12th Jan

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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Documents reveal anger, chaos in Christie bridge scandal

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RABI ALAWWAL 11, 1435 AH

Africa sees violent, deadly start to 2014

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Hazard and Torres fire Chelsea to the top

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Public prosecution to probe ‘conspiracy tape’ New twist in case that has Kuwait atwitter

By A Saleh

‘Butcher of Sabra and Shatila’ Sharon dead

KUWAIT: The Public Prosecution is expected to start investigations in a case involving an alleged conspiracy against Kuwait’s ruling structure after receiving the investigative report from the General Investigation Department. No date has been set for when the investigations are to end - after which the case will be referred to the criminal court as a ‘state security lawsuit’, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

Former speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi filed the case nearly three weeks ago in response to rumors that suggested he had a discussion with former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah about a conspiracy targeting the ruling sys-

Max 16º Min 05º High Tide 10:27 & 20:40 Low Tide 03:52 & 14:53

tem in Kuwait. Khorafi also demanded action from authorities to obtain an alleged audio recording of the conversation, which according to rumors, is in possession of former minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah. “[GID] investigations revealed important information about the case and the people who could be behind spreading the rumors,” said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The contents of the recording were first mentioned through a Twitter account that carries the handle @7R777. It also indicated that Sheikh Ahmad was ready to meet HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and hand him the audio recording, but no updates in this regard have been made.

Continued on Page 13

Sisi may run for Egypt president

KHAN YOUNIS: Palestinians burn a poster of former Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday.

Sharon died yesterday, eight years after a debilitating stroke put him into a coma. He was 85. — AP (See Page 7) TEL AVIV: Former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon died in hospital near Tel Aviv Saturday after eight years in a coma, prompting a flood of tributes in Israel but contempt from Palestinians. He was 85.

“He’s gone,” his son Gilad told reporters at the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel HaShomer.

“He went when he decided to go.” Sharon had been in a coma since Jan 4, 2006 after suffering a massive stroke. His condition took a sudden turn for the worse on New Year’s Day when he suffered serious kidney problems after surgery. Professor Shlomo

Noy of Sheba hospital said Sharon’s heart “had weakened” and he died at around 1200 GMT. Israeli press reports said there would be a state memorial service at the Knesset, or parliament, on Monday after which Sharon would be buried at his private ranch in the southern Negev desert. The burly whitehaired politician was one of Israel’s most skilled but controversial political and military leaders. Hailed by many Israelis as a statesman, his ruthless methods also earned him the moniker “The Bulldozer”.

Bitter India-US row sparked ‘mini-crisis’ NEW DELHI: India yesterdty said a bitter row over the US arrest and stripsearch of an Indian consulate official had triggered a “mini-crisis” in bilateral relations and much more must be done to repair ties. Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid’s remarks came a day after New Delhi gave a US diplomat 48 hours to quit the country over a dispute that has sent tensions between the two countries soaring. In a sign India is not letting matters drop,

NEW DELHI: Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade gives a traditional greeting after her return from the US on Friday. — AFP

Khurshid said the government would keep pressing for withdrawal of charges against Devyani Khobragade, who was India’s deputy New York consul-general at the time of her arrest for alleged visa fraud.

He described the episode as a “mini crisis” during an interview with the CNN-IBN television network yesterday.

“It’s an incident that shouldn’t have happened, we have to find some resolution,” Khurshid said, adding “immediate concerns have been addressed” but “there is a lot more still to do” to repair relations with Washington. Shortly before Khobragade’s indictment Thursday, the US granted the Indian officer - who has denied all charges full diplomatic immunity, allowing her to fly home to India.

Initially, obser vers believed Khobragade’s return signalled tensions had been defused. But an announcement late Friday that India had ordered a US diplomat to leave in apparent reprisal for its envoy’s treatment in New York suggested New Delhi was still angry. The exact timing of the US diplomat’s departure from India was unclear as the US embassy was not returning phone calls. Indian newspapers named the diplomat as Wayne May, saying he managed security staff and was of “similar rank” to Khobragade. — AFP

As news of his death emerged, tributes poured in from Israeli officials and from abroad but the Palestinians were quick to denounce him as a “criminal” who had escaped international justice. World leaders also sent condolences, with US President Barack Obama describing him as a leader who “dedicated his life to the State of Israel”.

A veteran soldier, Sharon fought in all of Israel’s major wars before embarking on a turbulent political career in 1973 that ended dramatically when he suffered a stroke in 2006. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s army chief General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi gave his clearest signal yet yesterday of his interest in becoming president, a move that could turn the clock back to the days when the presidency was controlled by men from the military. Sisi, who ousted Egypt’s first democratically elected leader Mohamed Morsi last July after mass protests against his one-year rule, is widely expected to seek the top job but has not yet announced plans to run. “If I run then it must be at the request of the people and with a mandate from my army... We work in a democracy,” he said, speaking at an army seminar in Cairo.

After the army overthrew the Islamist Morsi, it appointed an interim president and outlined a roadmap for democratic transition. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood supporters, who accuse the army of staging a coup, have held frequent protests calling for his reinstatement. But the security forces have launched a wide crackdown against the group, arresting thousands on charges of violence. Egypt is set to hold a referendum on a new constitution on Jan 14-15, a major milestone in that roadmap which will clear the way for presidential and parliamentary elections. Analysts and politicians say it is unlikely that Sisi will announce

Abdel Fatah Al-Sis plans to run before the referendum is complete.

The referendum marks the first time Egyptians have voted since Morsi’s removal and is seen to be as much a public vote of confidence in the roadmap and Sisi as in the charter itself.

The state MENA news agency quoted Sisi yesterday as urging Egyptians to “assume national responsibility and turn out in force to vote in the constitutional referendum in order to correct the democratic path and build a modern democratic state.” — Agencies

Saudi slums highlight wider issues JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is quietly planning to raze slums in one of its largest cities to make way for newer, restored neighborhoods as part of a wider plan to keep up with soaring demand for affordable housing. A gap between what is available on the market and what many Saudis can afford has left people frustrated and accusing the government of corruption. A shortage of low- and middle-income housing means millions of Saudis cannot afford to buy a home. Young Saudis are especially affected since it takes years of saving before many can afford to buy a home, often a precursor to marriage.

To address the housing shortage and public grumbling, the Red Sea city of Jeddah is a testing ground for a plan that includes getting rid of most of its roughly 50 unplanned settlements, which comprise a third of its built-up area, according to municipality figures. In their place, the city plans to build subsidized housing complexes for Saudis. If this new model for revamping the kingdom’s second-largest city succeeds, it would be replicated throughout Saudi Arabia in areas where ageing infrastructure needs overhaul.

The project is new, and even revolutionary, for a country where speaking openly about poverty is taboo and can lead to arrest. There are no official government figures on poverty levels in Saudi Arabia and several Saudi-based research analysts say there are no mechanisms in place to permit studies on it. In 2011, Saudi blogger Feras Bugnah was detained for several days with his crew for making a video on poverty that showed slum housing in the capital, Riyadh. Bugnah’s video said that 70 percent of Saudis do not own their own homes.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter, the Arab world’s largest economy, home to some of the world’s super rich, and known for its cash handouts around the world. At the peak of Arab Spring protests in 2011, King Abdullah announced a $130 billion public spending Continued on Page 13

JEDDAH: Nidal Abdulrahman Taiba, vice president for Development at the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company, points at a model for the Red Coast city’s new urban center project on Dec 11, 2013. — AP

Dubai gets another new luxury hotel DUBAI: Waldor f Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide’s luxury brand, has announced the opening of the Waldor f Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, continuing the brand’s global expansion. With breath-taking views

of the Arabian Gulf coastline and some of Dubai’s famous landmarks, the 319room Waldor f Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah exudes the true luxury, world class amenities and sophistication for which the brand is known.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

LOCAL

Gulfrun cars on display at 360 Mall

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The annual car race Gulfrun will be held on Jan 23 and 24, 2014 at the Bahrain International Circuit. A car show was held at the 360 Mall at the weekend showcasing the sports cars participating in the highly anticipated car race. The Gulfrun is an event organized by drivers for drivers. About nine years ago, three young Kuwaitis - Ahmad AlMudhaf, Khalid Al-Freih, and Marzouq AlGhanim - came up with the idea of this race.

“As we don’t have a circuit in Kuwait, we went to the Bahrain International Circuit when it was launched in 2004 to enjoy safe racing as we have sports cars. What started as a simple weekend getaway has evolved into an all-encompassing event. In 2005, we decided to organize the Gulfrun race to give this opportunity to Kuwaitis who own sports vehicles and are not professional race champions,” Freih, General Director, told Kuwait Times yesterday during the car show.

Sixty-five cars are participating in this race. “We have limited places to ensure safety on the track. It’s a two-day event and we are not planning to extend the period as we are focusing on other motorsports events.

We have organized a karting race and will also organize drift events in the future. We want to present as much motorsports event as possible so more people can enjoy,” he pointed out.

The participating vehicles will compete in three categories. “The categories are Street, Super, and Unlimited, and the cars are classified according to their modification and horsepower. Our main goal of this race is to mould professional champions that will represent Kuwait in international car racing championships in the future. Motorsports is an important activity for Kuwaitis, but we don’t have the suitable locations to practice it. Gulfrun participant Sami Haidar registered a world record of 2:13 minutes with a street car in Bahrain,” stressed Freih.

KUWAIT: Heavy rains ruined Kuwait desert campers’ weekend plans as ponds formed from nearly two-days of showers were spotted in several areas in Kuwait’s desert. The camping season lasts until April.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Female participants There are international participants too in this race. “Participants from Germany, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are also participating in Gulfrun. This year we have three female participants joining the race, but there is no special category for them. The aim of GulfRun has always been to provide a venue for drivers with professional and qualified instructors to ensure a responsible and professional approach to automobile racing. Veteran participants always provide advice and instruct new ones,” he added. About 60 percent of participants this year have participated in the past, while about 40 percent are new participants. “The

‘Flying ambulances’ within six months KUWAIT: Health Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs Dr Jamal Al-Harby said the “Flying Ambulance” will be in use within six months.

Al-Harby said the defence ministry designated a helipad area for choppers used by health ministry near Saad Al-Abdallah airport in Sabhan area, until the permanent helipad is completed in Al-Sabah specialized area.

He said that the choppers will be flown by Kuwaitis, who are in training now, adding that retired pilots will be asked to work in the air ambulance soon.

Al-Harby said that 130 highly safe new ambulances will be introduced soon to the fleet. He said ambulances in Kuwait reach the accident area within the eight minute international rate.

He said that 20% of outpatient

clinics at Jaber hospital will become operational during August, and the technical department sector asked the engineering department to equip those clinics as required.

He said the technical sector asked the heads of departments to provide it with the required manpower (doctors, nurses and technicians) to operate the hospital’s departments.

KUWAIT: Gulten Cicek, the wife of the Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey Cemil Cicek, visited the Bayt AlOthman museum recently as part of her husband’s visit to Kuwait. Janna Tamir, the wife of the Turkish ambassador to Kuwait, accompanied Cicek and her accompanying delegation during the trip.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

ICM disagrees with ‘harsh language’ in opposition draft KUWAIT: The Islamic Constitutional Movement believes that political reform starts with appointing a prime minister from the public, according to a senior member who stated that nothing prevents selecting a woman for the premier’s post “as long as she is fit for the job”.

In an interview with Al-Rai daily, ICM Secretariat member Khoulah AlOtaiqi commented on the leaked draft for the project of reform that the Opposition Coalition plans to announce as early as this week.

“Leaking the draft while it is still under preparation was a mistake and an action that negatively affected the initiative”, she said. Nevertheless, AlOtaiqi expressed disagreement with the “harsh language” used in the draft, but supported the project’s main calls for a full parliamentary system.

In the meantime, Al-Otaiqi spoke

about the election of women in the head office for the first time in the movement’s history since it was created in 1991. “It echoes the natural growth of the Islamist women’s role in Kuwait’s political work after years of working in education and social awareness”, Al-Otaiqi said. She argued that women’s experience in Kuwait differs from those in Egypt and Tunisia “where persecution of women pushed them to the front”.

Al-Otaiqi was also asked about the ICM’s change of heart regarding women’s political rights in 2005. “The ICM’s rejection to women’s political rights was a reflection to the public opinion at the time”, she said. “When that changed, the ICM supported the move”. On the other hand, Al-Oraiqi described women’s experience in the parliament since the first female MPs were elected in 2009 to be “disap-

pointing”. Meanwhile, Al-Otaiqi denied rumors which speculated that new social affairs and planning minister Hind Al-Subaih was a member of the ICM. “If the hijab (headscarf ) was an indicator for women’s political affiliation, then the majority of Kuwaiti women would be regarded as Islamists”, she argued. She predicted in the meantime that Al-Subaih will eventually resign from her post “given the current political environment”.

And while the ICM continues to reject being officially affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Otaiqi said during the interview that ICM members held ‘social and ideological meetings’ with members from the panArab group in Egypt and elsewhere.

“The meetings were motivated by natural convergence given the similar ideologies that the two sides share”, she said.

KUWAIT: The founders of Gulfrun: Ghanim Al-Marzouq, Ahmad Al-Mudhaf and Khalid AlFreih during the car show at 360 mall yesterday.

KUWAIT: Some of the participating cars at the car show. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat previous participants have priority to new ones, as they don’t need training and instruction on the track. They will help and instruct the new participants. Participation depends on a first-come-first-serve basis. Sometimes people contact us to somehow reserve a place for them for next year’s race so they get priority. The general conditions of participation are - to have a valid driving license and own a sports car,” he added.

Affordable fee The sponsors make the participating fee affordable for the participants. “We appreciate the support of our sponsors, especially those who are with us from the beginning.

This year we have three new sponsors, and

are selective and always seek sponsors who add value to the race. In Gulfrun, the participants can’t have their own sponsors, while in the karting event, each team (consisting between 4-12 members) can have their sponsor, who may pay the participation fee for them,” concluded Freih.

Par ticipant Mohammed A-Manai expressed excitement of being a part of this race. “I’m participating in Gulfrun since 2005 with different cars. This year I’m participating with a Honda Integra 1994 in the Street category. Last year I ranked third in the Street category. With repeated participation every year, I do new modifications and performances as I get to know my car more. I hope I will keep participating every year,” he stated.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

LOCAL

kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Me first...!

Sterilization in salons

Ministers from ruling family

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

F

By Muna Al-Fuzai

Political activist

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Al-Anbaa

H

ow much we, the regular customers of beauty salons, know about their methods of sanitation and sterilization? How many salons in Kuwait are following the right ways regarding sterilization and what about those who don’t? What is the main task of the municipality in their routine checks of salons?

What they are looking for? Who controls this market?

Every one of us surely needs to go to a salon at least once a month. This includes men who go to barber shops, which are beauty salons too, and they use similar equipment as ladies’ salons. Doctors and dentists keeps their hands covered with gloves in a sterile environment, and we all feel this is essential while we are in a clinic or a hospital . But most of us don’t consider the same methods should be set for those who are filing and clipping away at our feet and fingernails in delicate operations like manicure sessions. Bacteria are responsible for a large number of illnesses. For this reason, sterilization and sanitation is necessary in a salon or barber shop .

The danger of an unsanitary salon can be the same as those at any medical entity. I think there is a lack of awareness and carelessness.

The bottom line here is that all these salons are using the same tools for everyone. This is not like sharing a book - tools can transfer harmful bacteria and diseases from one person to another if not sterilized and kept clean under supervision all the time. Skin infections are caused by the transfer of infectious materials from one person to another. The same can happen when everyone shares the same brushes if they are not sterilized and cleaned .

This is about public health and is a serious issue which I don’t think is being well addressed in Kuwait. I believe it is the responsibility of the salon staff to keep the salon clean and sanitary.

They have to be trained on how to keep their tools sterilized and they must be certified to do so! It is also the responsibility of the salon owners to keep the instruments that they use compliant with the law. Do we have a law on how keep a brush clean and when the saloon should get rid of their used items and who should make this judgment?!

Keeping a clean and sanitary salon will not only protect the client but the salon’s professional reputation and avoid possible complaints. In Kuwait , it is common to see ads that offer two or three salon jobs for KD 2. The ads attract ladies to do many jobs for less money without wondering how clean or dirty this saloon is and if they have any procedures to keep their tools clean.

I believe that the role of the municipality is not checking about workers’ civil IDs or if the salon is doing anything fishy . This is the role of the ministry of interior and ministry of social affairs and labour. The municipality’s task is to check these tools specifically and if the workers are trained on the sanitation and sterilization process . For example, the US is strict when it comes to public health and safety in salons.

There are regulations that must be followed and observed. Those who don’t are penalised.

I think the salon market in Kuwait is an open one for anyone who can afford to rent a place, buy equipments, and generate money from the people. I believe we need quick measures and tough ways to control this easy money market by stopping these cheap ads of KD 1 or 2 and set new regulations.

Country .. and the citizen

kuwait digest

Writing your travel stories

By Quade Herman

A

t a party once I struck up a conversation with a distinguished looking man wearing expensive shoes. “What do you do?” he asked. I lived in Toronto at the time, a city where people talk investments and real estate, instead of art and culture. So in short order, Mr Ferragamo Pebbled Leather Loafers wanted to know how I made my living. “I’m a writer,” I said. I was writing my master’s thesis, a novel about grieving, over which I had poured - almost literally - blood, sweat and tears.

“Ah, a writer,” he mused. “I thought I’d write after I retire.” “Oh,” I said. “And what is it you do?”

“Surgeon,” he said, tapping his forehead. “Brain.”

“That’s a coincidence,” I said. “I thought I’d take up brain surgery when I retire from writing.” He looked at me as if I was crazy. Who could possibly just pick up the demanding skill of brain surgery at an advanced age? But in my mind he was equally crazy to think he could just put down his scalpel and pick up a pen. And be any good at it.

Writing requires enormous self-discipline. First of all, no one cares if you do it or not, so it’s only sheer force of will and bloody-mindedness that keeps you clacking away on the keyboard. Once you’re there, it takes thousands of hours of trial and error to learn how to put together the words to describe emotional states and experiences that rendered people speechless in real life.

Okay, it’s not brain surgery, but it’s very hard work. But you might know that already. If you’re reading this you’re likely an expat, and expats have the best stories of all. Attend any house party and you’ll come away with enough inspiring tales of adventure and misadventure to fill your travel cal-

endar through next year. If you aspire to put them down on paper then you’re probably wondering: How to begin?

Forget about writing the perfect novel and start simple, with exercises. That’s what I tell my students. Just like an athlete, you’ve got to get yourself in shape before you can play the big game.

You can begin right now. Get a pen and paper.

Turn the pages of this newspaper and pick a sentence at random. The first half of the sentence is your starting point. You’ve got five minutes.

Complete the first sentence with whatever crosses your mind and then continue on, without stopping to read or thinking too much. If you go blank, just begin again with the first half sentence and keep going until the five minutes are up. You can read what you wrote, but it doesn’t matter really. This is the writer’s equivalent to stretching and doing drills, the way a runner will prepare to run a race.

Do this for 15 or 20 minutes every morning.

First, it’ll loosen up your thinking and get you in the habit of writing. Second, though it’s not intended to be ‘good’ writing, you’ll be surprised what little gems you find come out in the writing.

Gems that can turn into stories with a little elbow grease. Though it’s hard work, writing is actually pretty straightforward: if you want to write, just write. Don’t worry if it’s good at the beginning.

Just do it. Then the next time someone at a party asks you what you do, you can tell him: I’m a writer.

—Courtesy of Ties Center, a leading non-political NGO promoting relations between Western and Muslims through dialogue, friendship and culturalknowledge exchange.

in my view

Connecting the dots

By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid

I

t all began from the “Services Office” in operations like airplane hijackings, abductions of Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden used to foreigners in Beirut and even made attempts on the work. Thirty years ago, the office was responsible life of the Kuwaiti Amir. for the recruitment of Saudis and other Arab young Iran knew that these activities would lead to a men as militants to fight the Soviet army. After the direct confrontation with the global as well as the withdrawal of the Soviets, the office was closed. regional powers. I think that the Iranians, in cooperDuring the 1990s, Afghanistan almost vanished ation with Assad’s security agencies, have been from the international radar. It appeared as if Osama secretly running Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda began to tarbin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri had been waiting get states that are hostile to Iran, like Saudi Arabia, for this very moment and wasted no time in reEgypt, Jordan, and the United States. Many Alopening the office, however, under a new name “Al- Qaeda leaders lived in Iran, like Saif Al-Adl and Qaeda”. many others who fled Afghanistan, like Sulaiman Over the next two Abu Ghaith, and bin Laden’s decades, the same base sons also moved to Iran.

If we understand the modus And not to forget two Saudi was used to misguide youths and to remotely operandi of the old services nationals, Nasir Al-Qarawi manage a war. and Majid Al-Majid. These office, which was to recruit Interestingly, the organizapeople justified their moves young men to fight against by saying that they were tion remained active against all countries except the Soviets, it will be easier for using Iran to achieve their Iran and Israel. After the objectives. us to understand Al-Qaeda in toppling of Taleban regime It is in today’s Syria that in 2001, Al-Qaeda abanwe can see the true hand of its fight against the other doned the idea of a control Iran behind Al-Qaeda. camp. The difference is that Through its ISIS subsidiary, center and transformed itself into a loose network Al-Qaeda is trying to sabothe war is now directed by comprising various groups the Syrian revolution.

Tehran and the Syrian regime tage like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian They assassinated its leaders from behind the scenes.

Peninsula, or Al-Qaeda in and attacked their areas. The the Islamic State of ISIS won the Syrian war Morocco, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). where Assad’s forces and Hezbollah’s militias, and If we understand the modus operandi of the old Iraq’s Al-Haqq brigades failed. For years we have services office, which was to recruit young men to been talking about “Al-Qaeda lie”. They have changed fight against the Soviets, it will be easier for us to the true meanings of holy war, or jihad in Arabic. understand Al-Qaeda in its fight against the other Iran succeeded in using these groups to attack camp. The difference is that the war is now directed and undermine its rivals and adversaries in the area.

by Tehran and the Syrian regime from behind the Thanks to this phony jihad, ISIS is now the power that scenes. They have carried out similar operations is ruling over Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, while constiusing Shiite youths in Lebanon and Kuwait. One of tuting a threat to the Gulf countries and Yemen, and their prominent fighters was Imad Mughniya. They persuading the Americans that they hold all the came 10 years before Al-Qaeda and carried out cards in the game.

irst of all, I hope that this column is not taken out of context or misinterpreted based on certain perspectives or desires. The Al-Sabah family has ruled Kuwait since the country’s creation, which has always happened with Kuwaitis’ contentment. Not only that, but Kuwaitis have and never will allow any form of harm to affect them. Meanwhile, Kuwait prides itself with having a parliament that allows the people to share the responsibility of power through 50 elected members who have legislative authority.

Since the country’s independence, it has become a habit that ruling family members take senior and vital government posts, including the prime ministry and other ministries. This also happened under people’s contentment given the general belief that ministers gave positive performances from their posts.

There are certain posts that have been dominated by ruling family members year after year, and we as Kuwaitis take pride in that as long as the ministers work successfully in serving the public interest. But what if a ‘sheikh’ failed to commit to his duties and continued to do so even after being given one chance after another? That situation puts us in front of an option to replace the minister with another ruling family member who is seen to be more qualified.

This option is viable, until the senior official in charge is unable to find a ‘sheikh’ to take over the responsibilities of the critical post. What would be the best way to deal with a similar situation? I think the most logical one is looking for an alternative from qualified members of the public, as long as the goal was to help Kuwait reach safety shores and assemble a team of ministers that can help the country avoid a crisis which could escalate if the vital post remains vacant.

At the present time, we are seeing an unusual wave of public frustration due to frequent mistakes as a result of repeated performance from the same people. This supports the argument that we should look for alternatives who can aid the ruler to push the country’s development process forward.

Kuwait today is in need of special capabilities that can handle each period in accordance with the priorities at hand. For example, today we need a developmental leadership that helps oversee the development plan, and in the future we would be required to look for an economic-oriented personality who is capable of fulfilling the project that his predecessor started. And while the ruling family members have priority to take over vital posts as long as qualifications are present, we have to otherwise consider involvement of the Kuwaiti people to help save the country based on general agreement.

We are always glad and proud to have a qualified ruling family member selected for every top government post in Kuwait. But if the right person for a certain job is not present, there are many qualified citizens who can do the job required for a certain period of time - after which the situation can return back to normal. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Kuwaiti nationals waiting for a job

By Ibrahim Al-Awadhi

A

rticle 41 of the Kuwaiti Constitution indicates that every citizen has the right to work in a profession of his choosing and which the state provides, and through which he is required to commit to his duties for the public benefit. Based on this article, Kuwait has been providing job opportunities for Kuwaiti citizens in state departments.

Today, the government faces a challenge to absorb fresh graduates in a society where more than 60 percent of Kuwaitis are young men and women, and an annual average of 27,000 university graduates.

Official statistics indicate that nearly 302,000 Kuwaitis work in the public sector, compared to around 82,000 in the private sector. The huge gap continues to widen despite government efforts to encourage citizens to working in the private sector, especially with the lack of economic circumstances and business environment that guarantees job security for Kuwaitis.

Meanwhile, statistics show that there are nearly 1,270,000 expatriate employees working in the public and private sector. This means that Kuwaiti workers makes up only 30 percent of the total labor force.

In light of these numbers, I believe that the government needs to take gradual steps to implement the substitution policy (replacing foreign labor forces in the public sector with national ones), which will help address the large projected number of job applications, especially when unemployment rates have reached over 6 percent or around 19,000 Kuwaitis.

In the meantime, there is a problem that arises from the state’s failure to find a radical solution for underemployment, which continues to waste the energy and capabilities of enthusiastic Kuwaiti youth. Hundreds of Kuwaiti men and women have to settle with a desk job when they face many obstacles to starting their own business or work from someplace where they can productive. Meanwhile, the government has failed so far to carry out active studies that contribute to efforts of linking between the labor market’s needs and outcomes of the education system. This leads to high dependency on foreign labor in order to fill vacancies in technical jobs.

Decision makers are required to come up with new mechanisms to encourage Kuwaiti youth to start their own projects. Despite the fact that many laws have been passed and institutions established to support small projects, the business environment, bureaucracy and nature of dealing with the government remain deterrent factors. —Al-Rai

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

LOCAL

Kuwait’s balanced policies toward crises get praise Stage set for Syria conference NEW YORK: The State of Kuwait Permanent Delegate at the United Nations Ambasaador Mansour Ayyad AlOtaibi has expressed hope the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, due to be held in Kuwait on Jan 15, would result in raising sufficient funds to aid the brotherly Syrian people.

Ambassador Al-Otaibi said His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s consent to host the conference “emanates from Kuwait’s sense of humane and moralistic responsibility that certainly warrants standing on side of the brotherly Syrian people in these hard circumstances.”

Choosing Kuwait as venue for the international conference constitutes recognition of its balanced policies toward crises in some regional countries and signals appreciation of its role for resolving these crises, he said.

Moreover, Kuwait’s hosting of the convention “reflects the distinctive relationship bonding Kuwait with the United Nations and its cooperation with its organizations and specialized agencies, particularly in the humanitarian and development realms,” Al-Otaibi added. With respect of the fund to be donated by Kuwait for the Syrians, Al-Otaibi said His Highness the Amir would declare it during the conference.

Kuwait had donated $300 million during the First International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, held in the Gulf State last January, the senior Kuwaiti diplomat said, explaining that it allocated $275 million to the UN agencies and $25 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Ambassador Al-Otaibi expressed regret that reasons that had prompted the UN to hold the first donors conference still existed, adding that Syrian refugees’ conditions in and outside Syria, currently, worsened, with their number swelling from 600,000 to 2.2 million.

Re-emphasizing that humanitarian conditions in Syria, now as compared to earlier phases of the crisis, have dramatically deteriorated, Ambassador Al-Otaibi said the number of relocated Syrians reached six million.

Locked in infighting Acts of violence and fighting between the opposition and regime forces have continued. Some opposition parties are locked in infighting among themselves and living conditions have deteriorated, he said, noting that the international community must take necessary steps to rally humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees. Turning to the first Kuwait-hosted convention for Syria, Al-Otaibi said it successful by all standards, for the donations exceeded the forecasts, adding that the aid that actually reached the Syrian people, via bilateral channels, international organizations and the UN agencies was higher by 70 percent as compared to the proclaimed assistance. “Such a proportion is a success, for the UN rarely receives all the declared donations, due to lengthy and complex bureaucratic measures with respect of donations’ pay-

ment pledged by the countries.” Shedding further light on the issue, the top Kuwaiti diplomat at the UN said the international organization set $5.6 billion as the sum needed to aid the Syrians this year. However, the financial assistance to be sought at the second conference would, probably, be half of the aspired fund.

Nevertheless, Al-Otaibi expressed hope Arab and non-Arab countries “would generously contribute to the donations due to the enormity of the crisis and scope of the plight and humanitarian needs in Syria and neighboring countries. “The Syrian people, undoubtedly, depend more on the Arab brothers, than the other nations.” Kuwait has wished that the problem in Syria will be resolved, that all violent acts will cease and that there shall be no need for holding a second donors’ conference, however, the tragedy has regretfully persisted and this warrants that Kuwait, as a regional country close to the scene of the tragedy,

certain snags exist on the path toward a settlement, namely lack of an agreement among the opposition parties with respect of representation at the conciliation gathering.

There is strong desire on part of the United Nations Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and the Arab LeagueUN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, to hold the conference and launch the political process to resolve the strife.

Also in this vein, Al-Otaibi hoped that the two parties would agree on forming an interim government with full jurisdictions to pave way for a broader and viable accord.

Regarding Ban’s forecast visit to Kuwait to chair the international conference, due on Wednesday, AlOtaibi noted that it would be his fifth visit to the Gulf country in a few years, adding that he would hold talks with Kuwaiti officials during the visit, addressing means to cement the “special relationship” between Kuwait and the UN.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Red Crescent Society hosts an exhibition as part of Kuwait’s preparations to host the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, which starts on Jan 15.

The fair contains pictures and publications documenting the KRCS activity since it was established in 1966. KRCS Chairman Barjas Al-Barjas, Amiri Diwan Advisor and Director of the Information Center at the conference, Mohammad Abu Al-Hassan attended the fair’s inauguration last Sunday. “shoulder the responsibility to offer possible assistance to the Syrian people.”

Political solution At the political level, he expressed hope the Geneva-II conference would result in laying a framework for political solution to the Syrian crisis, on basis of agreements that had been reached at the Geneva-I conference, “for the Syrian question must be resolved with political and diplomatic means,” he said, stressing this is the sole path to tackle the crisis “which we hope it would end as soon as possible.”

Geneva-II conference, he said, “is the hope for reaching a political solution, and there is no other option other than that. Kuwait supports it and will take part in it,” Al-Otaibi added, acknowledging that

“We are quite satisfied at the level of these relations and we believe that Kuwait has taken major strides in support of the United Nations and that these ties have been elevated to very high levels with respect of direct cooperation and coordination, namely in support of its activities and hiking voluntary humanitarian assistance as well as hosting UN offices and political missions,” he said. Leaders of Kuwait, being among the pioneering states that support the UN activities, are keen on such backing for the international organization, particularly at level of safeguarding international peace and security. In conclusion, AlOtaibi noted in this regard the UN role in the 1991 liberation of Kuwait, closure of many files related to the ties with Iraq and its help in tackling some strains that had existed in the ties with Baghdad. — KUNA

EU High Representative Ashton lauds Kuwait’s foreign policy BRUSSELS: The European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Catherine Ashton, stressed Kuwait’s significant role in promoting ties between Europe and the GCC region.

“I very much look forward to discussing EU-Kuwait relations with the Kuwaiti leadership. Kuwait holds the rotating presidency of the GCC in 2014 and will play an important role in bolstering ties between our two regions,” she said in an interview in Brussels ahead of her visit to the Gulf region.

Syrian donor’s conference “We appreciate Kuwait’s balanced foreign policy and I look forward to discussing pressing issues with my Kuwaiti counterparts. The EU and Kuwait want to see the Syrian Opposition Coalition be as representative as possible of democratic forces in Syria, and to dissuade people from giving their support to extremist groups,” she said.

“We also share the goal of a genuine transition in Syria through the (Geneva II) process. The role of Kuwait as a major Arab donor opens up many avenues for cooperation with the EU, which remains the largest global donor,” noted the EU foreign policy chief.

“On a number of other issues, such as trade facilitation, visa policy, energy, EUKuwait cooperation can complement EUGCC relations for the benefit of both parties,” she stressed. The EU is also pleased with the substantial recent progress in Iraq-Kuwaiti relations, which should allow a ‘normalization’ of their relations soon, she said.

“Following the signature of the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 2012, the EU intends to continue working closely with Kuwait to promote political stability in Iraq which is critical for the broader region,” she stated.

Gulf tour Ashton tomorrow begins a tour of five of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. She had visited Bahrain last June to chair the EU-GCC ministerial meeting.

She told KUNA that her visit to the Gulf comes at a time when the EU and GCC members increasingly need to coordinate their positions on a number of issues.

“We’ll be discussing a number of regional issues: the continuing conflict in Syria and its effects on the broader region; the upcoming Geneva II conference; the discus-

sions between Iran and the EU and E3+3 following the agreement reached in Geneva on November 24th on Iran’s nuclear program; and the political situation in Egypt,” she said.

She stressed that “More broadly, the EU and GCC states have a common interest in strengthening their ties in a range of fields, including trade, political and security issues, counter-terrorism, energy, and transport.”

She noted that the EU is the biggest donor to the Syrian people, with more than two billion euro in assistance to the Syrian people so far, including 1.5 billion euro in humanitarian aid. “We are calling for local ceasefires to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered,” she said.

“The EU looks forward to the 2nd UN humanitarian Conference on Syria on Jan 15, and will be represented by Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner responsible for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response. The EU plans to respond generously to the pledging effort at the conference, “ said Ashton.

Important partner Asked about role of Kuwait and in general of the GCC in resolving the Syrian crisis, the Iranian nuclear issue and the Palestine question, Ashton replied that the “EU regards Kuwait as an important partner on all these issues, since we share a number of positions.”

“The EU is fully supportive of the Arab Peace Initiative on the Middle East Peace Process and, like Kuwait, also supports the efforts undertaken by US Secretary of State Kerry to make progress in the IsraeliPalestinian negotiations,” she said.

Ashton said that the international financial and political support for the Palestinian Authority and for President Abbas is very much needed in the current situation.

“The EU, as the major donor to the PA, and Kuwait as a major Arab donor, can have a crucial role to play in the event of a peace agreement,” she said. “On the Iranian nuclear issue, I am grateful to Kuwait for its continuous support to my efforts in the EU/E3+3 negotiations to reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran so that it complies with its international obligations,” said Ashton.

“On Syria, Kuwait has already demonstrated its commitment to assisting the Syrian people and as host to the upcoming 2nd UN conference will continue to play an important role. The EU and Kuwait also have a shared interest in tackling illicit private financial flows to radical groups within Syria,” she added. — KUNA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

LOCAL

Police gang kidnaps, rapes woman Friends fight over relationship issues KUWAIT: Investigations are ongoing in a case involving a woman who says that she was kidnapped and raped by three police officers recently. In her statements to Salmiya police station officers, the Filipina national said that the officers detained her while she was walking in the area and took her to the police station for an identity check. The woman said that she waited for hours inside the police station before the officers ordered her to go back to the patrol vehicle. According to the woman, the suspects first drove to an apartment in Jahra where they sexually assaulted her, then went to an apartment in Fintas where they raped her again before leaving her in the area and driving away.

Detectives are working on identifying the officers based on the victim’s descriptions so that they can be arrested for questioning.

Stolen vehicles Detectives are working on revealing the mystery behind three stolen vehicles discovered inside a private property in Wafra where a man was found dead. Paramedics arrived to the scene

KUWAIT: Police arrested a bedoon with possession of 2,970 Keptagon tablets and an envelope of shabu, in addition to a shotgun, 55 cartridges, a 9.mm pistol, four rounds, and 14 M16 rounds. The arrest was made when the car was stopped and the driver attempted to escape on foot. The suspect and drugs were sent to concerned authorities.

—By Hanan Al-Saadoun

in response to an emergency call, and pronounced the Jordanian man dead. Police who accompanied paramedics to the scene grew suspicious of three cars at the place, then conducted verifications which revealed that the vehicles were reported stolen. And while preliminary investigations indicate that the man died of natural causes, investigations went underway to determine the circumstances behind the cars ending up inside the property.

Keyboard theft Two men were arrested after one of them tried selling a keyboard found in a car that the other man stole in Jahra, only that he walked into a shop owned by the musical instrument’s owner. The Kuwaiti man had reported to police on Wednesday that his car was stolen in Jahra, adding in his statements to local police that a brand-new keyboard was inside. And while he was in his shop in Hawally Thursday night, a man entered and said that he wanted to sell a keyboard he had. The owner was able to identify the instrument as his own, and he used help from workers at the shop to capture the man and hand him over to officers at the Hawally police station. The bedoon man was transferred to the Jahra police station where he admitted that he went to sell the keyboard on behalf of his friend who stole the car. The man said that he specifically chose to sell the instrument in Hawally in order to avoid being captured if it was recognized by a shop owner within Jahra.

His accomplice, also a bedoon, was arrested Friday based on information he provided. The two were taken to the authorities to face charges.

Two maids die Two domestic workers suffocated to death inside a private property in Kaad after they left coal burning for heating before falling to sleep.

Paramedics and police arrived to the scene Friday morning after a Kuwaiti man reported that he found the two women unconscious inside their room at his private property. The women, identified as Ethiopian and Filipina nationals, were pronounced dead after paramedics arrived. Preliminary investigations indicate that the two died in their sleep after inhaling carbon monoxide that emitted from burning coal they left for heating inside the room which had no windows. Their employer told police that he had warned repeatedly warned the workers to make sure that they put out the

fire before falling to sleep. Detectives believe that extreme cold made the women decide to keep the coal burning before going to sleep on Thursday night. A case was filed.

Drug paraphernalia Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest a person who disposed a syringe filled with drugs inside the Daiya polyclinic recently.

Police headed to the scene Thursday night based on an emergency call in which medical staff reported finding drug paraphernalia in the bathroom. Criminal Evidence Department investigators were called to the scene and later left with the syringe for further testing.

Friends fight A man stabbed his friend after accusing him of ruining his love life, and ended up in police’s custody on Friday. The incident began when the man’s girlfriend received a phone call from his friend, who told her that her boyfriend was “not worth the sacrifices she makes for him as he repeatedly talks bad things about her in front of his friends”, according to a security source with knowledge of the investigations. The girl then called her boyfriend and confronted him with the issue. The disgruntled man then headed to his friend’s house in Rehab, and the their confrontation soon escalated into a fight during which the former stabbed the latter with a knife.

The victim was taken to the Farwaniya Hospital by his brother. He gave police information of his attacker who was put under arrest and confirmed that he attacked his friend because “he attempted to ruin his relationship”. The man was charged with attempted murder and remanded in custody pending legal action.

Attempted murder A search is on for a man who attempted to murder a doctor who refused to sign his sick leave papers. The incident happened at the Taima police station Thursday night when the man claimed that he did not carry his civil ID after the doctor asked for it to sign the sick leave papers. The man reportedly threatened the Arab doctor with a knife after the doctor refused to sign the papers without the civil ID. The man ran away after the doctor yelled for help, and a medical staff member was able to note down his car’s license plate number before he escaped. Police arrived at the scene in response to an emergency call, and a case was later filed for investigations.

KUWAIT: Mazin Saad Al-Nahedh, NBK General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Emad Al-Ablani NBK Deputy General Manager Human Resources Group and NBK officials in a group photo with the graduates.

NBK celebrates graduation of High Fliers Advanced Academy KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) celebrated the graduation of the third phase of its Advanced Academy for High Fliers. This initiative is tailored to provide NBK’s future leaders with cross functional exposure to various departments within the bank, as part of NBK’s strategy to invest in its human capital.

NBK organized a special ceremony for the graduation attended by Mazin Saad Al-Nahedh, NBK General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Emad Al-Ablani NBK Deputy General Manager Human Resources Group, along with a group of senior leaders from the bank.

“Advanced Academy for High Fliers is the first initiative of its kind in the private sector in Kuwait, and is part of NBK’s strategy targeted at

developing Kuwaiti youth and offering them a wide range of leadership competencies,” said AlAblani.

“NBK strongly believes in promotion from within and in encouraging merit-based professional development and growth of staff,” he added. “This program marks the start of what will be a continuing process to nurture and grow our talents.”

The Advanced Academy for High Fliers is part of a continuing process to develop and grow young talents. The initiative provides the High Fliers with the right environment in which they have the opportunity to increase their understanding on the theoretical, technical and practical functionalities of various

Major Banking Units.

Risk Management, Corporate Banking, Wealth Management, International Banking & Treasury are just some of cross functions exposure the High Fliers drive through. This unique NBK Talent development initiative is an ongoing one throughout the year.

This new initiative comes as a continuation to the High Fliers Leadership Program that has been designed in partnership with AUB. This program commenced in May 2009, covering topics such as Financial and Risk Management, Change and Innovation Management, Future Proofing, Effective Communication and Leadership development through in class discussions, case studies and assignments.

Huge turnout at IIK real estate exhibition KUWAIT: The much awaited IIK Real Estate and Investment Exhibition 2014 witnessed huge turnout at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Farwaniya. The two-day exhibition was inaugurated on Friday morning by Shubhashis Goldar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy Kuwait in presence of prominent personalities, IIK officials, Exhibition Organizers, participants and a large crowd of eager exhibition visitors. Ali Al-Sayegh, Chairman - Lemonade International, Air India Country Manager Ajay Sinha, Oriental Insurance Resident Manager Anil Pareshar, Gulfmart country head T A Remesh, Tissot Brand Manager

Rajashekhar, American Tourister Brand Manager Sujo Abraham were among the people who attended the inauguration function. The exhibition was organised by IndiansinKuwait.com With a tag line “Converting your dreamz into Real(i)ty”, buying a home which seemed to be a dream for NRIs in Kuwait could now become reality, thanks to the wide variety of handpicked homes from across South India.The exhibition witnessed a huge turnout on both the days.

Large numbers of projects from South India by reputed builders were exhibited at Crowne Plaza. Builders from Bengaluru, Mangalore,

Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichi, Kochi, Aluva, Thrissur, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and many more cities from South India participated in the exhibition with exclusive offers to the visitors. Various investment options were available for the visitors. BBK Geojit and Al Mulla exchange also made their presence at the exhibition.

Air India made their presence felt with two free air tickets for the lucky winner at the end of the exhibition. Lucky pre-registered visitors received gift hampers from Tissot and Sehneider.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team carried out a successful operation recently to sweep the seabed of the Shamlan Dock in Sharq for any remaining waste, after cleaning the area from hundreds of tons of fishing nets.

Fire breaks out in yacht

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Salmiya fire center put out a fire that broke out in a yacht parked in an open area in Salmiya and kept it from spreading to nearby vehicles. Meanwhile, fire broke out in a carpentry shop in Fahaheel industrial area, prompting Fahaheel and Mangaf centers to respond. The fire was contained and put out, and did not affect nearby garages. Also, a six-storey building collapsed in Salmiya while being demolished. The contractor has escaped as he feared legal

responsibility. No injuries were reported.

• A citizen, 32, was killed when his motror cycle flipped over on Sixth Ring Road.

• A Kuwaiti prisoner accused his inmate of sexually assaulting him, and charges were filed in Sulaibiya police station.

• A citizen accused his son of burning his car in front of the house in Taima. Arson charges were filed.

• Farwaniya police arrested a wanted man and found drugs with him. He was sent to concerned authorities.

Spying services become ‘a reality’ to common people KUWAIT: Spying services have become a reality promoted by unknowns that cross borders and virtual sites on the Internet and entice you to buy their services with catchy slogans like ‘watch your employees, your wife, your children, maids and drivers’.

But you may be a victim too! This ghost lives with you in the house, car and at work!

A ghost that you do not see, that hides in your phone and transfers your secrets and relationships to your wife, and it also reveals to you what she is hiding! Also, any person close to you may look at your information by adding a spy program to your phone, which makes you like an open book without any privacy! Those who buy the service have to pay a certain amount of money that varies according to the number of services required. The more information you want about the victim, the more expensive the service becomes. Payments are made online, and when the program is added to the victim’s phone, you will be with him like his shadow!

Foreign, Arab sites A local daily followed both foreign and Arab sites that sell spying services on smartphones of various types in exchange for nominal amounts and discounts that reach 45 percent on subscriptions. They offer complete or limited services too, while the comprehensive service can go as far as completely take over the victim’s

phone and you become as if you are the original user of the phone. That means you will know the location of the victim, read her messages, what apps she has, follow conversations, know her contact numbers, view pictures and videos and copy them along with many other functions.

The person who has the full service can follow the programs that are downloaded and monitor them. He can also listen to conversations on the phone or the place where the victim is. He can even get into the victim’s home. He can read the e-mails if they are active on the smartphone. As for limited services, these include the location of the phone, Whatsapp and SMS messages and the phone log only.

Those who promote the security penetration of mobile devices continually place ads online and compete to attract subscribers under the name (spy phone) with the excuse “watch your employees, your children, etc”. There are sites in Arabic and English that allow the subscriber to get the service as soon as she subscribes to any package of her choice to watch her victim or victims. The mechanism is that after the price of the service is paid, a username and pin number are sent by e-mail with instructions on how to store the spy file through the site, which is a hidden file loaded on the device which no one can see, and the spying continues until the subscription expires.

UAE road taxes ‘not studied well’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The United Arab Emirates recently announced it will begin collecting road taxes from foreign and local transport companies using its roads starting from today.

Taxes will begin at 100 dirhams per truck, AED 10 for each ton and AED 5 for each passenger. The government claims this decision is not in conflict with various GCC economic treaties. The decision was applied in its first stage in September on local carriers, while it will now be enforced on foreign transporters.

This decision was not welcomed by the Saudi Chambers Council and the GCC Chambers union. Kuwaiti representatives threatened to treat Emirati trucks and companies in a similar fashion. According to the economic e-paper, the Communication Authority in UAE will take legal action through the GCC if any country will reciprocate.

Ibraheem, a worker at a the local transportation company working frequently in UAE, noted that he hasn’t experienced the new tax yet. “The regular local road tax has applied to us since the past few years, but

we haven’t been asked to pay any additional amount yet. In Kuwait, such taxes do not exist, so it should be the same for all countries. For instance, we pay high taxes in Jordan, but it’s not a member of the GCC. If we pay this tax, the cost of transport will increase. As a result, the customer will pay more for goods at stores,” he told Kuwait Times. Economic analyst Hajaj Bukhadour believes such a decision will soon be canceled. “I think this decision was not studied well and will have a negative impact on the UAE. At the time when the GCC countries are planning for a union, the UAE came with this decision that represents an obstacle to this union. Also, this decision will not provide great income for the Emirates that depends on the transit business, and land transportation is a part of it,” he explained.

According to him, the Emirati cabinet should restudy this decision as it will cause problems. “This decision may lead the GCC countries to look for other alternatives than the UAE as the main port. I also think that the Emirati government is free to set taxes for its roads as a sovereign decision, but it is not authorized to treat other countries it in the same way,” Bukhadour added.

France hosts talks on Mideast question KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah departed Kuwait yesterday flying to France to head the State of Kuwait delegation taking part in an ArabUS meeting on the Middle East question.

Sheikh Sabah Khaled is heading the Kuwaiti delegation at a meeting due to group Arab counterparts with US Secretary of State John Kerry, within framework of the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Arab officials and Kerry will hold talks as follow-up on the peace negotia-

tions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, aimed at finding a viable settlement to the regional crisis.

Sheikh Sabah Khaled’s delegation includes the director of his bureau, Sheikh Dr Ambassador Ahmad Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, Director of the Arab Department Abdulhameed Al-Failakawi, the permanent delegate at the Arab League Ambassador Aziz Al-Dihani and other senior ministry officials. He was seen off at the airport by Protocols Director Dharji Al-Ajran and other officials.—KUNA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Anger, chaos in Christie bridge scandal Page 9

Residents return to Fallujah as UN backs Iraq efforts Page 8

ANKARA: People walk with a huge cartoon depicting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his cabinet ministers during a protest yesterday. — AP

Thousands at anti-Erdogan protest Graft scandal poses biggest challenge to PM’s 11-year rule ANKARA: Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Turkey’s capital Ankara yesterday in protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which has been rocked by a vast corruption probe. As Erdogan arrived home after a week-long tour to Asia, about 20,000 protesters gathered at Ankara’s major Sihhiye Square, chanting “revolution will clean this filth” and “they are thieves”.

Some protesters were also handing out fake dollars with Erdogan’s photo on them. The corruption scandal implicating close allies of Erdogan has rattled his government to its core, and poses the biggest challenge to his 11-year rule.

It erupted on Dec 17, when several public figures, including high-profile businessmen and the sons of three ministers, were detained over allegations of bribery for construction projects as well as illicit money transfers to sanctions-hit Iran. Forced into a major cabinet reshuffle after the three concerned ministers resigned, the firebrand prime minister has responded angrily to the probe, calling it a “dirty plot” to discredit his government. He sacked hundreds of police chiefs in a major purge and has moved to curb the powers of the judiciary.

‘Wealth, luxury and splendour’ Erdogan’s government, in power since 2002, has accused loyalists of US-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose movement wields influence in the police and judiciary, of instigating the corruption probe. Lami Ozgen, one of the protest leaders, said the scandal shed light on the true face of both the government and the Gulen movement. “The crisis has made it known to the public how those who abuse religion and faith... are fond of wealth, luxury and splendour, how they worship money and how they see bribery as their direction to Mecca,” Ozgen said.

Gulen was a major supporter of Erdogan’s ruling AKP party when it first came to power in 2002. But the two have parted ways after the government moved to shut down a network of private schools run by the movement. “We will

not be a mere spectator to this power struggle, because they are ... eating up our salaries and the future of our children,” said Ozgen. Gulen, who left Turkey for the United States in 1999 after being accused of plotting to form an Islamic state, has denied involvement in the graft investigation.

The government has vowed to press ahead with a contentious reform package which would give the justice ministry more powers to decide the composition of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors - the country’s top judicial body - and strip it of the power to pass decrees.

“It is out of the question for us to withdraw the proposal,” local media quoted Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag as saying.

‘Judicial coup’ The parliament began on Friday to debate the AKP-proposed changes which have been slapped down by the judicial body itself as unconstitutional and sparked criticism from the United States and the European Union. Erdogan has lashed out at a “judicial coup”, accusing prosecutors running the case of plotting to undermine him and his government. The escalating tensions have also revealed a heated competition between Erdogan and his former ally President Abdullah Gul ahead of presidential elections in August. Gul, who is expected either to be re-elected or be the next prime minister should Erdogan become president, has so far adopted a conciliatory approach toward the crisis and commentators say he will be in a dilemma if the controversial bill comes his way.

“While on the one hand Gul wants to separate himself from the wrongdoings of Erdogan’s AKP, on the other he will need both Erdogan’s approval and the AKP’s support for his political hopes. This is his dilemma,” analyst Ihsan Yilmaz wrote in Today’s Zaman, a newspaper affiliated with the Gulen movement. “This is a very formidable challenge and dilemma that requires him to show leadership skills, prudently taking a serious risk,” he commented. — AFP

Sharon’s political heritage lies dormant JERUSALEM: Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli premier who died yesterday at 85, leaves behind a controversial political heritage that has yet to be embraced by any of Israel’s ideological camps. Sharon was despised by the left for his unstinting support for the settlement enterprise and for masterminding Israel’s disastrous invasion of Lebanon in 1982. He also fell foul of the right for his evacuation in 2005 of all troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip. The settler community, both the extreme right and their more mainstream counterparts in the ruling rightwing Likud party, once headed by Sharon, never forgave him for having “betrayed” them.

“Certainly there are many of us (myself included) with great anger about the expulsion of 8,000 Gush Katif residents from their homes and the disastrous results for the citizens of Israel,” Economy Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on Facebook last week. “Something like that just can’t ever happen again, ever,” wrote Bennett, who heads the far-right Jewish Home, a bastion of support for the settlers. Without pointing directly at Sharon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly cited the takeover of Gaza by the Islamist movement Hamas in 2007 as reason enough to avoid a similar pullout from the West Bank.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Labour and the leftwing Meretz party hailed Sharon’s bold move, known as the disengagement plan, but also criticized it for being unilateral. They claim that by refusing to negotiate the move with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Sharon effectively weakened his hand and ultimately strengthened Hamas. On the political front, the hope sparked by Kadima, the centrist party founded by Sharon in November 2005, just six weeks before his collapse, has

long since dissipated.

Following Sharon’s stroke on January 4, 2006, general elections were held and Kadima won a spectacular victory. It took 29 of parliament’s 120 seats, becoming overnight the country’s largest political party. For Likud, now headed by Netanyahu, the election was an unprecedented disaster, with the party securing just 12 seats. But Kadima’s soaring success only made its fall harder. As Sharon’s overwhelming presence faded quickly from public memory, so too his party. It barely scraped across the electoral threshold in the elections of January 2013, winning just two seats.

Several months before the election, Tzipi Livni, who left Likud with Sharon to found Kadima, then left it to set up her own centrist faction, HaTnuah, which won six seats. Now justice minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians, Livni today espouses a more dovish position over territorial concessions. Shaul Mofaz, another Likud veteran who also jumped ship to Kadima, remains at the head of the party but never speaks of the Gaza pullout.

Since Sharon’s health took a turn for the worse on January 1, most Israeli commentators have been quick to compare his leadership with that of Netanyahu.

They presented him as a statesman who, while not infallible, never failed to take risks he believed were necessary. In contrast, Netanyahu has been repeatedly criticized for his leadership, with commentators characterizing him as hesitant and indecisive. “The question now is how Sharon’s legacy will be interpreted by those remaining: whether they shall seek to honour it, challenge it, mock it, or drape it in irony,” Mira Sucharov wrote in the left-leaning Haaretz daily on Tuesday. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

Tunisian women little cheered over equal rights ARIANA: For Nadia Mali, with her daily drudgery of being a working mother of six with an unemployed husband, advances in gender equality approved by Tunisia’s parliament this week offer little cause for cheer. “There is no equality of the sexes in Tunisia. There are women exhausted by their work which is the sole means of supporting their children,” she sighs, as she gathers the green clay and gloves she uses at the hammam, or Turkish bath, where she works. The 50-year-old breadwinner, whose family lives in the poor Ariana suburb of the capital, struggles to appreciate the extensive rights and freedoms that Tunisian women have theoretically enjoyed since independence, compared with the rest of the Arab world.

“I have no rights, no social insurance

and no material or moral support from the state. My salary is minimal and my social situation is more and more difficult,” she laments. On Thursday, scenes of celebration erupted in the national assembly when lawmakers, with the support of some in the ruling Islamist party, ratified an article in the new constitution aiming for equal representation in elected bodies.

The principle of gender equality had already been approved earlier in the week.

But for Dalinda Gharbi, another resident of Ariana, all of this is meaningless.

“This article, it’s just words that do not reflect reality,” said Gharbi, who is a waitress in one of the neighborhood’s modest restaurants. “Women have more duties than men in Tunisia. They have to earn money, look after the children, do the

housework and be a good wife,” she adds.

Samira Hrichi sells pastries in the market, and scoffs at the idea that votes in parliament will make any difference to her life. “I work so that my children are fed and educated. With my husband out of work, I’m doing the job of a man and a woman at the same. So don’t talk to me about the rights of women or equality.”

There are men in the neighborhood who agree, some acknowledging that their wives keep them afloat. One of them is Imed Wechtati. He has children to support but no job, and can’t even afford to buy himself new clothes. “Women have become better than men... May God guard and protect my wife. She pays the rent and helps me in difficult moments,” he says. Wechtati hopes to find casual

work around the markets in Ariana, saying he is “ashamed” that his wife works while he comes home empty-handed.

‘God never spoke of equality’ There are others in Tunisia who take a very different view on the subject of women’s rights, namely those who wear the niqab, or full face veil, and reject the notion of equality. For them, the priority is more likely to involve simply not being discriminated against, or treated any differently to women who do not wear the veil. The number of women wearing the niqab, who were not tolerated under the regime of former autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has shot up since the 2011 revolution that toppled him. That has provoked heated arguments between Tunisia’s sec-

ular activists and the emboldened Islamists, reflecting the main political fault line.

“In the Koran, God never spoke of the equality of the sexes, but be specified each person’s responsibilities,” said Jamila Sabri, who runs a shop selling veils in Ettadhamen, another poor suburb of the capital and renowned Salafist stronghold.

“Before speaking of equality between men and women in this country let’s ensure equality among women,” she said, only her made-up eyes visible beneath her black veil. “In Tunisia, women who wear the niqab are disadvantaged compared with those who don’t. They are rejected by society, which considers them intruders, black phantoms and even terrorists.” —AFP

Rebels, jihadists in fierce battle in Syria’s Saraqeb Battles rage as ISIL seizes border town BEIRUT: A fierce battle broke out yesterday between Syrian rebels and the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) around the northwestern town of Saraqeb, a monitoring group said. “Fierce fighting took place around Saraqeb between ISIL and Islamist rebels vying for control of the town,” said the Syrian Observatory

day launched an offensive to expel them from the town. Syrian rebels fighting Assad’s regime initially welcomed the jihadists, but ISIL’s abuses and their quest for hegemony turned the opposition against the group, which is rooted in AlQaeda in Iraq.

In the northern city of Raqa, battles between

DARAYA: A doll lies amid debris in a damaged house following an alleged shelling by Syrian government forces on the city of Daraya, southwest of the capital Damascus, on January 10, 2014. Syria's civil war has killed more than 130,000 people, and forced millions more to flee their homes. —AFP for Human Rights. The town fell out of President Bashar Al-Assad’s control in November 2012, and ISIL has been operational there since May last year.

Yesterday afternoon, a car bomb exploded south of Saraqeb, near an Islamist rebel checkpoint, said the Observatory. Saraqeb is ISIL’s last bastion in Idlib province, and rival rebels yester-

jihadists and rebels raged as ISIL seized a border town near Tal Abyad, a key frontier post leading into Turkey, said the Britain-based Observatory, which uses a network of activists for its reports. In Raqa city, the only provincial capital to have fallen out of regime hands, ISIL took over a train station and a checkpoint previously under Islamist rebel

control. Dozens of corpses of ISIL fighters have been found in Raqa hospital, said the Observatory.

At the entrance to Jazra, a town west of Raqa, muezzins called for residents to go identify the abandoned bodies of dozens of Islamist rebels killed in fighting against ISIL, the group added.

Fighting between opposition groups in Syria and government forces has continued at the same time as the clashes in the north. Yesterday, Alawite residents of Hama province who have relatives in Adra near Damascus reported the death in an explosion of seven women, four children and a man a day earlier, said the Observatory.

The group said rebel and government supporters have blamed each other for the blast in the flashpoint town. The main opposition National Coalition meanwhile offered its “condolences” to the families of scores of rebels killed in an army ambush on Thursday as they tried to break a regime siege on part of Homs in central Syria. “The Syrian Coalition commends the (rebel) Free Syrian Army fighters for their bravery, defending the Syrian people against the most brutal regime of the 21st century,” the Coalition said in a statement.

Rebel-held parts of Homs city, once dubbed “the capital of the revolution” against Assad, have been besieged by the army for nearly 600 days.

On Thursday, the Observatory had reported 45 rebels killed as they tried to break out of Homs.

Activists in rebel districts regularly report severe food and medical shortages. International humanitarian organizations have been unable to negotiate entrance into the opposition-controlled districts.

“The hunger and total absence of any help from outside the besieged districts... led the (rebel) fighters to take suicidal measures to try and bring in some food and to open a route out for the families and the wounded,” said a Homsbased activist who identified himself as Yazan.

Among the opposition fighters killed were the two brothers of Abdel Basset Al-Sarut, a former football star-turned-rebel commander. More than 130,000 people have been killed in Syria and millions more displaced since the conflict erupted in March 2011. —AFP

Iraqis return to Fallujah as UN supports Iraq’s efforts FALLUJAH: Residents of a militantheld city on Baghdad’s doorstep began slowly returning yesterday amid a tense calm, while the UN Security Council backed Iraq’s efforts against Al-Qaeda-linked extremists. Most businesses reopened in Fallujah while government security operations in nearby areas were put on hold after heavy overnight rain restricted the use of aircraft and heavy vehicles, a day after police and tribesmen retook militant-held areas in the nearby Anbar provincial capital Ramadi.

Gunmen seized all of Fallujah, just 60 kilometers from Baghdad, and parts of Ramadi last week, the first time militants have exercised such open control in major cities since the insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion. Both cities lie in Anbar province, a sprawling desert region bordering Syria where US and Iraqi officials have warned for months that jihadists have been able to establish training camps and rear bases.

The United Nations and NGOs have said civilians lack access to essential supplies such as food and fuel because of the crisis, while Washington has piled pressure on Baghdad to focus on political reconciliation, in addition to ongoing military operations.

The main route linking Baghdad to Fallujah was packed with vehicles, an AFP journalist said, as residents of the former insurgent bastion began making their way back after fleeing days earlier. Most of the city’s businesses had also reopened yesterday, the journalist added. But tribal leaders said a combination of anti-government tribesmen and fighters loyal to the AlQaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were deployed on the outskirts of Fallujah. A policeman stationed in Anbar said operations against militants between the two cities had been temporarily put on hold because of

the overnight downpour.

The UN Security Council voiced support for the government campaign to retake the two cities, while concern mounted over the battle for Anbar. It urged “Iraqi tribes, local leaders, and Iraqi security forces in Anbar province, to continue, expand and strengthen their cooperation against violence and terror, and it stresses the critical impor-

ISIL alongside our sons from the local police forces and returned them to their stations,” Abu Risha said. “They only control 10 percent of Ramadi territory,” he said of ISIL. ISIL has been active in the Anbar fighting, but so have anti-government tribesmen. At the same time, security forces have recruited their own tribal allies in the fighting that has raged in Anbar for more than

most likely level Fallujah by overusing artiller y and stand-off weapons.” The recent crisis, along with a months-long surge in bloodshed nationwide, come just months ahead of national elections and are among the biggest challenges to face Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki during his eight years in office.

The Iraqi Red Crescent said it had provided humanitarian assistance

A combination of pictures made on Friday shows six handout photos released on social networks by the Notamartyr group of self-portrait pictures as part of the “Not A Martyr” campaign protesting the cycle of political violence in Lebanon. —AFP

Lebanese teen death spurs selfie anti-violence protest BEIRUT: It started with a “selfie”: a self-portrait picture of 16-year-old Mohammad AlChaar, who was killed in a Beirut car bomb, has sparked a mini political protest by Lebanese citizens. In dozens of pictures posted on Facebook and Twitter, young Lebanese hold up signs with a personal message and the hashtag #notamartyr, protesting the cycle of political violence in their country. The “Not A Martyr” campaign sprung up after Chaar was killed in a December 27 car bombing that targeted moderate Lebanese politician Mohammad Chatah. Moments before the explosion in downtown Beirut, the teenager had posed for a selfie with his friends. A day later, he died of his injuries in hospital.

Angered and appalled by his death, a group of young Lebanese started a protest page on Facebook. “We can no longer normalize the persistent violence. We can no longer desensitize ourselves to the constant horror of life in Lebanon,” the page reads.

“We are victims, not martyrs,” adds the page, rejecting the notion that innocent bystanders be labeled in the same way as those who chose to die for a political or religious cause. “But we are not hopeless, and we have dreams for our country... Tell us what you want for your country. Tell us what you want to live for.”

More than 7,000 people have “liked” the page, and hundreds have posted their own selfies. “I want to live for my son, not die for my country,” reads one message with a photo of a woman kissing her young son on the beach. “As a future doctor, I hope that none of my patients are victims of war, bombings, politics or religion,” reads a hand-scrawled message. Dyala Badran, a 25-year-old Beirut resident, was among the first to respond to the campaign, posting a selfie on her Twitter account on December 30.

She looks into the camera, clutching a small sheet of white paper with the message “I want to bring the murderers to justice” written in black, and the word justice underlined. “I posted probably one of the more dramatic ones,” she said, adding that she felt “a lot of anger” building in her since Chaar’s death. “I was very angry that he was being labeled a martyr, because in my eyes, he

wasn’t, he was a victim of murder,” she said.

Her message was also intended to challenge what she calls a culture of “normalization” in Lebanon, where a population that weathered a 15-year civil war and numerous car bombs and attacks has learned to go about life after each new incident. “We just get on with our lives. That’s supposed to be resilience, but it’s not, its normalizing all this really dangerous violence,” Badran said. “Why are we letting these murderers go about their lives without trying them?”

Another participant, Carina Aoun, left Lebanon two years ago for Dubai, and posted a message expressing the frustration of many Lebanese who end up abroad. “I want to stop looking for a new place to call ‘home,’” her message reads. “It’s that feeling of leaving because something might happen in Lebanon... it’s unstable,” she said from the Gulf emirate, where she works in advertising. “You’d love to go back, but you have to think about your life and what you hope to achieve.” Aoun also objected to those terming Chaar a “martyr,” and said his death hit home for many young Lebanese who imagined themselves in his place.

“The youth in Lebanon feel with him because it could have been any of us.” While the campaign has attracted support and attention, it comes at a time when Lebanon is deeply divided. The bomb that killed Chaar was the latest in a string of attacks, many thought to be linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria. Many Lebanese feel trapped by their country’s political violence but others are directly involved in the longrunning fighting in the northern city of Tripoli, or even heading across the border to battle for or against the Syrian regime.

Badran acknowledged the campaign’s prospect for short-term change are slim, but said she was heartened by it nonetheless. “If we keep talking about these issues, then maybe we’ll remember to work on them,” she said. “I think it’s very important to just talk about these things, to not just move on as we usually do.” Aoun also sounded a positive note. “It takes a long time for change to come about it, but the start is what matters and I think this is an excellent start.”—AFP

S Sudan fights to recapture remaining rebel stronghold

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki speaks during a political meeting attended by members of the army and political leaders to talk about the ongoing fighting between the Iraqi army and Al-Qaeda-linked groups in the Anbar province yesterday. —AFP tance of continued national dialogue and unity.” Meanwhile Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki called for Iraqis to support the armed forces.

“It is up to us to stand on the side of our armed forces and our security services,” he said.

‘Militants control 10%’ On Friday tribesmen and police retook two areas of Ramadi from Al-Qaeda-linked militants, tribal military commander Mohammed Khamis Abu Risha said. “We fought

10 days. The army has so far stayed outside of Fallujah during the crisis, with analysts warning that any assault on the city would likely cause significant civilian casualties.

“The Iraqi army does not have the sort of precision weapons, intelligence and fire discipline to assault Fallujah without causing civilian casualties,” said Jessica Lewis, a former US army intelligence officer who is now research director at the Institute for the Study of War. In an assault, “the Iraqi security forces will

to more than 8,000 families across Anbar but that upwards of 13,000 had fled, while the UN special envoy has warned of a dire humanitarian situation. A senior US official has said the crisis could take weeks to resolve. Fighting erupted in the Ramadi area on December 30, when security forces cleared a year-old Sunni Arab protest camp. The violence spread to Fallujah, and militants moved in and seized the city and parts of Ramadi after security forces withdrew. —AFP

JUBA: South Sudanese government troops were yesterday battling to recapture Bor, the last remaining rebel-held town, the army said, a day after wresting control of a key northern oil city. UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council meanwhile urged President Salva Kiir to free political detainees loyal to rebel leader Riek Machar in order to kickstart stalled peace talks.

The UN leader also warned that evidence of widespread atrocities committed during the nearly month-long conflict would be investigated, and that “perpetrators of serious human rights violations will be held accountable.” The fighting has forced nearly 400,000 people to flee their homes and caused “very substantially in excess” of 1,000 dead, according to the United Nations. Of those forced to flee, some 350,000 are internally displaced and the remainder have fled into neighboring countries.

The International Crisis Group, an independent think-tank, said it believed as many as

10,000 people have been killed in just four weeks of fighting in the world’s youngest nation, which won independence from Khartoum only in 2011. “There is still fighting near Bor,” South Sudan’s army spokesman Philip Aguer said, amid government efforts to mobilize thousands of more troops and deal a final, crushing blow to Machar-a former vice president and seasoned guerrilla fighter-and his allies.

On Friday the army marched into Bentiu, capital of the northern oil-producing Unity State, although the rebels insisted it was only a “temporary setback”. Machar said by telephone that his forces would fight on and defend Bor, capital of the flashpoint state of Jonglei some 200 kilometers north of national capital Juba. “We withdrew from Bentiu, but it was to avoid fighting in the streets and save civilian lives. We fight on, we will continue the battle,” Machar said by phone from an undisclosed location. —AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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Anger, chaos in Christie bridge scandal TRENTON, New Jersey: Documents related to the bridge closure scandal engulfing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie revealed on Friday that authorities were deeply divided about the shutdown, with one warning it was illegal and risking people’s lives. More than 1,000 pages of anxiously awaited documents subpoenaed by New Jersey lawmakers investigating the massive, four-day traffic jam on the George Washington bridge were made public after revelations that Christie’s staff appeared to have orchestrated the closure as political payback.

Christie, seen as a likely contender for the White House in 2016, has said he knew nothing about the plan until damaging emails from his staff were revealed on Wednesday. He fired a close aide and publicly apologized for the fiasco. The documents, many subpoenaed from former Port Authority executive David Wildstein, cast new light on the turmoil within the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency overseeing the nation’s busiest bridge. On the fourth day of the shutdown, Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority, lashed out in an email to executives, including Port Authority Chairman David Samson, and ordered the lanes reopened.

“I believe this hasty and ill-advised decision violates Federal Law and the laws of both states,” Foye said in the email. “I pray that no life has been lost or trip of a hospital- or hospice-bound patient delayed,” said Foye of the traffic jam that

delayed ambulances, including one called for a 91-year-old woman who later died.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat who chairs the Transportation Committee, said the documents raise more questions than they answer about whether Christie knew about the traffic tie-up. “Included in these documents is a reference to what appears to be a meeting between Port Authority Chairman David Samson and the governor one week before Bridget Kelly issued the order to cause ‘traffic problems’ in Fort Lee,” Wisniewski said in a statement.”By submitting these documents, Mr Wildstein is telling us they are related to the lane closures in some way. The question that demands answering is - how?”

The documents show chaos and anger, but fail to clear up whether the epic tie-up was the result of what Christie said may have been a Port Authority traffic study. In a Sept 6 email, Port Authority executive Daniel Jacobs, general manager of transportation, asked Gerard Quelch, in charge of planning and operations: “What is driving this?” Quelch responded: “That is my question as well. A single toll operation invites potential disaster. It seems like we are punishing all for the sake of a few.”

What is clear is that Port Authority police and bridge authorities had little advance notice of the shutdown, which they warned would paralyze Fort Lee, where three major roadways converge in an approach to the bridge. “The ‘test’ was a monumental failure. Fort Lee is not happy,”

Bob Durando, director of the bridge, wrote in an email to a Port Authority traffic engineer. There also appears to have been a concerted effort to keep the matter quiet. On the day he ordered the lanes reopened, Foye in an email told Wildstein’s boss, Bill Baroni: “We are going to fix this fiasco.” Baroni wrote back: “I’m on my way to the office to discuss. There can be no public discourse.” Foye’s response: “Bill that’s precisely the problem: There has been no public discourse on this.”

Christie said he was “blindsided” by the revelation that Kelly called for trouble at the commuter choke point, apparently to retaliate against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not having endorsed Christie’s re-election campaign. Christie had counted on his victory in November to show bipartisan appeal to increase his chances of winning his party’s nomination for president, political experts have said. Any implication in the documents released on Friday that Christie or his staff knew more about the plot than they have acknowledged could cause the scandal to dog Christie.

“He’s not fully in control of this story anymore,” said Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University. “Because he took such a firm stand yesterday and was emphatic that this was it, any information that shows otherwise will continue the story and force him to put more time on it.” Christie has long cultivated an image as a brash, tough-talking leader willing to buck his party for the good of his con-

TRENTON: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a news conference at the Statehouse on Jan 9, 2014. —AP stituents. On Thursday, however, he took a more humble tone, saying: “I am not a bully.”

US attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, whose job Christie held before being elected governor, has opened an investigation into the decision to close the bridge lanes. The governor also faces a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday by Rosemarie Arnold, a lawyer charging that area residents suffered financially from being trapped in

traffic. Wildstein has admitted to ordering the lane closures and resigned his post.

Appearing before the panel on Thursday, he declined to answer questions, invoking the constitutional protection not to say anything that might incriminate him.

Christie cut ties with a senior adviser and fired his then deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly, who wrote to Wildstein in August: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Wildstein, a Christie appointee, replied: “Got it.” —Reuters

Iran sanctions push gains supporters in US Senate WASHINGTON: Fifty-nine senators now back a new sanctions package they say would increase the pressure on Iran to make nuclear concessions, according to congressional aides. The count brings Congress closer to passing a bill the Obama administration considers a threat to a historic diplomatic opportunity. The senators in favor include every Republican except Jeff Flake of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky, aides said. Sixteen Democrats are on board including Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, a top ally of President Barack Obama.

Many more are understood to be sitting on the fence.

With the House of Representatives strongly backing more economic pressure on Tehran, the Senate is now close to the 60 votes needed to pass

NAJAF, Iraq: Mourners chant slogans against the Syrian opposition as they carry coffins draped with Iraqi flags for four Shiite fighters during the funeral procession inside the holy shrine of Imam Ali on Friday. —AP

Iraq, Syria test Obama’s logic US foreign policy shuns Mideast WASHINGTON: An Al-Qaeda surge and Sunni-Shiite tumult spanning Iraq and Syria are testing eroded US influence and the logic of a foreign policy built on antipathy to Middle East entanglements. The return of jihadists to cities like Fallujah and Ramadi, fabled battlefields for US soldiers, has left President Barack Obama facing charges he pulled troops home too soon from Iraq and squandered American sacrifices. US intelligence agencies meanwhile worry that expanding havens for AlQaeda extremists in splintered Syria could nurture jihadists destined for terror missions in the United States and Europe.

Top U S of f i c i a l s, le d by Vi ce President Joe Biden, have been b u r n i n g te l e p h o n e l i n e s to Bagh da d, urgi ng S h i i te Pr i m e Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to reconcile with Sunni tribes in western Anbar province before assaulting jihadists from Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The frantic US effort mirrors the White House’s struggles to keep pace with revolution and disintegration from Eg y p t to Sy r i a a n d Le b a n o n to Libya. Washington wants Maliki to adopt a two-part strategy to check Al-Qaeda advances. First: reconcile with Sunni tribes. Then: take military action.

In effect, that is the strategy US forces used during their Iraq surge, which, in conjunction with a Sunni awakening, helped drive Al-Qaeda out. But some here question whether fledgling Iraqi forces are capable of ousting militants from Fallujah, where Americans needed air support and some of their bloodiest fighting since Vietnam to prevail. And in the two years since the final US troop carrier rolled out of Iraq, Washington has been frustrated that Maliki has not done more to cool the sectarian stew sent to boiling point by the US invasion in 2003.

All foreign policy is local Crises abroad are habitually viewed in myopic Washington as a US policy failure even if local factors are more significant. American sacrifices were “squandered by an administration that wanted out and didn’t want to remain and consolidate the gains that were made through the sacrifice of American blood and treasure,” said Republican Senator John McCain. Obama’s critics blame him for failing to reach an agreement to keep a residual force in Iraq, which they say would have pre served US influence and prevented an Al-Qaeda return.

But could a small US force really have stemmed the sectarian tide?

“We have lost that leverage right now,” said Max Boot, of the Council on Foreign Relations. “Those of us who were in favor of keeping troops after 2011 warned of what would happen. Unfortunately, I think our warnings have come to pass.” The White House disputes the idea a small US garrison could have stemmed the sectarian tsunami.

“When there were 150,000 US troops on the ground, there was a great deal of sectarian violence in Iraq,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Obama, who built his career on opposing the war, faces little political risk on Iraq in a nation weary of combat. Many analysts also believe that the most blame for Iraq’s torment lies with Maliki’s failure to bed down a multi-ethnic government and the overflow of extremism from Syria. But an Iraq that descends into a full-scale civil war scenario would blot Obama’s legacy and undercut his claims he “ended the war.”

‘It is their fight’ Washington has promised to speed the delivery of Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq, but some lawmakers fear Malik i

could turn more robust weaponry, like attack helicopters, against domestic enemies other than AlQaeda. While the CIA is reportedly offering intelligence and some militar y officers suggest training for Iraqi troops outside the countr y, there is little suppor t for a more direc t US role. “I t is their fight,” Secretary of State John Kerry said.

US pressure on Maliki has raised another question - how much influence does Washington have? Critics say the US withdrawal, combined with both Obama’s unwillingness to arm rebels in Syria and his decision to abort a strike on Damascus to punish the use of chemical weapons, has sent a message of disengagement. “What’s odd to me is that our foreign polic y is not focused on the Al-Qaeda threat that is growing,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

Washington Post journalist David Ignatius, known for excellent contacts with US intelligence, argued in his latest column that in its rush to leave Iraq, the Obama administration allowed Iran to turn Maliki and Iraq into “virtual clients” and undercut US sway. The White House is also watching developments in Syria with concern, where a fracturing of the opposition opened the door for Al- Qaeda advances. Obama has been loath to insert US forces or weapons into the murderous conflic t, but critics say he missed a chance to empower a more moderate opposition.

US intelligence agencies worry Al-Qaeda chiefs could recruit fighte r s o f U S o r i gi n a n d s e n d t h e m back home on terror missions. “We are focused on trying to figure out what our people are up to, who should be spoken to, who should b e fo l l owe d, w h o s h o u l d b e charged,” said FBI Director James Co m e y. “ I t ’s s o m e t h i n g we a re intensely focused on.” —AFP

most legislation. And advocates are not far away from rounding up the 67 votes they would need to override a presidential veto, which the White House has vowed if the bill makes it out of Congress. Aides provided the latest tally on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Administration officials fear the new economic restrictions could jeopardize a breakthrough interim nuclear deal that world powers reached with Iran in Geneva in November, as well as ongoing negotiations on a final agreement that would end the threat of Iran developing nuclear weapons.

By scuttling the diplomatic chances, the administration argues, Congress would be making a potential war with Iran more likely.

“ The need for additiona l prospective sanctions is already c l e a r,” S e n B o b M e n e n d e z , w h o drafted the bill, said Friday. Since the interim accord, he argued, Iran has made several announcements related to its uranium and plutonium programs that reinforce the need for Washington not to let up on the pressure. “ This is hardly a march to war,” Menendez said. The legislation would blacklist several Iranian industrial sectors and threaten banks and companies around the world with being banned from t h e U S m a r k e t i f t h e y h e l p I ra n export any more oil. The provisions would only take effect if Tehran violates the six-month interim deal or lets it expire without a comprehensive nuclear agreement.—AP

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World War centenary stirs Balkan passions SARAJEVO: Former foes from World War I will come together in Sarajevo to mark the war’s centenary in June, their rivalries long buried though the conflict is still a source of bitter division in the Balkans. As schoolchildren are taught the world over, the assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, and his wife by a 19-year-old Serbian nationalist, was the trigger for the Great War. Although the underlying causes of the 1914-18 conflict are well known-simmering tensions between rival blocs, bound by a complex network of alliances Serbs remain highly sensitive about Gavrilo Princip’s role.

Next June, some 130 historians from 30 countries will gather in Sarajevo-the mostly Muslim capital of Bosnia-to confront their visions at an international conference on World War I. In both Serbia and Republika Srpska, the Serb part of Bosnia, politicians see the conference as an attempt to “revise history”-and lay the blame for the war, with its 10 million dead, on the shoulders of the Serb people.

“Serbia will neither allow a revision of history, nor it will forget who are the main culprits in World War I,” Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic warned in an interview with AFP. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has also slammed European plans for a series of memorial events to be held in Sarajevo in June 2014.

Preparations are already afoot with a foundation called “Sarajevo, heart of Europe”, set up by France with co-funding from its former foe Germany, to mark the centenary with a mix of culture, sport and memorial events.

Dodik charged that the events would be “a new propaganda attack against the Serbs... falsifying history.” France’s ambassador to Bosnia Roland Gilles said the concerns were unfounded. “The idea is simply to meet and gather, especially younger generations, and say, look, the only path ahead for the coming centuries is to live together in peace and reconciliation,” Gilles told Bosnian television.

Cast as a Serbian ‘terrorist’ The Sarajevo historians’ conference is being organised by Husnija Kamberovic of the city’s Institute of History, himself a

Bosnian Muslim. “After 100 years, it is time to re-examine everything related to World War I. The assassination on the eve of the war, the background to the assassination... without suggesting an answer,” he said. “There are no topics we cannot discuss.” In Yugoslav history books, Princip was described for decades as a heroic freedom fighter whose act was an “expression of popular protest against the tyranny” of the Hapsburg empire over the Balkans. Since the bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, however, cracks have appeared in that story.

Princip’s hero image is intact in both Serbia and in Republika Srpska. But in Sarajevo, his cause is portrayed as an ethnic one: Princip is cast as a Serbian “terrorist”, and likened to the Serbs who were pitted against Muslim Bosniaks and Croats in the bloody 1992-1995 Bosnian war. Serbian historian Dubravka Stojanovic firmly rejects that view.

“He was a Yugoslav nationalist,” she said.

“Members of the same movement were also Muslims, Croats and Serbs who fought against the Austro-Hungarian Empire.” She says Princip is unfortunately a “perfect figure for political exploitation.”

Belgrade politicians are keen to stress the cruel wartime sacrifices of Serbia, which fought alongside France, Britain and Russia against the Central Powers led by Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.

Some 15 percent of Serbia’s population was lost - 125,000 military and 650,000 civilians through disease and privation-making it the country worst hit by the war proportionally to its population, according to the British historian John Keegan. “There can be no reconciliation to the detriment of truth and justice... We cannot remain indifferent,” said Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

Dodik meanwhile says he intends to organize a separate “international conference to present the truth and facts” related to the Great War. He said he would be joined by the Serbian director of Bosnian origin, Emir Kusturica, who plans to shoot a movie about the archduke’s assassination to “show the story as it really was.” “Princip defended the idea of freedom... He killed an aggressor,” Kusturica said in a recent Bosnian Serb television interview.—AFP

SARAJEVO: A makeshift memorial with a picture of legendary shoe-cleaner “uncle” Miso is seen on a main street in Sarajevo. — AFP

S Africa’s ANC launches wish list to woo disgruntled voters NELSPRUIT: South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has launched the ruling ANC party’s election manifesto, hoping to help woo voters increasingly frustrated with persistent poverty, joblessness and corruption. The party of the late Nelson Mandela has in recent years been battered by accusations of graft and blamed for failing to spark greater economic growth.

“We must therefore intervene decisively to take our economy forward,” Zuma told hundreds of party bigwigs and supporters at an African National Congress dinner on the eve of the campaign launch. General polls are due in the first half of this year but the date is yet to be announced. “The manifesto talks to what we will do, build an inclusive economy that creates jobs, transform our rural areas and... fight corruption and crime,” said Zuma.

He did not reveal the details of the “wonderful” manifesto saying they will be made public at a rally yesterday. Despite its ranking as Africa’s richest country and 20 years after the fall of apartheid, South Africa is still dogged by high levels of inequality and joblessness rates are growing stubbornly high.

“That is why the manifesto focuses a great deal on ensuring that we have the kind of policies that will help us reduce inequality, create jobs and systematically and progressively eradicate poverty,” Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom said.

ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters that “the economy is going to be featuring much more strongly in terms of

what we want to achieve”. He described the text as “actually one of our best manifestos”.

Facing one of its toughest elections ever, the ANC is expected to also focus its energy on rallying young voters. For the first time, South Africans born after the end of apartheid, socalled “born-frees”, will be casting ballots. Yet they are the generation at the receiving end of slowing economic growth and dwindling job opportunities. “ The ANC faces it biggest challenge amongst younger South Africans,” said political analyst Daniel Silke. “The younger voter or first-time voter is much more questioning, they are more discerning, they are going to need to be convinced to vote for the ANC,” added Silke. The manifesto hinges around the so-called National Development Plan, which Zuma painstakingly defended during his speech but is opposed by some of his allies in the labor movement who see it as neo-liberal.

Despite growing unpopularity, the ANC is still expected to win the polls, but could see a drop in its share of the vote to under 60 percent. Zuma this week vowed that the ANC would govern South Africa “forever and ever”. He said the party which turned 102 years old on Tuesday, was on “a journey that is long.” “It’s still a long walk to prosperity,” said Zuma, borrowing a phrase from Mandela’s autobiography “Long Walk To Freedom”. Among those challenging the ANC in this year’s vote will be populist politician Julius Malema, a former party youth leader who was expelled in 2012.—AFP

NELSPRUIT: South African President Jacob Zuma (center) waves to the crowd as he enters the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit yesterday.— AFP

ISTANBUL: Photo shows volunteer Turkish doctors and medical personnel at a makeshift clinic near Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. —AP

Turkish medics under fire Police, govt harassing doctors ISTANBUL: It was the height of Turkey’s summer of upheaval, and riot police were hammering protesters. The tear gas at Istanbul’s Taksim Square was so thick that doctors trying to treat the wounded in a makeshift clinic could barely breathe or see. So a group of doctors set off to find relief in a nearby hospital. They turned into an alley and came face-to-face with police, just yards away. The officers took aim, lifted their guns and launched tear gas canisters straight at the medics in their white lab coats. “It was clear that we were doctors,” Incilay Erdogan said said.

While some medics this summer complained of mistreatment as they treated protesters against the Turkish government, the extent of the harassment has now become much clearer.

In interviews with The Associated Press over the five months since, more than a dozen doctors said authorities had assaulted them with tear gas, chased and beat protesters in hospitals, pressured them to reveal the names of patients and ignored calls for more resources, including ambulances.

The hidden victims A prosecutorial indictment signed last month against a doctor and a medical student, seen by the AP, starkly contradicts a government statement that it would take no action against medical personnel giving care to protesters. And a bill passed by the Turkish parliament last week, and now before Turkish president Abdullah Gul, could give authorities new powers to prosecute doctors for giving unauthorized care, critics say.

The bill follows more recent anti-government protests in recent weeks over a bribery scandal that forced four government ministers to step down.

The medical community says its professionals are hidden victims of a violent lashing out against dissent that has undermined the reputation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a democratic reformer. The United States and European powers see Erdogan as a vital strategic partner, especially in dealing with the Syria conflict, but have become alarmed by what looks like a deepening disregard for human rights. The Ministry of Health defended its position in a statement to the AP: “It is greatly unfair to claim that there were shortfalls in the provision of health services during the protests.”

The Turkish national police also noted in a statement the challenge posed by the sheer size of the demonstrations, which it described as 5,532 protests in 80 provinces with the participation of more than 3 million people from May to September. The statement said inspectors have been appointed to probe instances where unnecessary force may have been used but denied that doctors were specifically targeted.

“Our security units have not intervened against doctors who are exercising medical profession or those exercising their rights to peaceful demonstration,” it said.

Clampdown on doctors Many doctors, including some interviewed for this story, admit to sympathies with the protesters, and some took part in protests without medical garb when they were not treating patients. However, Turkish and international human rights groups say the Erdogan government’s clampdown on doctors still violated international codes designed to protect medical personnel in conflicts. The neutrality of doctors while treating the injured in conflicts dates back to the ancient Hippocratic Oath, and is codified in international law and human rights treaties, many of which Turkey has signed.

“Something happened during the protests in June that usually doesn’t happen in war,” said Dr Selcuk Atalay, the general secretary of the Turkish Medical Association’s Ankara chapter.

The police told the AP that claims by the medical association and NGOs about abuses against doctors were “based on insufficient information and don’t reflect the truth.” In late May and June, hundreds of thousands of Turks took to the streets calling for greater democratic freedoms, in protests initially sparked by opposition to government plans to develop Gezi park in downtown Istanbul.

Police fired water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas, and beat protesters with batons, resulting in thousands of injuries and five deaths. Many injuries and at least one death were caused by direct hits from tear gas canisters fired from close range at high speed, although the doctors who say they were targeted in this way were not seriously injured.

Doctors at Taksim Egitim ve Arastirma Hospital and the German Hospital - both near the center of the Istanbul protests - said tear gas was sometimes fired directly at the emergency room doors, seeping inside and hampering their work treating the injured.

One day, about half a dozen protesters ran

into the emergency room at Istanbul’s German Hospital, followed closely by riot police, according to the doctor in charge, Serdar Cifcili. After one protester locked himself into an observation room, police broke down the door and beat him, Cifcili said. He said he heard two other protesters, including one woman, being beaten elsewhere in the hospital. Another time, he said, the radiology department shut down for hours because of tear gas, creating long waits for patients needing X-rays.

Temporary clinics gassed On several occasions, doctors say, the police gassed temporary clinics while patients were being treated. On June 22, police fired tear gas through a gap under a door shuttered for protection at a clinic, according to doctors present, including Incilay Erdogan, who chairs the human rights committee of the medical association’s Istanbul chapter. Erdogan, who is not related to the prime minister, recalled treating a teenage patient with severe chest trauma inside a makeshift Istanbul clinic. She dialed 112, the Turkish emergency hotline.

But the dispatcher initially refused to send an ambulance stationed about 200 meters away, claiming that the ambulance drivers feared for their safety. In the end, despite assurances from the dispatcher that an ambulance was coming, it never did. Erdogan helped other doctors carry the injured protester to a taxi that brought him to the hospital. Repeated requests to the Ministry of Health to increase medical resources in the protest areas, especially ambulances, were ignored, according to the medical association’s Istanbul chapter. Instead, doctors had to reach out to hospitals and ambulance services run by the city’s municipalities, which operate independently.

“The Gezi events took place in large cities, generally in city centers. There was no question of any shortfalls in the provision of health services in those locations,” the Ministry of Health said in its statement. The ministry has also said that protesters damaged nine ambulances stationed at Gezi Park. Doctors in hospitals also told AP

doctor and the student of throwing trash and cigarettes in the mosque, considered a desecration. They also accuse the two of refusing to provide information on protesters treated, protecting criminals, and illegally providing medical assistance to the protesters in their professional clothes. The charges carry the possibility of more than a year in prison.

Asked whether the prosecution contradicted its statement to the AP, the health ministry said it could not comment on an ongoing legal matter. Other doctors say they have been notified they are under investigation for their care of protesters. Feray Kaya, a pediatric assistant who works in a government hospital, volunteered to treat the injured during the protests and helped to collect casualty data. After the protests subsided, Kaya received notices - one seen by the AP - that she was being investigated by the Ministry of Health. A letter from her hospital administration asks why she checked in on a protester brought to the emergency room after being hit in the head with a tear gas canister.

Anonymity for fear of reprisals A second letter from the ministry asks about her work setting up the temporary clinics. “Did you or did you not actually serve in these voluntary infirmaries?” the letter asks. Kaya said she and other doctors who treated patients in the streets eventually removed lab coats and medical identification because they felt the gear was painting a bull’s-eye on them for police. “We started to feel like we were prey,” she said.

Other doctors, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, reported receiving similar letters. And in a June 13 letter seen by the AP, the Ministry of Health asked the medical association for the names of both doctors working at the makeshift clinics and the patients they treated.

The association refused to provide information.

Doctors say the association antagonized the government by organizing clinics and publishing a report, which was challenged by the ministry, detailing the thousands of injuries.

“They were bothered by the fact that the events were being objectively reported by doc-

ISTANBUL: In this file photo, riot police use tear gas and pressurized water to quash a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of people staging a sit-in protest to try and prevent the demolition of trees at Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey. —AP they felt pressure not to provide extra care to the protesters. A doctor at the government-run Taksim hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal, said he witnessed government inspectors reviewing security footage in the hospital to determine whether doctors and medical personnel had volunteered services outside shifts in the overwhelmed emergency rooms.

“I heard the inspector ask questions about specific people on the footage, like, ‘That nurse, is she on duty? Why is she bandaging the patient?’” the doctor recalled. Gunera Polatogullari, a nurse at the Taksim hospital, said she was the subject of a Ministry of Health investigation in which she was accused of helping to treat protesters while off duty. She says she was confronted with security video in which she is seen handing something over to two people in white lab coats. She admits to Ministry of Health charges that she did not know who those people in the lab coats were. The investigation’s conclusion, seen by the AP, calls for disciplinary action.

Accusations An indictment by Turkish prosecutors against people involved in the summer protests, dated Dec 6 and viewed by the AP, also accuses a doctor and a medical student, who treated protesters inside the Dolmabahce Mosque in Istanbul, of violating Turkish law. Prosecutors accuse the

tors,” says Ali Cerkezoglu, the secretary general of the association’s Istanbul chapter, who was also detained for involvement in the protests.

“We were also caring for the protesters and the police saw this as allowing them to continue.”

The legislation passed by the parliament calls for fines and imprisonment of up to three years for treatment of patients without authorization by the Ministry of Health, with the exception of unexpected emergency care until authorized care arrives. The law specifically forbids establishing clinics without government authorization. A provision that could also limit doctors’ pay had also mobilized doctors against passage.

“Instead of supporting doctors and other health workers, who are following their ethical duty to provide care to protesters, they are in the process of making it a crime to render emergenc y health ser vices,” says Vincent Iacopino, senior medical adviser to the USbased advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights, which published a September report on abuses against medical personnel during the protests. The Turkish Medical Association, which is independently funded and counts 80 percent of Turkish doctors as members, says it won’t abide by the legislation if passed. “It’s in no way acceptable,” says Cerkezoglu of the association’s Istanbul chapter. “It’s against universal principles and entirely against ethical values.”— AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

Pakistan honors teen bomb hero with bravery award ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani teenager who sacrificed his life to stop a suicide bomber, saving the lives of hundreds of students, has been honored with the country’s highest award for bravery. Aitzaz Hassan, 15, a student in Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has become a national hero after tackling the bomber who came to attack his school on Monday, with hundreds of students inside.

Hassan died in hospital after the bomber blew himself up at the school gates. No one else was wounded or killed in the incident.

The office of Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif said it had advised President Mamnoon Hussain “to approve the conferment of Sitara-e-Shujjat (star of bravery) to Shaheed (martyred) Aitzaz Hassan. “Shaheed (martyred) Aitzaz’s brave act saved the lives of hundreds of students and established a sterling example of gallantry and patriotism,” it said in a statement issued late Friday.

An official in prime minister house said yesterday Hasan’s family is expected to receive the posthumous award on March 23, Pakistan’s national day following the president’s ceremonial approval. News of Hassan’s act led to an outpouring of tributes on social media. Pakistani newspapers, TV channels and social media sites had demanded a recognition of Hassan’s bravery, calling him a hero and calling for him to receive the nation’s highest award.

Pakistan private TV channel “express NEWS” yesterday broadcast footage from his village Ibrahimzai, in Hangu district in the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,

showing groups of people laying floral wreaths on his grave and hailing him as a hero. Pakistan army soldiers were shown presenting the guard of honor at the grave,

HANGU: Pakistani army personnel salute after placing flowers on the grave of student Aitzaz Hassan (inset) yesterday.—AFP

For Indonesian jihadists, Syrian civil war beckons JAKARTA: The young Indonesian was raised in an extremist household and graduated from a boarding school notorious for teaching generations of terrorists. So it was perhaps no surprise that when Muhammad Fakhri Ihsani left to study in Pakistan, the lure of jihad proved inescapable. But the 21-year-old didn’t sneak into nearby Afghanistan or the lawless border areas, as scores of other foreigners have in recent years. Indonesian authorities believe that after flying to Turkey, he and three other Indonesian students traveled overland to Syria to fight there with fellow countrymen and jihadists from all over the world.

Their journey in August shows how determined some Indonesians are to join what has become the new theater of choice for international jihadists. It also points to an emerging threat for Southeast Asian authorities, who have successfully clamped down on militants in recent years, largely preventing them from forging links with their brethren overseas. While security agencies in Europe and beyond are worried about militants returning from Syria, Indonesia knows only too well how foreign battlefields, training opportunities and contact with AlQaeda can lead to deadly results.

Hate campaign against Shiites Indonesian veterans of the Afghan jihad spearheaded attacks in the 2000s against local and Western targets, including nightclub bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people. The Syrian conflict is also helping fuel an increasingly bitter hate campaign against Shiites in Sunnimajority Indonesia, where until a few years ago sectarian divisions, let alone conflict, were largely unheard of.

Syrian veterans are only likely to exacerbate this. “We have to learn from our bitter experience in the past,” said Ansyaad Mbai, head of the country’s anti-terror agency. “Every Indonesian who ends up in Syria needs to be watched. We have to anticipate the fact that when they return they will have new abilities and skills in warfare.”

In interviews, Mbai and two other Indonesian anti-terror officials estimated there were around 50 Indonesian militants fighting against the regime of Bashar Assad, out of up to 11,000 foreigners believed to have become opposition fighters. They said that number is expected to grow. Many were already living or studying in the Middle East when they left. The estimate was based on information from Syrian authorities and their own investigations in Indonesia and Turkey.

Indonesian humanitarian groups staffed by hardliners or those with known links to extremists have been raising funds across Indonesia with little transparency. Some are traveling to regions of Syria under the control of militants, treating fighters and hand-

while hundreds of students were seen praying for Hassan in the morning school assembly. “We are proud of him, he saved our lives, we will remember him forever,” a student

ing out cash and relief funds to civilians and local authorities. One organization has traveled at least eight times to the front line in Latakia region, a stronghold of the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, according to their literature.

Indonesia has more Muslims than any other nation, but the brand and practice of Islam is markedly different from the austere version common in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. Militant Islam has a long history in Indonesia, dating back to the country’s birth in 1945, but it has struggled to gain significant followers even as the torch of jihad has been handed down through the generations.

The Ngruki boarding school, on the main island of Java, and its network of teachers and ex-students have been central to militant activity in the country since the early 1990s. A close look at those taking part - and advocating for - the war in Syria reveals it remains a central node of extremism, apparently intent on making Syria a new venue for those wishing to take part in jihad. Ihsani and the three other Indonesians who left Pakistan with him attended Ngruki. The first Indonesian known to be killed in the conflict, Riza Fardi, was also a graduate. His death was reported on Arabic jihadi websites in late November, along with a photo of him taken in the region, smiling with other fighters.

Jihad to Syria Bambang Sukirno, another Ngruki graduate and a Bashir associate, took part in a humanitarian mission to Latakia last year, according to video interviews he gave to Islamist media on his return. Sukirno published the autobiography of Bali nightclub bomber Imam Samudra, who writes lovingly of his experience fighting jihad in Afghanistan. “We have learned that some of our alumni are involved in the struggle in Syria, but once again I reiterate that we can’t monitor or follow what our students do after they graduate,” said Wahyudin, Ngruki’s principal.

The cleric, who goes by a single name, used a similar defense when confronted with the fact that former students and teachers were convicted of carrying and planning out terrorist attacks inside Indonesia in the 2000s.

Ihsani’s father, Sholeh Ibrahim, has been a teacher at the school for years, and heads the extremist Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid organization in Solo, where the school is located. JAT is campaigning for Islamic law in Indonesia, is anti-Christian and supports Al-Qaeda’s vision. At least 30 members have been convicted for terrorist offenses over the last four years, and the US State Department declared it a foreign terrorist organization in 2012.

The head of the organization nationwide, Abu Bakar Bashir, is serv-

ing a 15-year jail sentence for supporting the establishment of a militant training camp. From behind bars, the cleric issued a call for jihad to Syria year. Ibrahim said he last spoke to his son Aug 21. He didn’t mention any travel plans, but asked about his family in Indonesia and spoke of his activities at college in Islamabad, Pakistan, a popular destination for Indonesians looking for cheap degrees in Islam.

Ibrahim said neither he nor any of his son’s friends have heard from him since.

Western or civilian targets Despite being a proponent of jihad, Ibrahim said he was worried.

“Honestly speaking, as father, I’m concerned,” said Ibrahim. “But I trust in Allah and his will, and I’m sure he (Ihsani) will choose a blessed path.” A sustained crackdown by Indonesian authorities since 2002 has reduced the threat of large scale terrorism against Western or civilian targets in Indonesia and elsewhere in the region. But small groups of militants continue to plot, train for and carry out attacks, mostly against police targets, across the country of 240 million people.

Syria represents a rare training and battle opportunity for the current generation of Indonesian militants.

Most of the foreign fighters in the country come from the Middle East.

Estimates of the numbers of Western European fighters range from 396 to 1,937, according to a recent study by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization. It’s unclear where or with whom the Indonesians are fighting. According to the center, most of the foreigners are grouped with the Nusra Front or the Islamic State in Iraq, the two opposition brigades that are closest to Al-Qaeda.

“Anybody coming back from Syria is going to have immediate credibility and legitimacy in the jihadi movement,” said Sidney Jones, the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. “There might be people coming back who can take any of these amorphous, feckless groups of extremists and drill them into shape.”

While the country’s extremist fringe is rallying around Syria, it is also apparent most mainstream Indonesian Muslims are not signing up to the cause because it means having to embrace the uncompromising - and still unpopular - sectarian vision that is at the heart of the conflict.

Only around 20 people showed up at a recent meeting at a mosque in west Jakarta organized by hardliners who had returned from a Syrian humanitarian mission. A question from a reporter as to why Indonesians should take sides in a civil war in a Muslim country when other causes, for example Palestine, were still pressing, was met with a smattering of applause from those present.— AP

JAKARTA: Muslim men watch a slideshow of pictures believed to be from Syria during a prayer calling for jihad to Syria at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. —AP

wearing traditional grey school uniform told the TV channel.

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for championing girls’ right to education, paid tribute to the teenager on Friday describing him as “brave and courageous”.

“In sacrificing his own life, Aitzaz protected hundreds of innocent young students from being killed,” she said in a statement. “I wish that in giving his own life he helps to bring peace to my people and my country,” she said. Malala, who was last year nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, has also called for the government to award Hassan its “highest national award”. “His bravery must never be forgotten,” she said.

Hassan’s father Mujahid Ali Bangash, 55, told AFP on Thursday he felt not sadness but pride at his son’s death. “Aitzaz has made us proud by valiantly intercepting the bomber and saving the lives of hundreds of his fellow students,” he said. “I am happy that my son has become a martyr by sacrificing his life for a noble cause.” Bangash works in the UAE and was only able to reach Ibrahimzai village, which lies in an area of Hangu dominated by minority Shiite Muslims, the day after his son’s funeral. Police official Shakirullah Bangash said that Aitzaz intercepted the bomber 150 meters away from the main gate of the school, which has around 1,000 students.— AFP

Tens of thousands join Indian anti-graft party ‘Common Man’ Party eyes seats in general elections NEW DELHI: India’s new anti-graft party has signed up tens of thousands of members in a nationwide recruitment drive as it seeks to build support ahead of general elections, an official said yesterday. The Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party plans to contest seats in the general elections due by May following its success in the Delhi state polls last month in which it routed the scandal-tainted Congress party that rules at the national level. “We had nearly 50,000 people sign up in the first three hours of our membership drive,” senior party leader Gopal Rai said.

The party is spearheaded by Arvind Kejriwal, a 44-year-old former taxman who has modeled himself as an anti-corruption activist and is now the chief minister of Delhi. Observers say the huge popularity enjoyed by the Aam Aadmi

Party suggests it could become a bigger movement that could threaten the grip of the two main parties, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on national politics. The Aam Aadmi Party has also drawn a string of high-profile recruits in a major boost to its national aspirations and efforts to change the face of India’s graft-ridden politics.

Prominent banker Meera Sanyal and G R Gopinath, the founder of a budget airline, are among those who have signed up with Kejriwal’s party in recent days. Kejriwal has said the party’s target is to enrol some 10 million members by January 26. “The success of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi assembly elections has spread the hope for honest politics throughout the country. So many people want to be a member of the party and work for change,” said Rai. A public

meeting called yesterday by the party to hear out grievances saw a huge crowd turn up at the Delhi government office, armed with written complaints and documents. The meeting had to be called off midway as the crowds exceeded the expected numbers, leading to chaos and a near stampede. Party officials promised to streamline the process to avoid similar scenes in future. Kejriwal has said his entire cabinet would sit in front of the Delhi government offices every Saturday to hear public grievances in what he called a “Janata Durbar” or people’s court. Public grievances are “a major issue for any government. It’s the duty of every government to resolve the grievances,” said Kejriwal. The step marks another novel move by the party founded just a year ago to connect with the masses.—AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

Tale of two leaders in China and Japan Xi Jinping, Abe locked in diplomatic standoff

BANGKOK: Thai anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban (center) poses with children during a ceremony on the country’s Children Day at the Democracy Monument yesterday. Protest leaders have set Jan 13 as the date to paralyze the capital dubbed “Shutdown Bangkok” in a bid to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.—AP

Coup-prone Thailand looks to army chief to break deadlock BANGKOK: Standing inside one of Bangkok’s many military bases is a giant poster of Thai army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in full dress uniform, along with a list of attributes. “Intelligent,” reads the poster.

“Knowledgeable. Modern. Visionary.” As Bangkok braces for a “shut down” by antigovernment protesters on Monday, and rumors multiply that yet another military coup is imminent, another adjective for General Prayuth springs to mind: opaque.

Paralyzing Bangkok is the latest bid in a two-month attempt by protesters to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose brother, Thaksin, was overthrown in the last military coup in 2006. Yingluck called a snap election for Feb. 2, but this failed to mollify protesters, who want her government to resign in favor of an unelected people’s council to oversee political reform.

Many Thais believe the military will soon step in again to break the political deadlock, especially if next week’s citywide protests turn violent. But Prayuth, 59, has remained noncommittal, brushing aside rumors of a military coup while deftly side-stepping an outright denial. It wasn’t always so. Famous for irascible exchanges with the media, Prayuth once suggested coups were obsolete and slammed rumor-mongers for damaging the country. As Thailand’s latest round of protests gathered pace, however, his public statements have fuelled rather than scotched the rumors.

“I cannot confirm whether there will or will not be a coup,” he said on Jan 7. Two weeks earlier, Prayuth likened the unrest between pro-and anti-government protesters to an intersection where he had the power to “turn the lights red” to stop traffic from left and right colliding. “The odds of an allout military coup remain lower for now but will increase as instability drags on,” said Christian Lewis, a Southeast Asia specialist at political risk consultants Eurasia Group.

“Prayuth and the military will most likely intervene only if the police lose control of an eroding security situation.”

Not constructive Thousands of protesters have taken to Bangkok’s streets since November, accusing the Shinawatra family of corruption and nepotism. The protests, which have drawn 200,000 people at their peak, have been mostly peaceful. Four people, including two police officers, died of gunshot wounds and scores were injured after protesters clashed with police outside a stadium on Dec. 26 while candidates registered for the election.

In broad terms, the current crisis pits the Thai elite, including military generals and royalists, and the educated middle-classes against supporters of twice-elected former prime minister Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile to avoid jail for a graft conviction he says was politically motivated.

But with Yingluck clinging onto power and protesters refusing to back down, analysts say protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister, can only win with Prayuth’s backing. That has sparked fears that protagonists might instigate an

attack on protesters during next week’s rallies in hopes of provoking army intervention.

But senior officers said the military is reluctant to see a repeat of the September 2006 coup, which Prayuth helped executive as a divisional commander and plunged the country into years of turmoil.

“Prayuth is aware that dealing with the problem by staging a coup is not constructive and, after a while, the same problems will come back again,” said army spokesman Colonel Werachon Sukhondhadhpatipak.

Born in northeast Thailand, now a stronghold for Thaksin supporters, Prayuth has a reputation for “hard-headed decisiveness”, wrote Anthony Davis, a Thailand-based analyst at security consulting firm IHS-Jane’s, after Prayuth was appointed in October 2010. “An officer of polished social skills, he has become a regular visitor to the palace, suggesting that in royal circles he is seen as a vital figure to ensure the future stability of both the nation and the monarchy,” said Davis. Prayuth also established a cordial relationship with Yingluck after her election the following year. He has repeatedly said he wants the military to remain politically neutral. Yet Prayuth, who is a few months shy of mandatory retirement, commands a highly politicized army. It has played a pivotal role in a country that has seen 18 successful or attempted coups in the past 81 years.

“Prayuth was involved in a coup once before and knows that after a coup come many obstacles,” said Boonyakiat Karavekphan, a political analyst at Ramkamhaeng University in Bangkok. “He has shown no political ambitions but even if he did, staging a coup today is much more difficult than in 2006. Thailand is a different country and he risks upsetting the politically awakened masses,” he said, referring to Thaksin’s supporters who would be outraged if his sister’s government was overthrown.

Watermelon soldiers Prayuth faces another dilemma from some rank-and-file soldiers in green uniforms dubbed “watermelons” - green on the outside with red, pro-Thaksin, sympathies on the inside. Fissures within the army were evident during a bloody April and May 2010 crackdown on pro-Thaksin red shirts in Bangkok who were demanding fresh elections and the resignation of pro-establishment Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Some soldiers openly sympathized with red-shir ted protesters, tipping off the group’s leaders ahead of a planned army operation, unnerving the top brass and sapping troop morale. Ensuing clashes between soldiers and anti-government protesters killed 91 people. More than 2,000 were wounded. “Last time the objective was to protect the Abhisit government which many soldiers disliked. But this time any decision by the generals will be made carefully and to protect national interests and all sides,” said army spokesman Werachon. “Of course, there are some ‘watermelon’ soldiers but they know that, as an army, we have to present a united front.”—Reuters

BEIJING: China’s President Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe of Japan are locked in a spiraling diplomatic standoff but their burgeoning rivalry contrasts with striking personal parallels between the two, analysts say. While they have emerged through very different systems, one a democracy and the other a one-party state, they are both sons of elite politicians, have suffered serious personal or political setbacks and spout dreamy, patriotic visions for the future. Similarities in outlook underlie their nationalist and economic agendas, and both are seeking to rejuvenate their countries, the world’s second- and thirdbiggest economies.

“These personality traits and similar historical background, I think they do matter because for both Xi Jinping and Abe, nationalism has been a potent force which they can exploit to consolidate their position,” said Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Abe’s visit to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors several highlevel officials executed for war crimes after World War II, is the latest spark between the countries after Beijing declared a defense identification zone in airspace over islands claimed by both but controlled by Tokyo.

Abe and Xi both came to power in late 2012, Xi anointed as Communist Party general secretary and Abe elected Japan’s prime minister after an aborted first term five years earlier.

Xi has pushed what he calls the “Chinese Dream” and has referred to the “great renaissance of the Chinese nation”, vowing to pursue a stronger military, overhaul an outmoded economic growth model and cleanse a ruling party riven with corruption.

Abe was voted in vowing to rejuvenate Japan’s long moribund economy after two socalled “lost decades”, amend its war-renouncing constitution and take a more positive view of Japan’s past with the slogan: “Take back Japan”. Xi, 60, the “princeling” son of a revolutionary hero, grew up amid the political, economic and social turmoil that consumed Communist China for years, witnessing his father’s jailing in the Cultural Revolution and being “sent down” himself to labor in the countryside.

Despite that complex past, Xi paid homage to Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic and instigator of much of its anguish, on December 26, the 120th anniversary of his birth-the same day as Abe’s shrine visit. Abe, 59, is also a political blueblood, son of a foreign minister and grandson of Japan’s wartime industry minister-who was jailed during the

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

China’s President Xi Jinping

American occupation before later serving as prime minister.

Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Indonesia. China says the shrine visit has closed the door on two-way dialogue. But both leaders are seeking to revitalize their economies, offering a potential fail-safe against escalating their confrontations too far, analysts say.

Unlike after Tokyo nationalized some of the disputed islands in 2012, Abe’s shrine visit has not so far led to attacks on Japanese interests in China, Lam said, adding: “Economic ties are a very strong restraining factor in further deterioration.” Abe and Xi also face similar challenges, according to David Zweig, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

“Power-wise China is in ascendancy but morally it’s in decline and so that’s why you get this effort by Xi to impose a new morality, a Maoist morality, an anti-corruption morality, a dream of greatness morality, a unification morality,” he said.

“Abe is clearly trying to end the 22 years of decline. And the way you do that, he probably figures, is through enhancing nationalism, rewriting the past, giving people a more positive sense of who they are as Japanese, strengthening the military, not being so passive in international affairs. “An assertive leader in Japan clearly can have an impact and I think that’s quite true in China,” he said. “So their own backgrounds should have an important influence.”— AFP

‘Shadows of the past’ China has the world’s largest military and Xi has inspected its first aircraft carrier, while overseeing a double-digit increase in its official defense budget. Meanwhile Abe, who is looking to boost military spending for the first time in years, has donned a helmet to board a tank and sat in a trainer aircraft emblazoned ‘731’.

For Chinese that number evokes a covert Japanese biological and chemical war fare research unit that used Chinese captives for lethal experiments during the 1937-1945 SinoJapanese War. Katsuhiko Meshino, a senior writer for Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, highlighted how Xi’s visit to Mao’s mausoleum and Abe’s to Yasukuni were both criticized for not accurately facing bygone times. “Abe and Xi both ignored critical views about certain chapters of their nations’ histories and asserted their own thoughts about the histories,” he wrote.

Looking at their slogans, he added: “It seems that the two leaders are pursuing ghosts of the past instead of charting a new course for their countries.” So far, the two men’s only encounters as leaders have been a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Russia in September and a handshake at October’s Asia-

Gunmen attack Thai anti-govt protesters BANGKOK: Several Thai anti-government protesters were wounded after gunmen opened fire on a rally in Bangkok, authorities said yesterday, intensifying pressure on the caretaker government ahead of a planned city-wide “shutdown”. The kingdom is the grip of a political crisis that has led to parliament being dissolved, with demonstrators holding mass protests aimed at toppling Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and ending the influence of her wildly divisive brother on Thai politics.

One protester was seriously wounded after unknown gunmen fired at the protesters’ main rally site in two separate attacks yesterday, Thai police said. “The first attack occurred at 2.30am (local time) wounding two people, including a protest security guard. The second took place a few hours later wounding five protesters,” said Police Lieutenant General Prawut Thavornsiri of the Royal Thai Police.

The toll was confirmed by the city’s Erawan emergency medical centre, who said one man remained in a “critical condition”. Protesters are seeking to block a snap election called for Februar y 2, and want Yingluck to resign immediately. The nation’s election authority has called for the poll to be postponed citing the febrile political climate. Eight people, including a policeman, have been killed and

dozens injured in street violence in recent weeks, and the government has voiced fears of more bloodshed as protesters refuse to back down in their effor ts to oust the Shinawatras.

Authorities have raised fears that a planned “shutdown” by the anti-government protesters on Monday could lead to more violence. One company of soldiers was deployed at each of 37 locations-including government offices-across the capital on Friday night, an army spokesman said. Thousands of police are also expec ted to keep the peace. Amid heightening fears of violence on Monday, the head of Thailand’s powerful army called for calm. “I’m concerned about security as many people will come and violence has happened throughout (the protests),” army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters yesterday.

Prayut also urged Thais to “solve the problems of Thai people” in an apparent rebuttal of concerns voiced by the international community at the deteriorating political situation.

United Nations’ chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday called for “restraint” from all sides, expressing fears the situation “could escalate in the days ahead”. The current impasse has revived fears of a judicial or military ousting of the government, in a country which has hosted 18 actual

or attempted coups since 1932. Thailand has experienced several bouts of political violence since Yingluck’s brother Thaksin was ousted as prime minister by royalist generals in 2006.

The billionaire tycoon, who fled the kingdom in 2008 to dodge jail for a corruption conviction that he says was politically motivated, is hated by the anti-government protesters. But he still draws strong loyalty from the northern half of the country including “Red Shirt” activists. The protesters in Bangkok want to suspend Thailand’s democracy to allow reforms aimed at rooting out Thaksin’s influence. But his sister Yingluck’s Puea Thai party is expected to win the February election if it goes ahead.

The nation’s Election Commission (EC) yesterday urged the government to seek a postponement of polls until May. “We cannot find enough people to work at polling stations,” said EC official Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, because of the “family and peer pressure” created by the political tensions. Red Shirts have called on the EC, several other key legal bodies and the army to allow the election to proceed or face protests from their group. In 2010 Red Shirts paralyzed Bangkok’s commercial centre for a weeks-long protest which ended in a bloody crackdown on their rally. —AFP

Ice rescue operation sparks Antarctic tourism debate WELLINGTON: The challenging rescue operation launched after a Russian ship became trapped in Antarctic pack ice last month shows the inherent risks facing the frozen continent’s burgeoning tourist industry, experts say. Antarctica represents one of the last frontiers for adventurous travelers, an icy wonderland of glaciers, emperor penguins and seemingly endless white expanses. But, as those aboard the Akademik Shokalskiy found out, blizzards, icebergs and treacherous seas are also a fact of life at one of the most remote locations on Earth, where help is often thousands of kilometers away.

“It does indeed serve as a reminder that it’s an extreme environment that we’re dealing with, whether it’s scientific expeditions going down there or tourism cruises,” Daniela Liggett, a specialist in Antarctic tourism regulation at New Zealand’s Canterbury University said.

Tourist numbers in Antarctica have grown from less than 5,000 in 1990 to about 35,000 a year, according to industry figures. Most travel by sea, some paying in excess of $20,000 for a luxury cabin in the peak period from November to March. There is also a healthy market for sightseeing flights, despite the loss of an Air New Zealand DC-10 in 1979 which crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all 257 on board.

The first recorded tourist ship was an Argentine vessel, Les Eclaireurs, that made the voyage with 100 paying passengers in 1958. Since then, concerns have centered on tourists’ potential impact on the untamed wilderness and the difficulty rescuers would face reaching a ship if it hit serious trouble in the freezing waters. “What’s unique to the Antarctic is that it’s very remote and if something happens to a bigger ship then it will be almost impossible to rescue all the passengers in a timely fashion,” Liggett said.

With conventional rescue services so far away, the task of helping stricken vessels often falls to the scientific missions, disrupting their carefully planned research programs. French Polar Institute director Yves Frenot was furious last week that French, Chinese and Australian ships in Antarctica were diverted from scientific work for the Shokalskiy rescue.

“There’s no reason to place Antarctica off-limits and to keep it just for scientists, but this tourism has to be monitored and regulated so that operators can be sure of getting help if need be,” he said.

‘Pseudo-science’ The headaches posed by Antarctic rescue were demonstrated when, after the Shokalskiy became mired in the ice on December 24, the Chinese icebreaker

Xue Long became trapped itself while trying to help. The two ships only managed to free themselves on Tuesday, by which time yet another vessel, the US Coast Guard’s Polar Star, was steaming to their aid from Sydney.

Half of the 52 people rescued from the Shokalskiy last week were paying passengers and Frenot labeled the voyage a “pseudo-scientific expedition”, a charge denied by its Australian organizers. They said their mission was to examine environmental changes by replicating measurements taken in the area a century ago by explorer Douglas Mawson. Ligget said Shokalskiy travelled into an area not normally frequented by tourist or scientific ships, which contributed to it becoming trapped.

She said cruise ships approved by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) usually travelled in pairs, so they had a “buddy system” if one experienced difficulties. She said the IAATO, an industry body, had done a good job of minimizing environmental impacts. “It’s essentially the scenery, the wildlife and a relatively unspoiled environment that they’re selling to their tourists,” she said. “So it’s in their best interests to keep it that way.” IAATO spokeswoman Amanda Lynnes said tourist ships adopted strict decontamination measures to prevent travelers taking

A pair of Adelie penguins are seen as the first load of passengers from the stranded Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy wait for a helicopter from the nearby Chinese icebreaker Xue Long for rescue on Jan 2, 2014. — AFP contain any oil leaks. Lynnes said tourism non-native species or microbes ashore.

She added that ships carrying more acted as a driving force in conservation than 500 passengers did not put tourists by giving people first-hand experience of ashore, while those on smaller vessels the Antarctic. “Visitors to Antarctica ... who did land had to follow guidelines return home as ambassadors of goodwill, designed to protect flora and fauna. In guardianship and the value of peaceful addition, ships must employ officers with cooperation in this great wilderness,” she Antarctic experience and have plans to said.—AFP

NEWS Public prosecution to probe...

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Saudi slums highlight wider issues

Continued from Page `1

Continued from Page `1

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court sentenced political activist Abdullah Fairouz to five years in prison and deportation after he was found guilty of offending HH the Amir. Fairouz pleaded guilty to posting the remarks on his Twitter account. The deportation sentence came after the court found that he had obtained Kuwaiti nationality illegally by claiming he was the child of a Kuwaiti man from a second marriage in Egypt.

In other news, newly-appointed housing minister Yasser Abul requested a joint meeting with Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Defense in order to discuss the possibility of freeing lands to be used for housing projects. This was reported by sources who indicated that Abul also met his predecessor, Salem Al-Othaina, and discussed with him the new housing plan that Othaina announced last month. Other sources revealed in the meantime that Minister of Education Ahmad Al-Mulaifi plans to discuss in his first meeting with MoE officials “proposals to amend the Jaber (Shadadiya) University law in order to address issues that obstruct construction”.

Al-Rai daily had also reported yesterday that new oil minister Ali Al-Omair will meet top officials at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Officials from the Kuwait Oil Company, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Petrochemical Industries Company and others are set to give presentations on projects planned as part of the KPC’s strategic plans, according to sources quoted in the report.

Separately, the parliament’s financial committee is set to resume discussion on proposed amendments to the build-operate-transfer law today.

Panel president MP Faisal Al-Shaya was quoted by Al-Jarida daily yesterday saying that the committee could need another meeting to discuss the amendments but assured that the draft law will be finished before the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Shaya told Al-Rai daily on Friday that the committee plans to meet Commerce Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej in order to discuss alternate proposals for the proposed increase to the housing loan. The government had already told the committee that it rejects a proposal to raise the loan that a Kuwaiti family receives from the government to build a house from KD 70,000 to KD 100,000. The new proposals focus on increasing government subsidization for building material, according to Shaya.

plan that was largely seen as a move to buy domestic stability. He raised the monthly minimum wage to $800 and set aside around $70 billion to build 500,000 apartments for low-income Saudis. He promised millions more for the government’s housing loan fund, vowed to fight corruption and pumped some $37 billion into a fund for lower-income Saudis to access interest-free loans for needs such as marriage and buying furniture.

But the billions of dollars in long-term projects have not satisfied the immediate needs of the poorest Saudis. Fayyaz Ahmad, associate director of real estate adviser Jones Lang LaSalle in Saudi Arabia, says a third of new entrants into the workforce cannot afford a house costing more than $133,000, which in a city like Jeddah buys a small two-bedroom apartment. “The government is doing a lot, but the population is large and how to improve people’s access to cheaper loans is a real challenge,” he said. “There is no quick solution.”

Jeddah resident Muhammad Al-Bakri, 30, and his friends founded the Young Initiative Group, which seeks to address social challenges in their hometown.

“Wherever you go in Saudi, there is a housing crisis,” Bakri said. “When it comes to ‘unplanned areas,’ these people have been there for two, three, four generations.” His perspective changed in 2010 when he and a group of wealthy friends decided to visit the poor Jeddah neighborhood of Harazat and pass out air conditioners to needy families. It was the first time they had been to such an impoverished area, where families live in cramped apartments and children struggle to find shoes.

“When we first came back with the pictures, people asked me where in Africa is this. I told them it is 20 minutes away from where we are,” Bakri said. He says there is a perception among Saudis that official chari-

ties and zakat, or annual donations by Muslims, have dealt with poverty. “Most people are in a bubble. ...

That’s the divide we have,” Bakri said.

Usamah Shehatah has spent countless hours drafting proposals to deal with Jeddah’s slums. He runs the Slum Areas Development Department for the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company, Saudi Arabia’s first municipality-owned agency tasked with tackling the country’s housing gap. Other cities across Saudi Arabia, including Makkah and Riyadh, are following suit with similar models. Shehatah says he hopes the initiative can “recycle” Jeddah’s slums. He has a proposal for transforming the Al-Salamah slum, though residents do not know about it yet and the agency’s board of directors has yet to approve his model.

Recently, the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company oversaw the construction of five dams and reservoirs, and a sixth is nearly complete. The dams were built in the aftermath of the city’s devastating 2009 flash floods that killed more than 100 people and unleashed a wave of criticism against the monarchy. The company is also tasked with building a new city center with a high-speed rail station that links to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. There are also plans for a movie theater that, if approved, would be the first in the ultraconservative country.

Shehatah says that to successfully restore poor neighborhoods like the Al-Salamah slum, the city must take into account their history and residents’ right to participate in decision-making. “Regeneration is urban, social, economic, security and even - let me dream a little bit - we have to deal with behaviors of people,” he said. “So if you have a plan for all these, people will not say no.”

A foundation set up by King Abdullah is prepared to assist Al-Salamah residents with finances and skills training to ensure they have access to the new hous-

ing and better jobs. Under the proposal, issues related to ownership and deeds would be settled out of court.

Construction would take place street by street, with poor Saudi residents given temporary housing until new buildings are erected.

The plan does not, however, address the needs of foreign migrant workers, who make up two-thirds of the slum’s 2,000 residents, many of them in the kingdom illegally on expired or invalid visas. A campaign launched last year sought to expel such illegal foreigners to create more jobs for Saudis. Foreigners are largely unable to purchase a home in the kingdom. And it remains unclear whether the government has the will to use security measures to forcibly remove foreign workers or if it can meet the demands of its citizens for affordable housing through the project.

With few ways to vent their frustrations in the tightly controlled kingdom, young Saudis have launched an Internet campaign on Twitter under the slogan: “The salary does not cover the needs.” It is aimed at pressuring the government to raise salaries in the public sector, where most Saudis work. Nidal Taiba, vice president for development at the Jeddah Development and Urban Regeneration Company, says the agency was created in 2008 to cut through government red tape and bureaucracy and begin immediate work on new housing projects.

With almost a third of Saudis under the age of 15 and more than half under 25, Taiba says supply for affordable housing simply can’t keep up.”It’s not for lack of effort that we have this shortage. It’s simply because demographics are working against us,” he said. Slums, Taiba said, are the result of failing to keep up with demand because whatever housing that is put on the market is out of reach for a large chunk of society. “It is either too expensive or it’s too scarce and people just have to end up making ends meet,” he said. — AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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Issues

Power struggle between Turkey leaders heats up

By Dilay Gundogan

T

he deepening corruption scandal shaking Turkey’s political establishment seems to have pitted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan against his longtime political ally President Abdullah Gul, observers say. Although the two leaders have never openly positioned themselves against each other, they now seem to have trouble concealing the discord between them over the role of the judiciary in the high-profile graft probe that poses the most serious challenge to Erdogan’s 11 years in power.

“It would not be a surprise if Gul, who is in favour of a stance that prevents the row from becoming more ‘bloody’, threw more weight behind the issue,” said Oral Calislar, a columnist for the liberal daily Radikal. Erdogan, grappling with a damaging graft inquiry that targeted cabinet ministers and top businessmen, has been in a battle with the judiciary since the corruption scandal broke out last month. The Turkish strongman has branded the probe as a “smear campaign” to undermine Turkey’s ambitions to become a major political and economic power, and last weekend he called it a “judicial coup”.

Erdogan repeatedly lashed out at Muammer Akkas, a Turkish prosecutor who said he had been prevented from expanding the corruption investigation and described a new police regulation obliging those carrying out probes to inform superiors as “unconstitutional”. Although the regulation was later abolished, the government sought to further clip the wings of the judiciary by proposing legal amendments which will limit the authority of the Higher Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), the country’s top judicial regulatory body.

‘Independence and impartiality’ Amid this fray Gul, who had stayed mum on the issue for a long time, broke his silence and came to the defence of the judiciary. He countered Erdogan by saying that the judiciary should be free from government interference.

“The legislative and executive powers are in a way accountable through elections but the judicial system is in a different position. For them, independence and impartiality is much more important,” Gul said on television last week. The tensions in the Turkish leadership come ahead of crucial local elections in March and presidential poll in August.

Erdogan, who has won three election victories in a row since 2002, is not allowed to run as prime minister for a fourth term because of party regulations. He is believed to have set his sights on the presidency if the constitution is changed to give the post US-style executive powers.

Nihat Ali Ozcan of the private TOBB university in Ankara says there is a personal competition between Erdogan and Gul and that the graft crisis could work more to Gul’s advantage. “This new situation has become an opportunity for Gul,” he said. “He can take real advantage if the problems that threaten Erdogan get worse.”

But Erdogan’s supposed presidential ambition has also raised speculation that Gul could become the prime minister. The president declined to comment on the matter and said: “It is too early for me to say anything on this.”

Calislar observed that while the corruption scandal “has made it necessary to question everything, I do not believe that the trend has changed.” “The most likely scenario is: If Erdogan opts for the presidency and preserves the support he needs to achieve this, it seems that the prime minister and the party leader will be Gul,” he said.

Gul and Erdogan were co-founders of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001. They have long been political allies and have weathered several storms including attempts to ban the AKP and a military tutelage. But signs of discord between them emerged during a government crackdown in June on protesters opposed to plans to develop Istanbul’s Gezi park. The two leaders have since carefully avoided any public confrontation but have been demonstrating different styles in the crisis - Erdogan is seen as authoritarian while Gul has appeared as a unifier.

Gul is also seen as closer to Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Turkish cleric living in the United States whose movement wields considerable influence in the police and judiciary. Gulen is accused by the government of instigating the bribery probe. “We can say that Gul is at a critical point considering where we are in the feud between the government and the Gulen movement. He can play a role that can have an effect on the course of events,” Calislar said. —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.

Huge challenge in Fallujah assault

By WG Dunlop

A

ssaulting militant-held Fallujah, which posed a significant challenge for American forces, would be even more difficult for Iraq and would likely cause significant civilian casualties, experts say. And an attack on the city 60 km west of Baghdad, where gunmen seized control last week, would almost certainly inflame already-high anti-government sentiment, and end any chances for a political solution to the standoff.

“The US Marines had difficulty assaulting Fallujah in 2004. The Iraqi army is not prepared to sustain a comparable fight,” said Jessica Lewis, a former US army intelligence officer who is now research director at the Institute for the Study of War. “The Iraqi army does not have the sort of precision weapons, intelligence and fire discipline to assault Fallujah without causing civilian casualties,” Lewis said.

In an assault, “the Iraqi security forces will most likely level Fallujah by overusing artillery and stand-off weapons to suppress the threat.” Gunmen seized Fallujah and parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi last week, the first time militants have exercised such open control in major cities since the insurgency that followed the 2003 US-led invasion. Both cities are predominantly Sunni Arab and former insurgent strongholds, and both Al-Qaeda-linked militants and anti-government tribesmen have been active in the fighting.

Iraqi soldiers have deployed near Fallujah, but have yet to move against it in force. American forces launched two major assaults on Fallujah in 2004 in which they saw some of their heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War, and past Iraqi experience in attacking militants in a city points to potential problems. In 2008, Iraqi forces launched a major operation, dubbed “Charge of the Knights,” against Shiite militants in the southern port city of Basra, but American forces had to step in to support them - an option not currently available, as the US military withdrew from Iraq in 2011. “Charge of the Knights nearly crashed and burned in the first two days, but massive US assistance saved it. There will be no one to save this operation,” said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In Fallujah, Iraqi forces would face well-armed and experienced foes.

‘Risk of major disaster’ Lewis said that “Fallujah is highly weaponised. Tribal militias and civilians likely personally possess copious small arms, and potentially mortars and surface-to-air missiles,” while Al-Qaeda-linked militants have significant experience with bombs. Issam al-Faili, a political science professor at Mustansiriyah University in Baghdad, said “entering into military operations without clear coordination with the residents of the area will lead to a major disaster”. “There are fighters experienced in urban warfare in the city,” who know Fallujah well, Faili said.

Given the various shortcomings Iraqi forces face, an assault on Fallujah would almost certainly result in significant civilian casualties. “The overall training levels and performance of the army have not been particularly good,” said Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “When you have forces like this, they tend to use excessive firepower and civilians get in the way and civilians get killed.” Lewis agreed, saying “the risk of civilian casualties is very high.”

Civilians in the city were “likely to be armed to the man and to defend their homes against an assault by the Iraqi army,” she said.

And an attack on the city would likely put paid to any hope of a political solution to the standoff. “If the Iraqi army assaults Fallujah, the tribal militias, formalised now under tribal military councils, will organise as an insurgency, and there will not be a political solution,” Lewis said. It would also almost certainly inflame alreadywidespread anger among Iraqi Sunni Arabs, who accuse the government of marginalising and targeting their minority community.

But an assault is by no means a foregone conclusion, with defence ministry spokesman Mohammed Al-Askari saying Tuesday that an attack was on hold over fear of civilian casualties. And a senior US official said the Iraqi army would likely remain outside Fallujah for the time being. “I would not anticipate an imminent move into the city by the armed forces,” the official said. —AFP

Africa sees violent start to 2014

By Jason Straziuso

T

he death tolls are huge and the individual incidents gruesome. One estimate says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in South Sudan in a month of warfare, while in neighboring Central African Republic combatants in Muslim-vsChristian battles have beheaded children.

Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a very violent start to 2014, with raging conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic, as well as continued violence in Congo, and attacks in Somalia and Kenya.

Compared to decades past, Africa and its people are suffering from fewer conflicts today, but several recent outbreaks of violence are cause for concern, said J Peter Pham, director of the Washington-based think tank Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. The conflicts also lack strong international peacekeeping, he said.

“Peacekeeping in Africa, whether under the formal auspices of the United Nations or those of the African Union, suffers today from the same two limitations which they have been burdened with since the very first UN peacekeeping mission, the 19601964 operation in the Congo (ONUC), namely lack of political will resulting in a weak mandate and lack of adequate forces,” he wrote by email.

The conflict that broke out in South Sudan on Dec 15 saw violence radiate across the country as ethnic groups targeted each other. Shortly afterward Uganda dispatched troops and military equipment to aid South Sudan’s central government from breakaway units of that country’s military. Casie Copeland, South Sudan analyst for the International Crisis Group, said violence in Africa tends to involve other countries and noted a “long history of regional involvement in African conflicts”.

The UN Security Council on Friday, however, “strongly discouraged external intervention that would exacerbate the military and political tensions.” The UN has said more than 1,000 people have died in the South Sudan conflict. But Copeland, after speaking to UN workers, aid actors, government officials and combatants, estimates nearly 10,000 have died. Civilians in the Central African Republic - a country where violence pits Muslims against Christians - have suffered terribly since

armed rebels overthrew the president in March 2013. The mostly Muslim fighters were blamed for scores of atrocities during their rule, and inter-communal violence exploded last month leaving more than 1,000 dead in a matter of days.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF says that two children have been beheaded, and that “unprecedented levels of violence” are being carried out on children. An estimated 935,000 people have been uprooted throughout the countr y.

Thousands of French troops and regional African peacekeepers are trying to temper the mob violence. The country’s president, Michel Djotodia, the rebel leader who seized control of the country, agreed to resign Friday along with his prime minister.

The resignations could create an even greater power vacuum in a land with a history of coups and dictatorship. Djotodia had solidified his power with the help of mercenary fighters from Chad and Sudan.

John Prendergast, co-founder of the DC-based activist group the Enough Project, told a panel this past week at the Brookings Institute discussing Africa’s greatest challenges in 2014 that international and regional conflict management systems must stop addressing conflicts in isolation, but rather deal with them as integrated conflict systems. That includes adopting comprehensive peace processes and understanding long-term drivers of conflict in negotiations, he said.

Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia, long one of the continent’s most violent countries, detonated two car bombs on New Year’s Day, killing at least a half dozen people. Neighboring Kenya, which has forces in Somalia, was hit with a grenade attack the next day on a coastal bar and nightclub, wounding 10 people. Kenya on Friday announced a military operation in Somalia it said killed 30 militants. Kenya has troops in Somalia, as does Uganda.

But Pham argues that the continent’s conflicts are not receiving enough international peacekeepers. He notes that the UN Security Council, before the recent South Sudan violence, had been asking if peacekeeping numbers there could be reduced.

Since the outbreak of violence in S outh Sudan, the S ecurit y Council reversed course and increased troop numbers from 7,000 to 12,500. “Not only is there a dearth of political will and the lack of an adequate mandate, for all the talk of ‘African solutions to African problems,’ the fact remains that there are inadequate investments of the right kind in the security sector in Africa so that when crises erupt, one is left to rob Peter to pay Paul,” Pham said. “Blue-helmeted forces are having to be shifted from other missions to beef up (South Sudan’s UN mission) today, just as French and Chadian troops were moved from Mali to the CAR just last month.” —AP

In this Dec 9, 2013 file photo, a Christian man chases a suspected Seleka officer in civilian clothes with a knife near the airport in Bangui, Central African Republic. —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

S P ORTS

Rosell targeted over Neymar BARCELONA: Barcelona have reacted angrily to a request by the state prosecutor to open proceedings against club president Sandro Rosell for the alleged misappropriation of funds in last year’s purchase of Neymar.

The Brazil forward signed for the Spanish champions in the close season for 57.1 million euros ($78.1 million), of which 17.1 million euros went to his former club Santos.

Barca club member Jordi Cases filed a complaint seeking clarification over what happened to the remaining 40 million euros and on Friday the state prosecutor asked the judge overseeing the case to open proceedings against Rosell, who denies wrongdoing.

The judge has yet to rule on the prosecutor’s request.

“Barcelona Football Club wishes to express its most energetic indignation about the report by the state prosecutor on the signing of Neymar Da Silva Santos Junior,” Barca said in a statement on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es) yesterday.

“The operation to sign Neymar Da Silva Santos Junior was complex, an example of business engineering, and we have repeatedly expressed the confidential nature of some of its agreements,” they added. “Our rivals were prepared to conduct the same operation for much more money but (FC Barcelona) won through thanks to the skill and expertise of its negotiating team. —Reuters

Horner misses Vuelta unveiling CADIZ: Champion Chris Horner, without a team for 2014, missed the unveiling of this year’s Tour of Spain route yesterday and may not defend his title this year. Horner, the oldest winner of any grand tour after victory in the three-week Spanish race last September aged 41, left the American RadioShack squad at the end of 2013.

Barring a last-minute signing, the Oregon-based rider will not be at the start of the race in the Andalusian town of Jerez de la Frontera on August 23. “We invited him, and he is totally welcome. We are very proud of our winners and Horner is the current defending champion,” Vuelta director Javier Guillen told journalists.

“Maybe he didn’t want to come because he has no team, but I really don’t know the reason.” Alberto Contador of Spain, double Tour de France winner and a former team mate of the American, looks the favorite for the 3,181.5-km race this year.“See you in Jerez next August 23rd,” Contador, who won the Vuelta in 2008 and 2012, told reporters in a televised message from his Canary Islands base. Eight summit finishes, starting with a 5km ascent to the mountain town La Zubia in eastern Andalusia on stage six, will favour the climbers. Stage 11’s 10km ascent to San Miguel de Aralar in the province of Navarre on narrow, exposed cement trackways could separate the favourites from the also-rans. — Reuters

Rooney calls for United unity LONDON: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has urged the club’s supporters to remain behind the team as the faltering English champions seek to pull out of their current tailspin.Having been beaten by Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Sunderland in their first three games of 2014, United are at risk of losing four consecutive matches for the first time since October 1961.

However, he has called on United’s fans to give their full support to the team and manager David Moyes as they seek to avenge last weekend’s 2-1 loss to the Welsh club in the FA Cup. “The crowd can help the team’s confidence massively so hopefully everyone will get behind the lads and stay with them and the manager throughout the game,” he wrote on his official Facebook page.

Moyes says that Rooney should return in time for next weekend’s trip to Chelsea, but his strike partner Robin van Persie remains sidelined with a thigh injury. Former manager Alex Ferguson is expected to attend the Swansea game, but Moyes has dismissed suggestions that the presence of his storied predecessor at United’s matches is an unwelcome distraction.

“It tells you that people don’t know me and don’t know Sir Alex,” Moyes told the club’s in-house television station, MUTV.—AFP

Nets beat Heat, Warriors roll NEW YORK: Joe Johnson scored 32 points, Shaun Livingston helped Brooklyn dominate the second overtime after LeBron James fouled out, and the Nets beat the Miami Heat 104-95 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.

Livingston had two baskets and two blocked shots in the second OT, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists over 51 minutes in a sensational effort while starting for injured Deron Williams. Paul Pierce scored 23 points but missed jumpers that could have won it at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Still, the Nets remained unbeaten in 2014, adding a victory over the two-time defending NBA champions to their recent wins over Oklahoma City and Golden State.

James had 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Heat, but fouled out on an offensive foul with 36 seconds left in the first overtime and the Heat trailing by two.

Miami pushed it to a second overtime without him, but it was all Nets from there against a Heat team that was already missing Dwyane Wade and two other starters.

WARRIORS 99, CELTICS 97 Stephen Curry hit a go-ahead jumper with 2.1 seconds left, lifting Golden State over the skidding Boston Celtics in its first

the bench. Thaddeus Young scored 22 points for the Sixers, who have lost three straight after reeling off four consecutive road wins. Detroit outrebounded the Sixers 62-42, tying the arena record for offensive rebounds with 25.

The 76ers said Smith became the third player in NBA history with 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and four steals in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other two were Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who did it twice.

TIMBERWOLVES 119, BOBCATS 92 Nikola Pekovic scored 26 points in 27 minutes and Minnesota blew off some steam by beating Charlotte. Kevin Love had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Kevin Martin added 19 points and Minnesota’s bench had 20 points before Charlotte’s reserves even got on the board late in the second quarter.

Anthony Tolliver scored 21 for the Bobcats, who have lost seven of eight. The Timberwolves lost 104-103 to Phoenix on Wednesday and fell to 0-10 in games decided by four points or fewer. The tension carried into the locker room where Love, recently critical of a particularly paltry output by the reserves, ripped J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham for their disinterested body language at the end of the bench.

MAVERICKS 107, PELICANS 90 Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, Monta Ellis added 23 and Dallas sent short-handed New Orleans to its fourth straight loss. Vince Carter added 14 points and Jae Crowder 12 for Dallas, which never trailed. The Mavericks led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter over a Pelicans squad minus starting point guard Jrue Holiday and leading scorer Ryan Anderson.

Holiday missed his first game with a stress fracture in his right shin. Anderson went down last week with a herniated disk. Eric Gordon scored 27 points for New Orleans, while Anthony Davis added 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots.

PACERS 93, WIZARDS 66 David West scored 20 points and C.J. Watson had 16, leading the Pacers to a win over the Wizards. Indiana (29-7) used an 11-3 run in the third quarter to create separation from Washington. Two field goals from West capped off the swing, which put the Pacers up 56-40.

Trying for their first four-game win streak on the road since February 2008, the Wizards (16-18) stumbled at the foul line. They finished 9 of 23 on free throws, hitting just five of their first 14. Washington lost to the Pacers for the 11th time in 12 tries and haven’t won at Indiana since April 18, 2007. Washington was led by Bradley Beal with 17 points.

GRIZZLIES 104, SUNS 99 Mike Conley matched his career high with 31 points, and the Grizzlies used a fourth-quarter burst to overtake the Suns.

Zach Randolph had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis, while Ed Davis had 10 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Suns 53-44. Mike Miller finished with 11 points. Randolph tied his season high in assists with seven.

Goran Dragic led the Suns with 21 points and eight assists, connecting on 6 of 10 shots. Markieff Morris came off the Phoenix bench for 17 points.

NEW YORK: Chris Andersen No. 11 of the Miami Heat and Kevin Garnett No. 2 of the Brooklyn Nets battle for the ball during their game at the Barclays Center. — AFP game back home after a 6-1 road trip.

Curry came off a pick-and-roll with David Lee before hitting the high-arching shot over center Kris Humphries to electrify the sellout crowd of 19,596. Gerald Wallace missed a 3pointer at the buzzer, sending Boston to its seventh straight loss. Two nights after its 10-game winning streak ended at Brooklyn, Golden State gave its home fans another memory to savor.

Andre Iguodala had 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Curry finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Jeff Green made the tying jumper with 11.6 seconds to play for Boston, getting a friendly bounce off the rim. Green finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Jared Sullinger had 21 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which has lost 10 of 11. The Celtics are 0-4 on their five-game road trip, which ends Saturday night at Portland.

CLIPPERS 123, LAKERS 87 Blake Griffin had 33 points and 12 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers shot 71 percent in the first quarter on the way to their largest victory ever over the downtrodden Lakers.

Darren Collison had 20 points and seven assists, J.J. Redick added 19 points in his return, and DeAndre Jordan had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the Clippers’ third straight win and fifth in six games. They improved to 17-3 at home, secondbest in the NBA. Kendall Marshall scored 16 points for the Lakers, who have lost four straight and 10 of 11. Pau Gasol had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. They had 21 turnovers and shot 34 percent. Both teams were missing their resident superstars: Chris Paul has a separated right shoulder and Kobe Bryant has a fractured left knee, his second major injury this season.

HAWKS 83, ROCKETS 80 Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houston’s late comeback. Paul Millsap also had 20 points for the Hawks, who earned their second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Houston rallied from an eight-point deficit with 11 straight points to lead 76-73 before Korver’s 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carroll’s 3pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didn’t trail again.

PISTONS 114, 76ERS 104 Josh Smith had 22 points in an outstanding all-around game, Brandon Jennings made four 3-pointers in the second half and Detroit snapped a six-game losing streak with a comeback victory over Philadelphia. Five other players scored in double figures for the Pistons, who averaged just 88.8 points during their skid. Jennings had 18 of his 19 points in the second half. Kyle Singler and Will Bynum each had 16 off

NBA results/standings Indiana 93, Washington 66; Detroit 114, Philadelphia 104; Atlanta 83, Houston 80; Memphis 104, Phoenix 99; Minnesota 119, Charlotte 92; Dallas 107, New Orleans 90; Brooklyn 104, Miami 95 (OT); Chicago 81, Milwaukee 72; Cleveland 113, Utah 102; Sacramento 103, Orlando 83; Golden State 99, Boston 97; LA Clippers 123, LA Lakers 87.

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

Portland Oklahoma City Denver Minnesota Utah LA Clippers Golden State Phoenix LA Lakers Sacramento San Antonio Houston Dallas Memphis New Orleans

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 17 17 .500 15 21 .417 13 22 .371 13 24 .351 12 24 .333 Central Division 29 7 .806 16 18 .471 15 22 .405 13 23 .361 7 28 .200 Southeast Division 27 10 .730 20 17 .541 16 18 .471 15 22 .405 10 26 .278 Western Conference Northwest Division 27 9 .750 27 9 .750 18 17 .514 18 18 .500 12 26 .316 Pacific Division 26 13 .667 25 14 .641 21 14 .600 14 23 .378 12 22 .353 Southwest Division 28 8 .778 23 14 .622 21 16 .568 16 19 .457 15 20 .429

GB 3 4.5 5.5 6 12 14.5 16 21.5 7 9.5 12 16.5

8.5 9 16 1 3 11 11.5 5.5 7.5 11.5 12.5

BULLS 81, BUCKS 72 Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back from a right knee injury, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 18 points and the Bulls beat the Bucks. Taj Gibson added 12 points at the Bradley Center, where a healthy sprinkling of Bulls fans wearing red celebrated the team’s fourth straight win. They almost watched Chicago waste a 15-point lead. The Bucks opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to get to within three. A long jumper from Ersan Ilyasova (14 points) got the Bucks to 71-70 with 5:42 left. But the Bulls hung on, even after Boozer missed two foul shots with 3:42 left with his team up by three. The Bucks missed their final 11 shots.

CAVALIERS 113, JAZZ 102 Kyrie Irving had 25 points and eight assists to lead Cleveland over Utah in Luol Deng’s first game with the Cavaliers. Irving scored 17 points in the third quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a 15-point lead as Cleveland snapped Utah’s season-high four-game home winning streak. Deng had 10 points in his Cavs debut.

Tristan Thompson had 18 points and 15 rebounds, while C.J. Miles and Dion Waiters each scored 17 to help the Cavaliers win their first road game since Dec. 13 in Orlando.

Playing without leading scorer Gordon Hayward, sidelined by a strained hip, the Jazz were paced by Richard Jefferson’s 18 points. Trey Burke had 17 points and six assists, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter right before Irving sparked Cleveland’s key surge.

KINGS 103, MAGIC 83 DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Rudy Gay added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Sacramento beat the undersized Orlando Magic.

The Kings won back-to-back home games for the first time since a three-game string in March 2013. Tobias Harris had 16 points and Aaron Afflalo scored 15 for Orlando, which matched a season high with its sixth straight loss. The Magic didn’t have a starter taller than 6-foot-9 and set season lows for points and shooting (33 percent). —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

S P ORT S

Blue Jackets halt Hurricanes COLUMBUS: Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves and Cam Atkinson had a goal and an assist to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets past Carolina 3-0 on Friday night, ending the Hurricanes’ season-best five-game winning streak.

Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won three of four. Playing his first game in front of the home fans after missing the first 40 games due to shoulder surgery, offseason free-agent acquisition Nathan Horton contributed with a first-period hit that led to Jenner’s goal.

The teams came in separated by five points in the Metropolitan Division, with the Hurricanes tied for fourth and the Blue Jackets in seventh.

Bobrovsky, who picked up his second shutout of the season, was making his first start at home in more than a month. He missed 14 games with a strained groin before winning at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers, 43 in a shootout, on Monday night.

wide-open net 1:01 into extra time. Taylor Hall and Anton Belov also scored for the Oilers, who won for just the fourth time in 15 games. James Neal, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang scored for the Penguins, who had their three-game win streak halted. It was just Pittsburgh’s third loss in 15 games.

CAPITALS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2 Joel Ward scored the go-ahead goal with just over 8 minutes left in the third period, and Alex Ovechkin added a goal and an assist as the Washington Capitals edged the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Nicklas Backstrom also scored, and goalie Michal Neuvirth made 32 saves in his first game in seven weeks as the Capitals won on back-to-back nights for the fourth time this year.

It was the fourth straight loss for Toronto after a 3-2 victory over Detroit on Jan. 1 in the Winter Classic, and the Maple Leafs have been outscored 21-7 in the defeats.

James Van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel each had a goal and an assist.

NHL results/standings

RANGERS 3, STARS 2 Rick Nash snapped a tie with 1:58 left, and the New York Rangers sent the Dallas Stars to their fifth straight loss.

Nash poked a rebound of Chris Kreider’s shot past Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen to give New York its first lead of the game.

Ryan Callahan and Derick Brassard both erased onegoal deficits, Brad Richards had two assists, and Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves for the Rangers, who improved to 7-2-1 in their past 10 games.

Ryan Garbutt and Cody Eakin both had a goal and assist, but the Stars remained winless in 2014. Lehtonen stopped 31 shots for Dallas, which went 0-3 on its threegame trip through the New York metropolitan area.

ISLANDERS 2, AVALANCHE 1 Michael Grabner knocked in a shot from the slot at 1:46 of overtime, giving the New York Islanders a win over the Colorado Avalanche.

It was the sixth road win in a row for the Islanders, who forced the overtime when Brock Nelson’s goal early in the third period evened the score.

Brian Strait helped set up the game winner with a pass to Grabner in the Avalanche zone. Goalie Kevin Poulin, who had 30 saves, won his fourth straight decision and improved to 5-1 in his last six games. Nathan MacKinnon, who leads NHL rookies in points, scored the lone goal for the Avalanche.

OILERS 4, PENGUINS 3 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, and added an assist as the Edmonton Oilers came from behind to stun the Eastern Conferenceleading Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Oilers tied it late in regulation and had a power play to start the overtime session. Jordan Eberle made a perfect pass to Nugent-Hopkins, who snapped the puck into a

CANUCKS 2, BLUES 1 Mike Santorelli scored the tiebreaking goal in the third and Eddie Lack made 29 saves as the Vancouver Canucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Zac Dalpe also scored for Vancouver, which won for the first time in the new year. Alex Pietrangelo scored for St. Louis, which snapped a seven-game winning streak. Brian Elliott made 20 saves as the Blues failed to pick up at least a point on the road for the first time in nine games. — AP

NY Rangers 3, Dallas 2; Washington 3, Toronto 2; Columbus 3, Carolina 0; NY Islanders 2, Colorado 1 (OT); Edmonton 4, Pittsburgh 3 (OT); Vancouver 2, St. Louis 1.

Anaheim San Jose Los Angeles Vancouver Phoenix Calgary Edmonton St. Louis Chicago Colorado Minnesota Dallas Nashville Winnipeg

Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF 33 8 5 155 28 11 6 148 27 13 5 118 24 13 9 123 21 13 9 130 15 23 6 100 15 27 5 123 Central Division 31 8 5 161 29 8 9 169 27 12 5 128 24 17 5 112 20 17 7 125 19 20 6 108 19 22 5 125

GA 116 115 93 114 131 142 164

PTS 71 62 59 57 51 36 35

99 127 113 115 135 135 139

67 67 59 53 47 44 43

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Boston 28 14 2 128 98 58 Tampa Bay 26 14 4 126 106 56 Montreal 25 15 5 115 106 55 Detroit 19 15 10 115 125 48 Toronto 21 20 5 125 141 47 Ottawa 19 18 8 129 145 46 Florida 17 21 6 104 137 40 Buffalo 12 26 5 75 120 29 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 32 12 2 150 111 66 Philadelphia 23 17 4 117 119 50 Washington 22 16 6 135 133 50 NY Rangers 23 20 3 114 123 49 Carolina 19 17 9 111 128 47 New Jersey 18 18 9 104 113 45 Columbus 20 20 4 120 126 44 NY Islanders 17 22 7 126 150 41 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

DUBAI: Pakistan batsman Sarfraz Ahmed (left) plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene looks on during the fourth day of the second cricket Test match. — AFP

Misbah leads Pakistan’s resistance to foil Sri Lanka DUBAI: Skipper Misbah-ul Haq led Pakistan’s resistance with a gritty 97 to thwart Sri Lanka’s victory bids on the fourth day of the second Test in Dubai yesterday.

Misbah missed his sixth Test hundred by a mere three runs but a career best 70 not out by Sarfraz Ahmed and a defiant 32 by Bilawal Bhatti kept Pakistan’s fight to take them to 330-7 at close on a cloudy day. When bad light and drizzle ended play 15 overs before schedule, Saeed Ajmal was on seven and Pakistan were leading by 107 runs with a full day’s play remaining.

Sarfraz added an invaluable 67 runs for the seventh wicket with Bhatti to frustrate the Sri Lankan bowlers who bowled with discipline and patience on a pitch which had little response for bowlers.

Sri Lanka will look for an early wrap up of Pakistan’s second innings to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhbai last week.

The third and final Test will be played in Sharjah from Thursday. When left-arm spinner Rangana Herath spun one across Misbah’s bat to hit the off stump just 20 minutes before tea it looked as if the match would be over soon but Sarfraz and Bhatti kept the fight before Eranga bowled Bhatti in the dying moments.

Sarfraz said he felt more responsibility after Misbah’s fall. “When I was playing with Misbah, he was guiding me,” said Sarfraz. “But when he got out I felt more responsibility and I will continue to fight today and if we add another 100 then we can win this match.”

Sarfraz improved on his highest Test score of 40 he made against South Africa at Centurion earlier this year by posting his maiden half century. He has so far hit seven boundaries during his 123-ball stay.

Sri Lanka had a good chance of dismissing Sarfraz at 51 but paceman Suranga Lakmal dropped a regulation caught and bowled chance to add to his team’s woes after Misbah foiled them for nearly two sessions. Misbah’s valiant effort helped Pakistan avoid their first-ever innings defeat against Sri Lanka before his 412-minute resistance ended.

Herath said Sri Lanka will look for early wickets. “The pitch is still 50-50 so if we can get them for another 50 more we can win,” said Herath.

Misbah, who took 38 balls to add to his overnight score of 53, hit eight boundaries and a six under difficult circumstances.

He added an invaluable 129 for the fourth wicket with Younis Khan (77), 52 with Asad Shafiq (23) for the fifth and

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the close on the fourth day of the second test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai yesterday.

Pakistan first innings 165 Sri Lanka first innings 388 Pakistan second innings (Overnight 132-3) Khurram Manzoor c P. Jayawardene b Pradeep 6 Ahmed Shehzad c P. Jayawardene b Herath 9 Mohammad Hafeez c P. Jayawardene b Pradeep 1 Younus Khan c P. Jayawardene b. Lakmal 77 Misbah-ul-Haq b Herath 97 Asad Shafiq b Karunaratne b Eranga 23 Sarfraz Ahmed not out 70 Bilawal Bhatti b Eranga 32 Saeed Ajmal not out 7 Extras (b-1, lb-7) 8 Total (7 wickets; 123.3 overs) 330 Still to bat: Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan Fall of wickets: 1-11 2-12 3-19 4-148 5-200 6-245 7-312 Bowling (to date): Lakmal 22-3-62-1, Pradeep 19-3-50-2, Herath 43.3-8-124-2, Eranga 33-9-70-2, Mathews 5-1-9-0, Sangakkara 1-0-7-0.

45 for the sixth with Sarfarz to help Pakistan avoid innings defeat but finally succumbed to some persistent effort from Herath who has figures of 2-124.

Paceman Nuwan Pradeep had the best figures of 2-50 while Eranga took 2-70. Pakistan resumed on 132-3 and needed Younis and Misbah to dig deep but Younis tried to drive a slightly wide delivery from Lakmal, managing only to edge it to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who held his eighth catch of the match.

Younis batted for 235 minutes and hit five boundaries, adding 129 runs for the third wicket with his skipper. Sri Lanka took the second new ball with the score at 198-4 and were instantly rewarded in the second over when Eranga had Shafiq caught in the slip.

Both Misbah and Sarfraz survived confident leg-before appeals-with the skipper reverting Indian umpire Sundaram Ravi’s decision on 78 to add to Sri Lanka’s daylong frustration. — AFP

Stuard leads in Hawaii, Scott lurks

COLUMBUS: Corey Tropp No. 26 of the Columbus Blue Jackets stick checks Andrej Sekera No. 4 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Nationwide Arena. — AFP

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HAWAII: Masters champion Adam Scott made an ominous move up the leaderboard late in the day after little-known American Brian Stuard had seized control of the $5.6 million Sony Open in Hawaii during Friday’s second round.

Stuard spectacularly eagled his final hole, the par-five ninth, to shoot a five-under-par 65 on another gorgeous, sun-splashed day with barely a hint of wind at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

The 31-year-old from Michigan ended his round in champion style, hitting a superb hybrid three-iron from 214 yards to just two feet for a tap-in putt as he posted a 10-under total of 130.

That left Stuard one stroke in front of Australian Marc Leishman (64) and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara (65), with American Harris English (66) a further shot back at eight under.

“I feel comfortable on the greens,” Stuard, who has twice finished second on the PGA Tour in pursuit of a maiden victory, told reporters. “I feel like I read them pretty well and I’m able to make putts.” Australian world number two Scott, the highest-ranked player in a surprisingly strong field for the PGA Tour’s first full-field event of the year, lurks just three strokes off the pace after carding a five-birdie 66.

Scott, whose regular caddie Steve Williams is back in his native New Zealand this week for an auto race competition, almost holed out for eagle at the last, his ball hitting the flagstick before bouncing down just six inches from the cup.

That shot was one of many that stunned Scott’s substitute caddie, surfer Benji Weatherley, who had never previously carried a bag in a professional tournament until this week.

“It’s the most fun you could ever have,” Weatherley told Golf Channel

about working for Scott at Waialae this week. “I’ve no nerves because, for one, he’s so good it’s embarrassing. “Every single shot is what you see (as a highlight) on Sports Center, especially that last one. It was unbelievable.”

Scott, who was initially introduced to Weatherley by multiple ASP World Tour Champion surfer Kelly Slater four years ago in San Diego, has been equally impressed this week by his stand-in caddie.

“Benji has been unbelievable,” said Scott, who ended the round in a six-way tie for fifth, level with firstround leader Bae Sang-moon of South Korea (70). “He’s done so good and he’s really getting a knack for it.

“He talked me down on (hole) 18 today. He’s like, ‘It’s not driver, it’s three-wood.’ So he put me in the fairway there.He’s really getting the hang of it.

“We’re having a lot of fun but he’s taking it serious and he knows it’s serious to me. It’s a fun opportunity, I think, for both of us.” World num-

ber seven Zach Johnson, who clinched his 11th PGA Tour title at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua on Monday, carded a 67 to end the second round five strokes off the pace.

Also at five under was fellow American James Hahn, who produced the shot of the day by holing out from 193 yards in the right rough for a rare albatross (threeunder par) at the par-five ninth.

It was the first albatross of the PGA Tour ’s 2013-14 season and helped Hahn to a 68. The cut fell at one-under 139 with former world number one Vijay Singh, 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir and Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa among those missing out.

Jordan Spieth, the 2013 PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year and a runner-up last week at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, also failed to advance after carding a 71. Due to a forecast for poor weather on Saturday, tee times have been brought forward for the third round. — Reuters

HONOLULU: Brian Stuard plays a shot on the 15th hole during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

S P ORT S

Twenty years on, Kerrigan-Harding still mesmerize LOS ANGELES: Twenty years on, the shocking assault on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan that was later tied to cohorts of her rival and 1994 US Olympic teammate Tonya Harding, maintains the power to mesmerize.

The attack, in which gold medal contender Kerrigan was clubbed on the leg leaving a practice session at the US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, occurred on January 6 of 1994.

In the ensuing weeks, a sordid saga unfolded, with Harding steadfastly denying that she had any prior knowledge of a plot hatched by her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly to hire “hit man” Shane Stant to disable Kerrigan in a bid to boost Harding’s Olympic hopes.

The scandal was a media sensation, creating a surge of interest in figure skating in the United States that peaked when the two women competed against each other at the Lillehammer Games.

Kerrigan, who had quietly worked to rehabilitate her injury in order to compete, captured the silver medal, only a hair’s breadth behind Ukrainian Oksana Baiul.

Harding, allowed to compete by the US Olympic Committee only after threatening a multi-million-dollar lawsuit, finished eighth.

Nanette Burstein, director of an ESPN documen-

tary on the scandal, “The Price of Gold,” said she was struck by how the massive media coverage at the time-launched by harrowing television pictures of an injured Kerrigan weeping “Why? Why?”-proved a harbinger of how such stories would come to be treated by the media.

“What’s interesting is that ‘94 was one of those years where things really started to change as far as our media,” Burstein told AFP. “It was the beginning of the 24-hour news cycle on television and was really the beginning of major news outlets covering what previously were considered tabloid stories as the top-of-the-hour story every day. “Obviously that’s become exponential in the last 20 years,” Burstein said.

“This was really a turning point.” Thanks to the melodrama, an astonishing 48.5 percent of US households tuned in to watch the Olympic women’s short program on February 23, 1994 — even though it was a tape-delayed broadcast.

The boom lingered for a few years, Kerrigan turning pro and reaping the rewards of her skating achievements as well as the notoriety of the case.

‘I was not involved’ Harding was banished from the sport after admit-

ting she had learned of Gillooly’s involvement in the attack after the fact but failed to inform authorities.

Harding pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution and was sentenced to three years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and a $160,000 fine.

In “The Price of Gold,” set to premiere on January 16, Harding reiterates that she had no prior knowledge of the attack.

“Everybody out there that truly knows me knows I was not involved in the planning,” she said.

As the Sochi Winter Olympics approach, Harding will be far from the spotlight, living in her native Oregon with her husband and toddler son. Kerrigan will again be welcomed into the Olympic fold as a commentator for US broadcaster NBC. The 44-year-old Kerrigan, who has three children with her husband and agent Jerry Solomon, says she doesn’t dwell on the attack, and doesn’t want to be thought of as a victim.

“That was a part of my life that was just bizarre,” Kerrigan said this week as NBC announced her Sochi role. “To be remembered as a victim of an attack as opposed to having two Olympic medals and all the hard work that went into it, I hope that doesn’t overshadow everything that I did. It was just a moment.”

Perhaps for that reason, Kerrigan opted not to participate in “The Price of Gold,” in which Burstein focuses on Harding’s unlikely rise in figure skating.

A natural talent with an athletic style, Harding was the first US woman-and only the second woman everto complete a triple axel in competition.

She earned silver at the 1991 World Championships, but Harding also had a hard edge that often put her at odds with a skating establishment that preferred its ladies’ champions to be in the “ice princess” mold. “She was such an unlikely person to be an ice skater,” Burstein said. “It’s like she has her talent in the wrong sport at the wrong time.”

That’s exactly why, Burstein said, Harding’s story was so compelling. “I think Nancy’s story is unbelievably admirable,” Burstein said.

“She got injured six weeks before the Olympics.

This is the pivotal moment of her life .. this horrible thing happens to her, there’s a media maelstrom surrounding her.

“And she comes back and skates beautifully and wins the silver medal. It is the triumph over adversity, sort of the typical athlete’s story. “Tonya’s story is more complicated. There are many different shades, good or bad.” — AFP

Del Potro wins Sydney title

AUSTRIA: Austria’s Elisabeth Goergl speeds down the course on her way to win an alpine ski World Cup women’s downhill. — AP

Goergl leads Austrian recovery ALTENMARKT: Eclipsed by Lindsey Vonn in recent seasons, Austrian downhill skiers struck back in Altenmarkt when veteran Elisabeth Goergl led up-and-coming Anna Fenninger in a home one-two yesterday. Goergl, the 2011 world champion in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was the last Austrian winner of a downhill almost exactly two years ago, also on home snow in Bad Kleinkirchheim.

Hampered by health problems, she has struggled for form since and started with the number 28 bib on her back as Fenninger was ready to celebrate her first downhill victory.

But the honors finally went to the 32-yearold skier fondly known at home as “Lizz”, who won in one minute and 47.45 seconds, beating her 24-year-old compatriot by 0.56 seconds.

“To be honest I’m a little bit surprised myself but it’s a piste that suits me and I went for it with boldness and no pressure,” Goergl told

reporters after her fifth World Cup victory.

Vonn’s announcement this week that she would not defend her title in Sochi due to injury has left the race for Olympic gold wide open. Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, winner of the two downhills held in Lake Louise in December was a solid third, 0.63 adrift ahead of in-form Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein.

Nicole Hosp, the erratic 2007 World Cup champion, completed the Austrian recovery in fifth place. The other two winners of a downhill this season are Swiss Lara Gut and Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden, who finishes 11th and 8th in Altenmarkt.

But experience is on Goergl’s side as she won two bronze medals in Vancouver four years ago and proved that the Garmisch worlds, where she sang a song at the opening ceremony before winning two gold, had not been her swansong. — Reuters

SYDNEY: Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro served notice of his strong form ahead of the Australian Open when he crushed defending champion Bernard Tomic 6-3 6-1 in the final of the Sydney International yesterday.

The 2009 US Open champion simply overpowered the talented but inconsistent Australian on Ken Rosewall Arena, bringing the one-sided contest to a close with a booming service winner after 53 minutes to claim his 18th career title.

Playing near faultless tennis, Del Potro served with venom and unleashed powerful forehands and backhands that forced a string of errors from the overwhelmed Tomic.

“Finals never are easy, but I was surprise by my level tonight. I think I played great,” said Del Potro. “My forehand worked perfectly, I made a lot of winners, many aces, played good slices.

Every long rally we played I won all of them.”

Seeded fifth at Melbourne Park, the 25-yearold looks to be approaching the sort of form that secured him his greatest triumph at Flushing Meadows before a wrist injury nearly ended his career.

“In Melbourne playing five-set matches, the body has to respond 100 percent all the time,” he added. “I think I did good preparation during the off-season, and I will see what happens next week.”

Tomic, who faces world number one Rafa Nadal in the first round of the Australian Open next week, admitted Del Potro had been “too good” when the pair shook hands at the net.

American John Isner earlier claimed his second Auckland Open title with a 7-6(4) 7-6(7) victory over an inspired Lu Yen-Hsun in a tight final in New Zealand.

While Lu ultimately came up short in his first final, Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza hammered Klara Zakopalova 6-4 6-0 in hers to clinch a maiden WTA title at the Hobart International.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori was also a winner on Saturday when the lucky loser finalist beat world number seven Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-5 to win the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament.

SYDNEY: Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina (left) holds the winner’s trophy following his defeat of Australia’s Bernard Tomic (right) in the menís singles final at the APIA Sydney International tennis tournament. — AFP In Auckland, Isner crashed down 23 aces but it would take more than his big serve to corral the Taiwanese, who put on a brilliant display of shot-making in his first ATP final.

Lu, number 62 in the world, stunned David Ferrer to end the Spaniard’s three-year reign as champion in the semi-finals but Isner held his nerve when it mattered to edge two tiebreaks and avoid another upset. “I played exceptionally well today and I needed every bit of it to come out on top,” said the American, who is seeded 13th for Melbourne Park and, like Del Potro, will meet a qualifier in the first round.

In Hobart, Muguruza’s dominance and

aggression reduced the experienced Zakopalova to tears of frustration in the second set of the 70minute match.

The 20-year-old was all over Zakopalova’s serve from the start and, having fended off one match point, the Czech conceded the contest with her third double fault.

“I can’t explain in words how happy I feel,” Muguruza said. “Last year I was injured for six months and it’s amazing to be here.”

It was the second day in a row that a qualifier had won her first WTA title at an Australian Open warm-up after Tsvetana Pironkova claimed the Sydney International women’s title. — Reuters

Neureuther grabs WCup giant slalom ADELBODEN: Felix Neureuther overcame a big first-run deficit to win a World Cup giant slalom yesterday for his second straight victory in 2014 as the Sochi Olympics approaches.

The German was only seventh fastest in the morning, but benefited from fading sunshine in the afternoon to finish 0.10 seconds ahead of first-run leader Thomas Fanara of France. Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third, 0.19 behind Neureuther’s combined time of 2 minutes, 34.60 seconds. World champion Ted Ligety of the United States, who was sitting third, skied out when poised to take the lead after being rocked by a rutted bump midway down.

Neureuther’s victory was just the second for Germany in men’s giant slalom in 47 years of World Cup racing, and reduced team director Wolfgang Maier to tears in the finish area. “It’s just unbelievable,” said Neureuther, who matched Max Rieger’s win in March 1973 at Mont Saint-Anne, Canada. “It makes me very proud.” The victory was even more surprising in an era of GS domination by Ligety, Hirscher and Alexis Pinturault of France, who placed fourth Saturday. That trio shared the last 14 World Cup victories dating to February 2012.

“To tell the truth, I never thought in my career I would win a GS,” said the 29-year-old Neureuther, whose seventh World Cup success

followed his slalom triumph on Monday in Bormio, Italy. Ligety, who won this race last year, had little chance to recover after being launched toward a gate as he prepared to make a turn. “It is definitely a kick in the groin,” said Ligety, who dropped to third behind Hirscher in his defense of the World Cup discipline title.

Hirscher earned 60 race points and now leads Pinturault by 75 in the GS standings. Fourtime winner Ligety trails by 120 with three races remaining. “It’s very positive for me about the standings,” said Hirscher, adding that Ligety’s bad luck was “a shocking moment.”

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway placed 12th and retained his lead in the overall World Cup standings, 77 points ahead of two-time defending champion Hirscher.

A typically large and raucous crowd of 29,500 lining the Kuonisbaergli course had only one Swiss racer to cheer in the second run.

Carlo Janka, the Olympic champion in giant slalom, finished 20th, 2.24 behind Neureuther.

Bode Miller of the US skied out midway down the first run when he lost balance in the softening snow with temperatures at 6 C (43 F).

The Adelboden meeting, which featured in the very first week of World Cup racing, concludes Sunday with a slalom. Neureuther and Hirscher will be the favorites. — AP

Clermont edge Harlequins PARIS: Clermont overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to claim a 16-13 victory over Harlequins yesterday and secure a place in the quarter-finals of the European Cup. The win meant the French giants will top Pool 4, having already amassed 19 points from their five games, seven ahead of second-placed Harlequins with a game in hand.

Clermont came out firing and a frantic start saw fly-half Brock James notching up his first penalty in the third minute.

After No 8 Fritz Lee broke away, James landed an inch-perfect crosskick but Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga couldn’t hold it with the line begging, Lee then putting down a try-scoring pass from the resulting line-out. A piece of individual brilliance from Quins’ England scrum-half Danny Care then lit up the Stoop. Care latched on to an unlikely chip ahead from skipper Chris

Robshaw but found himself bound for touch at a lick. Carefully avoiding the whitewash, Care managed a blind one-handed pass behind him, which Matt Hooper caught for a clear run-in. The momentum swung the way of the London club, Evans booting a penalty after his own slick break, with Clermont left to rue their missed chances.

The French club opened the second-half just as they wanted, a cruel bounce from a Morgan Parra chip leaving Quins full-back Mike Brown stranded and Nalaga free to hack through and dot down for a try.

Clermont’s pressing paid off when former All Black winger Sitiveni Sivivatu crossed with eight minutes to play, to draw the scores level, James unable to nail the tricky conversion. The Australian made amends shortly after with a simpler penalty shot to hand the French giants a hard-fought victory.—AFP

Ooredoo provided a warm welcome for Paris Saint-Germain and for visiting fans from across its footprint.

Ooredoo and PSG inspire youngsters DOHA: As a proud sponsor of Paris SaintGermain, Ooredoo took full advantage of the team’s recent visit to Qatar to offer an incredible range of experiences for its customers, particularly young people who want to get more involved in sport.

Paris Saint-Germain was visiting Doha for its Qatar Winter Tour, to prepare for the second half of the season and to take part in a friendly match with Real Madrid - the sixth meeting between the two sides. Ooredoo enabled fans from across its footprint to travel to Doha to enjoy the match, with some 270 fans being flown from Algeria to Qatar following a special competition; plus more than 25 fans from Oman; 24 people from Tunisia; and five from Indonesia being hosted at the match. In addition, 40 lucky Qatar-based supporters attended the match following an Instagram competition.

Ooredoo also enabled a number of media delegations to cover the match, including 20 press representatives from Algeria and four journalists and a blogger from Indonesia.

As part of its commitment to sport, Ooredoo organised a series of special community activities in Qatar with the team, including a once-in-a-lifetime school visit. Members of the Paris SaintGermain team made a surprise appearance at Omar Ibn El Khatab School in Doha to take to the field to play soccer with the students.

Ooredoo also created the opportunity for fans to watch the Paris Saint-Germain team at their training camp, and kept customers up-to-date with a full range of updates on its social media sites.

In addition, Ooredoo organised a special Fan Zone at the Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Madrid match, with a range of activities for visitors.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “Ooredoo has a strong partnership with Paris Saint-Germain, which is focused upon developing young people and helping them reach their full potential. We are working on a series of initiatives across our footprint to encourage more young people to play soccer, including community

coaching sessions. During their visit to Qatar, we were pleased that the team could meet some young people who want to become ‘Champions of Tomorrow’ and inspire them to work for their dreams.”

For the participating companies from across Ooredoo’s footprint, the visit was an incredible opportunity to use the relationship with Paris Saint-Germain to get closer to their customers, and enable customers to see world-class football in Qatar, future host of the FIFA World Cup. Ooredoo is a leading sponsor of the 2012/2013 Ligue 1 Champion Paris SaintGermain, following an agreement signed earlier in 2013 that will run through to 2018. As part of the sponsorship, the Ooredoo logo appears on the back of Paris Saint-Germain team shirts, on the sleeve of training kits, and at the team’s Parc

des Princes Stadium on the pitch-side LED system.

Ooredoo is a major supporter of sport in Qatar, across the Middle East and around the world.

Recently, it became the official partner of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) in Myanmar, its newest market. The sponsorship includes all national men’s and women’s teams, including the national youth teams and Ooredoo is working to enhance the partnership with a full grassroots programme developing talented young footballers into the stars of the future.

Ooredoo is also the official sponsor of the Algerian national team, and has been engaged with the team’s efforts since 2010. It is providing full support for the team in their campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, following their successful qualification.

Paris Saint Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic meets with fans in Qatar.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

S P ORT S

Djokovic, Federer bring in the big guns for help MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer witnessed Andy Murray’s drought-breaking successes after he hired Ivan Lendl as coach, and decided they were due for an overhaul of a major kind.

Both took on past Grand Slam champions ahead of the Australian Open, with Djokovic recruiting Boris Becker to help him try to win a fourth straight title in Melbourne and Federer working out a part-time deal with Stefan Edberg.

“It’s great to see other legends of the sport coming back and trying to help the active tennis players during their careers,” Djokovic said at Friday’s draw.

Murray stuck with eight-time major winner Lendl, a partnership that has so far yielded titles at the US Open and Olympics in 2012 and at Wimbledon last year.

The No. 1-ranked players haven’t yet followed the trend for celebrity coaches. Rafael Nadal tried some new therapies on his knees in the offseason but otherwise has an unchanged team led by his uncle Toni, who has guided his career since childhood. It was good enough to win him 10 titles last year and regain the No. 1 ranking after a seven-month absence from the tour. Serena Williams sought a little bit of extra guidance from a tried and trusted source closer to home this time around, spending time in the offseason with her dad, Richard Williams, in Florida to fine-tune parts of her game.

“My dad has always been, for me, my greatest coach,” Williams said. “He knows me better than anybody else.”

Before her 2013 season Williams worked out in Mauritius with Patrick Mouratoglou’s group. After an upset loss in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park to Sloane Stephens, she rebounded to win 78 of her 82 matches last season.

After opening 2014 with a successful title defense in Brisbane, with Mouratoglou still in the stands, Williams is confident she can end Victoria Azarenka’s two-year reign at Melbourne Park.

Even in Brisbane, where she had back-to-back wins over Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, two of

top half of the draw. Nadal, who won the Qatar Open to start his season, opens against Australia’s Bernard Tomic and has Murray and Federer in his half. He could meet No. 5-ranked Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, in the quarterfinals.

Murray lost in the second round at Doha last week, his first tournament since minor back surgery in late September. Federer reached the final at Brisbane, where he lost to another 32-year-old former No. 1, Lleyton Hewitt.

Djokovic has what appears to be a smoother path to the final, but Becker has already advised him that there’s no such thing as an easy draw at a Grand Slam.

“Boris brings new fresh approach,” Djokovic said.

“He is a true legend of our sport ... and his experience will help me win new trophies.” Djokovic is aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win five Australian titles.

He was in peak form at the end of last season, finishing on a 24-match winning streak after losing the US Open final to Nadal.

With Murray saying it would be “unrealistic” for him to be considered a top contender for the Australian title, and 17-time major winner Federer MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia watches his shot during a training session ahead of the saying he probably wouldn’t be back in peak form Australian Open tennis championship. — AP until March or April, Nadal looms as the main obstacle to Djokovic’s fourth straight Australian her biggest rivals, Williams was getting pointers player to be No. 1 and spent all but seven weeks title. atop the rankings. long-distance from her dad.

Nadal missed the 2013 edition due to injury, so “I had a similar question in 2012. I had such a his last match at Melbourne Park was a 5-hour, 53“He knew what I needed to do, he’s like ‘Serena, you’re not doing A, B, and C, this isn’t what we good year winning two Slams and a gold ... I just minute five-set defeat to Djokovic in the 2012 final. worked on.’” She won’t get a chance to play didn’t think I could do better,” she said.

It has been a decade since Federer won his first Azarenka has a potential fourth-round match Australian title - something he commemorated Sharapova and Azarenka back-to-back in Melbourne, with both on the opposite side of the against Stephens, who had an upset win over with a fundraising exhibition match in front of Serena Williams in the quarterfinals last year. 14,000 fans on Rod Laver Arena this week. draw.

Williams, who hasn’t lost a competitive match Stephens withdrew from the Hopman Cup with a After slipping out of the year-end top five for since August, starts her Australian Open campaign left wrist problem, but is expected to be fit for the the first time since 2002 and winning just one title, against Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty, and has season’s first major. Sharapova was content with Federer realized he needed a fresh approach. So he 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur and two- her run to the semifinals in Brisbane in her first called in Edberg, one of his childhood idols, to help tournament back from injury and working with out. “I really feel I’m on my way back. Who knows? time Australian finalist Li Na in her half of the draw.

Critics have questioned whether Williams can Sven Groenefeld as coach. Her first-round match is Maybe I’m playing my very best in March or April is this season top her achievements of 2013. She won against Bethanie Mattek-Sands. my feeling,” Federer said. “But I still feel there’s a lot Of the “Big Four” men, three are on a loaded possible right now.” — AP 11 titles, including two majors, became the oldest

Atletico, Barca still tied after stalemate

NICE: Toulon’s Mathieu Bastareau (center) is tackled by Cardiff’s Gavin Evans (right) and Josh Navidi during their Heineken European Cup rugby match. — AP

Toulon, Clermont, Munster into European Cup q-finals PARIS: Defending champions Toulon, heavyweight French rivals Clermont, and former winners Munster all secured places in the quarter-finals of the European Cup yesterday.

The day’s results also ensured Ulster will advance as at least one of the two best runners-up. A Jonny Wilkinson-skippered Toulon side had too much power for Cardiff Blues in Pool 2, running out 43-20 winners thanks largely to a completely dominant scrum.

A bonus point for a fourth try at the death - unusually a third penalty try, set Toulon atop their pool on 20 points, with the Blues in second on 13.

“We had a big point to prove after last week,” said Toulon No 8 Steffon Armitage in reference to last week’s 22-21 Top 14 loss to Grenoble which had incensed coach Bernard Laporte.

“All the boys were really up for it today and hopefully we’ll come back better next week.” Winger David Smith scored Toulon’s other try, with Wilkinson booting four penalties and four conversions.

The Blues scored tries through Filo Paulo and Sam Hobbs, with British Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny hitting two penalties and two conversions, but they paid for four yellow cards.

Clermont overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to claim a narrow 16-13 away victory over Harlequins.

The win meant the French giants will top Pool 4, having already amassed 19 points from their five games, seven ahead of second-placed Quins with a game in hand.

“We got the result and qualification as well, it’s a very good thing. It wasn’t a perfect match but what mattered was the four points,” said Clermont coach Vern Cotter, immediately turning his sights on the team’s final pool encounter against Racing-Metro.

“If we play well, we could have a home quarter-final, which is not negligible.”

Clermont came out firing and a frantic start saw fly-half Brock James notching up his first penalty in the third minute.

After No 8 Fritz Lee broke away, James landed an inch-perfect crosskick but Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga couldn’t hold it with the line begging, Lee then putting down a try-scoring pass from the

resulting line-out.

A piece of individual brilliance from Quins’ England scrum-half Danny Care then lit up the Stoop. Care latched on to an unlikely chip ahead from skipper Chris Robshaw but found himself bound for touch at a lick. Carefully avoiding the whitewash, Care managed a blind onehanded pass behind him, which Matt Hooper caught for a clear run-in.

The momentum swung the way of the London club, Evans booting a penalty after his own slick break, with Clermont left to rue their missed chances. The French club opened the second-half just as they wanted, a cruel bounce from a Morgan Parra chip leaving Quins fullback Mike Brown stranded and Nalaga free to hack through and dot down for a try.

Clermont’s pressing paid off when former All Black winger Sitiveni Sivivatu crossed with eight minutes to play, to draw the scores level, James unable to nail the tricky conversion.

The Australian made amends shortly after with a simpler penalty shot to hand the French giants a hard-fought victory.

Munster meanwhile booked their 15th appearance in the last eight as Pool 6 winners after an impressive 20-7 win at Gloucester.

The 2006 and 2008 champions had tries from Keith Earls and Peter O’Mahony to thank for the win.

Elsewhere in Pool 6, Edinburgh beat Perpignan 27-16.

In Pool 5 action, two-time Cup winners Leicester withstood an early onslaught from Italian outfit Treviso to run out 34-19 bonus-point winners.

Flanker Julian Salvi and winger Miles Benjamin each scored a brace of tries, with ex-Perpignan half-back David Mele pitching in with three penalties and a conversion.

Treviso had taken a shock lead through a Lorenzo Cittadini try, converted by Mat Berquist, who also booted four penalties.

The day’s results meant that Pool 5 leaders Ulster - 27-16 winners over Montpellier on Friday - now qualify as at least one of the second best runners-up, with a match against Leicester next week to decide the pool winner. — AFP

MADRID: Atletico Madrid and Barcelona remain locked together on 50 points at the top of La Liga after a 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon yesterday. Barca boss Gerardo Martino had named Lionel Messi and Neymar only on the substitutes bench on their respective returns from injury and illness. However, after a first period devoid of clear-cut chances, Martino introduced Messi at half-time in place of the injured Andres Iniesta.

And the four-time World Player of the Year nearly proved decisive as only a fine save from Thibaut Courtois denied him from grabbing the winner nine minutes from time.

Both sides now lie six points clear of Real Madrid, but Los Blancos can reduce that gap with a win away to Espanyol today.

Encouraged by a raucous home support, Atletico started the brighter and were unlucky not to be ahead after five minutes when Gerard Pique nearly turned Arda Turan’s cross into his own net following a wonderful solo run by the Turkish international.

Thereafter, though, chances were hard to come by in the first 45 minutes as Diego Costa and Pedro Rodriguez saw low efforts comfortably saved at either end. As expected, Barcelona enjoyed the majority of possession, but without their star strike duo they lacked the spark necessary to create anything of note.

Indeed, it was the hosts who had the best opening of the first half on 28 minutes when Miranda flicked on Koke’s corner and Costa just couldn’t turn the ball home on the stretch at the back post. Martino unsurprisingly responded at half-time by introducing Messi for the injured Iniesta, who had to be replaced after receiving a knock on his left knee.

The Argentine had made an instant impact as a substitute in his first appearance in two months as he scored twice against Getafe in the Copa del Rey in midweek.

However, his arrival didn’t signal an immediate turnaround in Barca’s fortunes as Atletico again started the half on the front foot and Costa drilled just wide after more good work from Turan. Neymar was then introduced with 25 minutes remaining for the ineffective Alexis Sanchez. But it was Messi who was to have the next opening moments later as he nodded just wide from Pedro’s cross. Atletico boss Diego Simeone made an offensive change of his own as he went in search of the three points with the in-form Raul Garcia replacing David Villa.

And Garcia nearly made an instant impact as his knockdown found Turan free inside the area, but his low shot was easily handled by Victor Valdes. Messi then forced Courtois into his most strenuous save of the evening with a driven left-footed effort that the Belgian got to well to parry.

However, just like when the sides last met in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup in August, there was to be no goals as both teams emerged with their title hopes intact. — AFP

Spanish League results/standings Athletic Bilbao 6 (Mikel Rico 6, Herrera 10, Laporte 31, Aduriz 52, Ibai Gomez 68, 86-pen) Almeria 1 (Barbosa 34); Celta Vigo 2 (Charles 50, 78) Valencia 1 (Parejo 23); Atletico Madrid 0 Barcelona 0.

Spanish league table before yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Atletico Real Madrid Bilbao Sociedad Villarreal Sevilla Valencia Granada Getafe Espanyol Malaga Levante Celta Vigo Almeria Osasuna Elche Valladolid Vallecano Real Betis

19 19 18 19 18 18 18 19 19 18 18 18 18 19 19 18 18 19 18 18

16 16 14 11 9 9 8 7 7 7 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 4 2

2 2 2 3 5 4 5 2 2 2 4 5 5 4 4 3 5 7 1 5

1 1 2 5 4 5 5 10 10 9 8 8 8 10 10 10 9 9 13 11

53 47 52 32 35 32 35 26 19 20 22 19 17 23 21 15 16 21 18 15

12 11 21 24 23 20 29 31 25 30 24 23 27 31 38 28 27 33 45 36

50 50 44 36 32 31 29 23 23 23 22 20 20 19 19 18 17 16 13 11

MADRID: Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas (centre) in action with Atletico’s Miranda (right) during a Spanish La Liga soccer match.—AP

PSG fail to shine but extend lead at top PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain were not at their very best in their first Ligue 1 game of 2014, but they still managed to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points after coming from behind to beat Ajaccio 2-1.

Bottom club Ajaccio had taken the lead at the Stade Francois-Coty through an early Eduardo goal, but Ezequiel Lavezzi pulled the visitors level before the break and Blaise Matuidi headed in what proved to be the winner after 74 minutes. It was not a classic performance from Laurent Blanc’s side, but they are now five points clear at the top of the table from Monaco, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Montpellier on Friday.

“We knew this would be a difficult match. We needed to be on top of our game in the opening 20 minutes but we were not, and we switched off and conceded a goal,” said Blanc.

“That galvanised them, but we managed to get the equaliser, and in the second half we had chances to put the game to bed. “We have had a little break, and it takes the bodies and heads of the players a little while to get back into things.”

Ajaccio, meanwhile, remain rooted to the foot of the table with just one win to their name all season. They have a meagre nine points to their name and are nine points adrift of safety, meaning that avoiding relegation already looks to be beyond them. “Paris were there for the taking tonight. It’s especially frustrating as we were not rewarded for our efforts,” bemoaned Ajaccio coach Christian Bracconi.

The Corsicans had developed a reputation as something of a bete noire for PSG in recent times, drawing on each of their previous three meetings with the club from the capital. And they took a shock lead after just six minutes, when Mehdi Mostefa’s low ball from the right was helped on by Benjamin Andre and Eduardo appeared to convert at the back post.

They could even have increased their lead soon after when Eduardo crossed and Paul Lasne headed the ball down for captain Johan Cavalli to volley just wide.

However, PSG slowly found their feet and Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired a low free-kick off the base of the post before Edinson Cavani turned and shot narrowly off target.

The equalising goal eventually arrived four minutes before the break, Lavezzi slotting home his third league goal of the campaign from an Ibrahimovic assist at the end of a fine move involving Cavani and Matuidi.

Ajaccio remained very much in the game and Eduardo had an effort well saved by visiting ‘keeper Salvatore Sirigu midway through the second period, but PSG finally got their noses in front with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Substitute Javier Pastore crossed for Ibrahimovic, and the Swede nodded the ball down for Matuidi to score with a diving header from point-blank range.

Ajaccio still could have come away with something from the game had Lasne not missed the target with a header from Eduardo’s cross, while Cavani almost made it 3-1 with a late effort, only for Guillermo Ochoa to make a fine save. Lille can close the gap at the top back down to four points if they beat Reims at home on Sunday night, while Saturday’s later games include fourth-placed Saint-Etienne away to Guingamp and Lyon at home to struggling Sochaux. — AFP

FRANCE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) vies with Ajaccio’s French defender Cedric Hengbart during the French L1 football match. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

S P ORT S

Johnson hat-trick fires Sunderland to victory Fulham 1

Sunderland 4

CARDIFF: West Ham United’s Mark Noble scores the second goal during their English Premier League match at Cardiff City Stadium. — AP

Hammers sink Cardiff to ease pressure on Allardyce Cardiff 0

West Ham 2

CARDIFF: West Ham eased the pressure on under-fire manager Sam Allardyce as they boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a crucial 2-0 victory at Cardiff yesterday.

Allardyce had endured a barrage of criticism after the Hammers were routed 5-0 by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup last weekend and then slumped to a humiliating 6-0 loss at Manchester City in the League Cup semi-final first leg in midweek, But the West Ham supporters who were calling for Allardyce to be sacked were silenced for one weekend at least as their 10man team ground out a much-needed win in south Wales.

Carlton Cole gave them the lead just before half-time and, although James Tomkins was sent off in the second half, Mark Noble sealed West Ham’s first win in seven matches in all competitions with a stoppagetime strike. It was the east Londoners’ first league success since a win over Fulham on November 30.

And with Andy Carroll making a first appearance of the season as a substitute after a lengthy injury absence this was a good day for Allardyce with co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan in attendance. West Ham are now above third bottom Cardiff on goal difference, making it a miserable home debut for new Bluebirds manager Ole

Gunnar Solskjaer. Cardiff survived an early scare when West Ham hit the post inside three minutes. Stewart Downing’s cross missed everyone and cannoned out of the far post, where Tomkins’ follow-up was smothered by David Marshall. But Allardyce suffered a blow in the eighth minute when Guy Demel went down.

Fraizer Campbell had just failed to connect with Peter Odemwingie’s cross and when the ball was quickly put back into the box the striker collided with Demel and Roger Johnson.

Johnson’s elbow appeared to strike Demel and the Ivorian required lengthy treatment before being stretchered off with a suspected broken elbow and facial injuries.

Cardiff looked the more likely to score and they thought they had in the 32nd minute.

Kim Bo-kyung’s shot deflected off Johnson, struck the bar and appeared to cross the line as it came down. No goal was given and Campbell gave away a foul as he bundled Adrian and the ball over the line.

But replays showed the Goal Decision System had been correct, with the ball landing on the line.

West Ham took advantage of that escape to take the lead in the 42nd minute. Matt Taylor picked out Jarvis, and the winger’s weighted pass gave Cole an easy tap in.

Cardiff dominated after that and it seemed they would be rewarded when Tomkins saw red in the 70th minute as he picked up a second booking for a foul on Campbell after earlier being cautioned needlessly for dissent.

But West Ham survived and Noble finished a sweeping break from Carroll’s pass to secure the spoils in the final moments. — AFP

LONDON: Adam Johnson scored a hat-trick as Sunderland won 4-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage in a key game at the bottom of the Premier League table yesterday.

Johnson opened the scoring with a sweetly-struck free-kick just before the half-hour mark and then set up Ki Sung-yeung to make it 2-0. Ki then returned the favour for Johnson to score again midway through the second half after Fulham had reduced the deficit through Steve Sidwell, and he completed his hat-trick from the spot five minutes from time.

The result lifts Sunderland off the bottom of the table and, while they remain in the relegation zone, they are now within two points of the Cottagers, who are 16th.

Gustavo Poyet’s side were fresh from a 2-1 win against Manchester United in midweek in their League Cup semi-final first leg, but they had only managed one win in nine league matches.

They also lost 1-0 to Fulham when the teams met at the Stadium of Light on the opening day of the season but the London club have been particularly suspect defensively in recent weeks, conceding 16 goals in five league matches coming into the weekend.

They went behind with 28 minutes played here. Referee Mike Dean awarded a free-kick 25 yards out, and Johnson stepped up to curl a left-footed shot into the top-right corner of David Stockdale’s net.

The goalkeeper should perhaps have done better, but Johnson was not complaining and he was then the architect when the visitors doubled their lead four minutes before the break.

This time he played a short free-kick from the right low for Ki, whose first-time shot found the net through a crowd of players.

Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen would have had strong words for his players at the interval and they got back into the game in the 52nd minute when Damien Duff’s corner from the right was headed home from inside the sixyard box by an unchallenged Sidwell.

That gave the hosts hope of taking something from the game, but Johnson and Sunderland had other ideas. They restored their two-goal advantage in the 69th minute at the end of a superb counter-attack, as Ki played a one-two with substitute Jozy Altidore and then slipped a terrific ball in behind the home defence for Johnson, who had raced up the right wing and finished low past Stockdale.

The former Manchester City winger was not finished there though. When Altidore was brought down inside the box by Philippe Senderos with five minutes to go, Johnson stepped up to slot home the resulting penalty and seal a convincing win for the visitors.

Fulham have now conceded four goals or more in four of their last six games, and a disappointing day for them was summed up when Vito Mannone somehow denied Sidwell from point-blank range right at the death. — AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings) English Premier League

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Jermain Defoe (center) prepares to shoot to score their second goal as Crystal Palace’s English defender Joel Ward gets his foot to the ball during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

Defoe on target as Spurs defeat Palace Tottenham 2

Crystal Palace 0

LONDON: Jermain Defoe began his Tottenham Hotspur swansong with a smartly taken goal as his side won 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League yesterday.

Spurs announced on Friday that the longserving striker will join Major League Soccer side Toronto FC in February and he kicked off his farewell tour with a 72nd-minute goal after coming on as a substitute. Christian Eriksen had opened the scoring for Spurs early in the second half, after Jason Puncheon spurned an opportunity to put Palace ahead in the eighth minute with a horribly mishit penalty. Victory got Spurs back to winning ways after they lost at Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend and lifted them to fifth place, while results elsewhere saw Palace slip to the foot of the table.

Palace had nonetheless started the game in enterprising fashion, with Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh paired together up front, and they saw Puncheon drag an early shot wide from the edge of the box.

Nadil Bentaleb replied for Spurs with a 25yard effort that Julian Speroni saved at the sec-

ond attempt, before Puncheon fluffed his lines in spectacular fashion. Mousa Dembele was penalised for running into Chamakh inside the Spurs area, but Puncheon completely miscued his spot-kick, lazily shanking the ball high and wide with his left foot.

To their credit, Palace refused to be cowed and the visitors saw Chamakh head over from a corner before Jerome tested Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a 25-yard volley.

The hosts ended the first half strongly, however, and after Aaron Lennon put a teasing cross into the box, Bentaleb came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock with a 30yard curler that hit the inside of the post.

They picked up where they had left off in the second half and Eriksen broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when he brought down a flick-on from Emmanuel Adebayor and drove a left-foot shot into the net. Defoe was given a rapturous reception when he replaced Roberto Soldado with half an hour to play and he almost made an immediate impact with a shot that flashed narrowly wide of the far post.

Palace manager Tony Pulis introduced Jonathan Williams and Dwight Gayle for the final 20 minutes, but Defoe put the game to bed moments later when he gathered a pass from Lennon and lifted a shot past Speroni.

Mile Jedinak and substitute Adlene Guedioura went close for Palace in the closing stages, while Chamakh headed just over the bar in injury time, but it was to be Defoe’s day. — AFP

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LONDON: Sunderland’s English-born Scottish striker Steven Fletcher (left) vies with Fulham’s English midfielder Steve Sidwell during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

Southampton edge Albion Southampton 1

West Brom 0

SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton snapped a run of four Premier League home games without victory as a strike from Adam Lallana secured a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

The Southampton captain struck in the 66th minute at St Mary’s, converting a fine pass from substitute Gaston Ramirez to give Mauricio Pochettino’s side only a second win in 10 league games. The result galvanised Southampton’s hold on ninth place, giving them a seven-point lead over Hull City and Aston Villa, while West Brom remained 14th.

West Brom’s new manager Pepe Mel was in attendance, two days after his appointment as the successor to Steve Clarke, but caretaker head coach Keith Downing took charge of the team for the final time. Downing made seven changes to the side beaten by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last weekend, while Artur Boruc returned in goal for the home side after six weeks out with a fractured hand.

Southampton struggled to convert their first-half dominance into chances, with Lallana thwarted by visiting goalkeeper Ben Foster and Rickie Lambert shooting narrowly wide.

Jay Rodriguez slotted wide after catching out Youssouf Mulumbu early in the second period, but it took the introduction of Ramirez in the 62nd minute to tip the game in the hosts’ favor.

After testing Foster with a free-kick, the Uruguayan playmaker freed Lallana with a clever first-time pass from wide on the right and the England international gathered the ball before drilling home a low shot. Downing sent on Saido Berahino, Zoltan Gera and Matej Vydra as West Brom pushed forward, but Boruc produced a sensational reflex stop to deny Shane Long a stoppage-time equaliser from Liam Ridgewell’s low cross. — AFP

Motherwell break Hearts GLASGOW: Motherwell continue to fly high in the Scottish Premiership after defeating bottom side Hearts to make it six wins on the bounce yesterday.

Stuart McCall’s side triumphed 1-0 at Tynecastle thanks to a solitary first-half goal from former Hear ts striker John Sutton, and they have now taken 18 points from a possible 18 since losing 5-0 at home to Celtic just over a month ago.

Motherwell are third, a point behind second-placed Aberdeen but with a game in hand. The Dons won 1-0 at home to Hibernian on Friday thanks to Willo Flood’s late goal, their fourth straight win ending Hibs’ recent revival.

However, Derek McInnes’s side remain 10 points behind Celtic at the summit, and the reigning champions have two games in hand.

They are not in action this weekend, having opted to take a winter break and participate in a friendly competition in the warmer climes of Turkey instead.

At the foot of the table, Hearts are now 20 points adrift of Ross County, who came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Partick Thistle at Firhill in a game which featured braces from Lyle Taylor for the Jags and the Slovak Filip Kiss for the visitors.

In-form Stevie May was on target as St Johnstone beat St M irren 2-0, while four th-placed Dundee United go to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, in fifth, today. — AFP

SOUTHAMPTON: West Bromwich Albion’s English goalkeeper Ben Foster (left) vies with Southampton’s Northern Irish midfielder Steven Davis (right) in the dying seconds of the English Premier League football match. — AFP

EPL results/standings Cardiff 0 West Ham 2 (C.Cole 42, Noble 90); Everton 2 (Barry 23, Mirallas 59) Norwich 0; Fulham 1 (Sidwell 52) Sunderland 4 (Johnson 29, 69, 85-pen, Ki 41); Hull 0 Chelsea 2 (Hazard 56, Torres 87); Manchester United 2 (Valencia 47, Welbeck 59) Swansea 0; Southampton 1 (Lallana 66) West Brom 0; Tottenham 2 (Eriksen 50, Defoe 73) Crystal Palace 0.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea Arsenal Man City Everton Tottenham Liverpool Man Utd Newcastle Southampton Hull Aston Villa Stoke Swansea West Brom Norwich Fulham West Ham Cardiff Sunderland Crystal Palace

21 20 20 21 21 20 21 20 21 21 20 20 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21

14 14 14 11 12 12 11 10 8 6 6 5 5 4 5 6 4 4 4 5

4 3 2 8 4 3 4 3 6 5 5 7 6 9 5 1 6 6 5 2

3 3 4 2 5 5 6 7 7 10 9 8 10 8 11 14 11 11 12 14

40 39 57 34 26 46 35 29 27 22 19 19 26 23 17 22 21 15 19 13

19 18 23 19 25 23 24 25 23 27 25 30 30 28 35 46 30 34 34 31

46 45 44 41 40 39 37 33 30 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 18 18 17 17

Nets beat Heat, Warriors roll

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

15

Del Potro wins Sydney title

17

Johnson hat-trick fires Sunderland to victory

Page 19

MANCHESTER: Swansea City’s Welsh defender Ben Davies (right) vies with Manchester United’s Brazilian defender Rafael during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

Januzaj gets United back on track Man United 2

Swansea 0

MANCHESTER: Normal service was resumed as Manchester United beat Swansea City 2-0 yesterday to avoid losing three successive home games for the first time in over 50 years.

The victory was a welcome one for manager David Moyes, but although it was United’s fifth win in six Premier League games, questions remain about their ability to revive their season sufficiently to challenge for the title.

They lacked creativity for the opening 45 minutes, when Swansea had the bulk of the possession, but the Welsh club failed to deal with the threat from Adnan Januzaj, who was involved in both goals.

Danny Welbeck scored their second one and has now hit the target six times in six games, while Antonio Valencia was also on target at the start of the second half.

Until then, Swansea had coped capably with the threat from United, despite having to reshape their side after only 17 minutes when Chico Flores came on for the injured Jose Canas. Swansea, who dumped United out of the FA Cup last weekend, were already without several key players because of injuries, but they still created chances in the early stages.

A fifth-minute shot from Jonjo Shelvey was comfortably saved by United goalkeeper

David De Gea, before a slick exchange of passes set up Wayne Routledge, whose poor first touch deprived him of a chance to shoot.

Moyes’s team were slightly more incisive and could have gone ahead in the sixth minute when Nemanja Vidic hooked a shot over the crossbar after Swansea failed to deal with a corner.

Januzaj was also inches away from giving United a 11th-minute lead when his 20-yard free-kick dipped over the wall, but struck the bar. Patrice Evra forced Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel to make a routine save in the 28th minute, but United were far from convincing as they were stifled for long periods by their opponents’ midfield. Within 30 minutes, there were already rumblings of discontent from supporters who have grown accustomed to witnessing United overcome

teams such as Swansea, who had won only one of their previous seven league games.

Their mood was not improved by Welbeck’s failure to convert a 36th-minute chance that he dragged wide at the climax of their best move during a half in which Swansea enjoyed 66 percent of possession.

However, the atmosphere within Old Trafford was transformed after only a minute of the second half when Januzaj’s movement down the left flank created a a goal that the match-and United-desperately needed.

He engineered space for a cross that reached Shinji Kagawa, whose header was saved by Tremmel before Valencia drove in the loose ball. It was the catalyst for an impressive spell by United, who stretched their lead in the 59th minute.

Januzaj was again heavily involved when

Hazard supplies spark as Chelsea claim summit Hull 0

Chelsea 2

LONDON: Second-half goals from Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres gave Chelsea a 2-0 victory at Hull City yesterday that fired the Blues to first place in the Premier League.

Chelsea put in a classic Jose Mourinho performance, patiently wearing down their hosts before grabbing the breakthrough and killing off the game.

Hull looked like they were coping with their illustrious visitors until a flash of brilliance from Hazard in the 56th minute gave Mourinho’s side the lead.

Torres sealed the victory with three minutes left to mark his 200th Premier League appearance with a goal. Hull were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on the opening day of the season, when the Tigers were blown away in the first 25 minutes by a rampant Chelsea performance.

The opening exchanges at the KC Stadium were not quite a role reversal, but it looked like Steve Bruce’s team had learnt from their experience in August.

The hosts were sharp and pressed Mourinho’s men into a string of sloppy mistakes, and they might have even taken the lead. Ahmed Elmohamady saw a dipping shot from 20 yards held by Petr Cech and the Chelsea goalkeeper had to push away Jack Livermore’s effort from similar distance after strong hold-up play

by Yannick Sagbo.

Alex Bruce sent a free header over from a Tom Huddlestone corner, before another Chelsea error presented Hull with a golden chance.

Livermore closed down John Terry and his blocked clearance fell kindly for Sagbo 12 yards out, but the Ivorian’s firsttime shot flashed narrowly wide.

Torres cut a lonely figure against Hull’s trio of centre-backs, but the attacking threat of Oscar, Willian and Hazard was clear as the visitors began to stir.

Hull have kept six clean sheets at home this season, but they needed some excellent goalkeeping from Allan McGregor to prevent Chelsea going ahead 10 minutes before half-time when Hazard teed up Oscar. The Brazil star timed his arrival in the box perfectly and smashed a shot goalwards from 10 yards, only for McGregor to pull off an unlikely point-blank save.

The Scot was in action again on the stroke of half-time, when he pushed over David Luiz’s dipping free-kick from 35 yards after a dangerous tackle on the

Brazilian by Livermore, which went unpunished.

Another awkward free-kick from Luiz, this time from 25 yards, tested McGregor, who beat the ball away and was lucky that no Chelsea player could get to the loose ball.

Hull might have felt that they were doing a good job of keeping Mourinho’s men at bay, but they were undone by a moment of magic 12 minutes into the second half.

Luiz’s ball into Ashley Cole on the edge of the area was cleverly flicked to Hazard by the England defender. Hazard feinted to shoot, jinked to the right, and drilled a low shot into the bottom-right corner of the net from the edge of the box for his 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

Chelsea showed admirable discipline after taking the lead and Hull, perhaps drained by their first-half exertions, struggled to mount a meaningful attack until midway through the second half.

It came when Gary Cahill’s handball gave the hosts a free -k ick, which Huddlestone curled wide from the corner of the penalty area.

Hull had Curtis Davies to thank for preventing a Chelsea second, when the captain stretched to block Oscar’s shot after Willian had found his compatriot with a low pass 15 yards from goal. — AFP

he won the ball in midfield and delivered a cross that was half-cleared to Patrice Evra.

The full-back’s shot lacked power or accuracy, but Welbeck got a clever touch that turned it inside the right-hand post.

The traffic was now one-way in the direction of the Swansea goal. United’s earlier uncertainty had vanished and they should have added a third goal when Chris Smalling shot over the bar from only three yards out.

Kagawa also wasted a glorious opportunity when he delayed his shot in the 76th minute and Swansea were able to clear, but it hardly mattered.

The threat from the Welsh club proved to be minimal and, ultimately, this was a comfortable victory for United, who closed to within nine points of leaders Chelsea, their next opponents. — AFP

Everton move into top four

HULL: Hull City’s English striker George Boyd (right) tackles Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Cesar Azpilicueta during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

LIVERPOOL: Everton maintained their impressive home Everton 2 form with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Norwich in the Premier League yesNorwich 0 terday.

Goals from Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas were enough to see Roberto Martinez’s side surge back into the top four, while the defeat left the Canaries winless in six league matches.

Everton were without star man Ross Barkley, whom Martinez said would be out for “a while” with a toe injury.

But it mattered little as the home side dominated possession in the first-half, Belgian striker Mirallas and Leighton Baines going close before Barry scored his 50th Premier league goal.

Receiving the ball from Romelu Lukaku outside the box in the 23rd minute, Barry fired in a 20-yard scorcher into the top right corner.

Mirallas was at the heart of everything and the Belgian got his rewards in the 58th minute with a sumptuous, curling free-kick past Norwich ‘keeper John Ruddy after Baines had been brought down.

Norwich upped the tempo as time ran down, Nathan Redmond forcing Tim Howard into a 72nd minute save with his legs.

Bradley Johnson then went close with two shots from outside the Everton box. Robert Snodgrass and Ricky van Wolfswinkel also had decent efforts, but Everton’s defence remained resolute.

The Toffees’ home record makes for impressive reading, having lost only four times in their last 32 league matches. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

BUSINESS

Turkmen president sacks state gas company head

R

Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov

fast economic growth continued in 2013.

Gross domestic product expanded by 10.2 percent last year, he said. GDP rose by 11.1

Watchdog: WB did not properly vet Honduran company’s loan WASHINGTON: An internal World Bank watchdog blasted the lender on Friday for not doing enough due diligence on a loan made to a Honduran company that is allegedly linked to multiple killings and drugtrafficking.

The watchdog said the bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), which aims to spur private investment in poor countries, should have more carefully researched Tegucigalpa-based Corporacion Dinant before approving the $30 million loan program.

A standard news article search required by World Bank rules would have turned up accusations that Dinant’s owner masterminded the murder of an environmental activist and that his properties were staging posts for drug traffickers, the IFC’s Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) said in a report.

The CAO said it did not try to verify the authenticity of the reports and noted that the businessman was acquitted on murder charges. But their existence should have raised red flags because they could damage the reputation of the World Bank.

“IFC staff either knew about these allegations and perceptions and failed to deal with them” or did not conduct required news searches, the CAO said, noting its investigators had conducted news searches using the same parameters mandated by the World Bank’s rules. The IFC approved the loan program in 2009 to help Dinant develop its palm oil

November forecast Turkmen GDP to grow by 10.1 percent in 2013 and by 10.7 percent in 2014, owing mainly to rising gas exports to China.

Berdymukhamedov and Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated Galkynysh, the world’s second-largest natural gas field, in September. Turkmenistan has won the support of the United States and the European Union for alternative pipeline routes to sell its gas to Europe and to Pakistan and India. But to date, these projects exist only on paper.

Turkmenistan had planned to produce 76.9 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas last year and export 43 bcm. Output data for 2013 are not yet available. The desert nation aims to more than triple gas output in the next two decades. —Reuters

Turkmenistan’ with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves’ has been ramping up gas exports to China via a pipeline built in 2009, while exports to Russia have dwindled in the last few years.

and food business. The CAO launched an audit of the project in 2012. Through the loan, IFC indirectly got involved in one of the thorniest land disputes in Central America.

Dinant operates in a fertile region near Honduras’ Caribbean coast that has been the site of violent clashes that have killed more than 100 people since 2009, according to the Honduran National Commission for Human Rights.

Since the IFC approved the loan program, there have been reports in the media that Dinant helped forcibly evict farmers and that “inappropriate use” of its security forces had resulted in multiple deaths, the CAO said on Friday. The IFC said it disagreed with some of the report’s conclusions, but it was asking Dinant to retrain its security personnel and vet them more carefully.

“The lessons from this report can help us out as we increase work in fragile and conflict-affected areas,” IFC officials Oscar Chemerinski and Morgan Landy said in a letter to the CAO. The report offers a cautionary tale for the World Bank as it plans to work more closely with the private sector in order to fight poverty in less developed nations. The CAO recommended the World Bank put more emphasis on its loan programs’ social and environmental impact, saying a lack of adequate research could stem from a narrow focus on a project’s financial terms. An official at Dinant did not immediately respond to a request for comment. —Reuters

percent in 2012. Turkmenistan’s growth is largely in line with projections made by the International Monetary Fund, which in

Fewer Americans in the workforce: At a glance NEW YORK: The share of Americans in the workforce has sunk to its lowest point in 35 years. It’s a sign of both an aging population and of unemployed people who have given up on their dispiriting job hunts. The drop could accelerate in the months ahead because Americans who have been out of work for more than six months have lost their unemployment benefits.

Congress is debating whether to renew for a sixth year an emergency program that paid benefits averaging $256 a week. As a requirement to receive unemployment checks, recipients needed to actively look for a job. Without their payments, many workers will likely stop looking for a job. Once they do, they’ll no longer be counted as unemployed and no longer considered part of the labor force. A gauge known as the labor force participation rate measures the proportion of working-age adults who either have a job or are looking for one. This rate fell to 63.2 percent last year, its lowest level point 1978, according to the Labor Department.

The rate had peaked at 67.1 percent during the late 1990s. At the time, it was buoyed by a strong economy, the baby boom generation entering its peak earning years and the entrance of more women into the workforce. The rate’s decline has accelerated since the 2008 financial crisis, partly because baby boomers are reaching retirement age and the unemployed have struggled to find work.

Economists differ over which single factor best explains the decline in labor force participation. But few dispute that the trend will likely persist. More than 1.3 million Americans lost these benefits when the program expired last month. An additional 800,000 will lose their checks in the weeks ahead.

Economists say the likelihood of landing a job dims substantially after six months of unemployment. The economy remains 1.2 million jobs shy of the 8.7 million that disappeared after the recession struck. “The bottom line: The economy

Retirement and beyond in Middle East, North Africa etirement is but a natural evolution for a typical career path, and one of the most significant life transitions. Data from our recent Bayt.com ‘Career Aspirations in the MENA’ survey, December 2013, shows that nearly half of the surveyed working professionals in the region would want to retire by the age of 60, and at least one in ten (in the below 40 age group) would want to retire by the age of 50.

Gas-fuelled GDP growth on track ASHGABAT: Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has fired the head of state gas company Turkmengaz for doing too little to diversify the vital gas industry that underpins the Central Asian state’s economy.

Turkmenistan, a mainly Muslim nation of 5.5 million with the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves, has been ramping up gas exports to China via a pipeline built in 2009, while exports to Russia have dwindled in the last few years.

Berdymukhamedov, who enjoys a personality cult and is titled Arkadag (The Patron), was shown on Saturday on state television saying that the gas sector was underperforming despite billions of dollars invested there in recent years.

“For example, we could have raised production and exports of liquefied gas and other products which are in great demand on world markets,” he told a government meeting.

He then sacked Turkmengaz head Kakageldy Abdullayev, who had held the job for just one year. His predecessor was also fired in January 2013 after the autocratic ruler cited faults in his work.

Little-known Charymuhammed Hommadov, described by state media as “a person with great experience of work in the gas sector”, was appointed as the new head of Turkmengaz.

While criticizing the mainstay state company, however, Berdymukhamedov said that

Bayt.com weekly report

is not creating positions for these people,” said Robert Shapiro, chairman of the economic advisory firm Sonecon. —AP

Total to invest in Britain’s shale gas quest LONDON: France’s Total is set to become the first major oil company to invest in Britain’s nascent shale gas industry, sources said, boosting hopes for a pick-up in exploration to help assess the commerciality of the resource. Total will tomorrow announce a deal to commit 30 million pounds ($50 million) to drilling for shale gas in Lincolnshire in central England, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming details published in the Telegraph newspaper.

The French giant, worth about 103 billion euros ($141 billion), will partner with smaller explorers Dart Energy , Egdon Resources, IGas and eCORP, on two exploration licences. Geological studies show Britain to have large shale reserves which could reverse a rising dependency on energy imports, but more drilling is needed to see whether the deposits are economic.

Britain’s government has thrown its weight behind shale gas exploration despite strong local and environmental opposition to the extraction practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, used to develop shale and unconventional gas blocks. Total said last year that it would be interested in signing up for a position in Britain’s shale gas resources, and its entry will follow that of two large utilities, France’s GDF Suez and Britain’s Centrica in 2013 who both agreed deals in 2013. —Reuters

Retirement priorities While younger age group (18-29) are more likely to prioritize a successful career, our research data shows that the older age group (40+) prioritize financial stability, good health and living a stress-free life (Bayt.com ‘Career Aspirations in MENA’ survey, December 2013).

It is clear that there is a link between the age of respondents and their priorities, with more of the older age groups prioritizing spending time with their family during their ‘golden years’. Keeping that in mind, below are some general pointers and suggestions by the career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, which can help navigate your life ahead of retirement: 1. Setting up your financial plan According to the Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey, May 2013, four in 10 (36 percent) professionals in MENA save none of their monthly personal income, and three in 10 professionals (29 percent) save more than 15 percent of their monthly personal income. If you are nearing retirement age, you should have secured yourself a nest-egg of savings. If your organization has a gratuity scheme in place, you can also look forward to a decent payout upon retirement.

2. Taking care of your health Nothing emphasizes the importance of this point better than the age-old proverb ‘health is wealth’. It goes without saying that taking care of your health should not be an after-thought brought about by your retirement phase, but should be a habit inculcated early on in life. In your 60s and beyond, continue with your regular physical activities such as brisk walking, stretching and running, and reap its benefits. Results from the Bayt.com ‘Happiness and Wellbeing in the MENA’ survey, July 2013, indicate that 75 percent of professionals in the region claim they are in good health. The same survey also indicates that among those who say they currently have health issues, 45 percent say they suffer from stress-related diseases, such as depression, anxiety, etc. If you are susceptible to these issues, then it’s a good idea to seek help from a counselor or join a support group.

3. Volunteering your time and expertise There is no reason why the retirement phase of your life should be less active than your working phase. By volunteering your time and expertise to a worthwhile cause that you are passionate about, you can make sure this experience is rewarding and satisfying to you. The Bayt.com ‘CSR in the MENA’ poll, August 2013, indicates that people in the region have a natural inclination towards community service - 95 percent want to engage in more community service work, while 73 percent prefer to give time and effort towards charitable causes rather than merely donating money.

With the right attitude and preparation you should sail well into this phase of your life. As this quote by Catherine Pulsifer states, “Retirement may be an ending, a closing - but it is also a new beginning...”

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ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 41.000 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.357 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.323 Tunisian Dinar 172.110 Jordanian Dinar 400.580 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.903 Syrian Lira 2.022 Morocco Dirham 35.006 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.550 Euro 388.040 Sterling Pound 466.580 Canadian dollar 263.770 Turkish lira 131.030 Swiss Franc 313.660 Australian Dollar 254.340 US Dollar Buying 282.350 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 230.000 118.000 60.000

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 257.15 266.02 316.14 389.18 282.95 468.71 2.76 3.640 4.554 2.168 2.860 2.692 77.10 753.10 40.67 402.70 735.85 78.14 75.58

SELL CASH 256.000 270.000 324.000 397.000 285.500 475.000 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

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

0.219787 0.020721 0.001877 0.009408 0.008397

0.225787 0.029221 0.002457 0.009588 0.008947

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 0.745666 0.037815 0.000078 0.000185 0.395714 1.0000000 0.000139 0.022706 0.001201 0.730462 0.077174 0.074977 0.002173 0.169062 0.132190 0.076218 0.001288

0.753666 0.040915 0.000080 0.000245 0.403214 1.0000000 0.000239 0.046706 0.001836 0.736142 0.078387 0.075677 0.002393 0.177062 0.139190 0.077367 0.001368

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

SELL CASH Europe 0.007371 0.458242 0.006064 0.047718 0.380411 0.041934 0.081818 0.008131 0.039497 0.306337 0.132190

SELLDRAFT 0.008371 0.467242 0.018064 0.052718 0.387911 0.047134 0.81818 0.018131 0.044497 0.316537 0.139190

Australasia 0.244557 0.228624

0.256057 0.238124

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.257994 0.279450 0.279950

0.266494 0.283800 0.283800

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

Asia 0.003566 0.045175 0.034481 0.004325 0.000018 0.002625 0.003338 0.000256 0.082498 0.002981 0.002492 0.006412 0.000069

0.004166 0.048675 0.037231 0.004726 0.000024 0.002805 0.003338 0.000271 0.088498 0.003151 0.002772 0.006692 0.000075

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.000 387.250 466.150 263.400 4.555 40.630 2.163 3.640 6.330 2.682 753.553 77.050 75.550

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

BUSINESS

Bonds jump, dollar slips on weak US jobs data NEW YORK: US government debt prices jumped while the dollar fell on Friday as weaker-than-expected jobs growth in December cast some doubt on the US economic outlook. A world equity index rose and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended up as defensive shares gained on the US jobs data.

Analysts said the jobs setback was affected by unusually cold weather and was likely to be temporary, though it was enough to raise some questions about the next move from the Federal Reserve. The report helped support the view the US central bank, which last month announced it would begin scaling back its massive stimulus program, will take a gradual approach to reducing its bond-buying program this year.

“Since economic momentum had seemed to be picking up, there were real concerns that tapering would become more aggressive throughout the year - fears that this report has washed away,” said Alec Young, global equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ in New York.

“People are hoping this is an anomaly, and it seems like it was related to the weather, but if it is a trend, then that is a real threat to GDP and corporate earnings growth.”

In the US bond market, benchmark 10-year Treasury notes traded 29/32 higher in price to yield 2.865 percent, down 10 basis points from late on Thursday. The 10-year note’s yield fell to a session low of 2.8579 percent, the lowest in over three weeks, after hitting a near 2-1/2-year high of 3.041 percent last week. US nonfarm payrolls rose just 74,000 in December, the smallest increase in nearly three years and far below the 196,000 forecast by economists. The unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage point to 6.7 percent, but this in part reflected people leaving the labor force.

The central bank announced in December that it would trim its monthly purchases of bonds to $75 billion from $85 billion, and many economists had expected it to decide on a similar-sized cut at its next meeting on Jan 28-29. The

dollar fell broadly following the jobs report. Against the yen, the dollar last traded at 104.10 yen, down 0.7 percent and below the session’s high of 105.12 yen.

The US dollar index, which measures the greenback versus six major currencies, was down 0.5 percent. “It was clearly a disappointing number and the markets are reflecting that disappointment by selling the dollar across the board,” said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington, DC. November’s payrolls figures were revised higher, however, and the possibility that winter weather had affected the repor t had some investors thinking the December numbers will be revised later as well.

The MSCI world equity index was up 0.6 percent for the day and up 0.4 percent for the week. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 7.71 points or 0.05 percent, to 16,437.05, the S&P 500 gained 4.24 points or 0.23 percent, to 1,842.37 and the Nasdaq Composite added 18.471 points or 0.44

percent, to 4,174.665.

The S&P 500 utilities index, up 1.4 percent, led gains, following by health care, up 0.4 percent.

Shares of Alcoa Inc fell 5.4 percent to $10.11 a day after the company reported a massive quarterly loss. Alcoa’s results were hurt by recent declines in aluminum prices and a non-cash impairment charge on smelter acquisitions.

For the week, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent, while the Nasdaq climbed 1 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average finished the week down 0.2 percent.

Gold, oil gain Gold rose 1.5 percent for the day and notched a third consecutive weekly gain after the disappointing US jobs data.

Spot gold edged up to $1,245.58 an ounce. For the week, gold was up almost 1 percent, rising a third consecutive week, its longest weekly winning streak since August.

Oil futures also rose, reversing two days of losses, as traders covered short positions ahead of the weekend and as

reports of production problems at a major UK oilfield fueled supply worries.

In New York, oil gained $1.06 to settle at $92.72. Brent crude oil futures rose 86 cents to settle at $107.25 a barrel. In contrast to the Fed, the European Central Bank has kept holding out the prospect of yet more stimulus.

On Thursday, ECB President Mario Draghi underlined his determination to act should deflation become a real risk or rising money rates threaten a fragile recovery. European stocks closed up 0.4 percent, boosted by a string of strong corporate updates. Asian markets were soggy overnight after China trade data proved mixed. While exports grew a little less than expected at 4.3 percent in December from a year earlier, imports easily outpaced forecasts with an increase of 8.3 percent.

The jump in imports could point to stronger domestic demand and a rebalancing away from a reliance on exports to fuel growth, a sea change long desired by policymakers everywhere. —Reuters

US job growth falters as cold weather grips nation Payrolls up 74,000 in Dec, smallest gain in 3 years

QINGDAO: Trucks carry containers that were unloaded from a ship at a port in Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province. China’s export growth slowed in December while imports accelerated, possibly helping to temper fears of a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. —AP

S&P jumps led by defensive stocks NEW YORK: The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended modestly higher on Friday, led by gains in defensive names after a weaker-thanexpected payrolls report raised new questions about both the strength of the economy and the aggressiveness of Federal Reserve stimulus.

For the week, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent, while the Nasdaq climbed 1 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average finished the week down 0.2 percent. Defensive stocks were the day’s gainers, with utilities and telecoms among the few rising for the day.

Financial and energy shares were the weakest for the day; both are closely tied to the pace of economic growth.

Homebuilding stocks rose as the much weaker-than-expected payrolls report drove the yield of the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note sharply lower. Shares of Lennar Corp gained 2 percent to $39.19. The stock of D R Horton Inc, the largest US homebuilder, added 1.8 percent to $22.15. The PHLX housing index climbed 1 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 7.71 points or 0.05 percent, to end at 16,437.05. The S&P 500 gained 4.24 points or 0.23 percent, to finish at 1,842.37. The Nasdaq Composite added 18.471 points or 0.44 percent, to close at 4,174.665.

US Labor Department data showed only 74,000 workers were hired last month, the smallest increase since January 2011, and significantly below the 196,000 that economists had expected.

While the jobs report bucked the positive trend of recent employment data - including the ADP report and jobless claims - the setback was expected to be temporary amid signs that the number of hires may have been affected by cold weather.

Investors continue to assess economic data through the Fed’s eyes as they try to gauge how quickly the central bank will reduce its market-friendly bond purchases.

December was the first payrolls report since the US central bank announced that it was reining in the stimulus program.

“Since economic momentum had seemed to be picking up, there were real concerns that tapering would become more aggressive throughout the year - fears that this report

has washed away,” said Alec Young, global equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ in New York. “People are hoping this is an anomaly, and it seems like it was related to the weather, but if it is a trend, then that is a real threat to GDP and corporate earnings growth.”

With the earnings season under way, shares of Alcoa Inc fell 5.4 percent to $10.11 a day after the company reported a massive quarterly loss. Alcoa’s results were hurt by recent declines in aluminum prices and a non-cash impairment charge on smelter acquisitions. The pace of companies reporting earnings is expected to pick up in the following week, when a number of banks report their quarterly and full-year results.

“Macro has been trumping everything for a while, and certainly Washington has been very important, but the spotlight goes on corporate earnings next week,” said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist of Federated Investors in New York. Only 5 percent of S&P 500 components have reported earnings so far, with half of them posting better-thanexpected profits and 62.5 percent topping revenue forecasts. Historically, 63 percent beat profit estimates, while 61 percent beat on revenue.

Sears Holdings Corp shares slid 13.8 percent to $36.71 a day after the retailer reported steep declines in comparable-store sales at its Kmart stores and its namesake US chain in the crucial holiday season. Target Corp said a massive payment-card data breach that occurred during the first three weeks of the holiday shopping season affected at least 70 million people, more than double its previous estimate. Its stock dropped 1.1 percent to $62.62.

Trading at one of the three options exchanges operated by the Nasdaq OMX Group Inc was briefly halted due to a computer-server problem. Nasdaq shares fell 0.8 percent to $39.92.

About 6.5 billion shares traded on US exchanges, slightly above the 6.4 billion average so far this month, according to data from BATS Global Markets. Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones on the New York Stock Exchange by a ratio of about 3 to 1. On the Nasdaq, about 15 stocks rose for every 11 that fell. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: US employers hired the fewest workers in nearly three years in December, but the setback was likely to be temporary amid signs that unusually cold weather may have had an impact.

The surprisingly weak job growth figures reported by the Labor Department on Friday, however, could cause some discomfort at the Federal Reserve, which last month announced plans to scale back its massive monetary stimulus program.

Nonfarm payrolls rose only 74,000 in December, the smallest increase since January 2011 and well short of the 200,000 jobs or so that most economists had expected. While the unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage point to 6.7 percent, its lowest level since October 2008, the decline mostly reflected people leaving the labor force.

Michael Feroli, an economist with JPMorgan Chase in New York, called the report “an ugly mix” but said: “We’d guess the underlying trend in job growth hasn’t materially shifted.”

US stock prices were little changed, but yields on benchmark Treasury debt fell by the most since October. The US dollar slipped against other currencies as traders bet economic weakness would further delay any eventual increase in interest rates by the Fed. The step back in hiring was at odds with other indicators that have painted an upbeat picture of the jobs market.

Tempering the blow, the government’s survey of employers found 38,000 more jobs were added in November than previously reported. For all of 2013, the economy created 2.2 million jobs.

Construction employment fell last month for the first time since May and leisure and hospitality payrolls rose only marginally, providing hints that extremely cold weather in some parts of the country had held back hiring. In addition, transportation payrolls recorded their first decline in five months, and the average workweek for all workers slipped by a tenth of an hour to 34.4 hours. The smaller survey of households from which the jobless rate is derived showed 273,000 people stayed at home because of the bad weather, the most since 1977 and well above the 100,000 average for the month of December.

Economists said the cold weather may have dampened job growth by as much as 100,000 last month. “We do not think that the disappointing December payroll number marks the beginning of a renewed downward trend,” said Harm Bandholz, chief US economist at UniCredit Research in New York. “We continue to expect nonfarm payrolls will accelerate towards 200,000 to 225,000 in the course of this year.” The labor force participation rate, or the proportion of working-age Americans who have a job or are looking for one, fell 0.2 per-

SUNRISE: Alison Guzman, a recruiter for “Okey Dokey” grocery stores, stands next to a stack of job applications at the job fair in Sunrise, Florida. Those with college degrees enjoyed relative job security in 2013, but by contrast, opportunities were scant for those without any college, for African Americans and for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. —AP centage point to 62.8 percent, returning to the more than 35-year low hit in October.

The decline, which may have partly reflected end-of-year retirements, accounted for two-thirds of the drop in the jobless rate, although a gauge of employment in the household survey also rose.

Fed seen holding The report offered a cautionary note after a string of data from consumer spending and trade to industrial production - that had suggested the economy ended 2013 on strong footing and was positioned to strengthen further this year. Other data on Friday showed wholesale inventories rose more than expected in November, leading some economists to upgrade their forecasts for fourthquarter growth.

GDP growth this year is expected to top 3 percent, a sharp acceleration from the 1.7 percent forecast for 2013. In a sign of growing confidence in the economy’s prospects, the Fed announced in December that it would trim its monthly bond purchases to $75 billion from $85 billion.

Despite the weaker-than-expected jobs data, most economists held to the view that the Fed would enact a further, similar-sized cut at its next meeting on Jan. 28-29. Fifty-seven of 61 economists polled by Reuters after the report said they expected the US central bank to trim its purchases by $10 billion at each of its meetings this year.

“I don’t think the Fed is going to change its mind,” said Bill Cheney, chief economist at John

resident, sent Cohen an email at 8:52 a.m., asking: “Is there a good time to catch up with you this morning? It’s important.” DevlinBrown said prosecutors will show jurors the email and phone records to prove that Martoma and Cohen spoke by phone for 20 minutes beginning at 9:42 a.m. that day.

Over the next eight days, the Stamford, Connecticut-based SAC Capital sold all of its more than $700 million investment in drug makers Elan Corp. and Wyeth, which were jointly developing the drug undergoing the three-year drug trial. The announcement of the results of the drug trial involving 250 Alzheimer’s patients caused the stock of Elan to plummet more than 40 percent while Wyeth’s fell 11 percent.—AP

Not all weather The private sector accounted for all the gains in employment last month, with government payrolls falling 13,000 after rising 15,000 in November.

Manufacturing employment rose 9,000. While that represented a fifth straight month of gains, it marked a slowdown from November’s hefty 31,000 count. The number of construction jobs fell 16,000, snapping six consecutive monthly increases.

Utilities jobs fell by the most in a year. Not all the job losses could be blamed on the weather. The information sector shed 12,000 positions and healthcare employment fell for only the second time since 1990. Employment in the retail sector accelerated after slowing in November. There were also payroll gains in professional and business services.

Average hourly earnings rose two cents. Over the past 12 months, hourly earnings have risen only 1.8 percent, a sign the tepid wage gains that have characterized the US economic recovery continue. — Reuters

For stocks, earnings take center stage WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: After the S&P 500’s impressive 30 percent return in 2013, Wall Street will get a better picture of reality next week as the pace of companies reporting earnings picks up.

A number of big banks are due to report their quarterly and full-year results next week, including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co on Tuesday, Bank of America Corp on Wednesday, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Citigroup Inc on Thursday, and Morgan Stanley on Friday.

Their results will help determine whether earnings forecasts for 2014

need to come down and whether stock values have become overblown. “There isn’t much left to happen to this market, in terms of the view of an expanding economy. It is generally agreed by everyone that the economy is improving. What isn’t clear is whether earnings are improving at the same pace the market is.

That’s the next big test for equities,” said Rick Meckler, president of LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey. For the first full trading week in January, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.6 percent and the Nasdaq Composite

Insider trading trial of ex-SAC trader opens NEW YORK: A former SAC Capital Advisors portfolio manager got inside information about an Alzheimer’s drug trial and made a pivotal phone call to his billionaire boss a day before the hedge fund began dumping more than $700 million in pharmaceutical stocks, a prosecutor told a jury Friday in opening statements at the trader’s criminal trial. Mathew Martoma seemed eager to speak with SAC Capital founder Steven A Cohen on July 20, 2008, after returning from a roundtrip flight to Michigan a day earlier, when he learned secrets about the results of a drug trial designed to test the safety and effectiveness of an Alzheimer’s drug being touted as a breakthrough, Assistant US Attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown said. He said Martoma, a Florida

Hancock Financial Services in Boston. “The trend, in a broad sense, still looks quite favorable.”

Indeed, two Fed officials, St Louis Fed President James Bullard and Richmond Fed chief Jeffrey Lacker, suggested as much. “I would be disinclined to react to one month’s number,” Bullard said. “For now we’re on a program where we’re likely to continue to taper (asset purchases) at subsequent meetings.”

Index climbed 1 percent, while the Dow Jones industrial average slipped 0.2 percent.

Investors may get a better sense of how quickly the central bank will reduce its market-friendly bond purchases from a number of Federal Reserve officials due to speak next week. A much weaker-than-expected December payrolls report on Friday raised new questions about both the strength of the economy and the aggressiveness of Fed stimulus.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart is scheduled to speak at events on Monday and Wednesday, while Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is set to speak on Thursday.

The Fed’s Beige Book is due on Wednesday A batch of December data will be released next week, with retail sales on Tuesday, the US Producer Price Index on Wednesday, the US Consumer Price Index on Thursday and housing starts on Friday. Another number to note on Friday will be the preliminary January reading on US consumer sentiment from the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.

NEW YORK: Dr George Shapiro, former NY Giants Ottis Anderson, Harry Carson and Carl Nelson, with Dr. Peter Ferraro and former NY Jets Bruce Harper (left to right) celebrate the NFL Alumni Optimal Bowl & Wellness Challenge during closing bell ceremonies at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.—AP

Healthy earnings outlook For the whole S&P 500, fourthquarter profit growth is expected to have increased 7.7 percent from a year ago, while revenue is expected

to have risen just 0.4 percent, Thomson Reuters data showed. The benchmark S&P 500 rose 9.9 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, while it jumped 29.6 percent for 2013, its best year since 1997.

Among other earnings to watch next week, General Electric Co is expected to report a spike in fourthquarter profit on Friday with the help of the record $229 billion backlog of orders for jet engines, oil pumps and healthcare equipment.

American Express Co’s fourthquarter results on Thursday are expected to beat estimates, helped by increased card spending and lower default rates among customers.

Retail stocks have been attracting increased options activity this week as major retailers came out with their disappointing holiday sales figures.

Investors will get more insight into the consumers’ state of mind next week as about 150 consumer-related companies are due to participate in the annual ICR XChange conference from Monday through Wednesday.

The annual gathering comes after many large US retailers slashed their earnings forecasts recently because of steep discounts they offered during the holidays to persuade reluctant consumers to buy.

“I wouldn’t judge the health of the economy off of brick-and-mortar retailers,” said Paul Zemsky, head of asset allocation at ING Investment Management in New York.— Reuters

BUSINESS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

KSE trading volume up on optimism BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week at green zone. The price index closed at 7,668.82 points, up by 1.58 percent from the week before closing, the weighted index increased by 0.44 percent after closing at 454.83 points, whereas the KSX15 index closed at 1,071.64 points up by 0.30 percent.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 73.88 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD30.57 million, whereas trading volume average was 356.06 million shares, recording increase of 91.46 percent.

The stock market was able to realize some gain in light of a fluctuated performance, whereas the purchasing behavior controlled the trading activities during most of the week’s periods.

Also, the active speculative operations continued to influence the stock market trading activity, as it concentrated on the small-cap stocks, especially in the Real Estate and Financial Services sectors, which caused the stock market indices to speculate in general; mostly the Price Index, which performed the best during the week compared to the Weighted and KSX-15 indices, which were negatively affected during most of the sessions by the profit collection operations that targeted some large-cap stocks, especially in Banking sector, however did not cause it to drop on the weekly level, but lightened its gains considerably.

Although the stock market performed positively during last week, the watch & cautious states continued to control the traders, as some are waiting for motivators and new positive impacts to appear, that are able to create some optimism among the investment groups, to push the stock market upward; where others are waiting for the listed companies’ announcements for the end of year 2013 financial results to define their investment priorities for the upcoming period.

Moreover, the last week witnessed an increase in the trading activity compared with the previous weeks, on both value and volume levels, which reached in one of the daily sessions its highest level since almost a month.

Sectors’ Indices All of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone except for one sector. Last week’s highest gainer was the Health Care sector, achieving 3.48 percent growth rate as its index closed at 1,090.77 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Technology sector’s index closed at 1,050.09 points recording 3.00 percent increase. The Consumer Goods sector came in third as its index achieved 2.08 percent growth, ending the week at 1,261.23 points. The Basic Materials sector was the least growing as its index closed at 1,165.42 points with a 0.49 percent increase. On the other hand, the Banks sector was last week’s only loser as its

index declined by 0.01 percent to end the week’s activity at 1,072.25 points.

Sectors’ Activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 665.95 million shares changing hands, representing 37.41 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 27.98 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 498.09 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD49.43 million or 32.34 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 K.D 32.43 million represented 21.22 percent of the total market trading value. — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co.

The new battleground for carmakers STUTTGART: The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class has cameras that can read road signs and sensors to judge distance to the car in front, but is not yet able to make full use of the hardware. What may sound like a shortcoming is in fact a deliberate strategy by manufacturer Daimler, and a sign of things to come for the global luxury car industry.

Owners of the upscale Mercedes compact will be able to add new functions such as predictive cruise control which lets the car drive itself in some situations - by updating the car’s operating system when the technology becomes available. Taking their cue from gadget makers such as Apple, Daimler and rivals are developing cars to receive software updates that include new tools or even improve fuel efficiency, much in the way an iPad gets new capabilities with each successive operating system.

That is a big change - and a potential saving - for an industry used to spending heavily to revamp ageing models. “We are entering a new era,” Mercedes-Benz development chief Thomas Weber told Reuters. “Until now, cars retained the properties they had on the day they were purchased.”

Daimler’s push shows software is emerging as a new battleground among carmakers seeking to use technology to make cars safer, more entertaining, and better at solving problems such as locating a parking space or the nearest hospital. While the aircraft industry has long relied on computers to fly planes, cars have been held back by insufficient broadband telecoms infrastructure, the price of computing power and regulatory limits to automation.

But software is now set to become as important to carmakers as traditional engineering, according to Thilo Koslowski, an analyst with IT and research group Gartner Inc. “What we are witnessing is a change that will impact the industry for decades to come,” said Koslowski, who used to work at German luxury carmaker Audi. “The next venue of competitive differentiation will come

from software.”

Smart car While some drivers remain sceptical about surrendering control, many are ready to embrace functions which let them access information, make calls, e-mail or listen to music in traffic, according to auto supplier Continental, which interviewed 4,000 car owners in Germany, Japan, U.S. and China.

“What a customer knows from his smartphone, he will also expect from his car,” Mercedes’ Weber said in an interview. In anticipation of rapidly changing customer tastes in so-called infotainment, Audi introduced a system which allows customers to swap hardware components when they become outdated.

Gartner’s Koslowski believes the promise of software updates will become a major selling point for carmakers. “ The average consumer doesn’t really detect advancements in mechanical engineering. But they understand an upgrade in infotainment,” he said.

Software is also starting to help drivers in a myriad of other ways. For example, it allows drivers of BMW’s i3 electric vehicle to gauge whether a battery has sufficient charge to reach a destination. In some cities, the car can even help to look up the timetable of alternative transport methods such as trains and buses, and find a nearby charging station.

Increasingly, system updates can alter a car’s actual driving performance.

An upgrade to Tesla’s electric Model S sedan, for instance, commanded the suspension to increase ground clearance at highway speeds. Software can also modify engine regimes or shut down some cylinders to adjust the balance between efficiency and power in real time, reducing fuel consumption.

Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, is working to offer predictive cruise control in its cars and trucks, a tool to adapt a vehicle’s engine revs and gear to suit the gradient of a slope.

Currently maps used in satellite nav-

igation systems are not able to gauge the gradient of a particular road, a feature that will emerge as maps evolve, enabling Daimler to develop software for more cost-efficient driving, Weber said.

“If the car is equipped with the right hardware, you can add functions at a later stage,” he said ahead of next week’s Detroit auto show which will showcase the new C-Class.

The promise of advancements in software has led Mercedes-Benz to overhaul its research and development operations in California. It plans to double resources at a new headquarters in Sunnyvale, where around 100 staff work, although it declined to put a timeframe or figure on the investment.

New frontiers Ian Robertson, BMW board member in charge of sales, believes software can be used by automakers to expand into completely new areas of business that go beyond driving. BMW has invested in ParkatmyHouse.com, an online parking marketplace which brings together owners of private parking spaces and people in search of parking. The service has more than 400,000 customers.

Upgrades to software are not always popular, however, as Microsoft found with its Windows 8 operating system.

Increasing complexity in vehicles can also bring problems.

Renault blamed glitches with the RLink touch-screen entertainment and navigation panel for delays to its Zoe electric car, while Ford tumbled to the bottom end of US vehicle reliability rankings because of flaws in its rival MyFord Touch system. Few doubt, though, that the growing power and ambition of on-board software can only accelerate in the next generation of upscale cars.

Manufacturers will “switch to an architecture that controls vehicle function through software” to reduce weight and production costs, Forrester Research said in a recent report. “New features and updates (will) come principally from software rather than hardware.” — Reuters

DaimlerChrysler Headquarters Stuttgart

Sacyr says has $574m at stake in Panama contract MADRID: Sacyr, the Spanish building company leading a consortium to expand the Panama Canal, said it risks losing $574 million in guarantees and advance payments if a spat over cost overruns at the multi-billion dollar project is not resolved. In an 8-page document sent on Friday to Spain’s stock market regulator but which had not been made public until yesterday, the firm also detailed for the first time its claims of $1.6 billion in extra costs and said the canal extension would not be completed until June 30, 2015 at the earliest.

The consortium warned earlier this month it would halt work from Jan. 20 on a third set of locks for the century-old waterway, one of the world’s largest building contracts, unless the Panama Canal Authority footed the bill. In an interview with Reuters, Sacyr Chairman Manuel Manrique on Friday played down the row and said the company was making progress in talks with the canal operator over financing to avoid a damaging work stoppage.

Sacyr said the guarantees it provided on the contract were worth $445.5 million as of Dec. 31, 2013 and it had also made advance payments worth $128.4 million.

The company said it registered in 2012 a 665-million-dollar income based on cost overruns it had not yet been paid but hoped to cash in. It added it did not register any additional income linked to its claims as of Sept. 30, 2013. The consortium, which made a 289-million-dollar loss in 2012, has been

paid 2.05 billion dollars for the work completed so far, or 66 percent of the $3.2 billion contract, as well as 784 million dollars in advance payments.

Sacyr insisted in the document it had over the last five months repeatedly asked the canal authority to start a constructive dialogue over the overruns which, it said, arose only after the work started. “The overruns that are being claimed correspond to situations that appeared after the work started, which is when the inaccuracy of the information provided to the consortium to execute the project was verified,” the Spanish firm said.

It added that the canal operator and international experts audited the overruns in March 2013 and said they were “real, reasonable and in line with the market.”

Among the main claims brought by Sacyr is an $880 million extra cost due to “fundamental and irreversible changes” to the original project made by the Panama Canal Authority.

Another $497 million overrun arose because the basalt found locally, in contradiction with the documentation provided at the time of the tender, was not right for the mix of concrete planned for the locks, meaning the consortium had to bring in basalt from elsewhere. A further $120 million, which was added to the cost of building a temporary dam, was originated by inaccurate geologic information in the contract, Sacyr also said. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

BUSINESS

Cabinet of ‘give and take’ to face challenges AL-SHALL WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: After five months of the cabinet’s formation, which was associated with failure of the executive and legislative branches in dealing with each other despite the onevote decree that was designed to support government stability, the ministers tendered their resignation. It does not matter whether the government returns with a new formation or a substantial modification. It is a carbon copy of many previous cabinets, for its formation criteria are not efficiency in managing the country nor even the comprehensive representation of the citizens of the country. It is a cabinet of “Give and Take” where the origin in its forming is acceptance that its core comes from the ruling family and then those who are satisfied take a share from the remaining positions.

37.5 percent of the new cabinet came from the ruling family (43.8 percent for the previous cabinet) and 80 percent of its key positions are assigned to the ruling family (83.3 percent for the previous cabinet), and the remaining positions were distributed in accordance to loyalty among regions and sects.

Judging that the new cabinet does not have the capability to meet the challenges of development and corruption confrontation is no longer debatable. But the reconciliatory set up will not achieve the minimum, i.e. government stability. Battles of competition on undue ministerial positions between members of the ruling family will continue to rage, directly or through proxy wars by some members of parliament and some private media.

The new cabinet in its new composition does not have the deep knowledge to meet the requirements of an unstable country, nor even the power to confront pressure and blackmail to buy out political allegiance or to stop widespread corruption. This situation is further weakened by the exit of the Minister of Finance. Therefore, the cabinets performance is expected to be a duplicate, though weaker, of previous cabinets. It has neither parliamentary depth to support it, nor depth in the parliament to assist it. It may enjoy some relative calmness for some time because of the amendment to the quota system and some of the positions therein to avoid some proxy wars against it, but it is not lasting tranquility due to pressure from its potential incompetence.

Despite the broad base of those who are aware of the problem, ie the cabinet formation criteria, and despite the belief that Kuwait is lagging in comparative and absolute measures, yet the insistence on repeating grave errors does not end. Global world practices confirm that the basis for all successful development experiences are the administrative skills.

That is true in the experiences of resourceless states, such as Japan and Germany, and is also true with the “Asian Tigers” and “European Tigers”, together with China, which turned from a hungry country to the second largest economy in

the world. In the latest cabinet formations, the last excuses for its failure have expired, ie alleged crisis-creation by the opposition. A parliament tailored, in its majority, to the government’s measure is in place, yet it continues its demise. Time is very pressing, and its passage means widening the structural gaps in the economy, sabotaging ethical values of productive work and the deterioration of the competitiveness of the local economy.

These will reduce all reform hopes back to zero and at very high-costs. The issue is not about the ruling family. We would support 16 ministers from the family if they were the most capable. The issue is not even being for or against any political trend; the issue is about a country that has a chance to secure its present and future, but is watching it being squandered while its public administration is actively worsening the situation.

Trading features at KSE The Kuwaiti Clearing Company issued its report titled “Trading Volume According to Nationality of the traders” for the period 01/01/2013 to 31/12/2013 published on KSE official website. The report indicated that individuals are still the largest group and they captured 59.9 percent of total value of sold shares (about 53.7 percent for the same period 2012) and about 57.1 percent of total value of purchased shares (51.2 percent for the same period 2012). Individual investors sold shares worth KD 6.820 billion and purchased shares worth KD 6.505 billion resulting in a net trading -the only selling sector- at KD 315.602 million. The upward change in individuals trading means increased individuality of the stock exchange transactions and a relative decline in corporate contributions in its transactions, which is a negative development.

Corporations and companies sector captured 19 percent of total value of purchased shares (21.9 percent for the same period 2012) and 18.4 percent of total value of sold shares (about 18.5 percent for the same period 2012). The sector purchased shares worth KD 2.165 billion and sold shares worth KD 2.091 billion resulting a net trading purchasing- by KD 73.288 million.

The third contributor in market liquidity is the clients’ accounts (portfolios) which captured 18.6 percent of total purchased shares (about 19.3 percent for the same period 2012) and 16.9 percent of total value of sold shares (20.3 percent for the same period 2012). The sector purchased shares worth KD 2.119 billion and sold shares worth KD 1.925 billion, thus resulting in net trading purchasing- with KD 194.372 million.

The last contributor to liquidity is the investment funds sector which captured 5.3 percent of total value of purchased shares (about 7.6 percent for the same period 2012) and 4.9 percent of total value of sold shares (about 7.6 percent for the same period 2012).

This sector purchased shares wor th KD

600.525 million and sold shares worth KD 552.582 million, resulting in net trading -purchasing- by KD 47.942 million.

KSE still continues to be a domestic stock exchange; Kuwaiti traders formed the biggest trading group and sold stocks worth KD 10.454 billion, capturing 91.8 percent of total sold shares, (90.7 percent for the same period 2012), they purchased shares worth KD 10.396 billion capturing 91.3 percent of the total value of purchased shares (90.7 percent for the same period 2012). As such, their net trading was -more selling- with KD 58.154 million.

Other investors’ share, which captured 6.6 percent of total value of purchased shares (6.7 percent for the same period 2012), worth KD 751.707 million, while value of their sold shares scored KD 667.481 million, 5.9 percent of total sold shares (6.3 percent for the same period 2012), resulting in net trading value, the only purchasing- at KD 84.226 million.

GCC Investors’ share captured 2.4 percent of total value of sold shares (3 percent in the same period 2012), worth KD 267.732 million, while value of purchased shares scored 2.1 percent (2.6 percent in the same period 2012), worth KD 241.660 million. Resulting in net trading -selling- by KD 26.072 million. Relative distribution among nationalities during the past 12 months (from January to December 2013), remained unchanged. 91.5 percent for Kuwaitis, 6.2 percent for other nationalities, and 2.2 percent for GCC traders vis-‡-vis 90.7 percent for Kuwaitis, 6.5 percent for other nationalities and 2.8 percent for GCC traders.

This means Kuwait stock exchange remained domestic with more trading for investors from outside the GCC region than their GCC counterparts. Besides, trading was more for individuals than for institutions, a characteristic which is on the increase.

Number of active accounts increased by 764.1 percent between December 2012 and December 2013, (11.8 percent increase between December 2011 and December 2012). Number of active accounts in the end of December 2013 scored 133,795 or 42.1 percent of total accounts (15,484 accounts in the end of December 2012) about 6.3 percent of total accounts for the same month, up by 10.8 percent from the end of November 2013.

Kuwait Stock Exchange liquidity By the end of 2013, Kuwait Stock Exchange has added to its liquidity trading value- during December about KD 516.3 million, or about 4.8 percent, to the overall liquidity in the 11 past months of this year, putting from the beginning 2013 to the end of December 2013 at KD 11.182 billion. However, December liquidity compared with November has decreased by about -2.8 percent, and it does not seem that a change in the characteristics of market liquidity has occurred as most of the rise in liquidity went to more unhealthy speculations. There is no problem if we analyze liquidity trends to monitor any change that might occur, and as usual, we followed

the shares of the top 30 companies of the trading value in 2013 in which captured KD 7.225 billion from that value, or 64.6 percent of the total market trading value, while the market value of these 30 companies scored KD 14.323 billion, about 46.4 percent of total market value.

But, scrutinizing the components of the sample, it becomes clear that 22 of them captured high trading value despite their low market value, which is an indicator of severe deviation in the direction of liquidity and the dominance of speculative activity in the market. Nearly 22 companies acquired about 45.7 percent of total market trading, approximately KD 5.114 billion, while their market value represents only 3.3 percent of the total value of market companies. Turnover ratio may give a different perspective to view the sharpness of the speculation or its obsession, as the ratio measures the ratio of the trading value of the company to its market value. The average turnover of the shares of the total market was estimated at about 36.2 percent, while it scored about 50.4 percent for the 30 companies’ sample, and with them the turnover of the 22 speculation companies scored 504.8 percent. The highest turnover of a company within them scored approximately 1306.3 percent or more than 13 times, and for the second highest it scored 1171.1 percent and for the third highest company. It should notice that the turnover ratio assumes that all the company shares are available for trading, while in fact only a portion is available for trading because of what is held due to sequestration and strategic equities, which means that the actual turnover ratio, speculation sharpness, is probably much higher than our estimates. We can claim without a fundamental error that the growth of market liquidity in 2013 by about 55.2 percent, or about KD 3.975 billion could have formed a positive development; but it in fact came unhealthy because slightly less than half of the market liquidity speculated on only 3.3 percent of the value of its companies and approximately 11.2 percent of their number, without a defensible justification.

The comparative performance of selected stock markets The year 2013 ended and was a good year in terms of the capital markets performance, with some achieving growth in their prices that is difficult to occur again. It closed with 13 out of the 14 markets making gains, including 11 markets made gains at two digits, i.e. 10 percent and more. Only one market, the Chinese, made losses which are believed to be deliberate to avoid an assets bubble. Most of the support to these markets came from the prevailing belief that the world economy overcame its financial crisis, and to learning from some wrong practices such as the U.S politicians avoiding recently the fiscal-cliff policy in the treatment of sovereign debt ceiling, and the fading of European differences on the

tough German approach, and to the recovery of some small economies such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Dubai market performance led all markets with a big gap. Its 2013 gains exceeded the 100 percent barrier, or added 107.7 percent, followed by Abu Dhabi (both markets are about to merge), and added gains by 63.1 percent. Abu Dhabi market’s performance remains better than Dubai if compared with making up for its losses before crisis in the end of 2007. The new Japanese Prime Minister has achieved what may be described as picking Japan from the recession and negative inflation, to an economy that grows. Inflation rates achieved a positive growth in 2014, supported by the lower price of the Japanese Yen which provided a boost to the economy’s competitiveness. The Japanese financial market, which is described as a mature market, responded to those indicators. Its index added in 2013 about 56.7 percent and achieved the third position in gains with more than double the US Dow Jones index which occupies the fourth position. If we exclude gains of Kuwait price index of 27.2 percent which places Kuwait in the 4th rank, though it is wrong, there are 8 other markets in the middle of the list achieving two-digit gains, the highest for Dow Jones by about 26.5 percent and the lowest for the British market at 14.4 percent. All the six regional markets fell within the markets which made two digit gains and more, two of which are quite remote in the front, four in the middle, and the lowest in performance was the Bahraini market which earned 17.2 percent. The Indian and the Kuwait markets, measured by the weighted index, achieved one digit number gains-below 10 percent. The Indian market came 12th with about 9 percent gains, while the Kuwaiti market occupied the position before last with about 8.4 percent gains. It is unexpected for the markets to achieve similar gains in 2014 or even close to 2013 gains, and if they do they would be vulnerable to a new bubble. However, the performance order of these markets would change, though it is likely to be positive in general. Poorly performing markets, such as the Chinese market, might lead the performance next year, while the medium performers would maintain performance close to that of 2013, and the highperformance markets might drop to the middle or weak areas.

The weekly performance of KSE The performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the last week was more active, where all indexes showed an increase, the traded value index, the traded volume index, the transactions index, and the general index showed a increase, AlShall Index (value index) closed at 456.3 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of 1.6 points or about 0.4 percent compared to the end of the previous week, and an increase of 1.6 points or about 0.4 percent compared to the end of 2013.

LA testing highlights Ford dominance Supremacy in police sedan, utility and all-wheel drive DEARBORN, Michigan: For the third straight year in Los Angeles Sheriff Department tests, EcoBoost- and allwheel-drive-equipped Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle were fastest both in 0-100 kph acceleration testing and average lap times at Fontana raceway in California.

While wins three years running is a point of pride for Police Interceptor sedan, the results of the utility vehicle tests are noteworthy, both for the industry and Ford, because Police Interceptor utility represents an increased percentage - now 60 percent - of Ford police vehicle sales.

“Not only do we remain faster, but agencies like the Los Angeles Sheriff Department see the benefits of allwheel drive and EcoBoost,” said Arie Groeneveld, Ford chief engineer. “In pursuit driving conditions, being able to put down 365 horsepower is best accomplished using our intelligent allwheel-drive system - which optimizes handling and traction in all driving conditions, including dry-pavement surfaces - as demonstrated in LASD testing.”

Two trends emerge The performance achievement of Police Interceptor sedan and utility confirms two major shifts in police vehicle trends Ford is leading since its introduction last year of the all-new Police Interceptor family - the overwhelming preference by police agencies for Ford’s intelligent all-wheel-dri-

ve system, and a growing preference for the spacious utility vehicle.

Since launch, Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle, which replaced the venerable Crown Victoria, have seen significant sales increases - sedan sales are up 34 percent in calendar year 2013, while utility sales are up 142 percent.

Today, Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicle is only available with allwheel drive, while 88 percent of Police Interceptor sedan volume is all-wheel drive (base 3.5-liter Ti-VCT sedan can be ordered with front-wheel drive, while the 3.5-liter EcoBoost-equipped version is standard all-wheel drive).

Groeneveld said the LASD tests demonstrate police agencies don’t need to sacrifice performance for the added space and versatility a utility vehicle provides.

Beyond obvious traction advantages proven through all-wheel drive, evaluations like the LASD and Michigan State Police tests earlier this year demonstrate that Ford’s intelligent all-wheel drive enhances handling, especially in pursuit situations.

The Ford EcoBoost-powered Police Interceptor sedan bested both competitors’ high-performance V8 sedans in 0-100 mph testing.

Preliminary results of LASD testing show the fastest of the fast - the 2014 Ford Police Interceptor EcoBoost sedan with standard all-wheel drive posted a 0-100 mph time of 14.2 seconds, compared to 15.2 seconds for

the 5.7-liter Hemi-equipped Dodge Charger with optional all-wheel drive, and 14.4 seconds for the Chevrolet Caprice with 6.0-liter V8.

The LASD tests were conducted

with the utility vehicles carrying 400 pounds of cargo to simulate real-world conditions. The all-wheel-driveequipped 3.5-liter EcoBoost utility turned in a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 sec-

onds and 0-100 mph time of 18.3 seconds. The Chevrolet Tahoe with 5.3liter V8 returned an 8.5-second 0-60 mph time and a 0-100 mph time of 26.4 seconds. Even the base Ford

Police Interceptor utility, equipped with a 3.7-liter V6 and all-wheel drive, beat the competition by posting a 7.9second 0-60 mph time and 23.6 seconds in the 0-100 mph contest.

Not only did the Police Interceptor sedan and utility prove fastest in a straight line, both also posted fastest average lap times in their segments.

The EcoBoost sedan (at 81.25 seconds) is 0.7 second faster per average lap than Chevrolet Caprice 6.0-liter V8 with rear-wheel drive (at 81.97 seconds), and 0.9 second faster per average lap than the all-wheel-driveequipped Dodge Charger with Hemi V8 (82.19 seconds). Ford Police Interceptor utility with EcoBoost (85.58 seconds) is 6.1 seconds faster per average lap than Chevrolet Tahoe (at 91.71 seconds).

Ford Police Interceptor vehicles are gaining attention with agencies nationwide as a means of balancing law enforcement’s need for speed in pursuit-rated vehicles with the need to save money. Switching from traditional V8-equipped police vehicles to powerful but more efficient Ford EcoBoost V6 vehicles achieves this goal.

With Ford’s announcement in September of a new non-pursuit-rated, fuel-efficient 2.0-liter EcoBoostequipped Special Service Police Sedan that achieves 30 mpg highway, the company now offers law enforcement agencies the power of choice when they want to optimize efficiency and power.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

BUSINESS

New BMW 5 Series to take pole position in Kuwait Best-selling model is equipped with state-of-the-art design features

KUWAIT: Poised to raise the bar in the executive saloon segment, the new BMW 5 Series has recently debuted across Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive showrooms in Kuwait. With a host of new innovations in design and engineering, the official BMW Group importer is confident that this best-selling model will further build on its dominance and extend its lead amongst vehicles in its class.

This new top of the line BMW 5 Series 535i is packed with a host of equipment that is guaranteed to offer customer’s BMW’s trademark ‘sheer driving pleasure’. Notable standard equipment includes Dynamic Stability Control, Brake Energy Regeneration, Driving Experience Control and Cruise Control with braking function. New exterior aesthetic features include fog lights, combined heat protection glazing and a head-turning BMW LED Lights Package which includes LED light rings. This dynamic model is rounded off with a

luxurious interior that features a multifunction steering wheel and automatic air conditioning with dual-zone climate control.

In addition to these standard options, Kuwaiti customers can further personalize their vehicle with a number of additional features that add unprecedented levels of opulence and technological innovation to the already outstanding vehicle. These include optional 18-inch light alloy wheels, a sports leather steering wheel, automatic tailgate operation and BMW’s Adaptive Xenon headlights all of which add to the BMW 5 Series’ already impressive road presence. Add Park Distance Control, automatic air conditioning with 4-zone control, BMW’s Navigation System Professional, 6 DVD changer and Bluetooth enabled internet platform to the model and it is easy to understand why the all-new BMW 5 Series is certain to appeal to the sophisticated Kuwaiti audience. Yousef AlQatami, General Manager of Ali

Alghanim & Sons Automotive, said: “Since its launch in 1972, the BMW 5 Series has been the undisputed global leader in the executive car segment worldwide - therefore we are honoured to welcome this new model to our fleet.

During 2013 its predecessor was our best-selling model, therefore we are confident that the new vehicle will continue to cater to the discerning appetite of our Kuwaiti customers who consistently seek the best in premium motor-

ing.” The new BMW 5 Series is available in a range of different engine variants: BMW 520i, BMW 528i and BMW 535i.The multi-award-winning straight-six engine delivers 225 kW/306 hp to the BMW 535i. The engine powering the BMW 520i develops 135 kW/184 hp, while the unit offered for the BMW 528i from the launch of the new BMW 5 Series boasts revisions to various details and delivers 180 kW/245 hp.

In the cockpit, the range of on-board BMW ConnectedDrive technology in this new model expands on an already impressive network of driver assistance systems and mobility services designed to enhance safety, convenience and incar infotainment. A suite of office functions turns the model into a mobile workplace - underpinned by either the customer’s mobile phone or the car’s integrated SIM card. Emails, appointments, contacts, calendar entries and notes are displayed on the cockpit’s central screen.

Meanwhile BMW Apps guide the user through the large and ever increasing number of ser vices, which can be accessed using the customer’s phone or internet connection. BMW Apps include features such as a web radio function, access to your personalized music library and in-car use of Facebook and Twitter.

This service is constantly expanding to include new apps, which can be uploaded into the car via the SIM card or

a smartphone.

Customers who purchase the new BMW 5 Series will also benefit from Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s BMW Remote App. Compatible with both iPhone and Android platforms, this new technology puts the user in complete control of a number of key features in the car. Regardless of where the driver is, the vehicle can be contacted via the Remote App and instructed to perform a number of functions; from preconditioning the vehicle by switching on an independent ventilation system and identifying the location of the car in a crowded parking lot, to locking and unlocking your vehicle and sounding the horn, it ensures that no matter where your vehicle might be, the user is connected to the vehicle remotely.

In addition to an unparalleled level of convenience, the BMW Remote App also offers security. The registration procedure through BMW ConnectedDrive asks two owner-specific questions while the Remote App itself is protected by a unique user-defined PIN code.

The new BMW 5 Series now available with monthly instalments starting from 243 KD without down payment and also with five-year or up to 150,000km warranty. Furthermore the vehicles come with a four-year or up to 84,000km service package and free registration. These offers are exclusive to Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive in Kuwait.

About Earth Group of companies

W

ABK offers free valet parking service KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait offers its Prestige and ABK Emirates World MasterCard holders free valet parking service in twelve different locations around Kuwait. This service comes as an added value to ABK’s customers in an already long list of benefits and exclusive services at their disposal.

Explaining the service Stewart Lockie, GM Retail Banking at ABK stated, “We enjoy giving our loyal customers value added services such as these, that help ease the stress of daily life. Prestige being our luxury salary account, a service like this is tailor made for Prestige cardholders, and of course our World users are pleased at one more attractive feature of the premium

card.” ABK Emirates World MasterCard and Prestige cardholders can now enjoy free valet parking service by displaying their cards at the following twelve locations around Kuwait: The Avenues, gate 9, The Avenues, fifth ring road gate, Marina Mall at all 3 gates, Marina Crescent, PF Chang’s restaurant, Slider Station restaurant, The Fish Market restaurant on the Arabian Gulf Road, Starbucks, Keifan branch, Starbucks, Jabriyah and the Marina Hotel.

For more information about the advantages of the Prestige Account or World MasterCard please call Ahlan Ahli on 1899899 or visit our website www.eahli.com to chat live with one of our account managers via Ahli Chat.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival lures jewellery lovers across GCC, Singapore KUWAIT: Malabar Gold & Diamonds, the largest jewellery retailer gives their customers new reasons to celebrate this year with its astounding festive bonanza. This festive season, the jewellery group launched the 3rd edition of Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival in GCC and Singapore with world class collection and exciting offers. The festival runs till February 2, 2014 at all their outlets in GCC (except for Dubai) and Singapore.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival is one of the biggest jewellery events in GCC and Singapore. Through this event, the jewellery lovers get a chance to witness and buy unique and rare collection of jewellery to suit all budgets and needs with amazing offers. The festival also gives its customers a life changing opportunity to win up to 100 gold coins for every purchase of gold or diamond jewellery worth AED 3,000 and up to 100% instant cash refund for every diamond jewellery purchase. Customers

who made purchase from various outlets of Malabar Gold & Diamonds in GCC during the Festival availed over 40,000free gold coins and more than AED 3,00,000instant cash prize.

The group also offers ‘Zero Deduction Exchange’ scheme through which customers can update their old ornaments to the exquisite collection of Malabar Gold & Diamonds without any loss. Any 22ct old gold ornaments can be exchanged with the latest Malabar Gold &Diamonds designs by paying only making charges ensuring they don’t lose any value on the rate of gold. With a deep connection with its customers, Malabar Gold & Diamonds lucidly understands the sentiments with which their customers celebrate the festive season.

Keeping this in mind, the jewellery group has made every attempt to make their shopping experience memorable and value added by introducing the rarest collection of jewellery from all over the world to suit all budget and need.

ith 50+ offices, 1500+ employees, 14000+ satisfied customers, and 10 million+ sq. ft. space under construction, Earth Group of Companies today is one of the fastest emerging key players in the Indian real estate landscape.

Known for its innovative approach to offer state-of-the-art green structures, along with sustainable models, Earth Group of Companies is committed to mark its excellence in Green Construction in the skyline of India.

Setting benchmarks by initiating the concept of green building technology in North India, Earth Group offers a diversified product mix comprising of residential, commercial / IT / ITES parks, retails, hotels, farm houses, villas and SEZs with the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and quality and customer service.

The Group has introduced a new concept of 12 percent assured return (p.a.) with Bank Guarantee on investment made in its commercial projects. The concept hereby assures the investors of guaranteed returns or money back of the amount invested till the time of possession in form of monthly 1 percent assured returns (12 percent pa). The Group has collaborated with world renowned architects like EiGEN-UK, Cervera & Pioz-Spain, BDP-Netherlands, C P Kukreja, DFA, Sikka Associates, ACPL and N+U Design Studio-Delhi and leading con-

struction companies like M/s B L Kashyap & Sons Ltd, B R Kohli, Indsao, etc. Earth Group also has extensive future plans to venture into industry specific real estate development for hospitality, hospitals, education industry, future ready townships, and infrastructure projects.

Earth Group has received several prestigious awards including ‘Bharat Samman Award’ in 2011 by NRI Institute, ‘Best Debutant Developer of the Year’ in 2010 by Franchise India and ‘Front Runner of Indian Realty Award’ in 2012 by IRA (Indian Realty Awards), and the Group is known in the Realty fraternity for its professional might. The Group has made its strong presence felt in the Middle East countries, especially Kuwait along with Akaash Soneja, Sales

Distributor - Kuwait for Earth Infrastructures Ltd. In association with Soneja, Earth has made a good presence among the NRI’s settled in

Kuwait and Soneja has very well ensured that the right awareness of the company’s vision, products and plans reaches the potential market in

a transparent manner. The group is aggressively working with Soneja to expand its business in other Middle East countries as well.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

technology

Electronic valet parks the car, no tip required LAS VEGAS: There is no one inside the Range Rover in a Las Vegas parking lot. But it still guides its way to a parking place, after what looks like some hesitation. The self-parking is directed by an app which controls the vehicle, detects an available space and maneuvers into it. The “automated parking valet” created by the French equipment maker Valeo is among the technology innovations for the sector on display at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show.

While the idea of a fully autonomous car is a dream for some, this is a step which promises to alleviate at least some of the tedium facing motorists.

The system allows drivers to leave their car at the entrance of a parking lot and let it find a space to

park itself. Drivers activate the feature from their smartphone, and can also use it to summon the car to pick them up. “It’s like a brain,” said Guillaume Devauchelle, a Valeo vice president presenting the prototype system at the huge electronics expo. “It acts step by step, with a certain latitude, to be able to adapt to the situation,” Devauchelle said. “If it is put in the same position for a second time, it won’t react the same way.”

The system does not require garages or parking lots to have special equipment, the executive said. It relies on the kinds of sensors some cars already use, with some extra electronics. Devauchelle said the system may require a camera to recognize and

avoid spaces designated for the handicapped or unusual features in a garage. He said the system was designed to be as simple as possible so that it would not be only for luxury vehicles. “We would like to make this available to the largest number of people,” he said.

Even as automakers work on self-driving vehicles, a number of improvements can be made along the way, Devauchelle said, indicating the parking valet is not simply a matter of convenience. It can help avoid the kinds of accidents frequent in parking areas and allow elderly people who find it difficult to make parking maneuvers to use their cars more often. “As you age, turning your head

becomes harder, so parallel parking is very difficult,” the Valeo executive said.

“Parking maneuvers, in our estimation, are the most difficult for motorists.” Valeo said three million cars already have its semi-automatic system, which can perform parallel parking but require the driver to remain at the wheel. The company said it has also sold a system that uses remote control but requires the driver to remain in view of the car or the smartphone screen as a safety precaution. Devauchelle said the automated parking valet is adapted well for rental car fleets but added that regulations about driver requirements “from the horse and buggy era” need to be reviewed. — AFP

Gadget Watch: The desk that tells you to stand up iPhone case lets you see heat

LAS VEGAS: Jennifer McNally, a head of marketing at Stir, demonstrates on the Kinetic Desk at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. With builtin motorized legs, the height of the desk can be adjusted by using a touchscreen controller located in the corner of the desk. — AP

Tech gets in your head, literally, to ease stress LAS VEGAS: Yes, technology can get into your head, says the maker of a new brainsensing headband that promises to reduced stress. The Muse headband from Canadian-based Interaxon presented at the Consumer Electronics Show uses seven sensors, including five on the forehead and two behind the ears, to monitor brain activity and help people with stress-reducing exercises. “It’s based on neuro feedback,” said company communications manager Gena Meldazy. “The sensors detect and measure changes in your brain-

waves.”

They then transmit this information to a smartphone app, which enables the user to find ways to relax and reduce stress. It can deliver results in just a few minutes, for example, “very quickly before an important meeting,” Meldazy said. The system uses a series of training exercises designed to calm and focus the mind, helping keep stress under control. The product is set to be launched in 2015 at a price of $269, with the company taking preorders at www.getyourmuse.com. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: Sitting down all day is bad for you, or so doctors say. There’s been a burst of interest in standing desks, but they’re not that easy to use, and it’s hard to motivate sitters to stand. Stir, a company founded by a former Apple engineer, says it has the answer: a table that will nudge you to stand, with a gentle, one-inch rise and fall of its surface. If you take the suggestion, the table rises to standing height. The table is controlled from a color touch screen. It looks as though someone has hammered an iPhone into the table’s surface. To change between sitting and standing positions, you tap it twice. You can program it to make you stand, say, 35 percent of the time. A hidden heat sensor helps the desk determine whether you’re there.

The screen also controls the table’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. They don’t do much right now, but the plan is for the table to connect to your smartphone to track your sitting and standing periods. One day, it’ll also connect fitness bands such as the Fitbit to help the table figure out when you should be sitting and standing. For instance, the FitBit could tell the desk that you’ve had a tough workout already that morning and let you sit a bit more than usual, Stir CEO JP Labrosse says. Now, all we need is a TV couch that reminds people to stand. iPhone case Remember the alien with heat vision in the movie “Predator”? You, too, can now stalk people in the jungle by their heat signatures or check your home’s insulation for leaks, whichever is most useful to you. FLIR Systems Inc. is launching its first consumer product, an iPhone jacket that contains a heat camera.

Temperature differences show up in different colors on the screen. For instance, you can set

LAS VEGAS: An attendee wears an Oculus Rift HD virtual reality head-mounted display as he plays EVE: Valkyrie, a multiplayer virtual reality dogfighting shooter game, at the Intel booth at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP

it to show hotter things in yellow, mediumhot in red and cold in purple.

The FLIR One will cost $349, which compares with $995 and up for FLIR’s professional thermal imagers. The resolution of the ther-

mal image is low, but the jacket also contains a regular, visible-spectrum camera and overlays the images for a more detailed picture.

The phone can record video or stills of the heat images. —Agencies

WHAT YOU COULD USE IT FOR: • Spot leaky insulation in the house.

• Detect moisture leaks in the house. Because it loses heat through evaporation, water looks cold.

• Beat your kids at hide-and-seek, “Predator”-style.

• Spot lurkers in the parking lot or wildlife at night.

• Crazy party shots in darkness.

• Unique selfies. “Look at me, I have a fever!”.

Supreme Court to rule on TV over Internet service WASHINGTON: The United States Supreme Court will decide whether a startup company can offer live television broadcasts over the Internet without paying fees to broadcasters.

The high court agreed on Friday to hear an appeal from television broadcast networks in their attempt to shut down a startup company, Aereo Inc., which takes free signals from the airwaves and sends them over the Internet to paying subscribers.

Broadcasters have sued Aereo for alleged copyright infringement. The big networks have supplemented their advertising revenue with fees from cable and satellite TV companies for redistributing their stations to subscribers. If customers drop their pay TV service and use Aereo, broadcasters would lose some of that revenue.

A US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year Aereo did not violate the copyrights of broadcasters with its service but a similar service has been blocked by other judges.

Aereo claims what it is doing is legal because it has thousands of tiny antennas at its data centers and assigns individual subscribers their

own antenna. According to Aereo, that makes it akin to customers picking up free broadcast signals with a regular antenna at home. “We believe that consumers have a right to use an antenna to access over-the-air television and to make personal recordings of those broadcasts,” said Aereo CEO and founder Chet Kanojia. “The broadcasters are asking the Court to deny consumers the ability to use the cloud to access a more modern-day television antenna and DVR. If the broadcasters succeed, the consequences to consumers and the cloud industry are chilling.”

Broadcasters have argued that the use of individual antennas is a mere technicality meant to circumvent copyright law and threatens their ability to produce marquee sports or awards show events, including the Academy Awards, the Grammys and the Super Bowl. CBS, Fox and Univision television networks are among those that say they might end their free broadcasts and become a subscription-only channel like CNN, Nickelodeon and Discovery if Aereo is successful. “We believe that Aereo’s

business model, and similar offerings that operate on the same principle, are built on stealing the creative content of others. We are pleased that our case will be heard and we look forward to having our day in court,” CBS said in a statement.

A cable company took a middle ground on the issue. “Cablevision remains confident that while the Aereo service violates copyright, the Supreme Court will find persuasive grounds for invalidating Aereo without relying on the broadcasters’ overreaching - and wrong - copyright arguments that challenge the legal underpinning of all cloud-based services,” spokeswoman Lisa Anselmo said.

This comes as Aereo announced Tuesday that it has secured $34 million in additional funding from outside investors to help it expand beyond the 10 metropolitan areas it currently serves. It will also allow Aereo to develop apps for additional devices, such as Internet-connected TVs and game consoles and battle copyright-infringement lawsuits filed by broadcasters like the one before the Supreme Court.— AP

LAS VEGAS: A test plane prepares to take off from Las Vegas, Nevada, to test the latest WiFi technology in airplanes. Global Eagle acquired Row 44, a California-based company providing in-flight broadband connectivity and wireless inflight entertainment, and together are advancing internet connectivity through satellites while in the air. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: Raphael Gindrat, from Induct, points to a guidance laser while demonstrating their new Navia driverless shuttle at the International Consumer Electronics Show. — AP

Carmakers: Driverless cars need legal framework LAS VEGAS: The future of driving is right around the corner.

Hydrogen- and solar-powered vehicles are on the streets. So are cars that can get you through stop-and-go traffic while you sit back and send texts from behind the wheel. Cars are even using radar, ultrasonic waves and cameras to jump into the passing lane and get around slowpokes.

Sure, all of these technologies are still in the testing phase, but that hasn’t stopped car makers and technology companies from showing off a new paradigm of driving at the International CES gadget show this week. It’s a world in which you no longer grip the wheel with excitement, but instead relax with a book or movie as your car chauffeurs you to your destination. It’s also a future that won’t materialize, say carmakers, unless legislators around the world create a new legal framework.

One simulation at CES by Delphi Automotive PLC, a provider of auto parts and technology to major manufacturers including Ford, GM and Volvo, shows the possibilities. The scenario, using a stationary but souped-up Tesla Model S, imagines “autonomous driving lanes,” much like carpool lanes today. The company says vehicles might someday enter these lanes and then run on autopilot. The feat is possible today with a mixture of technology that keeps cars inside lanes and adaptive cruise control that matches a car’s speed to the vehicle in front of it.

While in the autonomous lane, the car’s window glass frosts up and functions that had been disabled for the driver - like video playing from a mini projector - turn on. The driver can pursue other activities, like surfing the Web or even taking a nap. When the driver’s exit nears, the car gets increasingly persistent, demanding that the driver take back control. First, the video player stops. Then a female voice intones, “Place both hands on the steering wheel and look ahead in the driving direction.”

Finally, the seat starts vibrating and a driver-facing camera ensures he or she is looking at the road. The driver taps a steering wheel knob, takes control, and drives on. The experience is similar

to airline pilots who grab the controls for take-off and landing but let a computer do the rest. “These technologies exist now and the carmakers assure us they’re ready to go,” said Jim Travers, associate editor of autos for Consumer Reports magazine. “It’s really not that far off.”

Though technological innovation isn’t an issue, there are many speed bumps on the road to this envisioned future. Consumers must accept the safety and reliability of such systems, governments must draft and pass legislation and the insurance industry needs to draw up guidelines to answer tricky questions such as who’d be at fault in the event of a crash. “That’s one of the biggest issues for the industry as a whole for autonomous technology,” said Glen De Vos, vice president of engineering for Delphi’s electronics and safety division. “The legal environment has to keep pace. Today we’re at the very beginning.”

Regulation is a patchwork across the world and within the US Laws regulating autonomous driving have been passed in the US in Florida, California and Nevada - but not nationwide - making it impractical for automakers to sell these super-high-tech vehicles in America. In Germany, computer-assisted driving is allowed but only up to speeds of 10 kilometers per hour. “The only thing that is stopping us is the legal stuff,” said Patrick Heinemann, an engineer of advanced driver assistance systems for Audi AG. At the show, the German luxury car maker demonstrated what it could legally: automated parking in a tight squeeze -both on the street and in a garage. The system used laser vision, ultrasonic sensors and a computer that fits in a corner of the trunk. The driver in the demos gets out of the vehicles and holds down a button on his smartphone while the car does the rest, even executing a 3point turn to avoid dinging adjacent cars. Releasing the button stops the car, to prevent running over something at the last second. In testing, Audi cars can stay in lanes and advance automatically in stop-and-go traffic that moves at up to 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour), Heinemann said. — AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

Canada’s closure of science libraries riles researchers MONTREAL: Canada’s closure of science libraries containing a vast repository of environmental data dating back more than a century has researchers worried that valuable books and reference materials are being lost in the name of cost-cutting.

Unique in its shore access to three oceans (Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific) and with the largest number of freshwater lakes in the world, Canada over the years has amassed a huge cache of books and scientific reports on fisheries, meteorology and wildlife-on everything from beluga whales to songbirds.

Until recently they had been stored at seven Fisheries and Oceans and 12 Environment Canada libraries and reading rooms across the country.

But the federal government last year ordered most of them closed and fired dozens of librarians as they began consolidating the materials at three locations-in Sydney, British Columbia and in

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (both Fisheries libraries), as well as at Environment Canada’s National Hydrology Research Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where a single librarian with the help of a couple of students have reportedly been tasked with sorting through and cataloguing hundreds of boxes of materials transferred there, to date.

Unique data The closure of a government library at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba in particular was mourned by many marine scientists because it held unique data on freshwater lakes dating back to 1880.

More worrying, according to researchers, is that excess and outdated materials have ended up in dumpsters, which local media reports likened to book burning.

“This is a national tragedy,” said Peter

Wells, a professor at Dalhousie University and senior research fellow at the International Ocean Institute, both in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The government however says the impact of the closures has been exaggerated, and that the libraries were frequented by a mere dozen people (other than government staff ) annually, and that it also plans to digitize much of the books to allow a larger audience to access them online, more cheaply.

“It is absolutely false to insinuate that any books were burnt,” Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said in a statement.

Shea explained that the department’s collections of information on fisheries, aquatic sciences and nautical scienceswhich it claims are “one of the world’s most comprehensive”-will be preserved and new materials will continue to be added.

Only duplicate books have been dis-

carded after being rejected by other libraries, staff and the general public, Shea said.

Controversial policies The minister’s reassurances however have done little to quell the controversy with scepticism running high, after several other controversial policies enacted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government in recent yearsincluding withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol and gagging government scientists-raised the ire of scientists.

Researchers have called the measures attacks on science itself, and efforts aimed at silencing critics of the government’s agenda, which is focused on jobs and the economy, with environmental stewardship arguably playing second fiddle.

This now widespread view-rightly or wrongly-that Harper has an anti-science bias even provoked a march on

Parliament by scientists in laboratory coats, waving anti-Harper placards, in 2012, accusing the government of a lack of evidence-based decision-making.

“This government doesn’t like scientific information (being out there) on environmental issues,” Wells summed up.

The federal government has taken an “ideological decision” on the libraries, accused Jeff Hutchings, another maritime researcher at Dalhousie University and past chair of a Royal Society of Canada panel on marine biodiveristy. “It’s symbolic in a bad way,” he said.

Hutchings told AFP he worries especially about the loss of marine data that stretches back before climate change and modern commercial fishing.As well, he dismissed Shea’s suggestion that the books and research would become more widely available online, as only works specifically requested have been scanned and digitized, according to him. —AFP

Doctors say cutting food stamps could backfire WASHINGTON: Doctors are warning that if Congress cuts food stamps, the federal government could be socked with bigger health bills.

Maybe not immediately, they say, but over time if the poor wind up in doctors’ offices or hospitals as a result.

Among the health risks of hunger are spiked rates of diabetes and developmental problems for young children down the road.

The doctors’ lobbying effort comes as Congress is working on a compromise farm bill

“If you’re interested in saving health care costs, the dumbest thing you can do is cut nutrition,” said Dr. Deborah Frank of Boston Medical Center, who founded the Children’s HealthWatch pediatric research institute. “People don’t make the hunger-health connection.”

Logical culprit A study published this week helps illustrate that link. Food banks report longer lines at the end of the month as families exhaust their gro-

PETALUMA: This photo taken on Jan 8 shows Steve Bosshard, left, smiling after giving out a specially prepared box of food at a food bank distribution in Petaluma, Calif., as part of a research project with Feeding America to try to improve the health of diabetics in food-insecure families. —AP

PETALUMA: Maria Gonzalez carrying away her specially prepared box of food at a food bank distribution in Petaluma. —AP that’s certain to include food stamp cuts.

Republicans want heftier reductions than do Democrats in yet another partisan battle over the government’s role in helping poor Americans.

Food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, feed 1 in 7 Americans and cost almost $80 billion a year, twice what it cost five years ago. Conservatives say the program spiraled out of control as the economy struggled and the costs are not sustainable. They say the neediest people will not go hungry.

The health and financial risks of hunger have not played a major role in the debate. But the medical community says cutting food aid could backfire through higher Medicaid and Medicare costs.

cery budgets, and California researchers found that more poor people with a dangerous diabetes complication are hospitalized then, too.

The researchers analyzed eight years of California hospital records to find cases of hypoglycemia, when blood sugar plummets, and link them to patients’ ZIP codes.

Among patients from low-income neighborhoods, hospitalizations were 27 percent higher in the last week of the month compared with the first, when most states send out government checks and food stamps, said lead researcher Dr. Hilary Seligman of the University of California, San Francisco. But hospitalizations didn’t increase among diabetics from higher-income areas, she reported Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs.

Seligman couldn’t prove that running low on

food was to blame. But she called it the most logical culprit and said the cost of treating hypoglycemia even without a hospitalization could provide months of food stamp benefits.

“The cost trade-offs are sort of ridiculous,” Seligman said.

She is working on a project with Feeding America, a network of food banks, to try to improve health by providing extra, diabetesappropriate foods, including fresh produce and whole-grain cereals and pastas, for diabetics at a few food banks in California, Texas and Ohio.

Last year, research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts estimated that a cut of $2 billion a year in food stamps could trigger in an increase of $15 billion in medical costs for diabetes over the next decade.

Other research shows children from foodinsecure families are 30 percent more likely to have been hospitalized for a range of illnesses.

But after a temporary boost in benefits from the 2009 economic stimulus, children whose families used food stamps were significantly more likely to be well than kids in low-income families that didn’t participate, Children’s HealthWatch found. About half of food stamp recipients are children, and 10 percent are elderly.

How much would be cut from the foodstamp program ranges from $400 million a year in a Senate-passed farm bill to $4 billion a year in the House version. Congressional negotiators now are eyeing about $800 million a year in cuts.

That would be on top of cuts in November, when that 2009 temporary benefit expired.

According to the Agriculture Department, a family of four receiving food stamps is now getting $36 less a month. The average household benefit is around $270.

Since then, food banks are reporting more demand because people’s food stamps aren’t stretching as far, said Maura Daly of Feeding America.

Conservatives pushing the cuts say they want to target benefits to the neediest people, arguing that those who are truly hungry should have no problem getting assistance if they apply.

The final bill will most likely crack down on states that give recipients $1 in heating assistance in order to trigger higher food stamp benefits, a change that wouldn’t take people completely off the rolls.

The bill will also likely add some money for food banks and test new work requirements for recipients in a few states, a priority for many Republicans.

“While this program is an important part of our safety net, our overriding goal should be to help our citizens with the education and skills they need to get back on their feet so that they can provide for themselves and their families,” said Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., when the farm bill was on the House floor last summer.

Food is medicine Democrats and anti-hunger groups opposing the reductions have said that cutting food stamps could worsen health and raise health costs for the poorest.

“Food is medicine,” says Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, who has led the Democrats’ defense of the food stamp program. “Critics focus almost exclusively on how much we spend, and I wish they understood that if we did this better, we could save a lot more money in health care costs.”

Dr. Thomas McInerny, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said too often, poor families buy cheap, high-calorie junk food because it’s filling, but it lacks nutrients needed for proper child development. The two main consequences are later-in-life diabetes, and iron deficiency that, especially in the first three years of life, can damage a developing brain so that children have trouble learning in school, he said.

“The children may not look malnourished the way children in Third World countries look,” he said, “but they are malnourished.” —AP

ANCHORAGE: Central and Mirror Lake Middle School cross-country runners, wearing pink for breast cancer awareness, climb the final hill of a crosscountry race at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska this week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 1 in 4 US kids aged 12 to 15 meet the recommendations of an hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity every day. The CDC released partial results on Wednesday from a fitness survey, which involved kids aged 3 to 15. —AP

Sign language frees Cambodian deaf from ‘prison’ PHNOM PENH: At a hairdresser’s shop in the Cambodian capital, there is none of the usual chit chat you might expect when getting a haircut —- because the barbers are all deaf.

They have graduated from the only education course for deaf adults in Cambodia, where the vast majority of people with hearing problems never had the opportunity to learn sign language.

“I didn’t have any contact outside of my family. It was like being in prison. I was stuck there. I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t have any money. I didn’t have any education,” barber trainee Oeun Darong, 27, explained in Cambodian sign language.

Until the late 1990s, Cambodia was one of the few countries in the world without its own sign language.

But that is changing thanks to the work of American priest Charlie Dittmeier, who began to develop the kingdom’s own version with help from foreign linguists and researchers after he was posted in the Southeast Asian nation 13 years ago.

“We get people coming to us at the age of 25, 30, 35. They have never been to school a day in their life. They have no language,” said Dittmeier.

His Deaf Development Programme (DDP) is one of only two groups running schools for people with hearing problems in Cambodia.

The other one is for children.

About 30 deaf students aged 16 or older are currently taking a two-year course at the DDP centre in Phnom Penh, learning simple sign language, writing, reading and other life skills, said Dittmeier.

A third year is spent in job training like at the barber shop, where the students receive instructions-given in sign language-on how to offer hair cuts, shaves and ear cleaning.

A sad life Many have spent their life working in rice fields or as cattle herders, with no one to teach them how to use sign language.

“I was by myself. It was a sad life. I couldn’t learn anything. I couldn’t talk to my family,” said Darong, who once thought he was the only deaf person in the world.

He was born into a family of farmers-one of eight children-and missed out on an education.

“The others would walk to school but I was left at home taking care of the cow, fishing and working in the garden, while they would go and learn how to read and write.”

Other pupils at the same deaf school had even worse experiences, such as the pair rescued from one of the country’s rehabilitation centres, which rights activists criticise for

unlawfully detaining street children, beggars, drug users and other undesirables.

“They had no social skills at all. They did not know how to take a shower,” said Dittmeier.

On the walls of the DDP centre, some drawings show the basic rules of hygiene, while others teach Cambodian sign language.

“We are constantly trying to expose them to new ideas and then they start developing the signs. Then our work is to record the signs. We draw them. We scan them. We put them into books and dictionaries,” Dittmeier said.

“When they start wanting to talk about new topics they will develop new signs. It shouldn’t come from the hearing people-it should come from the deaf people. And so their life expands, their language expands, their world expands.”

Life-changing step There are estimated to be more than 50,000 deaf people across Cambodia, yet only a fraction of them have learned sign language. For those who do, it can be a lifechanging step.

“I can now communicate,” said 23-year-old student Kheng Nat. “People don’t ignore me or discriminate against me here. It is not like at home or in the village.”

The situation in Cambodia, which has no state-funded education programme for the deaf, is by no means unique.

“Worldwide, deaf children and young people are often denied an education, including in sign language,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at New Yorkbased Human Rights Watch.

“Sign language is critical for deaf people to be able to communicate, express themselves, and learn,” she added.

The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) campaigns for better access to education for the 70 million deaf people around the world, the majority of whom live in developing countries that lack well-trained sign language teachers.

In many nations, the quality of education for deaf people is low and the illiteracy rate is high, according to the WFD, which deplores “a massive ignorance in education systems about the importance of sign language.”

One of the first things students do when they enter the DDP school in Phnom Penh is to choose their own sign name-a crucial step towards leaving their solitary life behind.

“I met lots of deaf people here who are now my friends,” said Darong. “I’m not by myself anymore.” —AFP

Proposed Medicare drug change stirs access worries WASHINGTON: In a move that some fear could compromise care for Medicare recipients, the Obama administration is proposing to remove special protections that guarantee seniors access to a wide selection of three types of drugs.

The three classes of drugs - widely used antidepressants, antipsychotics and drugs that suppress the immune system to prevent the rejection of a transplanted organ - have enjoyed special “protected” status since the launch of the Medicare prescription benefit in 2006.

That has meant that the private insurance plans that deliver prescription benefits to seniors and disabled beneficiaries

must cover “all or substantially all” medications in the class, allowing the broadest possible access. The plans can charge more for costlier drugs, but they can’t just close their lists of approved drugs, or formularies, to protected medications.

In a proposal published Friday in the Federal Register, the administration called for removing protected status from antidepressants, antipsychotics, and immunosuppressant drugs. The proposal said that status it is no longer needed to guarantee access, would save millions of dollars for taxpayers and beneficiaries alike, and could help deal with the problem of improperly prescribed

antipsychotics drugs in nursing homes.

But advocates for patients are strongly criticizing the idea, saying it could potentially limit access to critically needed medications for millions of people.

“We are disturbed by this,” said Andrew Sperling, legislative advocacy director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “This is a key protection. It’s a cornerstone of what has made the benefit work for people with mental illness.”

Blunt instrument Sperling said that patients with mental health issues often have to try a variety of drugs before they find the right

one for their condition. He questioned whether the change would help crack down on the problem of improperly prescribed antipsychotics, saying it amounted to a blunt instrument.

The National Kidney Foundation also voiced worries. Legislative policy director Tonya Saffer said transplant patients often depend on combinations of medication, so having the broadest possible choice is crucial.

“Covering all immunosuppressant drugs is very important for the patient and very important to protect the transplanted organ from rejection,” Saffer said. —AP

SEATTLE: A 12-year-old girl reaches for the drink she purchased at a vending machine in Seattle. Office workers in search of snacks will be counting calories along with their change under new labeling regulations for vending machines included in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law. —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

West Virginia residents waiting for tap water Chemical leaks into river CHARLESTON: A company president apologized to West Virginia residents for a chemical leak that got into a public water treatment system, and a state agency ordered Freedom Industries to remove its remaining chemicals from the site. About 300,000 people in nine counties entered their third day yesterday without being able to drink, bathe in, or wash dishes or clothes with their tap water. The only allowed use of the water was for flushing toilets. Officials remain unclear when it might be safe again.

Federal authorities, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, began investigating how the foaming agent escaped from the Freedom Industries plant and seeped into the Elk River. Just how much of the chemical leaked into the river was not yet known.

“We’d like to start by sincerely apologizing to the people in the affected counties of West Virginia,” company President Gary Southern said. “Our friends and our

neighbors, this incident is extremely unfortunate, unanticipated and we are very, very sorry for the disruptions to everybody’s daily life this incident has caused.” Some residents, including John Bonham of Cross Lanes, were willing to accept Southern’s apology.

“Yeah, I understand that stuff can happen,” said Bonham, who also works in the chemical industry. “I don’t think it’s going to get him out of legal liability. OSHA is the one they’re going to have to answer to.”

Officials are working with a Tennessee company that makes the chemical to determine how much can be in the water without it posing harm to residents, said Jeff McIntyre, president of West Virginia American Water. “We don’t know that the water’s not safe. But I can’t say that it is safe,” McIntyre said Friday.

Bottled water For now, there is no way to treat the tainted water aside from flushing the system until it’s in low-enough concentra-

tions to be safe, a process that could take days. The leak was discovered Thursday morning from the bottom of a storage tank. Southern said the company worked all day and through the night to remove the chemical from the site and take it elsewhere. Vacuum trucks were used to remove the chemical from the ground at the site.

“We have mitigated the risk, we believe, in terms of further material leaving this facility,” Southern said. He said the company didn’t know how much had leaked. The tank that leaked holds at least 40,000 gallons, said state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise, although officials believe no more than 5,000 gallons leaked from the tank.

Some of that was contained before escaping into the river, Aluise said.

Freedom Industries was ordered Friday night to remove chemicals from its remaining above-ground tanks, Aluise added. The company was already cited for causing air pollution stemming from the

odor first reported Thursday, Aluise said.

The primary component in the foaming agent that leaked is the chemical 4methylcyclohexane methanol. The spill has forced businesses, restaurants and schools to shut down and forced the Legislature to cancel its business for the day. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and several companies were sending bottled water and other supplies for residents.

“If you are low on bottled water, don’t panic because help is on the way,” Tomblin said. At a Kroger near a DuPont plant along the Kanawha River, customers learned the grocery store had been out since early Friday. Robert Stiver was unable to find water at that and at least a dozen other stores in the area and worried about how he’d make sure his cats had drinkable water.

“I’m lucky. I can get out and look for water. But what about the elderly? They can’t get out. They need someone to help them,” he said. —- AP

CHALESTON: People wait in line for water from a 7500 gallon tanker truck brought in from Washington yesterday at Riverside High School near Charleston. A chemical spill left the water for 300,000 people in and around West Virginia’s capital city stained blue-green and smelling like licorice. —AP

CHARLESTON: A stretch of the Elk River in Charleston is shown yesterday. The White House has issued a federal disaster declaration in West Virginia, where a chemical spill in the Elk River that may have contaminated tap water has led officials to tell at least 300,000 people not to bathe, brush their teeth or wash their clothes. —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

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Cinemagic January schedule

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ased on the Private Universities Council’s (PUC) decision, the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) has announced an extension to the registration period for high school graduates applying for PUC scholarships. The college will now be receiving applications until Tuesday, the 13th of January, 2014.

In addition, the registration period is also open to ACK & Box Hill College Diploma graduates looking to enroll in a

Thursday, January 16 at 7:30PM SURPRISE FILM OF THE MONTH Every month we�ll be playing a surprise film, where you won�t know what you�re watching until just a minute before the film begins. One thing is for sure, every month the surprise film will be either my favourite film of the list, or the most unique in one way or the other. This month�s film was won and was nominated for over 30 awards worldwide including the Oscars, Golden Globes, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Baftas. A unique, hilarious, bizarre, and poetic little film.

Saturday, January 18 at 7:30PM PIETA Winner of the Golden Lion (Best Film) at the Venice Film Festival, Kang-do is a heartless man who has no living family members and whose job is to threaten debtors to repay his clients, the loan sharks who demand a 10x return on a one month loan. To recover the interest, the debtors would sign an insurance for handicap, and Kangdo would injure the debtors brutally to file the claim. One day he receives a visit from a strange, middle-aged woman claiming she is his long-lost mother. Over the following weeks, the woman stubbornly follows him and he continues to do his job. But he is slowly moved and changed by the motherly love expressed from this woman.

Thursday, January 23 at 7:30PM TALK TO HER Winner of over 27 awards worldwide, mostly for Best Film or Best Foreign Film, Talk to her is considered by many fans of the legendary Pedro Almodovar to be his best film. Two men meet by chance at a private clinic, each looking after a woman in a coma. Marco�s girlfriend Lydia was a bullfighter who was mauled, and Benigno looks after a young ballet student. The lives of the four characters flow in all directions, past, present, and future, taking them to an unsuspected destiny.

Saturday, January 25 at 7:30PM OFFSIDE Winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and carrying a 97% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Offside follows a group of girls who try to sneak into a football stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match.

Female fans are not allowed to enter football stadiums in Iran on the grounds that there will be a high risk of violence or verbal abuse against them. The film was shot in Iran during a real live match, but its screening was banned there.

Thursday, January 30 at 7:30PM TOUKI BOUKI (Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project) Every month, we’ll be playing a film from the World Cinema Project. Established by Martin Scorsese in 2007, the World Cinema Project expands the horizons of moviegoers everywhere.

The mission of the WCP is to preserve and present marginalized and infrequently screened films from regions generally ill equipped to preserve their own cinema history. This month�s film is Touki Bouki. With a stunning mix of the surreal and the naturalistic, Djibril Diop Mamb�ty paints a vivid, fractured portrait of Senegal in the early 1970s. With a stunning mix of the surreal and the naturalistic, Djibril Diop Mamb�ty paints a vivid, fractured portrait of Senegal in the early 1970s.

In this French New Wave-influenced fantasy-drama, two young lovers long to leave Dakar for the glamour and comforts of France, but their escape plan is beset by complications both concrete and mystical. Characterized by dazzling imagery and music, the alternately manic and meditative Touki bouki is widely considered one of the most important African films ever made.

Cinemagic is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audiovisual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by increasing the public�s interest in - and appreciation for - the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the rooftop of Xcite and LG.

Lebanese Embassy condolences

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ebanon’s Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Khader Halwi will receive condolences on the sad demise of his cousin and former minister martyr Mohammad Shatah on Thursday 16/1/2014 between 4-8 pm at the ambassador’s house in Daeya.

Bachelor’s Degree program, with the submission deadline set for the 20th of January, 2014. Registration for self-funding Diploma students is also in progress till the 15th of January, 2014.

ACK’s Admissions and Registration department invites those seeking enrollment and confirms the 2nd of February, 2014, as the new academic semester’s commencement date.

Yuva for India

T Enjoy the taste of true Espresso at Vergnano Cafe at Olympia Complex

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he superior quality of the blends comes from the meticulous selection of the best raw materials available, and from an extraordinary production process. Cafe Vergnano is the first to introduce an innovation that brings all the passion and pleasure of the perfect

espresso to everyday life at home.

Espresso is now available in Kuwait, through Al-Sanabel Al-Thahabiya Est. Tel: 22413795/98. Espresso Vergnano can be ordered through www.taw9eel.com Espresso Vergnano capsules are compatible with other espresso machines.

he day long integral youth development camp ‘Yuva for India’ announced by Vichar Bharathi Kuwait in association with Yuva Darshan is scheduled to be held on January 17 at Indian Community School, Khaithan from 9am to 5pm. Registration is still open for few more seats for the teenage Indian students from the various schools in Kuwait. Highlight of the camp includes inaugural session by Dr P S Menon, Department of Pediatrics, Ministry of Defense, Kuwait followed by five informative sessions on significant subjects by Adv Jayasooryan, Managing Director, VIAS Civil Service Academy, Lalitha Premkumar, Vice Principal, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Kuwait, Carol Marshal, US

Educational Consultant and Shilpa Pathak, Clinical Psychologist and Counselor, Salmiya Indian Model School Kuwait. The camp guarantees knowledge through entertainment and interaction.

The camp will be followed by a public function at 6.30pm at the same venue. Adv Jayasooryan will deliver the key notespeech on the subject ‘Swami Vivekananda and National Renaissance’. The function will be marked with a discourse of eminences from Kuwait expatriate society, Rajan Daniel, Sathar Kunnil and Albert J Pulluvila.

For more details and registration log on to www.sevadarshan.com orhttp://www.sevadarshan.com/yuva-forindia/registration/

Registration of South Africans living abroad for 2014 elections

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he Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (DIRCO) hereby announce their collaboration to register South Africans living outside of the country as voters for the very first time. This follows the presidential assent to the Electoral Amendment Act No 18 of 2013 and the publication of amendments to the Regulations on the Registration of Voters late last year.

In terms of the amended regulations, South Africans living outside of the country who wish to vote in next year’s national election are required to register in person either in South Africa or at one of South Africa’s 124 Embassies, High Commissions or Consulates-General located in 108 countries. These South Africans need to be in possession of a valid South African identity document (either a green barcoded South African ID book, a new smart-card ID or a valid temporary identity certificate) and a valid South

African passport to register. South African citizens living outside of the country and who are already registered as voters in South Africa do not need to register again.

Applications for registration are open with immediate effect and take place during normal office hours of the various missions until Friday, 7 February 2014. A list of South African missions is available on http://www.dirco.gov.za/foreign/sa_abroad/index.htm.

The South African Embassy in the State of Kuwait has set aside the 26th and 27th of January 2014 for South Africans residing in the State of Kuwait for registration.

Chapter 3 of the election regulations, dealing with special votes, has also been revised to accommodate voting by South African citizens abroad. It requires registered voters who will not be in South Africa on Election Day (including those who registered outside of the country) to notify the Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC of their intention to apply

to cast their ballot at a South African diplomatic mission.

Notifications of intention to apply for a special vote are made online via the IEC’s website (www.elections.gov.za) using a VEC10 form which will only be available once the President of the Republic has proclaimed the election date.

Online applications must be made with 15 days of the proclamation.

“The 2014 general election is a watershed for South Africa, as it marks the 20th anniversary of our democracy.

The IEC takes great pride in enabling all South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote, wherever they may be and we wish to thank the Department of International Relations & Cooperation for their assistance in enabling South Africans to exercise this right,” says Mosotho Moepya, Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC.

Pakistan Academy School celebrates birthday of Founder of Pakistan

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nder the esteem Patronage of “Urdu Department” a prominent event was organized to commemorate the birthday of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the father of the Nation under whose strong will, fortitude, untiring efforts and hard work, Pakistan came into being the strongest and the largest Muslim state of the world on the similar design as of the state of Madina (KSA) 1400 years before by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Prof: Syed Zakir Ali Principal, graciously acceded to grace the ceremony.

The school premises were decorated with the portages and pictures of the great Quaid and Allama Iqbal the poet of East, who dreamt an independent

state for the Muslim of the subcontinent, where they could live according to their rituals, customs and traditions peacefully.

After the recitation of the verses of the Holy Quran, the Head of Urdu Department, Iqbal Khokhar, broke the ice and passed on the mike to Faisal Rashid to conduct the Ceremony.

The national anthem of Pakistan was recited in chores supervised by the school’s principal in which the school staff, both male and female, participated.

Prof Syed Zakir Ali Principal, in his inaugural speech, stressed upon the students to follow the noble message of the Quaid; Unity, Faith and Discipline in every aspect and department of their everyday routine and advised

the audience Work! Work! And Work to attain the victory and success in life.

The student orators were Iraj Zaheer Class XII, Fatima Latif Class 10th, Mahrukh Ihsan Class VIII, Samra Raghib VIII and young student Noor of Class IV paid rich tributes in their declarations both in English and Urdu languages and bagged a sound clapping and applause from their School fellows.

Some well-known and melodious sweet national songs were played to invoke high spirit, zeal and zest regarding the function. The students, the staff along with their leader took part in the national songs. The celebration ended but left unforgettable memories.

Indian Embassy holds open house on all Wednesdays Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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or the benefit of Indian Community, the Open House for the Indian citizen by the Ambassador is being held in the Embassy every Wednesday between 1500 hrs and 1600 hrs. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting is held on the next working day.

2. It may be mentioned that Embassy of India’s Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall. For any unsolved issue,

S.K. Dudeja, Second Secretary (Consular) could be contacted on Telephone No. 22533315, Fax No.22573910 (E-mail: sscons@indembkwt.org). Furthermore, Balram Kumar Upadhyay, Counsellor (Consular and Chief Welfare Officer) for Indian Community is also available to redress grievances at Telephone No. 22533125, Fax No.22573910 (Email: counsellor@indembkwt.org).

3 Similarly, a Labour Wing Help Desk functions from 0830 hrs to 1300 hrs and 1400 hrs to 1630 hrs in the Labour welfare Hall to address the labour related issues. There is

also a 24X7 Help Line (Tel No. 25674163) to assist labourers in distress. For any unsolved issues Mr. Shubashis Goldar, Deputy Chief of Mission could be contacted on Telephone No. 22510891, Fax No.22573902 (E-mail: dcm@indembkwt.org).

4. Ambassador of India welcomes your suggestions, comments, opinions as well as criticism to improve the functioning of the Embassy at Telephone No. 22561276, Fax No. 22546958 (E-mail: amb.kuwait@mea.gov.in / ambss@indembkwt.org ).

W H AT ’ S O N

Three days left to win in NBK’s Desert Competition on Instagram

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy of Australia has announced that Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas in 10 working days through www.immi.gov.au. All other processing of visas and Immigration matters are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre located in Al Banwan Building, 4B, 1st Floor, Al Qibla Area, Ali Al Salem Street, Kuwait City. Visit. www.vfsau-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

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hree days left to win National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK) Desert competition on Instagram. Abdul Aziz Akbar Ali and Fatma Faraj Jamaan Al-Shukaili won the best photos in the third week of this competition that runs until January 12, 2014.

NBK followers on Instagram can take part in this competition by taking pictures of the desert on the occasion of the camping season and post them on Instagram at NBK page (@NBKPage) with the hash tag #NBKDesert. The competition runs for four weeks. Two winners will be awarded weekly and eight winners in total with cash prizes up to

KD2000. Participants must be followers of NBK’s official Instagram account to take part in the competition.

As a green bank, NBK considers the environment as an most precious asset. The concept behind this competition is to raise environmental awareness and encourage people to participate and help in keep the environment clean and take part in social responsibility.

NBK greatly values social media as a convenient mean to communicate with customers and build a strong and lasting relationship. As a bank, we look forward to receiving photos from our followers and present them with valu-

able prizes.

NBK enjoys the largest social media presence in Kuwait.

NBK views social media networks as important aspects for supporting the lifestyle and banking habits of NBK clients.

For more information regarding banking transactions, events and competitions check out National Bank of Kuwait official Facebook page NBK Official Page or follow NBK on Twitter and Instagram @NBKPage, You Tube NBKMedia, Linkedin National Bank of Kuwait, Foursquare NBK and Google+ NBKMedia.

ABS holds its annual international day

South African Citizens who are out of the country and wish to apply for registration to vote in the upcoming General Elections are hereby offered the opportunity to apply for registration. Registrations will take place at the South African Embassy on 26 and 27 January 2014 from 08h30 to 15h30 at Villa No 3, House No 91, Street 1, Block 10, Salwa. To be eligible to register at the SA Embassy, a person must • Be a South African Citizen and be 16 years of age and older; • Submit a valid green bar-coded Identity Document, a valid Temporary Identity Certificate (valid for 2 months) or a Smart Card; • Submit a valid South African Passport; and • Submit in person the application form, the identity document and a valid passport. For any further enquiries, please phone: 25617988 during working hours. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is happy to announce that a NEW visa application centre (VAC) is now open and serving applicants. The VAC is located at: 12th Floor, Al Nassar Tower, Fahad Al Salem Street Alqibla Area, Kuwait City, Kuwait (Parking available at: Al Watiya Souk) E-mail: info.cankuw@vfshelpline.com Telephone: +965 2291 3770. Anyone wishing to apply for a temporary resident (visitor) visa, study permit, work permit or permanent resident travel document is encouraged to take advantage of the services provided at the VAC. The VAC is also equipped to collect biometrics, for all nationals that must submit their biometric information as part of their application. For more information on what VACs do, please visit the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca/VAC. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA

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BS recently hosted its Annual International Day. International Day is a celebration of the diversity of our world and included wearing traditional costumes, sampling and sharing each country’s traditional food, and decorating classes and hallways accordingly. In

the Elementary department each grade level represented a continent and each class a country. Following a parade of nations, the KG department performed a traditional style song and dance of the country they represented. Each class was able to show the others a greeting. Doors were

brightly decorated, and the halls became an international thoroughfare. Students, teachers, and parents enjoyed sharing their international cuisines and truly celebrated as an ABS family.

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:

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.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

TV PROGRAMS

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

Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Animal Cops Houston Mermaids: The Body Found Lions Of Crocodile River Bondi Vet Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Animal Cops Houston Gator Boys Swamp Brothers Monkey Life Bondi Vet Wild France Growing Up...

Lions Of Crocodile River Animal Cops Philadelphia Monkey Life Swamp Brothers Meet The Sloths Meet The Sloths Outback Rangers Outback Rangers Lions Of Crocodile River My Cat From Hell Wildest Arctic Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Pandamonium Bondi Vet Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Hippo: The Wild Feast North America Galapagos

00:00 Eastenders 00:30 Doctors 01:00 Abandoned At Birth 01:50 Life On Mars 02:40 Case Sensitive: The Point Of Rescue 04:15 The Weakest Link 05:00 Balamory 05:20 Charlie And Lola 05:35 The Green Balloon Club 06:00 3rd & Bird 06:10 Poetry Pie 06:15 Balamory 06:35 Charlie And Lola 06:50 The Green Balloon Club 07:15 3rd & Bird 07:25 Poetry Pie 07:30 The Weakest Link 08:15 Last Of The Summer Wine 08:45 Moone Boy 09:15 Eastenders 09:45 Doctors 10:15 Abandoned At Birth 11:05 Tess Of The D’urbervilles 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 Last Of The Summer Wine 13:15 Moone Boy 13:40 Eastenders 14:10 Doctors 14:40 Abandoned At Birth 15:30 Tess Of The D’urbervilles 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 Prison, My Family & Me 19:00 One Foot In The Grave 19:30 Absolutely Fabulous 20:00 Stella 20:45 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 21:30 The Office 22:00 The Shadow Line 23:00 The Weakest Link 23:45 Eastenders

00:40 01:10 01:35 02:25 03:10 04:00 04:25 05:10 05:40 06:05 06:30

Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Come Dine With Me MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia The Little Paris Kitchen Fantasy Homes By The Sea Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic The Little Paris Kitchen Bargain Hunt

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

Fantasy Homes By The Sea Bargain Hunt Marbella Mansions Masterchef: The Professionals The Little Paris Kitchen Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Gok’s Fashion Fix Fantasy Homes By The Sea Antiques Roadshow Design Star Design Star Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Antiques Roadshow Marbella Mansions Food & Drink A Taste Of Greenland Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt

00:30 Bear Grylls: How To Stay Alive 01:20 Swimming With Monsters: Steve Backshall 02:10 River Monsters 03:00 Bush Pilots 03:50 Border Security 04:15 Auction Kings 04:40 American Digger 05:05 How Do They Do It? 05:30 How It’s Made 06:00 Sons Of Guns 07:00 Bush Pilots 07:50 Alaska: The Last Frontier 08:40 Fast N’ Loud 09:30 Border Security 09:55 Auction Kings 10:20 American Digger 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How It’s Made 11:35 Bear Grylls: How To Stay Alive 12:25 Swimming With Monsters: Steve Backshall 13:15 River Monsters 14:05 Border Security 14:30 Auction Kings 14:55 American Digger 15:20 Finding Bigfoot 16:10 Fast N’ Loud 17:00 Ultimate Survival 17:50 Dirty Jobs 18:40 Bush Pilots 19:30 Sons Of Guns 20:20 How Do They Do It? 20:45 How It’s Made 21:10 Auction Kings 21:35 American Digger 22:00 You Have Been Warned 22:50 Treehouse Masters 23:40 Mythbusters

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 09:35 11:05

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin And Ally 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 Disney Mickey Mouse Shorts Geek Charming Jessie

11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:10 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 20:05 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35

Wolfblood Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Shake It Up That’s So Raven Jessie Good Luck Charlie Dog With A Blog Wolfblood Gravity Falls Jessie Violetta Mako Mermaids Austin And Ally Wolfblood Jessie Good Luck Charlie 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

00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Dance Scene 00:55 The Dance Scene 01:25 Style Star 01:50 Style Star 02:20 E! Investigates 03:15 Extreme Close-Up 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 E!ES 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Style Star 08:20 Fashion Police 09:15 Scouted 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 The Drama Queen 12:05 Fashion Police 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 E!ES 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:00 The Wanted Life 18:00 E! News 19:00 Fashion Police 20:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:00 The Drama Queen 22:00 E!ES 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 Feasts 04:50 05:40 06:30 06:50 07:10 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:30 11:20 11:45 Feasts

Unique Eats Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Tastiest Places To Chowdown Easy Chinese: San Francisco Charly’s Cake Angels Unwrapped Unwrapped Unwrapped Unique Eats Unique Eats Andy Bates American Street Iron Chef America Chopped Unwrapped Tastiest Places To Chowdown Food Network Challenge Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Roadtrip With G. Garvin Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Amazing Wedding Cakes Easy Chinese: San Francisco Andy Bates American Street

BLOWN AWAY ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

Hollywood sets up Herculean box office clash

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GRABBERS ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY HD 12:10 Tastiest Places To Chowdown 12:35 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 13:00 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 13:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 13:50 Siba’s Table 14:15 Barefoot Contessa 14:40 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:05 Food Network Challenge 15:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 16:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Symon’s Suppers 18:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:40 Siba’s Table 20:05 Reza’s African Kitchen 20:30 Tastiest Places To Chowdown 20:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 21:20 Chopped 22:10 Food Network Challenge 23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:50 Roadtrip With G. Garvin

00:00 Rebuilding Titanic 01:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 02:00 Battleground Brothers 03:00 Diggers 03:30 Diggers 04:00 What Would Happen If 04:30 What Would Happen If 05:00 Naked Science 06:00 Untamed Americas 07:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 08:00 Rebuilding Titanic 09:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 10:00 Battleground Brothers 11:00 Untamed Americas 12:00 What Would Happen If 12:30 What Would Happen If 13:00 Evolutions 14:00 Untamed Americas 15:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 16:00 Rebuilding Titanic 17:00 Apocalypse: The Second World War 18:00 Battleground Brothers 19:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska 20:00 One Ocean 21:00 Animal Autopsy 22:00 Wild Russia 23:00 Mystery Files 23:30 Mystery Files

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:00 Family Guy 02:30 The League 03:00 Raising Hope 03:30 Melissa & Joey 04:00 Arrested Development 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Arrested Development 06:00 Two And A Half Men 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Arrested Development 08:30 Arrested Development 09:00 Raising Hope 09:30 The Crazy Ones 10:00 Trophy Wife 10:30 Friends 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Arrested Development 13:00 Arrested Development 13:30 Friends 14:00 Melissa & Joey 14:30 The Crazy Ones 15:00 Trophy Wife 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Two And A Half Men

17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Raising Hope 18:30 How To Live With Your Parents 19:00 Guys With Kids 19:30 Community 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 The League 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

03:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:00 23:00

Rescue Me Defiance The Ellen DeGeneres Show Bones Twisted Hannibal Rescue Me

00:00 Creature-18 02:00 Virtuosity-PG15 04:00 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 06:00 Blown Away-PG15 08:15 Carjacked-PG15 10:00 Wild Wild West-PG15 12:00 Broken Path-PG15 14:00 Carjacked-PG15 16:00 Wrath Of The Titans-PG15 18:00 Broken Path-PG15 20:00 Sultanes Del Sur-PG15 22:00 Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 PG 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 PG15 20:00 22:00

Peep World-18 What’s Your Number?-PG15 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 Celtic Pride-PG Who Framed Roger RabbitJust Crazy Enough-PG15 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 Bushwhacked-PG Just Crazy Enough-PG15 Blame It On The BellboyGrabbers-PG15 Vampire In Brooklyn-PG15

00:45 02:45 04:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 12:30 15:30 17:30 19:30 21:30

Beneath Hill 60-PG15 A Christmas Kiss-PG15 Treasure Island-PG15 A Woman-PG15 Beneath Hill 60-PG15 Beastly-PG15 Hindenburg-PG15 Love Takes Wing-PG15 The Wild Hunt-PG15 Summer Coda-PG15 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy-PG15

02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:15 12:00 13:30 15:30 17:30 19:00 PG15 21:00 23:00

Vampire-18 Year Of The Dog-PG15 Dying Young-PG15 The Rainmaker-PG15 Jack The Bear-PG15 StreetDance 2-PG15 Year Of The Dog-PG15 The Crucible-PG15 StreetDance 2-PG15 The Greatest Movie Ever SoldInternal Affairs-18 J. Edgar-18

01:45 03:45 05:45 07:15

50/50-PG15 Saving Grace B. Jones-PG15 Crisis Point-PG15 My Own Love Song-PG15

09:00 11:00 13:00 PG15 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

People Like Us-PG15 Dirty Teacher-PG15 When Love Is Not EnoughMadea’s Big Happy FamilyPeople Like Us-PG15 Rock Of Ages-PG15 The Sessions-R Total Recall-18

01:00 Drift-PG15 03:00 Dead Lines-PG15 05:00 Love Will Keep Us TogetherPG15 07:00 The Chateau Meroux-PG15 09:00 Wreck-It Ralph-PG 11:00 Saving Grace B. Jones-PG15 13:00 Crisis Point-PG15 15:00 My Own Love Song-PG15 17:00 Wreck-It Ralph-PG 19:00 What To Expect When You’re Expecting-PG15 21:00 Margaret-18 23:30 Machine Gun Preacher-18

ollywood is powering up for a clash of the titans this year, with two films about legendary demigod Hercules-one starring teen heartthrob Kellan Lutz, and a more mature version later in the year. The superhero standoffTinseltown seems prone to doing movies in pairs, after two adaptations of the Snow White tale last year-comes 16 years after the last Hercules movie,

by Disney in 1997. The first new one to do battle opens Friday in North America, with Lutz in his first major lead role after becoming the object of teenage girls’ adoration for his role as vampire Emmett Cullen in the “Twilight” saga.

Directed by action film veteran Renny Harlin (“Die Hard 2,” “Cliffhanger” and “Exorcist: The Beginning”), “The Legend of Hercules” retraces the demigod’s youth when he was still unaware of his divine ascendancy, sold as a slave and fighting to reconquer his kingdom. “The story of Hercules we tell in the movie is one of the tales. There are a plethora of tales you could give and bring to life about Hercules,” Lutz told a small group of reporters in Beverly Hills.

The 28-year-old actor, who calls himself a big fan of mythology, insisted he was “very well prepared for that role because my education and my knowledge of Greek mythology was already there.

“I had already studied a lot of it because I enjoyed it. I read ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey’ before they were mandatory in school to read,” he added.

Along with Tarzan and He-Man, Hercules was among the heroes Lutz admired most as a child.

He was hugely happy to breathe fresh life into the demigod. “With that role, I fulfilled a dream,” he said.

“As a little kid I had middle-child syndrome, I grew up on a lot of land with a lot of farm animals, and I had a lot of alone time. And I was able to use my imagination to create the world of Tarzan, Mowgli, He-Man, Hercules, Ninja Turtles. “I created my own fantasy world in my head and Hercules was always the original hero for me,” he added.

Lutz, who had wanted to join the prestigious Navy SEALs but had to give up on his plans at his mother’s insistence, is now getting rewarded with muscle-man roles featuring lots of accidents and scars.

“I have no tattoos. I really view my scars as my memories. My body tells my story,” he said.

For “The Legend of Hercules,” he did almost all of the action sequences himself. “I had a stuntman who was with me all the time and had the most boring time on the movie because I did everything. I did 99 percent of the stunts,” he said, adding that he saw it as play, not work. “In ‘Hercules’, I am in every single shot. Big difference with ‘Twilight’ days where I wanted more, but scriptwise, this was all I could do,” he told reporters.

Distributed by the studio Summit and with an estimated $70 million budget, “ The Legend of Hercules” is the first to step into the arena.

Then this summer Paramount will present its version-”Hercules”, with Brett Ratner behind the camera and surefire box office draw Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson playing the title role. The 41-year-old actor will play a more mature version of the demi-god, after he has achieved his famous 12 labors. The studios behind both movies will be keen to cash in on any box office success with possible sequels, at a time when superheroes are the toast of Hollywood with mega-hit franchises featuring the Avengers, Spider-Man or Batman. But industry watchers agree only one will likely be a real success-and maybe neither of them. — AFP

01:00 Hotel Transylvania-PG 02:45 A Christmas Story 2-PG 04:15 George Harrison: Living In The Material World-PG15 08:00 True Justice: One Shot, One Life-PG15 10:00 Mission: Impossible III-PG15 12:15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days-PG 14:00 Ice Road Terror-PG15 16:00 True Justice: One Shot, One Life-PG15 18:00 Oz The Great And Powerful-PG 20:15 Killing Them Softly-18 22:00 Paranormal Activity 4-18

02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 Amlin Challenge Cup 05:00 Futbol Mundial 05:30 ICC Cricket 360 06:20 Live Cricket One Day International 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Trans World Sport 16:00 Live Snooker Masters 21:00 Trans World Sport 22:00 Live Snooker Masters

00:00 00:30 03:30 04:00 07:00 09:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00

NFL Gameday Live NFL NFL Gameday Live NFL NFL NFL Futbol Mundial Inside The PGA Tour PGA European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour ICC Cricket 360 Trans World Sports Cricket ODI Series Highlights Inside The PGA Tour NFL Gameday Live NFL

02:00 02:30 03:00 06:30 07:00 11:30 15:30 16:00 16:30 20:30 21:00

European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Live PGA Tour Futbol Mundial PGA European Tour PGA Tour Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 Dubai World Cup Carnival Futbol Mundial PGA European Tour

Historic US gold coin fetches $4.6 million

T

wo antique American gold coins sold for more than $7.8 million when they went under the hammer in Florida, auction organizers confirmed Friday. The first gold coin ever made for the United States-a “Brasher Doubloon” struck in 1787 by a neighbor of George Washington-fetched $4,582,500, Heritage Auctions said.

A nickel made at the Philadelphia Mint in 1913 that was once featured in an episode of the 1970s television show “Hawaii Five-O” raised $3.3 million.

The coins were sold as part of a sale that has generated more than $55 million so far, Heritage Auctions said. “The legendary Brasher Doubloon is one of the most important coins in American history because it’s the first gold coin struck for the young United States and it’s one of only a handful that exist,” said Todd Imhof, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions.

The doubloon has been off the market since it was bought by a Chicago resident in 1979 for $430,000. The coin was also featured in Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe 1942 crime novel “The High Window,” later adapted into a film noir released as “The Brasher Doubloon.” The 1913 Liberty Head nickel was one of only five known to exist. Their existence was only revealed in 1920, when they were offered for sale by a former employee of the Philadelphia Mint.— AFP

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

Classifieds SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) SHARQIA-2 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) SHARQIA-3 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) MUHALAB-1 NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) NENOKKADINE (DIG) (TELUGU) THU+FRI YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) NO THU+FRI HOMEFRONT (DIG)

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (09/01/2014 TO 15/01/2014) 1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM 2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM 12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM

11:00 PM 1:15 AM

FANAR-4 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) 47 RONIN (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-5 MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

9:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM

MUHALAB-3 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-2 NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-3 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) JILLA (DIG) (TAMIL) THU+FRI YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) NO THU+FRI

POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM

MARINA-3 NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG-3D) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) AVENUES-1 NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG)

1:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM 1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-2 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-3 MR.GO (DIG-3D) MR.GO (DIG-3D) MR.GO (DIG-3D) MR.GO (DIG-3D)

2:30 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:45 PM

AVENUES-4 HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

360ยบ- 1 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

1:00 PM

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360ยบ- 2 GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) GRUDGE MATCH (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

360ยบ- 3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

Al Muhallab Dental Centre is looking for a

Nurse with 2-3 years experience.

360ยบ- 4 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) MR.GO (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.2 MR.GO (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) NIKO 2: LITTLE BROTHER, BIG TROUBLE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.4 VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) POLICE STORY 2013 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) FROZEN (DIG-3D) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

REQUIRED

Please send your CVs by email to almuhallab_mutairy@hotmail.com Tel: 24801040/24801050 between 9 am - 1 pm or 4 pm - 9 pm

FOR SALE

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

Nissan Pathfinder 2003 model, white color, serious buyer only. Tel: 97277135.

8-1-2013 Jaguar 2.5X, model 2002, done 82,000 km, excellent condition, full insurance till May 14. Price KD 1,150.

Contact: 66572082.

(C 4611) 7-1-2014

available in a 3 bedroom flat for one or two executive working ladies in Salmiya near Don Bosco School.

Contact: 96977800.

8-1-2013 CHANGE OF NAME I, Zainamol Noordeen Kunju, Indian Passport No. K2085439 hereby change my name to Zaina Nooruddin Kunju. Address: Room 7, Antodhill Mumbai 400037, India. (C 4612) 11-1-2014

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available near United Indian School, Abbassiya.

Contact: 97612248.

(C 4614) 12-1-2014 Furnished single room

SITUATION VACANT Required live-in housemaid (Filipino or Srilankan) who knows cleaning and can speak English. Call 66473343. (C 4613) 12-1-2014

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:20

Asr:

14:50

Shorook

06:44

Maghrib:

17:09

Duhr:

11:56

Isha:

18:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines JAI KAC THY QTR JZR JZR RJA DLH ETH GFA THY UAE ETD MSR CLX QTR FDB KAC THY DHX QTR FDB BAW KAC FDB KAC QTR KAC SVA KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY ETD FDB QTR IRA GFA JZR MEA IRC UAE JZR MSR KAC KAC KAC FDB QTR SVA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 12/1/2014 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 502 BEIRUT 772 ISTANBUL 1084 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 637 DAMMAM 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 612 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 1076 DOHA 67 DUBAI 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 8524 DOHA 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 53 DUBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 1086 DOHA 302 MUMBAI 512 RIYADH 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 362 COLOMBO 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 55 DUBAI 1070 DOHA 603 SHIRAZ 213 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 6507 SHIRAZ 871 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 742 DAMMAM 382 DELHI 774 RIYADH 57 DUBAI 1078 DOHA 500 JEDDAH

Time 00:10 00:15 00:45 00:55 00:40 00:40 01:05 01:10 01:45 02:10 02:15 02:35 02:45 03:10 03:40 03:45 04:00 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:45 05:50 06:40 06:45 07:50 07:40 07:50 07:55 08:15 08:15 08:10 08:40 08:45 09:00 09:20 09:40 09:55 10:35 10:40 11:30 11:55 12:05 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:30 13:05 13:30 13:50 13:55 14:30

KAC KNE GFA KAC SYR QTR UAE ETD RJA SVA ABY GFA AFG JZR KAC JZR UAL RBG QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA OMA FDB JAI AXB ABY KAC MSR DLH ALK KAC FDB MEA ETD UAE GFA QTR FDB KLM JZR JAI AIC JZR FDB UAL JZR PIA

672 472 221 788 341 1072 857 303 640 510 127 215 415 777 284 177 982 553 1080 63 542 102 786 166 618 562 674 217 647 61 572 393 129 514 606 634 229 172 71 402 307 859 219 1074 59 417 135 576 981 239 61 981 185 205

DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH LATAKIA DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN KABUL JEDDAH DHAKA DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI CAIRO NEW YORK JEDDAH PARIS DOHA AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH TEHRAN LUXOR FRANKFURT COLOMBO FRANKFURT DUBAI BEIRUT ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI AMSTERDAM BAHRAIN COCHIN CHENNAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI LAHORE

14:00 14:35 15:00 15:10 16:10 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:20 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:45 18:05 19:35 18:45 19:10 19:00 19:55 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:45 20:45 20:55 21:10 21:45 21:15 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:15 22:30 22:20 23:00 23:10 23:20 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB UAL JAI DLH ETH THY UAE KAC ETD MSR QTR FDB QTR KAC CLX JZR FDB JZR RJA THY GFA QTR THY FDB BAW QTR KAC SVA KAC KAC ABY UAE KAC KAC ETD FDB KAC QTR GFA KAC IRA KAC JZR MEA KAC IRC JZR MSR UAE FDB

Departure Flights on Sunday 12/1/2014 Flt Route 976 GOA 490 MANGALORE 981 WASHINGTON 573 MUMBAI 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 854 DUBAI 381 DELHI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 1085 DOHA 68 DUBAI 1077 DOHA 283 DHAKA 792 HONG KONG 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 212 BAHRAIN 8525 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 1087 DOHA 171 FRANKFURT 513 RIYADH 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 773 RIYADH 302 ABU DHABI 56 DUBAI 741 DAMMAM 1071 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 103 LONDON 776 JEDDAH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 6508 SHIRAZ 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Time 00:05 00:15 00:55 01:10 02:10 02:45 02:55 03:50 03:50 04:00 04:10 04:15 04:40 05:15 05:30 05:45 06:20 06:30 06:55 07:05 07:05 07:15 07:15 07:30 08:30 08:45 08:50 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:40 09:55 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:20 10:30 10:55 11:25 11:30 11:35 12:20 12:25 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:30

KAC QTR KAC KAC KNE GFA SVA KAC KAC JZR SYR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR AFG JZR RBG JZR UAL FDB QTR GFA FDB OMA ABY KAC JAI AXB MSR DHX FDB ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC FDB UAE KAC KAC KLM QTR KAC JAI JZR FDB KAC KAC

561 1079 673 617 473 222 503 513 501 238 342 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 216 184 415 266 553 134 982 64 1081 218 62 648 120 361 571 3944 619 171 72 230 403 308 220 301 60 860 205 351 417 1075 343 575 502 62 415 411

AMMAN DOHA DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN MADINAH TEHRAN BEIRUT AMMAN LATAKIA ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH COLOMBO MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD KOCHI DAMMAM DOHA CHENNAI ABU DHABI LUXOR DUBAI KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK

14:30 14:55 15:05 15:15 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:20 16:30 16:55 17:10 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:10 21:15 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 427

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES You may have a hard time being clearheaded right now—someone may be frustrating. Being on a schedule today is difficult but may become more frustrating when someone demands your attention. Say that you appreciate an understanding of your time schedule and you will come back to the matter as soon as possible—make sure you keep your word. The rest of the morning is yours to complete your agenda. Learning and communicating, making new discoveries and solving problems are what you are learning well. Later today you may want to go back to the earlier interruption and help instruct, guide, listen or mend the rift that occurred. Healing comes from destroying the roots of a disturbance. Poetry and art may be possible this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) All is well within the family circle and the members of your circle have plenty of thoughts about how they want to spend the day. There will be time this evening to catch up to each other and get up-to-date on where each person is putting energy. You are less concerned with your own needs and more interested in the welfare of an entire group. One or two of your friends want to join you today, as you do some type of volunteer service. This could be for people that are confined in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons or other institutions. This work is important to you as being important to the people that receive your tender care. This evening is the perfect time to refresh an existing relationship. You have charm and charisma to spare.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

4. Relating to or bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

12. The sign language used in the United States.

15. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

16. Of or relating to or characteristic of Ghana or its people or language.

17. Fiddler crabs.

18. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

19. Selling or related to selling direct to the consumer.

20. (Old Testament) The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.

22. A short introductory essay preceding the text of a book.

24. A widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells.

26. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

27. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

28. (Norse mythology) God of thunder and rain and farming.

30. Noisy like the sound of a bee.

36. A native or inhabitant of Denmark.

39. Fill with revolutionary ideas.

42. United States journalist (1889-1974).

43. God of war and sky.

44. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

46. The cry made by sheep.

47. A skullcap worn by religious Jews (especially at prayer).

51. An organ in its earliest stage of development.

52. A long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river.

55. Someone who walks at a leisurely pace.

60. Type genus of the Cariamidae comprising only the crested cariama.

66. A university town in east central Maine on the Penobscot River north of Bangor.

67. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

68. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

71. Israeli general and statesman (1915-1981).

72. A spacecraft that carries astronauts from the command module to the surface of the moon and back.

73. French symbolist poet noted for his free verse (1842-1898).

75. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.

76. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

77. An abnormally high degree of irritability or sensitivity or excitability.

78. A zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo.

DOWN 1. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

2. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

3. Female equine animal.

4. A city in northern India.

5. A case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule.

6. (computer science) The time it takes for a specific block of data on a data track to rotate around to the read/write head.

7. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

8. The basic unit of money in Nigeria.

9. A flat thin rectangular slab (as of fired clay or rubber or linoleum) used to cover surfaces.

10. A state in midwestern United States.

11. The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

12. 100 aurar equal 1 krona.

13. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

14. A Loloish language.

21. A fictitious name used when the person performs a particular social role.

23. A friction match with a large head that will stay alight in the wind.

25. Of or relating to or caused by streptococci.

29. A genus of Accipitridae.

31. East Indian tree that puts out aerial shoots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks.

32. unroll, unfold, or spread out or be unrolled, unfolded, or spread out from a furled state.

33. Roman poet remembered for his elegiac verses on love (43 BC - AD 17).

34. Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism (1469-1538).

35. Tropical Asian starlings.

37. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

38. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

40. The dull explosive noise made by an engine.

41. An account describing incidents or events.

45. An island in Indonesia south of Borneo.

48. (New Testament) The sages who visited Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortly after Jesus was born.

49. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

50. Any of several fleet black-and-white striped African equines.

53. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

54. A telegram sent abroad.

56. (from a combination of MOdulate and DEModulate) Electronic equipment consisting of a device used to connect computers by a telephone line.

57. Steadfast in allegiance or duty.

58. Related on the mother's side.

59. A rotary duplicator that uses a stencil through which ink is pressed (trade mark Roneo).

61. In bed.

62. Avatar of Vishnu.

63. The highest level or degree attainable.

64. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

65. Capital city of the Apulia region on the Adriatic coast.

69. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

70. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

74. A chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

Nobody minds hard work when there is something to be gained. Today the message seems to be that you will soon be rewarded for all the effort you are putting into your many different interests. How we lead our life and the display of our attitude toward our life and the people in it, is where we see our growth. You are responsible and you show it when it comes to family matters today. Property and domestic matters need attention now.

With your awareness of a family matter, you will bring some new insight onto the scene. This could involve the elderly. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. There are plenty of good feelings and a sense of support and harmony that make this a happy time.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You must not worry about protecting your self-interests—it is not selfish! There are new opportunities available in all sorts of matters this day. This is a good time to be with your friends and participate in the activities you enjoy best. You have a positive attitude toward the future. You look forward to the good business contacts or meetings that you set up for yourself this next week. You may decide to teach or take a class in speaking or writing just for the feedback. You will learn lots of good things that will confirm your progress as well as help you with your goals. Computer technologies are fun and you may decide that you have waited long enough to update your equipment—today is the day. Resist distractions this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Any issues regarding work or health may best be understood now. Working with others and excelling in a particular project can make you feel accomplished and important. This may be some extra work that you are involved with, or . . . It could just be a regular day for you in the workplace. Your management and directional abilities are in top form. You know just what to do in difficult situations and can act without haste. Getting underneath a problem and finding the truth is what sets you apart from others. Unfortunately, this may place you in a position of demand—others will need your input on future projects. You will certainly have an opportunity to earn respect from many people today. Some financial difficulties are repaired.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Clearly, you are now ensconced in a routine. Sleep until a certain time; run with the dog; breakfast and conversation with friends or family; shower and dress; with chores behind you, you might dive into your favorite hobby or part-time job. You seem to have a clear understanding of where you are going and what you need to do to get there. Your and other people’s emotions are very clear at this time. If you are single, love will seek you out today and tomorrow. Married lovers have an opportunity to become more romantic than usual. Affection and optimistic attitudes are just oozing from the atmosphere around you. A romantic vacation would be perfect at this time. A large financial gain is due to influence you now!

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Laughter is more fun with two. Romantic opportunities are pleasant today. You create warmth that is comforting. Married partners enjoy quality time with their partners. Elegance and family ties are the keys to emotional satisfaction. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying. You exemplify the feeling that our capacity to be happy and useful cannot truly be hampered by external conditions. Continue to seek happiness from within as you inspire others. If you are single, a new relationship has long-term potential. This is a good time to read a romantic book or take in a movie. Ideas and thoughts will have greater meaning. You appreciate the beauty and love in your life. You teach love and forgiveness through your example.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is a great time to be with others. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular favor around the house. Light bulbs need replacing, trees or tulip bulbs need planting, a floor needs mopping and perhaps, if someone has a bad back, you might offer to help with some of his or her chores. Eventually, it is your turn to enjoy the out-of-doors.

A bicycle ride or a trip to the neighborhood stores finds you communicating with friends. You may be surprised at the results of an audition with the community playhouse; you may become involved in the next musical, opera or play as an extra or even main member of the cast; you look forward to the fun. Your timing is perfect and the opportunity presents itself as therapeutic.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This is a great time to broaden your horizons, both intellectually and spiritually.

Writing, teaching, education, publishing, broadcasting, the law and political interests offer wonderful opportunities for you to learn and grow, if you are looking for them.

Secrets spur your curiosity to investigate the details—perhaps a good mystery play, movie or book will be enough. If there really is a mystery to solve in or around your life, you could be the one to uncover the evidence. This is a great time to look back and understand your own personal path and just how you feel about the changes you may want to make. New friends and an involvement in idealistic groups take on a greater importance for you now. Emotions are clear all day long.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) It may be time now to follow through on some plans you may have made some time ago. Concentrate on completing these plans and do what you can to eliminate distractions or interruptions. Exchanging information takes on emotional significance now.

Being more involved with neighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need. Communicating feelings accurately and trying not to be too emotional is an important part of your day. You may be able to enjoy the fruits of your efforts this afternoon. There is luck in your love life and, if you are working today, there are opportunities in your work life to improve, adapt, grow and achieve.

The evening brings about wonderful opportunities to be with young people.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) There are some financial answers to your questions today. Do not make promises you cannot keep. You have a couple of days before you put a complete stop on those extra expenses. You have a strong sense of providing a secure financial foundation for your future. You could gain some extra income from a garage sale or call it a winter sale—in big letters.

Frustrating situations that you cannot fix may, in a roundabout way, influence your personal spirit—stay focused. There may be domestic problems today but you are learning how to handle them successfully. These are to be expected if there has been a lack of communication. Make time for repair and you will see a healing. Predictive techniques such as astrology fascinate you this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Today you show the family how grateful you are to have them in your life. Try taking on the chores of a loved one today and then perhaps you could leave a poem or thoughtful note on your loved one’s pillow. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized now. Taking chances can bring big rewards. Others may find you especially witty and eccentric just now. You may have insights or breakthroughs concerning your living situation or life circumstances. Others value you for your independence and unique qualities. You enjoy a special evening with your loved one and some of your friends. A gathering at a favorite dinner place may prove interesting. This evening is perfect for romance.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

lifestyle G o s s i p

Kanye West wants Kim to drop her famous surname

T

Daisy Lowe only wears high heels on ‘special occasions’

he ‘Power’ rapper is adamant his bride-to-be takes his last name, causing a tense moment over Christmas when her mother, Kris Jenner, suggested Kim become Kardashian-West.

A source said: “Everyone at the table gave a thumbs up, except for Kanye. He sat quiet and stern faced, then blurted forcefully, ‘She will be known as Kim West. My wife will bear my name only!” Kim - who has six-month-old daughter North with Kanye - is now facing the tough decision of trying to please both her notoriously hotheaded partner and her extremely persuasive mother. The source added to National Enquirer magazine: “By the end of the night Kim was in tears because all the way home he kept ranting that he was furious about her even considering to keep the Kardashian name. When Kim fought back, saying her celebrity is based on her famous family’s name, big-headed Kanye snapped that his name holds more weight and respect than hers ever will.

Kim just couldn’t stop crying because she suddenly realized she’s in for ongoing pressure - not only from Kanye but from Kris, who’ll be livid if she drops the Kardashian name.”

T

he 24-year-old actress-and-model loves shoe shopping but has to resist the urge to splash out on raised footwear because they make her “tower” over her pals as she is naturally tall.

She said: “I can’t resist a good pair of heels, but they’re never a great buy for me. Because I’m tall, I don’t like to tower and so I only wear them for special occasions. I also like dancing and so, for me, flats are easier.” Daisy is often front row at London Fashion Week and says she finds herself dreaming about the couture collections she sees on the runway. She enthused: “Because I see the shows early I have ‘falling in love’ moments. This season it was with Saint Laurent. I didn’t sleep for thinking about it. I wanted the knitted cape so badly, I bought it from the online store at five in the morning and I’ve worn it non-stop since.” The brunette beauty also loves shopping with her mother so she can get a second opinion on her choices.

Meryl Streep wants Katie Holmes to date her son

T

he 64-year-old actress got on well with her ‘Giver’ co-star - who has seven-year-old daughter Suri with ex-husband Tom Cruise - and when her new friend told her she was ready to find love again, Meryl instantly thought of her son Henry Wolfe Gummer. A source said: “Katie and Meryl got on like a house on fire. Katie was quite open about wanting to have a man in her life again and Meryl decided to show her a picture of Henry.” After agreeing Meryl could give him her number, Katie and Henry - who is based in Los Angeles but spends a lot of time in New York - have been texting and are now planning to meet. The source added to Britain’s Grazia magazine: “They’re slowly getting to know each other. They’ve texted on quite a few occasions and it won’t be long before a proper date is set up. “Meryl knew they’d have a lot in common. It would be perfect for Meryl too as she’d love for Henry to spend some more time in New York. “Katie is taking things one day at a time but she’s excited about what 2014 could bring and there is undeniably a connection between her and Henry.”

Ellen DeGeneres, Portia splash out almost $40 m

T

he US chat show host, who is a well-known architecture and design enthusiast, and the ‘Arrested Development’ actress, 40, paid $39.888 million for their lavish new estate, The Brody House, in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. The high profile couple’s new 13,511 square-foot abode features six bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a pool, gym, spa, tennis court and sits on 2.3 acres of landscaped gardens, according to gossip website TMZ.com. The house, which is located next to the Playboy bunnies’ home, underwent extensive renovations over the past two years and is considered one of the most iconic modern properties in all of LA. Ellen, 55, who has a large property portfolio, recently made a tidy profit by selling her nearby estate for $21 million after buying it for $17.4 million last year. She sold their equestrian ranch in Thousand Oaks, California, for $10.85 million in September. The power couple, who also purchased a new mansion in Montecito, California, for $26.5 million last May, also sold their penthouse in Beverly Hills for $843,900 late last year.

Shia LaBeouf retiring from the ‘public eye’

T

he 27-year-old actor is taking a step back from the limelight just weeks after he was forced to apologize for plagiarizing author Daniel Clowes’ graphic novellas, ‘Justin M Damiano,’ for his short film ‘HowardCantour.com’. The ‘Nymphomaniac’ star wrote on Twitter this Friday morning: “In light of the recent attacks against my artistic integrity, I am retiring from all public life.” He added: “My love goes out to those who have supported me. #stopcreating.” Shia failed to clarify whether he plans to stop acting completely or simply stop doing interviews and being active on his social media platforms. The ‘Transformers’ star came under fire, including from ‘Girls’ star and creator Lena Dunham, after he employed a team to write a five mile wide message in the sky above Los Angeles on New Year’s Day reading “I AM SORRY DANIEL CLOWES,” in an attempt to make peace for plagiarising the comic book writer’s work. Since his initial apology to Daniel, Shia has purposefully plagiarised apologies from many figures and sources in popular culture and posted them on his Twitter feed but Daniel’s publisher Eric Reynolds branded them “insincere” and said the writer was “exploring his legal options”.

Nicki Minaj claims she is ‘homebody’ T

he ‘Super Bass’ hitmaker admits she has no interest in partying and prefers quiet nights at home and cooking meals for close friends. The 31-year-old star told UsMagazine.com: “I’m a homebody. For one month straight, I watched ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ until I fell asleep every night. I enjoy doing laundry. I can spend hours glued to Investigation Discovery. It’s my favorite network.” She added: “I’m the best cook on the planet. My father taught me how to make curry chicken. My go-to snack is strawberrybanana yogurt.” The singer also insists that she enjoys hanging out with her old friends and her family instead of her celebrity pals. She said: “I’ve had the same group of girlfriends for as long as I can remember. My brothers are my world.” But the star isn’t very good at staying in touch with people when she is away from home. She said: “I also hate texting and having to return emails. I can’t stand going to meetings or talking on the phone.” Despite being considered one of the most glamorous women in Hollywood, Nicki doesn’t enjoy all aspects of her grooming. She said: “I hate getting my nails done.”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s trainer rejects celebrity diets, tips

T

racy Anderson, who owns a chain of gyms with the Oscar-winning actress and is also responsible for sculpting the bodies of Nicole Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Cameron Diaz, believes people shouldn’t look to celebrities for workout and diet tips because they aren’t experts. The 38-year-old fitness guru told ‘Access Hollywood Live’ on Friday: “Celebrity or non-celebrity, at this point in my career I don’t know what clients are which, but what’s bad now is that people, women at home look to celebrities and they’re like, ‘Oh this celebrity is doing this cleanse’ or that celebrity is doing that. Celebrities are entertainers and they’re not necessarily experts, so you need to make sure that you’re doing what is right for you and you need to be following an expert.” Tracy’s comments came just eight days after Gwyneth, who has penned two healthy eating cookbooks, published a new winter detox plan on her lifestyle website GOOP.com.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

lifestyle G o s s i p

Hilary Duff splits from husband Mike Comrie

T

he 26-year-old singer and actress, who has a 21-month-old son, Luca, with the former professional ice-hockey player, whom she married in August 2010, insists their separation is “amicable.” A spokesperson for the blonde beauty confirmed to People.com that the former couple “have mutually decided [upon] an amicable separation. “They remain best friends and will continue to be in each other’s lives. They are dedicated to loving and parenting their amazing son, and ask for privacy at this time.” The ‘So Yesterday’ hitmaker thanked her fans for their well wishes on Twitter today (10.01.14) and wrote: “Mike and I are sitting here, we are so appreciative for all of your kindness & well wishes. Not an easy day but we’re getting thru it together (sic)” A source close to the former Disney star also revealed the duo are still on good terms and simply grew apart. The insider said: “There was no major incident - no big event between the two of them. They really did drift apart. They have put effort and thought into this decision for a long time. They tried couples therapy, but in the end, they realised at this time, they work better as friends. And they really are great friends.”

Cameron Diaz wishes women were kinder to each other

T

he ‘Annie’ star, who recently admitted she stopped using Botox because it made her face look “weird,” doesn’t believe anti-aging creams work and thinks women should encourage each other to grow old gracefully. The 41-year-old actress told People.com: “I wish that women would let other women age gracefully and allow them to get older and know that as we get older, we become wiser.” She added: “There’s no such thing as antiaging. There’s no such thing as turning back the hands of time, and it makes me crazy that we live in a society where that’s sold to women - that we’re supposed to believe that if we’re getting older, we’ve failed somehow, that we have failed by not staying young.” The blonde beauty, who recently released her new ‘The Body Book,’ insists she is much happier with how she looks now than when she was younger. She said: “I don’t want to look like I did when I was 25. I like the way that I look now better than when I was 25. I can’t help that other people may be uncomfortable with that, but that’s not my responsibility to make them feel okay with the fact that I’m getting older. I’m okay with it. I like it.”

Justin Bieber could face felony charges for alleged vandalism

Terry Gilliam

T

thinks young stars should behave badly

he 19-year-old star, who has been accused of throwing at least 20 eggs at his neighbor’s house in his gated community in Calabasas, California, yesterday (09.01.14), is reportedly the subject of a new police investigation after his neighbor claimed the singer caused more than $400 in damage during the attack. A police report, obtained by gossip website TMZ.com, is currently calling it a misdemeanor, but it could become a felony if there is proof Justin caused extensive criminal damage. The unidentified resident said the Canadian pop star was also trespassing on his property at the time. Dark video footage has also been released in which you can hear the neighbor yelling: “I see you. I f**king see you!” and a young male, who is allegedly Justin, responding: “F**k you! I got another one for you, actually!” The neighbor then instructs his 13-year-old daughter to call the police. It is not yet known if police officers have spoken to the ‘Heartbreaker’ hitmaker.

Last year, Justin was accused of spitting at one of his neighbors and threatening to kill him after he was confronted about driving his Ferrari car at high speeds in their quiet neighborhood.

T

he 73-year-old Monty Python star isn’t surprised by the likes of Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus behaving badly and wishes more young celebrities had a rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Speaking at the UK premiere of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ in London on Thursday night, he said: “That’s what they are supposed to do. Go off the rails, get into drugs, die young - that’s what you are supposed to do ...

There aren’t as many deaths as there used to be. Rock ‘n’ roll used to be a lot more fun, everything is a bit too timed now.” Terry and the rest of Monty Python - John Cleese, 74, Terry Jones, 71, Michael Palin, 70, and Eric Idle, 70 announced late last year they had reformed to perform 10 live shows at The O2 in London this summer. Despite the troupe all being senior citizens, Terry insists he and his Python pals will be wild at the live dates.

Anna Paquin praises Stephen Moyer for being great father

T Taylor Swift looking for a new home in NY City

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he ‘Red’ singer has been viewing apartments in Greenwich Village in the hopes of finding a new pad, the New York Daily News Confidenti@l column is reporting.

Money is clearly no object for the 24-year-old star, who visited a $12 million Leroy St. townhouse that was once the home of ‘West Side Story’ writer Arthur Laurents, with a mystery man by her side. An eye witness told Confidenti@l: “She was well dressed and seemed in good spirits. She was being driven around with this good-looking guy who looked about her age.” The impressive 1850s four-bedroom redbrick property spans over 4,400 square feet and is a stone’s throw away from Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro’s pad. Taylor was also seen taking a tour of the nearby 22 Charlton St, which is 2,900 square feet and is on the market for a more modest $6.25 million. She was reportedly being shown around the houses by one of the highest-earning brokers in the city, Sharon Baum.

he ‘True Blood’ stars have 16-month-old twins, Charlie and Poppy, together and the 31-yearold actress admits her husband, who also has two children, Billy, 13, and Lilac, 11, from a previous relationship, is very hands-on with the tots. In a joint interview, the ‘Free Ride’ actress told ABC News: “All the jokes about the dads and the diapers, and them being useless, he’s not!” Stephen joked: “I like poo.” He added: “My (older) kids have been with us a lot, so Anna already had a huge understanding of that, she’s very much part of their lives.” The couple, who tied the knot in 2010, try to spend as much time as possible with their children as they are extremely grateful the twins are healthy because they had a rough start after being born a few weeks premature in 2012.

British star Stephen, 44, said: “You just do what you have to do. We weren’t the only people who have gone through that situation. There’s loads of other people we got very close to in a similar situation.

lifestyle

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

‘Project Runway’s’ Gunn defends show’s record

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Tim Gunn

roject Runway” mentor Tim Gunn had to school an audience of journalists about what it meant to be successful in fashion. At Thursday’s Television Critics Association press tour, Gunn sat on a panel to discuss his new fashion design show, “Under the Gunn.” But one journalist was more interested in asking him about whether the show has learned any lessons when it comes to picking winners who don’t become successful due to lack of business acumen.

Gunn pointed out that it’s always a toss-up when the show chooses a winner. “You just don’t know,” Gunn said. “I always say that the ‘Project Runway’ winners can only achieve what

their resources and ambitions allow them to.” When pressed further about whether creative people tend to be horrible business people, the mentor agreed. “I always suggest that designers have a business partner,” he suggested. When pressed further on the show’s record, Gunn answered, “We’re inclined to look at Michael Kors and define that as success. But, a designer may not want to be a global brand. Chloe Dao has done fantastically with stores in Texas and appearing on QVC to help fund her business.”

On “Under the Gunn” (which premieres on Jan 16), Gunn said he gets to do more of what he loves from “Project

Runway.” “Great designers doing what they do and my role mentoring,” the former Parsons fashion professor said. It’s really an extension of who I am. I was in a classroom for 20-some years.” The series pairs “Runway” alums Mondo Guerra, Anya Ayoung-Chee and Nick Verreos with their own designers to mentor with Gunn guiding them along the way. — Reuters

‘True Detective’-

scary monster, scarier men Y ou may already be revved up for the premiere of “True Detective” because of it’s A-list cast or strong reviews. But do yourself a favor and temper your expectations, because HBO’s crime anthology wants to earn your respect. The presence of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Monaghan - all excellent, by the way - may make you expect an explosive show right from the start. But Nic Pizzolatto’s

Matthew McConaughey

script and Cary Fukunaga’s direction slowly, methodically earn every big moment. And when those moments arrive in the third episode, they’re legitimately terrifying. So slow down to the speed of McConaughey’s drawl. Take out a thick notebook like the one he carries through the show. Pay close attention, and remember everyone’s name. It will pay off.

This is a very, very unusual show, and would be even if it didn’t have three movie stars turning to TV while their film careers are running hot. Pizzolatto is a novelist who served briefly as a staff writer on AMC’s “The Killing.” HBO has given him remarkably free rein to write every episode of this anthology, which will have a new story, cast and setting each season. Is Pizzolatto insanely lucky?

Does his dad run the network? No - he’s just a very different kind of writer, and HBO deserves a lot of credit for having the confi-

dence to let him do what he does. Like a rangy, idiosyncratic novel, the story takes strange, slow turns, and we don’t realize how they pay off unless we’re really engaged.

Though the show was initially set in the Ozarks, Pizzolatto agreed to move it to Louisiana, his home state, in part because of the state’s generous tax benefits. It’s hard to imagine it anywhere else. No other state has the same mix of eerie mix of religion, violence, easy sexuality, and mystical menace. It’s a seductive and frightening place, packed with more life and almost anywhere else, and “True Detective” seems to this outsider to get it right. There aren’t any alligators or Mardi Gras beads or any of the usual clichÈs - when the detectives stop for lunch, they eat Vietnamese.

McConaughey and Harrelson play detectives in 1995, when they’re solving a horrific murder, and in 2012, when they’re being questioned about a crime that seems similar.

Both have transformed completely over the years, seemingly fulfilling the most disappointing versions of the men they were in their younger years. Both were full of secrets then, and those secrets have spilled out now.

McConaughey’s character has given up on trying to impress people, but Harrelson’s, pathetically, has not. Something has happened to bust up their fragile partnership.

Maybe it’s Harrelson’s wife, played by Monaghan. She’s the show’s secret weapon, the person who pierces McConaughey’s brittle shell and tries to crack her husband’s. I hope she doesn’t die. But I feel like “True Detective” won’t do anything viewers see coming, even with the benefit of 17 years’ perspective. We’ve started calling every film with a serial killer a psychological drama, but “ True Detective” really is one. It’s about whether our lives really matter at all. That’s scarier than the scariest monster. But then the show gives us a glimpse at the monster. And things get scarier still. “True Detective” premieres at 9/8c Sunday on HBO. — Reuters

Animal Planet wrangles its own ‘Duck Dynasty’

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nimal Planet teased the premiere of “Alaska Bush Family” at the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Thursday morning, and it looks an awful lot like A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” - absurdly long beards and all. “Our family is doing what is natural for human beings to do,” family patriarch Billy Brown says in the sizzle reel. “It’s the life we were meant to live.” The show focuses on the Brown family, comprised of Billy, wife Ami, and nine children as they hunt, fish, and work together to survive in the frigid Alaskan bush.

The quintessentially rough-around-the-edges father told the TCA audience that the premise behind the six-episode series, premiering this spring, is to shed light on the family’s isolated existence, so that America can see that it’s still possible to live an independent life but as a family unit. “God and family values,” Brown said in response to a question about what the most important takeaway is from the show. “Not putting anybody down, I think it’s something we’re losing today,” he added.

After Brown lost his family at the age of 16, he hit the road, met Ami, and they traveled the country together. But the two were never satisfied with the cities and towns in the lower 48. “When Alaska opened up to us it was like a readymade home to us,” Brown said. As part of homeschooling the children, Brown told the audience he would write stories and put together kids’ books. One of the sons eventually put the books online, where producers discovered the isolated family and offered to tell their story. “We spent 30 years of our life trying to stay as far away as we could from this stuff and people,” Brown said. “We think it’s cool to show people how we live.”— Reuters

Mark Wahlberg

‘Lone Survivor’ commands solid $1.5 m at Box Office

“L

one Survivor” scored a solid $1.5 million in late night showings yesterday, according to studio estimates.

The war drama stars Mark Wahlberg and Emile Hirsch and is riding to its first weekend of wide-release on a wave of strong critical notices for its searing and violent look at a true story of military heroism. The film screened in 1,811 theaters in North America on Thursday, and will expand this weekend to roughly 2,650 US theaters.

It is expected to be the top grossing film, with as much as $20 million. Technically, “Lone Survivor” has been in theaters since the holidays, but the story of a Navy SEAL mission gone awry in Afghanistan only premiered in a handful of theaters in New York and Los Angeles in order to qualify for Oscars. It has earned an impressive $43,000 per-screen average, but now it faces its biggest test. As flops such as “Rendition” and “StopLoss” demonstrate, Americans have exhibited little interest in seeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dramatized on screen.

Even “The Hurt Locker,” which scored an Academy Award for Best Picture, earned a mediocre $49.2 million.

Yet, last year’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” which documented the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden, managed $132.8 million globally, so its possible that as these recent conflicts wind down, audiences will have more of an appetite for battle.

Universal, which is distributing “Lone Survivor,” pointed out that the film’s late night haul was more than double that of “Zero Dark Thirty”s’ debut. “Lone Survivor” was adapted and directed by Peter Berg and is based on the book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. It will face off against “The Legend of Hercules,” starring Kellan Lutz, and the wide release of Spike Jonze’s telephonic romance, “Her.”— Reuters

‘Girls’ go wayward in HBO’s tale of gender, generation

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he four female 20-somethings from Brooklyn in the HBO series “Girls” are in such a funk in the show’s third season that the weirdly whimsical Adam, of all people, comes across as a pillar of stability and good sense.

When the season kicks off today, Hannah, played by “Girls” creator Lena Dunham, has her OCD under control and a semblance of domestic bliss with Adam (Adam Driver), but her self-absorbed ways are maddening. When someone dies suddenly, all her thoughts are about her unfinished ebook.

Her three pals are in worse shape. Divorced Jessa (Jemima Kirke) is in rehab and refuses to quit the bad behavior. Glamorous Marnie (Allison Williams) is obsessing over her ex-boyfriend Charlie and is back living with her mom in New Jersey. Naive Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) bounces between her studies and sexual freedom after breaking up with Ray, a slacker who is now thriving professionally.

If this show is about a generation of young women searching for love and purpose, they look to be failing on almost all fronts, with maybe an exception on the friendship front. It’s enough for one critic to ask Dunham as she presented season three to the Television Critics Association this week: “Do you like these characters?” “I love them,” responded Dunham. “I think they accurately reflect people I know, people we have all been. I feel sad that they struggle and happy when they triumph.”

And the nudity, oh the nudity, continues to rankle some even though Dunham has shown her audience just about every unclothed angle of herself since the first episode.

When one critic told Dunham he “didn’t get the purpose of all the nudity on the show, by you particularly,” she shot back that being naked “is a realistic expression of what it is like to be alive.” Dunham, 27, is making no apologies for “Girls” and says she relishes the freedom her women have to act in ugly ways much like men have done for years in film and television. “I feel so lucky that we are not called to any standard of sort of sweet female decency,” Dunham said. “We get to depict these girls in all their kind of flawed glory.”

THE DIVERSITY CHALLENGE “Girls” does not command the kind of audiences that medieval “Game of Thrones” scores at Time Warner Inc’s premium cable outlet, but HBO announced on Thursday it had renewed the series for a fourth season to air in 2015.

On Sunday, it is looking to pick up its second straight Golden Globe award for best comedy series. And while the girls’ oblivion to the wider world, the nudity and the often whiny dialogue may not be to everyone’s liking, the critics seem to be mostly on the show’s side.

New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley wrote on Friday, “These four women are amusing, at times poignant, but not easily likeable. The show is caustic and hard to watch, but harder to turn off.” There is the nagging question of diversity, or rather lack thereof. The show has come under fire for its all-white cast in seasons one and two, a monochrome that some critics say does not fit with the racial kaleidoscope that is New York City. When asked why the show has not introduced a main black character, co-

executive producer Judd Apatow said, “I don’t think there is any reason that any show should feel an obligation to do that.”

Dunham was more conciliatory, acknowledging that although the negative attention was uncomfortable, it is “such an important conversation,” adding that “we are finally finding room to expand the world” in season three.

Apatow, the producer and director behind raunchy malecentric comedies like “The 40-Year-old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” did hint that the lack of diversity may soon be a moot point. “You haven’t seen the new season, so we can have this discussion next year,” he told the critics. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

lifestyle

Designer Amy Winters presses a sensor in the sleeve of her color-changing dress to change the dress from purple to the blue color represented in the sleeve at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. The dress is made of “LuminousTex” fabric with fiber optics woven in and sensors in the sleeves. Light travels through the cloth, which changes colors when the wearer presses a slender sensor inside the left sleeve. — AFP photos

Photo shows a woman working out while wearing the Sensoria Fitness bra, made by Heapsylon. There’s a sensor in a bra, in your socks, on your wrist, attached to your chest, in the ears: wearable tech is spreading all over the body. The growing use of embedded wearable devices connected to a smartphone is spawning a massive industry geared to fitness, health and other goals, offering potential benefits to everyone from the newborn infant to the infirm elderly.

Smart shirt knows when you’re not up to snuff F

rench fashion is getting smarter with the help of fabric woven with micro-sensors that can reveal when someone is weary or unwell. France-based Cityzen Sciences was at the Consumer Electronics Show on Friday with shirts made of “Smart Sensing” material that reads body heat, heart rate, motion and location. “The fabric can be made into any clothing; gloves, shirts, pants, you name it,” said Gilbert Reveillon, international managing director at Cityzen, the lead company in a consortium that created the material.

“It is the first time ever that we managed to mix these two industries, embedding sensors into textile.” Sensors in the shirt capture data about a wearer and transmit the information through a small battery-powered unit sewn discretely where a label typically goes. The data is sent in real-time wirelessly to a smartphone, where an application charts it in a timeline and alerts people to potential physical problems.

The application can show if a wearer is tired or stressed, or even if a coming heart attack is coming, according to Reveillon. “You can’t prevent a heart attack from happening, but you could definitely detect it hours, or even days, ahead of it taking place,” Reveillon told AFP. “On the field, a

coach could tell when a member of the team has been running over capacity and put in a fresh player.” The material was developed in collaboration with major French sports teams as well as members of the health industry.

The Cityzen smart shirt was honored for innovation at a first-ever digital health summit at CES. “This really does seem like science fiction,” Everyday Health chief operating officer Paul Slavin quipped after presenting Cityzen a top award for innovation. Everyday Health, a digital health company, sponsored the prize. A member of the Cityzen team wore the shirt while venturing for more than an hour along the famed Las Vegas strip, with his smartphone revealing how his body handled the outing.

“The Las Vegas street definitely increases the heartbeat,” Reveillon said. “The vibes are very positive.” The smart fabric can be laundered and ironed without worry. “In two years’ time, by washing it, you will recharge the batteries,” Reveillon promised. The material was said to cost about 30 to 40 percent more than commonly used fabric. The fabric was expected to be in commercial products late this year.

“It will be worldwide, either medical or sports,” Reveillon said. “Our proposal is to imbed micro-sensors now, nanosensors soon, into any fabric.”

Potential uses of the material will only be limited by the creativity and talent of software savants making applications that analyze and react to what is learned about wearers. “A child could be wearing this shirt and, if a mother sees his heart rate and temperature jump, she can call him home and even watch the path he takes,” Reveillon said. The Smart Sensing consortium is backed, in part, by the French government. The fabric is part of a hot trend of putting low-cost sensors in anything from light fixtures to jewelry or the soles of shoes to make environments adapt to or provide feedback regarding what people want or do. — AFP

A color-changing dress by Londonbased designer Amy Winters is displayed at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP

Bobbi Kristina Brown

Whitney’s daughter Kristina gets married W

hitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, has tied the knot with her friend Nick Gordon. A representative for the family confirmed Friday that the 20-year-old Brown married Gordon.

But the rep did not know where or when the marriage took place.

Brown tweeted about her marriage Thursday, posting a photo of the couple wearing wedding rings with hands on top of each other. She wrote in the caption, “#HappilyMarried. So #InLove. If you didn’t get it

the first time that is.” In 2012, Brown caused a stir when she was spotted wearing a sparkly bauble on her ring finger. But it turned out she was wearing her mother’s ring and was not engaged. Brown’s father is Bobby Brown. The late Houston left her entire estate to her daughter, her only child. — AP

Giorgio Armani womens’ wear lights & shadows F

abrics that transform and play with volume and form.

Subtle equilibriums that reveal an unexpected solidity.

Standards turned upside down. Extreme lightness can be expressed by placing one fabric over another, creating shadowy effects and appearing to split the garment. The absolute freedom of shape generates the sense of a fluidity that is removed from the body, sliding, fluttering, slipping away to reveal the silhouette of the figure in a natural, relaxed stance.

Surprising colors, with Majorelle Blue surfacing in transparent dresses, tunics and pea coats. There are shades of

anemones and the red of the coral in Sciacca, just like a magical garden beneath the sea. Colours are lightened and changed by featherlike jacquard silk, by embroidered, elaborate fabric, by the near ephemeral tricot of silk and elasticized cotton. For the evening, floral prints are embroidered to give a double effect, or detailed with the same embroidery on the front only. In the same spirit of metamorphosis, flat boots become new ankle boots with a plexiglass heel, leaving the foot bare.

Giorgio Armani with models

Whitney’s daughter marries Nick Gordon

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2014

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GUJARAT: An Indian woman, wearing traditional attire, stands at the doorway of her home with a child at Hodko village in Kutch in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Hodko village is famous for its leather craft and exquisite embroidery styles practiced by the women as part of family tradition passed on through generations. — AP

Greek bronzes raise hope of revival in southern Italy T

Bronze head ‘Brasle’ is displayed in a renovated Reggio Calabria National Archeological Museum. (Right) The 2,500year-old Riace Bronzes are displayed in a renovated Reggio Calabria National Archeological Museum. — AFP photos

wo remarkably life-like Greek bronze statues have gone on show in the same Calabria region in southern Italy where they were found by an amateur diver 42 years ago. The impoverished region-notoriously the bastion of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia is hoping that the rare sculptures of two warriors, one younger and one older, will restore its image and help boost tourist numbers. Preparations to display them were painstaking and long-delayed.

“The Riace Bronzes are Back” read a banner outside the Magna Grecia museum in the main city, Reggio Calabria, which opened for visits of the statues last month and will allow visitors to all its collections in June. The statues, which date back to the 5th century BC, were found by chance just off the coastal town of Riace in 1972 but their origin has remained mysterious. Simonetta Bonomi, director of antiquities for the Calabria region, said the wait for the bronzes to be returned to their “home” had been a frustrating one.

“In the spring of 2011, the museum was almost finished but the restoration was more costly than expected and the financing took time to arrive,” she told AFP-TV. The latest restoration began in 2009, while previous ones were carried out between 1972 and 1981 and in 1995. The bearded statues are referred to by restorers simply as “A” and “B” and the tools used to clean them as well as a special camera were inserted through their calves. “You can imagine the difficulties.... It was a little bit like doing a coloscopy or a surgical operation,” said

Cosimo Giorgio Schepis, one of the restorers.

The statues, which are around two meters high and weigh some 200 kilograms (441 pounds) each, are displayed on quake-proof pedestals since the area is highly seismic. The hall in which they are kept is accessible through an air-conditioned chamber in which visitors have to stay for three minutes to eliminate harmful bacteria. The statues have been praised by art historians for their perfect proportions and realistic details like the veins, the eyelashes and pinkish copper nipples. The two soldiers were preserved for centuries on the sea bed covered in sand, seaweed and molluscs.

They are already widely featured on brochures, posters and souvenirs of the museum and will be used as part of a Europewide publicity campaign for the region. “The aim this year is to have 300,000 visitors,” said Giuseppe Scoppelliti, the regional governor, who explained that during a loan to Reggio Calabria in 1981 there were a million visitors in a single year. Museum curators say the first signs are encouraging. In a free nighttime opening of the museum last month, organizers said that a total of 5,000 visitors came to gawk at the 2,500-year-old masterpieces. — AFP

Child singing star Evancho balances school and career T hree years after a popular TV talent show launched child soprano Jackie Evancho on a meteoric career, she still has no singing coach, can’t read music and sticks to a modest rehearsal routine. As she makes the transition from pre-teen singing sensation to professional artist, Evancho, who turns 14 in April, is seeking to balance her school work - and play time - with a busy concert tour schedule and recording her sixth album.

“She has the challenge of going from child star to legitimate artist,” said Lisa Evancho, who tours with her daughter, helping to steam-press her dresses before performances and supervising her rehearsal routine. “It’s no longer ‘Let’s go see the circus freak - the little girl with the grown-up voice.’ It’s more like wanting her to stand on her own ability and keep the career going in that direction. And, it looks as if it is,” she said.

A runner-up finish on “America’s Got Talent” in 2010 introduced Evancho, from Pittsburgh, as the newest - and youngest classical crossover singer. Since then, Jackie has packed concert halls across the country and overseas, as well as landing duets with Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett and Jose Carreras, and two solo TV specials for PBS. She also appeared with Robert Redford in a 2012 movie, “The Company You Keep.”

Evancho got a standing ovation last week at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, where she displayed her stunningly mature vocal power, phrasing and range in a rendition of “My Heart Will Go On,” from the movie “Titanic,” as well as her personal favorite, “The Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera.” Onstage, she still has a little-girl-lost look between songs, accompanied by nervous little waves and

glances at the audience. These days, however, she opts for wearing an elegant evening gown, over the knee-length skirts she wore on “America’s Got Talent.”

“I still get very nervous,” Jackie confessed after the show. “But I enjoy it all immensely.” As soon as she starts singing, the confidence in her largely untrained voice shines through. Despite her blossoming musical career, Evancho says she has no professional coaching, and only rehearses for an hour three times a week with her mother. She is often asked how she got such a voice.

“We like to say it was a gift from God,” Jackie said, admitting she has tried three times to learn to read music, but just can’t get the hang of it. She has tried voice coaches but none has worked out.

“They wanted to try and change Jackie’s voice,” her mother said. “But we don’t want her to sound like every other soprano.”

Music runs in Jackie’s family. Her father played drums in a band as a young man, and her mother played clarinet and oboe in high school. Her own musical tastes are diverse, all the way from classical to Lady Gaga. Despite her lack of formal music training, Evancho has been blessed with such a good musical ear that she has a virtually photographic memory for what she hears.

“When she starts, she can see the entire song in front of her.

It’s a rare gift,” said her traveling conductor John Mario Di Costanzo, who has worked with some of the world’s top opera divas. “Jackie sees the architecture of a piece as she is singing.”

Evancho performs at 2,000-seat concert halls around the country about three times a month, and has almost 100 concerts under her belt. After a Christmas show, she did two Florida performances last week and will be at the 2,600-seat Celebrity

Theatre in Phoenix on Jan 18.

“My parents don’t want me to be exhausted. They let me stay home as much as possible so I can have my friends over,” she said. The last two years were spent in cyber-schooling, but Jackie missed the classroom and returned this week to public school.

How big her career will become is still hard to say. She has no ambitions to become a pop singer, and says the classical crossover genre suits her voice better. Evancho’s next album another classical crossover - due out later this year, includes her first original composition.

She already has one album that sold over a million copies, and three Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

Evancho says she hopes to go to university and study philosophy. “Singing is my main goal, and I think philosophy will help me write songs.” However Jackie’s singing future turns out, she will have plenty in the bank to pay for university. “She’s done very well and she can afford her own education - and probably her three siblings as well,” said her mother.— Reuters

Jackie Evancho