largecap stocks. However the KSX-15 was not able to realize weekly gains affected by the drop of some operational and blue-chip stocks especially in the Consumer Services and Banking and Industrial sectors. As such, stocks were subject to profit collection operations which caused it to decline and thus negatively affected KSX-15 Index performance.

In addition, the stock market witnessed a positive performance supported by the purchasing power that included many stocks whether large-cap or small-cap, particularly in Real Estate and Financial Services sectors, and especially in the first four sessions of last

week, where the general index increased continuously.

On the other hand, the stock market was affected by the profit collection operations, which were present in most of the daily sessions, especially in the last trading session of

S Korean govt faces flak over rail reform this year-was staged amid high security involving some 13,000 police officers.

No major incidents were reported. Sul Hoon, a lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), slammed President Park Geun-Hye for pushing ahead with the plan despite calls for more negotiations with workers.

“The latest railway crisis will never be resolved by merely cracking down (on workers on the strike),” Sul said in a meeting with Korail union members along with dozens of other DP lawmakers on Sunday.

Some 30 union leaders have been accused of an offence of disrupting business and are being sought by police. Three of them have been arrested, while some others have taken shelter at a temple in central Seoul. Police rarely enter a temple or church for fear of sparking a backlash. “ The current deadlock will never be solved unless President Park changes her mind,” Sul said, accusing her administration of “extreme bigotry and obstinacy”. Woo Won-Shik, a senior DP member, also urged the government to resume talks with workers to end the partial strike that has caused weeks of delays or cancellations in train and subway services across the country.

“It’s time for Park to make a decision.

Otherwise she will be faced...with opposition across the country,” Oh Byung-Yun, floor leader of the leftwing Unified Progressive Party, told a press conference yesterday.

Some 6,600 Korail workers-nearly a third of High-speed KTX-Sancheon trains, built by Hyundai Rotem and operated by KORAIL, are the total of 20,473 — were on strike as of yesterday, the company said. — AFP lined up in an engine shed. (KORAIL).

SEOUL: South Korean opposition lawmakers yesterday stepped up criticism of the government’s plan to reorganize the state railway, a day after a mass rally in protest at feared layoffs. The government this month announced a plan to spin off part of staterun Korea Railway (Korail) and allow other state-run firms to buy the shares in the spinoff. It said the move was aimed at revitalizing the debt-ridden railway, that has suffered

from chronic and growing losses. But thousands of railway workers including train drivers suspect the move is a prelude to privatization along with mass layoffs and pay cuts, and have staged a partial strike since December 9.

At least 20,000 workers, activists and supporters staged a rally in central Seoul Saturday, demanding the scrapping of the changes. The rally-the biggest in the country

the week, whereas the three stock market indices closed in the red zone, and in turn lightened the gains of the Price and Weighted indices and pushed the KSX-15 index to record weekly losses.

Moreover, the watch state is still controlling

many of the stock market traders, whom are waiting for the listed companies’ financial results for the current year, which only three days are left to end, among many hopes for positive results.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 28.51 percent annual gains compared to its closing in 2012, while the weighted index increased by 8.19 percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 5.68 percent growth.

Sectors’ Indices Nine of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other three recorded

declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the Insurance sector, achieving 3.10 percent growth rate as its index closed at 1,143.47 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Consumer Goods sector’s index closed at 1,247.14 points recording 1.53 percent increase. The Basic Materials sector came in third as its index achieved 1.24 percent growth, ending the week at 1,153.78 points. The Technology sector was the least growing as its index closed at 1,011.26 points with a 0.11 percent increase.

On the other hand, the Consumer Services sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 2.39 percent to end the week’s activity at 1,132.55 points. The Industrial sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.78 percent, closing at 1,160.15 points, followed by the Banks sector, as its index closed at 1,069.44 points at a weekly loss of 0.01 percent.

Sectors’ activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 560.39 million shares changing hands, representing 44.72 percent of the total market trading volume. The Real Estate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 30.83 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 386.37 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value with a turnover of KD 37.40 million or 30.73 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover was KD 27.85 million represented 22.88 percent of the total market trading value.Prepared by the Studies & Research Department — Bayan Investment Co.

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

2.706 4.583 2.684 2.163 2.858 225.600 36.541 3.639 6.388 8.653 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.590 77.886 736.360 752.890 77.197

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

SELL DRAFT 256.94 270.66 320.71 390.66 282.75 466.43 2.77 3.637 4.580 2.166 2.871 2.685 77.05 752.56 40.88 402.42 735.33 78.08 75.53

SELL CASH 257.000 271.000 321.000 393.000 285.000 469.000 2.800 3.800 4.890 2.600 3.400 2.760 77.400 753.400 41.100 407.500 741.400 78.400 75.800

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

40.200 40.390 1.322 172.930 400.300 1.902 2.020 35.419

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.350 Euro 392.860 Sterling Pound 470.360 Canadian dollar 267.560 Turkish lira 133.850 Swiss Franc 321.990 Australian Dollar 254.730 US Dollar Buying 282.150 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

228.000 116.000 60.000

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

Selling Rate 282.700 269.510 461.550 390.375 319.945 746.465 76.945 78.500 76.255 398.510 40.993 2.160 4.567 2.652 3.632 6.379 694.370 3.745 09.800

Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi

3.010 3.855 88.370 46.975

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.219502 0.021417 0.001873 0.009392 0.008383

0.225502 0.029917 0.002453 0.009572 0.008933

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

Arab 0.744472 0.037468 0.000078 0.000187 0.395076 1.0000000 0.000138 0.022650 0.001198 0.729292 0.077050 0.074857 0.002169 0.168785 0.137302 0.076096 0.001286

0.752472 0.040568 0.000080 0.000247 0.402576 1.0000000 0.000238 0.046650 0.001833 0.734972 0.078263 0.075557 0.002389 0.176785 0.144302 0.077245 0.001366

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

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

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

SELLDRAFT Europe 0.007358 0.459452 0.006282 0.048099 0.383582 0.041990 0.081687 0.008110 0.039580 0.311375 0.137302

0.008358 0.468452 0.018292 0.053099 0.391082 0.047190 0.81687 0.018110 0.044580 0.321575 0.144302

Australasia 0.242912 0.224890

0.254412 0.234390

America 0.258802 0.279000 0.279500

0.267302 0.283350 0.283350

Asia 0.003560 0.045101 0.034415 0.004360 0.000019 0.002611 0.003382 0.000258 0.082361 0.002976 0.002488 0.006401 0.000069

0.004160 0.048601 0.037165 0.004761 0.000025 0.002791 0.003382 0.000273 0.088361 0.003146 0.002768 0.006681 0.000075

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

Rate (Per 1000) 282.500 390.400 467.200 265.600 4.570 40.700 2.159 3.635 6.376 2.683 752.300 77.000 75.500

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

BUSINESS

World braces for retirement crisis China, Korea at awkward age as Asia faces challenge NEW YORK: A global retirement crisis is bearing down on workers of all ages. Spawned years before the Great Recession and the 2008 financial meltdown, the crisis was significantly worsened by those twin traumas. It will play out for decades, and its consequences will be far-reaching. Many people will be forced to work well past the traditional retirement age of 65. Living standards will fall and poverty rates will rise for the elderly in wealthy countries that built safety nets for seniors after World War II. In developing countries, people’s rising expectations will be frustrated if governments can’t afford retirement systems to replace the tradition of children caring for aging parents.

The problems are emerging as the generation born after World War II moves into retirement. “The first wave of under-prepared workers is going to try to go into retirement and will find they can’t afford to do so,” says Norman Dreger, a retirement specialist with the consulting firm Mercer in Frankfur t, Germany.

The crisis is a convergence of three factors: Countries are slashing retirement benefits and raising the age to start collecting them.

These countries are awash in debt since the recession hit. And they face a demographics disaster as retirees live longer and falling birth rates mean there will be fewer workers to support them.

Companies have eliminated traditional pension plans that guaranteed employees a monthly check in retirement. Individuals spent freely and failed to save before the recession and saw much of their wealth disappear once it hit.

Those factors have been documented individually. What is less appreciated is their combined ferocity and global scope. “Most countries are not ready to meet what is sure to be one of the defining challenges of the 21st centur y,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington concludes.

Mikio Fukushima, who is 52 and lives in Tokyo, worries that he might need to move somewhere cheaper, maybe Malaysia, after age 70 to get by comfortably on income from his investments and a public pension of just $10,000 a year.

People like Fukushima who are fretting over their retirement prospects stand in contrast to many who are already retired. Many workers were recipients of generous corporate pensions and government benefits that had yet to be cut.

Jean-Pierre Bigand, 66, retired Sept. 1, in time to enjoy all the perks of a retirement system in France that’s now in peril. Bigand lives in the countryside outside the city of Rouen in Normandy. He has a second home in Provence. He’s just taken a vacation on Oleron Island off the Atlantic coast and is planning a five-week trip to Guadeloupe.

“Travel is our biggest expense,” he says.

Under siege The notion of extended, leisurely retirements is relatively new. Germany established the world’s first widely available state pension system in 1889. The United States introduced Social Security in 1935. In the prosperous

years after World War II, governments expanded pensions. In addition, companies began to offer pensions that paid employees a guaranteed amount each month in retirement - socalled defined-benefit pensions.

The average age at which men could retire with full government pension benefits fell from 64.3 years in 1949 to 62.4 years in 1999 in the relatively wealthy countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. “That was the Golden Age,” Mercer consultant Dreger says. It would not last. As the 2000s dawned, governments - and companies - looked at actuarial tables and birth rates and realized they couldn’t afford the pensions they’d promised. The average man in 30 countries the OECD surveyed will live 19 years after retirement. That’s up from 13 years in 1958, when many countries were devising their generous pension plans. The OECD says the average retirement

fellow at the CSIS. “You’re not going to want to retire there in 20 to 25 years.” The fate of government pensions is important because they are the cornerstone of retirement income. Across the 34country OECD, governments provide 59 percent of retiree income, on average.

Financial crisis The outlook worsened once the global banking system went into a panic in 2008 and tipped the world into the worst recession since the 1930s. Government budget deficits swelled in Europe and the United States. Tax revenue shrank, and governments pumped money into rescuing their banks and financing unemployment benefits. All that escalated pressure on governments to reduce spending on pensions.

The Great Recession threw tens of millions out of work worldwide. For others, pay stag-

Dong Linhua, 59, picks towel gourds in his backyard in Shanghai. A global retirement crisis is bearing down on workers of all ages. —AP Photos age would have to reach 66 or 67, from 63 now, to “maintain control of the cost of pensions” from longer lifespans.

Compounding the problem is that birth rates are falling just as the bulge of people born in developed countries after World War II retires. Populations are aging rapidly as a result. The higher the percentage of older people, the harder it is for a countr y to finance its pension system because relatively fewer younger workers are paying taxes.

In response, governments are raising retirement ages and slashing benefits. In 30 high- and middle-income OECD countries, the average age at which men can collect full retirement benefits will rise to 64.6 in 2050, from 62.9 in 2010; for women, it will rise from 61.8 to 64.4 In the wealthy countries it studied, the OECD found that the pension reforms of the 2000s will cut retirement benefits by an average 20 percent.

Even France, where government pensions have long been generous, has begun modest reforms to reduce costs. “France is a retirees’ paradise now,” says Richard Jackson, senior

nated, making it harder to save. Because government retirement benefits are based on lifetime earnings, they’ll now be lower. The Urban Institute, a Washington think tank, estimates that lost wages and pay raises will shrink the typical American worker’s income at age 70 by 4 percent - an average of $2,300 a year.

Leslie Lynch, 52, of Glastonbury, Conn., had $30,000 in her 401(k) retirement account when she lost her $65,000-a-year job last year at an insurance company. She’d worked there 28 years. She’s depleted her retirement savings trying to stay afloat.

“I don’t believe that I will ever retire now,” she says. Many of those facing a financial squeeze in retirement can look to themselves for part of the blame. They spent many years before the Great Recession borrowing and spending instead of saving. The National Institute on Retirement Security estimates that Americans are at least $6.8 trillion short of what they need to have saved for a comfortable retirement. For those 55 to 64, the shortfall comes to $113,000 per household.

Asia challenge In Asia, workers are facing a different retirement worry, a byproduct of their astonishing economic growth. Traditionally, Chinese and Koreans could expect their grown children to care for them as they aged. But newly prosperous young people increasingly want to live on their own. They also are more likely to move to distant cities to take jobs, leaving parents behind. Countries like China and South Korea are at an “awkward” stage, Jackson says: The old ways are vanishing, but new systems of caring for the aged aren’t yet in place.

Yoo Tae-we, 47, a South Korean manager at a trading company that imports semiconductor components, doesn’t expect his son to support him as he and his siblings did their parents.

“We have to prepare for our own futures rather than depending on our children,” he says. China pays generous pensions to civil

buying stocks when times are good and share prices are high and bailing when prices are low. Several countries are trying to coax workers to save more. Australia passed a law in 1993 that makes retirement savings mandatory. Employers must contribute the equivalent of 9.25 percent of workers’ wages to 401(k)-style retirement accounts. In 2006, the United States encouraged companies to require employees to opt out of a 401(k) instead of choosing to opt in.

That means workers start saving for retirement automatically if they make no decision.

Easing pain Rebounding stock prices and a slow rise in housing prices are helping households recover their net worth. In the United States, retirement accounts hit a record $12.5 trillion the first three months of 2013.

But Boston College’s Center for Retirement

Leslie Lynch poses for a photograph in her home in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Lynch, who lost her job last year, is moving out of her home of 21 years because she can no longer afford the mortgage payments. servants and urban workers. They can retire early with full benefits - at 60 for men and 50 or 55 for women. Their pensions will prove to be a burden as China ages and each retiree is supported by contributions from fewer workers. The elderly are rapidly becoming a bigger share of China’s population because of a policy begun in 1979 and only recently relaxed that limited couples to one child.

China is considering raising its retirement ages. But the government would likely meet resistance.

Corporations, too, are cutting pension costs by eliminating traditional defined-benefit plans. They don’t want to bear the cost of guaranteeing employees’ pensions. They’ve moved instead to so called defined-contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, in the United States. These plans shift responsibility for saving to employees. But people have proved terrible at taking advantage of these plans. They don’t always enroll. They don’t contribute enough. They dip into the accounts when they need money.

They also make bad investment choices -

Research says the recovery in housing and stock prices still leaves about 50 percent of American households at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

When they look into the future, retirement experts see more changes in government pensions and longer careers than many workers had expected: Cuts in government pension programs like Social Security will likely hit most retirees but will probably fall hardest on the wealthy.

Those planning to work past 65 can take some comfort knowing they’ll be healthier, overall, than older workers in years past. They’ll also be doing jobs that aren’t as physically demanding. In addition, life expectancy at 65 now stretches well into the 80s for people in the 34 OECD countries - an increase of about five years since the late 1950s.

“My parents retired during the Golden Age of retirement,” says Mercer consultant Dreger, 37. “My dad, who is 72, retired at 57. That’s not going to happen to somebody in my generation.” —AP

How the notion of retirement for workers took root WASHINGTON: Work until you die - or until you can’t work anymore. Until the late 19th century, that was the old-age plan for the bulk of the world’s workers. Only in 1889 did German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck introduce modern pensions. Bismarck wasn’t really motivated by compassion for the plight of the working class. He wanted to pre-empt a growing socialist movement in Germany before it grew any more powerful. The idea of providing financial security for the aged gradually caught on and expanded in Europe, the United States and other advanced economies. Now, as life expectancy reaches lengths Bismarck couldn’t have imagined and retirement lasts two or three decades, these countries are struggling with government pension plans they can no longer afford.

The pension Bismarck offered was the first to be widely available. But it was hardly the world’s first.

In 13 BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus began paying pensions to Roman Legionnaires who had served 20 years. The troops’ pensions were financed at first by regular taxes, then by a 5 percent inheritance tax, according to a 2009 history by Frank Eich, an economist now with the International Monetary Fund. In the 16th century, Britain and several European countries offered pensions to their troops, starting with officers and gradually expanding to enlisted men.

The first civilian public servant known to have received a pension was an official with the London port authority. In 1684, he was paid half his working income - deducted from the pay of his replacement.

Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary War firebrand famous for his essay Common Sense, called for a 10 percent inheritance tax. Part of the tax was to be used to pay benefits to everyone age 50 and older to “guard against poverty in old age,” according to a history by the Social Security Administration.

The idea went nowhere. After the Civil War, the US government paid pensions to disabled or impoverished Union veterans or to the widows of the dead. Southern states paid pensions to disabled Confederate veterans.

The Civil War pensions became a basis for

Social Security decades later.

When farming dominated the economy, most men worked as long as their health held out. As they aged, though, they often cut their hours and turned the most physically demanding chores over to sons or hired hands. In 1880, when half of Americans worked on a farm, 78 percent of American men worked past age 65.

As factories began to replace farms in economic importance, skeptics wondered whether old folks could understand and work with the new machines. One of the giants of American medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital co-founder William Osler, in 1905 decried the “uselessness” of men older than 60 and said they should leave the workforce.

Growing prosperity also meant more people could afford to stop working late in life.

In 1875, American Express offered America’s first employer-provided retirement plan. Five years later, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad introduced the first retirement plan, financed jointly by contributions from an employer and its workers. From there, private pension plans grew. In the United States, the plans received a boost during World War II, when the government imposed wage freezes. That led some companies to offer pensions and other benefits to attract scarce workers.

The United States created Social Security in 1935 and added Medicare health benefits for the elderly in 1965. In the 1980s, many countries lowered the age at which people could retire and collect full benefits. This step was part of an effort to clear older workers out of the labor force to make way for the young. Now, governments are reversing those policies and raising retirement ages to prevent aging populations from breaking their budgets. And older people, who now enjoy better health, are working longer again: In the United States, 18.6 percent of people 65 and older were working or looking for work as of November. That was up from a record-low 10.4 percent in January 1985, according to Labor Department figures dating to 1948. —AP

LYON: People marching as part of a nationwide day of protest against the government’s plans to reform France’s debt-ridden pension system, in Lyon. “Bonnets rouges” in the streets, record rates of unemployment, sweeping restructuring plans: the French government will not have succeeded this year to dispel the malaise on the economic and social front. —AFP

French court approves 75% company tax on high salaries PARIS: France’s top court yesterday approved a proposal for companies to pay 75 percent tax on annual salaries exceeding one million euros in line with President Francois Hollande’s drive to limit executive pay at a time of economic hardship. The Constitutional Council had earlier in the year thrown out one of Hollande’s key campaign pledges to impose a 75 percent tax on individuals earning more than one million euros ($1.35 million).

The rejection of that proposal exempted those who had a significant inheritance but low incomes from coming under the 75 percent tax bracket. After that setback, Hollande in March mooted a proposal to make companies pay for top earners.

He had said the idea was “not to punish” but added that he hoped it would spur companies to lower executive pay at a time when the economy is suffering, unemployment is soaring and workers are being asked to accept wage cuts. Hollande has pledged to rein in spiralling unemployment by the end of 2013.

The government’s belt-tightening budget for 2014 aims to bring down the public deficit from the current level of 4.1 percent to 3.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) through spending cuts totalling 15 billion euros ($20 billion) and new taxes. The surtax on companies posting a turnover of more than 250 million euros has been doubled, a measure that is expected to bring in 2.5 billion euros a year. —AFP

Delta to honor extremely cheap mistake fares NEW YORK: Some lucky fliers capitalized on a computer glitch on Thursday and scored some really cheap flights on Delta Air Lines. From about 10 a.m. to noon ET, certain Delta fares on the airline’s own website and other airfare booking sites were showing up incorrectly, offering some savvy bargain hunters incredible deals. A roundtrip flight between Cincinnati and Minneapolis for February was being sold for just $25.05 and a roundtrip between Cincinnati and Salt Lake City for $48.41. The correct price for both of those fares is more than $400.

Trebor Banstetter, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based airline, said the problem has been fixed but “Delta will honor any fares purchased at the incorrect price.” Jackie Fanelli, 27, learned about the super cheap fares from a friend’s Facebook page. She attempted to purchase a $98 roundtrip firstclass ticket from her home city of Baltimore to Honolulu on Priceline.com but the transaction didn’t process before the deal was shut down. “It was too good to be true,” Fanelli said. “I try to go away every other year

and this was not the year.”

Delta’s website was having lingering problems from the increased traffic Thursday afternoon. “It looks like Delta’s programmers had a little too much eggnog yesterday,” joked George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchDog.com, which promotes airfare sales.

It’s likely that the airline tried to tweak its fares with a $10 or $20 system-wide change and a junior programmer made a mistake or two, he said.

“People just go wild. People have been bragging about booking six first-class tickets to Hawaii,” Hobica said. “People hate the airlines so much that when this happens, they say: I’m going to get back at you for the time you broke my suitcase and didn’t pay for it.”

Other airlines have faced the same issue. In September United Airlines experienced an error in filing fares to its computer system.

Many customers got tickets for $5 or $10, paying only the cost of the Sept. 11 security fee.

New Department of Transportation regulations, aimed at truth in advertising, require airlines to honor any mistake fares offered. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

BUSINESS

Africa, the new El Dorado for luxury cars Emergence of a wealthy class in Abidjan ABIDJAN: Porsches, Range Rovers and even Maseratis... luxury cars are no strange sight weaving through the old bangers that rumble along Abidjan’s chaotic streets, another indication of the emergence of a wealthy class in Africa. Each of the vehicles costs at least tens of thousands of euros,

representing decades of work for an Ivorian earning the minimum wage, even after it was recently hiked 60 percent to 60,000 CFA francs (around 90 euros, $125) a month.

Yet in wealthy Abidjan neighborhoods the streets are jammed with more luxury autos than in

rich quarters of European capitals. It’s the same story in Johannesburg, Lagos, or even Libreville. In the Gabonese capital it is common to see SUV after SUV snaking along the oceanside boulevard.

Wealthy Africans love the big, high, four-wheel drive vehicles. Not only are they better adapted to

ABIDJAN: A Range Rover car in a street of the city of Abidjan. — AFP

the roads, regularly in a poor condition, they have also become something of a status symbol. In Gabon, 70 percent of the 6,000 new vehicles sold each year are big 4x4s, mostly Japanese models, according to the Gabonese Federation of Car Importers.

“Here, its a 4x4 or nothing,” said one car importer who declined to give his name. For the Gabonese, the SUV has become “the symbol of success, much more than a house”.

In Ivory Coast, luxury cars make up only 3 percent of the 8,000 new cars sold each year, said one industry expert who asked to remain anonymous. “However certain customers are looking for the top of the line”bling-bling” cars-there are people with money like that in the market,” he added. But the high taxes slapped on new cars have given the secondhand car market a boost. A significant proportion of luxury cars enter the country this way from Europe, the United States and even the Middle East.

And it isn’t just SUVs. Despite the potholes that riddle Abidjan’s streets, there are importers offering lowslung sports cars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris. A former rebel military leader turned security official, Issiaka Ouattara, known as “Wattao”, was recently seen on national television driving a Maserati. This brash display of luxury cars is an indication of the growing wealth in Africa despite increasing numbers living in extreme poverty.

Power of the Middle Class The African Development Bank put the size of the African middle class at 300 million in 2011. Ventures financial magazine recently put the number of African billionaires at 55 — more than triple the previous count. That figure is likely an underestimate, the Nigerian magazine said, as many are not comfortable disclosing the true extent of their wealth.

Expansion across the continent Luxury automakers are not letting

this bonanza pass them by. Porsche boasts a brand new showroom in Victoria Island, one of Lagos’ most chic neighborhoods.

The German carmaker’s sales have jumped by nearly 40 percent the past two years in South Africa, where it has been present for decades. It has recently set up shop in Angola and Ghana as well as Nigeria, according to Christer Ekberg, Porsche’s managing director for the Middle East and Africa. With 2,000 Porsche cars sold in sub-Saharan Africa in the first three quarters of this year, which the company described as a “promising” figure, the automaker is committed to expanding further across the continent.

Local partners are being sought for dealerships in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia.

Mercedes also views the potential of the African market as “enormous”, a spokeswoman said.

The German carmaker has an assembly line in South Africa, where it sells 20,000 vehicles per year. BMW said it also intends to keep expanding across Africa, where it saw 15 percent sales growth in 2012 to 34,000 vehicles. As for Audi, the company expects further growth in certain parts of Africa, where its sales have doubled in three years to 22,000 vehicles. The carmakers are also being pulled in by the need to service their vehicles that have already found their way into African countries.

A lack of parts and diagnostic equipment has led to these highperformance vehicles being kept off the road for months in Abidjan, according to an expert on the local car market. “If Porsche comes to Ivory Coast, customers will be overjoyed to be able to repair their cars in a company garage,” said another expert on the African market. “But they won’t necessarily buy there,” he added.

“Well-heeled clients are no different than others” and will likely plump for a second-hand vehicle in good condition that is much less expensive, he said. — AFP

Euro-zone sparks mixed feelings in Central Europe WARSAW: After Latvia, Lithuania is aiming to join the euro-zone in 2015, completing a Baltic embrace of Europe’s troubled single currency, but other nations in the region are in no rush to adopt it.

Concerns over the influence of Soviet-era master Russia and their small size prompted the Baltic trio to relish euro-zone entry, but larger economies like Poland and the Czech Republic, less worried by Moscow, are more circumspect.

“Other countries are more relaxed about joining, they’re looking more at the costs and benefits, rather than the Baltic attitude of joining the euro-zone at any price,” Witold Orlowski, a Warsaw-based Pricewaterhouse Coopers analyst and former advisor to the Polish president, told AFP. In a bid to boost stability, Baltic states including Estonia, which adopted the euro in 2011, pegged their currencies to it in 2004. Only Bulgaria has made this move among other euro-zone candidates, all of which agreed to join in their EU entry deals.

They include regional heavyweight Poland and the Czech Republic, which experts believe could meet euro-zone entry targets on deficits and inflation within three to four years.

Warsaw insists it will be euro-ready by 2015, but has been coy about pegging a target entry date. Others like Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania or Croatia have a longer road of reform ahead.

“There’s no pressure” to join the eurozone in Poland and the Czech Republic, where inflation and interest rates are “pretty low”, Orlowski observed. “Both countries are quite happy with a flexible exchange rate,” he noted, adding that the euro-zone’s debt woes had also prompted a “wait and see” approach.

Poland was the only EU member to avoid recession in recent years thanks largely to that flexibility, which boosted exports as its currency, the zloty, weakened against the euro during both the world financial and euro-zone crises.

Poland’s new Finance Minister Mateusz Szczurek has put it more bluntly.

“The alleged benefits of the euro area-better positioning of the economy on access to capital and its affordability, stability of foreign funding-have proved to be a fiction,” he insisted.

“For Poland, I’d say (euro-zone entry) most likely no sooner than 2018-2020,” said Orlowski of Warsaw’s cool approach.

A few years or decades Struggling to emerge from recession and disinflation, the Czech Republic cherishes its ability to use monetary policy as an economic stimulus tool, something it will have to give up once inside the eurozone. Its central bank recently intervened

on the forex market to weaken the koruna in a bid to boost exports and push inflation closer to the central bank’s target of 2.0 percent. According to Czech central bank chief Miroslav Singer, Prague could adopt the euro in 2019 at the soonest, but this is not a priority for the new left-populist coalition.

Smaller Lithuania is likely to achieve its entry target of January 1, 2015, according to Swedbank. “The chances of Lithuania complying with the Maastricht criteria are increasing,” it noted in a recent report.

With average annual inflation down to 1.3 percent, “the scenario of its entry into the euro-zone in 2015 is the most plausible”, it said. But for Hungary, the timeline is decades. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

BUSINESS

China is starving for energy KCIC Weekly Analysis on Asia

By Francisco Quintana, KUWAIT: China has the most impressing record of sustained economic growth in the history, averaging more than 10 percent growth every year over the last three decades, showing an impressive resilience.

Trend growth was unaffected by the 1997 Asian financial crisis or the 2008 great financial crisis. Since 1980, roughly the period in which market reforms started, its economy has grown twenty-seven fold from $300 billion to more than $8 trillion.

The rapid industrialization process has multiplied the energy needs. Since 2000, total consumption more than tripled from 36 quadrillion Btu (British thermal units, the energy indicator used to compare across different energy sources) to 115 quadrillion in 2012. In 2011 China overtook the United States as the world’s leading energy consumer. BP expects current consumption to double by 2040.

This growth is taking place across all energy sources. In the 30 years running to 2012, oil consumption grew from 1.7 million bpd to 10.2 million, natural gas from 380 billion cubic feet per year to 5.2 trillion, and coal from 727 million short tons per year to 4 trillion. Production also expanded very rapidly to sustain this

growth. Domestic oil output more than doubled from 2 million bpd to 4.4 million bpd in the last three decades. For almost fifteen years after the reforms started, China exported oil. In 1993 the country turned into a net importer and in 2013 it became the top net oil importer in the world, overtaking the United States. More than 6 million bpd are imported every day in China, around 60 percent of its total consumption. Imports will continue to rise rapidly because yields in most Chinese deposits are falling and no new discoveries are being made. To expand production, over the last ten years offshore blocks have been offered to foreign companies via tender for exploration and development, but interest is very limited due to the lack of information about the geological conditions and the high cost of drilling in deep water. Similarly, natural gas started to be imported in 2004. In 2011 imports reached a trillion cubic feet, about 20 percent of consumption. Coal production increased fivefold during the same period, allowing self-sufficiency at this stage.

Expectations about the future of China are also high. According to Oxford Economics, China is expected to grow on average 7 percent during the next decade and then 6.5 percent in the following 10

years. This would make China, again, the fastest growing country among the largest economies, expanding twice as fast as the world average of 3.6 percent. Future growth will probably be lower than that due to the structural transformation that the country is going through. However, even a level of growth 20 percent or 30 percent below the current consensus call involves a large positive differential with the rest of the world and massive additional energy needs. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that, assuming a world average growth of 3.6 percent per annum, world energy use will grow by 56 percent between 2010 and 2040 and half of the increase is attributed to China and India. In China, growth in oil demand will have to be served by imports, due to domestic production constraints.

Similarly, coal imports are likely to be needed soon, as the sector is facing some tensions. For example, the coal industry uses 17 percent of the national water consumption but it is mostly located in one of the driest regions of the country, Inner Mongolia, creating significant logistics bottlenecks. Shale gas will not play a substantial role in the Chinese energy mix.

China has the largest reserve of shale gas in the world (19 percent of the total, ahead

of the United States with 13 percent) and a regulatory framework that supports the development of shale gas technology.

However, technical issues like lack of water, depth of the gas deposits, proximity to urban areas and lack of technological skills make exploitation extremely expensive.

Energy authorities in China expect to reach a production of 100 billion cubic meters by 2020, around 40 percent of the current United States production.

The energy mix is not expected to change substantially in China. The EIA

expects the country to rely massively on coal and oil to cover around 80 percent of its energy needs in the next two decades.

Renewable and nuclear will slightly increase their share, but oil is expected to lose only a small fraction of its weight in the energy mix. In absolute terms, Chinese demand is expected to grow faster than that of all other large economies. China will therefore have to rely mostly on imported oil to fuel growth, and most of that growth will have to be served by Middle East oil.

Italy’s Chinese garment workshops flourish Factories export cheap clothes across Europe

ATHENS: Protesters march through Athens’ Ermou shopping street, during a protest against the opening of shops on Sundays and the extension of working hours to 11 pm during holidays on Saturday. Many holiday revelers took a stroll in the Athens city center as shops stayed open until 11 pm in an effort to boost sales in the crisisstricken country. — AP

Crisis-hit Greece to take over EU presidency ATHENS: Crisis-hit Greece in January takes over the six-month rotating EU presidency with a crucial European Parliament ballot looming, and the bloc divided over delicate efforts to create a banking union.

Added to Greece’s own considerable economic and political troubles, these issues could prove a major challenge to the Greek presidency, analysts note. “I don’t expect that the Greek presidency will be, and can be, as smooth as other presidencies,” said Zsolt Darvas, an economist and senior fellow at the Bruegel Institute in Brussels. “It will be very difficult for Greece due to its (internal) problems, its public administration inefficiency and the time pressure imposed by the European Parliament elections,” he said.

In the European Parliament elections in May, euroskeptics and far-right parties are poised to score major gains that could harden the bloc’s political agenda for the next five years. Greece itself is scheduled to hold municipal elections on May 18 and 25, a process expected to bolster political forces opposed to the government’s austerity policies and the economic agreement with the country’s EU-IMF creditors.

Chief among them are the main opposition leftists Syriza, who have emerged as the most popular party in Greece in many of the latest opinion polls. The government coalition is taking fire over ongoing cuts, and its majority in the 300-seat parliament fell to 153 deputies earlier this month.

And there is speculation that the coalition, composed of the conservatives and a rapidly weakening socialist party, might not even last till next year, forcing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to call early elections by autumn if not sooner.

Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras, recently

named the radical left’s candidate for European Commission president, has pledged to reverse many of the spending cuts and tax hikes imposed as part of Greece’s loan rescue. A more sinister threat comes from Golden Dawn, the neo-Nazi par ty under investigation for serious crimes including murder and extortion.

Golden Dawn’s leadership is in prison awaiting trial and several of its lawmakers have been indicted, yet the party consistently ranks third in opinion polls and could elect a number of mayors, mainly in the poverty-hit countryside.

Focus on growth Aware that undocumented immigration is a key factor in the rise of Golden Dawn in Greece and other far-right forces on the continent, Athens has made frontier policy one of its presidency priorities.

European officials are also expected to put emphasis on social issues, such as youth unemployment, to stem voter malaise. The new European banking union will be on the agenda as well.

A successful Greek presidency would enable Athens to show “that Europe has concrete answers to popular expectations,” a European diplomat noted.

Samaras earlier this month said that the Greek presidency would focus on fostering growth, regulating immigration and promoting maritime issues.

“This is going to be a presidency of hope. Hope for more Europe and hope for a better Europe,” Samaras said. Nikos Konstandaras, managing editor and columnist at liberal daily Kathimerini, says that Greece’s European peers have a tangible interest in helping Athens see the presidency through.—AFP

PRATO, Italy: Shen Jianhe lost both her job and home when Italian police shut down her garment factory in the Tuscan city of Prato. By day, the 38year-old mother of four would sew trousers at one of the nearly 5,000 workshops run by Chinese immigrants in Prato, which largely turn out cheap clothing for fast-fashion companies in Italy and across Europe.

At night she slept in a plasterboard cubicle hidden behind a wooden wardrobe at the Shen Wu factory - until the police arrived one cold December morning. They sealed the doors and confiscated the 25 sewing machines under a crackdown on an industry that is booming but blighted by illegality and sweatshop conditions.

Amid rolls of fabric, food leftovers and dangling electric cables lay Shen’s belongings: a pink baby coat, a blue children’s stool, a laptop. She stuffed them into a van, ready to be transported away.

“What choice do I have?” said Shen, tears filling her eyes. Prato, the historical capital of Italy’s textile business, has attracted the largest concentration of Chinese-run industry in Europe within less than 20 years.

As many as 50,000 Chinese live and work in the area, making clothes bearing the prized “Made in Italy” label which sets them apart from garments produced in China itself, even at the lower end of the fashion business. In some ways, the Chinese community of Prato has succeeded where Italian companies have failed. Italy’s economy has barely grown over the past decade and is only just emerging from recession, partly due to the inability of many small manufacturers to keep up with global competition.

Yet Prato, which lies 25 km (16 miles) from the Renaissance jewel of Florence, is also a thriving hub of illegality committed by both Italians and Chinese, a byproduct of globalisation gone wrong, many people in the city say.

Up to two thirds of the Chinese in Prato are illegal immigrants, according to local authorities.

About 90 percent of the Chinese factories - virtually all of which are rented out to Chinese entrepreneurs by Italians who own the buildings -break the law in various ways, says Aldo Milone, the city councillor in charge of security. This includes using fabric smuggled from China, evading taxes and grossly violating health and labour regulations.

This month a fire, which prosecutors suspect was set off by an electric stove, killed seven workers as they slept in cardboard cubicles at a workshop.

Italian officials acknowledge they haven’t cracked down effectively on the mushrooming illicit behaviour.

Prato mayor Roberto Cenni, himself a textiles entrepreneur, arrived in 2009 promising to clean up the area. Cenni says he has trebled inspections since then, but still only a small fraction of the factories are monitored regularly.

“We don’t have the ability to fight this system of illegality,” he said, noting that Prato has only two labor inspectors. In some cases, local officials share the blame. Prato chief prosecutor Piero Tony ordered the arrest of 11 people this month, including a city council employee who is suspected of

JINJIANG: Chinese workers hem clothing on sewing machines at a garment factory in Jinjiang in southeast China’s Fujian province in this file photo. —AP issuing false residency permits - for between 600 and 1,500 ($820-$2,100) euros a piece - to more than 300 Chinese immigrants since May. Stiff competition Most of Prato’s Chinese come from Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province. They started flocking to Prato in the mid-1990s to work in Italian-owned textile factories and quickly mastered the entire production chain. Andrea Cavicchi, local head of the Confindustria business lobby, says China’s entry in the World Trade Organization in 2001 sounded the death knell for many of Prato’s local clothing artisans as trade barriers imposed by the European Union to protect its manufacturers were gradually phased out.

As local companies specialized in high-quality fabric began cutting jobs to compete with cheaper foreign imports, Chinese entrepreneurs started renting abandoned Italian warehouses to set up their own factories. Gradually, the Chinese of Prato offered the speed, efficiency and high productivity that many Italian businesses had lacked. Now they export millions of low-cost garments - a woman’s cotton shirt sells for under 2 euros, a coat for 12 across the continent. The Prato branch of Confindustria estimates this business is worth 2 billion euros a year, or half the turnover of Italianrun textile manufacturers in the district.

“Between 2001 and 2011, the Italian textile industry in Prato has seen its turnover and its workforce halve. But the reality is we can’t really blame the Chinese. The problem is our labour and energy costs mean we can’t compete,” says Cavicchi. “Speed is crucial. In just three days they can churn out thousands of garments. And the final result - even though it’s cheap cloth imported from China - is perfect.”

Trucks ferry the clothing to shoppers in the major European markets within a day or two. In the fast-changing fashion business, this gives the Prato workshops a competitive edge over rivals in

China, which take 40 days to ship their output by sea to Europe.

Outside Prato’s city walls, the main Via Pistoiese has turned into a bustling Chinatown, with Chinese restaurants, hairdressers, schools, travel agents, and youths practicing the martial art of Tai Chi in the park. For many years, Prato’s local government did little about the growing Chinese community, whose presence helps the local economy. “There was a tacit pact to look the other way, because the Chinese were also bringing in a lot of money, helping cushion the impact of the global financial crisis on the region,” said Massimo Bressan, a researcher on immigration issues at Prato’s Iris institute.

When Cenni became Prato’s mayor, he promised to restore the rule of law in the city of just under 200,000. In addition to increasing the number of inspections on factories, the local government raised the cost of reclaiming confiscated machinery and introduced a decree that allows a warehouse to be declared “unfit” until it meets safety regulations.

But part of the problem is that 60 percent of Chinese workshops last just two years, often closing and reopening under a different name to evade checks by tax authorities. Illegal immigrants found by the police are ordered to leave Italy within five days, but there is no way of making sure that they actually do so, said the city councillor for security, Milone. “It’s a joke,” he said.

Moreover, many illegal immigrants arrive on three-month tourist visas but stay in Italy for a few years, until they make enough money to go back to China.

“I have done inspections for 15 years, and I can tell you that for every factory we close, another one will sprout the next day. Here the attitude is too lax, there is a form of connivance,” said a judicial police officer who did not want to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the press. — Reuters

Euro-zone set for volatile 2014 as it tackles banks

Larry Hasheider walking along one of his corn fields on his farm in Okawville, Illinois.

Hasheider grows soybeans, wheat and alfalfa on the farm, nestled in the heart of Illinois corn country where he also has 130 dairy cows, 500 beef cattle and 30,000 hogs and even gives tours, something he says he never would have done 20 years ago. — AP

PARIS: The euro-zone is finally set to return to growth in 2014 but the single currency bloc may not have put its crisis behind it as efforts to shore up its banks could boomerang.

After beating back market panic that the euro-zone was set to break up, euro-zone nations moved in 2012 and 2013 to put their finances on a stable footing and strengthen the banking sector.

A new pact puts their finances under stricter control, with an obligation to cut the high debt levels seen as one of the reasons behind the crisis. Euro-zone leaders also moved to create a banking union, to reinforce lenders and reduce the likelihood wobbly banks would force countries into bailouts.

However the introduction of the banking union in 2014 risks doing the opposite as lenders are given a thorough check-up but individual euro-zone countries are left on the hook for the costs of treatment. In the hot seat will be the European Central Bank, which is conducting

the in-depth reviews of the top 130 or so top euro-zone banks before taking over as their supervisor at the end of 2014.

Lax supervision by national regulators has long been a concern of the market, and the ECB could well find that numerous banks are undercapitalised or even insolvent. Top euro area banks are to generate twice as many loan losses on average in the years to come than their noneuro counterparts in places like Britain and Switzerland, according to a recent study by the research arm of Moody’s ratings agency.

‘More market volatility’ As each country will have to pick up the bill separately, the ECB may find itself come under intense pressure from member states to avoid sparking a banking crisis the likes of which have already forced Ireland, Spain and Cyprus to seek bailouts.

“The tension can be expected to generate more market volatility in Europe in 2014 than

was seen in 2013,” Nicolas Veron of the Bruegel Institute think tank said in a recent comment.

The ECB, which has been credited with rescuing the euro by calming markets, could ironically find itself unleashing the next panic if it conducts a rigorous review of banks that is widely seen as necessary for a sustainable recovery of the euro-zone.

“The ECB will be in no position to demand that banks raise capital if there is no backstop,” said Wolfgang Muenchau in a recent Financial Times commentary.

Eventually there will be a common 55-billioneuro ($75 billion) fund to help close down banks, but following opposition from Germany, the euro-zone didn’t create a transitional joint mechanism, or “backstop”, to help recapitalize or wind down lenders.

But if the ECB finds banks are in bad shape in 2014 then euro-zone states could find themselves with the same choice of ruining their finances or seeing banks collapse. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

BUSINESS

Air Arabia named ‘Low-cost Carrier of Year’ at Aviation Business Awards Award reflects airline’s ability for consistent growth

VIVA launches prepaid hourly draw campaign A chance to win an iPhone 5c KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecom operator, introduced a new prepaid hourly draw campaign, giving customers a chance to win one of many Apple iPhone 5c. The campaign began on 23 December 2013 and will last until 6 January 2014.

VIVA’s hourly prepaid draw campaign offers customers chances by recharging their prepaid lines where they will automatically gain one chance to enter the draw for every KD1 spent. VIVA will hold an hourly draw as of 24 December, choosing

24 lucky prepaid winners on a daily basis.

Through this newly launched campaign, VIVA is presenting its loyal prepaid customers a treat with the latest iPhone 5c.

VIVA reiterates its commitment to providing unique promotions designed to create an exceptional customer experience and reward its prepaid customers for their continued trust in VIVA. VIVA will continue to seek new and innovative ways to facilitate the lives of its customers and share with them the latest in communication technology.

Indian aviation sector emerges from crisis

B

arring Air India’s troubles, Indian aviation industry in 2013 gradually started emerging out of a long-drawn crisis with air traffic on an upward growth trajectory and major policy changes in areas like FDI starting to have their impact, according to Press Trust of India.

New airlines would start flying on Indian skies in 2014 that would also mark 100 years of commercial aviation to commemorate the first flight by a paying passenger on a scheduled airline that crossed Tampa Bay in Florida (US) in 1914. The new year would also see new appointees taking over at the top levels in the Civil Aviation Ministry, like the posts of Secretary and chief of the aviation regulator DGCA. A year after the government changed its policy to allow foreign airlines pick up stake in Indian carriers, tangible results in the form of the Jet-Etihad deal, AirAsia India and TataSingapore Airlines joint ventures, were seen in 2013 which are expected to bloom next year.

While AirAsia India may get its air operator’s permit (AOP or flying license) by January end, the Tata-SIA venture, which has applied for a no-objection certificate from Civil Aviation Ministry, may take a few more months to get its AOP. However, hiccups like court cases and certain regulatory clearances still remain major hurdles for these projects. 2013 also saw a major policy shift in opening up of six major airports, developed by state-run Airports

Authority of India, to private partnership.

Though requests for proposals have been issued for private and foreign parties to participate in the process, the concession agreements are yet to be finalized.

Continuing with its liberalization spree, Civil Aviation Ministry is also considering moving the Union Cabinet to change the rules to allow Indian carriers to fly abroad. Currently, only those airlines are allowed to do so which have operated on domestic routes for five years and have 20 aircraft.

Air India woes Air India’s troubles seemed to be unending as it saw its entire fleet of newly-acquired Boeing 787 Dreamliners grounded for almost four months since mid-January along with the entire global fleet, due to a battery fault in two of these planes owned by Japanese airlines.

The Dreamliners, which Air India expects would help in a major way in its cost-reduction and turnaround plans, suffered a series of glitches leading Boeing to position technical and engineering teams in India to work with their AI counterparts to repair them and carry out upgrades.

Despite these problems, Air India improved its overall performance, with its revenues showing a positive trend, improvements in passenger traffic and marginal reductions in costs, primarily due to hedging of aviation turbine fuel, inducting the Dreamliners on sale-leaseback basis and selling off five Boeing 777s to Etihad.

India is presently 9th largest aviation market.

SHARJAH: Air Arabia (PJSC), the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, has been awarded “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” at the Aviation Business Awards 2013, which took place recently in Dubai. The award recognized the airline’s commitment to providing the best quality, low cost travel solutions for airline passengers in the Arab world and beyond.

The “Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” category recognizes the top performing LCC’s in the region, based on performance parameters such as financial and operational performance. The recognition for Air Arabia is a reflection of the airline’s s continued success and solid growth margins during the course of the year, placing it at number one among all regional LCC’s.

At the Aviation Business awards ceremony, Air Arabia was also honored for its meaningful contributions towards the development of sustainable livelihoods, under its “Charity Cloud Programme,” winning the “Highly Commended Award in the CSR Category.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the awards ceremony, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “It is a source of great pride to receive the two most sought-after awards that were presented at the Aviation Business awards.

We are extremely delighted that we have managed to showcase yet another year of success and growth. That said, we will continue to expand our presence, and it is our ambition to make flying affordable for everybody”.

Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Ali receiving the award.

During the course of the year, Air Arabia continued to extend its support to Charity Cloud Schools and Clinics in rural communities of Sudan, Sri Lanka, Yemen, India, and Nepal. Under the program, Air Arabia employees, including its crew members, organized a series of community

initiatives in India and Sri Lanka, and paid visits to several schools, clinics, orphanages and elderly homes, and also assisted medical teams to perform generic health check-ups. Additionally, the airline organized campaigns in the UAE to raise further awareness about Autism.

Direct Riga-Abu Dhabi service takes off with Airbaltic, Etihad ABU DHABI: AirBaltic and Etihad Airways have marked the start of direct Riga-Abu Dhabi flights with a ceremony at Riga International Airport in Latvia.

Attended by the Latvian Prime Minister, government officials, airline executives, business leaders, travel agents and media, the event also officially kicked off a new Etihad Airways airBaltic codeshare partnership. From today airBaltic will operate an Airbus A319 aircraft four times a week between the Latvian capital and Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub. The aircraft is configured with 14 seats in Business Class and 102 seats in Economy Class.

Etihad Airways has placed its ‘EY’ flight code on the new airBaltic operated service, and beyond to 15 cities including: Alesund, Barcelona, Bergen, Billund, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Oslo, Prague, Stavanger, Stockholm, Tallinn, Turku, Vienna and Vilnius.

Subject to regulatory approvals, airBaltic will soon place its ‘BT’ flight code on Etihad Airways flights beyond Abu Dhabi to Cairo, Jakarta, Singapore, Bangkok, Amman and Muscat.

Speaking at the launch, Latvian Prime Ministir Vladis Dombrovskis, said: “Today marks the first time Riga has been linked by air with Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s fastest growing cities, and a global hub for airBaltic’s codeshare partner Etihad Airways.

“This direct flight will open up a range of business and leisure opportunities, which previously never existed. It will support trade development between Latvia and the rest of the world, increase tourism in both directions, and result in a range of new connection options for customers of both airlines.”

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic, said: “Today’s event is about two airlines working together, using the strengths and opportunities of each carrier’s network, and putting an attractive travel proposition to our most important target - the customer.

RIGA: (From left to right) Launching the new flight at Riga International Airport are Etihad Airways’ Vice President UAE Hareb Al-Muhairy, Latvian Prime Ministir Vladis Dombrovskis, Latvian Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss, and airBaltic CEO Martin Gauss.

“Working with Etihad Airways, we look forward to making this new route and the connectivity it offers over Riga and Abu Dhabi a great success, and we will continue to look at ways to expand our network in the future.”

Also present in Riga, Hareb Al-Muhairy, Etihad Airways’ Vice President UAE, said: “Global reach is beyond the capacity of any single airline and our view is that progress must come through partnership. Today marks the official start of our partnership with airBaltic, and the first time we have been able to offer Riga as an Etihad

Airways codeshare destination.

“Underpinning the route are growing commercial ties between the UAE and Latvia. The UAE is one of Latvia’s main trading partners in the Gulf region and in 2012 Latvia’s exports to the UAE reached EUR 72 million, 102 per cent up on 2011.” “We very much look forward to welcoming airBaltic’s customers on our flights beyond Abu Dhabi to key destinations across the globe. Equally, I have full confidence that airBaltic will extend their hospitality to our customers over Riga.”

BEC Exchange opens 4th branch in Mahboula KUWAIT: BEC Exchange Company (BEC), one of Kuwait’s leading money transfer and Foreign Exchange Company announced the opening of its latest branch in the country.

The Mahboulabranch, located on the 2nd Block, 233 Street was inaugurated by Titus E D, Director and General Manager of BEC. To celebrate the opening of the branch, which is BEC’s 32nd branch in Kuwait and 4thbranch in the Mahboula, BEC gave away 50 silver coins to the first 50 lucky customers.

The new branch will offer customers a full suite of BEC services including EzRemit Money Transfer, Credit to Account, Cash Pick Up, MoneyGram and Foreign Currency Exchange to name a few Commenting on the opening, Titus E D said “Part of our business strategy is to open convenient and accessible branch locations and to

take BEC closer to our customers. As Mahboula is highly populated with expatriates living and working there, we felt it was ideal to open another branch to meet the needs of customers in this busy area.”

Customers, who make an FX or remittance transaction at the new Mahboula branch, with their BEC Bonus Loyalty Card, will automatically be entered into BEC’S current campaign - BEC’s 2013 Year End Bonanza. Customers will be entered into an automated draw with the chance to win the star prize of a Renault Duster Jeep plus other prizes including two gold bars x to the value of KD250, seven Laptops, 10 Sony Mobile Phones and 10 x KD50 cash prizes. Customers who have not yet registered for a BEC Loyalty Card can do so at any of BEC’s 30 branches across Kuwait.

Established in 1992, BEC special-

izes in sending money safely and efficiently at competitive rates.

Parented by BFC Group Holdings, the leading remittance and foreign exchange group in the region has over 100 branches across Bahrain, Kuwait, United Kingdom, India and Malaysia. BEC has a global reach

covering over 200 countries, through its own money transfer product - EzRemit and its partnership with MoneyGram an international money transfer company and offers customers unparalleled remittance and foreign exchange products and services.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

technology

Faster Wi-Fi: What’s the secret?

S

witching off mixed mode on your base station can increase your Wi-Fi network’s performance . Not so long ago, configuring a couple of PCs or Macs so they could talk to each other meant buying expensive hardware and hooking it up to Ethernet. But you couldn’t just cable them together, oh no. You needed a router, or was it a hub, or a switch? See what we mean?

Those days are long gone, and for that we’re all very grateful. That doesn’t mean networking is completely free from problems, of course. But at least most of us can set one up and connect to it, and be reasonably confident that it’ll still be there in the morning.

While for most of us networking means radio signals rather than cables, there are some occasions when that old Ethernet cable comes in handy; so while the bulk of what we’re about to reveal to you will refer to Wi-Fi, we haven’t forgotten Ethernet - nor its younger, flashier, sibling, Powerline.

These days you’re just as likely to want to connect an iPhone, iPad, games console or TV to your network, so we cover that, too. Who knew networking could be so much fun?

Faster networking Set up your modem/router and devices for optimal performance. Most of us only ever give a thought to our Wi-Fi network when something goes wrong. That something might be a sudden drop-off in signal strength, a reduction in speed, or an inability to connect to the network altogether. Each of those problems can either be caused by the device you’re using, or by the network itself. You can easily check for the former by testing with different devices.

It’s worth noting, however, that just because you can connect to your Wi-Fi network with one device and not another, this doesn’t mean there’s a problem with the device. It could just be that, say, your iPad 4 is more capable than your iPhone 3G when it comes to hooking up to a Wi-Fi network with a less-than-perfect signal. Nevertheless, given that you can’t do much about the device’s inherent wireless ability, you need to optimise your network...

Set-up Most modem/routers consist of a box with one port on the back that connects to your cable or phone line - usually labelled ‘WAN’ - and around four other ports that look the same, but that are labelled ‘LAN’ and designed to allow you to connect devices to the router using an Ethernet cable.

Some (though not all) routers also have external antennae that give you a bit of flexibility in how they’re positioned. The degree to which adjusting the antennae affects the signal’s strength depends on the router. If your router has internal antennae, it may use a technology called ‘beamforming’ that increases the power of the signal in the direction of connected devices.

Setting up the modem/router is as simple as plugging it into a mains power outlet and then connecting the supplied cable to your cable or phone line. In most cases, the SSID (WiFi network name) and default password for the router will be on a sticky label on its underside. If not, it should have been supplied to you separately.

Once you have the SSID and password, click on the Wi-Fi symbol in your Mac’s menu bar and select the SSID from the menu. If it’s not there, select Join Other Network and type in the SSID. Type in the default password, and you should be connected in a few seconds. The procedure on an iOS device is similar; just select Wi-Fi from the Settings app.

If you don’t have an Apple router (which is configured using AirPort Utility) you’ll probably have been supplied with an internal IP address for the router, usually in the form 192.168.x.x, along with a username and password. Type that into the address bar in your browser and log in.

Settings screens for routers vary, but somewhere there will be a W-Fi network menu. Select it and change the default SSID and password to something that’s memorable to you.

Also, change the admin username and password for the

router settings. It’s worth taking time to familiarise yourself with the options available.

Router location Whether we have cable broadband or DSL, most of us have one box that doubles as a modem and router. Its location will be dictated by the location of your phone or cable point, and so you’ll be limited in how far you can move it.

Nevertheless, you should, as far as possible, place it well off the floor - either wall-mounted or on a desk or shelf, and as far from the corner of the room as possible.

Wireless routers broadcast omni-directionally, and the closer you place yours to an obstacle like a brick wall, the more you’ll restrict its signal. Ideally, you’d have it floating in mid-air just below the ceiling in the room that is closest to the centre of the house! Place it as close to that point as you’re able.

If your telephone or cable point is in the living room and your study is at the other end of the house, you might have to extend the range of your network or create a new one that has a wired connection to the router - we’ll discuss both of these options later.

Surroundings As we’ve said, wireless signals are obstructed by walls and other obstacles.

Try and keep the area immediately around the router clear of sofas, bookcases, and anything else that might block the signal. If your telephone or cable point is close to the ground in the corner of a room, buy yourself a longer cable and give yourself more flexibility in where you can position the router. If that’s not possible, consider buying a separate wireless router and connecting it to the modem/router with an Ethernet cable.

Finally, wireless signals tend to be stronger below the router than above it, so when placing the router, the higher the better. If you plan to use the same one upstairs and downstairs, consider placing the modem/router upstairs, if possible.

Check the signal Both Lion and Mountain Lion have tools that allow you to monitor wireless performance, but they’re hidden away in the System/Library/CoreServices directory. You’ll need to use Go To Folder (Command+Shift+G) in the Finder’s Go menu to access the directory. In Lion, the tool is called Wi-Fi Diagnostics; in Mountain Lion, it’s Wireless Diagnostics.

When you’ve found it, launch it and select Monitor Performance. In Lion, all you need to do is click Continue. In Mountain Lion, click the Window menu and select Utilities (Command+2). Click the Performance tab. Depending on which version you’re using, you’ll see one or two graphs; both display the signal-to-noise ratio of the wireless signal. You can

monitor the effect of any changes you make to router location.

Your aim should be to maximise the difference between signal strength and noise, but focusing on reducing noise.

Why? Because most of the time, your wireless network is a direct conduit to your internet connection, and it’s the internet connection that acts as a bottleneck, not the signal strength of your wireless network. An unacceptably high level of noise, on the other hand, can lead to dropped packets, poor performance and dropped connections.

Using Wireless Diagnostics is useful if you use AirPlay to stream audio and video from your Mac or iOS device to an Apple TV or AirPlay speaker, particularly if you mirror apps from an iOS device.

Extending Wi-Fi Increase the effective range of your wireless network with these solutions. There are several ways in which you can extend a wireless network. The simplest - and potentially most effective - is to move your router. If it’s positioned in the corner of a room at one end of the house, near the floor, move it higher and towards the middle of the house.

If this isn’t possible because your router is also your DSL or cable modem and needs to be close to a telephone or cable point, consider buying a separate router, and, ideally, connecting it to the modem/router by Ethernet.

Equally, if your modem/router is more than a couple of years old, the chances are that it uses an older Wi-Fi standard than many of your devices. If you have an 802.11b or g router and have Macs and iOS devices that support 802.11g (or even 802.11ac), then upgrading your router, while not extending the range of your network significantly, will give you higher data throughput at the outer limits of the Wi-Fi signal.

If you choose this route, you’ll need to set your new router to ‘bridge mode’. This effectively switches off its DHCP server and stops it handing out IP addresses, turning it into purely a wireless access point. That prevents it from conflicting with the router in your modem/router.

Antennae upgrade Another option for extending your network is to upgrade the antennae. If your router has external antennae, you can replace them with high-gain antennae such as those made

by Hawking, Edimax and D-Link. Alternatively, you can even create your own parabolic reflector that attaches to the antennae and bounces the signal towards where your devices are located. The final option is a wireless repeater or extender that sits at the outer edge of your Wi-Fi network

Reddit reaches for profits through geek-culture bazaar SAN FRANCISCO: Social news hub Reddit snagged an interview with Barack Obama last year. The big get for 2013 was reaching 90 million unique visitors a month, according to the company, on par with the likes of eBay. This season, even Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates joined its Secret Santa gift exchange.

Now, the self-dubbed “Front Page of the Internet” is going for a milestone it has been trying to reach since its founding in 2005: profitability.

After years of fitful experiments with paid subscriptions and display advertising, Reddit, with just 28 employees, has begun pouring resources into building an electronic bazaar.

Company executives say they increasingly believe such a venue is the answer to their long search for reliable revenue, complicated in part by their fans’ mistrust of advertising.

If Reddit Gifts, as the burgeoning bazaar is known, brings sustainable profitability, it would mark a turning point for an outfit that has exerted an outsized and sometimes controversial influence on Internet culture yet languished financially.

Reddit estimates over 250,000 items have been purchased over the holiday, mostly as part of the 50 or so mostly geek-oriented Secret Santa gift exchanges - where zombie- or fantasy-themed presents, say, change hands - that users have created.

Although Reddit won’t disclose details about how much money it has made from Reddit Gifts or its overall financial performance, it takes a 15 to 20 percent cut of every purchase.

Usually priced between $10 and $25, the goods reflect Reddit’s young and geeky user base, from collages of cats in steampunk apparel to coffee mugs branded by Imgur.com, a repository of funny Web pictures, to an entire category dedicated to baconrelated products. More than 250 merchants supply gifts curated and “up-voted” by the community, much as articles and links are elevated on the Reddit site itself.

‘Just grow things’ The gift exchange made headlines this month after Gates signed up and surprised a Reddit user by sending her a travel book and a stuffed cow, symbol of the charity he donated to in her name.

The company, which is hoping to position itself as a bona fide shopping destination year-round, estimates that only 14 percent of its marketplace revenue comes from the Christmas-season gift exchange programs.

Yet those sales alone could put Reddit firmly in the black, said Dan McComas, the head of Reddit Gifts. He added that the company may choose to reinvest funds in e-commerce customer service and infrastructure. Chief Executive Yishan Wong, a former

This undated photo provided by Motorola shows Motorola’s Scout1 Wi-Fi Pet Monitor, a gadget that lets pet lovers keep an eye on their pets while they’re away. In addition to viewing their furry friends remotely, users can pan, tilt and zoom their cameras through their smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. The device is just one of the slightly bizarre gifts available this year for the techie who has everything. — AP Facebook executive, said Reddit was “kind of” breaking even and denied that pressure was mounting on his team to turn a profit.

In 2011, Reddit was spun out as an independently operated subsidiary by corporate parent Conde Nast, an old-line magazine empire best known for publishing Vanity Fair, Vogue and The New Yorker. Industry observers surmised at the time that the move was a step toward eventually selling off a stake to outside investors.

“Our backers are saying, ‘Don’t worry about making money, just keep money and grow things,’” Wong said in an interview. “But I would like Reddit to be self-sustaining because I think that’s a healthy way for a business to run. It means that what you’re doing provides real value, and Reddit Gifts is so promising because it can do that.”

Wong said he saw potential in Gifts earlier this year and began staffing up the effort to eight people.

Although Wong is giddy about Gifts’ impact on its finances, what scale the business could reach remains unclear. Wong said he did not envision Reddit posing a threat to folksy arts and crafts e-tailers like Etsy; Reddit could carve out a space with a geekier sensibility.

“I don’t believe in going after someone else’s market, but going after a new market of our own could be huge by itself,” Wong said.

The niche factor Facebook struggled for years to develop a marketplace because its users aren’t in a shopping mindset when they log on. The same could be said for Reddit, known for its forums on politics or technology rather than for deals or flash sales, said Krista Garcia, an analyst at eMarketer, a consulting firm. A media company that enters the e-commerce business may also be caught off guard by the complexities of logistics or customer service, she added.

“Reddit and commerce is an odd pairing, but there is more potential there versus Facebook because it’s more niche,” Garcia said. “I could see them tapping into a much more passionate audience. They need to bring the right products and merchandise that’s unusual or unique.”

Reddit’s place at the vanguard of Internet culture where jokes and memes gain traction alongside political debates or discussions of breaking news - is also far from assured in a fickle Web arena. Rivals like Digg.com have rapidly declined. — Reuters

and re-broadcasts the signal, allowing it to travel further.

There are a couple of problems, however. Firstly, Wi-Fi signals are omni-directional, meaning that the re-broadcast signal from the repeater will not only extend your network, but will also be transmitted back towards your router, potentially interfering with the signal and degrading it. This is a particular problem on the 2.4GHz channel. Also, to be effective, a repeater should be situated close to the router, which somewhat defeats the object.

Finally, a wireless distribution system (WDS) - used by routers to link to each other wirelessly - doubles the number of ‘hops’ required to send and receive data and, because the repeater must use half of its data capacity to connect to the router and the other half to connect to devices, its throughput is significantly reduced. If you can’t move your modem/router, the best option is a new router set to bridge mode, and connected by Ethernet.

Powerline networking Why run extra cabling when you can use what’s already in your walls? Powerline networking uses the mains power cables in your house or office to carry data. It’s a very effective way of installing a wired network without having to install Cat 5 cable, with all the disruption and expense that entails.

At its simplest, a powerline network consists of one adapter plugged into a power socket with an Ethernet cable running from it to a LAN port on your modem/router.

Another adapter is plugged in to a power socket close to your computer, printer or other device that needs a wired connection, and an Ethernet cable runs from it to your computer or device.

Equipment is usually bought initially in the form of a kit that includes two adapters and two cables, and is then supplemented with the purchase of additional adapters as and when they’re needed. While data can be transmitted anywhere within your home or office, it’s secure because it’s physically prevented from straying next door, in the same way as you can’t accidentally use your neighbour’s electricity supply to run your kettle.

In addition, there are no issues with signal strength falling off the further you move from the router, and noise is minimal (though in older properties with ancient wiring, you might have a problem).

Power up Powerline adapters come in various shapes and sizes and are differentiated in two ways. The first is data throughput. Early powerline adapters were limited to data transfer rates measured in mere tens of megabits per second.

Nowadays, most adaptors have throughputs of 200Mbits/ sec or 500Mbits/sec.

The second way in which powerline adapters differ is in their physical features. One of the biggest limitations of a powerline network is that it occupies one power outlet for every adapter. If you’re short of sockets, that can be a problem. Some adapters now have passthrough sockets so that you don’t lose the power outlet and can plug a lamp, TV or whatever into the powerline adapter.

Most adapters have one Ethernet port, but there are some on the market with up to four sockets, which might be useful if you have, say, a computer and printer close to one another; you can connect both to the same adapter.

Finally, most powerline adapters have the plug physically connected to the adapter. But some multi-port adapters take the form of a small box into which you connect a power lead. These are bulkier, but come with the advantage that they won’t block a neighbouring plug socket in a power strip (though you shouldn’t really plug a powerline adapter into a multi-point strip, since those multiple sockets can introduce noise and degrade the signal). Well-known brands of adapters include Belkin, D-Link, devolo and Netgear. — Techradar.com

Hacker took over BBC server BOSTON: A hacker secretly took over a computer server at the BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, and then launched a Christmas Day campaign to convince other cyber criminals to pay him for access to the system.

While it is not known if the hacker found any buyers, the BBC’s security team responded to the issue on Saturday and believes it has secured the site, according to a person familiar with the cleanup effort.

A BBC spokesman declined to discuss the incident. “We do not comment on security issues,” he said.

Reuters could not determine whether the hackers stole data or caused any damage in the attack, which compromised a server that manages an obscure password-protected website.

It was not clear how the BBC, the world’s oldest and largest broadcaster, uses that site, ftp.bbc.co.uk, though ftp systems are typically used to manage the transfer of large data files over the Internet.

The attack was first identified by Hold Security LLC, a cybersecurity firm in Milwaukee that monitors underground cyber-crime forums in search of stolen information.

The firm’s researchers observed a notorious Russian hacker known by the monikers “HASH” and “Rev0lver,” attempting to sell access to the BBC server on Dec. 25, the company’s founder and chief information security officer, Alex Holden, told Reuters.

“HASH” sought to convince high-profile hackers that he had infiltrated the site by showing them files that could only be accessed by somebody who really controlled it, Holden said.

So far Hold Security researchers have found no evidence the conversations led to a deal or that data was stolen from the BBC, Holden said. It is common for hackers to buy and sell access to compromised servers on underground forums. Buyers view the access as a commodity that grants them the chance to further penetrate the victim organization. They can also use compromised servers to set up command-and-control centers for cyber-crime operations known as botnets, run spam campaigns or launch denial of service attacks to knock websites off line.

The BBC offer stands out because the media company is such a high-profile organization, Holden said. “It’s definitely a notch in someone’s belt.” BBC has some 23,000 staff and is funded largely by license fees paid by every British household with a television.

Justin Clarke, a principal consultant for the cybersecurity firm Cylance Inc, said that while “HASH” was only offering access to an obscure ftp server, some buyers might see it as a stepping stone to more prized assets within the BBC. “Accessing that server establishes a foothold within BBC’s network which may allow an attacker to pivot and gain further access to internal BBC resources,” he said.

Media companies, including the BBC, have repeatedly been targeted by the Syrian Electronic Army, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and other hacker activist groups that deface websites and take over Twitter accounts.

Last January the New York Times reported that it had been repeatedly attacked over four months by Chinese hackers who obtained employees’ passwords. — Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

THAILAND: Alzheimer patients from Switzerland are cared by Thai caretakers during afternoon activities at Baan Kamlangchay care center in Chiang Mai province. —AP photos

Martin Woodtli, founder of Baan Kamlangchay care center, poses with his book at his office in Chiang Mai province.

Some with Alzheimer’s find care in far-off nations THAILAND: Residents of this facility for people with Alzheimer’s disease toss around a yellow ball and laugh under a cascade with their caregivers, in a swimming pool ringed by palm trees and wind chimes.

Susanna Kuratli, once a painter of delicate oils, swims a lap and smiles. Watching is her husband, Ulrich, who has a heart-rending decision: to leave his wife of 41 years in this facility 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles) from home, or to bring her back to Switzerland.

Their homeland treats the elderly as well as any nation on Earth, but Ulrich Kuratli says the care here in northern Thailand is not only less expensive but more personal. In Switzerland, “You have a cold, old lady who gives you pills and tells you to go to bed,” he says.

Kuratli and his family have given themselves six months to decide while the retired software developer lives alongside his 65-year-old wife in Baan Kamlangchay “Home for Care from the Heart.” Patients live in individual houses within a Thai community, are taken to local markets, temples and restaurants, and receive personal aroundthe-clock care. The monthly $3,800 cost is a third of what basic institutional care would come to in Switzerland.

Kuratli is not yet sure how he’ll care for Susanna, who used to produce a popular annual calendar of her paintings. But he’s leaning toward keeping her in Thailand.”Sometimes I am jealous. My wife won’t take my hand but when her Thai carer takes it, she is calm. She seems to be hap-

py,” he says. “When she sees me she starts to cry. Maybe she remembers how we were and understands, but can no longer find the words.” Relatives in Western nations are increasingly confronting Kuratli’s dilemma as the number of Alzheimer’s patients and costs rise, and the supply of qualified nurses and facilities struggles to keep up. Faraway countries are offering cheaper, and to some minds better, care for those suffering from the irreversible loss of memory.

Quality of care The nascent trend is unnerving to some experts who say uprooting people with Alzheimer’s will add to their sense of displacement and anxiety, though others say quality of care is more important than location. There’s also some general uneasiness over the idea of sending ailing elderly people abroad: The German press has branded it “gerontological colonialism.”

Germany is already sending several thousand sufferers, as well as the aged and otherwise ill, to Eastern Europe, Spain, Greece and Ukraine. Patients are even moving from Switzerland, which was ranked No. 1 in health care for the elderly this year in an index compiled by the elderly advocacy group HelpAge International and the UN Population Fund. The Philippines is offering Americans care for $1,500 to $3,500 a month, well below US rates.

About 100 Americans are currently seeking care in the Philippines, says J.J. Reyes, who is planning a retirement community

THAILAND: Thai caretaker, right, consoles Elizabeth, an Alzheimer patient from Switzerland, at Baan Kamlangchay care center.

near Manila. Facilities in Thailand also are preparing to attract more Alzheimer’s sufferers. In Chiang Mai, a pleasant city ringed by mountains, Baan Kamlangchay will be followed by a $10 million, holiday-like home scheduled to open before mid-2014.

Also on the way is a small Alzheimer’s unit within a retirement community set on the grounds of a former four-star resort.

The UK-based Alzheimer’s Disease International says there are more than 44 million Alzheimer’s patients globally, and the figure is projected to triple to 135 million by 2050. A number of European countries have generous national health insurance, but these generally do not cover treatment abroad. Kuratli says the Swiss government would cover two-thirds of the bill for his wife’s care if she stays in Switzerland, but since high-end private clinics there can cost $15,000 or more per month, he could still end up paying more there than he would in Thailand.

Baan Kamlangchay was established by Martin Woodtli, a Swiss who spent four years in Thailand with the aid group Doctors Without Borders before returning home to care for his Alzheimer’s diagnosed mother. He brought his mother to Chiang Mai, where she became the home’s first “guest.” Woodtli never uses the word “patient.” Over the next 10 years, the 52year-old psychologist and social worker purchased or rented eight two-story houses where 13 Swiss and German patients now reside.

Regular outside activities On most afternoons, the group gathers at a private, walled park to swim, snack and relax on deck chairs. Regular outside activities are organized because Woodtli believes these stimuli may help delay degeneration. He says his guests “cannot explain it, but I think they feel part of a family, a community, and that is very important.”

Sabine Jansen, head of Germany’s Alzheimer Society, says that while some with Alzheimer’s may adjust to an alien place, most find it difficult because they live in a world of earlier memories. “They are better oriented in their own living places and communities,” she says.

“Friends, family members, neighbors can visit them. Also because of language and cultural reasons, it is best for most to stay in their home country.”

Angela Lunde of the US-based Mayo Clinic says that generally the afflicted do better in a familiar environment, but over time, even those with advanced stages of the disease can adjust well. “I think a positive transition has less to do with the move itself and more with the way in which the staff and new environment accommodates the person living with dementia,” she says. Woodtli says people who have traveled widely and are accustomed to change can probably adapt.

“One of our guests sometimes wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Where am I?’ But she would do the same if she was in a

Ulrich Kuratli, a Swiss national shows the room where his wife, Susanna, an Alzheimer patient lives at Baan Kamlangchay care center.

findings “will not be welcomed with open arms,” Jarvinen predicted in a phone interview.

The sham- surgery The study was done at five medical centers in Finland. All the volunteers had experienced knee pain for at least three months and doctors believed the problem was a tear of the medial meniscus. Nonsurgical treatment had not helped them.

Patients did now know whether they had real surgery because of the way the researchers set up the experiment. Once a doctor had used arthroscopic techniques to examine the knee, if surgery seemed appropriate, the medical team opened an envelope with the equipment still in place - to reveal whether the patient would receive fake surgery or real surgery. For sham surgery, the microshaver that is typically used by the surgeon for meniscus removal didn’t have a blade.

The patient was not told which option was randomly chosen

Miracle changes “It’s a miracle,” she says. Geri used to bang his head against the walls of a care facility in Switzerland, she says, “as if he wanted to do something, get some where.” He would sink when entering water. In the three weeks since they arrived, he has calmed down and can swim again, all while his medicine is being sharply reduced. Like Kuratli, Buchmeier is deciding whether her 64year-old husband, a former Ford Motor Co employee, should stay or go back to Switzerland.

Nearby, Manfred Schlaupitz, a former Daimler-Benz engineer in his 70s, lies back in a deck chair, cradling a stuffed toy lamb. His caregiver, Kanokkan Tasa, sits on the grass beside him, gently massaging his legs and tickling his chin. She has been with him for six years. “If you think of it as a job it’s very difficult,” she says, “but if it comes from the heart, it is easy.”

Like a number of Alzheimer’s victims, Schlaupitz responds well to music.

Sometimes they sing one of his favorite songs: “Yesterday.” —AP

Jenny, an Alzheimer patient from Switzerland, is fed fruit by a Thai caretaker.

Common knee surgery ineffective NEW YORK : One of the most common types of knee surgery performed in the US is no more effective than fake surgery, at least for the first year, according to a new study. The new evidence should give doctors pause before they try to repair the meniscus, which cushions the bones of the knee, according to the Finnish doctors behind the research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The experiment involved 146 volunteers whose knee pain appeared to be caused by wear and tear of that cushion.

None of the participants had a recognized injury or osteoarthritis, both situations for which the surgery is already known to be ineffective.

After 12 months, the average improvement among the people who received real surgery and those who got “sham” surgery was essentially the same, said the research team, led by Dr Teppo Jarvinen of University of Helsinki. There was no significant improvement in knee pain after exercise and no sizable improvement in the likelihood that a patient would require subsequent knee surgery.

But Dr Craig Bennett, chief of sports medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center, cautioned that the findings should not be over-generalized. One problem, he told Reuters Health in a telephone interview, is that such “sham” surgery is, in fact, a surgical procedure with potential benefit.

People with knee pain who seem to be candidates for meniscal repair may be suffering because of debris in a swollen knee joint. “If you scope the knee (without touching the cushion), that will often help even if you don’t completely address the torn meniscus issue,” he said. During an arthroscopic examination, where fluid is injected to give doctors a good view, “you’re taking out the junky, thick irritating fluid that can give a lot of people their pain,” he said.

During both sham and regular surgery, small holes are poked through either side of the knee, so doctors can insert instruments to examine the joint. With the surgery, known as arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, damaged and loose pieces of the cushioning material that may be out of place and interfering with the motion of the knee are trimmed away. Because about 700,000 such surgeries are done in the US each year at a cost of $4 billion, the new

care center in Switzerland,” he says. “One guest thinks she is in a schoolhouse at Lake Lucerne.” At the swimming pool, Madeleine Buchmeier snaps photos and laughs as she watches a caregiver take her smiling husband’s hands to twirl around together in a dance out of childhood.

and neither the orthopedic surgeon nor other operating room staff were involved in further care of the patient. The patients were unable to guess whether they had received real surgery or fake surgery. On two scales objectively measuring symptoms, there was little difference in outcomes between sham and real surgery.

Conventional treatments But patients regarded the treatment as a success whether they received real surgery or not. Surveys showed 89 percent in the actual surgery group and 83 percent in the sham group reported improvement. Of those who got actual surgery, 77 percent said they were satisfied with the outcome, as did 70 percent of the sham surgery group. And 93 percent who got actual surgery and 96 percent who got the sham treatment said they would be willing to repeat the procedure.

Five patients in the sham-surgery group and two who actually had surgery had such persistent problems that further surgery was required, but that difference wasn’t large enough to demonstrate that the operation worked better. Jarvien said the lesson for patients is that if you have a sore knee that’s not caused by an obvious injury, “it seems we really don’t have a quick fix.”

“Don’t feel an obligation to seek help right away,” he said. “You can just treat it with the conventional bag of tricks: painkillers, icing, losing weight, or slightly moderating your activities to make it a bit more tolerable.”“Try to ride a bike, swim, to get you back to what you used to do,” he said.

Bennett, however, said the situation is more complicated. He predicted that if the patients were to be followed beyond one year, younger ones would eventually show a benefit from the surgery. “If you have a 35-year old and I leave their torn piece of meniscus tissue alone, even though they’re doing better at the one-year mark than the person in whom it was cleaned up, what’s the story going to be 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 years down the road?” Bennett said. “Is that piece in a highly-active 35-year-old person going to rough up and scuff up cartilage that was originally okay?” “Not every meniscus tear warrants surgery,” he said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into determining whether someone should have surgery, and you can’t get much of that from this paper.” —Reuters

High rates of high blood pressure persist in US Southeast NEW YORK: One third of US adults have high blood pressure, but in the southeastern part of the country the rate is well over half, according to a new study that finds too little is being done to reverse the problem. The Southeast has been called the Stroke Belt because of well-known high rates of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure. But that knowledge has not led to changes, nor to a full understanding of the reasons for the population’s high risk, the study team reports.

“The rates have not changed,” though the US has had treatment guidelines for high blood pressure since 1977, said one of the authors, Dr Uchechukwu KA Sampson, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The number of people who do not know that they have high blood pressure is the same,” he added. High blood pressure is an established cause of death from cardiovascular disease and accounts for up to 7.5 million deaths worldwide each year, the researchers point out.

To investigate the persistently high rates of high blood pressure in the South, Sampson’s group used a large database with recent information on men and women in southern states covering the years 2002 to 2009. They focused on 69,000 white and black adults with similarly low income and education levels - to eliminate poverty as a factor - and analyzed what other causes might be contributing to blood pressure problems.

Overall, they found that 57 percent of the study participants had high blood pressure. Blacks were nearly twice as likely as whites to be suffering from the disease, which has no symptoms of its own, but can lead to stroke or kidney damage if untreated. But the racial difference was seen mainly among women. Fifty one percent of black and white men had high blood pressure, but the rates were 64 percent among black women and 52 percent among white women. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

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

Killing of snowy owls prompts suit against federal agencies NEW JERSEY: An animal-advocacy group is suing federal agencies to make sure that the killing of snowy owls at Kennedy Airport - a practice that was stopped after being exposed by the Daily News - never resumes. Friends of Animals has filed suit against the Agriculture Department, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Connecticut Post reported.

The lawyer representing the group said he wants to make sure the Port Authority can’t just start shooting the majestic white birds again. “The fact that they stopped the shooting doesn’t make this a moot point,” he said. The Port Authority, which runs New York’s airports, said that five planes at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark had been struck by snowy owls. The News reported in a front-page story on Dec 9 that the agency shot three of the owls. The same day, the Port Authority released a statement announcing that it was halting

the practice.

Terri Edwards, a spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said her agency permits major airports to control threatening animal populations under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. “In almost all cases, nonlethal control efforts are used,” she said. “Noise, scare tactics, that kind of thing. But in certain cases - when there’s an emergency situation - the permit does authorize lethal takes.”

Agriculture Depar tment spokeswoman Carol Bannerman said aviation records for bird strikes show that snowy owls rank 17th out of 66 species. “They can be damaging,” she said. Priscilla Feral, executive director of Friends of Animals, called killing the owls “kind of a sick idea.”

“But that aside, we’re saying in the lawsuit that the law does not protect this killing of the snowy owls and that they have violated environmental laws in doing so,” she said. —AP

IOWA: File photo shows Grisselle Ambert, left, a staff member at the Wildlife Care Clinic, and Sarah Blount, a registered veterinary technician at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University, attend to Harvey, an owl that has only one eye, in Ames. —AP photos

IOWA: Sarah Blount, of Ames, Iowa feeds Ernie, an American possum.

Injured wildlife animals find new purpose through educational programs

NEW JERSEY: A snowy owl rests on a branch at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Galloway Township. —AP

IOWA: A clinic at Iowa State University is working to help injured wildlife animals and give others new purpose through education. The Wildlife Care Clinic at the school’s Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center takes in injured animals and helps them get well enough for release, The Des Moines Register reported . If a creature’s injuries are too severe, officials try to keep the animal for educational programs.

That was the case with Ernie the opossum, now a permanent resident at the clinic. He arrived in February with a missing eye, broken teeth and a frostbitten tail. He now travels the state with staff and recently wore a red Superman cape for Halloween.

“Give him an orange, and he doesn’t care,” said Grisselle Ambert, an ISU student who works at the clinic. “He wears the cape with pride.” There are currently six disabled animals that are used for educational purposes. They include creatures like Harvey the great horned owl and Sora the redtailed hawk. Harvey had his left eye removed, and Sora’s right shoulder is permanently dislocated.

The animals come from across Iowa and parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The clinic, which opened in 1990, is considered one of a few in the Midwest with resources for surgery, blood

work, X-rays and other treatments. There are two professional staff members and several ISU students who help run the clinic. Some are paid staff and others volunteer. “There is no other

place like it in Iowa that sees and treats all wildlife, including mammals, waterfowl, songbirds, marsupials and raptors,” said Bianca Zaffarano, the clinic’s director. —AP

Camera glitch triggers marathon Russian spacewalk CAPE CANAVERAL: Spacewalking Russian cosmonauts on Friday spent over eight hours installing two cameras outside the International Space Station for a Canadian streaming-video business and then retrieving the gear due to connectivity problems. Station commander Oleg Kotov and flight engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy left the station’s Pirs airlock at 8 am as the complex sailed 420 km over Australia, mission commentator Rob Navias said during a NASA Television broadcast of the spacewalk.

It was the third spacewalk this week by members of the station’s six-man crew. NASA astronauts Rich Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins made spacewalks on Saturday and Tuesday to replace a failed cooling pump. During the first part of Friday’s

planned seven-hour outing, the Russian cosmonauts set up a high-definition video camera on a swiveling platform and a medium-resolution still imager for Vancouver-based UrtheCast Corp.

The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, agreed to host the cameras on the $100 billion station, a project of 15 countries, in exchange for rights to use images and video taken over Russia. UrtheCast has commercial rights to images and video of the rest of the world, company Chief Executive Scott Larson told Reuters. UrtheCast intends to sell data to companies and government agencies that buy Earth-observing satellite imagery. It also plans to stream images over the Internet for free to subscribers, with the aim of attracting advertisers and sponsors. —Reuters

W H AT ’ S O N

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Greetings

H

appy 16th birthday to Heba Tareq Haque. May you have more birthdays to come and good health. Greetings come from Dad Tareq, Mom Jovila and brother Samee / Tito Nasser and Tita Delia, Sarah, Ahmed, Sheerine and family and friends.

Embassy of India holiday notice The Embassy of India will be closed on the following dates during the month of January 2014.

1 January 2014, Wednesday - New Year’s Day 14 January 2014, Tuesday - Eid - E - Milad 26 January 2014, Sunday - Republic Day

ABS visits the airport

Puthuvalsarathanima 2014

T

HANIMA, the prominent socio-cultural Group in Kuwait actively involved in promoting traditional art & cultural forms as well as striving for religious harmony is celebrating their New Year program - Puthuvalsarathanima 2014 - on Saturday, January 4 from 6 pm onwards at United Indian School, Abbassiya. The main attraction of the event is a ‘Traditional Carol Singing Competition’ which is one of its kind in Kuwait. Winners will receive trophies & prizes sponsored by Thanima.

Leaders representing various religious beliefs will deliver New Year messages highlighting the importance of religious harmony and the need for peaceful co-existence. Thanima invites all to the program to share the nostalgic experience of traditional carol singing and New Year celebrations. Entry to the event is free.

First Filipino movie making competition

‘T

FM Kapihan sa Kuwait’, the first Internet-based talk show, proudly announce ‘First Filipino Movie Making Competition: Short Film Festival 2014’ dubbed ‘First Cut’. TFM Kapihan sa Kuwait will accept short films, 5-7 minutes in length, from any OFWs and Filipino students (groups or individuals).

Participants may submit one or two entries from three categories: 1) Real Life Story 2) Documentary 3)Comedy.

Submission of entries will be accepted until early February. Seminar/workshop on movie making will be conducted. Winners will receive trophies/lots of fabulous prizes from sponsors! For more details/queries please email us: kapihansaKuwait@gmail.com. Note: Please avoid subjects related to local politics and religion.

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

W

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

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

T

he KG2 students at the American Baccalaureate School enjoyed a very exciting visit to Kuwait International Airport, as part of their topic on travel.

They arrived at the airport at 9:30 am and were greeted by Sheikh Abdullah. The airport staff were very pleased with their young visitors and their good behavior. The tour start-

ed from the departure area, and then they moved to the duty free section where the students learnt how to look for more information about the flights, and how to ensure they knew which gate was the correct gate for boarding.

The most memorable part of the trip for them was walking under the one and only jumbo airplane that Kuwait

Airways had and they were astonished by the size of the airplane. They were allowed to go beside the wheels and have a close look at them, even touch it if they wished to.

At the end of the trip everybody received a lovely goody bag from the airport staff to remind them of the fabulous time they had.

W H AT ’ S O N

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Embassy Information

ABS holds annual elementary spelling bee

T

he Fourth Annual Spelling Bees were held recently in the elementary department of the American Baccalaureate School. Each class had two students to represent them in the bee.

Students in grades 1 and 2 competed during their lunch period. Several parents showed up to watch the event. The top three spellers in each grade received a trophy.

After school, the spelling bees for grades 3, 4 and 5 were held with many parents showing up to support all the spellers. Again, the top three spellers in each grade received a trophy.

The elementary students who participated did a fantastic job. Their hard work and dedication to their studies was very clear.

1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place Grade 1: Rakan Al-Watyan, Hana Al-Asousi, Thunayan Al-Abkal Grade 2: Dana Al-Munaifi, Abdulrahman Al-Terkait, Abdulaziz Al-Houlan Grade 3: Tejaan Al-Sabah, FatmaAtaie, Mehrunisa Bilal Grade 4: Bazzah Al-Woqayan, Hessa Al-Deraan, Hamad Al-Rokhayes Grade 5: Armeen Nasser, DarineBoutiban, Mohammed Al-Kandari

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

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa has the honour to inform that on the occasion of the Christmas and New Year, the Embassy will remain closed from 24 December 2013 and will reopen again on 5th January 2014. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SLOVAK The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Kuwait would like to inform the public that on the occasion of the Christmas holidays the Embassy will he closed on Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26, December 2013, on the occasion of the New Year and the Independence Day of the Slovak Republic, the Embassy will be closed on Tuesday, December 31, 2013 and on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 and on the occasion of Catholic Epiphany Holiday, the Embassy will be closed on Monday, January 06. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA India and Kuwait have enjoyed historically close, warm and friendly ties. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait to India in November 2013 has imparted a new thrust to the strengthening further of the bilateral ties. To facilitate travel of Kuwaiti nationals to India for business, tourism, medical and study purposes, the embassy has adopted the following visa structure for Kuwaiti nationals with immediate effect:

Indian Frontliners Challengers Cup -2013 winners

I

ndian Frontliners Challengers Cup 2013 started with the fun by playing six a side cricket tournament played between the 10 participating teams which continued with leagues stages, semifinals and final.

After all the league and semifinal matches, Behbehani Motors and Afghan 11 were qualified for the final which was held on Dec 13.

Totally 10 teams — South Indian Cricketers, TLKS, TKS, Asian 11, Marhaba 11, Andhra Warriors, Afghan 11, ANP 11, Apparel Heroes and Behbehani Motors — participated in this tournament and the teams played in two groups. Tournament started in September and the League matches were played on every Friday morning in the Sulaibikhat Cricket ground. During the league stages Perfume gift Hampers were awarded the man of the match winners at the end of the every match which was sponsored by Asma Perfumes.

After all the league and semifinal matches, Behbehani Motors and Afghan 11 were qualified for the final which was held on Dec 13. Initially Afghan 11 won the toss and decided to bowl first, because of the rain, the match was reduced into 17 overs. Behbehani were bundled up for 86 after the allotted 17 overs. Rain interrupted the match after two overs of the second innings and the play was stopped. Later it was decided to drop the match and declare the championship tittle for both the teams Behbehani and Afghan11.

Around 10am the prize distributing ceremony started and Asad Khan, General Manager of Kuwait Swedish Cleaning & Services Company (KSCS), the chief guest, was accompanied by Indian Frontliners association team members Laksminarayanan, Singaravelu-Vice President, Mathi-Secretary, Subbu, Durai,Mani, Vellaisamy and NC Mohandoss.

The tournament organisers Naveeth A. Salam, Ram Mohan Reddy and Uday were also present on the finals.

Naveeth welcomed the Chief Guest, Indian Frontliners Association members and the players.

Singaravelu briefed the audience about the Chief Guest and his interests towards the cricket. The presentation started with a speech by Asad Khan in which he offered all support to the organizers and presented trophies, certificates and cash prices to the winners.

Presentation ceremony was concluded by presenting the Indian Frontliners Challengers cup to the winners. Behbehani Motors & Afghan 11 teams shared the Title of the Indian Frontliners cup-2013.

Please apply Indian visa online at www.bls-international.com and deposit visa application, with applicable visa fee and service charge, at either M/s.

BLS International Services, Emad Commercial Centre, Basement floor Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, Sharq, Kuwait city (Telephone: 22986607 - Fax: 22470006) or M/s. BLS International Services, Mujamma Unood, 4th floor, Office No.25-26 Makka Street, Entrance 5, Fahaheel, Kuwait (Telephone: 22986607 - Fax: 22470006). For additional information, please contact Second Secretary (Consular) in the Embassy at sscons@indembkwt.org.

In addition, a service charge of KD 5 will also apply for each visa service provided. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The US Embassy in Kuwait has new procedures for obtaining appointments and picking up passports after visa issuance.

We now provide an online visa appointment system, live call center, and in-person pick-up facilities in Kuwait. Please monitor our website and social media for additional information.

This new system offers more flexibility for travelers to the US and to meet the increase in demand for visa appointments.

The general application steps on the new visa appointment system are: 1. Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/kw (if this is the first time on ustraveldocs.com, you will need to create a profile to login).

2. Please complete your DS-160 Online Visa Application which is available at ceac.state.gov/genNIV. 3. Please print and take your deposit slip to any Burgan Bank location to pay your visa application fee.

4. Schedule an appointment for your visa interview online at www.ustraveldocs.com/kw or by phone through the Call Center (at +965-22271673).

5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy to other applicants. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website kuwait.usembassy.gov - as it is the best source of information regarding these changes. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VATICAN The Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066.

Email: nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

TV PROGRAMS 00:00 Absolutely Fabulous 00:30 Absolutely Fabulous 01:00 Absolutely Fabulous 01:30 Absolutely Fabulous 02:00 Great Expectations 02:55 Great Expectations 03:50 Great Expectations 04:45 Doctor Who Confidential 05:00 Boogie Beebies 05:15 Balamory 05:35 Teletubbies 06:00 Little Robots 06:10 Buzz & Tell 06:15 Boogie Beebies 06:30 Balamory 06:50 Teletubbies 07:15 The Weakest Link 08:00 Alone In The Wild 08:50 Doctors 09:20 Casualty 10:10 Keeping Up Appearances 10:40 Keeping Up Appearances 11:10 Keeping Up Appearances 11:40 Keeping Up Appearances 12:10 Keeping Up Appearances 12:40 Keeping Up Appearances 13:10 Doctors 13:40 Casualty 14:30 Daddy Daycare 15:20 Daddy Daycare 16:10 Daddy Daycare 17:00 Eastenders 17:30 Doctors 18:00 Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff: Christmas Special 20:00 Sherlock Holmes The Case Of The Silk Stocking 21:40 Sally Lockhart Mysteries 23:15 Little Britain 23:45 Little Britain

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

Cash In The Attic Hairy Bikers’ Bake-ation Perfect Day New Scandinavian Cooking DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build Hairy Bikers’ Bake-ation Perfect Day New Scandinavian Cooking DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build DIY SOS: The Big Build Hairy Bikers’ Bake-ation Perfect Day New Scandinavian Cooking The Restaurant Inspector The Restaurant Inspector The Restaurant Inspector The Restaurant Inspector The Restaurant Inspector The Restaurant Inspector Marbella Mansions The Little Paris Kitchen The Little Paris Kitchen The Little Paris Kitchen The Little Paris Kitchen Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt

00:05 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 06:00 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20

Battleground: Rhino Wars Bush Pilots Bush Pilots Bush Pilots Bush Pilots Bush Pilots Bush Pilots Mythbusters Mythbusters Specials Extreme Fishing Fast N’ Loud Border Security Storage Hunters Flip Men

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

How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Kings Of Crash World’s Top 5 Wheeler Dealers Border Security Storage Hunters Flip Men Flying Wild Alaska Fast N’ Loud Ultimate Survival Dirty Jobs Mythbusters Specials Sons Of Guns Storage Hunters Flip Men How Do They Do It? How It’s Made The Hunger: Death Race Bush Pilots Battleground: Rhino Wars

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

The Colony Food Factory Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Food Factory Mighty Ships Mighty Ships Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities Oddities

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas Los Angeles Jonas Los Angeles Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Jonas Los Angeles Jonas Los Angeles Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin And Ally Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Gravity Falls My Babysitter’s A Vampire Jessie Good Luck Charlie Dog With A Blog High School Musical Jessie Wolfblood Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Shake It Up That’s So Raven Jessie

14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:10 17:00 18:45 18:55 19:20 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35

Good Luck Charlie Dog With A Blog Wolfblood Gravity Falls Jessie Violetta Ratatouille Prank Stars Dog With A Blog Violetta Jessie My Babysitter’s A Vampire Wolfblood Gravity Falls Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

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

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Food Wars Food Wars Unwrapped Charly’s Cake Angels Charly’s Cake Angels Amazing Wedding Cakes Unique Eats Food Crafters United Tastes Of America Chopped Iron Chef America Unwrapped Unwrapped Unwrapped Unwrapped United Tastes Of America Unique Sweets Kid In A Candy Store Barefoot Contessa - Back To

12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30

02:30 Veep 03:30 Go On 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 09:30 Two And A Half Men 10:30 Friends 13:30 Friends 14:00 Go On 14:30 Two And A Half Men 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:30 Go On 20:00 The Cleveland Show 20:30 Web Therapy 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 South Park 22:30 Louie

LES MISERABLES ON OSN MOVIES DRAMA 23:00 Veep

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

00:00 03:00 04:00 07:30 09:00 10:30 12:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Royal Pains Zero Hour The Newsroom Rescue Me Bunheads Red Widow Royal Pains Bones Zero Hour Red Widow Bunheads Coronation Street Bones Royal Pains Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Bones Bunheads Revenge Top Gear (UK) The Newsroom Rescue Me

Switched At Birth Treme Boardwalk Empire Coronation Street C.S.I. Coronation Street C.S.I. Switched At Birth Live Good Morning America C.S.I. Switched At Birth Parenthood C.S.I. Switched At Birth Boardwalk Empire Treme

00:00 No Man’s Land: The Rise Of Reeker 02:00 Elfie Hopkins 04:00 Sultanes Del Sur 06:00 True Justice: One Shot, One Life 08:00 Abandoned 09:45 Tombstone 12:00 The Fog 14:00 Alien Tornado 15:45 Tombstone 18:00 Wild Wild West 20:00 Alien Tornado 22:00 Graystone

00:00 Elfie Hopkins-18 02:00 Sultanes Del Sur-PG15 04:00 True Justice: One Shot, One Life-PG15 06:00 Abandoned-PG15 07:45 Tombstone-PG15 10:00 The Fog-PG15 12:00 Alien Tornado-PG15 13:45 Tombstone-PG15 16:00 Wild Wild West-PG15 18:00 Alien Tornado-PG15 20:00 Graystone-18 22:00 Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines-18

SHADOW DANCER ON OSN MOVIES HD

Hotel Impossible Trip Flip The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters Hotel Impossible Extreme Parking

I

Barefoot Contessa - Back To

Amazing Wedding Cakes Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Siba’s Table Charly’s Cake Angels Chopped Amazing Wedding Cakes Iron Chef America Special Siba’s Table Siba’s Table Andy Bates American Street

17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Bed down to reinvent cinema in New York

Staten Island Cakes Charly’s Cake Angels Amazing Wedding Cakes Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Reza’s African Kitchen Charly’s Cake Angels Siba’s Table Barefoot Contessa - Back To

Guy’s Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Roadtrip With G. Garvin Chopped Barefoot Contessa - Back To

Xtreme Waterparks Trip Flip The Food Truck The Food Truck Bizarre Foods America International House Hunters International House Hunters International House Hunters International House Hunters

00:00 Cellmates-PG15 02:00 Calendar Girls-PG15 04:00 Nacho Libre-PG 06:00 Adventures In BabysittingPG15 08:00 Police Academy 6: City Under Siege-PG15 10:00 Celtic Pride-PG 12:00 Nacho Libre-PG 14:00 Police Academy 7: Mission To Moscow-PG15 16:00 Celtic Pride-PG 18:00 I Don’t Know How She Does

It-PG15 20:00 Detroit Rock City-18 22:00 What’s Your Number?-PG15

01:00 Oh Christmas Tree-PG15 03:00 Virtual Lies-PG15 05:00 You Got Served: Beat The World-PG15 07:00 Blue Lagoon: The Awakening-PG15 09:00 Oh Christmas Tree-PG15 11:00 Would Be Kings-PG15 13:00 Dirty Teacher-PG15 14:45 Here-PG15 17:00 Matching Jack-PG15 19:00 Down The Shore-PG15 20:45 Les Miserables-PG15 23:30 This Must Be The Place-18

01:15 Scarface-18 04:00 Perfect Stranger-18 06:00 True Love-PG15 07:45 New York Stories-PG15 10:00 Snow Flower And The Secret Fan-PG15 12:00 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You-PG15 13:45 Cool It-PG15 15:30 Carnage-PG15 17:00 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You-PG15 19:00 Young Adult-PG15 21:00 Final Analysis-18 23:15 The Paperboy-18

01:15 Buried-PG15 03:00 Flower Girl-PG15 05:00 The Makeover-PG15 07:00 Paranorman-PG 09:00 Shadow Dancer-PG15 11:00 Bernie-PG15 13:00 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part One-PG15 14:45 The Tree Of Life-PG15 17:00 Shadow Dancer-PG15 19:00 Midnight In Paris-PG15 21:00 Flight-18 23:15 A Single Shot-PG15

01:00 The Happets 02:45 Everyone’s Hero 04:30 Ben 10: Race Against Time 06:00 The Happets 08:00 Teo: The Intergalactic Hunter 10:00 Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas 11:30 Angel’s Friends 13:00 Flicka 3 14:30 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers 16:00 Gaturro 18:00 Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas 20:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva LA Fiesta!

22:00 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers 23:30 Gaturro

00:00 02:00 04:00 PG15 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

A Dark Truth-18 Mary & Martha-PG15 Madea’s Big Happy FamilyBurden Of Evil-PG15 The Double-PG15 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 Love’s Kitchen-PG15 One Life-PG15 The Double-PG15 Premium Rush-PG15 Take This Waltz-18 The Campaign-18

02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 Live Cricket Test Match 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Top 14 Highlights 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 Darts 17:00 America’s Cup Review Show 18:00 Top 14 20:00 Super Rugby Final Highlights 20:30 Currie Cup Final Highlights 21:00 ITM Cup Final Highlights 21:30 ICC Cricket 360 22:00 Live PDC World Darts Championship

00:00 Live NFL 03:00 WWE This Week 03:30 Live NHL 06:30 HSBC Sevens World Series 07:00 Darts 11:00 America’s Cup Review Show 12:00 Champions Tour 13:00 Top 14 15:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 18:30 Super Rugby Final Highlights 19:00 NRL Final Highlights 19:30 Rugby League WC Final Highlights 20:00 NFL 22:30 NHL

01:30 Super League Final Highlights 02:00 NRL Final Highlights 02:30 PDC Worlds Darts Championship 06:30 ICC Cricket 360 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Pro 12 10:00 Pro 12 12:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Pool Mosconi Cup 18:00 Golfing World 19:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 20:00 Pro 12 22:00 Pro 12

02:00 Prizefighter 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 WWE Experience 09:00 Ping Pong World 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 F1 H2O World Championship Highlights 13:30 F1 H2O World Championship Highlights 14:00 European Le Mans Series 15:00 WWE SmackDown 17:00 WWE Experience 18:00 NHL 20:00 UFC Prelims 22:00 UFC

00:00 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 00:30 Rock My RV With Bret Michaels 01:00 Monumental Mysteries 02:00 Baggage Battles 02:30 Baggage Battles 03:00 Treasure Trader 03:30 Treasure Trader 04:00 Magic Man 04:30 Magic Man 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Descending 10:00 Airport 24/7: Miami 10:30 Airport 24/7: Miami 11:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides

f box office takings have stagnated in recent years, one US cinema is wooing back film lovers with big, fat, leather recliners... reminiscent of well, beds.

Deep and luxuriously comfortable, the plush reddybrown chairs with movable foot rest are creating a buzz at one tarted-up New York cinema on the Upper West Side. Similar to first-class airline seats, the movier goer can at the touch of a button maneuver the foot rest until they are sprawled out, sun-lounger style. No longer is your view of the silver screen blocked by a hefty man sitting in front. Long gone are battles of the elbow to control the arm rests.

The guy chomping on popcorn may still make a racket, but you can slip off your shoes and snuggle down on a chair infinitely nicer than the chewed-up sofa at home. “I feel so great. It’s better than going to a spa,” said Jay Smith, after watching rom-com “Don Jon” at the AMC movie theater on Broadway and 84th Street. “You really feel relaxed. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to an old theater,” he enthused. Out of the 688 cinemas run by AMC in the greater New York area, 60 have now been equipped with the oversized leather recliners. There are another 17 in Washington DC and its suburbs, 12 in California and a total of 271 across the States.

The goal is roll out 1,582 in the next five yearsaround a third of the 4,940 cinemas managed or owned by AMC in the United States, according to a document submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. There is no need to arrive early as all seats are assigned when you book online. No more queues in the biting cold or broiling New York summer. No more worries about being late and getting stuck with a neck-craning seat in the front row. For a business model that concentrated on stuffing as many seats as possible into a cinema, AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan said it was now about quality, not quantity. “We really wanted to truly enhance the entire experience for our guests,” Noonan said. AMC is also offering a greater selection of snacks at traditional soft drinks and popcorn stands. “We added concession items like chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, pizza,” said Noonan. There are also more than 120 different types of drinks available.

Dinner a la carte in your seat A clutch of other cinemas in the United States are going a step further, offering an a la carte dinner and bar service served in your seat as you watch a movie.

Items on offer are salads, entrees of tenderloin and salmon, pastas, burgers, sandwiches and appetizers, with a kids’ menu as well cocktails are also served on occasion. AMC says its new recliner seats have had the biggest single impact on business since launching two years ago even if it reduces capactiy by 50 or even 70 percent. As the experience is so much more pleasurable for clients, attendance has grown by 84 percent.

“Our guests are coming more and they coming out more often,” Noonan said. “We could have done the bare minimum, we wanted to go all the way, to make it a destination theatre, to make it a place people want to come and watch a movie.” At the AMC cinema on Broadway and 84th, he said reaction has been “tremendous”. And at $15, ticket prices are not much more expensive than the $12 average in New York. The only inconvenience, faced with such comfort, is resisting the temptation to doze off. — AFP

Lawrence sows seeds of revolution in return to ‘Hunger Games’

O

ne teenage girl and her bow and arrow become a mighty symbol for revolution in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” as Hollywood’s reigning young adult franchise goes deeper and darker to explore the impact of violence on a community. “Catching Fire,” out in theaters on Nov. 22, is based on the second novel in the “Hunger Games” trilogy by author Suzanne Collins, set in the dystopian futuristic society of Panem, where the government forces 24 children to annually fight to the death in a live televised event. In the new film, heroine Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and her partner Peeta Mellark have returned victorious from the Hunger Games, viewed by the public as star-crossed young lovers who finally get their happy ending. But the much harsher reality sees both dealing with residual trauma from the brutality they suffered and were forced to inflict in the first games.

As the annual Hunger Games once again comes around, Katniss and Peeta find themselves back in the arena, their worst nightmare. But this time, their heroic actions from the first games have set off a underground movement for revolution. “This is the next step of Katniss’ heroism and the next part of her journey to finding out who is she really going to be,” said Lawrence, one of Hollywood’s hottest stars after winning the Oscar for best actress this year. —Reuters

Aung Ko Latt, second from left, winner of the best cinematography award, poses for photos with Kayan women, actresses in his film ‘Kayan Beauties’, during the Myanmar Academy Awards Ceremony, at Thuwunna Stadium yesterday in Yangon, Myanmar. — AP

Classifieds MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 FROZEN (DIG-3D) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-3 HOURS (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) HOURS (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) HOURS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-1 MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) HOURS (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM

FANAR-1 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) 12:45 PM JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) 3:30 PM THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) 5:30 PM GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) 8:30 PM JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) 10:45 PM GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) 12:45 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-2 FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

ACCOMMODATION

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (26/12/2013 TO 01/01/2014) FANAR-3 HOURS (DIG) HOURS (DIG) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) HOURS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:15 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-4 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-5 MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) HAUNTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

FROZEN (DIG) 2:00 PM FROZEN (DIG) 4:15 PM FROZEN (DIG) 6:30 PM THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) 8:45 PM THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) 12:15 AM AVENUES-3 DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI)

1:30 PM 5:00 PM 8:30 PM 12:05 AM

360º- 1 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM

360º- 2 MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG)

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

MARINA-1 MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) 1:15 PM THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (DIG) 4:00 PM THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) 7:00 PM MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) 9:15 PM MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) HATOULY RAGEL ?CE??? ?C?? (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL ?CE??? ?C?? (DIG)

MARINA-2 JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) HOURS (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

AL-KOUT.1 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

MARINA-3 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) HOURS (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) HOURS (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

AL-KOUT.3 FROZEN (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1 JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-2

AL-KOUT.4 BLOOD OF REDEMPTION (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) BLOOD OF REDEMPTION (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) BLOOD OF REDEMPTION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

BAIRAQ-1 WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) 47 RONIN (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM

BAIRAQ-2 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

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

BAIRAQ-3 MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

FOR SALE One year used furniture bedroom set, double coat with custom made special mattress, side table, four door cupboard with mirror.

All KD 95, price negotiable, if interested call 66619705.

(C 4605)

Examination Grade Sheet cum Certificate of Performance (2010-2012) and roll number 8106218, issued by CBSE (Govt of India) has been actually lost. Govind Shajan, Civil ID No: 296120701624, flat 31, building 1, street 2, block 12, Salmiya, Kuwait, Phone: 96614238. (C 4604) 28-12-2013

LOST It is notified for the information that my original qualifying examination certificate of mains CBSE Secondary School

SITUATION VACANT Driver needed for Kuwaiti family, full-time & part-time.

Call 60623330. (C 4603)

112

PLAZA WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) SILENCE (DIG) (Malayalam) 47 RONIN (DIG)

5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM

LAILA JUSTIN BIEBER’S BELIEVE (DIG) MANDELA: Long Walk to Freedom (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG)

5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI)

6:30 PM 9:45 PM

AJIAL.2 DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI)

5:30 PM 8:45 PM

AJIAL.3 FROZEN (DIG) WALKING WITH DINOSAURS (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG)

5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM

AJIAL.4 SILENCE (DIG) (Malayalam) SILENCE (DIG) (Malayalam)

6:45 PM 9:15 PM

METRO-2 SILENCE (DIG) (Malayalam) DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI)

Abraq Khaitan full room and sharing room available for decent bachelor with Goan in double bedroom flat with internet, kitchen facility, beside main road and bus stop, near police station round about.

Contact: 24745162 or 97523316. (C 4602) 24-12-2013

6:30 PM 9:00 PM

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

1889988 Prayer timings Fajr:

05:17

Shorook

06:41

Duhr:

11:50

Asr:

14:40

Maghrib:

16:58

Isha:

18:21

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines BBC JAI THY KAC JZR JZR QTR GFA THY AFG UAE ETD MSR QTR FDB THY DHX FDB BAW FDB UAE ABY KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR QTR ETD FDB GFA MSC MSC IRC MEA SYR UAE MSR MSR KNE FDB QTR SVA KNE GFA NIA OMA

Arrival Flights on Monday 30/12/2013 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 502 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 1084 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 416 JEDDAH 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 612 CAIRO 1076 DOHA 67 DUBAI 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 206 ISLAMABAD 362 COLOMBO 412 MANILA 302 MUMBAI 503 LUXOR 1070 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 55 DUBAI 213 BAHRAIN 401 ALEXANDRIA 403 ASYUT 6521 LAMERD 404 BEIRUT 341 DAMASCUS 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 579 SOHAG 480 TAIF 57 DUBAI 1078 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 472 JEDDAH 221 BAHRAIN 251 ALEXANDRIA 645 MUSCAT

Time 0:05 0:10 0:45 0:15 0:40 0:40 0:55 2:10 2:15 2:20 2:35 2:45 3:10 3:45 4:00 5:35 5:40 5:50 6:40 7:50 8:40 9:00 7:40 8:45 6:45 7:55 5:50 9:10 9:20 9:40 10:40 10:50 11:15 11:45 11:55 12:30 12:50 13:00 13:05 13:15 13:50 13:55 14:30 14:35 15:00 15:50 15:55

QTR UAE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR ETD RJA SVA ABY GFA RBG MSC QTR FDB GFA OMA FDB JAI ABY AXB ALK MEA ETD UAE GFA QTR FDB JAI AIC PIA TAR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR

1072 857 788 344 546 352 382 672 118 165 303 640 510 127 215 553 405 1080 63 217 647 61 572 129 489 229 402 307 859 219 1074 59 576 975 205 327 618 284 104 786 542 774 674 742 177 777 239 185 135

DOHA DUBAI JEDDAH CHENNAI ALEXANDRIA COCHIN DELHI DUBAI NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SOHAG DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI SHARJAH COCHIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI COCHIN CHENNAI LAHORE TUNIS DOHA DHAKA LONDON JEDDAH CAIRO RIYADH DUBAI DAMMAM DUBAI JEDDAH AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI BAHRAIN

16:40 16:40 15:10 10:40 14:05 9:50 13:05 14:00 16:35 11:30 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:25 17:30 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:30 19:55 20:05 20:10 20:20 20:35 21:10 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:15 22:30 23:05 23:15 19:00 18:00 19:35 18:45 18:05 18:45 19:25 18:20 18:20 17:55 22:20 23:20 22:05

Airlines AIC UAL PIA JAI BBC DLH THY AFG UAE KAC ETD MSR QTR FDB QTR KAC FDB JZR THY GFA KAC THY FDB BAW KAC KAC ABY UAE ETD QTR FDB GFA KAC MSC KAC MSC KAC JZR IRC MEA KAC SYR JZR MSR MSR KNE UAE

Departure Flights on Monday 30/12/2013 Flt Route Time 982 AHMEDABAD 00:05 981 WASHINGTON 00:55 206 LAHORE 01:05 573 MUMBAI 01:10 44 CHITTAGONG 01:45 635 FRANKFURT 02:10 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 02:55 416 KABUL 03:30 854 DUBAI 03:50 381 DELHI 03:50 306 ABU DHABI 04:00 613 CAIRO 04:10 1085 DOHA 04:15 68 DUBAI 04:40 1077 DOHA 05:15 283 DHAKA 05:30 70 DUBAI 06:30 164 DUBAI 06:55 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 07:05 212 BAHRAIN 07:15 545 ALEXANDRIA 07:15 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 07:30 54 DUBAI 08:30 156 LONDON 08:45 787 JEDDAH 09:25 671 DUBAI 09:30 126 SHARJAH 09:40 856 DUBAI 09:55 302 ABU DHABI 10:05 1071 DOHA 10:10 56 DUBAI 10:20 214 BAHRAIN 11:25 541 CAIRO 11:30 406 SOHAG 11:50 165 ROME 11:50 404 ASYUT 12:15 103 LONDON 12:20 776 JEDDAH 12:25 6522 LAMERD 12:45 405 BEIRUT 12:55 785 JEDDAH 13:00 342 DAMASCUS 13:30 176 DUBAI 13:45 580 SOHAG 13:50 611 CAIRO 14:00 481 TAIF 14:10 872 DUBAI 14:15

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

FDB QTR KAC KAC KAC KAC KNE GFA SVA NIA OMA JZR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR JZR RBG JZR FDB MSC QTR GFA FDB OMA KAC KAC ABY JAI KAC DHX ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC FDB UAE KAC QTR JAI JZR KAC

58 1079 673 773 741 617 473 222 501 252 646 238 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 216 184 266 554 134 64 402 1081 218 62 648 331 361 120 571 351 171 230 403 308 220 301 60 860 205 1075 575 502 411

DUBAI DOHA DUBAI RIYADH DAMMAM DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT AMMAN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM COLOMBO SHARJAH MUMBAI KOCHI BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA ABU DHABI LUXOR BANGKOK

14:30 14:55 15:05 15:20 15:20 15:30 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:50 16:55 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:40 20:15 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:10 21:10 21:50 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:10 23:15 23:30 23:55

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 414

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

ARIES Celebrate your triumphs and focus your energy on using your influence to inspire growth in yourself and in others. This is a great time to consolidate and organize your private affairs. If you are working, others may see you as the perfect candidate to have charge over some project that requires a conservative mind. This may not be the most advantageous time to make career or vocational decisions or to give rational advice to others. You may prefer to be more private and stay at home with your family or loved ones. If you do have, or attend, a get-together for some end-of-the-year celebration, it will be with close friends or family. Look for ways to make another person’s life easier now, toward the end of this year—perhaps a meal for the elderly.

Although this is a busy day, you still find time to do some personal correspondence during the day—perhaps only one or two pieces of mail, but important. Being well thought of is important to you and you want others to feel just as important so expressions of gratefulness are important for you to articulate at this time. You might decide to continue this expression of appreciation throughout the rest of the week. You enjoy getting out-of-doors for a bit of sunshine today. Things that are dear to your heart, as well as loved ones and other people, are emphasized now. Getting things taken care of in an orderly way and establishing some sort of an organized system could keep you very busy at this time. Communications continue to improve.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You may find yourself marching to the beat of a different drummer today.

Ambitious schemes and the pursuit of success and status take on a high priority in your life at this time. This could bring into focus the practical, the successful and the pragmatic—whatever it takes to get you ahead in the end. The meek may inherit the earth, but the shrewd will collect the rent. Wanting and needing to feel good about yourself and the way that you get things done could be instrumental in pushing you into more activities centered on diet, exercise and organizational habits. Your ambition will increase and you will take a more serious approach in taking better care of yourself. You encourage everyone in your household to make long- and short-term goals.

Bigger and better is the theme when it comes to creativity, romance and self-expression. This is a time when taking chances in these areas of your life often pays off beyond your wildest imagination. This is a splendid time to plan, read and research or just relax and enjoy these last few days of the year. Your emotions in particular, or the feelings of those around you, could be very clear. Others should find it easy to understand how you feel and will be empathetic to your needs today. You could find people will often appreciate your ability to take the lead in difficult situations. One thing that is noticed about you is that if you do not know an answer, you will search to find it. Young people bring laughter your way this evening.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A rapid bustling commotion.

4. A chief of a North American tribe or confederation (especially an Algonquian chief).

12. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

15. An accidental happening.

16. (mathematics) A symbol that represents a function from functions to functions.

17. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

18. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

19. French mathematician who founded number theory.

20. Wild sheep of semidesert regions in central Asia.

22. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

24. God of death.

25. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health.

27. A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel.

30. Grass of freshwater swamps and salt marshes of Europe, Africa, America, and South Atlantic islands.

34. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

37. (music) The speed at which a composition is to be played.

40. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

42. Eliminate from the body.

43. Emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design.

45. Water containing salts.

46. A three-year law degree.

47. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

48. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

50. The Jewish rite of circumcision performed on a male child on the eighth day of his life.

51. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

54. An associate degree in applied science.

55. God of fire.

59. A city in northeastern Ohio.

62. The capital of Turkey.

70. Of or relating to the African people who speak one of the Bantoid languages or to their culture.

73. Gully or streambed in North Africa and the Middle East that remains dry except during rainy season.

74. An undergarment worn by women to support their breasts.

75. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

77. (Roman mythology) God of love.

78. Automatic data processing by electronic means without the use of tabulating cards or punched tapes.

79. Genus of chiefly small rock-loving ferns.

80. Informal terms for money.

DOWN 1. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

2. An informal term for a father.

3. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

4. An upholstered seat for more than one person.

5. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.

6. Of or pertaining to or characteristic of Germany or its people or language.

7. A large fleet.

8. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was

formed by an explosion.

9. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

10. An artificial language for international use that rejects rejects all existing words and is based instead on an abstract analysis of ideas.

11. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

12. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

13. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

14. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

21. Long pinkish sour leafstalks usually eaten cooked and sweetened.

23. An army unit usually consisting of two or more divisions.

26. A heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically).

28. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

29. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

31. A prosthesis that replaces a missing leg.

32. Pertaining to or resembling amoebae.

33. A capacious bag or basket.

35. Wildly disordered.

36. A port city of south central Ukraine on an arm of the Black Sea. 38. A pale rose-colored variety of the ruby spinel.

39. An impure form of quartz consisting of banded chalcedony.

41. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

44. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

49. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys.

52. Deciduous South African tree having large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fragrant orangeyellow flowers.

53. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

56. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

57. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

58. A member of a widespread group of Amerindians living in northeastern South America.

60. German arms manufacturer and son of Friedrich Krupp.

61. Jordan's port.

63. An aromatic ointment used in antiquity.

64. Strike sharply.

65. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

66. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

67. The battle in 202 BC in which Scipio decisively defeated Hannibal at the end of the second Punic War. 68. A material effigy that is worshipped as a god.

69. A river in northern England that flows southeast through West Yorkshire.

71. A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood.

72. A slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water.

76. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

You are just where you need to be today. Professionally, you are pleased with your progress. Today you work to end or complete some personal project before the new budget you planned comes into effect. Your family, children or the things that you hold near and dear to your heart are of great value to you. Knowing that you are loved and appreciated and not taken for granted is the prevailing feeling. You enjoy admiration for the things you have accomplished. You, in turn, give that appreciation to those around you. Taking risks can bring big rewards. You are an entrepreneur at heart. In order for your efforts to gain recognition, it is essential that you allow your creative and intuitive nature to prevail. You enjoy life and so do all who follow.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Cancer (June 21-July 22) A kind of romantic wistfulness characterizes your approach to life. This could mean the longing for a soul mate or a yearning to save the world. This could mean carrying a torch, as well. As your day unfolds, your good energy stays but your concentration is more toward accomplishing the chores set out before you. Higher education, publishing, broadcasting or advertising is a subject of interest at the gathering for lunch. You may be giving some serious thought about one or two of these subjects. This afternoon your friends find you most gracious. You seem to appreciate inspiring and spiritual ideas and you have the talent for presenting them to others as well. This would be a good time for you and your friends to have a horoscope forecast reading.

Mentally, you are very perceptive, with sharp ideas and clear thoughts. It should be an excellent time to make decisions and to take care of any mental task. Great practical thoughts and ideas will be yours today. The ability to communicate with difficult people or the ability to describe what you see is a definite asset today. It may come as a big surprise for you to receive some extra support or recognition, perhaps in relation to your talent. Some kind of little boost will definitely be yours. You should be feeling that those around you are in touch and in harmony with you at this time. You will not want for support, as support will be there for you when you need it. Make some calls for getting together with your friends on new year’s eve and enjoy your evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Leo (July 23-August 22) Fame, money and happiness are all possible in your lifetime. You will undoubtedly leave a lasting image. It requires an authority or a leader to help you organize grand-scale activities and to build cautiously for the future. Your tact, diplomacy and friendliness add to a positive business arrangement. You are the power behind the throne and bring the flies to the honey, so to speak. You are a perfectionist and have aristocratic tastes. Today, a friend asks you for money and you lend it, but not without some sort of paper that creates an agreed upon process of repayment. You expect to pay your debts and to have others live up to agreements and expectations. The way you handle this transaction is tactful, kind and appreciated as honest.

A very powerful need for nurturing is a larger than life issue just now. You could be feeling the need to care for other people or to have them care for you. This could mean you may have overextended your energies this last week and are just now feeling the stress. Exercise and movement keeps the energy flowing and positive. Enjoy your own, personal quiet time this afternoon by doing a bit of writing on the accomplishments of this year and what it has meant to you. Getting your message across to others is at a high in the home and could become a bit pushy—readjust. Your timing, however, should be just about as good as it can get; those around you should find you most natural and vibrant. It is time to celebrate a new year—are you ready?

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Freedom, as well as anything unusual or different, is what you value most at this time. You may find a great deal of pleasure in getting away from the routine and doing something completely different for a change. If you find yourself at home today, you may create some time to vegetate and plan the future. You will find phone conversations the order of the afternoon and you may want to offer some options to your loved ones tonight about entertainment on new year’s eve. You find yourself understanding those around you and perhaps enjoying a special time with someone you love this evening. A bicycle ride or walk after dinner will give you and a loved one time to communicate. Getting fit and feeling well is in the future for this coming year.

Something could happen now that will help you understand that you need to make some important changes in your life—fortunately, not all in one day. Perhaps there is a need to break away from some of the old-fashioned ideas you are carrying from your past. You do long to try new and different things. Your emotional nourishment and feeling of protection comes from your friends, principles and social involvement now.

Those around you will be appreciative of your understanding and sensitivity to their needs. This puts you in a win-win position to communicate concerning groups and society as well. If you find yourself invited to a party or festive gathering of some kind, you will want to know why more weekends are not this pleasant.

Word Search

Yesterday’s Solution

B F S D W S A I R P L A N E

G L P Q Y P W T A S O W R A

A H I W Y I V S E U T O O D

L A R M W R D O Y P I R C O

F W I I P I T H D E U R K V

D K T Y L T A G O R Q A E E

M C O L L O B J O M S P T L

H T F O S F O U G A O S Z W

R E I P P A R N F N M W D Q

E J N L A M C E O E A G L E

T F N Q C E A B T D S X W H

P L O S E R P U I T U O M Y

O W V T S I J G R V U C O S

C A A G H C M W I N D B K G

I B T S I A Z E P P E L I N

L O I G P P I H S R I A Z E

E H O T A I R B A L L O O N

H P N E L B I G I R I D H T

#

!

!

!

!

"

!

"

$

Yesterday’s Solution

Communicating with groups and society in general is a natural for you now, as you can demonstrate such a wonderful understanding and sensitivity to other people’s needs. Your emotional livelihood and feeling of security comes from your good friends, principles and social commitment. You may feel that something needs to change in your life and perhaps severing the old antiquated patterns from the past would be a good step in the right direction. You want to try new, different and unique things.

Others may think you are very charismatic in speech and communication; you just naturally know what to say and when to say it. You will probably find a good conversation ensuing this evening, with someone you love or care for a great deal.

% &'

( & &) * +,) ) - . ! & & &+ )

- ) & ) ,)/

)0 ' 11111111111111111111111111111111111112 11111111111111111111111111111111111112 & ( 1111111111111111111111111111111111111.

Daily SuDoku

!

"

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

lifestyle G o s s i p

Gallagher and Appleton have friendly Christmas reunion

L

Baby joy for Blue’s Costa

B

lue singer Antony Costa’s fiancée is pregnant with their first child. The boy band star and his partner Rosanna Jasmin both made the announcement on Twitter after they got engaged on her birthday on Monday. In a tweet to his followers, Antony wrote: “Me and @RosannaJasmin have some very exciting news... We are expecting our first baby, we really can’t wait to be parents.” Meanwhile, the mother-to-be posted an almost identical message on her own Twitter account. Blue also helped break the news with a post on their official Facebook page. In a statement on the social networking site, Antony’s band mates and the group’s management team said the news added to a “wonderful Christmas” for the pair. The statement said: “2014 is going to be a bumper year! Antony Costa & fiancé Rosanna Jasmin are pleased to announce they are having a baby. “This completes a wonderful Christmas for the couple who announced their engagement on 23 December. “Congratulations and best wishes from Duncan, Lee & Simon. And Paul, James, Amanda, Sarah & Sandra on the management team.”

iam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton shared a hug and a kiss on the cheek over Christmas. The couple who are currently going through divorce proceedings after the former Oasis singer left her for his assistant Debbie Gwyther - had a friendly reunion on Boxing Day when he came to take their son Gene, 12, and 14-year-old Lennon his son with first wife Patsy Kensit - out for the day. A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “In the circumstances anyone would have expected a slanging match - it was anything but.

“Nicole looked thrilled to see Liam. She is still heartbroken but is putting on a brave face for Gene’s sake.” It is said the All Saints singer accepts a reunion is “unlikely”, but she is happy 2014 is looking to be an improvement on a rough year. An insider added: “Liam and Nicole might be back on friendly terms but she knows this is unlikely to be the start of a reconciliation. “But she will take comfort that things are looking up in 2014 ...

Nicole reflected on Twitter about her terrible year but she’s determined there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

Timberlake hangs ‘upside down’ before gigs

J

ustin Timberlake hangs “upside down” to hype himself up before shows. The ‘Take Back the Night’ hitmaker is said to have a set “routine” backstage before his gigs, which includes two hours meditation and a ban on “talking”. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday newspaper, an insider said: “Justin is really strict about routine before his gigs. “He believes keeping talking to a minimum and meditating gets him ‘in the zone’. “The hanging upside down bit gets his heart rate going as last-minute preparation.”

However, Justin is still spontaneous - earlier this month he brought fan Josh Clemons on stage so he could propose to his girlfriend Kim Martin. He brought them onstage, telling Kim: “Josh called me earlier. He’s got something he wants to tell you.” The singer then exited as Josh got down on one knee and made his proposal, which Kim accepted, sending the 22,000-strong crowd wild with cheers of congratulation. Justin then returned, bringing the happy couple shots and leading fans in a toast. He said: “This is for Josh and Kim. Louisville is for lovers, baby!”

Cowell arranges secret function

S

imon Cowell could be getting married after arranging a secret function in Barbados. The media mogul and his girlfriend Lauren Silverman are said to have organised the event in the Caribbean, with friends and hotel sources sworn to secrecy. According to reports in the Daily Star Sunday newspaper, Simon’s ex-girlfriends Sinitta and Terri Seymour are also at the Sandy Lane Hotel resort. While there is speculation the top-secret event could be a surprise marriage for the ‘X Factor’ boss, it has also been suggested it could also be a “blessing” for his unborn baby. One guest said: “We’ve heard Simon has arranged some sort of ceremony. “But everyone has been kept guessing and it’s believed it could be some sort of blessing before the baby arrives. “But you never know, it’s all so secretive that everyone could be caught on the hop by a surprise wedding.” An insider close to Simon insisted while they hadn’t been told about a wedding, the 54-year-old star could easily shock everyone by tying the knot. The source added: “I haven’t heard anything about a wedding. But you never can tell for certain - he’s a man who can pull surprises.”

Bunton’s Spice Girls costume

E

mma Bunton and Mel C went to a fancy dress party dressed as the Spice Girls. The 37-year-old star, who was known as Baby Spice, and her fellow bandmate, nicknamed Sporty Spice, dug out their old outfits from the 1990s to wear to their friends’ event and despite being worried people would mock them for going as themselves, the blonde beauty admits they got a great reaction.

She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “Me and Mel C went to a fancy dress party recently and I went as Baby Spice and she went as Sporty Spice. We got all the old dresses out and it was hilarious! “We thought about it and thought it would be fun but then when we were actually doing it we thought, ‘What are we actually doing? We’re going as ourselves!’ But it actually worked out well. “It was very funny and we took lots of pictures. It was really good fun.” Emma - who has sons Beau, five, and Tate, two, with long-term partner Jade Jones - loves seeing her fellow bandmates but she was “gutted” recently when she was too ill to go out with Mel B and Mel C, and they kept jokingly mocking her by sending her videos from the dancefloor. She added: “I see Mel C all the time and I see Geri [Halliwell]. Mel B was over the other week and her and Mel C went out but I was so gutted because I was ill and one of the boys was ill so I couldn’t go. “They were sending me videos of them in the club going, ‘Hey! We miss you!’ I was thinking, ‘Thanks.’ It was just such a shame that I couldn’t go out but I was unwell so never mind.”

Williams’ only addiction is his daughter

R

obbie Williams says his daughter is his only addiction.

The ‘Go Gentle’ hitmaker has been open about his past problems with drugs and alcohol but now the star - who is married to Ayda Field - has insisted their 15-month-old child Theodora is the only thing he’s “hooked on”. He told The Sun newspaper: “I’m hooked on anything that takes my mind off me. “It used to be food, drugs, the internet, smoking or TV. Now it’s my daughter.” The singer explained fatherhood has made him “content” because he is no longer living life to feed his “ego”, making him much more grounded. He said: “I’m in a content stage of my life. That’s because I’m married with a kid.

I’m less reckless. I thought it was all about the cars and the clothes, the girls and the house. But none of that is for me.

“With a baby girl there’s a point to it other than my own ego.

I’m now tethered to the planet. “I was a hermit for so long.

Now I have to leave the house to take her to places and walk among the public. I’m forced to reacquaint myself with being human and I’m a better person for it.”

Ferrell s‘ hocked’ at One Direction’s talent

W

ill Ferrell was “shocked” One Direction could sing. The boy band joined the cast of ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ for a performance of ‘Afternoon Delight’ on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and Will, who plays news anchor Ron Burgundy in the comedy sequel, was surprised by their talent. He said: “It was great to be there in support of Paul [Rudd] who was hosting and we got to perform with One Direction, or should I say they got to perform with us. I was kinda shocked, they actually are good singers.

They’re so down to earth and incredibly sweet.” The band - featuring Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne - “nailed” their performance and Will was delighted to get to meet them. The 46-year-old actor has been thrilled with the reaction to ‘Anchorman 2’ and says playing the idiotic news anchor has been one of his best ever roles. He explained: “It’s been so much fun, who wouldn’t want to play Ron Burgundy, he’s the biggest idiot of all time. “It’s always fun to play people who think they’re smarter than they are. At the same time getting to poke fun at modern news, that combination was very pleasing.”

Ferguson’s daughter likes One Direction

R

ebecca Ferguson’s daughter is a fan of One Direction. ‘The X Factor’ runner-up - who dated Zayn Malik before he got engaged to Perrie Edwards - says the group have always been a hit with nine-yearold Lillie May, with Harry Styles in particular being one of her favourites.

Rebecca exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “She [Lilly May] is a little bit of a fan, she loves Harry Styles, they used to play backstage in the corridors and him and her they just got on - but she is not a die hard fan.” But the ‘I Hope’ singer said her children have started to listen to more indie and rap music, although she won’t let them listen to explicit lyrics. She said: “My kids are getting into quite cool music, like they’re into Jake Bugg and Kanye West, although I can’t let them listen to too many of his records.”

The 27-year-old singer - who also has an eight-year-old son, Karl - no longer keeps in touch with One Direction hunk Zayn, 21, but would like to congratulate him on his recent engagement. She said: “I don’t really speak to him, so no not really [I haven’t given him congratulations] I would if I had seen him, but I haven’t spoken to him in years it has been a long time. It’s been two years.” And she is pleased the band have become a huge success, adding: “I think it’s brilliant, it’s actually madness! “It’s like mania, its amazing and I’m proud of them. We went through a lot together. We went through all that and we all pulled through it.” Rebecca is now in a new relationship but she remains tight-lipped about her man’s identity. Zayn got engaged to Little Mix beauty Perrie, 20, in August this year and she first debuted her diamond ring at the One Direction premiere of their 3D documentary ‘One Direction: This Is Us’.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

lifestyle G o s s i p

Vanilla Ice helped Eminem become successful

V

anilla Ice claims he helped Eminem become a successful rapper. The ‘Ice Ice Baby’ star shot to fame with the hit single when he was just 16 years old and claims he “paved the way” for other white rappers such as the ‘Slim Shady’ hitmaker. He said: “I definitely opened doors and made it acceptable to get into hip-hop.” White rappers are few and far between and, during that era, I made it possible to move into that genre and be very successful.” The 46-year-old father of two suffered with depression during the early years of his career but continues to perform and work on new material and claims he “doesn’t care” what people think. When asked if it annoys him that rappers like Eminem claim they’re “nothing like him,” Vanilla Ice - whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, said: “I carved a way and it helped the industry, I don’t care what anyone thinks.” Opening up about his depression, the musician admitted that people didn’t understand what he was going through. He said: “I had a hit with ‘Ice Ice Baby’ when I was just 16. People forgot that I was still just a child, but I was surrounded by artificial people, living an artificial life. “I selfdestructed ... You need to find the strength to continue and you need to surround yourself with real friends and family.”

Keira Knightley: Feminism isn’t a ‘dirty word’

K Jenkins to become an OBE

K

atherine Jenkins will become an OBE in Queen Elizabeth’s New Year Honors. The British monarch will present her annual awards and the singer will be recognized for her work supporting the nation’s armed forces and a source described it as “thoroughly well-deserved”. The Buckingham Palace insider told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “Ms Jenkins has been a fine ambassador for the arts, good causes our troops and the nation. “This is a thoroughly well-deserved honor. Her Majesty is delighted to bestow it.”

The 33-year-old star has been nicknamed the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ due to her role in entertaining British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, retired soccer legend David Beckham has been snubbed in the list despite reports claiming he was in line for a knighthood. The 38-year-old star was expected to become Sir David in the New Year’s Honors, but there are said to be many officials who felt it was too soon for him to be recognized in this way. A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “There was a view that it wouldn’t do him any harm to wait a bit.”

Britney Spears loves Jennifer Lopez

B

ritney Spears has a girl crush on Jennifer Lopez. The ‘Scream & Shout’ hitmaker, who kicked off her two-year residency concerts at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas on Friday night has revealed that the ‘Maid In Manhattan’ star, 44, is one of her favorite actresses. The 32-year-old singer named ‘We’re the Millers’ as her most recent favorite movie and told EOnline.com: “I also love Jennifer Lopez movies. I love Jennifer Lopez.” Britney previously praised Jennifer as one of her biggest inspirations. She said: “Jennifer Lopez is my idol - she’s so beautiful and even though she’s gotten older, she hasn’t aged at all.

She looks more amazing than ever and I really admire and respect that.” The ‘Perfume’ singer, who has two sons, Sean Preston, eight, and Jayden, seven, with her exhusband, Kevin Federline, starred in the movie ‘Crossroads’ in 2002 alongside Zoe Saldana and would love to reignite her own acting career. She said: “I would love to act. I would love to do movies. If it was the right part, it would be really cool...I love funny movies.” The blonde beauty also made cameos in ‘How I Met Your Mother’ in 2008 and ‘Will And Grace’ in 2006.

eira Knightley is glad feminism is no longer a “dirty word”. The 28-year-old actress thinks the world is becoming more open to talking about equality for women and she is pleased people are able to discuss issues maturely. She told Harper’s Bazaar magazine: “I think it’s great, what’s happening at the moment, I think it’s great that the discussions are finally being allowed to be had, as opposed to anybody mentioning feminism and everybody going, ‘oh, shut up’.

“Somehow, it became a dirty word. I thought it was really weird for a long time, and I think it’s great we’re coming out of that.” However, the ‘Anna Karenina’ star suggested the film industry has a “long way to go” to prove women are truly equal. She noted the number of female lead roles are limited in Hollywood, and thinks actresses should have more opportunities. Keira added: “Hollywood has a really long way to go. I don’t think that anybody can deny that, really, and I think as much as you are getting more women playing lead roles... they’re still pretty few and far between.”

Patrick Swayze’s widow is engaged

P

atrick Swayze’s widow is engaged again. Lisa Niemi, who was married to the ‘Ghost’ actor for 34 years before his death from pancreatic cancer in September 2009, is set to marry jeweler Albert DePrisco after he proposed earlier this week. A spokesperson for the ‘Beat Angel’ actress told People.com: “Albert proposed to Lisa on Christmas Eve.” The couple began dating 18-months ago after being introduced by mutual friends at Lisa’s birthday party. The 57year-old dancer previously admitted that she would like to find love again shortly after the first anniversary of Patrick’s death. She said: “I would love companionship love. Absolutely. I hope I’m not one of these women who never want to have another relationship. But who knows, that’s another bridge I’ll cross when I come to it. I may get there and go, I don’t know. But I like to think that I can.” Earlier this year, Kirstie Alley claimed that she fell in love with Patrick while filming ‘North and South’ but never acted on her feelings because they were both married. She said: “Both of us were married. We did not have an affair. But again, I think what I did was worse. Because I think when you fall in love with someone when you’re married you jeopardize your own marriage and their marriage. It’s doubly bad.”

Kirstie insisted she was good friends with Lisa and was even asked to speak at his funeral after Patrick died.

Mel B wants Spice Girls reunion

J

M

el B has admitted she wishes Spice Girls were “doing more as a band”. The singer would love the iconic British girl group to get back together and tour again, and she revealed she regularly chats to her old band mates. She told the Daily Mail Weekend magazine: “The truth is I was always the one that wanted the Spice Girls to continue. I didn’t want it to end and I still don’t. “Even though I’ve always had my own career going on, I’m always up for a reunion.

Always. It’s a shame we’re not doing more as a band. “There are no cogs turning right now but put it this way, there are always at least two of us talking about doing something ... I think anything is possible.” However, while band mates Mel C, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton seem up for reforming, the stumbling block is Victoria Beckham - but the group may continue as a four piece. Mel B admitted: “I don’t know. Maybe. It depends on what it is and when it is.

“With our 20th anniversary approaching in 2014 something is going to happen.”Everyone knows I’m always championing a reunion. I truly believe it’ll happen sooner or later.” —Bang showbiz

Aniston jets to Mexico for New Year’s Eve

Gisele Bundchen visits sick fan

G

isele Bundchen surprised a young fan, who is batting cancer, by stopping by for a makeover. The 33-year-old Brazilian supermodel, who has a son, Ben, four, and 12-month-old daughter, Vivian, with her husband, Tom Brady, made Karina Xavier’s day when she visited her home in Malden near Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday to swap beauty tips. The 15-year-old budding make-up artist, who is also originally from Brazil, shared photographs of the model on Instagram and wrote to Gisele: “From the moment you surprised me, until the moment you left, I was so shocked for you being here with me! Thank you so much for taking time off of your day to come visit me and spend some time with me! Also thank you for your kind words and your very meaningful gifts! You are a great person and you will continue inspiring me. I love you.” Gisele was equally moved by the encounter, as she also shared a photograph of them on Instagram, with the caption: “It was a pleasure to see you again. You are warrior, an inspiration of positivity and courage. I will be praying for you. Sending you love and light always.” The duo previously met at an event hosted by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute two years ago.

Following the special visit, Karina told MyFoxBoston.com: “She’s a role model. I’ve always liked her, and when I saw her I just felt like we had a connection and we were alike. I was just so surprised and it was a great Christmas present.” She added: “She did makeup on me, I did makeup on her. We were just interacting with each other, talking about makeup, talking about lots of other stuff.”

ennifer Aniston has jetted to Mexico to ring in the New Year with Justin Theroux. The couple, who recently sparked rumors they were on the rocks, were spotted disembarking from a private plane with their entourage in Cabo San Lucas on Friday after celebrating Christmas with Justin’s family in New York City. The former ‘Friends’ actress looked happy and relaxed as she and Justin, 42, made their way to a waiting chauffeured vehicle to take them to their hotel. The 44-year-old star was wearing her large sparkling engagement ring, according to the MailOnline website. A source close to the couple recently revealed they had relationship counseling and are determined to make more time for each other in 2014. The insider said: “Jen and Justin love each other, they are fully committed. They had hoped to be married by now but work commitments this year meant their plans went astray. “They have had some counseling. They both regret not spending more time together this year and they’re determined next year will be different.” The couple - who got engaged in Summer 2012 - are clearly eager to enjoy a relaxing start to 2014 ahead of their wedding later in the year. The source added: “Jen and Justin are looking at it like it’s a party for their friends. They’ve downgraded the scale of their wedding. Justin is adamant it will happen in 2014 but that it will be more, ‘Spontaneous and organic’ than they’d previously wanted.”‘Machete Kills’ star Jessica Alba, 32, was also spotted arriving in the sun-drenched hotspot for a New Year’s holiday with her husband, Cash Warren, and their daughters, Honor, five, and Haven, two, on Friday.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Record-breaking work displayed at Portland museum T

he most expensive artwork ever sold at auction is on display at the Portland Art Museum.

In New York last month, an anonymous collector paid more than $142 million for the “Three Studies of Lucian Freud” - a 1969 triptych by Francis Bacon. The museum is on highest alert for the next three months as it exhibits the work before it heads to the owner’s private collection. Two drivers transported the panels across the country, ensuring the climate-controlled truck was always on the move and never left alone, The Oregonian reported.

GPS ensured the drivers didn’t veer off course and sensors attached to the three separate crates would signal excessive movement or temperature changes. Cameras and guards are on duty 24 hours, and the museum will add security if largerthan-expected crowds arrive. “I’m thrilled,” chief curator Bruce Guenther told the newspaper late last week as workers finished hanging the work.

“This is going to be so wonderful for the city. This is a town that loves figurative art.”

Guenther, the only museum staffer who knows the owner’s identity, said he didn’t have to twist arms to land the record-breaking piece. He called the owner soon after the Nov 11 auction. “This is an interesting notion,” the owner said, according to Guenther. “Why do you think we’d want to do that?”

“That was an open door,” Guenther said. No one has seen the work since 1999. Each panel has a warm, egg-yolk yellow background, and a green, textured foreground. In each, Freud, an artist and grandson of Sigmund Freud, sits on a chair inside a cage or room, right leg crossed over his left knee.

The piece went on view Dec 21 and will remain so through March 30. This is not the first time the Portland Art Museum has handled irreplaceable works. It has previously shown single works by Rembrandt, Titian and Raphael under its “Masterworks/Portland” series. —AP

Aaron Doyle, left, and Evan Tewinkel prepare to hang a section of Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies of Lucian Freud,” at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Ore. —AP

Times Square’s crystal ball gets gleaming new skin E

lectricians working atop a New York City skyscraper on Friday installed the last of the 2,688 crystal triangles that give the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball its shimmer, including a panel dreamt up by a 12year-old former cancer patient. Each year, the intricate Waterford crystals that make up the skin of the huge orb are replaced with new

pieces of glass. This year’s design features a kaleidoscopic pattern that will refract light in a splash of 16 million colors as the ball drops down a flagpole at the stroke of midnight. The ball is lit from within by 32,256 powerful diodes. One crystal panel stands out from the rest. It was crafted from a drawing submitted

by Coraliz Martinez, who was treated for bone

In this undated photo released by Waterford and St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, a colored pencil drawing of a rose by 12year-old cancer patient Coraliz Martinez is shown. — AP photos

With members of media gathered, at left, a Waterford crystal triangle is installed on the New Year’s Eve Ball by Landmark Signs & Electric workers, right, Friday on the roof of One Times Square in New York.

How to make pancakes anyone can make

cancer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., in 2011.

The girl’s colored-pencil drawing featured a single rose bloom, which Waterford’s master sculptor, Fred Curtis, traced into the glass and cut with a diamond wheel. “I wanted to get as close to her design as possible,” he said.

Recipe: Add the vanilla extract, milk, egg and butter together. Add the dry ingredients on a different bowl. Add the wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until batter is formed. (Add your extra ingredients...) On a griddle or non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray. Using a ladle, pour some batter on the griddle and flip until bubbles form on surface. Flip until cooked. Garnish with fruit and syrup.

Coraliz, who lives in Alabama, is now cancerfree, the hospital said. It takes Waterford craftsmen about a year to make the crystals used in the ball, Curtis said. Bolting them onto the ball’s metal frame takes two weeks. That task is carefully performed by a crew from Landmark Signs and Electric, a company that also maintains the dazzling electronic billboards in Times Square.

Two employees, Nick Bonavita and Nick Russomanno, screwed in the final panels as photographers watched Friday. Their hands were red from the cold. The crystal wedges, fitted in their metal frames, looked heavy. But Bonavita, who has worked on the ball every year since 2009, said they haven’t dropped one yet. “We have a perfect record so far,” he said. — AP

How to make cheese & mushroom sauce with chives

Welcome to our newest section, KT Foodie.

Add cheese and mushrooms. Once cheese has melted add remainder of milk until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir through chopped chives. Serve over pasta and top with fresh chopped tomatoes.

Ingredients 2 teaspoons butter 2 teaspoons flour 1 1/2 cup milk 2 cups grated cheese 1 garlic clove crushed 1 cup mushrooms 1 bunch chives finely chopped salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients 1 1/3 Cup of all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder 3 tablespoons of sugar (or more if you like it sweet) A pinch of salt 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 cup of buttermilk or milk 1 egg, beaten.

2 teaspoons of butter, melted.

Extra: Chocolate chips Blueberries Cinnamon Matcha powder Chocolate powder Coffee powder

The new design for the Waterford Crystal being installed on the New Year’s Eve Ball is held up by Regan Iglesia, vice president of global marketing for Waterford, during a media event.

Recipe: Brown garlic in a pan. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until liquid has been released and absorbed again. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Heat butter in pan. Add flour and cook for a few minutes stirring continuously, making sure the mixture does not burn. Add 1 cup of milk heating mixture slowly until thickened, stirring continuously.

Kuwait Times loves food, recipes, healthy eating and all the many kitchen gadgets and cooking techniques now available and want to share with our readers as we discover more about the world of food.

Please email us at sahar@kuwaittimes.net or local@kuwaittimes.net with your favorite recipes, cooking tips or questions. We hope to hear from you and wish you Bon Appetit!

- www.nibbledish.com

How to make New Year’s Day scones Ingredients 4 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoons salt zest of one orange juice from half the orange 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 4 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup dried cranberries Recipe: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix 4 cups of flour, sugar, baking

powder and salt. Add the cold butter and using a pastry cutter, cut until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix (you can use a hand mixer) until just blended. The dough will be a little wet and lumpy.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and gently form it into a flat, æ inch thick round dough. Cut into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a lightly buttered baking pan or pizza stone.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are cooked through, but be careful not to overcook. The scones will be firm to the touch. Let the scones to cool for 15 minutes. While they are warm, brush them with a little butter and lightly sprinkle sugar on the top.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Hollywood

Johnny Depp, left, as Tonto, and Armie Hammer, as The Lone Ranger, in a scene from the film, “The Lone Ranger.”

poised for best-ever

box-office year This film publicity image released by Disney-Marvel Studios shows Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in a scene from “Iron Man 3.”

—AP photos

And with all of the bells and whistles now offered at theaters, movie-going is still one of the least expensive ways to be entertained, compared to concerts, sporting events and live theater,” notes Richie Fay, Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution. (So far this year, the average cost of a movie ticket in North America has been $8.05, according to NATO.)

D

espite a string of summertime flops, Hollywood is expected to have a banner year at the domestic box office, coming in just shy of $11 billion, the largest annual take ever. But because of higher ticket prices, actual attendance at North American theaters remained flat after a decade of decline. With the current domestic box-office tally nearly 1 percent ahead of last year at this time, 2013 could surpass 2012’s overall haul of $10.8 billion by more than $100 million, according to box-office tracker Rentrak. Highprofile flops such as “The Lone Ranger,” “After Earth,” “R.I.P.D.” and “Turbo” were offset by mega-hits like “Fast & Furious 6” and “Iron Man 3,” which consistently filled theaters last summer.

More recently, Warner Bros.’ space epic “Gravity” has earned $254 million domestically, Lionsgate’s sci-fi sequel “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” has grossed $378 million and fantasy prequel “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has brought in $150 million for Warner Bros. A strong holiday slate is

Pictures shows Sandra Bullock in a scene from the film, “Gravity.”

This film publicity image released by Sony Columbia Pictures shows Jaden Smith in a scene from “After Earth.”

Martin Freeman, left, and John Callen in a scene from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

also boosting the year’s box-office total. “There has virtually been every kind of genre of film available,” said Rentrak box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “You have blockbusters like ‘Hobbit’ and esoteric, challenging films like ‘Nebraska,’ ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and ‘Mandela:

Donald Sutherland as President Snow in a scene from the film, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

This image released by Lionsgate shows, from left, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in a scene from the film, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

Long Walk to Freedom.’ All of these films get people to the movies.”

But the National Association of Theater Owners projects that the actual number of tickets sold domestically in 2013 will remain about the same as last year’s 1.36 billion. That’s down from the all-time high of 1.57 billion admissions in 2002. In 2011, the domestic boxoffice gross sunk to a 16-year low, dropping 3.5 percent from 2010 to $10.2 billion. But 2012 saw the industry rebound with a $10.8 billion total, thanks to hits like Disney’s “The Avengers” and Warner Bros.’ Batman finale “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Both films screened in 3-D, a profit-boosting perk that saw a huge increase in popularity following 2009’s “Avatar.” But the public’s appetite for the heightened technology has eased, leaving Hollywood to search for other ways to counter audience drain.

Entertainment available on countless

portable devices continues to threaten multiplex attendance, as do advanced home theater systems and video-on-demand services offering original premium programming and feature films the same day as their theatrical release. But Hollywood is fighting back with the premium multiplex experience. Movie attendance may be tepid, but the audience is willing to pay more for theater extras, which keep the bottom line growing, even as admissions remain flat.

“Theaters are offering IMAX, bigger chairs, dine-in options and alcohol,” said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount. “It’s kind of like the difference between staying at a Hilton or a Ritz Carlton. I think what you saw this year was a growth in a segment of the audience that isn’t as worried about the price of a movie ticket as they are interested in the out-ofhome premium experience. I think you’re going to see that going forward.”

Harry Potter stamps rattle US philatelists

Songwriters target lyrics websites

S

T

he loss-making US Postal Service (USPS) introduced Harry Potter stamps, delighting fans of the fictional boy wizard but angering some philatelists who complain he’s not American. The limited edition of 20 stamps feature images of Scottish author J.K. Rowling’s best-selling character “with the friends, heroes, villains and creatures that make up his world,” said USPS in a statement.

Pitched at collectors, the stamps-unveiled at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the

Universal Orlando Resort in Florida-went on sale online and at selected post offices.

“From improbable heroes and magical creatures to schoolroom antics and daring battles, the majestic Harry Potter stamps will inspire fans of all ages,” said USPS chairman Mickey Barnett. Sales can only help the bottom line at USPS, which last week said it lost $5 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30, the seventh straight year in which it incurred a net loss, despite an upturn in rev-

enue. “I know what is going on the Xmas cards this year!!” said one fan on the official Harry Potter Facebook page overseen by Warner Brothers, which as owner of the film rights collaborated with USPS on the stamps.

Some stamp lovers, however, loathed the choice. “Harry Potter is not American. It’s foreign, and it’s so blatantly commercial it’s off the charts,” said John Hotchner, former president of the American Philatelic Society, quoted Tuesday in the Washington Post. “The atti-

tude should be that stamps are works of art and little pieces of history,” echoed philatelic blogger Don Schilling, speaking to the Post.

“They shouldn’t be reduced to the latest fads, (to) whatever’s going to sell.”

Other US stamps issued this year featured American musical icons Johnny Cash and Ray Charles, and civil rights heroine Rosa Parks, along with a puffin, bobcat, muscle cars, “vintage seed packets” and a Christmas Madonna and Child. — AFP

Social media has also helped boost sales, Fay observed, with Twitter and other services providing a powerful marketing tool for studios and a faster way for fans to spread that allimportant word of mouth. “People don’t have to wait a day for a print story anymore. It’s an important part of the growth of the industry.”

Studios are hoping to continue that growth in 2014 with such anticipated releases as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”

“I think the fact that attendance is at least holding its own is impressive, given the number of other media options in the mix,” said Rentrak’s Dergarabedian. “Going out to the movie theater is clearly as attractive, relevant and viable as ever with audiences.” Although year-end figures for the overseas box office are not yet available, foreign receipts are typically two to three times higher than domestic earnings. So fan-driven hits like “The Hangover Part III,” which grossed $112.2 million in North America, are expected to earn more than double their domestic takes overseas. “With all of its ebbs and flows, ups and downs, the theatrical experience just continues to resonate,” said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony. — AP

ongwriters want websites that publish their lyrics for free to duet with them on the profits.

The industr y group the National Music Publishers’ Association demanded at a news conference that 50 top lyrics sites immediately pull down their lyrics, posted without permission. The group says the sites are violating copyrights and illegally profiting from their work. The group says 5 million people Google lyrics each day, and that half of all online lyrics searches lead to sites posting them without permission. “These lyric sites have ignored the law and profited off the songwriters’ creative works, and NMPA will not allow this to continue,” said NMPA president and CEO David Israelite in a statement.

He clarified that the group is targeting sites that earn money through ads - not fans who post lyrics, for example, to express how they feel about a breakup.

“This is not a campaign against personal blogs, fan sites, or the many websites that provide lyrics legally,” he said. “NMPA is targeting fifty sites that engage in blatant illegal behavior, which significantly impacts songwriters’ ability to make a living.”

The 50 sites include rapgenius.com, lyricsmania.com, lyricstranslate.com, stlyrics.com, lyricsreg.com, lyricstime.com, lyrster.com, parolesBmusique.com, kovideo.net, songonlyrics.com, indexBofBmp3s.com, and lyricstranslations.com, among others. He said the notices were filed on behalf of Sony, NBC Universal and seven independent companies. Sites that don’t respond will face legal action, he said.

David Lowery, a songwriter and a University of Georgia researcher who has tracked the sites, say they are big business. “Unlicensed lyric sites are largely ignored as copyright infringers, but in fact these sites generate huge web traffic and involve more money than one might think,” he said. “The lyric business is clearly more valuable in the Internet age.”

NMPA earlier sued LiveUniverse and LyricWiki for copyright violations and won judgments of more than $7 million. — Reuters

Hollywood poised for bestever box-office year

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013

39

Miami museum has 1,200 cars, bicycles, Vespas Photos show the 1948 Ford Greased Lightning from the movie ‘Grease’ displayed at the Dezer Collection Museum in North Miami. — AP photos

T

he classic cars lined up against an empty, vintage gas station along a busy street in North Miami attract visitors to a much larger space right behind it. More than 1,000 cars are on display at the 250,000-square-foot Miami Auto Museum at The Dezer Collection that includes American classics, military and electric cars, bicycles and more. The museum is so large that if every passenger on three 747 airplanes were given just one item from the museum, they could all bike, drive or pedal their way out, said

Photo shows vehicles and an airplane from James Bond films displayed in the James Bond gallery.

Photo shows the 1982 Delorean ‘Time Machine’ from the movie ‘Back to the Future’.

Iowa woman wins ring inspired by Princess Diana

curator Myles Kornblatt. There are eight galleries spread throughout two large buildings in a part of Miami not known to showcase collectibles, much less $25 million to $30 million worth of one-of-a-kind vehicles. “We are a bit of a hidden gem,” Kornblatt said. Jorge Ivan Vergara Salazar, who came from Colombia to Miami on a family vacation, recently visited the museum and said he was surprised to find so many rare cars under one roof. “Everything that you see in television, like James Bond and Indiana Jones, those are all marvelous things. You get astonished by the things that are here in America,” Salazar, 49, said in Spanish while touring the museum.

Real estate developer Michael Dezer, 72, started his massive collection as a teenager and has one of the largest Vespa scooter collections in the world. “I knew it was original before I showed up,” said AJ Palmgren, a self-proclaimed “Knight Rider” historian who traveled from Des Moines, Iowa, to Florida for a family vacation. He made sure to stop at the museum on this trip because the television series about the talking, crime-fighting car has been his passion since the day

Maria Shebetka, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, shows the Princess Diana replica ring she won to Sue and Brian Lehmann, of Iowa City, Iowa at the Putnam Museum in Davenport.

A

Cedar Rapids woman who visited a Davenport museum exhibit about Princess Diana says she cried tears of joy when she learned she had won a raffle for a ring inspired by royalty.

Maria Shebetka visited Davenport’s Putnam Museum in October to see the exhibit, “Diana, a Celebration.” She was told recently she won a sapphire and diamond ring by Bettendorf jeweler James Revell.

It’s made with a 5.39-carat Chatham sapphire that’s surrounded by 14 diamonds and white gold. It’s inspired by the Princess of Wales’ engagement ring.

The jewelry, valued at $7,000, was the prize for signing up for a museum membership. The ring was made in honor of the exhibit and a winner was drawn Dec 20. Shebetka received the ring Friday. — AP

Photo shows the exterior of the Dezer Collection Museum in North Miami, Fla.

it first aired Sept 26, 1982. “It’s very familiar. I’ve studied all of the remaining surviving original cars,” he said while standing next to KITT, the black Pontiac Trans Am that was featured in the popular 1980s television series. The museum houses the largest collection of micro cars on display, including a Velorex made in Czechoslovakia. Some are so small that they could barely accommodate one person, yet many were known for carrying two or three. There’s also a Duesenberg Model X from 1927, a sedan car with a rear windshield to shield the backseat passengers. It is just one of five known to still exist.

Among the most popular galleries at the museum is the Hollywood Cars of the Stars exhibit, which showcases cars, submarines, airplanes and more that were featured in movies, including the BMW motorcycle from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” and the Mitsubishi Eclipse from the “Fast and the Furious” film in 2001, which was the first car the late Paul Walker drove in the film series.

The Batboat used in the Batman television series that aired during the 1960s was signed by the builder, George

Barris, and the Batmobile (also a Barris creation) is also on display.

James Bond’s collection The museum also houses the largest collection of everything James Bond, including the Aston Martin sports car he drove in 1964’s “Goldfinger” and a massive glass enclosure filled with rows of books, toy cars and figurines.

“There were no James Bond vehicles that really survived the first film, so you have to get to the second one,” Kornblatt said. And that film was 1963’s “From Russia with Love.” The boat featured in that film with Sean Connery is “the oldest surviving James Bond movie vehicle,” Kornblatt said. Some of the items in the museum are replicas, including the Cadillac from “Ghostbusters.” But a majority of the cars at the museum are originals. “The replicas are sort of like a great side dish because we have so many originals,” Kornblatt said. “It’s the idea that at some point, whether kids or enthusiasts, there’s going to be something that makes them say, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen one of those before.’ And people still walk away very happy with what they see.” — AP