16 Jan

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

Gaming the sick leave system in Kuwait

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Amir pledges $500m for Syria at donor meeting Aid pledges total $2.4bn, less than half of UN target

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conspiracy theories

Displays and seduction

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

had a nice argument today with many people at work. It was a good argument and a good topic food. Who does not love food and especially chocolates? Many of our editors argued that the chocolate and sweet displays in many co-ops, supermarkets and grocery shops are the main reason for people’s overconsumption of sweet delights. Eating too much chocolate for many will result in diabetes or obesity. Are we right to blame a nice display and marketing for our weaknesses?

I resent this idea totally. A nice display has nothing to do with my choices of what to eat and how much to eat. One of our American editors was adamant that a nice display seduces people to eat chocolate and candies. She said that when she walks into a supermarket and sees all the chocolates - Mars, Kit Kat, Twix, Hershey’s, Lindt or Ferrero Rocher in gold wrapping and box or another in silver and shiny wrapping - they seduce her. Forgive me if I forgot some other sweets, but they are on every corner and in every co-op.

I disagree with this totally. A good marketing display is important. It is part of the job of these people to have a nice display. It is up to me and my self-control whether to buy that shiny-looking bar or a box of chocolate and munch on it. It is also my will whether to behave and take a small piece and leave the rest for other days.

Our friend went as far as to link diabetes in kids to the chocolate displays. I think it is a bit of an exaggeration. Diabetes is related to the way of life.

It matters what their lifestyle is and if you allow children to eat junk food. It matters if you do provide them with enough vitamins, healthy food and salads. The rule of eating can be broken.

What matters is if we have a sedentary lifestyle.

It is not only about the food. It is also about exercise. If you do not train kids to swim, walk, play football or basketball or to play at home together, they will instead sit in front of the TV and swipe their iPads, phones and PlayStations. This is not good for their brains too, and not just their muscles. I am not a doctor but there are many other reasons for diseases like this - not enough oxygen in the air or pollution.

What we can do is educate our kids about healthy lifestyles. It is a collective thing related to the community - the home, the school and the society. For me the home is the base ground. It is important what parents teach their children to eat.

Then comes the role of the school. It plays a big role. What education do we give these kids? The third role is of society. Are there a lot of activities and do they have places and parks to practice sports?

My dear friend, let’s not blame the chic display in the supermarkets for our obsessions and weaknesses. Have a good day!

NSA taps offline computers with secret software WASHINGTON: The US National Security Agency has developed a secret technology to spy on computers via radio signals, gathering information even when the devices are offline, a report said yesterday. The New York Times reported that the NSA has implanted software on 100,000 computers around the world to be able to conduct surveillance, and which gives the spy agency “a digital highway” for launching cyberattacks.

The Times, citing unnamed sources, said the agency has used the program code-named Quantum since at least 2008, relying on a covert channel of radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and cards inserted surreptitiously into the computers. It said the radio technology has helped solve a key problem for US intelligence agencies, by getting into computers of adversaries that are hardened against attacks. — AFP (See Page 27)

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (center), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah attend the opening ceremony of the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria at Bayan Palace yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

By B Izzak and Agencies

Kerry to press ahead despite slur KUWAIT: US Secretary of State John Kerry vowed yesterday to press his drive for Middle East peace despite a slur by Israel’s defence minister that sparked a furious row between the allies.

Kerry said he was not prepared to let the comments of one individual derail the marathon peace push which has seen him visit the Middle East 10 times in less than a year in the quest for a framework agreement by April. Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon had reportedly described that quest as the “obsession” of a man with a “sense of messianism”, sparking outrage in the White House which described the comments as “offensive”.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a news conference at the Syria donors’ conference yesterday. — AP

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday opened the second international donors conference for Syria by pledging $500 million, as he highlighted the plight of the Syrian people and urged the international community to donate generously to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Arab nation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon meanwhile announced at the end of the one-day conference that $2.4 billion in pledges were made at the conference, and the “funds will be spent over the next six months”. Ban said half of the Syrian people or nearly 9.3 million people need urgent humanitarian aid and called on donor nations to make the necessary pledges.

Kuwait is hosting the Syria donors conference for the second year. At last year’s conference, donors pledged $1.5 billion, while the United Nations is seeking this time $6.5 billion. The funds are needed to provide humanitarian aid to 9.3 million people inside Syria, 6.5 million of them internally displaced, and as many as 4.1 million refugees in host countries. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said all sides in the conflict had shown “total disregard for their responsibilities under Continued on Page 13

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LOCAL

Kuwait conference to help alleviate Syrian suffering Amir opens donors meeting KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah opened here yesterday the Second Kuwait Pledging Conference for Syria. His Highness the Amir, in his speech before the conference, announced a $500 million donation from the public and private sector in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

His Highness the Amir praised the “faithful” Kuwaiti people for their assistance of the Syrian people either inside their country or in refugees camps in neighboring states.

His Highness Sheikh Sabah also praised the expatriates, NGOs, the civil society organizations, private sector and philanthropists for their generous aid for the Syrians.

He called on all warring parties in Syria to put into consideration the safety of the Syrian people above any other interest.

His Highness the Amir, in his speech, said he shared with UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon the the “common feeling of the magnitude of the responsibility that we shoulder, with regard to the persistent bloody conflict in Syria, and our continued and relentless pursuit

to alleviate the suffering of the people there.”

Great challenge He said that this was added to the the “great and increasing challenge of the Syrian refugees in the neighboring countries.”

His Highness the Amir said in accepting Ban’s request to host this conference, Kuwait “clearly reflected and demonstrated ... historical responsibility towards the people of Syria, its awareness of the magnitude of the disaster they suffer, as well as the need to mobilize the international efforts to confront this disaster and alleviate its consequences.”

He said the conference was held while the scope of the humanitarian tragedy in Syria was widening and claiming tens of thousands of innocent lives, destroying all forms of life, and forcing millions of people to flee, as a result of an unjust and continuing conflict, where all kinds of weapons were used, including the internationally prohibited weapons, against an unarmed people.

His Highness Sheikh Sabah noted the alarming numbers of refugees both inside and

outside Syria, as the conflict has claimed the lives of up to 140, 000 people. “This is in addition to the displacement of millions of refugees, both inside and outside of Syria, who are suffering tragic living conditions, exacerbated by the onset of winter.”

He said the latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) confirmed that the agricultural and livestock sector have deteriorated to a degree that has destroyed the basic components and the capacity of the country to provide its own food security.

“Deterioration affected an important sector relating to the future of generations in Syria, where education sector was left behind, curriculums were disrupted, and schools were destroyed, threatening the future of children and their country,” he said. “This requires setting educational programs in cooperation with specialized international organizations.”

Health services His Highness the Amir highlighted the drop in the level of health services, which contributed to the outbreak and spreading of

many diseases, as evidenced by the report of the World Health Organization on the spread of Polio, inside and outside Syria, proving the magnitude of the tragedy and the suffering that befell the Syrian people.

“I appeal to you our dear guests participating in this conference, and to other non-participant countries worldwide, as well as all international organizations and agencies to hastily donate and provide assistance to the Syrian people.

“We are called upon to prove to the world our sense of responsibility that we shoulder, to save the innocence of children, the frailty of elderly and women, and the future of the youth, in order to achieve the aim for which we are holding this conference,” said his Highness the Amir.

He said Kuwait has participated in all efforts aimed at reaching a political solution for the war there, and has repeatedly declared its readiness to exert further efforts for the achievement of this goal.

“Kuwait continues to mobilize, at both the official and public levels, support and aid for

the Syrian people, whether internally displaced, or living outside in refugee camps,” he said.

Kuwait fulfilled all the pledges it made at the first donors conference, by paying in full its donation of USD 300 million to the UN and its specialized agencies, so that they can distribute aid according to their individual assessments of the needs of the Syrian people.

“This brings the total of Kuwait’s contribution to USD 430 million. Kuwait charitable societies have also achieved considerable results in their efforts to alleviate the pain of thousands of refugees and displaced persons,” said His Highness the Amir. He called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) member countries to put aside their differences and disputes, and to concentrate on finding a solution to this disaster, which has been raging for a long time, with increasing catastrophic consequences affecting not only the region, but entire world as well, to restore to this international forum its credibility and ability to assume its historical responsibilities. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Delegates attending the second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria pose for a group photo at Bayan Palace. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Delegates attend the opening session of the second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria yesterday.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attends the opening ceremony of the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, at Bayan palace yesterday.

Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Ateyya (left) sits during the opening ceremony of the second international humanitarin pledging conference for Syria.

Ban ki-Moon appeals for $6.5bn for Syrian people KUWAIT: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday appealed for the world to raise $6.5 billion to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

At a donors conference dedicated to humanitarian relief of displaced and refugee Syrians hosted by Kuwait, Ban thanked the Amir and the people of Kuwait for the donation of USD 500 million for these efforts and for hosting the second conference in a row dedicated to pledges for the crisis.

“I sincerely thank him (the Amir) for his exemplary leadership,” he said.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has made an “outstanding commitment” to the crisis, he added.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to the government, people and non-governmental organizations of Kuwait for their enormous contributions to helping Syria and its neighbours to cope with the devastating effects of the conflict.”

Currently, nearly half the Syrian population “around 9.3 million people” urgently need humanitarian aid, he said. This includes refugee Palestinians, who were living in Syria, 80 percent of whom have been affected as well.

The UN chief noted to unrelenting attacks on women and children. He also stressed the conflict’s repercussions on the whole surrounding region. Mentioning the results of the last conference, also hosted by Kuwait, he said that the $1.5 billion pledges made by 43 international

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy speaking during a conference on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.

donors resulted in providing safe drinking water for 10 million people in Syria, healthcare for over 3.5 million, vaccinations for over one million children and food for nearly 3.5 million.

These amounts were used in providing relief to Syrians displaced within Syria and those who fled to refugee camps in nations neighbouring their own like, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey.

Kuwait, at the former conference, had also donated $500 million.

“No country, no people should face hardship or calamity for helping Syrians in need. It is vital for this region and our world that the burden is shared. Let us reward the compassion of Syria’s neighbours with generosity and solidarity,” he concluded. —KUNA

Valerie Amos UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, speaking during a conference as she attends the opening ceremony.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheik Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon attend the opening ceremony.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra attends the opening Ceremony.

Iran’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hussain Amir Abdullahyan attends the opening ceremony.

GCC urges nations to double efforts on Syria KUWAIT: The Gulf Cooperation Council called on nations gathered at a donors’ conference held in Kuwait to increase their financial aid for Syrian humanitarian efforts.

“This tragic reality requires us all to double our efforts in standing by these victimized people in their plight, and to offer them all forms of assistance,” said Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani.

“The international community has been inadequate in fulfilling its responsibilities,

and in taking the steps required for putting a stop to the genocide they are facing,” he added.

“As the conflict enters its third year, the (Syrian) regime insists on continuing, with the support of its outside allies, to carry out the systematic killing of Syrian people, destroying their cities and property, by using all forms of weapons available, including those internationally prohibited,” he said. The international community has also

not done enough to “oblige the (Syrian) regime to comply to international treaties and agreements it is bound to, that ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid to millions of the displaced and refugees,” he added.

He also called on the UN Security Council to “bear its responsibility in ensuring the safe passage of this relief to people inside Syria.”

He hailed Kuwait’s hosting of the current second conference, and its “generous” con-

tribution in the former event it also hosted.

Al-Zayani also thanked donor nations to the cause, and neighbouring nations of Syria, whom are hosting the conflict-ridden country’s refugees.

Foreign Minister Borge Brende announced Norway’s pledge of $ 75 million in humanitarian relief for Syria, as part of the UN-administered Regional Response Plan.

The crisis is the worst he had witnessed since World War II, whereby over two million

people have been forced out of their country - something he stressed was “unacceptable”. Over nine million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, while tens of thousands are forced to leave their homes on a daily basis, he added.

He called on the gathering nations to commit to the cause through their pledges, adding that neighbouring nations carrying the burden of hosting the refugees deserve huge support. —KUNA

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LOCAL

Gaming the sick leave system

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Requests for sick leaves spike in Kuwait on weekends and holidays. In the days before a public holiday, civil servant absences at government ministries can reach as high as 60 percent of staff. Even the private sector sees a jump in absences on the days before a long weekend or public holiday.

The government has tried to stamp out the practice of unnecessary absences around holidays by warning local hospitals and clinics not to issue sick leaves to patients who don’t really need it. Some private companies have even taken the step of requiring employees to obtain sick leaves only from government hospitals and clinics

as a way to make the practice more difficult. But still many take off work and then obtain a doctor’s note as a way to excuse the absence.

An extra day’s holiday “We definitely notice the increase of sick cases or exactly said pretending being sick on Wednesdays and Sundays much more than on Mondays or Tuesdays,” said Dr. Mohammed Ashraf, a general practitioner at a local private hospital. “ There is also an increase in sick leave requests before public holidays as a way for people to extend their holiday. Typically, they come a day or two before the holidays to get the sick leave. Also during the schools and university exams more patients come to get it,” he told the

Kuwait Times. Article 69 of the Kuwait Labor Law for the private sector law allows employees 15 days of sick leave, with a doctor’s note, with full pay. “In order to be checked by the doctor, the patient has to open a file that will cost him about KD 20. He feels this investment is worth not having deduction from his salary and he then waits for the sick leave. Some patients directly tell the doctor they just came for it, while others pretend to be sick,” explains Dr Ashraf.

Pressure on doctors Doctors who work in private clinics face greater pressure to issue fake sick leaves. “I experienced this situation more than once. A patient suffering from the common flu came demand-

ing sick leave for a few days, which I refused. I told him that he could work with the flu and even with fever but he said he couldn’t. Rather than argue with him, I just the leave. Sometimes I see the patient doesn’t look sick thus when he tell me he feels pain I can’t tell him he is lying and I have to listen to him,” the doctor noted.

The phenomena of unnecessary absences is difficult to control because the government cannot prove someone wasn’t sick.

“Usually sick leaves are issued by general practitioners, internists, or similar fields, who will mention the symptoms he claims, which usually are not serious such as diarrhea, headache, flu and others,” said Dr Ashraf. “These are usually mild cases

so even an employer complains and a committee is formed, they won’t find anything as he will be cured after a week.

Even children play sick Parents also routine seek fake sick leaves for their children. But the government has implemented stricter protocols for government clinics and hospitals in a bid to reduce abuse of the system. “ We have strict rules from the Ministry of Health so I never sign any sick leave unless the child is really sick and needs it,” said Dr. Fahad Al-Anezi, Head of Pediatrics at Jahra Hospital, who did admit he had been asked by parents for sick leaves for themselves for taking care of a sick child.

Restoring demographic balance ‘mandatory’ ‘A matter of sovereignty’ KUWAIT: Kuwait is looking to reduce foreign labor forces’ numbers as part of its efforts to restore demographic balance in the state, a senior government official said recently in statements in which he described the reduction as “a matter of sovereignty”. “Adjusting the demographic structure is a step that we have to follow as per a law included in the state’s 5-year Development Plan,” said Abdulmohsen Al-Mutairi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. He clarified that the law requires the government to increase the number of labor forces in the public and private sector while reducing dependency on foreign manpower.

The ministry had announced a plan last year to cut the expatriate population by one million within a decade, and the then minister Thekra Al-Rasheedi later clarified that they are only looking for ways to reduce the number

of ‘marginal labor forces’ - illegal residents and workers handling menial jobs.

“Coordination is in place with the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program to increase national manpower in the private sector,” Mutairi said on Tuesday.

His statements came during a press conference held to announce the inauguration of the ‘Abu Dhabi Consultative Meeting’ in which Gulf Cooperation Council states discuss ways to improve coordination with labor exporting countries.

Meanwhile, Mutairi revealed that Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Subaih gave orders to set up a committee featuring representatives from the ministry as well as the commerce, interior, foreign and health ministries in order to study “reorganizing the process of transferring commercial visas into work permits”. The committee is expected to

provide its recommendations to the minister within a month, after which a decision can be made to lift the existing ban on transferring visit visas.

When asked about a possible period to allow workers with domestic labor visas to transfer to work visas, Mutairi indicated that a decision in that regard can only be taken “based on studies and recommendations carried out by the labor department and sent to the minister”. Mutairi also denied allegations that there are thousands of visit visas pending approval at the social affairs and labor ministry. Mutairi was also asked about problems facing companies that cannot recruit foreign labor forces due to a ban in place since April.

“As per Minister Hind Al-Subaih’s instructions, we are reviewing several regulations pertaining with the labor market in the private sector including this topic,” Mutairi said.

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah visited the Abdaliya reserve which is owned and operated by the Kuwait Oil Company at the oil fields zone in west Kuwait. KOC officials gave information and explanation about rare plants that are kept in the reserve.

‘Allergy among most important problems of current century’

By Abdellaif Sharaa KUWAIT: Organizers of the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology from Science to Practice held a dinner in honor of guest speakers and participants at the Holiday Inn, Downtown Tuesday evening. The event was under the patronage of Health Minister Dr Ali AlObaidi, who was represented by Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs Dr Jamal Al-Harby. Harby said in his opening speech that allergy and clinical immunity diseases have become among the most important problems of the current century in the categor y of non-infectious diseases, which Kuwait along with other GCC countries are working on finding comprehensive health programs to deal with. He said that comprehensive healthcare is built on the foundations of scientific research and exchange of various experiences, along with training

manpower according to the most modern methods and medical standards in order to enhance medical services in Kuwait.

Chairman of the Organizing Committee Maitham Husain welcomed the elite experts in the field of allergy and immunology and participants in the conference. He said the organizing committee selected an elite group of experts from neighboring countries along with Australia, France, UK, USA and Canada to deliver scientific experience as well as contact international centers with the hope to meet scientific ambitions, and sincere wish to serve patients with all what is new in this field.

In a statement following the ceremony Harby said the conference was important because it concerned children. He said important and recent research was presented, “because we have many diseases related to immune deficiency, and the treatment

requires an integrated team to stop ailments such as asthma and allergy caused by food”.

He said the visiting doctors saw 10 difficult cases of immune deficiency and discussed the methods of treatment. He said that there will be in the future a link with the European organization of immune deficiency with Gulf countries. Harby said the health ministry has plans to expand facilities related to the treatment of allergy as the number of patients is on the increase. “We must concentrate on the quality of service presented with special emphasis on children,” he said.

On another subject Harby said that he is working on the Kuwaiti nurses’ cadre, after succeeding in improving that of bedoon nurses. He said that Kuwaiti doctors’ cadre should be reviewed to make jobs at the health ministry attractive to keep highly qualified consultants from leaving the ministry to private practice.

KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation pictured during their visit to Hong Kong yesterday.

MPs discuss improving ties with Hong Kong KUALA LUMPUR: A delegation of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, currently on a visit to Hong Kong and Macau, held talks with local leaders on means of enhancing relations between the Kuwaiti Parliament and the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

Khaled Badr Al-Mutairi, the general consul of the State of Kuwait to Hong Kong, said yesterday the Kuwaiti delegation held talks with the council chairman, Jasper Tsang, heads of parliamentary committees and members of the assembly.

Al-Mutairi said the Kuwaiti MPs, members of the parliamentary friendship group, shed light during the talks on Kuwait’s old democratic experience, not-

ing that the democratic process “witnessed noticeable development in shadow of the sagacious leadership of His Highness the Amir,” adding that the delegation also discussed means of enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries legislative assemblies.

The Kuwaiti delegation visited headquarters of the chamber of commerce and examined Hong Kong’s experience of luring international investments and reasons of its success of transforming into a major financial-commercial center in Asia.

Al-Mutaitri held a banquet in honor of the visiting Kuwaiti legislators, on a present official mission to Hong Kong and Macau. —KUNA

Visa scandal threatens national security KUWAIT: A visa forgery scandal involving a senior Ministry of Interior official has caught the attention of MPs, who expressed concern over social security and demanded action against human trafficking. Al-Rai daily reported Tuesday that the director of the interior minister’s office was involved in issuing thousands of forged visas in cooperation with other officials, including ruling family members.

“Every official, sheikh, or any person related to the scandal must be held accountable,” MP Adel Al-Khorafi said. He warned that the large number of illegal residents - estimated at 100,000, a large part being victims of visa trafficking “threatens national security and social

stability, and therefore requires a firm stand from the Interior Ministry”.

Meanwhile, MP Khalil Abdullah urged Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid AlSabah to address the recent scandal as part of a comprehensive program to tackle visa trafficking “which threatens social security in Kuwait”.

“The volume of illegal labor forces threatens economic and social security as well as the country’s demographic structure,” he said.

MPs Abdulhameed Dashti and Mohammad Al-Hadiya also released statements demanding that officials involved in the case be charged and tried.

KNPC awards private sector 20 pc of project investments KUWAIT: Up to 20 percent of investments in KNPC’s clean fuel project and a new refinery will be awarded to the Kuwaiti private sector, said KNPC’s CEO Muhammad Al-Mutairi yesterday.

Investment in both the fuel and refinery projects is estimated at $30 billion, he said, noting that tenders for the clean fuel project have been received and are currently being studied by KNPC officials.

As for the new refinery, he said basic infrastructure for it has gotten off the ground and is expected for completion toward the end of 2017.

He said that the company’s fourth gas pipeline was almost ready for use, adding that ten new gas storage reser-

voirs are being constructed as are four new gas stations for the benefit of motorists.

Al-Mutairi expressed pride that KNPC’s Al-Shuaiba refinery was selected as the best-managed Kuwaiti enterprise for 2013 thus meriting an award by His Highness the Amir.

The KNPC executive emphasized that the company paid serious attention to employing Kuwaiti citizens in its multitude of operations and for the third year in a row took first place in donating blood to the nation’s blood drives and has collected up till now donations of KD 40,000 from its employees for the benefit of Syrian refugees. —KUNA

Saudi journalist in town

Senior doctors and guests seen at the seminar. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and M inister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Humoud AlSabah received yesterday Saudi journalist in Ok az newspaper Hassan Baswaid. During the meeting, they discussed the state’s plan to promote Kuwait’s media and youth.

Sheik h Salman also thanked the National Assembly members for all their suggestions and comments that

will be taken into account for the benefit of Kuwait.

On the other hand, Shaikh Salman expressed his thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Saudi government for their support for the Second Kuwait Pledging Conference currently being hosted by the State of Kuwait and the continuous cooperation between the two countries in all fields. —KUNA

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

An ‘insult’ to democracy

Ignorance and corruption

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

T

he public works minister summoned a group of owners of roadwork companies and ‘reprimanded’ them for the corrosion of the top layer of highways, which sent gravel flying at windshields and front bumpers of thousands of vehicles.

Reports also hint that the minister went as far as threatening the owners of prosecution and ‘blacklisting’ their companies. If this is true, then it means nothing, and that all the reprimanding indicates that the minister either does not know how tenders are rewarded, executed and monitored in Kuwait, or that he already knows it but making it seem that he is ‘tough’.

The problem in the MPW or of road damages is the same as the problems facing the implementation of every other governmental project. It is not related to contracting companies as much as it is to other issues including - in the most part - the methods through which tenders are awarded, and how the execution process is monitored, in addition to the phases between receiving the project from the executing company, what happens after that and the maintenance period. State departments take full responsibility over the project during these phases. While a tender is generally awarded to the company with the lowest bid, the problem starts when the estimated value of the project is a lot higher than the tender’s offer.

The responsibility also lies on the body which approves the project or material used in it without verifying whether the project has been carried out with the exact amounts agreed upon. It also lies on the body responsible for monitoring the project’s execution. Meanwhile, the largest portion of responsibility lies on the body that receives the project after it is completed, at which point it many ignore the project’s flaws after accepting a certain amount of money! There is also the government’s responsibility over maintenance.

All this comes ahead of the contractor’s responsibility, who looks to make as much profit for himself as possible. In general, the issue pertains with incompetence, inexperience or corruption of those in charge of the various phases of executing a tender. During my time of work in the contracting field in the 1970s, I had personally warned more than one official about the risk or awarding tenders to certain companies due to the huge difference between their true value and what the contractor committed to. But they never paid attention to my warnings, either due to inability to do anything, or being part of the problem!

The road damage problem, much like every other problem related to government works, stems from the way tenders are awarded, as well as corruption in audit bodies, the spread of administrative corruption in the government and lack of punishment. The problems are known, and so are the solutions, yet no one seems to be willing to take the right decision to achieve reform since that apparently conflicts with certain interests that are better served if the situation remains as it is right now. — Al-Qabas

P Safa Al-Hashem’s proposal to eliminate Islam as a precondition for naturalization on the grounds that this condition is unconstitutional is definitely a bold step, regardless of all speculations about her intentions. It does not matter whether Ms Hashem allegedly wants to ‘benefit’ from the proposal or pretend to be supportive of democracy. What matters is that she proposed what nationalist, democratic and liberal politicians have failed to do for the past 30 years.

Not only is the existing condition an ‘insult’ to democracy, it is also a declaration that we as a society are far away from democracy despite our claim of being a democratic state, and that we fail to honor the principles of justice and equality that are guaranteed by our constitution. The fact that the law remained untouched all those years is a testa-

In my view

Capitalism and commercial fraud

By Waleed Al-Rujaib

C

ommercial fraud is harmonious with capitalism whose essence is making extra profit by reducing production costs and wages. There is no profit if production costs are equal to the product’s value, as simple as that. Stories have been reported around the world of major drug companies that reduced the efficacy of a certain medicine when it faced pressure to cut its price. The measure allows the company to sell more medications in order for the pills to have an effect, thus making extra profit. There were studies released about how carmakers reduced the vehicles’ durability so that they can sell more spare parts.

Fraud is found in the practice of capitalist companies that produce all kinds of products and services, including food, construction material, as well as educational and health services. In Kuwait, people have recently complained from ‘flying gravel’ due to road damage after rains that cannot be described as heavy.

People mistakenly put the blame on the Ministry of Public Works, the same way they blamed the Ministry of Housing for the housing crisis which is a direct result of land and property monopoly.

In recent years, we have seen fraud in the food market including incidents of selling expired food, and the education sector where unqualified teachers where hired by schools looking to make extra profit by

recruiting cheap labor. Meanwhile, many houses built in recent years sustained leakages during the rain, which reveals construction companies’ fraud.

We have lived for decades in Kuwait during which we never saw streets become damaged this easily after rainfall. This means that the material used in paving roads did not meet standards that make roads withstand the slightest amount of rain. While the minister bears political responsibility, the main reason behind the problem is the capitalist fraud of road construction companies.

After the liberation, we saw that the Iraqi army’s bombardment left little effect on buildings - except for constructions that were deliberately destroyed. We also noticed that tanks and heavy artillery left absolutely no effect on the asphalt. Kuwait’s roads withstood all kinds of weather effects for years, so why can’t they withstand rain in the current time which is considered the age of advancement? The same goes for hospitals, schools and buildings that the government built since the 1960s.

Some of them are still used today. But when the government shared the responsibility with some private companies, we started seeing deterioration of infrastructure and services. This makes me believe that privatization policies will not be in the best interest of Kuwait. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

In my view

Some hits and myths

Each citizen a millionaire!

By Mahir Ali

P

erhaps the most galling aspect of the panegyrics that preceded the burial this week of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, eight years after a stroke that can in retrospect be designated fatal, has been the notion that he was a formidable warrior who evolved into a “man of peace”. Among the first to tag him thus, in the wake of the so-called Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005, was the then president of the United States. George W Bush wasn’t, however, the only person who chose to see that particular maneuver as in some way a positive step on the road to a permanent settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute.

And the myth has, to some extent, endured, if obituaries in the Western media are anything to go by. It is no doubt true that many on the right-wing of Israeli politics were disconcerted by the gesture, not least because it entailed the drama of illegal settlers forcibly being removed by the Israeli military. Many of these settlers, mind you, had willfully been implanted there by Sharon a couple of decades earlier, following the Israeli pullout from Sinai.

Even some West Bank settlers, who acknowledge their debt to Sharon in his capacity as successively minister for agriculture, infrastructure, housing and defense, and eventually as prime minister, find it hard to overlook his role in the forced depopulation of Israelis from Gaza. In large part, that’s because they tend to see all of the occupied territories as a basis for Eretz Israel. Sharon, on the other hand, was pragmatic enough to envisage minor and ultimately inconsequential concessions as a means of realizing Israel’s territorial ambitions. Gaza was abandoned, in large part, to facilitate the retention of much of the West Bank.

One does not need to turn to Sharon’s political adversaries to confirm this interpretation. In the wake of the Gaza pullout, his aide Dov Weissglass spilled the beans by describing it as supplying “the amount of formaldehyde that is necessary so there will not be a political process with the Palestinians.” Max Blumenthal, writing in the American periodical The Nation, also cites another adviser, Arnon Sofer, as claiming “when 2.5 million people live in a closed-off Gaza, it’s going to be a human catastrophe. Those people will become even bigger animals than they are today. The pressure at the border will be awful. It’s going to be a terrible war. So, if we want to remain alive, we will have to kill and kill and kill. All day, every day.”

Pastrami sandwich Given the periodic military attacks on Gaza in the past eight years, the prophecy clearly wasn’t misguided. Several of the post-mortem comments, however, raise the counterfactual possibility that if Sharon had not been incapacitated in 2006, he may have gone on to clear parts of the West Bank as well.

The basis for this claim is extremely weak. Although Sharon did manage to demonstrate that, given the political will, illegal settlers could indeed be removed by force without precipitating a domestic political revolt. True, he had to bow out of the rightwing Likud party he had helped to form in the 1970s and to found the ostensibly less extremist Kadima. But it’s worth recalling that even without Sharon at

the helm, Kadima succeeded in initially obtaining a popular mandate (although, in the wake of corruption scandals, it has now been reduced to two seats in the Knesset).

It does not, follow, however, that Sharon had any plan for disengagement, unilateral or otherwise, from the West Bank.

There is in fact no evidence that he ever strayed from a plan he reputedly outlined to Winston Churchill’s grandson while serving as agriculture minister under Menachem Begin: “We’ll make a pastrami sandwich out of them. We’ll insert a strip of Jewish settlements in between the Palestinians, and then another strip of Jewish settlements right across the West Bank, so that in 25 years’ time neither the United Nations nor the United States, nobody, will be able to tear it apart.”

That strategy appears to have succeeded to a considerable extent. It cannot, though, be described as the brainwave of a man of peace. The contrary case does not need to rely exclusively on the infamous Sabra and Shatila massacres, for which Israel’s own Kahan Commission found Sharon personally responsible, compelling him to resign as defense minister from a Cabinet that apparently had remained in the dark about his exact designs in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. By then, his reputation for ruthlessness ought to have preceded him, as well as his tendency to ignore the orders of his superiors whenever he deemed it convenient.

Targeted killings Ariel Scheinermann, born in 1928, was a warrior by the age of 20. By 1953, when he was chosen by Ben Gurion to head the commando squad known as Unit 101, he was already determined, as the obituary in The Guardian puts it, to treat “civilians who ‘harbored terrorists’ as legitimate targets,” thus pre-empting Bush and the neocons by nearly half a century. Women and children are believed to have featured prominently among the victims of the massacre on Oct 14, 1953 in the Jordanian village of Qibya, perpetrated by the unit. Some 50 years later, he was a relentless enthusiast for targeted killings - another tactic embraced by the US in its ongoing “war against terror,” notwithstanding the negative repercussions. And his nickname, the Bulldozer, wasn’t a metaphorical epithet.

Sharon became prime minister after calculatedly instigating the Second Intifada. This week, US vice-president Joe Biden described him as “a complex man [who] lived in a complex time in a complex neighborhood.” Tony Blair, sporting a skullcap, called him “a giant of this land”. A Goliath, then, rather than a David.

Avi Shlaim, emeritus professor of international relations at Oxford University, says in his 40 years of researching the Arab-Israeli conflict, he has “not come across a scintilla of evidence” to support the view of Sharon as a man of peace.

“Sharon was a man of war through and through,” he says, “an Arab hater, and a pugnacious proponent of the doctrine of permanent conflict.”

A war hero in 1967 and 1973? To some, perhaps. But then, many of those indicted at Nuremberg would no doubt have been hailed in similar terms, and buried with honors, had the Nazis won the war.

By Dr Hassan Abdullah Jouhar

A

ccording to recent media stories about per citizen share of national wealth, the Norwegian experience is not that different from our own that has been going on for sixty years. The only difference is in the result. This Scandinavian monarchy declared that its sovereign funds’ assets were over $800 billion and that per citizen share of it was $165,000.

Taking into consideration that Norway’s population is five million and that it is an oil exporting country, although its wells are the hardest worldwide because they lie deep down under the Northern Sea waters, which results in the highest production costs in the world. Just like Kuwait, Norway has allocated a portion of its oil revenues for foreign investments for future generations on the one hand, and to diversify its national income sources on the other.

The same experience was applied in Kuwait since 1950 and three decades later, Kuwait founded the future generations fund but with the most bizarre and strange results! Kuwait has been the world’s third largest oil exporting country since 1964 with the least production cost ever because its oil reserves lie at 1,000 feet deep at most. Kuwait’s population is not even one fifth of that of Norway’s. nevertheless, but over 50 percent of its citizens are up to their ears in consumer loans!

When transparently declaring the volume of its assets in investment funds, Norway precisely says that 4 percent of them are annually invested in domestic development projects, while in Kuwait, we do not know the volume of sovereign assets’ funds that are supposedly estimated at $500 billion. Those assets were even looted by Kuwaitis during the Iraqi invasion. Only God knows how much has been looted nor why nobody has been so far held accountable for it!

The analogy is not over yet. According to human resources development factors, Norway comes first in real economic growth and development, per capita income and education and health services. It is one of the ideal countries in terms of age groups with a majority of working class citizens serving younger and older generations.

Despite these heartening elements in a state as small as us that is ruled by a constitutional monarchy, no calls have been made to incorporate it in a cooperation council like Jordan and Morocco or in the GCC to make use of its unique humanitarian experience. They do not even have early retirement despite the high level of richness and wealth. They work from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm without sick leaves or not showing up to work pre and post Eids and holidays! —Al-Jarida

There is a growing desire in Kuwait these days to amend the entire system, coupled with efforts and opinions to eliminate parts of the constitution’s articles and amend the rest. While such major steps require collective efforts and for details to be taken care of by the entire nation, a certain party has volunteered to go ahead with the job on behalf of everyone else. ment to our politicians’ lack of democratic awareness and true belief in the principles of justice and equality.

There is a growing desire in Kuwait these days to amend the entire system, coupled with efforts and opinions to eliminate parts of the constitution’s articles and amend the rest. While such major steps require collective efforts and for details to be taken care of by the entire nation, a certain party has volunteered to go ahead with the job on behalf of everyone else. It is OK to propose amendments to the public system, as long as we differentiate between changing the system and designing it in accordance with one party’s measures.

It appears though that this desire of change has no attention to amend laws that contradict with the constitution. Instead, they are targeting laws that go against the ambitions and ideologies of a certain social category. We have for years been suffering under practices that violate personal and political rights, and laws that go against the constitution and the basic principles of freedom, justice and equality. Despite that, none of the so-called ‘democratic’ political groups took the trouble to point out the need to amend them.

On the contrary, many political groups sought to alter the system’s general principles and penetrate the constitutional guarantees for freedoms through unconstitutional amendments and similar efforts.

Those who call for full democracy and speak about freedoms today are the same people who worked hard when they had majority in the parliament to pass a law that stipulates the death penalty for a person who expresses an opinion that goes against their ideologies and beliefs. Instead of making a general speech about freedom, justice and equality, I would like to see politicians criticize - not necessarily amend - laws and practices that go against freedom and democracy. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Watch for whom NGOs nominate

By Khalid Abdallah Al-Qahas

T

he core of the executive work is continuity, and the constitutional term of the government is four years. Seven governments were formed during the past four years, and each one of them returned us to square one, to a point where the country is in an eternal caretaker condition, where time and visions are of no significance. It is more likely that the seventh government will fail quickly, to prove that the parliament is the protector of quotas that came in a different way this time.

The government is not re-formed in order to face a grilling, but according to a new vision or true crises, and the formation should not reflect all groups of the society as if it was a salvation government. Rather the standard should be how much the minister agrees with the premier, as this is important for the government’s vitality and its ability to move with the power of a team. What we see is a contradicting government, sheikhs, extreme left and extreme right and an absence of popular and practical ministers, who are experienced and can face shocks.

MPs condemned and threatened because they were not consulted, and 50 ministers will not satisfy them if they were contacted, and demand that the government get the confidence of parliament, while they do not have a majority that can give the new government this confidence. The appointment of MPs as ministers failed, because it is impossible for them to forget their election fears, even when they are ministers.

We narrow the selection window at the time of formation which enlarges the size of those rejecting the ministry, which imposes certain names. This method of forming government must be abandoned, and there must be a vision, and watch for whom the media and NGOs nominate, because they are qualified and have popular backing, and this shows their role as lobbies in the face of the Assembly and other figures. — Al-Qabas

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Kuwait Dive Team members removing large quantities of metal and plastic waste, besides trash, and dead fish littering bed of Al-Shamlan harbor

Divers lift waste from bed of historic harbor KUWAIT: Kuwait Dive Team of The Environmental Voluntary Foundation lifted large quantities of metal and plastic waste, besides trash, and dead fish littering bed of Al-Shamlan harbor, close to Souk Sharq commercial mall.

Head of Kuwait Dive Team Waleed Al-Fadel said

yesterday such “uncivilized dumping of waste” by fishermen and seamen causes serious pollution to the harbor. Al-Shamlan habor, located in center of Kuwait City, is one of Kuwait’s landmark historical sites. He called on the fishermen to abstain from throwing waste in the sea, and

Kuwait on verge of cultural renaissance KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah said yesterday that Kuwait is on the verge of a cultural renaissance in terms of the cutting-edge facilities that will be established in the country.

Sheikh Salman said that the ministry and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters are working under the guidance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who has expressed his eagerness to expedite the establishment of cultural centers in the country, especially in the north.

He said in this context that Kuwait was one of the leading countries in the theater movement, but lack of interest in this area has contributed to its regression, expressing regret the fact that the existing facilities are currently undeveloped.

He spoke about the Amiri desire to set up cultural centers which has been approved, stressing that implementation will begin as soon as possible. Sheikh Salman said the first center will carry the name of late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad which will be constructed in Shuwaikh near Seif Palace, adding that the center will accommodate nearly 2,000 people and will include places for cultural workshops and specialized theaters.

He added that the second center will carry the name of late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah which will be constructed in Maidan Hawally area and will include a number of theaters and cinemas. The Information Minister pointed out that the state will rehabilitate the Al-Salam Palace, which is one of Kuwait’s old edifices, saying that the opposite Flag Square would be annexed to it to embrace the country’s national events and celebrations. — KUNA

put them instead in appropriate places, calling on the responsible authorities to toughen penalties on violators. Environment Public Authority (EPA) has reported violations by a number of fishermen and boats’ owners not abiding by the environmental regulations at the

harbor, Deputy Director General for Technical Affairs at EPA, Mohammad Al-Enezi, said.

Public Authority of Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) should tighten supervision and sanctions on such practices, he said.

Minimum charge of any violation on to the

Kuwaiti maritime environment is valued at KD 500, while the maximum penalty reaches KD 5,000. A team consisting of Kuwait Municipality, Kuwait Fishermen Association and Kuwait Ports Authority cooperated in lifting waste from the harbor bed. — KUNA

Employer admits to beating domestic worker to death Beat marks on the victim’s body

By Ahmad Jabr KUWAIT: A local man was charged with murder after admitting that he beat up his domestic worker and left her with fatal injuries while he had initially claimed that she died of natural causes. The man was held pending investigations to determine the full circumstances behind the case after he only stated that he wanted to ‘discipline’ the worker for allegedly ‘refusing to work’. Kuwait’s sponsorship system, which organizes the local labor market, lacks sufficient regulations to regulate domestic workers’ affairs, and has been under fire for the past few years for failure to guarantee maids’ basic rights. A maid’s job requires staying at her employer’s house for most of the day, making those more susceptible to forced labor and abuse compared to other workers. There are more than 800,000 domestic laborers in Kuwait.

While murders of domestic servants by their employers are infrequent, they reflect the excessive authority sponsors have over their employees. Last year, the criminal court sentenced a Kuwaiti couple to death for the premeditated murder of their Asian domestic helper.

Dead on the doorstep Police had arrived to the Farwaniya Hospital Monday night in response to an emergency call in which the Kuwaiti man reported that he rushed his housemaid to the medical facility after he found her dead. The man said during questioning that he went to look for the woman when she was late to return back from buying groceries, then found her body outside his house located in Al-Andalus. He argued in his statements that the Asian woman died naturally as he claimed that she suffered from epilepsy.

However, a murder investigation was opened after criminal investigators found beat marks on the victim’s body. The employer was questioned again after the preliminary autopsy report released by the forensic department showed that the woman died of severe beating.

The man eventually admitted that he used a stick to beat the maid for two days until she fell unconscious. A local newspaper reported that the confessions came after he was confronted with an audio recording for a conversation he had earlier with a representative from the domestic labor recruitment office he used to hire the maid. The report does not

mention details about the contents of their conversation or when it had taken place, however.

The man, whose name was not mentioned in newspaper reports reporting the news yesterday, was charged with murder and remanded in police’s custody pending procedures in the case that was referred to the Public Prosecution. This is the second reported case of housemaid’s death under abuse in two months within the Farwaniya governorate. Last November, a Kuwaiti man and his bedoon wife were arrested for beating their Asian housemaid to death two months before inside their apartment in Farwania, and burying her body in the Jahra desert.

Domestic labor abuse is often mentioned as a dark spot in the human rights record of Kuwait and other countries in the Gulf region and Middle East. “Even though the Middle East and North Africa are home to some of the worst abuses against domestic workers, the pace of legal reforms in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Lebanon has dragged on for years with little to show,” said Nisha Varia, senior women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a report released October of last year.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LOCAL

Panel and govt reach deal on housing loan

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah pictured during his visit to the Kuwait Writers League yesterday.

KUWAIT: The parliament’s financial committee reached an agreement with government representatives to provide a maximum of KD 30,000 in subsidy for construction material to build a house in Kuwait, repporteur Mohammad AlJabri announced yesterday. The proposal replaces a suggestion to increase the housing loan from KD 70,000 to KD 100,000 which the government had earlier rejected citing high costs as well as the negative impact on inflation. “[The committee] plans to vote on the agreement during Sunday’s meeting,” Jabri said. Meanwhile, the budgets committee discussed the final account of the Ministry of Justice for the fiscal year 2012/2013, as representatives from the justice ministry, commerce ministry and State Audit Bureau were present.

Repporteur Mohammad Al-Huwailah pointed out in a statement after the

meeting that a majority of buildings used by the Ministry of Justice are rented, which results in ‘large waste of state funds’. Huwailah also announced that the panel is set to discuss the final accounts of the Ministry of Information on Monday.

Also yesterday, member of the parliament’s housing committee MP Rakan Al-Nisf announced that four consultation offices have been nominated to take part in discussions on resolving the

housing issue, adding their names were referred to the parliament’s office to select two.

Separately, the Islamic Constitutional Movement released a statement in which they acknowledged Kuwait’s $500 million donation for Syrian refugees during the Second Kuwait Pledging Conference for Syria which was inaugurated by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday.

Drunk European steward held KUWAIT: Kuwaiti police arrested European flight steward after he was found drunk at the airpor t shortly after his aircraft landed.

Security guards at Kuwait City airport noticed the steward was s w ay i n g a n d s t a g g e r i n g a s h e walked into the airpor t lounge

af ter arriving from a European countr y. “ The steward told the police that he had a large amount of liquor aboard the aircraft. Police took him to the station for questioning,” Al-Anbaa daily said without identifying the steward or the flight.

Maid attempts suicide at employer’s house Man reports addict son KUWAIT: A domestic worker was hospitalized after attempting suicide at her employer’s house according to preliminary investigations. An ambulance took the Asian woman from the house in Kaifan to Amiri Hospital where she was diagnosed with blood poisoning. Her employers had stated in the emergency call that the 25year-old fell sick and passed out, and investigations revealed that she had swallowed 23 painkiller tablets. Police are waiting for the woman to be discharged from the hospital in order to be taken for questioning.

Meanwhile, a domestic helper died after she fell from a high place at her employer’s house in Adan. Paramedics arrived to the scene in response to an emergency call in which a Kuwaiti woman reported that her housemaid fell and died. The Sri Lankan woman was pronounced dead at the scene before criminal investigators were called. A case was field to determine the circumstances behind the incident.

Drug addict A drug addict was arrested after police

responded to an emergency call made by the man’s father. The incident took place in Qusour where a Saudi man called police and reported that his son caused disturbance to his neighbors while being under the influence of drugs.

The man was placed under arrest after police found shabu (meth) in his possession, and was taken to the authorities to face charges.

Fahaheel. The 10-year-old reportedly went to a grocery store near his house where the incident happened before the boy returned home and told his father about what happened. The Kuwaiti man then rushed to the store to look for the suspect, but the Asian man had disappeared by then. He went to the local police station and filed a case. Investigations are ongoing.

Gun smuggling A man was arrested at the Nuwaiseeb border checkpoint on charges of weapon smuggling. Border security officers put the Kuwaiti man under arrest af ter customs officials searched his car and discovered a handgun inside. He was taken to the Criminal Investigations General Department for investigations in charges of attempted weapon smuggling and possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Unfinished business Jahra police are looking to arrest five suspects who left a man critically wounded following a brutal assault in the area. The Kuwaiti man was reportedly unconscious when he arrived to the Jahra Hospital in an ambulance which picked him up near the area’s co-op society in response to bystanders’ emergency calls. He told police after regaining consciousness that five men he had unsettled disputes with confronted him at the place where he was found, and then beat him up until he passed out. Investigations are ongoing in search for men based on information that the victim provided.

Child molested A search is on for a grocery store worker accused of molesting a child in a case filed in

KUWAIT: The camps removal campaign in progress.

Camps removal campaign successful KUWAIT: Director General of the Environment Public Authority Dr Salah AlMedhi said yesterday success of the camps’ removal campaign gives the authority greater incentives to pursue the action against random camping.

The campaign will be carried on in a manner that will not affect the environment, that will preserve safety of citizens and vital projects’ security, he said, The inspection team removed, yester-

day, 140 camps including 450 tents and 300 shacks, Al-Medhi told KUNA. He added the inspection team will resurvey the area where the camps were removed to ensure work completion.

The inspectors reported increasing voluntary tents’ dismantling by campers, he said, indicating that this would speed up the process that might conclude by the week-end in the areas close to the vital oil projects. — KUNA

Two Asians held for trading in drugs

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Guard Undersecretary Lt Gen Nasser Al-Daei yesterday awarded a number of recruits who graduated with Masters degrees in different scientific fields.

Kuwaiti, Iraqi trade chambers plan to strengthen cooperation KUWAIT: Deputy Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Khaled Al-Saqr stressed here yesterday the need for the trade and investment cooperation between Kuwait and Iraq to be a very important strategic goal for both countries’ chambers.

Al-Saqr said, in his speech at the KuwaitIraq Economic Forum which was held at the KCCI headquarters yesterday in the presence of the Union of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and representatives of the local private sector, that achieving this strategic objective requires that the business communities of the two countries to intensify their efforts to deepen mutual understanding to achieve their common interests.

He added that since the beginning of trade relations between the two countries, Iraq had constituted a big market for Kuwait, due to the geographical proximity and the

enormous potential and wealth owned by Iraq, noting that relations between the two countries have seen over the past years significant developments, most importantly the visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait to Baghdad in March 2012 for the first time in 22 years to par ticipate in the Arab Summit.

Al-Saqr pointed out that the visit to Iraq

by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in June 2012 was culminated in the signing of six agreements in the fields of diplomacy, transport, education and culture, pointing to successes achieved by Iraq in the reconstruction and laying solid foundations for a sophisticated economic structure.

For his part, President of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce Jaafar Rasul Hamadani that the volume of Kuwaiti investments in Iraq was not up to the desired lev-

el, compared with investments of other neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran, calling for further joint work to develop and increase these investments based on the depth of historical and social relations between the two countries.

He told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that the Kuwaiti citizens can own property in Iraq, noting that property owners in Iraq from Kuwaiti nationality now can dispose of their property, according to new trends of the new government.

He said that relations between the two countries in the commercial field have evolved significantly over the past few years where a lot of consumer goods pass through the ports of Kuwait to Iraq, noting that the number of trucks crossing the Safwan border stands at about 400 trucks a day and the volume of trade amounted to $2.5 billion in 2013. — KUNA

KHARTOUM: Kuwait Red Crescent Society teams distributing aid to flood-stricken schools in Sudan. This years’ floods are the strongest in 20 years.

KUWAIT: Two Asians were arrested with 5 kg of marijuana yesterday, said security sources. Case papers indicate that narcotics detectives had been tipped off concerning the suspects’ activity in smuggling the drug into Kuwait in parcels sent by post.

Detectives coordinated with Kuwait International Airport customs officials and it was agreed to let the shipment through in order to track all related suspects.

Accordingly, the recipient of a 4-kg parcel was arrested and he led police to his accomplice who stored the drugs in his house pending sale. The second suspect’s house was raided and the police found another kilo of marijuana.

Meanwhile, a female citizen sustained breathing problems when she was trapped inside her burning house in Khaldiya and inhaled smoke, said security sources, noting that firemen rushed to the scene and rescued the woman.

• Another fire broke out in a fourth-floor Farwaniya apartment, said security sources, noting that firemen rushed to the scene and controlled the fire. No casualties were reported.

• A third fire broke out in a house at Jaber Al-Ali, said security sources, noting

that firemen from Qurain and Mubarak AlKabeer stations rushed to the scene. The fire was controlled but a fireman, Ali AlShatti, sustained burns and injuries when he was trapped by flames and smoke in a second floor room until he was rescued by colleagues. Shatti was rushed to Al-Babtain hospital for treatment.

KUWAIT: The two Asian drug traders pictured after their arrest.

Middle East online job postings increase DUBAI: Online job postings in the Middle East rose 13 per cent year-on-year last month, successively growing month-onmonth since October, according to the Monster Employment Index.

The index, which is a monthly measure of online job activity, found that job postings in the Middle East grew year-on-year by 16 per cent and 14 per cent in October and November respectively.

Openings in the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industry rose 42 per cent year-on-year in December, recording the highest growth among industries in 2013. Job postings in the engineering, construction and real estate sector also showed a 25 per cent year-on year growth in December.

Oil and gas sector jobs declined for the 11th time in a row after witnessing a marginal rise in hiring activity during January 2013. The production, automotive and ancillary sector was hit the hardest as job postings fell 22 per cent year-on-year in December.

Among occupations, finance and accounting professionals registered the

maximum demand in December 2013 compared to the corresponding period in 2012.

Geographically, Saudi Arabia recorded the highest rise in online job opportunities with a 10 per cent growth in November and December. Online recruitment in the Kingdom also registered a 24 per cent yearon-year growth in 2013 with the oil and gas sector recording a 43 per cent growth in online job opportunities.

The UAE’s job postings, down by 16 per cent, chartered the most significant annual decline among the Gulf countries in 2013.

“Online recruitment activity in the Middle East as is reflected by the Monster Employment Index has shown considerable improvement vis-‡-vis the previous year in the last quarter of the year 2013,” said Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster.com.

“While the immediate outlook in the GCC remains strong the IMF has warned that unemployment may remain very high in MENA since rapid economic growth in GCC is not accompanied with low unemployment rates. —Gulf Business

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

Philippines celebrates as caregiver wins ‘X Factor’

Israel apologizes to Kerry over ‘scorn’ Page 8

Page 12

75 killed in Iraq, PM seeks world’s support Army in stand-off with Sunni militants BAGHDAD: Bomb attacks and shootings killed at least 75 people in Iraq yesterday, police and hospital sources said, making it one of the bloodiest days in months.

In the deadliest incident, a bomb blew up in a funeral tent where mourners were marking the death two days ago of a Sunni Muslim pro-government militiaman, police said. It killed 18 people and wounded 16 in Shatub, a village south of Baquba.

In northwestern Iraq, assailants detonated roadside bombs near a bridge in Ain al-Jahash, 60 km (37 miles) south of Mosul as an army patrol was crossing it. Six soldiers were killed and eight people were wounded, six of them civilians, police said.

Gunmen killed seven truck drivers, kidnapped two and set three trucks ablaze in the mainly Shi’ite district of Maamil in Baghdad’s eastern outskirts, police said.

Two years after US troops left Iraq, violence has climbed back to its highest levels since the Sunni-Shi’ite bloodshed of 2006-2007, when tens of thousands of people were killed.

The army is locked in a standoff with Sunni militants who overran Falluja, a city west of Baghdad, more than two weeks ago in a challenge to Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki’s Shi’ite-led government.

They are led by the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is fighting in western Iraq and Syria to carve out a cross-border Islamist fiefdom. “The battle will be long and will continue,” Maliki said on state television, calling for world support. “If we keep silent it means the creation of evil statelets that would wreak havoc with security in the region and the world.”

Maliki has ruled out an assault on Falluja by the troops and tanks ringing the city of 300,000, but has told local tribesmen to expel ISIL, which has exploited anger among minority Sunnis against a government they accuse of oppressing them.

Al Qaeda loyalists are pursuing a relentless campaign of attacks, mostly aimed at security forces, Shi’ite civilians and Sunnis seen as loyal to the Shi’ite-led government.

The violence has dismayed leaders of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region. “This is a disaster,” its president’s chief of staff Fuad Hussein told Reuters. “Now the whole country is being threatened by terrorists, so we need to have a common front.”

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi police officer stands guard at the site of a car bomb in central Baghdad, yesterday. Attacks in and north of the capital including a suicide bombing at a funeral and seven car bombs, which killed at least 39 people officials said. — AFP

Suicide truck bomber At least eight bombs struck the capital, mostly in Shi’ite districts, killing 40 people and wounding 88, police and medics said.

A car bomb in Dujail, a Shi’ite town 50 km (31 miles) north of Baghdad, killed three people and wounded seven. The bombings followed attacks that cost at least 24 lives the day before, as well as coordinated assaults by militants on a highway bridge and police station near

Falluja. A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden fuel tanker blew it up under the bridge near the town of Saqlawiya, about 10 km (six miles) north of Falluja, causing the bridge to collapse and destroying one of two army tanks parked on top, police said. Gunmen then attacked and destroyed the second tank.

Simultaneously, dozens of militants stormed a police station in Saqlawiya, whose occupants surrendered.

Helicopter gunships attacked the police station, but failed to evict the militants.

The gunmen withdrew towards Falluja yesterday, making use of a corridor the army had left for civilians.

Troops and tanks then retook the police station, turning it into an army base, and civilians living nearby fled towards Falluja, police said.

The wrecked bridge spans the main highway leading west from Baghdad across the vast Sunni desert province of Anbar towards Syria and Jordan. Police said the truck bomber had driven from Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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

Turkey PM seeks way out of judicial crisis ANKARA: Turkey’s government was pursuing efforts yesterday to defuse a row over plans to exert more control over the judiciary, a move that has stoked concerns about the independence of the country’s institutions in the wake of a damaging corruption scandal. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, facing the worst crisis of his 11-year rule, said Tuesday he was ready to freeze the legislation in the face of stiff opposition-but only with conditions.

President Abdullah Gul, who personally intervened to try to break the deadlock, voiced hope of an agreement but said any judicial reforms should be in line with EU standards. “A compromise between the ruling party and opposition would help... demonstrate to those both inside and outside the country that the issues are addressed within a democratic system,” he told reporters. His comments came as Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag was holding talks with the Supreme Board of Judges and

Prosecutors (HSYK), Turkey’s top independent judicial body which has found itself in the government’s cross hairs.

Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) moved to rein in the HSYK in what critics see as an attempt to head off the corruption probe implicating several of key allies. The government has already sacked hundreds of police and prosecutors involved in the investigation, which it charges is a “coup plot” by supporters of an influential exiled Turkish cleric who hold key posts in the judiciary and police. The crisis has dealt a body blow to Erdogan shortly before key local elections in March and spooked investors worried about the future of the economy.

Separation of powers The AKP bill, which would give the justice ministry more control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors, has been attacked as unconstitutional by both the HSYK and the opposition.

The move also prompted the United States and European Union to voice fears about the rule of law in Turkey and call for the corruption allegations to be investigated in a transparent and impartial manner. “As a member state and a country which supports Turkey’s EU accession, we are watching developments with concern,” a diplomat from one EU nation said. Erdogan said he could freeze the legislation if the opposition instead agreed to consider judicial reforms as part of changes to the constitution, although his exact proposals are unclear.

But the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) said it believes that Erdogan still appears bent on pushing through tighter controls on the judiciary. Gul, who has emerged as the conciliatory voice in the increasingly tangled and complex political manouevrings, said any judicial reforms should be made as constitutional amendments.

“There’s always a need to improve the

existing legal and democratic system in Turkey,” he conceded, but added that the principle of a separation of powers prevailed. “If there’s a problem, it will be negotiated and resolved.”

Erdogan, who is seen by critics as increasingly authoritarian, has maintained a combative stance throughout the crisis. His powerbase however has been sharply weakened by the probe, which first became public in December when dozens of people including business leaders, civil servants and the sons of cabinet ministers were detained. On Tuesday, he described the corruption probe as a “black stain” on Turkey’s democracy and rule of law and an “act of treachery”.

And he vowed he would show no mercy in the power struggle pitting his government against those he says are acting as a “state within a state”. Erdogan has repeatedly accused the movement headed by exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen of instigating a foreign-backed plot to

topple the government ahead of the elections. Gulen’s Hizmet (Ser vice) organization has denied any involvement in the probe-which has thrown the spotlight on alleged bribery in Turkey’s booming construction industry as well as money laundering and gold smuggling linked to Iran.

Erdogan once held an almost unassailable grip on power with a bold vision for Turkey as a modern nation with a strong economy based on conservative Islamic values. But the political turmoil has weakened his power base and exposed fissures within his AKP, which has won three elections since 2002.

Media reports say party officials have privately voiced fears about its performance in the March 30 local polls, the first major test for Erdogan since anti-government protests swept the country in June. Turkey’s financial markets have tumbled over the crisis but the lira and local stocks were holding steady yesterday.—AFP

Israel apologizes to Kerry over ‘scorn’ US says Yaalon’s remarks are offensive

ALEXANDRIA: An Egyptian woman shows her ink-stained finger as gestures in support of Egypt’s Defense Minister army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi after casting her ballot at a polling station during the second day of voting on a new constitution yesterday. — AFP

General Sisi watches as Egypt votes on charter CAIRO: Voting in Egypt’s constitutional referendum was largely incident-free yesterday after clashes left nine people dead the previous day, with turnout seen as key to a likely presidential bid by the army chief.

Dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi blocked a metro railway station in a Cairo suburb yesterday, security officials said, but there were no reports of disruptions to polling.

On Tuesday, sporadic clashes in various parts of the country between supporters of Morsi and their opponents and police left at least nine dead, marring what otherwise had been peaceful voting. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected and civilian president, was ousted by army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in July following mass protests against his turbulent one year rule.

The constitution, which replaces the one passed under Morsi, is expected to be approved despite a boycott by his Islamist supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood. Just 33 percent of the country’s 53 million voters turned out in a referendum on a charter drafted by Morsi’s team, which was approved with 64 percent of the votes cast.

Tuesday’s violence highlighted the government’s precarious grip on the most populous Arab nation, which is still reeling from Morsi’s ouster and a crackdown on his supporters.

Around 250 people were also arrested on Tuesday, among them members of the Brotherhood, for disrupting polling in areas. More than 1,000 people have been killed in clashes since Morsi’s ouster, and thousands have been arrested, including the top leadership of the Brotherhood.

Morsi’s Brotherhood was designated a terrorist group by the military-installed authorities as part of their crackdown on the movement that dominated all polls since the ouster of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Washington was concerned by reports of violence during the vote but added it was awaiting reports from “independent observers on the technical merits of the ongoing referendum”.

She also said a clause in a Congress bill expected to pass on Friday allows the

White House to unfreeze $1.5 billion (1.1 billion euros) in aid to Cairo if it can certify that Egypt “has held a constitutional referendum, and is taking steps to support a democratic transition”. In October, Washington suspended the annual aid following a deadly crackdown by the Egyptian government on Morsi’s supporters.

Sisi watching turnout Egyptian media came out in praise of Tuesday’s first day of polling. “Yes, even if criminals hate it,” said a front page headline in Al-Wafd, a private daily, referring disparagingly to supporters of Morsi.

“Egyptians choose their future as millions write history,” said state-owned daily AlGomhuria. The Egyptian government hopes a large turnout in favour of the new constitution will bolster its disputed authority, while army chief Sisi will monitor it for an “indicator” of his popularity, an official close to the general said.

Interim president Adly Mansour’s government has pledged the referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections. Backers of the charter are hoping it will garner the support of at least 70 percent of votes cast. “We trusted the Muslim Brotherhood and agreed on their constitution, their government, their parliament... but they cheated us,” said Jihan Abdel Aziz, as she waited outside a Cairo polling station to cast her vote yesterday.

“We are now voting for this constitution to bring us out of this crisis.”

Authorities worry a low turnout would empower their Islamist opponents and cast further doubts on their legitimacy, analysts say. State media gave no indication of what voter turnout had been on the first day of the polls, and there has been no official announcement. Security forces had deployed across the country amid fears recent attacks by militants would deter voters. Many Islamists revile Sisi after he overthrew Morsi, but the general is adored by millions who took to the streets to demand the Islamist’s resignation. Sisi is widely expected to run for president, and has said he would stand if there was “popular demand”, state media reported this week.—AFP

TEL AVIV: Several hundred African women asylum seekers and their children, who entered Israel illegally via Egypt, stage a protest in Tel Aviv yesterday, after days of mass protests against Israel’s immigration policies. —AFP

JERUSALEM: Israel’s hawkish defense minister has apologized to US Secretary of State John Kerry after a newspaper quoted him scorning the diplomat’s quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace as messianic and obsessive. Moshe Yaalon did not deny making the closed-door remarks published on the front page of the best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, which drew rare condemnation from Washington and added to acrimony over Jewish settlement of occupied West Bank land where the Palestinians seek statehood.

Yaalon was initially silent about the report but he moved to calm the furor after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implicitly rebuked him in a speech. He issued a statement of guarded appreciation for the United States and followed it hours later with another explicitly praising Kerry. “Israel and the United States share a common goal to advance the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians led by Secretary Kerry,” it said, in Hebrew and English.

“The defense minister had no intention to cause any offence to the secretary, and he apologizes if the secretary was offended by the remarks attributed to the minister.”

Kerry has been on a diplomatic blitz in recent weeks to persuade Israel and the Palestinians, who resumed statehood talks in July after a three-year deadlock, to agree on an outline proposal addressing the core issues of their conflict.

There has been scant sign of progress, however.

Israel balks at removing settlements - viewed as illegal by most world powers - and has questioned the credibility of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose authority has been limited to the West Bank since he lost control of Gaza in a 2007 civil war to Hamas Islamists, who spurn the Jewish state.

“Secretary of State John Kerry - who has come to us determined and is acting out of an incomprehensible obsession and a messianic feeling - cannot teach me a single thing about the conflict with the Palestinians,” Yedioth quoted Yaalon as saying, without specifying when or where he had spoken. “The only thing that can save us is if Kerry wins the Nobel prize and leaves us alone.” Censuring Yaalon, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said earlier on Tuesday that, if accurate, his remarks were “offensive and inappropriate, especially given all that the United States is doing to support Israel’s security needs”. White House spokesman Jay Carney had similar condemnation.

WEST BANK: Palestinian protesters waving national and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine flags chant slogans during a demonstration against US Secretary of State John Kerry in the West Bank city of Ramallah, yesterday. — AP Great ally Kerry, who made his 10th visit to Jerusalem last week in less than a year, has been pushing both sides to agree to at least a preliminary deal.

Israeli misgivings at the Palestine talks compound anger within the Netanyahu government at an interim deal that the United States - represented by Kerry - and five other world powers reached with Iran in November to rein in its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

Netanyahu spoke by phone to a senior US official in a bid to smooth over the controversy over the Yaalon report, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. He said Yaalon also discussed the matter with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro. Addressing parliament, Netanyahu appeared to take Yaalon, a member of his rightwing Likud party, to task, extolling Israel’s shared interests with “our great ally” in Washington.

“Even when we have disagreements with the United States, they always pertain to the matter at hand, and are not personal,” Netanyahu said in his speech.

Yaalon has been a strong supporter of settlement building. As Israel’s military chief, he was

replaced in that post before its 2005 Gaza pullout, a move he opposed. One of the sticking points in peacemaking has been Israel’s demand to keep a military presence under any future peace deal in the Jordan Valley, between Jordan and the West Bank. Kerry has presented the sides with ideas for security arrangements in the Jordan Valley. Neither has publicly endorsed them. According to Yedioth, Yaalon said: “The American security plan is not worth the paper it is written on.”

The State Department challenged Yaalon on the issue. “Secretary Kerry and his team ... have been working day and night to try to promote a secure peace for Israel because of the secretary’s deep concern for Israel’s future,” Psaki said.

“To question his motives and distort his proposals is not something we would expect from the defense minister of a close ally.” The dispute erupted a day after US media published excerpts from a memoir by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in which he said he had tried to get Netanyahu barred from the White House, accusing him of being arrogant and ungrateful.—Reuters

Saudi ideology a ‘threat to world’: Syrian leader DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad warned during a meeting in Damascus yesterday with Iran’s foreign minister that Saudi Arabia’s political and religious ideology is “a threat to the world,” state television reported. He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Syria’s revolt against Assad.

“President Assad warns during his meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of the threat posed by Wahhabi thinking to all the world, not just to the region,” the report said. “The Syrian people and some peoples in the region know how serious the threat posed

by Wahhabism is, and everyone must contribute to the confrontation against it and to eradicating it from the root,” said Assad, who belongs to the Alawite offshoot of Shiite Islam.

The comments came amid ongoing tensions between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which are fiercely opposed to each other. Assad’s meeting with Zarif, top diplomat of Syria’s chief regional ally Iran, comes less than a week before the socalled Geneva II peace conference, which is aimed at ending the conflict in Syria that has killed 130,000 people in nearly three years. State news agency SANA had earlier quoted Zarif as saying the purpose of his visit “was to help ensure that the international Geneva II conference on Syria brings about results that are in the interests of the Syrian people.”

Zarif, on a regional tour that has included Jordan and Lebanon, said he would “work to coordinate a position... that would restore calm and security to Syria”. He urged “all parties to battle extremism and terrorism, which are

threats to us all”. Zarif had said in Beirut on Monday that countries seeking to keep Iran away from the Geneva II peace conference would “regret” his country ’s absence. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Tehran could participate in talks only if it agrees to the principles set out at the creation of a transitional government.

During his visit to Lebanon on Monday, Zarif

met President Michel Suleiman as well as Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, a Tehran ally that has sent thousands of men to fight alongside Syrian government forces. Syria’s opposition has issued several calls in recent weeks demanding Iran’s exclusion from the Geneva talks, citing Tehran’s alleged military and political support to the regime in Damascus.— AFP

DAMASCUS: A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) yesterday shows President Bashar Al-Assad (L) greeting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif near Iranian ambassador to Syria Mohammad Reza Sheibani (2nd R) and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem (R) in Damascus yesterday. Assad warned during the meeting that Saudi Arabia’s political and religious ideology is “a threat to the world,” state television reported. — AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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

Church releasing sex abuse files on Chicago clergy CHICAGO: The Archdiocese of Chicago yesterday handed over thousands of pages documenting clergy sex abuse allegations to victims’ attorneys who have fought for years to hold the Catholic Church accountable for its handling of such claims.

The files on the nation’s third-largest archdiocese include complaints, personnel documents and other files for about 30 priests with substantiated abuse allegations. Victims’ attorneys next week will make public the documents detailing allegations of crimes concealed and priests assigned to positions that allowed them to continue

molesting children.

Disclosures in other U.S. dioceses in recent years have showed how the church shielded priests and failed to report child sex abuse to authorities.

Chicago officials said most of the abuse occurred before 1988 and none after 1996.

“Until there is public disclosure and transparency ... there is no way people can learn about it and make sure it does not happen again,” said attorney Marc Pearlman, who has represented about 200 abuse vic tims of clergy abuse in the Chicago area.

Archdiocese spokeswoman Susan

Burritt said neither Cardinal Francis George nor archdiocese attorneys were available for comment Tuesday.

George, who has led the archdiocese since 1997, released a letter to parishioners Sunday in which he apologized for the abuse and said releasing the records “raises transparency to a new level.” He also stressed that much of the abuse occurred decades ago, before he became archbishop.

George said all of the incidents were reported to civil authorities and resulted in settlements with victims. The archdiocese has paid millions of dollars to settle sexual abuse claims, including

those against Father Daniel McCormack, who was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in 2007 to abusing five children while he was a parish priest and a teacher at a Catholic school. The next year, the archdiocese agreed to pay $12.6 million to 16 victims of sexual abuse by priests, including McCormack.

Many of the accused priests are dead, and the documents will include only 30 of 65 priests for whom the archdiocese says it has credible allegations of abuse. Even so, victims and their lawyers said publicizing the documents is crucial to exposing how the

archdiocese handled accusations against priests - some of whom were moved from parish to parish after they were accused of molesting children and to help victims and the Catholic Church as a whole heal and move forward.

Joe Iacono hopes records related to the priest who abused him more than 50 years ago are among those released.

“For me, it’s going to empower me again ... and hopefully it will help others out there struggling to come forward and get help,” said Iacono, 62, who was abused in the early 1960s while he was a student. — AP

Senators aim to end US Iraq war authority US can still send troops back to Iraq

MICHOACAN STATE: Members of the federal police stand guard outside the Municipal Palace of Nueva Italia community, Michoacan State, Mexico, on Tuesday, where government officials held a meeting with members of the Self-Protection Police. Deadly armed clashes erupted on Tuesday when Mexican soldiers attempted to disarm civilian vigilantes who refuse to abandon an armed struggle against a drug cartel. — AFP

US officials repatriate stolen Indian artworks NEW YORK: US authorities on Tuesday returned one of the world’s most wanted stolen artworks and two other pieces to the Indian government - staging the celebration after a monthlong clash over the arrest and strip search of an Indian diplomat in New York.

The sandstone antiquities depicting Hindu deities were handed over at India’s consulate in Manhattan. The national anthems of both nations were played at the start of the event.

Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay denied there was any link between the timing of the repatriation and the US-Indian rift after last month’s arrest of his deputy, Devyani Khobragade. A US grand jury indicted her on accusations she exploited her Indian-born housekeeper and nanny and lied about it on a visa form.

The art-related ceremony “was planned sometime back,” Mulay said.

But he acknowledged that although India and the United States have “an ongoing strong partnership ... all partnerships have their issues.”

The Indian diplomat offered no further comment on the subject as he led the ceremony with Shawn Bray, the director of Interpol in Washington, and James Dinkins, a top official at Homeland Security Investigations that conducts looted art probes.

350-pound sculpture “This case would not have been successful without the collaboration between the United States and India,” Dinkins told those gathered in the ballroom of the consular mansion off Fifth Avenue. The center of attention was the 350-pound “ Vishnu and Lakshmi” sandstone sculpture from the 11th or 12th century stolen in 2009 from the Gadgach Temple in the Rajasthan state. Interpol had listed it as No. 6 on the world’s top 10 most wanted artworks.

Its stolen sister piece is the 600pound sandstone “Vishnu and Parvati” from the same temple. Homeland Security Investigations, which operates under the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, received information in 2010 that the sculptures were being offered for sale.

The most-wanted one had first gone from India to Hong Kong, was then sold in Thailand, resold in London and exhibited in New York. Special agents intercepted the piece as it was being shipped back to London.

The sister sculpture also started out in Hong Kong, went to a New York buyer and then to another buyer in Switzerland. The third returned work is a male deity in black sandstone from an unspecified location in India that was discovered by US Customs and Border Protection entering the

United States through Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J. Customs and Border Protection Officer Domenic DiGiovanni said the shipment stood out on an aircraft manifest. “It said it was from Great Britain, and they said it was a handicraft” - worth $400, he said. When the crate was opened, “we knew that most definitely it was not what they said it was.”

The officers notified Homeland Security Investigations, which turned to an art expert. On Tuesday, officials declined to discuss those who were part of the international smuggling ring that orchestrated shipments of the three works that are worth at least $1.5 million.

“This investigation is far from over,” Bray said. Dinkins called the perpetrators “professionals at disguising ownership,” noting that shipments are often mislabeled. The handover comes after weeks of tensions between India and the United States over treatment of the deputy consul general in New York. Khobragade was picked up Dec. 13 and strip-searched while in custody, which the US Marshals say is common practice.

She denies charges that she had her housekeeper work more than 100 hours a week for low pay. The United States requested that Khobragade leave the country. — AP

US agency unveils robots that are sent into tunnels NOGALES: The US Border Patrol has unveiled one of its weapons in the war on drugs: Three wireless cameraequipped robots that let border agents remotely navigate the tunnels and storm drainage systems that smugglers use to sneak drugs, guns and people across the border. The

agency is using the devices to keep agents out of harm’s way as many tunnels can be poorly built and possibly collapse and lack proper ventilation.

The 12-pound robots also let agents navigate an underground labyrinth in a fraction of the time it would take an agent to explore the

WESLEY CHAPEL: Family members and friends listen as Curtis Reeves appears via video conference before Circuit Judge Lynn Tepper in Wesley Chapel, Fla. on Tuesday. Tepper ordered Reeves, 71, held without bond on a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Chad Oulson on Monday. An argument over texting in a movie theater ended with Reeves, a retired police captain fatally shooting Oulson, authorities said. — AP

tunnel. And the devices can be used in tunnels and pipes where agents can’t fit. “If we find a tunnel, we like to send a robot into clear the tunnel and identify any threats, contraband, potential people with weapons, and let the agent know ahead of time if the tunnel is structurally sound,” said Border Patrol Agent Kevin Hecht, an agency tunnel expert.

The Border Patrol held a demonstration of the devices Tuesday in the southern Arizona border city of Nogales, where dozens of crude tunnels have been discovered over the years. The tunnels discovered in Nogales have generally begun in Mexico and have tied into the Arizona city’s storm drainage system. Nearly 170 tunnels have been found nationwide since 1990, most along the Arizona and California border with Mexico. The tunnel robots have been in use by Border Patrol for several years. But the agency recently paid $109,000 for the three new cameras with money from an asset forfeiture fund, which comes from the seizure of property in criminal cases, including drug cases involving cartel members, the Border Patrol said. Two of the three robots will remain in southern Arizona, while the third is headed to southern California, where immigration authorities have used a tunnel robot for a number of years.— AP

WASHINGTON: Several US lawmakers led by Republican Senator Rand Paul introduced legislation Tuesday that would finally bring to an end Washington’s authorization to wage war in Iraq. President Barack Obama’s White House backs the efforts, in principle, having withdrawn US forces in December 2011.

Obama has declared the war over, yet a loophole in the law green-lighting the March 2003 invasion allows for future US presidents to send troops back to Iraq, still a turbulent country. A bill spearheaded by Paul, a libertarian who consistently seeks to scale back foreign intervention by US forces, and backed by several Democrats would repeal the authorization, known as an AUMF. “Two years ago, President Obama declared the war in Iraq over,” Paul said. “With the return of our troops and practical side of the mission concluded, I feel it is necessary to bring the war to an official and legal end.” Paul, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, has clashed with Obama over national security, notably on the use of military drones, but the White House backs the senator’s latest position.

“The administration supports the repeal of the Iraq AUMF since it is no

longer used for any US government activities,” National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement. “We understand that some in Congress are considering legislation related to the Iraq AUMF, and we will certainly examine these proposals as they come forward.”

A US official said the White House has not actively sought to repeal the AUMF “because the effect would be entirely symbolic, and we have many more pressing priorities to take up with Congress.”

War resolution But Democratic supporters of the two-page bill, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, said closing the book on an “open-ended” war resolution was a key check on a commander-in-chief’s power.

“No president, Democrat or Republican, should have a blank check when it comes to war,” Gillibrand said. The legislation brings together an unlikely band including arch-conservative Senator Mike Lee and liberal Senate stalwart Ron Wyden.

One of 23 senators who refused to vote for the Iraq war resolution back in 2002, Wyden said it “makes sense” to end the AUMF now. “While sectarian conflict and violence still

persist in Iraq, it must be the Iraqisnot the men and women of the US military-who now make the difficult choices, forge a stable and inclusive political order and steer their country to peace and prosperity.”

In October 2002, by more than two to one, US lawmakers authorized president George W. Bush to use military force to oust Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The resulting 2003 invasion has haunted US politics for years, with Bush administration claims, including Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction and alleged links with Al-Qaeda, widely discredited.

But Iraq has seen a surge in influence by the terror network, whose Islamist insurgents have taken over the city of Fallujah, where US troops faced some of the fiercest fighting in their nine years in Iraq.

Critics of the White House blame Obama for failing to agree a deal with premier Nuri al-Maliki’s government to leave a residual US force behind after withdrawing all American troops at the end of 2011.

Earlier this month Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States backed Iraq in its battle against militants but stressed a return of US forces was not part of the equation. — AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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

Somali militants moving into Kenya, official says NAIROBI: Dozens of foreign fighters have defected from the al-Qaeda-linked militant group in Somalia due to internal disputes, and many of those men have moved into Kenya, a security official said. Since early last year Kenyan security officials have observed movements by people suspected of being part of al-Shabab in Somalia, said a senior police official who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

Al-Shabab and other militants are under increased scrutiny in Kenya following the Sept. 21 grenade-and-gunfire attack on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall, an attack that killed at least 67 people.

The trial of four suspects arrested in conjunction with the mall attack

opened in a Nairobi court yesterday.

Two prosecution witnesses described how the mall came under attack by four gunmen.

Infighting between al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane and other top militant leaders who support the inclusion of foreign fighters in the group has left the foreigners being “mistreated and mistrusted,” the official said.

The foreigners include recruits from Western countries and some information about their movement into Kenya was provided by security organs of their home countries, he said. AlShabab boasts several dozen American and European members, mostly men of Somali heritage. Authorities worry the foreign fighters who fled Somalia will

form their own groups to carry out attacks, the official said.

Matt Bryden, the former head of the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea and a top expert on al-Shabab, said the migration of foreign fighters into Kenya also includes Kenyan members of al-Hijra, a Kenyan cell of al-Shabab sympathizers or fighters that Godane trusts.

Although Kenya remains relatively accessible to jihadist groups, and is rich in potential targets for terrorist attacks, it is unlikely to serve as a base for such groups, Bryden said. He noted that some analysts believe al-Hijra may have played a role in the Westgate attack.

Even as that original crop of foreign fighters seems to be fleeing, other

African recruits from countries like Tanzania and Uganda are heading to Somalia, said Musa Yego, the chief of criminal investigations in Kenya’s Garissa Countr y, which borders Somalia.

Already this month police intercepted six men between the ages of 18 and 25 from Tanzania and Uganda headed for Somalia, said Yego. “They had visas which showed they are on a business trip and on being interrogated they claimed they are heading to Somalia to invest there,” Yego said. “We asked them on how they can head for a war zone to invest there. These are among many youths being recruited to join the militants there.”

Kenyan authorities arrested 60 men

from Kenya traveling to Somalia in 2013, he said. Godane, al-Shabab’s leader, has had a falling out with several formerly influential Al-Shabab leaders.

Four militant commanders were killed in June, including two co-founders of the group, while its spiritual guide, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, fled for his life and was captured by Somali forces who are holding him in Mogadishu.

Last year, an American who joined alShabab, Alabama native Omar Hammami, was ambushed and killed by rivals. Hammami had used Twitter to accuse Godane of being a dictator.

Godane, though, appears to be in firm control. I t was Godane who announced in 2012 that Al-Shabab was allying itself with Al-Qaeda. —AP

Hollande sets new course with ‘shift to the right’ German foreign minister hails Hollande’s move

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) greets Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades as he arrives in Downing Street for a meeting in central London yesterday. — AFP

South Sudan battles rage as violence enters second month JUBA: South Sudan’s military battled rebels in the streets of the key northern oil town of Malakal yesterday, the army said, as violence in the world’s newest nation entered its second month.

Little progress has so far been made in ceasefire talks in neighbouring Ethiopia, where leaders have spent time squabbling over the venue but are deadlocked over rebel demands for the release of political prisoners.

The battle for Malakal, the main town in Upper Nile state, is now turning into one of the most bitter in the conflict, with the United Nations reporting tank battles in the streets.

Some of the 20,000 civilians sheltering in the peacekeepers’ compound were wounded by stray bullets from heavy machine guns during the intense battle, with the peacekeeping mission saying it was treating “dozens of patients”. “ There is heavy fighting,” army spokesman Philip Aguer told AFP, dismissing rebel claims that they had taken control of the town. Rebel forces staged a fresh attack Tuesday to seize Malakal, which has already changed hands twice since the conflict began, with rebel spokesman Lul Ruai Kong boasting that the insurgents had recaptured the town.

“This is not over yet,” Aguer said, saying the rebels were liars. “The fighting is ongoing.” South Sudan has been gripped by violence since December 15, when clashes broke out between army units loyal to South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and those supporting ex-vice president Riek Machar.

According to the United Nations, about 400,000 civilians have fled their homes over the past month as the violence spiralled into ethnic killings between members of Kiir’s Dinka people-the country’s largest group-and Machar’s Nuer community.

Up to 10,000 people are believed to have been killed in the fighting, aid sources and analysts say, including more than 200 civilians who drowned in a boat fleeing the latest round of fighting in Malakal.

Aid agencies looted UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned both the army and rebels for stealing food and humanitarian supplies,

expressing alarm at the “rising number of fatalities” in the fighting.

The UN World Food Programme has said that at least 10 percent of its food in the stores have been looted, enough to feed some 180,000 people for a month.

More than four million people, or roughly a third of the population of the country that won independence from Sudan only in 2011, were deemed to be “food insecure”

by WFP even before fighting began.

The East African regional bloc IGAD has been brokering peace talks in neighbouring Ethiopia, although with still little sign of a ceasefire agreement. Kiir, in a statement released Wednesday, called on the country to stand together at “this dark moment” while vowing to “defeat the rebels forever”.

Late Tuesday, Information Minister Michael Makuei voiced optimism that the two sides may soon “agree on the cessation of hostilities”, but the rebel delegation said the key sticking point was still the release of political leaders arrested in Juba.

An eventual ceasefire and prisoner release are “hooked together”, rebel delegate Hussein Mar Nyout told AFP. China’s ambassador to the African Union Xie Xiaoyan repeated Beijing’s demands for an end to the fighting.

“Only through dialogue and negotiation can we ever hope to settle the dispute and help the country get back to normal,” he told reporters in Addis Ababa yesterday.

Beijing has invested heavily in the country’s oil sector and buys most of its crude output.

The army is also trying to recapture the town of Bor, the capital of restive Jonglei state, from the rebels. Aguer, in a statement he has repeated for more than a week, said the army was “still marching on Bor”.

More than 70,000 civilians are sheltering in UN peacekeeper bases, with UN forces searching camps yesterday for weapons and military uniforms. Regional nations have also been dragged in, with former civil war foes Sudan offering support to secure oil fields, and neighbour Uganda sending in troops to back Kiir.

Uganda’s parliament on Tuesday endorsed the decision to send in troops, with Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga claiming that the soldiers had helped avert “genocide”. — AFP

Mafia boss to teach prison law course ROME: A former Italian mafia boss serving a life sentence will teach a course on prison law for practising lawyers, with classes to be held in the remote facility where he is being held in Sardinia.

“Marcello Dall’Anna has completely changed since the days when he was a leader of the Sacra Corona Unita” mafia in southern Italy, Monica Murru, a lawyer who has been helping him organise the course, told AFP. “He has distanced himself from his past,” she said. Dell’Anna, who is now 46, was convicted at the age of 23 for ordering contract killings and is currently being held near Nuoro in a mountainous part of Sardinia.

The classes will be limited to 20 lawyers “for reasons of space” in the prison despite the high demand and the course starts on January 24, finishing on March 21.

Two prisoners who acted in the awardwinning film “Caesar Must Die” about the

staging of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a Rome prison will also attend.

As a maximum-security inmate, Dell’Anna enjoys few privileges but managed to obtain a law degree in prison by taking courses and exams in prison, and was only allowed out for 14 hours in 2012 for his graduation.

He is campaigning for his security status to be lowered-a move that under current regulation would only be allowed if he becomes a state informer, something Murru said he has not done “so as not to expose his family”.

He has a wife and son from before he was jailed. Dell’Anna is a published author in legal journals and will receive a small payment for the course. Murru said he could stay objective despite his own position. “He manages to distance himself from his status as a prisoner. It makes him feel needed,” she said, adding: “Hopefully, he will teach more courses.” —AFP

PARIS: Business leaders yesterday hailed promises by French President Francois Hollande to cut taxes and spending, but the left accused him of lurching to the right.

Hollande stonewalled on questions about his personal life at a high-profile press conference on Tuesday, batting aside queries about revelations of an affair with actress Julie Gayet.

The scandal showed no signs abating however, with the government forced to respond to reports it had blocked Gayet’s appointment to a cultural jury. The culture ministry said she had been put forward as a jury member for the Villa Medici French artistic academy in Rome but that “the minister decided not to nominate her. The order has not been signed.”

Government spokeswoman Najat VallaudBelkacem played down the “media uproar” and dismissed accusations of a possible conflict of interest, saying Gayet had been part of a “perfectly innocuous procedure” and was a legitimate candidate.

During his press conference Hollande focused on reviving France’s beleaguered economy, laying out a “social democratic” vision at odds with election promises to boost spending and crack down on the rich. Insisting that a return to economic growth was essential to France “retaining its influence”, Hollande announced plans for 50 billion euros ($68 billion) in spending cuts between 2015 and 2017 and a 30-billion-euro reduction in corporate payroll charges.

“It was a move in the right direction. There is a growing awareness of the reality in France,” the head of the MEDEF employers’ union, Pierre Gattaz, told journalists. In Germany, where there has been concern about the pace of reforms in France, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hailed Hollande’s move.

Courageous “What the French president presented yesterday is, firstly, courageous,” Steinmeier said.

European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said it was also “very happy” to see steps “in the right direction” and that Hollande’s plans are “in line with recommendations we made last year”.

Hollande, whose popularity has plummeted to record lows, is under intense pressure to revitalise the French economy and reduce an unemployment rate that is at a 15-year high.

Citing Nordic countries as a model, he said his plans would allow France to boost growth while maintaining its much-cherished welfare state.

But far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon slammed Hollande’s plans as “the most violent

PARIS: This photo dated Oct. 22, 2011 shows then French Socialist Party candidate for the 2012 presidential elections Francois Hollande, at a nomination ceremony, in Paris, with French actress Julie Gayet in background, top right. Hollande’s first lady, journalist Valerie Trierweiler was hospitalized last Friday after a tabloid-style magazine reported that he is secretly having an affair with French movie actress Gayet, and published photos it said proved the liaison. — AP shift to the right” in decades.

“It’s an enormous deception, we have never seen anything like it,” Melenchon told RTL radio.

“Hollande has adopted all the vocabulary of the right, the entire neo-liberal point of view.”

Hollande also promised to reduce France’s notorious red tape and appeared to be trying to repair his anti-business reputation, though he did say companies would be required to increase employment in exchange for liberalisation.

In a rare show of positive coverage for Hollande, French newspapers were brimming with praise after his press conference.

Leftwing newspaper Liberation said Hollande was a man “set free” to show his true socialdemocratic colours, while centrist Le Parisien said: “In both form and substance, something changed yesterday at the Elysee.”

Crucial year for Hollande Even rightwing newspaper Le Figaro said Hollande had made the right noises, but it warned that “words will not be enough” for France’s creditors and ratings agencies.

The centre-right UMP opposition was at pains to find fault with the plans, with former UMP

finance minister Francois Baroin saying: “If this realisation is solid and serious, then objectively we can only support this process.”

Economists expressed guarded optimism, with Christian Schulz of German bank Berenberg saying: “France’s companies may be getting a much-needed boost.... 2014 could be a window of opportunity for Hollande.” Barclays analyst Fabrice Montagne welcomed “the restarting of economic reform” and agreed that “2014 will be a crucial year.”

The marathon press conference saw Hollande put off the question of his tangled love life, telling reporters he would clarify the status of long-time girlfriend Valerie Trierweiler before a scheduled trip to the United States next month.

Hollande admitted that the couple were going through “painful moments” but said it was a personal matter that would be dealt with privately. Trierweiler, 48, has been in hospital since Friday with stress linked to last week’s revelation that Hollande, 59, has been having a secret liaison with 41-year-old Gayet.

The affair has raised questions about the official status of Trierweiler, who has an office at the Elysee presidential palace and a staff of five funded by the taxpayers. — AFP

Trial of Kenya mall massacre opens NAIROBI: The trial opened yesterday of four men charged in connection with the massacre at Kenya’s Westgate mall, an attack claimed by Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents.

The court heard testimony from a guard who was outside the upmarket mall when the gunmen launched their attack in September, killing at least 67 people. The men are not accused of carrying out the attack, but of lending support to the gunmen.

The four, Adan Mohamed Abidkadir Adan, Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdullah Omar and Hussein Hassan Mustafah, have all pleaded not guilty to charges of supporting a terrorist

group. Witnesses in the mall after the attack described how the fighters stormed the crowded complex, firing from the hip and hurling grenades at shoppers and staff.

In court, witness Stephen Juma described how he had been outside the mall directing traffic when a car pulled up at the building and three men leapt out. “I began to hear gunshots, I made a radio call for help while running to the main entrance,” Juma said.

“I took shelter in a residential compound until when I saw policemen come,” he said, adding that he had not seen the faces of the three men.

All the gunmen in the Westgate siege-under-

NAIROBI: This picture taken on September 23, 2013 shows smoke rising from the Westgate mall in Nairobi. The trial of four men charged in connection with Kenya’s Westgate mall massacre opened yesterday an attack claimed by Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents.

The court heard testimony from a guard who was outside the upmarket mall when the gunmen launched their attack in September, killing at least 67 people. — AFP

stood to have totalled four, not the dozen that security forces initially reported-are believed to have died during the attack, according to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Shebab said the gunmen came from a special suicide commando brigade. They said the attack was a warning to Kenya to pull its troops out of southern Somalia, where they are fighting the extremists as part of an African Union force. Interpol and the FBI have assisted Kenya in trying to identify four bodies believed to be those of the attackers.

“We believe, as do the Kenyan authorities, that the four gunmen inside the mall were killed,” the FBI’s legal attache in Kenya Dennis Brady said last week, in a statement posted on the bureau’s website.

“There is no evidence that any of the attackers escaped from the area where they made their last stand.” However, a New York police report said the lack of concrete evidence of their death means they may have escaped.

A second security guard, Patrick Otwane, also gave evidence yesterday, describing how he had seen two men shooting at the mall entrance wearing “dark glasses, headscarves, brown Tshirts and jackets.”

Two of the gunmen are named in court documents as Mohammed Abdinur Said and Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a 23-year-old Somali who spent time in Norway.

Like the attackers, the four on trial are all ethnic Somalis, but it is unclear whether they are Somali or Kenyan citizens. Western officials have suggested that as many as 94 people could have died in total in the attack.

Bodies were buried under tonnes of rubble after part of the mall’s roof collapsed at the end of the raid following an intense fire that burned for weeks. The trial continues today. — AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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

Nepali former ‘living goddess’ welcomes pension KATHMANDU: A former “living goddess” from Nepal welcomed news yesterday that she and other girls who are worshipped until they reach puberty will get a pension to compensate for their personal sacrifices. Kathmandu Metropolitan City decided this week that ten former “goddesses,” known as Kumaris, will receive a monthly allowance of 10,000 Nepalese rupees ($101) beginning in July and continuing for the next 10 years.

The Kumari lives in a small palace-temple in Kathmandu’s ancient Durbar Square and is a major attraction for foreign tourists. Selection criteria, which include

32 physical attributes, are strict. The council announced the decision this week in an effort to help the girls who must retire and move out of the temple once they reach puberty.

Rashmila Shakya, who in 2008 became the first former goddess to graduate from college in Nepal said the move was “the first step towards reforming the institution of Kumari”. “This is a positive development. It will definitely help us, although it’s not clear if there will be an increase in the amount in the years ahead,” Shakya said. Shakya, now a Kathmandu-based software developer in

her early thirties, lamented the fact that the decision was not taken during her tenure and recalled her struggle to reintegrate into society after she was dethroned at the age of 10.

Isolation “It took me some three-four months to adjust... I wasn’t able to figure out the lanes in our neighborhood. I struggled even in simple tasks like talking to people,” she recalled. Prior to her retirement, Shakya attended just one hour of private tuition a day, living in isolation in a small palace and emerging only on feast days

Lost Danish tourist ‘gang-raped’ in Delhi Police rounded up a group of homeless men NEW DELHI: Indian police rounded up a group of homeless men yesterday over the alleged gang-rape of a 51year-old Danish tourist who lost her way near the main backpacker’s area of the capital, officers said. The woman approached the suspects for directions early on Tuesday evening while trying to return to her hotel in the bustling Paharganj district of New Delhi, reportedly after visiting a city museum.

Up to six “youngsters” allegedly assaulted and robbed the victim, who was travelling alone and had been in New Delhi since Monday after visiting

women in the world’s second most populous country. Last month, India marked the first anniversary of the death of the student who was gangraped on a moving bus in the capital in an attack that sent shockwaves across the nation.

‘Vagabond’ attackers The Danish victim refused to be medically examined and was clearly traumatized by the experience, but gave a detailed statement overnight in the presence of her country’s ambassador, police said. “We have identified around four to six people who are the

NEW DELHI: Unidentified passersby walk near a gate to the yard of the SE Road Railway Officers Club, where a Danish tourist visiting India was allegedly raped yesterday. —AFP the Taj Mahal, police and a receptionist at her hotel said. “We have detained a group of men and we are questioning them over the incident,” special commissioner of police Deepak Mishra said. A senior investigating officer in the Paharganj police station told AFP on condition of anonymity that the victim was held hostage at knife-point for three hours and had been kicked and slapped.

Her mobile phone and cash were also stolen. The alleged attack just minutes from Connaught Place in the heart of the capital is the latest involving a foreigner in India, and again raises questions about the safety of

prime suspects in the case,” the investigating policeman said, adding that they appeared to be “vagabonds”.

“She told us that the attackers were mostly youngsters,” he added. She has since left India. A Danish foreign ministry spokesman said the victim “will be offered support and care when she comes home to Denmark” while declining to give any other details. The crime scene was inside the grounds of the Railway Officers Club on State Entry Road with the victim saying she was dragged to a secluded area shrouded by trees near a statue, police said.

A police forensic team visited yes-

terday morning and police are in possession of the clothes the victim was wearing at the time of the attack.

Kuldeep Singh, a receptionist at the victim’s hotel, said the woman had appeared calm when she returned at about 8:30pm but then confided in a fellow traveler. “She first came to me at the reception desk and told me that she needed 200 rupees to give to the auto driver as she had been robbed,” Singh said. The case comes after a Polish woman was allegedly drugged and raped by a taxi driver earlier this month while travelling with her twoyear-old daughter to New Delhi.

Female tourists afraid Women tourists in Paharganj said they were aware of past cases and the new incident had rung alarm bells. “I felt very unsafe with walking the streets and seeing what you see and everybody staring at you, but you can’t not travel to India because of it,” said Jessica Orpwood, a 21-year-old student backpacker from New Zealand. Protests over sexual violence in the last year have prompted India’s parliament to toughen laws for rapists and other offenders, while other judicial and police reforms that have encouraged women to report attacks.

But daily accounts of brutal assaults continue to be reported in the country’s newspapers. A schoolgirl was raped by eight men in the eastern city of Ranchi this week while they held her male friend, the Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday. A judge last month sentenced three Nepalese men to 20 years in jail for the gang-rape of a US tourist in June in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

Six men were sentenced to life in prison last July for the gang-rape and robbery of a 39-year-old Swiss woman cyclist who had been holidaying in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Bridget McCaffrey, another backpacker from New Zealand, said news of the latest assault had come as a shock “but considering in the last year what’s been happening in India with women, maybe not so much”. “If I were to come back to India it would be with a group or with my partner again, I wouldn’t be coming alone as a single female traveller,” she said. —AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani supporters of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf carry posters bearing his image and shout slogans during a rally in Islamabad yesterday. —AFP

Court refuses bail to editor accused of sexual assault PANAJI: An Indian judge refused bail yesterday to a news magazine editor who was arrested in late November on allegations of sexually assaulting a young female colleague in a Goa hotel. Tarun Tejpal, the 50year-old founder of top investigative magazine Tehelka, has been in custody since his arrest and faces a possible rape charge over the allegations that could see him jailed for 10 years. Judge Anuja Prabhudesai dismissed the bail application filed by Tejpal to a district court in Goa, after prosecutors expressed fears he may influence witnesses

if he was given bail.

The woman, who has quit the magazine since the scandal broke, has told police her former employer molested her twice in a hotel elevator during a magazine-sponsored event in the seaside holiday hotspot. With India’s media newly sensitized to sexual assault cases after a string of widely publicized gang rape cases this year, the incident was front-page news for days last year.

The fatal gang rape of a student on a Delhi bus in December 2012 sparked

sometimes violent demonstrations and a long period of introspection in India about rising crime against women and gender inequality. The magazine has reported forcefully on gender inequality in India, highlighting police and judicial insensitivity to rape victims as well as the misogynistic attitudes of many Indian men. It has been accused of hypocrisy and trying to cover up a serious crime after staff were initially sent an email saying Tejpal was stepping down for six months for “misconduct”. —AFP

when the Kumari, wearing ceremonial dress, is paraded through Kathmandu to be worshipped.

Priests say that to become a Kumari, a girl must have a number of specific physical attributes such as an unblemished body, a chest like a lion and thighs like a deer. Even if they fulfill all the physical requirements, aspiring Kumaris must then prove their bravery by not crying at the sight of a sacrificed buffalo. The popular tradition, which combines elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, has continued despite the end of Nepal’s Shah monarchy in 2008.

In recent years, child rights activists have called on the government to reform the institution and ensure that the girls do not miss out on their education while serving as Kumaris. In a 2008 ruling, Nepal’s Supreme Court called for the living goddess to be educated and Kumaris are now taught lessons and allowed to sit for exams inside the palace. Child rights activist, Gauri Pradhan said the provision of a monthly allowance was “a welcome decision”. “There should be a balance between continuing the tradition and giving them a semblance of a childhood,” Pradhan said. —AFP

Italian marines ask Indian court to drop murder case NEW DELHI: Two Italian marines appealed to India’s top court yesterday for murder charges against them to be dropped, citing extensive delays in starting any trial, legal documents showed. Lawyers for Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting that the case be dismissed so they can return to Italy because of the “failure of (the Indian) government to file a report for almost a year”. The petition, a copy of which has been seen by AFP, is the latest twist in a case which dates back to February 2012 and sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries.

India’s National Investigation Agency has filed preliminary charges of murder and attempted murder against the marines for allegedly shooting dead two fishermen off the southern coast of Kerala. But formal charges have not been laid against the pair and the Italian government is concerned a trial would get bogged down in India’s slow legal system. Citing the delay, the petition requests the court to “close the right of the government to file a charge sheet” and “permit the marines to travel to Italy”.

The marines were guarding an Italian oil tanker in February 2012 when they opened fire on a fishing boat and two fishermen were killed.

The marines say they mistook the fishing boat for a pirate vessel. They were allowed to go home to vote in

elections and returned to India for trial in March last year. Rome initially refused to send them back to India, triggering a bitter diplomatic standoff between the two countries. Italy had insisted the pair should be prosecuted in their home country because it said the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters.

India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction.

India, which uses the death penalty in what it says are the “rarest of rare cases”, has assured Italy that the two men would not face execution if found guilty. The return of the two marines to India caused huge controversy in Rome and prompted Italy’s foreign minister to resign in protest. India told Italy in April last year that preparations to set up a special court to try the pair were at an “advanced stage”. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian army soldiers perform stunts on motorcycles during the Army Day parade in New Delhi yesterday. The Indian army celebrated the 66th anniversary of the formation of its national army with soldiers from various regiments and artillery taking part in a parade. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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

China mother left homeless by 17-year hunt for kidnapped son FUZHOU: The 17-year hunt for her kidnapped son cost Ye Jinxiu her marriage, home and family. And when she found her boy, now a grown man and a stranger, he wanted nothing to do with her.

Now 59, homeless and alone again, Ye roams the streets of Fuzhou on China’s east coast helping other parents search for their children, devoting her failing health to what she knows is largely a lost cause.

Tens of thousands of children, most of them boys, are believed to be stolen each year in China. Most are sold within the country to meet demand fuelled by a one-child limit, traditional preference for sons, virtual immunity for families who buy them and, as parents like Ye complain, apathetic police.

“Having a child kidnapped is worse than having your heart torn out,” she said, gazing at a huge canvas she had laid out by a bus stop, printed with “missing” adverts and chubby-cheeked faces.

“If someone rips your heart out it takes

one second, you die and you’re not aware anymore,” she said. “If your child is kidnapped and not found, then every day as soon as you wake up, your heart hurts from thinking.” China does not publish figures on how many children are seized per year but said it rescued 24,000 in the first 10 months of 2013, probably a fraction of total cases.

Many are stolen in the poorer interior and sold to families on the wealthier eastern seaboard, particularly provinces such as Fujian where Ye lives, said Deng Fei, a Beijing-based journalist who helps locate children.

Tens of thousands might be kidnapped every year and sold for tens of thousands of yuan each, he said, cautioning that estimates were rough. On a popular website dedicated to the cause 14,000 families have posted notices looking for lost ones.

Children in rural areas are especially vulnerable, as two in five live apart from their parents, who have migrated elsewhere for

work and often left feeble grandparents in charge. Police have sometimes refused to open cases because the low chance of cracking them might hurt their performance record, and they have resisted pursuing families who buy, Deng said.

Also feeding the trade is the sale of children-sometimes by those most entrusted to protect them. In December a doctor in northern Shaanxi went on trial for selling seven infants after convincing parents to give them up because of supposed serious illnesses, state media said. Reports two months earlier said a couple in Shanghai sold their daughter to buy an iPhone. They claimed they wanted to give her a better life, with a wealthier family. Yang Jing, a 35-yearold mother from southwestern Sichuan, told AFP she has spent 13 years trying to retrieve her son after he was sold to a richer couple in Jiangsu-by her husband. “They told me it didn’t count as kidnapping... because the father gave him away,” she said.

‘I can’t stop looking’ Ye, in Fuzhou, said she criss-crossed more than 10 provinces after her then six-year-old boy disappeared in 1993, collecting rubbish, washing dishes and borrowing to pay her way, and sleeping in parks. She nearly died, she said, before her husband begged her to stop and finally left.

She claims she found the trafficker’s home by 1995 but authorities only acted after years of pressure. In 2000 three men were sentenced to at most three years’ jail and a decade later police found the son, Lu Jianning, she said.

The night before their reunion Ye could hardly sleep. But her son did not even hug her. He stayed for a year while she took on more debt to pay for his schooling. Then he disappeared, and he has not contacted her in two years.

“I don’t regret looking for him. How he lives his life is up to him,” Ye said. “When your child goes missing you can’t stop looking.”

She lays out her canvas in quiet places where police do not bother her and hands out fliers filled with youthful faces.

Two were brothers, “Dou Dou” and “Yuan Yuan”, kidnapped as infants on the same day in 1991. A short-haired girl abducted on her way home from kindergarten in 2010 was described as “wearing a black-and-white cotton jacket when last seen”.

Some passers-by paused to scan the descriptions. One, surnamed Zhen, blamed the government for failing to help the rural poor. “If they didn’t have to move to the city, they could take care of their kids and there would be less kidnapping,” he said.

Ye’s struggle has cost her her health-she coughs blood and can hardly see-and she owes relatives “so much money that I’m afraid to go home”, she says.

But, she said: “Just thinking about these cute kids breaks your heart. “I found my kid but other parents haven’t found theirs, and I can’t stop looking.” —AFP

Thai PM stands firm on election Protesters block main roads, reject election BANGKOK: Thailand’s government stuck to a plan for a February election yesterday despite mounting pressure from protesters who have brought parts of Bangkok to a nearstandstill, and said it believed support for the leader of the agitation was waning. Some hardline protesters threatened to blockade the stock exchange and an air traffic control facility if Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had not stepped down by a deadline media

her government.

Yingluck invited protest leaders and political parties to discuss a proposal to delay the general election, which she has called for Feb 2, but her opponents snubbed her invitation. After the meeting, the government said the poll would go ahead as scheduled, and it derided the leader of the protest movement, Suthep Thaugsuban.

“We believe the election will bring the situation back to normal,”

and stressed that even an imperfect poll was better than none. “ The ballot box doesn’t solve everything, and she knows that.

But at least that’s the right step,” Suranand Vejjajiva, secretary-general to the prime minister said.

Air traffic control assured The protesters say they will occupy the city ’s main arteries until an unelected “people’s council” replaces Yingluck’s administra-

BANGKOK: Thai anti-government protesters join a rally yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand. —AP said was set for 8 pm.

There was no apparent movement as the deadline came and went. The unrest, which flared in early November and escalated this week when demonstrators occupied main intersections of the capital, is the latest chapter in an eight-year conflict. The political fault line pits the Bangkok-based middle class and royalist establishment against the mostly poorer, rural supporters of Yingluck and her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former premier ousted by the militar y in 2006 who is seen as the power behind

Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana told reporters. “We can see that the suppor t for Suthep is declining. When he is doing something against the law, most people do not support that.”

Speakers at protest sites across central Bangkok have given the impression Yingluck is worn out and eager to quit. But she seemed relaxed and cheerful at the meeting, which was held inside an air force base near Don Muang International Airport. Her senior officials stressed the caretaker government had no legal powers to postpone or cancel the election

tion. Thaksin’s rural and workingclass support has ensured he or his allies have won every election since 2001 and Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party seems certain to win any vote held under present arrangements. The protesters want to suspend what they say is a democracy commandeered by the self-exiled billionaire Thaksin, whom they accuse of nepotism and corruption, and eradicate the political influence of his family by altering electoral arrangements.

There was no sign of trouble at the two targets named by hardliners in the protest movement, the

stock exchange and the central Bangkok offices of AeroThai, which is in charge of air traffic control communication for planes using Thai air space. AeroThai said it had back-up operations to ensure no disruption to air travel if its control centre was shut down. Suthep’s supporters have blockaded at least seven big Bangkok intersections and are also trying to stop ministries from functioning, forcing many to remain closed, with civil servants working from back-up facilities or from home.

Yingluck herself has been unable to work from her offices in Government House since late November. Demonstrators marched to the home of Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal carrying a coffin with his name on it, ASTV news reported. They handed one of his aides a note demanding that he cut LPG prices and resign, it said.

According to the official Twitter account of National Police spokesman Piya Utayo, an off-duty policeman dressed in civilian clothes was attacked and had his gun taken off him by about 10 protesters at a rally near the Energy Ministry.

‘Red Shirts’ stays out The latest protests have been less violent than a spasm of unrest in 2010, when troops were sent in to end a two-month protest in central Bangkok by “red shirt” Thaksin supporters. More than 90 people died during those protests. Thaksin, who turned to politics after making a fortune in telecommunications, redrew Thailand’s political map by courting rural voters. He lives in exile to avoid a jail sentence handed down in 2008 for abuse of power.

There have been relatively few factional clashes in this upsurge of unrest with the government keen to avoid confrontation. Government supporters said they held protests on Monday and Tuesday in provinces neighboring Bangkok but had no plans to demonstrate in the city. “All we ask is that Prime Minister Yingluck does not resign,” said Worawut Wichaidit, spokesman for the pro-government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship. —Reuters

TEL AVIV: Rose Fostanes a Filipina migrant caregiver living in Israel, celebrates with friends and family in a bar in South Tel Aviv, after she won in the Israeli X-Factor Television show singing contest yesterday. —AFP

Philippines celebrates as caregiver wins ‘X Factor’ MANILA: Celebrations broke out in the Philippines yesterday after a Filipina caregiver working overseas became the winner of Israel’s first “X Factor” television singing contest. Rose Fostanes, one the millions of Filipino overseas workers who are lionized back home and form a crucial pillar of the country’s economy, won the competition late Tuesday with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” that delighted fans in both countries. Local television, news websites, and social media were filled with praise for the unmarried 47year-old caregiver, who relatives said had worked abroad for more than two decades to support her family.

“We know the situation she was in and we are very proud that she has again given the Philippines pride in the showcase of her talent,” President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters yesterday. “The Filipino has an innate advantage when it comes to the arts.... It clearly shows that the excellence of the Filipino can be expressed anywhere, everywhere, when they are given the opportunity to show their talent.”

Some reports likened Fostanes to Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish singer whose humble looks and shy demeanour belied a scintillating voice that captivated millions on the television talent show “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009.

Before she entered the competition,

Fostanes’ day job had been to care for an elderly employer in Tel Aviv-one of some 10 million Filipinos, about a tenth of the population, who have gone to work abroad to escape poverty and joblessness back home.

“Not all workers and cleaners from the Philippines are in a position like this: It’s like Cinderella, you know,” she told the show in an earlier interview uploaded on YouTube. But she fretted whether Israel’s television audience would vote her out of the contest in favor of her much-younger, slimmer rivals. “This is what I’m afraid of, because I don’t have the whole package,” she said. But fans were won over. In a live performance watched on television by many of her impoverished countrymen before dawn Wednesday, Fostanes won the judges’ nod with her performance.

She had blitzed through the earlier rounds with impressive renditions of songs by Tina Turner, Lady Gaga, Prince and Christina Aguilera among others.

Clips of her “X Factor Israel” performances have been drawing tens of thousands of hits since they were uploaded on YouTube this month. Prior to Fostanes, Filipinos threw their support behind Jessica Sanchez, an American teenager with a mother born in the Philippines, who came close to winning the “American Idol” singing competition in 2012. —AFP

Cambodia oppn seeks compromise with PM PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s opposition has been in talks with Prime Minister Hun Sen to find a deal to end the political crisis caused by last year’s disputed general election and a compromise may be near, two analysts briefed on the matter said. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy and his deputy, Kem Sokha, had written to Hun Sen via a mediator seeking a “compromise for national reconciliation”, independent

analysts Kem Ley and Heang Rithy said yesterday. “I have seen a letter that Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha had written to Prime Minister Hun Sen, outlining four points,” said Heang Rithy, president of the Cambodian National Research Organization.

Hun Sen, who has been in power for 28 years, was returned to power in an election last July that the opposition called fraudulent. Heang Rithy and

NEW DELHI: South Korean President Park Geun-hye (right) is greeted by Indian Junior Foreign Minister Preneet Kaur upon her arrival in New Delhi yesterday. Park is on a four-day state visit to India. —AP

Kem Ley said Sam Rainsy’s Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) wanted the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to agree to a fresh election in 2015 or 2016, give it the chairmanship of some parliamentary commissions, allow it to run a television station and agree to look at electoral reforms.

The CNRP had also asked to have the deputy presidency of the National Assembly, dropping its demand for the presidency, Kem Ley said, adding that in return the opposition party would end its boycott of parliament. “There have been secret talks through a third party and the third party has informed us that much has been agreed on, about 80 percent,” said social analyst Kem Ley. Sam Rainsy led tens of thousands of CNRP supporters and allied striking garment workers on rallies and marches against Hun Sen until a crackdown by security forces in early January, when five strikers were shot dead and the protests were halted. He denied secret talks had taken place and said his party had not discussed any power-sharing in parliament. “The two parties keep contacting each other and are prepared to meet at a certain level, so it’s not a secret,” Sam Rainsy told Reuters.

He confirmed the CNRP wanted a new election and a television licence, which would help counter the exposure Hun Sen got on state television. “There are some ideas, we’ve made some relationships, on and off. Nothing has been agreed yet. There is no result yet,” he said. Senior CPP member Cheam Yeap said he was unaware of any talks between the parties. Hun Sen has given no sign he might be interested in an early election. “I would like to thank the people in the whole country who voted for the CPP and trusted in me to continue to be prime minister for the next five years,” he said this week. —Reuters

N Korea warns of disaster over South Korea-US drills SEOUL: North Korea warned yesterday of “calamities and disaster” if the United States and South Korea push ahead with a series of annual joint military drills from next month. The threat, which also said the drills would be tantamount to declaring nuclear war, came from the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), a North Korean state body in charge of inter-Korean affairs.

“We solemnly warn the United States and South Korea against staging dangerous military exercises that will ... drive the situation on the Korean peninsula and interKorean relations into catastrophe,” a CPRK spokesman said in a statement published by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea and the United States conduct joint military exercises of varying magnitude every year, which are routinely condemned by the North as rehearsals for invasion. From late February US and South Korean troops plan to stage a computer-simulated drill named Key Resolve, followed by a major joint field exercise to test their combat readiness. Pyongyang staged a third nuclear test in February last year and later issued threats of atomic attacks on Washington and Seoul for

staging joint military exercises south of the border.

This month South Korean President Park Geun-Hye had called for resuming reunions for families separated by the Korean War around the time of the Lunar New Year on January 31. But the North rejected Park’s proposal, citing planned South-US military exercises as a major barrier. In yesterday’s statement, the CPRK spokesman warned that any military drills would be tantamount to a declaration of full-scale “nuclear war”, adding they could trigger “calamities and disasters beyond imagination”.

The latest threat comes at a time of growing concern over the regime’s stability after the execution of Jang SongThaek, a senior leader who was also the uncle and former political mentor of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Seoul and Washington have warned of possible provocative acts by the nuclear-armed North following the purge. North Korea has been conducting military exercises of its own in recent weeks. The United States has based troops in the South since the 1950-53 Korean War and the force currently numbers 28,500. —AFP

NEWS Amir pledges $500m for Syria at donor meeting Continued from Page 1 international humanitarian and human rights law”. “Children, women, men are trapped, hungry, ill, losing hope,” Amos told the 69 countries attending the donor conference.

Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait responded to hosting the second conference “which clearly reflected and demonstrated Kuwait’s historical responsibility towards the people of Syria, its awareness of the magnitude of the disaster they suffer, as well as to mobilize international efforts to confront this disaster and alleviate its consequences”. “This conference is being convened while the scope of the humanitarian tragedy in Syria is widening and claiming tens of thousands of innocent lives, destroying all forms of life and causing millions to flee as a result of an unjust and continuing conflict where all kinds of weapons were used, including internationally prohibited weapons against an unarmed people,” the Amir said.

The UN chief thanked the Amir for hosting the conference in Kuwait for the second time. “His Highness has again just demonstrated his outstanding commitment to this cause with a pledge of $500 million. I sincerely thank him for his exemplary leadership,” Ban said. “We owe a great debt of gratitude to the government, people and non-governmental organizations of Kuwait for their enormous contributions in helping Syria and its neighbours cope with the dev-

astating effects of the conflict,” he said.

He said that a year ago, when the first conference was held, the situation in Syria was extremely grave and four million Syrians needed help. There were 700,000 refugees at that time. “One year later, we face a regional crisis and humanitarian crisis. Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt are now home to more than 3 million Syrians who have fled. Well over 100,000 people have been killed. A great many others have been injured,” he said.

“Half the total Syrian population, nearly 9.3 million individuals, urgently need humanitarian aid. Nearly half of them are children. More than 80 per cent of Palestinian refugees inside Syria need humanitarian aid. I am especially concerned about reports of starvation,” Ban said. “The fighting is damaging stability and reversing development gains across the region. This conflict also saw the worst use of weapons of mass destruction in the 21st century. The world is united in horror to ensure that chemical weapons will not be used again in Syria - but military attacks continue to target schools, healthcare facilities and residential areas,” he said.

He said that more than 2 million children are out of school. “I am appalled by the violence and brutality of this conflict,” Ban said. Ban said the so-called ‘Geneva II’ International Conference on Syria, set to begin on Jan 22, aims to bring the Syrian government and opposition to the negotiating table. “I hope this will launch a politi-

cal process, establish a transitional governing body with full executive power, and most importantly, end the violence,” he said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a supplementary aid package of $380 million, bringing the total US contribution to $1.7 billion. “We are under no illusion that our job, or any of our jobs here, are to just write a cheque,” said Kerry, who blamed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for starving his people and blocking international aid workers from providing aid in some of Syria’s hardest-hit areas. “The international community must use every tool at our disposal to draw the world’s attention to these offenses,” he said. “They are not just offenses against conscience. They also are offenses against the laws of war.”

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia said it will give $60 million in supplementary aid, as did neighbouring energy-rich Qatar. Both are strong backers of the rebellion against Assad. And the United Arab Emirates promised a similar amount. Britain pledged £100 million ($164 million), Japan $120 million, Norway $75 million, Italy $51 million, Denmark €26.8 million ($36.5 million) and Germany $41 million. Other countries pledged smaller amounts. On Tuesday, the European Union offered an extra €165 million ($225 million), raising its total contributions to €2.0 billion ($2.74 billion).

Charity organisations meeting in Kuwait on the eve of the conference also pledged $400 million of aid.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

Kerry to press ahead despite slur Continued from Page 1 Yaalon later apologised but the spat underlined the estrangement between the longtime allies which has already seen angry public rows over Iran policy and Israel’s defiant drive to expand its settlements in the occupied West Bank in the midst of peace talks with the Palestinians. Kerry himself brushed off the personal attack without mentioning the minister by name and pledged to keep up his intensive shuttle diplomacy with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “willing” participants in the peace process.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and I talk regularly and we are both very committed to moving the process forward, and we just can’t let one set of comments undermine that effort and I don’t intend to,” Kerry said.

“Everywhere I go, even here today, everybody I talk to expresses gratitude to the efforts the United States is making, for President (Barack) Obama’s commitment to try to make peace between Palestinians and Israelis,” he told repor ters in Kuwait, where he was attending a Syria donors’ conference. “I am going to work with the willing participants who are committed to peace and committed to this process.”

In private conversations between Israeli and US officials, revealed by the top-selling Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, Yaalon

was quoted as expressing hope that Kerry would abandon plans to make an 11th visit later this month to keep up his peace efforts.

He was quoted as saying that Kerry was naive and that a plan he drew up for Israel’s security after Palestinian statehood “isn’t worth the paper it was written on”. “Secretary of State John Kerry - who arrived here determined, and who operates from an incomprehensible obsession and a sense of messianism - can’t teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians,” he reportedly said.

Yaalon apologised to Kerry late Tuesday, but did not challenge the accuracy of the comments attributed to him. “The defence minister had no intention to cause any offence to the secretary, and he apologises if the secretary was offended by words attributed to the minister,” a statement issued by his office said. “Israel and the United States share a common goal to advance the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians led

by Secretary Kerry.”

The US top diplomat acknowledged yesterday the difficulties that still lie ahead to achieve a framework deal within the nine months the two sides agreed to when they relaunched talks in July. “After five months of negotiations, I believe strongly in the prospect for peace and I know that the status quo is not sustainable,” Kerry said. “There are hard choices to be made. We are going to work with both sides.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

ANALYSIS

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Issues

Explore all options to tackle Boko Haram

By Phil hazlewood

A

deadly car bomb attack on a crowded market in northeast Nigeria has raised questions about Boko Haram’s capacity to strike urban centres, despite military claims to have the militants on the run. Nineteen people were killed in the strike in the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, on Tuesday, which came after suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed five in a village near the city on Saturday. The banned Islamist group has not claimed responsibility for either incident but said it was behind a daring raid on military installations near Maiduguri’s airport in December.

Nigeria’s government imposed emergency rule in Borno and two neighbouring states in May last year to try to end violence that has claimed thousands of lives since 2009. Thousands of additional troops were sent to the region and counter-insurgency operations have pushed militant fighters out of towns and cities into more remote rural areas. “The military is doing its best to tackle the insurgency in Borno and the northeast, defence spokesman Chris Olukolade told AFP. “We consider the operation a success. We are not considering it a failure in any way... It is a security operation because all the arms of the security services are involved.”

‘Explore options’ But experts said the return of violence to Maiduguri, after a period of relative calm, suggested the government in Abuja needed to explore all options to tackle the problem. “It’s always been their (Boko Haram’s) ability, their flexibility, to adapt and come back,” said Elizabeth Donnelly, from Africa programme at the Chatham House international affairs institute. “This is how they’ve always operated. The (military) strategy, as it is, is not sustainable because of the origins of this group, because of the specific context in which it is operating. It’s a longer-term problem. Without policies to complement the security strategy... I think radicalisation could become a problem further down the line. The military can make certain gains but without longer term solutions, it (the violence) becomes cyclical.”

Economic inequalities and social problems linked to the decline of traditional industries in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria are seen as contributory factors to the insurgency. Restrictions on movement, partly because of emergency rule and fear of attacks, have hit not only the provision but price of basic goods. Access to education and other services such as electricity and water also lags other parts of the country, fuelling frustrations and adding to disaffection. There has been disquiet, too, at the military’s rounding-up of thousands of civilians suspected of helping the militants.

Dialogue difficult Virginia Comolli, a research associate for transnational threats at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, said Nigeria’s military had enjoyed some successes since May. But mistakes, such as claims last weekend that the Nigerian air force bombed a senator’s convoy after he visited victims of Saturday’s attack, have undermined its credibility, she added. Comolli also said that unless wider grievances were addressed, from lack of political representation to economic development of the north, radicalised groups would remain a problem. Opening up channels of communication with the militants was difficult, however, while Boko Haram’s, Abubakar Shekhau, rejected any dialogue, she added. “It’s hard to find an interlocutor,” she said.

Kyari Mohammed, a Boko Haram specialist at Modibbo Adama University in Yola, Adamawa state, said the group’s capacity to hit Maiduguri was “substantially reduced” but vigilance was still a must. “The security agencies have to keep their eye on the ball,” he added. Nigeria’s military was ill-prepared for drawn-out guerilla warfare in the forests of northeast Nigeria and there was a growing recognition of the need to look at other options, he said. “The office of the national security adviser is thinking of ‘soft’ options such as counter-terrorism strategies and de-radicalisation,” he added. “Unfortunately, the process is military-driven.”

Olukolade said it was up to the government to decide whether to explore other options, although Comolli suggested the government was currently preoccupied with the erosion of its political power base. President Goodluck Jonathan’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party has seen five of its governors defect to the main opposition and lost its parliamentary majority in the lower chamber national assembly. “For now, the current operation continues,” said Olukolade. —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.

Gun prices, sales up in Jordan F

By Mussa Hattar

irearm prices in Jordan have soared tenfold since the war in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011 but more people than ever are buying guns for protection against a possible spillover of the violence.

The number of licensed weapons stands at 120,000 but there are more than one million unlicensed guns in the kingdom of seven million people, according to interior ministry estimates. According to a study by the Jordanian Society for Political Sciences, 25 percent of Jordanians own guns, legally and illegally.

“The conflict in Syria makes people feel unsafe. They do not know what is coming in the future,” Seri Nasser, social sciences professor at the University of Jordan, told AFP. “Jordanians buy guns to protect themselves because they think that security services are incapable of meeting their expectations.” The war has taken a toll on the kingdom, which is home to more than 500,000 Syrian refugees, most of them in the north, where frustrated Jordanians say they have become almost a minority. Some have repeatedly complained that the refugees are burdening the country’s scarce resources and competing with them for jobs, while others say they fear the rise of Islamist power in Syria. “Since violence started in Syria three years ago, demand for weapons has become very high,” Abu Samaan told AFP at his gun shop in downtown Amman. “People are scared and they want to protect their lives and property,” said the 68-year-old, clad in an olive camouflage uniform.

The gun dealer, who has been in the business since the late 1960s, added that “customers are mainly looking for automatic weapons”. Prices of some weapons have

rocketed tenfold, with a Belgian-made M9 Browning pistol leaping from 200 Jordanian dinars ($282) to more than 1,800 dinars.

Similarly, the price of a Spanish-made Star M9 pistol went up from 200 dinars to 2,000 dinars and an Italian-made M7 Beretta pistol from 120 dinars to 1,000 dinars. “Very high demand, particularly for automatic weapons, which have become almost scarce in the

gling,” a security source told AFP.

‘Good business’ In the view of Rasmi Abdullah, a 47-yearold hunter, the Syrian conflict is the main factor driving Jordanians to buy weapons. “The war has seriously affected people. Fearing violence will reach Jordan, they feel the need to buy guns for self defence,” said Abdullah

A man inspects a rifle at a gun shop on Jan 9, 2014 in the Jordanian capital Amman. —AFP market, has led to sharp increase in prices of weapons in general,” said Abu Samaan. With tidy profits to be made, smuggling has become big business, as has the illegal sale of weapons. “There are 95 licensed gun shops in Jordan, but it is difficult to determine the number of other arm dealers, particularly with the current high level of smug-

as he visited Abu Samaan’s shop to stock up with ammunition - which he found had doubled in price. Smuggled Turkish-made pump-action shotguns and tactical M7 pistols are favoured because of their relative cheapness, he said. Shotguns, for example, go for 600 dinars, while the price of an AK-47 automatic rifle has soared from 200 dinars

two years ago to more than 3,000 dinars now. Last month, Jordanian border guards said that arms smuggling has increased between Jordan and Syria by 300 percent, adding that they have foiled hundreds of trafficking attempts, while the military state security court is examining several related cases.

Concerned at the rapid weaponisation of the kingdom, the government has banned the issuing of licenses and the renewal of permits to carry firearms. It has also stopped giving permits for the opening of new gun shops. But this has not stopped a thriving trade via Facebook, where thousands of people are trying to sell and buy weapons on a firearms classifieds site. “The Syrian crisis has created new and different kinds of burdens, including arms trafficking,” Information Minister Mohammad Momani told AFP. “But Jordan’s armed forces are capable of controlling the situation and the government is closely monitoring any illegal activities.”

Police on Saturday said they had swooped on an illegal weapons-making operation in the northern city of Irbid and had made several arrests. Jordan has also jailed dozens of men convicted of trying to enter Syria to fight alongside rebel forces. “There are hundreds or maybe thousands of Muslim extremists fighting in Syria. Most of them are Jordanians, so whether they win or lose, people here want to be ready,” said fearful citizen Abu Omar, as he examined handguns at a shop in Amman.

“At the same time, it is good business for dealers,” he added. The shop owner agreed.

“In the past, Jordanians bough guns to show off. Now they are buying guns left and right for protection,” he said. “The high prices will not stop people from buying weapons as long as the situation in Syria remains dangerous and unpredictable.” —AFP

Pak Devil’s Advocate just doing his job

By Issam Ahmed

F

or more than half a century, Pakistani lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada has provided the legal cover for the country’s succession of military rulers - but don’t accuse him of supporting dictators. He was secretary to Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1940s, has been attorney general and foreign minister, and authored orders that gave legal weight to two coups d’etat. Now aged 90, the dapper figure who is reviled by many prodemocracy activists finds himself in the limelight once again as the head of Pervez Musharraf’s defence team, a role that could be his swansong.

Musharraf, the most recent of Pakistan’s four military rulers, who was in power from 1999 to 2008, is facing treason charges relating to his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007. Pirzada himself wrote the legal order for Musharraf ’s emergency rule, updating a similar one he prepared for General Zia-ul-Haq after his 1977 coup. He rarely grants interviews, but spoke to AFP after a hearing in Musharraf’s treason case. He scoffed at the idea that he is the lawyer of choice for autocrats.

“Certainly not,” said the advocate. “I’m a professional lawyer and appear in cases and do my best.”

He points to his key role in a 1972 Supreme Court verdict that declared Yahya Khan, Pakistan’s second military ruler, a “usurper”. This came despite the fact that Pirzada had been attorney general for both Yahya and his predecessor Ayub Khan, Pakistan’s first military ruler, whom

he also served as foreign minister.

Later, he wrote oaths for judges sworn in by Zia and Musharraf that

omitted the commitment to protect the constitution, and drew up documents based on the so-called “doc-

trine of necessity” to legalise both rulers’ coups.

‘Regimes led to progress’ He draws a clear distinction between political support and the exercise of legal expertise, and beams with professional pride when talking about the Supreme Court judgement that validated Zia’s rule.

“That was a very nice judgement and has been appreciated elsewhere,” he said, adding: “Not that I supported (Zia) or anything like that. I supported the legal position.” Zia went on to hang the man he ousted, former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and began Islamist reforms that some analysts say contributed to the violent religious extremism the country faces today.

On Musharraf, Pirzada is reluctant to get into the details of the ongoing case, but insists his client is an “excellent man” and defends the record of the four generals who seized power.

“They are called dictators but these were administrators. The progress the country made was through some of these regimes. Some of the politicians were equally good - (Zulfiqar Ali) Bhutto was good - but both sides counted mistakes,” he said.

In this photograph taken on Jan 2, 2014, Pakistani lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada leaves a special court after the case hearing of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad. —AFP

‘Manipulating the judiciary’ Pirzada began his legal career in the Bombay High Court before moving to the newly created Pakistan.

Now advanced in years and slightly built, he no longer cuts the same figure in the courtroom but maintains a godfatherly background role, murmuring guidance to junior lawyers.

Always turned out in an immaculate

black suit, he usually sports the “Jinnah cap” favoured by the country’s founder but now out of fashion, as he surveys proceedings with an even gaze.

Observers such as Ayaz Amir, a leading newspaper columnist, see his handiwork in the “broad outlines” of the Musharraf case. Asma Jahangir, a top human rights lawyer and leading light among Pakistani liberals, decries the anti-democratic causes to which Pirzada has lent his support. “He’s a very skilful lawyer and we have no better authority on constitutional law. People could have been very good architects but built something for Hitler,” she said. Amir says the fact that Pirzada has achieved such sustained success “has not been so much in propounding brilliant or outstanding legal theories as in his knowledge of manipulating the judiciary”.

Today, Pakistan’s judiciary is seen as less pliant than in the past, energised by the successful lawyers’ protest movement that reinstated judges sacked by Musharraf. The country achieved its first ever democratic transfer of power at last year’s general election, and another military coup is seen as a distant prospect these days. But in a country ruled for more than half its life by the armed forces, the threat remains, however remote - and in such a scenario the wily Pirzada could be called upon once again. He certainly sees no reason to step down just yet.

“There are QCs (senior lawyers) and attorney generals who work till 98. I keep a normal life and am very in control of my timings,” he said. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

S P ORTS Powell tells disciplinary panel he ‘forgot’ supplement names KINGSTON: Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, who tested positive for a banned substance last year, told a disciplinary panel on Tuesday he did not list the supplements he was taking because he could not remember their names. The former world 100 meters record holder, who faces a two-year ban if found guilty of a doping violation, tested positive for the banned substance oxilophrine at last June’s national championships.

According to Powell, who testified before a three-member Jamaica Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel for over three hours, the supplements provided by a new trainer were foreign to him and he researched them for six hours before using them. “I could not remember their names,” said Powell, 31, one of five Jamaicans to test positive at the national championships. Powell’s former training partner Sherone Simpson was among those to return adverse findings for the banned substance and appeared before a disciplinary panel last week.

Her hearing resumes on Feb. 4.

Both sprinters are blaming a newly-hired Canadian trainer, Chris Xuereb, for supplying the supplements, including Epiphany D1, which has since been found to contain oxilophrine Xuereb has denied providing them performance-enhancing drugs

The unbeaten champion Frankel fathers first foal LONDON: The most eagerly anticipated new arrival for years in the horse racing world duly took place on Saturday when Frankel, arguably the world’s greatest racehorse, fathered his first foal. “Proud mum, Chrysanthemum delivered the newborn nag at 08.30pm on 11th January 2014, with her thrilled owners agreeing that he has his father’s looks,” a statement from Great British Racing said yesterday of the happy day at the Coolmore Stud in Ireland. Frankel, who was unbeaten in his 14-race career before being retired to stud in 2012 and is valued at 125 million pounds, had the owners of 130 mares and fillies queuing up although at 125,000 pounds ($205,800)his “services” did not come cheap.

Should the Coolmore stable, the new foal’s owners, decide to sell Frankel’s first offspring they would make a healthy profit with a record figure of 6 million pounds already being suggested for the colt, who will not race for two years. Conceived on Valentines Day, the new arrival’s genes will be second to none with Chrysanthemum, a dual Group winner, the daughter of champion sire Danehill Dancer.

Thoroughbred Frankel earned over 4 million pounds in prize money and his six-length victory at the Classic 2000 Guineas in 2011 was the largest winning margin since 1947. — Reuters

Voeckler misses out of Tour Down Under ADELAIDE: French cyclist Thomas Voeckler is out of Tour Down Under after the Europcar rider broke a collar bone after crashing on a training ride near the Adelaide beach suburb of Glenelg, race organizers said yesterday. One of the marquee names scheduled to compete in the Jan. 19-26 race in and around Adelaide, Voeckler collided with a stationary car and X-rays revealed he had broken his right collar bone.

“During training this morning, a pedestrian crossed the road so a car braked very quickly and I didn’t have time to stop and I bumped into the car,” the 34-year-old Voeckler was quoted as saying in a statement released by race organizers. “I immediately realized that my collar bone had been broken for a third time.

“Thanks to the organizers, we rushed to the hospital and X-rays showed it was broken so I have to go back to France, go to the hospital and see how long it will take before I can get back on the bike again.” The 2012 Tour de France King of the Mountains winner underwent a minor operation earlier this month to remove a metal plate that was inserted after he had fractured the collar bone a second time last April.

“It’s been 12 days since the other plate was removed and it was okay but I must not crash on it,” said the rider, who plans to fly out of Adelaide on Thursday. — Reuters

Jagr nets 695th goal as Devils beat Canadiens

Wataniya Telecom sponsors GulfRun car show at 360 Mall KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom, the first private telecom operator in Kuwait, recently sponsored GulfRun 24 hour karting endurance race at the recently launched SIRBB Circuit at the Kuwait Classic Cars Museum in Shuwaikh. 18 teams participated in the exciting and challenging 24 hour long karting endurance race.

The race was organized by GulfRun group for the third year in a row in Kuwait. Drifting and

drag racing are also part of the big race which will be taking place on January 23rd in Bahrain.

The car show at the 360 Mall was also part of the sponsorship. Organized by GulfRun, the car show involved some of the exciting race cars favored by many in Kuwait. Wataniya Telecom was pleased to provide youth in Kuwait an opportunity to enjoy racing in a safe, controlled and fun environment.

MONTREAL: Jaromir Jagr passed Mark Messier to move into seventh place in career NHL goals and Martin Brodeur made 29 saves to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The 41year-old Jagr got his 695th goal in his 1,438th career game. On Saturday, he passed former Pittsburgh Penguins’ teammate Mario Lemieux for seventh place in points with 1,724. Goals less than three minutes apart early in the second period from Eric Gelinas and Adam Henrique were the difference as the Devils extended their points streak to five games and picked up a win against a team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference.

Dainius Zubrus added an empty-net goal on an assist from Jagr. Max Pacioretty scored for Montreal in the first period.

AVALANCHE 3, BLACKHAWKS 2, OT Tyson Barrie scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 4:09 of overtime to lift Colorado past Chicago. With Jonathan Toews off for hooking, Barrie beat Corey Crawford with a one-timer from the left circle after taking a cross-ice pass from Matt Duchene to give Colorado its second straight win. The Avalanche improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight games despite being outshot 48-26.

Barrie and Ryan O’Reilly scored 1:02 apart late in the first period. Chicago’s Andrew Shaw scored on a rebound at 7:27 of the third to tie it. Shaw also assisted on Johnny Oduya’s goal in the second. Semyon Varlamov made 46 saves for Colorado.

PREDATORS 4, FLAMES 2 Ryan Ellis ended a 42-game scoring drought by notching the first of Nashville’s three third-period goals and added an assist to lead the Predators over Calgary. Shea Weber scored in the first period, Craig Smith and Viktor Stalberg followed Ellis with goals in the third, and David Legwand had three assists to help Nashville snap a three-game losing streak. Carter Hutton stopped 22 shots for the Predators. Lee Stempniak and Mikael Backlund scored and Karri Ramo made 30 saves for Calgary, which has lost four of its last five.

Judge rejects $760 million NFL concussion settlement NEW YORK: A $760 million settlement between the National Football League and thousands of former players, who contend the league downplayed the risk of concussions, was rejected on Tuesday by a US judge who said it might not be enough to pay all of the affected players. The proposed deal, reached in August, had set aside up to $5 million for each former player diagnosed with a certain brain condition as a result of their years on the playing field.

More than 4,500 former players were named plaintiffs in the lawsuit and up to 20,000 could ultimately be eligible for payment. “I am primarily concerned that not all retired NFL football players who ultimately receive a qualifying diagnosis, or their related claimants, will be paid,” US District Judge Anita Brody wrote in papers filed in federal court in Philadelphia. “Even if only 10 percent of retired NFL football players eventually receive a qualifying diagnosis, it is difficult to see how the monetary award fund would have the funds available over its lifespan to pay all claimants at these significant award levels,” the decision said.

Brody called on the NFL and plaintiffs to submit documentation that they believed showed the money set aside was adequate to meet the potential need. “We will work with the plaintiffs’ attorneys to supply that information promptly to the court and special master,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. “We are confident that the settlement is fair and adequate, and look forward to demonstrating that to the court.” But outside legal observers said the league may need to raise its settlement offer to win the judge’s approval.

“They are going to have to come back with a different settlement,” said Joseph Farelli, a partner in the New York law firm Pitta & Giblin, which specializes in labor law.

“She is saying the amount is not going to cover the people they say are going to be covered by the settlement.”

The lawsuit, filed in 2012, contended that the league hid the dangers of brain injury among players while profiting from the sport’s sometimes violent physical contact. When the settlement was first disclosed in August, sports business experts

described it as a modest amount of money for the NFL, which is believed to generate total annual revenue of $9 billion or $10 billion.

LARGE CLASS Attorneys for the former players who brought the lawsuit said they believed Brody could yet be convinced that the deal is a good one. “We are confident that the settlement will be approved after the Court conducts its due diligence on the fairness and adequacy of the proposed agreement,” lead attorneys Christopher Seeger of Seeger Weiss LLP and Sol Weiss of Anapol Schwartz said in a statement. “Analysis from economists, actuaries and medical experts will confirm that the programs established by the settlement will be sufficiently funded to meet their obligations for all eligible retired players.” The judge’s move to block the deal reflects her responsibility to ensure that it is fair both to the named plaintiffs and others covered in the class.

“What these 4,500 people are doing is cutting deals for everyone else and it’s a one-size fits all deal,” said Wayne Dennison, an attorney with Brown Rudnick who specializes in commercial litigation. “The judge has to be sure it’s a fair deal not just because the 4,500 like it but because it’s a good deal for the full 20,000.” There have been suicides in recent years by current and former NFL players, including Jovan Belcher, Junior Seau, Ray Easterling and Dave Duerson. While their deaths could not be directly connected to the sport, violent or erratic behavior is consistent with symptoms of a condition tied to repeated hits to the head.

A growing body of academic research shows those hits can lead to a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can lead to aggression and dementia.

The research has already prompted the NFL to make changes on the field, including banning the most dangerous helmet-to-helmet hits and requiring teams to keep players who have taken hits to the head off the field if they show certain symptoms including dizziness and memory gaps. — Reuters

SHARKS 2, CAPITALS 1 Patrick Marleau scored the only goal of the shootout, lifting San Jose over Washington.

Antti Niemi stopped Eric Fehr, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom in the shootout after making 35 saves in regulation and overtime.

Marleau tallied after Joe Pavelski missed on San Jose’s first shot. Ovechkin scored his league-leading 33rd goal at 12:44 of the second period after Tyler Kennedy had tallied for San Jose at 13:30 of the first. The Sharks took the opener of a three-game road trip, improving to 17-1 against the Capitals in the teams’ last 18 meetings. Rookie goaltender Philipp Grubauer, making his 12th start in 17 games, made 28 saves for Washington. It was the Capitals’ second straight 2-1 shootout loss and they have lost six of their last eight.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, BRUINS 3 Tyler Bozak scored twice and Phil Kessel had three assists as Toronto held off Boston.

Jonathan Bernier made 38 saves for the Maple Leafs, including 15 in the third period as the Bruins tried to rally after allowing three straight goals. James van Riemsdyk’s goal a minute into the third put Toronto up 4-2, and the Maple Leafs held on despite getting outshot 41-26. Jake Gardiner also scored for Toronto. Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron each had a goal and an assist for Boston.

Gregory Campbell pulled the Bruins to 4-3 with 10:25 left in the third period, but Bernier stopped a late flurry of shots after Boston pulled goalie Tuukka Rask for the extra skater.

LIGHTNING 2, RANGERS 1 Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov scored 9 seconds apart early in the second period and Ben Bishop made 33 saves in his return from injury as Tampa Bay ended New York’s three-game winning streak. Hedman got the Lightning even with a power-play goal and Kucherov gave them the lead for good on a breakaway. Tampa Bay went 5-3 in a stretch in which it played seven of eight on the road. Brad Richards scored for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist made 23 saves in taking the loss for New York, which was 82-1 in its previous 11. Bishop was back in action for the first time since he sprained his right wrist in the first period at Edmonton on Jan. 5. He missed three games before dressing as the backup to Anders Lindback on

Isaiah Thomas

Monday at Columbus. He didn’t play in the Lightning’s 3-2 loss.

FLYERS 4, SABRES 3 Vincent Lecavalier scored with 15 seconds remaining to cap a topsy-turvy finish, sending Philadelphia to victory over Buffalo. Scott Hartnell had a goal and two assists, and Wayne Simmonds set up two goals in helping Philadelphia snap a two-game skid. Jakub Voracek also scored for the Flyers, who improved to 8-3 in their past 11 games. Cody Hodgson and Matt D’Agostini each had a goal and assist for Buffalo, which had an eight-game home point streak snapped at 6-0-2. Tyler Ennis also scored and Steve Ott set up two for the Sabres.

STARS 5, OILERS 2 Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas ended a six-game losing streak with a victory over Edmonton. Jamie Benn scored a rare power-play goal for the Stars, who had not won since New Year’s Eve. They entered 29th in the NHL with the man advantage. Benn also assisted on the first goal of the game by Erik Cole, just 14 seconds in. Cody Eakin added a goal and an assist to help Dallas build a 4-1 lead 1:10 into the second period. The final Stars goal came on Trevor Daley’s shot into an empty net in the final minute. Justin Schultz and Sam Gagner scored for Edmonton, with Taylor Hall assisting on both goals.

PANTHERS 4, ISLANDERS 2 Scottie Upshall scored a short-handed goal and had an assist to carry Florida past New York. Nick Bjugstad, Drew Shore and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers.

Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots, and Ed Jovanovski had two assists. Thomas Vanek and Colin McDonald scored for the Islanders. Kevin Poulin made 22 saves. The win was the first for Florida over the Islanders in five games, dating to the 2011-2012 season. The Islanders lost for the first time in five games and had a sevengame road winning streak snapped. The Panthers took a 4-0 lead on Upshall’s shorthanded goal in the second.

BLUES 2, COYOTES 1 TJ Oshie scored twice, Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves and St Louis sent Phoenix to its season-high fourth straight loss. The Blues have won eight of nine and improved to 7-1-1 against the Coyotes since the start of the 2011-12 season. Oshie recorded his second two-goal game in the last six contests since he was named to the US Olympic team. Halak improved to 19-6-3 with his second successive win after missing five games due to illnesses. He robbed David Moss from close range with a stick save early in the third period. Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Phoenix, which has been outscored 16-6 during the four-game skid.

SENATORS 3, WILD 0 Kyle Turris had a goal and an assist and Robin Lehner made 27 saves for his second career shutout as Ottawa beat Minnesota to head home after earning seven of a possible eight points on a four-game road trip. Clarke MacArthur and Erik Condra also scored for the Senators. Despite controlling play and outshooting the Wild 15-3 in the first period, Ottawa led only 1-0 on MacArthur’s 16th of the season. — AP

NHL results/standings Toronto 4, Boston 3; Tampa Bay 2, NY Rangers 1; San Jose 2, Washington 1 (SO); Philadelphia 4, Buffalo 3; New Jersey 4, Montreal 1; Florida 4, NY Islanders 2; Colorado 3, Chicago 2 (OT); St. Louis 2, Phoenix 1; Nashville 4, Calgary 2; Ottawa 3, Minnesota 0; Dallas 5, Edmonton 2.

Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF Anaheim 35 8 5 161 San Jose 29 12 6 150 Los Angeles 28 14 5 120 Vancouver 24 14 9 123 Phoenix 21 16 9 135 Calgary 16 25 6 105 Edmonton 15 29 5 128 Central Division Chicago 30 8 11 177 St. Louis 32 8 5 163 Colorado 29 12 5 135 Minnesota 25 19 5 118 Dallas 21 18 7 132 Nashville 20 21 7 113 Winnipeg 20 23 5 133

GA 119 117 96 115 143 148 174

PTS 75 64 61 57 51 38 35

135 100 117 122 141 143 146

71 69 63 55 49 47 45

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Boston 29 15 2 132 102 60 Tampa Bay 28 15 4 136 113 60 Montreal 26 16 5 118 111 57 Toronto 23 20 5 132 146 51 Detroit 20 16 10 118 127 50 Ottawa 21 18 8 134 146 50 Florida 18 21 7 109 141 43 Buffalo 13 27 5 80 125 31 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 33 12 2 152 112 68 137 137 52 Washington 22 16 8 Philadelphia 24 19 4 125 132 52 NY Rangers 24 21 3 119 126 51 New Jersey 20 18 10 112 118 50 Columbus 22 20 4 129 131 48 Carolina 19 18 9 111 130 47 NY Islanders 18 23 7 132 156 43 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

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World No. 3 Stenson opens season with high hopes ABU DHABI: World number three Henrik Stenson starts his 2014 season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship from today, hoping to continue his blistering form from last year and make a major push towards displacing Tiger Woods from the top of the world rankings.

The 37-year-old Swede, twice runner-up in the UAE capital and holder of the course record at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club - a 10-under par 62 - is the topranked player in the quality field assembled for the $2.7 million European Tour event.

Stenson was the talk of the golfing world last year for his double-double when he won the FedEx Cup and the Race to Dubai on either side of the Atlantic, and also triumphed in the Tour Championships on both Tours. Speaking to the media on the eve of the tournament, Stenson said: “I don’t know how I can better the last season. Maybe, I don’t need to. I am not greedy. I will be happy if I have a similar year.

“No, I think for me, there are two big challenges. One is to try and keep the expectations in check. That kind of run that I had for the last six months there, that’s not going to continue forever and ever. We know that much.

“But the most important thing for me is to keep on focusing on my game which is having its challenges at this time. “The demand on my time is five times higher now than it was six months ago, so it’s a lot of things to look after outside the course, which is

going to take a little bit of time and focus away from playing and practicing.” Stenson said he is aware he has a good chance of closing the gap on world num-

ber one Tiger Woods, mainly because he does not have too many points to lose in the first half of the year.

Henrik Stenson

Asked what he needs to do to overtake Woods, Stenson said: “Well, the simple answer would just to be keep on playing the way I have been playing and I should hopefully challenge for it. “But I can’t put my focus on that. My focus has to be on my game and doing the right things, and hopefully the result will continue to keep coming our way. And if they do, I hope I’ll be in with a chance to firstly get to world number two and then to world number one. “I think it would be a lovely achievement and something to look back at the end of one’s career.

“Whether it happens or not, that’s written in the future and I can only focus on what I can control, and then we don’t know. “I mean, even if I win three tournaments in the next four weeks, Tiger or Adam might do the same or even better. I can only do my bit and then we’ll see.” Despite his recent run of form, Stenson feels he has a lot to improve in his game.

“There are areas that I can improve on, quite a lot in some and a little bit less in others perhaps,” he added.

“As we all know, golf is a game where you never get finished. You can always keep on getting better and keep on working. “I think that’s key. The moment you sit down and you’re happy where you’re at, normally you start going backwards.” Welshman Jamie Donaldson is the defending champion in the tournament that also features world number five Phil Mickelson, number seven Rory McIlroy and number 10 Sergio Garcia. — AFP

Laureus’s World Sports Awards cancelled in Rio RIO DE JANEIRO: Laureus says its World Sports Awards will not be held in Rio de Janeiro this year, another setback for Brazil as it attempts to organize the World Cup and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. Laureus announced the decision in a brief statement yesterday without elaborating, and said new plans would be revealed “shortly.”

Brazilian media have reported the cancellation centers around a money dispute between organizers and the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Reports say Laureus is owed money under the terms of the contract. “Laureus and the state of Rio de Janeiro have agreed that the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards will not be staged in Rio,” the brief statement said.

A spokesperson for the state government’s Secretariat of Sports and Leisure did not offer an immediate response to an inquiry from The Associated Press. The Laureus Awards, dubbed the Oscars of

sports, were given to Rio for 2013 and 2014. Last March, Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis received the biggest individual prizes. Laureus’ decision comes three months after the Soccerex conference, a trade show for football, was called off in a dispute with the Rio state government.

The state government said that cancellation involved a law that would give tax breaks to the event organizers.

The organizers said it was called off because of security concerns, a charge denied by the state government. Brazil is facing countless problems organizing the World Cup, which starts in five months.

As many as three stadiums may not be ready until April, and travel and soaring hotel prices promise headaches. Protests are also expected. The International Olympic Committee has openly told Rio organizers to speed up, and IOC President Thomas Bach is to meet next week in Brasilia with President Dilma Rousseff. — AP

Snooker world champion O’Sullivan masters Milkins LONDON: World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan brushed aside tournament debutant Robert Milkins 6-1 to launch his campaign for a fifth Masters title at London’s Alexandra Palace on Tuesday.

O’Sullivan, who thrashed Milkins 6-0 in the UK Championship last month, will now play either Barry Hawkins or Ricky Walden in the quar ter-finals of the Masters. Afterwards, O’Sullivan said he hoped the manner of his convincing win had provided his watching friends, including leading British artist Damien Hirst, rather than watching ‘reality’ television.

“Damien has been in my corner for a long time. He gets me and understands how challenging this game can be, and gives me a lot of support,” O’Sullivan told worldsnooker.com. “We all had a good night out-it gets a bit boring sitting in and watching Big Brother.” O’Sullivan said he felt refreshed following his break from

competition since losing to Stuart Bingham at the UK Championship in December.”I played too much snooker at the end of last year and got a bit sick of looking at a table,” O’Sullivan said.

“It’s better for me to play a couple of tournaments then have a month off because as you get older you struggle to get up for every match.

“It’s all right when you’re younger because everything is new and fresh and exciting but when you’ve been around for 20 years, you tend to go through the motions a bit, and you can’t afford to do that at this level.”

Earlier on Tuesday, 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy came from 4-2 down to beat China’s Ding Junhui 6-4. Murphy, the Masters runner-up two years ago, will play 2011 runner-up Marco Fu in the quarter-finals after the Hong Kong man beat Judd Trump 6-5 in the first round on Monday. — AFP

AUSTRIA: Mikaela Shiffrin, of the United States, competes during the alpine ski, womenís World Cup slalom. — AP

Shiffrin lands blow ahead of Olympics FLACHAU: US teenage ski star Mikaela Shiffrin won the women’s night slalom in Flachau, Austria, on Tuesday in dominant fashion, beating her rivals by close to a second.

The 18-year-old, who was winning in Flachau for a second successive year, clocked a time of 1min 45.83sec over two runs. Two Swedes completed the podium with Frida Hansdotter second at 0.83sec, and Maria Pietilae-Holmner third at 1.14sec.

Shiffrin, the reigning slalom world champion and winner of last year’s World Cup crystal globe in the discipline, already led after the first run, having put in a thundering performance to finish 0.90 sec ahead of Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch. In the second run, she made a few mistakes but nevertheless proved unbeatable, even as the skiers faced poor visibility and rain on the course.

“There were a couple of moments where I thought I was going out... I had to fight,” she said after the race, still looking like she could hardly

believe her win. “Nine tenths of a second is a lot of time, it seems like, but it goes away really fast. “It’s a tough hill because it’s not steep and it’s not flat, sometimes you don’t know how to take it. But she was satisfied with her performance: “I felt like I did my best skiing in the first run today. “It was really fun... every gate was coming fast I really liked it.”

The youngster thus confirmed her dominance in the slalom, with less than a month to go before the Olympics in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

She leads the World Cup rankings now with 402 points ahead of Hansdotter with 258 points. For the 28-year-old Swede, last year’s world slalom bronze medallist, this was the second slalom podium in a month after Courchevel. All her eight career slalom podiums have seen her fill the runners-up spot. But with Shiffrin in superior form, this was the best result she could hope for on Tuesday.

“I’m skiing really good and I’m really satisfied with my skiing,” Hansdotter said. “Mikaela was

unbeatable today... but my skiing’s starting to be where I want.” Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, twotime slalom World Cup trophy winner and current overall leader, was second after the first run but ended up just off the podium in fourth place. The race, which took place in front of a boisterous crowd of 14,300, had been widely expected to be a duel between Austrian veteran Marlies Schild and Shiffrin, 14 years her junior.

Going into Flachau, each had two slalom wins this season. But with the joint third fastest time after the first run, Schild, who has won a record 35 World Cup slaloms, made a costly mistake, eventually finishing 26th at 5.84sec.

The popular night slalom in Flachau was one of the last opportunities for the skiers to measure themselves against their competitors ahead of Sochi. Only one other women’s slalom is scheduled before the Olympics - in Maribor, Slovenia, on February 2. — AFP

Sotnikova, Lipnitskaia battle for European title

Ronnie O’Sullivan

BUDAPEST: Russian teenagers Adelina Sotnikova and Julia Lipnitskaia battled for the women’s title by going 1-2 after the short programme on the opening day of the European figure skating championships in Budapest yesterday.

Just three weeks before their home Winter Games in Sochi, four-time national champion Sotnikova, 17, gave a dazzling performance to Bizet’s Carmen to grab the lead with 70.73 points.

But Lipnitskaia, second to Sotnikova at the Russian championships, is just 0.76 points behind going into Friday’s free skating final after scoring 69.97 for her short programme to “You Don’t Give Up On Love” by Mark Minkov.

Former world champion Carolina Kostner of Italy, a five-time European champion, also gave a strong performance and is just 1.84 behind the leader in third with 68.97, with another Russian Alena Leonova, the 2012 world silver medallist, fourth on 64.09.

The pressure is mounting as the elite European skaters fine-tune their routines to challenge defending champion Kim Yu-Na of South Korea and 2010 Olympic silver medallist Mao Asada of Japan, for the gold medal which has eluded the continent’s women since Oksana Baiul of Ukraine triumphed in 1994 at Lillehammer.

Wearing red, Sotnikova, who won her first national senior level title at age 12, punched the air in delight after her performance which included an opening triple-triple toe-loop combination, followed by a triple flip and a double axel.

But two-time defending champion Kostner proved solid as the 26-year-old gave a flawless presentation of her new short programme to Shubert’s Ave Maria.

BUDAPEST: Italy’s Carolina Kostner performs during the women’s short program at the European Figure Skating Championships yesterday. — AP The ice dancing competition gets underway later Wednesday with challengers including Russia’s defending champions Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev, their compatriots Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov, as well as Italian pair Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte, who were onetwo-three respectively at Zagreb last year.

In the men’s competition Spaniard Javier Fernandez opens his title defence today faced

with the challenge of Russia’s Maxim Kovtun.

In pairs, Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, four-time world champions and Olympic bronze medallists, will continue their duel with reigning world and European champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia starting on Friday. The Germans won the Grand Prix final ahead of the Russians who are bidding for a third straight European title. — AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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‘Million-pound’ Pietersen gets T20 call LONDON: Kevin Pietersen was yesterday handed a berth in England’s provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20, which begins in Bangladesh in March. The 33-year-old batsman’s international future has been the subject of speculation since England’s humiliating 5-0 loss to Australia in the Ashes, with British media reports suggesting his place was at risk. However, while he has been called up for the World Twenty20, he is not guaranteed to play in the tournament as the squad will be cut in half following the forthcoming three-match Twenty20 series against Australia.

England limited overs coach Ashley Giles dismissed suggestions that Pietersen’s presence in the squad could prove problematic, describing him as a “million-pound” asset. Asked if he had discussed leaving Pietersen out of the squad with team director Andy Flower, Giles replied: “No. There was no discussion about leaving Kevin out. “He’s another million-pound asset at least. He might be worth a bit more than that. He’s a fantastic player and he’s shown that in T20 cricket. Kev has been a fantastic player for England for many years.”

Pietersen has been rested for the Twenty20 series against Australia, but he took to Twitter last week to declare his “strong desire” to remain an England player. Flower was forced to deny media reports that he had given the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) an ultimatum about Pietersen’s place in the squad, describing the rumors as “totally inaccurate”. Test captain Alastair Cook, meanwhile, said that England would make no major decisions about resculpting the squad before they return home from Australia.

Giles revealed yesterday that the final composition of the World Twenty20 squad will be announced before England leave Australia in early February. Steven Finn was included in the squad despite being allowed to leave Australia early to work on technical aspects of his game.

The Middlesex fast bowler was the only player in England’s initial 17-man Ashes squad not to play in the Test series and he has not played a game since. “At the moment Steven needs a bit of space,” Giles said. “In the very short term he probably needs a couple of weeks away from cricket full stop.” —AFP

WELLINGTON: New Zealand celebrate their win over West Indies in the series in the second T20 International cricket match at Westpac Stadium. —AP

NZ heap misery on West Indies

Kevin Pietersen

Bangladesh tour still on: Sri Lanka COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is to go ahead with a tour to Bangladesh later this month after carrying out its own security assessment in the violence-plagued country, cricket board officials said yesterday. “We are very positive about playing in Bangladesh,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said. “We look forward to playing there.” Confirmation that the tour is going ahead comes after SLC vice president Mohan de Silva and the board’s former chief executive Ajith Jayasekera travelled to Bangladesh earlier this week.

Ranatunga said the pair were joined by Sri Lankan diplomats as they held discussions in Dhaka about player safety for the tour. The first of two Test matches begins in the capital on January 27 and the two teams are also scheduled to play three oneday internationals and two Twenty20 matches. Bangladesh has been rocked by some of the deadliest political violence in its history in recent weeks, with the opposition trying to derail a January 5 general election which was marred by boycotts.

The violence has also prompted specu-

lation that the 50 over Asia Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup, which are both due to be hosted by Bangladesh in the coming weeks, could be shifted. Ranatunga rejected reports that Sri Lanka had been sounded out by Asian cricket authorities about the possibility of hosting the Asia Cup which will also include India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. “There is no such thing. No one has asked us to host the Asia Cup,” Ranatunga said. “The original decision of the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) stands.”

The Asia Cup is due to begin in Bangladesh on February 25 and the finals will be on March 8. The Twenty20 World Cup, which features all of the major teams in international cricket, is to run from March 16 to April 6. The three venues chosen for the T20 tournament-Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet-have all experienced violence over the past month. In 2009, during a trip to Pakistan, the Sri Lankan cricket team was ambushed by armed gunmen in an attack that wounded a number of players and killed at least six policemen. —AFP

WELLINGTON: New Zealand inflicted a further defeat on the West Indies in their second Twenty20 international yesterday to bring a dismal end to the visiting team’s tour. The four-wicket win gave New Zealand the Twenty20 series 2-0 to go with their 2-0 win in the Tests. The one-day internationals were shared 2-2, the West Indies’ only success on their six-week tour. After New Zealand won the first Twenty20 by 81 runs, they were struggling at 79-5 in the second match before a 68run partnership between Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi turned the innings around.

Taylor played the anchor role with 39 off 41 balls while Ronchi belted an unbeaten 51 off 28 deliveries in an innings that included four fours and two sixes. The pair were particularly harsh on West Indies skipper Dwayne Bravo in the 15th over when they took 17 runs to reduce the target from 54 off 36 balls to a more manageable 37 off 30. They then took 15 off the 17th over by Jason Holder and although Taylor gave his wicket away with a mistimed slog-sweep to Chadwick Walton at deep midwicket New Zealand were then in a position to coast to victory.

The outcome could have been different had the West Indies been more alert with their fielding. Jesse Ryder was dropped twice as he raced to a quick 23 in nine balls, and Brendon McCullum received a life on his way to 17. But the biggest bungle was missing two chances to remove man of the match Ronchi on the first ball he faced. Andre Russell dropped a caught and bowled opportunity and when Ronchi scampered through for a quick single Tino Best was astray with his run out throw at the stumps.

The West Indies, who won the toss and elected to bat first, appeared to have lost their way when reduced to 67-4 in the 11th over before Denesh Ramdin and Andre Taylor breathed life into their innings. They put on 70 for the fifth wicket which ended when Fletcher (40) opted to sacrifice himself after he and Ramdin ended up at the same end in a running mix up. Ramdin carried on through to the end to be unbeaten on 55 off 31 balls in an innings which included three sixes and three fours. New Zealand next host India starting with the first of five one-day internationals next Sunday to be followed by two Tests. —AFP

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Luke Ronchi (left) hits a boundary over the head of bowler West Indies Jason Holder in the second T20 International cricket match. —AP

SCOREBOARD WELLINGTON: Completed scoreboard in the second Twenty20 international between New Zealand and the West Indies in Wellington yesterday: R. Ryder c Simmons b Holder 23 West Indies L. Simmons c Neesham b McClenaghan 29 B. McCullum lbw Narine 17 J Charles c Guptill b Milne 7 R. Taylor c Walton b Narine 39 A. Fletcher run out (Munro/Milne/Ronchi) 40 C. Munro c Miller b Russell 5 D. Bravo b N. McCullum 12 C. Anderson c Charles b Russell 6 C. Walton c Ronchi b Milne 0 L. Ronchi not out 51 D. Ramdin not out 55 J. Neesham not out 14 A. Russell not out 10 Extras (lb3, w4) 7 Extras: (lb2, w4) 6 Total (six wickets; 20 overs) 163 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 159 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Guptill), 2-36 (Ryder), 3Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Charles), 2-37 (Simmons), 349(McCullum), 4-69 (Munro), 5-79 (Anderson), 666 (Bravo), 4-67 (Walton), 5-137 (Fletcher) 147 (Taylor).

Did not bat: J. Holder, N. Miller, S. Narine, T. Best.

Bowling: McClenaghan 4-0-29-1, Milne 4-0-22-2, Did not bat: Nathan McCullum, Mitch Neesham 4-0-39-0 (2w), Anderson 4-0-50-0 (2w), McClenaghan, Adam Milne, James Neesham.

Bowling: Holder 3-0-34-2 (1w), Best 3-0-37-0 (1w), N. McCullum 4-0-17-1 Bravo 3-0-31-0 (2w), Narine 4-0-18-2, Miller 3-024-0, Russell 3-0-16-2.

New Zealand: M. Guptill c Ramdin b Holder 1 Result: New Zealand won by four wickets.

Kubica back in familiar surroundings for WRC MONTE CARLO: Robert Kubica faces the biggest challenge of his rally career in Monte Carlo this weekend when the former Formula One driver makes an icy start to his first full season in the world championship. The Pole, who won the European Championship opener in Austria this month after clinching the second tier WRC2 title in 2013, will be closely watched as a man whose fame extends well beyond the world of rallying. “This year will be a big challenge, participating in the WRC with the top drivers and the new rallies coming,” said the former Renault F1 driver, who was a grand prix winner with BMWSauber in 2008.

He twice stood on the Monaco Formula One podium, racing around the principality’s tight and twisty streets to finish second with BMW-Sauber in 2008 and third with Renault in 2010. But the rally, on winding Alpine roads with sheer drops to the side and sheets of black ice to beware, is a very different affair. Cars use slick and studded tyres with some stages run in the dark. “I have never been in Monte Carlo (the rally)

apart from the recce in 2010 but I didn’t start the rally. I haven’t driven on snow,” he said.

On Ferrari’s radar, Kubica’s Formula One career came to an abrupt halt when he crashed and suffered near-fatal hand and wrist injuries in a minor rally in Italy in 2011 and underwent extensive surgery. Since then he has rebuilt his career with a new focus on rallying, always his passion, and will be driving an M-Sport prepared Ford with a reconfigured gearshift and handbrake mechanism because of the limited strength in his right hand.

REALLY STRONG The British-based team have been highly impressed by the 29year-old’s commitment. “Some of the times he was doing in WRC2, nobody has got that close to World Rally Car pace in a regional car before,” team boss Malcolm Wilson said at the Autosport International show last week. “In the second half of the season with the Tarmac events he’s already done, he’s going to be really strong.”

Kubica, who won the governing FIA’s inaugural Personality of the Year award in December in a vote of media covering all the world championships, will not be alone in the limelight. There are plenty of changes in a 13-race championship that is eager to move on from the days when Sebastien Loeb racked up a record nine titles in succession before taking his driving skills to the World Touring Car Championship.

Another French Sebastien is defending the title, Sebastien Ogier with Volkswagen, but the new Hyundai team are making their competitive debut with rising Belgian star Thierry Neuville and experienced Spaniard Dani Sordo. Citroen have shaken up their line-up, with Norwegian Mads Ostberg partnering Britain’s Kris Meeke. Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen, a 15 times rally winner, has returned to M-Sport Ford from Citroen after a disappointing 2013 season. “I think VW will be the team to beat,” he said. “Ogier and Jari-Matti (Latvala) will be strong as always.” —Reuters

Robert Kubica

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

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Asada pursues the perfect jump TOKYO: When Japan’s Mao Asada steps onto the ice in Sochi, she will be hoping to finish off her amateur career with Olympic gold - and a perfect set of the complicated jumps that have long been both her trademark and her Achilles heel.

As recently as the Japan Nationals in late December, she failed to properly land a triple Axel and ended up placing third, prompting some commentators to suggest she omit the jump from her routine altogether. Asada may well take heed of the warnings because in Sochi she will again face long-time rival Kim Yuna of South Korea, the reigning Olympic champion, who sat out the Grand Prix circuit to recover from injury but has since performed strongly.

Kim, 23, hopes to end her competitive career by becoming the first woman to win two Olympic gold figure skating medals since Katarina Witt in the 1980s.

Though Asada downplays talk of rivalry with the elegant South Korean, the 2010 Vancouver loss still scars the 23-year-old Japanese skater.

“There have been some very tough times, but if she wasn’t there I wouldn’t have made the progress I have,” Asada told Reuters in November.

“In Vancouver, I had the gold medal as my goal. I’d worked for it since I was a child, and afterwards I really regretted my mistakes,” she added.

“In Sochi, I’d like to erase those memories by doing everything perfectly. That’s what I’ve been working for these last three years.”

Much of that quest for perfection centres on the triple Axel, a complicated jump with 3.5 rotations that has been associated with Asada virtually since she burst onto the skating scene as a junior phenomenon. She remains the only woman in the world to have landed three of them in competition.

But while Asada performs the jump well during practice - a November session at her home rink saw her land it cleanly on every attempt - keeping that same focus in competition remains an issue and has been the centrepiece of her pre-Sochi efforts.

Asked what she thinks about when she skates, she said: “Making sure I skate the way I’ve been skating in practice. I leave it up to my body and skate with all my heart.”

She spends the last minutes prior to any competition pacing the corridor by the rink, her face set. “Basically I’m just concentrating. The first (triple) Axel is the key point, so I’m always visualising that,” she said. “To relax, I do deep breathing - a deep breath in, then a long breath out. I try to be aware of that.” A perfect first triple Axel brings relief and, often, a big and unforced grin. “But if that doesn’t go well then I really concentrate on making up the points elsewhere.”

Asada began skating at the age of five, enticed into doing it to follow her big sister, Mai, two years older and a skater herself.

She began to draw attention while still on the junior circuit and now is a household name in Japan, known by the affectionate nickname “Mao-chan”.

But after taking silver to Kim’s gold in Vancouver, Asada began to relearn her skating from the basics, undergoing several painful years before making the new skills her own.

“The first year and second year I was thinking all the time when I practiced. It’s all an issue of sense, of feeling,” she said. “There’s nothing I can put my finger on, but basically it was just a matter of practicing every day until I got it.”

She suffered a further blow in December 2011, when the news came that her 48-year-old mother, Kyoko, was in critical condition with liver disease.

Asada pulled out of a competition in Canada to fly home, but before she could reach Japan her mother had passed away.

She went into a slump during which she “hated skating,” going as far as to tell coach Nobuo Sato that she might be thinking of quitting.

However, she was lured back into skating by the lively music her choreographer played during a visit, as well as the fun of putting together an exhibition programme.

After the Olympics and giving up competition, Asada would like to take part in ice shows but before that, she’d like to go on vacation preferably to “some place like Bali, where I can really relax”.

“Now, it’s really fun. I’m expecting a lot of myself but I’m hopeful,” she said. “It’s not the kind of fun you have while shopping, but doing everything I can every day and finishing the day with a sense of satisfaction. I’m doing what I must right now, and in the end I think I’ll be pleased.” —Reuters

Lydia Lassila

Lassila keen to push her limits SYDNEY: Australian Lydia Lassila’s motto is a simple and appropriate one for an athlete who spends her career launching herself into spectacular acrobatics on skis.

“The glory is not in never falling, but rising when we fall,” the Australian said on Twitter last month from frozen Finland where she was training in preparation for the defence of her aerials gold medal at the Sochi Olympics.

Taking risks has always been part of Lassila’s strategy and she has the bumps, bruises and rebuilt knee for souvenirs.

That is why four years ago on a foggy evening on Cypress Mountain overlooking the Canadian city of Vancouver, she peered through the gloom before nailing a perfect triple twisting somersault to snatch gold. It is also the reason she has been working on a quadruple twisting somersault at home in the safety of the swimming pool and at her winter training base in Finland.

The move has never been executed by a woman at the Olympics and Lassila is a little miffed, to say the least, that the new judging criteria to be used in Sochi means she may not benefit from trying such an audacious trick.

“I’ve always wanted to do triples for a few reasons; because I want to jump like the men, to push the women’s field and because I know I can,” the 31-year-old, who took a break in 2011 to give birth to son Kai, told Reuters.

“It is more risky but I have trained them. Now I’ve been working on a quad twisting triple somersault which has never been done by a woman before and I’m hoping I get the opportunity to do it at the Olympics.”

Explaining the changes to the scoring she said: “It’s now judged differently. It is now a three-jump elimination final which means your points are wiped clean after each round instead of being combined like the old system.

“It doesn’t encourage risk-taking, which is really what our sport is - dynamic and spectacular. It encourages you to be consistent so that you can make it through each round.

“It puts a bit of a glass ceiling on our sport - it’s not encouraging women to really go out there and do triple somersaults and try to progress the sport.”

Former gymnast Lassila, whose hero is Nadia

Comaneci, recovered from the heartbreak of the 2006 Turin Olympics where she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament on landing.

She battled back to win an emotional gold in Vancouver and few would have blamed her if she had decided to hang up the skis and spare her knees any more punishment.

However, after the birth of Kai, she returned full-time to the sport she loves and believes she can become the first freestyle skier to defend an Olympic title in Sochi.

“We’re having a great adventure together,” she said of being a mum, wife to Finnish freestyler Lauri, and travelling the world competing in some unlikely venues such as the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing in December.

“Last year, I suffered a bad back injury in preseason and carried it all the way through the season which was hell,” she added.

“But at the moment I’m feeling really good, 80 or 90 percent fit, so the important thing is to stay there. “I expect to win gold. That’s the standard that I’ve set for myself. I don’t think I would have decided to come back if I had any other goals.”

“I never had the feeling of wanting to retire,” she added. “I knew I needed a break after Vancouver and time away from the sport to rest and also start a family but it was always my plan to return. I felt like I had more to give to the sport.

“I felt like I could be better which is why I’m still here and what pushes me forward. Lassila will lead a strong Australian team which also includes rising star Danielle Scott.

“We have a great strong team of athletes with all of us on the podium last year at different World Cups,” she said. “Danielle is a natural and a great competitor and I know she will go far as will others in our team like Laura Peel and Samantha Wells.”

The freestyle skiing world is known for its parties but should Lassila repeat her Vancouver result she will more likely enjoy a quiet family meal.

Wary of the bad publicity caused by the antics of some of the Australian team at London 2012 that led the country’s Olympic committee to issue strict conduct rules, she said: “I haven’t had alcohol since April because it was a decision I made to help rehab my back. “Seriously any disciplined athlete should be able to hold back on the alcohol.” —Reuters

Mao Asada

‘Fastest mom on ice’ ready to fly in Sochi LONDON: Noelle Pikus-Pace is on a mission to win Olympic gold - and the American skeleton racer - dubbed the ‘fastest mom on ice’ — will not let anything distract her from making it third time lucky.

The 30-year-old had her 2006 Olympic hopes dashed by a pre-Games freak accident in which she suffered a broken leg when a bobsleigh crashed into her after failing to brake at the finish line.

Four years later, she finished fourth, a tenth of a second outside the medals. Done with skeleton and happy in retirement, a personal tragedy in which she suffered a miscarriage with her third child prompted a life re-evaluation and a return to a sport in which she has unfinished business.

“I feel unstoppable - so confident in my own abilities,” she told Reuters.”It’s a drive and a passion inside me that I can’t explain. You either have it or you don’t and I’ve felt it this season.

“It’s a rhythm, it’s a feel, it’s a flow, it’s a dance.

I grew up dancing when I was younger - it reminds me of the dance; being able to feel it and get the timing perfect. I have to be able to see it. I see every entrance and every exit.

“When I get to the line I’m laughing, I’m smil-

ing, I’m waving and when that green light goes off, I’m 100 percent focused and I can see every curve down the track, I’m not distracted by anything.”Pikus-Pace has become accustomed to overcoming adversity.

In the first World Cup race of this season, she was the fastest over two runs in Calgary, only to be disqualified after her sled failed a post-race inspection following a complaint that extra tape was wrapped around the handle.

Tearful and frustrated, Pikus-Pace channelled her anger into positive thoughts, and came out a week later on her home track in Park City, Utah, to again blitz the field. “Sometimes I might feel like fate has dealt me some off hands but I’m happy and life is great,” she said.

“I’ve been through a lot in my career and life and I know there is no point in looking backwards - you learn from your experiences and don’t let the world get you down.

“We have a choice, we can look back and be upset or choose to learn from it, see what we can take out of it and just choose to be stronger and better people.”

Pikus-Pace won the test event in Sochi earlier this year and liked the feel of a track she said suited her style. “I do much better on longer

tracks. My start isn’t the top of the world - it’s in the mix, but I’m one of the slower athletes at the start. I have to earn that speed down the track,” she added.

“When I was competing at 21, I felt at my peak. Then when I went to the Vancouver Games, I felt I was at my peak. But now, honestly, I’m pushing faster than I’ve ever pushed before.

“I don’t get distracted by other athletes and other issues I used to get distracted by and that comes with experience and wisdom.”

A world champion in 2007, this year’s silver medal at the worlds in St Moritz - behind Briton Shelley Rudman, who is also one of the favorites for gold in Sochi - confirmed that her old form had returned.

While many athletes struggle to replicate the form from early in their career, Pikus-Pace credits her support system for helping ease her return to the sport.

Helped by a substantial donation from a wellwisher, Pikus-Pace is able to have her family with her full-time on the competition circuit.

“I have a different training program, strength and conditioning coach - he’s worked with me and my mum schedule,” she said. “I’m stronger and faster than I’ve been before.” —Reuters

Kim Yu-Na ‘not focusing’ on defending Olympic gold

Noelle Pikus-Pace

SEOUL: Figure skating superstar Kim YuNa yesterday expressed confidence in her ability going into next month’s Winter Games in Sochi but insists she is “not focusing” on defending her Olympic title.

The 23-year-old had been off the ice since September, after picking up a metatarsal injury in her right foot, but is working herself back to form.

“I’m in good shape,” Kim told reporters at a training camp in Seoul as she bids to become just the third woman to win back-to-back Olympic figure skating titles and the first since Germany’s Katarina Witt in 1984 and 1988.

“It’s not easy to do well every time, but I’ve made preparations enough to gain plenty of confidence,” she said. But Kim said she has been preparing for the Winter Olympics in Sochi as if it were just another event. “Many people talk about winning two straight gold medals, but I’m

not focusing on defending the title,” she said.

“I just hope to do everything I’ve prepared to do. As long as I can do that, I think the results will follow and I should be able to end my career without regrets,” she added.

Known as “Queen Yu-Na” in her native country, Kim won gold at the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. She had made a competitive return last month after a break of more than 18 months from the sport.

In March she won a world title in Canada, setting herself up as a strong contender for back-to-back Olympic gold medals. After an injury lay-off, she again captured an impressive triumph in a minor event last month in Croatia.

Kim has said that she would retire after the 2014 Winter Olympics and seek to become a member of the International Olympic Committee. —AFP

Jason Lamy-Chappuis

Chappuis back down to earth PARIS: Jason Lamy-Chappuis briefly indulged in the post-Olympic media frenzy after winning a nordic combined gold in 2010, only to be reminded that his sport requires him to be “Usain Bolt and Mo Farah at the same time”.

The man from Missoula, Montana, who competes for France, has a pilot’s licence and hopes to work for an airline when his career ends.

But he admits he got caught in the whirl of fame after winning the 10-km normal hill event in Vancouver. “It’s easy to surf on the wave of Olympic glory. I experienced that after the Vancouver Games,” Lamy-Chappuis told reporters.

“I was invited to the tennis French Open, I followed a Tour de France stage in an official car. Really cool things to do. “But landing was tough. When I went back to training I was the worst athlete at training and at the end of July (2010) I said ‘no’ to everything. I had lost two months of preparation.”

The Frenchman, who will be his country’s flag-bearer in Sochi, eventually made up for lost time and won the 10-km large hill gold medal at the 2011 world championships.

Two years later, he snatched the 10-km normal hill world titles as well as two golds in the team events. Lamy-Chappuis planned first to become an airline pilot after the Vancouver Olympics, but then after also securing three overall World Cup titles, he felt there was still some excitement left in nordic combined. “I still enjoy training a lot,” he said. “I still need that mix of excitement, fear and nerves. I’m aiming for the perfect movement. I think I can still improve a lot.” Lamy-Chappuis, 27, is looking for more as he aims for the perfect balance.

“You need to be explosive and light to

jump and in the mean time, you must be resistant and have a powerful upper body for the cross country skiing,” he said.

In nordic combined, points are scored for style and distance in ski jumping. The points difference after the jump are translated into seconds before the cross-country skiing race, with the leaders after the jump starting first.

“It’s like being good on 100 metres and 5,000 metres, or being Usain Bolt and Mo Farah at the same time. We’re not going to be as good as the best ski jumpers or as good as the best cross-country skiers but that’s what we’re aiming for,” said Lamy-Chappuis.

Lamy-Chappuis believes he still has a bit of time to achieve his nordic combined goals.

“I could not see myself quit (after Vancouver) because I will have so much time for my second life after I retire,” added the Frenchman, who has already clocked 135 flying hours.

In Sochi, he will aim to add a team gold medal to his Vancouver title after he and Sebastien Lacroix claimed the team sprint title at this year’s world championships, also winning the team normal hill event with Lacroix, Francois Braud and Maxime Laheurte.

“We may be in an individual sport, we’ve been training together since we’re 13 or 14,” he explained. “We use to spend 60 days together for the pre-season training camps.

We’re a bunch of friends. I remember that after our world title, we spent the best night.

This moment of happiness we shared together was something so strong.” After the first part of the season, Lamy-Chappuis was third overall in the World Cup standings behind German Eric Frenzel and Japan’s Akito Watabe, having won two individual victories under his belt. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

S P ORTS

High-flying Atletico knock Valencia out of King’s Cup

JOHANNESBURG: In this Sunday, July 11, 2010 file photo, referee Howard Webb of England (center) speaks with Spain’s Sergio Ramos (left) and Netherlands’ Robin van Persie during the World Cup final soccer match. —AP

FIFA names 25 WCup referees BERNE: World Cup final referee Howard Webb is among the 25 named by FIFA yesterday for this year’s tournament in Brazil.

The list included nine referees from Europe, five from South America, four from Asia, three each from Africa and CONCACAF and one from Oceania. Each referee was selected as a part of a team including two linesmen.

Felix Brych was picked from Germany, Carlos Velasco from Spain and Nicola Rizzoli from Italy, while there were no referees from France. Sandro Ricci was named as Brazil’s referee and Nestor Pitana from Argentina. Brych was involved in the socalled phantom goal match during a Bundesliga clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim in October. He awarded a Stefan Kiessling goal for Leverkusen after failing to see that the ball had entered the net through a hole in the side. Englishman Webb handed out 14 yellow cards and one red in the SpainNetherlands final in 2010, although he was widely criticized for failing to send off any Dutch players in a wild first half as Spain went on to win 1-0 after extra time. “FIFA

has implemented a comprehensive program to ensure that the referees for its flagship competition are in peak condition,” world soccer’s governing body said in a statement. “The referees selected for the World Cup in Brazil have been chosen based especially on their personality and their quality in football understanding by being able to read the game and the teams’ tactical approaches towards each game.”

Referees: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan), Yuichi Nishimura (Japan), Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain), Benjamin Williams (Australia), Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast), Bakary Papa Gassama (Gambia), Djamel Haimoudi (Algeria), Joel Aguilar (El Salvador), Mark Geiger (United States), Marco Antonio Rodriguez (Mexico), Enrique Osses (Chile), Nestor Pitana (Argentina), Sandro Ricci (Brazil), Wilmar Roldan (Colombia), Carlos Vera (Ecuador), Peter O’Leary (New Zealand), Felix Brych (Germany), Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey), Jonas Eriksson (Sweden), Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands), Milorad Mazic (Serbia), Pedro Proenca (Portugal), Nicola Rizzoli (Italy), Carlos Velasco (Spain), Howard Webb (England).— Reuters

B A R C E LO N A : S e co n d - h a l f headers from Diego Godin and R a u l G a rc i a g ave h o l d e r s Atletico Madrid a 2-0 win over Va l e n c i a a n d a p l a ce i n t h e King’s Cup quarter-finals by 3-1 on aggregate. Atletico, fresh from a draw with Barcelona at the weekend that kept them level on points with the champions at the top of La Liga, are s t i l l c h a s i n g t i t l e s o n t h re e fronts with their Champions Le a g u e c a m p a i gn re s u m i n g next month.

The two sides cancelled each other out in the first half at the Calderon but six minutes after the break Godin nodded home and Garcia added a second to gi ve t h e h o l d e r s v i c to r y.

Valencia’s Daniel Parejo was dismissed for a second yellow card in added time of the last 1 6 , s e co n d - l e g c l a s h . R e a l Madrid, who lost to Atletico in last year’s final, will try to book a p l a ce i n t h e l a s t e i g h t a t Osasuna on Wednesday with the cushion of a 2-0 home win before Barcelona visit Getafe on Thursday following a 4-0 victory at the Nou Camp.

“It was another difficult game for us but we are now happy with the result. We gave our all,” goalscorer Garcia told reporters. “ This is a demanding level and we know we can’t afford to make mistakes. We are all worki n g h a rd a n d we h ave a b i g e n o u g h s q u a d to co p e.”

Valencia offered solid resistance and in a cagey start there was little space for either side to e x p l o i t . At l e t i co s t r i k e r Diego Costa had a weak drive blocked by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita but Valencia went clos-

MADRID: Atletico’s Raul Garcia (left) in action with Valencia’s Javi Fuego (right) during a Spanish Copa del Rey soccer match. —AP

est to breaking the deadlock b e fo re h a l f t i m e w i t h h o m e stopper Thibaut Courtois beating away an effort from Juan Bernat.

Godin put Atletico ahead soon af ter the restar t when he headed in a corner and Garcia then hit the post with

a strike from distance. At the other end, Courtois was kept busy and made two fine s a v e s t o d e n y Va l e n c i a f o r ward Helder Postiga. G arcia headed the second goal from another corner with a minute to go before Valencia’s Parejo kicked the ball away in frus-

Kora.com to hold tourney for amateur footballers

Cortese on the verge of quitting Southampton LONDON: Nicola Cortese, the man credited with driving Southampton’s renaissance as a force in the English Premier League, is close to leaving the club, according to media reports. The 45-yearold Italian banker, who became the Saints’ executive chairman in 2009, has suffered an “irretrievable breakdown” in relations with club owners the Liebherr estate, the Southern Daily Echo said yesterday. Sky Sports reported that Cortese had already submitted his resignation amid persistent reports in the British and Italian media saying AC Milan want to lure him to the San Siro. “Sources close to the top of the club have today indicated that Cortese’s departure could come within a matter of days rather than at the end of the season,” the Echo added. Cortese’s future was the subject of speculation last summer before an interim agreement between him and Liebherr estate over the direction of the club as well as his contract. But, the Echo reported, discussions since then to agree a long-term strategy have not produced a solution, and Cortese is considering his position at St Mary’s Stadium. His departure would be a major blow to Southampton, not least because Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino, 41, suggested last May that he would also quit if Cortese left.

Bookmaker William Hill said yesterday they had seen a surge of bets on Pochettino to leave the Saints, and had installed him the 7/4 favorite-in from 14/1 - to be the next Premier League manager to part ways with his club. “The odds suggest that Mauro Pochettino could be leaving his role imminently,” William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said. Cortese persuaded German-born industrialist Markus Liebherr to buy the club in 2009, when Saints were in

administration and playing in the third tier. Liebherr died in August 2010, when ownership of the south-coast club passed to his family estate.

CONTROVERSIAL ACT Cortese ran the club’s day-to-day affairs as Southampton climbed from League One to the Premier League in three years. His most controversial act was to sack manager Nigel Adkins in Januar y 2013 and replace him with Pochettino. Fans were highly critical of the change and the treatment of Adkins but former defender Pochettino has won them round, ensuring Southampton retained their top flight status last term with wins over Manchester City and Chelsea along the way. Cortese has also been a shrewd operator in the transfer market, backing his managers to bring in now-established players such as Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Victor Wanyama, Dejan Lovren and Dani Osvaldo, who arrived from AS Roma in August 2013 for a club-record fee of 15 million pounds ($24.69 million).

When rumors of Milan’s interest first sur faced in 2010, Cor tese told Southampton’s website (www.saintsfc.co.uk): “I am obviously flattered about the interest, and flattered that it has come from a top, top team because I think this is a success, not just for me, but for Southampton Football Club, the supporters, my management team and our first team. “My answer at the time when I had this approach was a simple one and I didn’t have to think for even a second about it. The club (M ilan), despite where they are and the success that they have had in the past in the Italian league, cannot offer me anything that Southampton cannot achieve.”—Reuters

Nicola Cortese

tration and was dismissed for a second yellow card.

Third-tier Racing Santander had earlier put their financial problems aside to knock out top flight Almeria with Mariano Sanz and Ruben Duran giving them a 2-0 win for a 3-1 aggregate success. — Reuters

TOKYO: In this Tuesday, June 4, 2013 photo, Australia’s Lucas Neill listens to the national anthem before their Asian zone Group B qualifying soccer match for the 2014 World Cup in Saitama, near Tokyo. For many Asian players the dream move to football’s big leagues in Europe is not all they hoped for and could even damage the chances of some of the continent’s best-known stars of appearing at the World Cup this June. Lucas Neill is without a team after his contract in Japan with Omiya Ardija ended in December. —AP

Asian World Cup hopefuls warned to get on-field SEOUL: For many Asian players the dream move to football’s big leagues in Europe has not been all they hoped for and could even damage their chances of appearing at the World Cup this June. Japan playmaker Shinji Kagawa has started just seven of Manchester United’s 21 league games so far this season, but at least he can expect to be in the starting lineup for Japan’s opening World Cup match against Ivory Coast on June 14. Others are not so sure.

Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has warned his players they need to be active for their clubs to boost their chances of going to Brazil. That makes the current January transfer window - the last chance to move this season - a vital one.

Socceroo captain Lucas Neill is without a team after his contract in Japan with Omiya Ardija ended in December. Young talent Tom Rogic is struggling to make the starting eleven in Scotland with Celtic and has been linked with a loan move to Japan or back to the A-League in a bid to get some playing time.

“I really need players playing and fit around selection time,” Postecoglou said media earlier this month. “For Lucas and others in the group, there are some pretty big decisions to come. As long as they’re playing regularly and playing well, they give themselves the chance to be selected.”

There is also an issue with goalkeepers. There are Australian stoppers at big clubs, but Liverpool’s Brad Jones and Mitch Langerak at Borussia Dortmund have played just two league games between them this season. That leaves Mat Ryan, ever present at Club Brugge this season, in the driver’s seat.

Another Asian star in serious danger of missing out on what would be his third World Cup is Park Chu-young, who has played just seven minutes of Premier League action since joining Arsenal in August 2011. The South Korean striker was loaned out to Spain’s Celta Vigo for much of

the 2012-13 season but returned to London and inactivity in May. Despite links to France and second tier clubs in England last summer, he has remained in North London and made just one appearance this season in the final minutes of a League Cup game.

At the time of his surprise move to Arsenal from Monaco, the 28 year-old was Korea’s top striker, but he last started a game for his country in October 2012. Since taking over as head coach of the South Korea in July, Hong Myongbo has made it clear that if Park does not play competitive games he runs the risk of not being selected for Brazil.

Many have urged Park to follow the lead of compatriot Ki Sung-yeung who moved on loan from Swansea City to Sunderland in the summer and has been a standout performer for the English Premier League club.

According to Hong, Park may still make the plane but may not play. “It is true that Chuyoung has not been able to maintain the best feel of the game because he hasn’t been playing.

But a player who can act as a psychological leader among the players will help the team greatly, and in my opinion, Chu-young can do that,” Hong told Korean media this month.

Park was part of Hong’s bronze-winning Olympic team in 2012, but this time it’s slightly different. “This World Cup takes place immediately after the European league season ends, unlike the London Olympics in 2012,” Hong said.

“This makes it even more difficult for Chu-young to be in his top form when he joins the national team.” Japan’s Maya Yoshida is the main central defender for the national team, but after starting 31 games in the English Premier League for Southampton last season, he has played just twice in this campaign. His 935 minutes of action for the national team since last May when the league season ended, stands in stark contrast to the 180 minutes he has managed for his club.—AP

KUWAIT: Believing in the passion of football among Kuwait’s youth and in the necessity to expand and strengthen the sportsmanship that plays a crucial role in planting the true principles of the world’s number one sport; kora.com, the leading online football portal organizes a football tournament for amateur footballers.

Since its launch, Kora.com proved the outmost dedication and devotion to provide football lovers with the latest news about the football world. The website itself contains detailed information about worldwide football teams, latest news, forums, world rankings, matches, and predictions. Nevertheless, it preserves the moments of enthusiasm by presenting the videos of each match creating an opportunity for those who missed the live games or those who would like to relive the game again the opportunity to do so.

Moreover, kora.com designed its face book page and Google + channel to further facilitate the communication with its audience.

The devotion of kora.com towards football did not stop at just creating a leading football news portal., but rather, it developed a way for easy interactions between it’s publics to allow them the chance to be a part of kora.com’s family by holding a football tournament and hosting 5 leading football players in Kuwait on the 31st of January 2014 at Al Shaab Park, Goal Courts from 3 to 9 pm. If you are a fan of Nawaf Al-Khaldi, Essam Jumaa, Jarah Al-Ateeqi, Mohammed Ibrahim and Tareq Al-Jalahmah ; a male and above 18, all you need to do is to form a team of 7 players, sign up at KnockBook Lounge in Laila Tower next to Laila Gallery Cinema, and join us to unleash the hidden star inside you! Or else, we welcome you to be a part of the energetic audience at our fertile stadium. There are many prizes to be won and exciting entertainment throughout the whole tournament for the entire family to enjoy.

“The reason for hosting this tournament is to answer the call of thousands of people from different ages and nationalities who share the dream of being the star in a live match, through friendly competition that will strengthen the bonds between football lovers and create awareness that football is not just a game, but it’s the world’s most loved sport that thrives on the love and loyalty of its fans” said Islam Inhassi, the founder of Kora.com.

Kora.com has always been successful in bringing together individuals who have a love of football through constant updates on everything that is football regardless of where it’s happening in the world. The football tournament forms an episode of an endless series of efforts to strengthen the relationship of the website with the public, and mostly bring together all of those who share the love and passion for something that is not only a sport, but a way of life, football.

Snooker world champion O’Sullivan masters Milkins

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

‘Million-pound’ Pietersen gets T20 call

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‘Fastest mom on ice’ ready to fly in Sochi

Page 18

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia makes a backhand return to Leonardo Mayer of Argentina during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship. —AP

Djokovic, Ferrer in third round MELBOURNE: Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer battled through intense heat to reach the third round of the Australian Open yesterday.

Second seed Djokovic stepped it up from his mixed first-round performance to ease past Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 for his 23rd straight win at the Open.

Third seed Ferrer, who lost in last year’s semi-final to Djokovic, needed just over three hours to overcome Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, winning 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 on Hisense Arena.

Djokovic may have retired with heat distress in Melbourne four years ago against Andy Roddick, but he handled yesterday’s 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) temperatures without difficulty. “As the years go by, I’m more matured as a player, I’ve learned new things in life,” he said.

“I physically got stronger-mentally also. All of this plays an important role when you are playing in such conditions. “Generally it’s much

more efficient for me nowadays to recover and to get ready for next point than it used to be 2009 when I retired in my match against Roddick.”

Djokovic, unconquered at Melbourne Park since 2010, broke Mayer’s service five times and did not face a break point on his own serve in his one hour 47 minutes on court.

He is bidding to become only the second man after Australia’s Roy Emerson to win four consecutive Australian Opens and his fifth overall in Melbourne.

It was an improved performance by the Serb after his sloppy first-round effort against Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko on Monday.

He also hit 30 winners to just 11 unforced errors while Mayer made 39 errors. Djokovic’s next opponent will be Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who got past Russian 30th seed Dmitry Tursunov in four sets. Spain’s Ferrer had a tougher work-out against the 71st-ranked Mannarino, losing the second set and having

his serve broken five times. He made 48 unforced errors to his 32 winners, while the Frenchman committed 73 errors.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych accounted for Frenchman Kenny De Schepper 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 and French ninth seed Richard Gasquet only needed three sets to eliminate Russian Nicolay Davydenko.

Elsewhere, Spanish 17th seed Tommy Robredo overcame Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) and Polish 20th seed Jerzy Janowicz won two tiebreakers to put away Spain’s Pablo Andujar.

French 29th seed Jeremy Chardy eliminated Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 67 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) while Germany’s Florian Mayer upset Russian 14th seed Mikhail Youzhny in five sets.

Bosnia and Herzegovina qualifier Damir Dzumhur advanced to the last 32 following the retirement of Croatian 32nd seed Ivan Dodig with leg cramps while trailing in the fourth set.

Among the late matches, Switzerland’s eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka fought past Alejandro Falla of Colombia in four sets. Top drawcards Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer all play today.

Meanwhile, Ivan Dodig feared he might die and Serena Williams said the high temperatures were making her “paranoid” yesterday as sweltering conditions continued at the Australian Open.

With temperatures above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the second straight day, Dodig became the latest casualty when he retired with severe cramp after four sets against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur.

“I was thinking I could maybe even die here,” said Dodig, calling for an afternoon break in play. “It’s not acceptable to play in these conditions,” he added, according to reports.

Dodig’s complaints follow dismal scenes on Tuesday, when Canada’s Frank Dancevic blacked out, China’s Peng Shuai vomited in the

Serena keeps her cool MELBOURNE: Serena Williams kept her cool in the scorching Melbourne heat to make the Australian Open third round yesterday, where she was joined by hardworking fourth seed Li Na. The imposing world number one and top seed stormed through her match in oven-like conditions on Rod Laver Arena, crushing Serbia’s Vesna Dolonc 6-1, 6-2 in just 63 minutes.

Williams is the firm favorite ahead of defending champion Victoria Azarenka to win a sixth Melbourne crown, and the American reinforced her credentials with a customary towering performance. Now 32, she denied being favorite added any pressure, having been in similar positions many times before.

“Well, to me there is always pressure. It always seems like I’m one of the favorites to win,” said Williams, who next plays experienced Slovak Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Czech Karolina Pliskova.

“But for me, I look at it as kind of exciting that I have an opportunity to go all the way. “But with that being said, I have so many matches I have to win in order to do well and in order to lift the trophy. It’s such a long way.”

The victory was yet another landmark for the American veteran, who is gunning to match the achievement of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova in winning her 18th Grand Slam title.

By beating Dolonc, she drew level with Margaret Court’s record of

winning 60 matches at the Australian Open.

Williams has now played 68 times at Melbourne Park, with only Lindsay Davenport, on 69, having graced the Australian courts more in the Open era.

China’s Li is another serious title contender, having twice made the Melbourne final including last year when she lost to Azarenka in heartbreaking fashion after twice going down with an ankle injury. While Williams was out of the 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) heat in barely an hour, Li was forced to stay in the sun longer after a second-set challenge from Swiss qualifier Belinda Bencic.

The first set was easy but the second proved to be a serious workout for the Chinese star, who is searching for her second Grand Slam title after the French Open in 2011.

She admitted she was not at her best in the 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) victory. “I cannot say I played 100 percent,” Li said. “Of course I cannot play 100 percent every day, but (I played) at least 60, 65 percent.” Defeat was painful for Bencic, but at just 16 the 2013 Wimbledon and French Open junior champion said the tournament had been a valuable experience.

“It’s great that I had this experience at 16, so maybe later or the next match I can show what I learned from this experience so I will not be so nervous and I will not miss chances,” she said.

Li next faces 26th-seeded Lucie Safarova, who came from a set

extreme heat and a ball boy collapsed.

Ice packs and isotonic drinks remained in high demand yesterday as temperatures hit 41.5 Celsius in the early afternoon, but then dropped to 32 Celsius by 6:00 pm.

Dodig became the tournament’s 10th withdrawal or retirement, after a Grand Slam record-equalling nine players pulled out during the first round.

Although most of the players cited injuries, Dutch player Robin Haase was another victim of cramp, which is associated with hot conditions. Dancevic, who felt dizzy and then fainted during his loss to Benoit Paire, said it was easier for players to suffer injuries when affected by the heat.

“I think when you’re running around on court quite dizzy, you’re more prone to getting injured also,” Dancevic said. “You can’t play the way you want to play, you can’t move the way you want to. “For sure, it can make players have injuries.” —AFP

Grizzlies silence Thunder MEMHIS: Courtney Lee scored a season-high 24 points, including the closing two free throws, as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 90-87 on Tuesday in Marc Gasol’s return to the lineup. Zach Randolph had 23 points and 13 rebounds on the night his inside partner came back after missing almost eight weeks with a left knee injury. Gasol played 24 minutes and finished with 12 points. Mike Conley had 19 points and seven assists for Memphis, which won its third straight. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 37 points, converting 15 of 28 shots. Reggie Jackson scored 17, but also committed seven of Oklahoma City’s 19 turnovers. Serge Ibaka finished with 11 points and four blocks as the Thunder lost their third in the last four.

MELBOURNE: Li Na of China celebrates her win over Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship. —AP down to beat fellow Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0.

Other players through included ninth seed Angelique Kerber and 10th seed and former world number one Ana Ivanovic, who was in impressive form to thrash German Annika Beck 6-1, 6-2.

The 2012 US Open champion

Sam Stosur also progressed, as did China’s Zheng Jie and local hope Casey Dellacqua who upset Belgian 18th seed Kirsten Flipkens.

Azarenka, gunning for her third straight Australian Open title, and third seed Maria Sharapova play their secondround matches today. — AFP

PACERS 116, KINGS 92 Paul George scored 31 points, making four 3-pointers, as Indiana snapped Sacramento’s three-game winning streak. David West had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Lance Stephenson added 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Pacers (30-7), who have won five of six. The victory clinched the Eastern Conference coaching spot for Frank Vogel, since the Pacers are guaranteed to have the best winning percentage in the conference through games of Feb. 2 with Miami’s Erik Spoelstra ineligible after coaching last year. DeMarcus Cousins had 31 points and 13 rebounds, and Rudy Gay scored 12 points for the Kings (13-23), who scored under 100 points for the first time in 12 games.

BOBCATS 108, KNICKS 98 Al Jefferson scored a season-high 35 points and Kemba Walker had 12 of his 25 in the fourth quarter as Charlotte snapped New York’s five-game winning streak. The Bobcats were in need of a win after losing three straight games and eight of their last 10. Walker was 4 of 4 from the field in the fourth quarter, including 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. He also finished with seven rebounds and five assists. Gerald Henderson chipped in with 17 points for Charlotte (16-23), and Michael KiddGilchrist had eight points and seven rebounds after sitting out the last 19 games with a broken left hand. Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and six rebounds as the Knicks (15-23) lost in Tyson Chandler’s return to the lineup after missing four games with bronchitis.

CAVALIERS 120, LAKERS 118 Luol Deng hit five 3-pointers while scoring 27 points, Anderson Varejao added 18 points and 18 rebounds, and Cleveland beat spiraling Los Angeles.

Dion Waiters scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers improved to 4-16 on the road. They also won for coach Mike Brown in his return to Staples Center to face the Lakers, who fired him early last season. Jodie Meeks hit six 3-pointers while scoring a season-high 26 points in injury-plagued Los Angeles’ fifth straight defeat. Nick Young scored 28 points, but the Lakers have lost 11 of 12 heading into a punishing seven-game road trip. — AP

Saudi budget spending growth to slow in 2014

Business

Page 23

German GDP growth slows to 4-year low

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

Page 25 Apple fights for bigger slice of China smartphone pie Page 26 Page 22

Foreign investments by UAE companies exceed $100bn

SINGAPORE: Workers install a section of a column for the pedestrian walkway bridge using a crane in Singapore. Singapore’s trade-driven economy expanded 3.7 percent in 2013, exceeding forecasts. It is projected to achieve 2.0-4.0 percent growth this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. — AFP

Europe tightens up financial market rules EU urges member states to submit youth jobless plans STRASBOURG: The Europe Union is to tighten regulation of financial markets under a deal to prevent any repetition of the rampant speculation which helped bring down banks and crash the global economy. After two years of tough talks, the European Parliament and negotiators for the 28 member states agreed a deal in principle that sets new rules to regulate the market, known as MiFID II. “These new rules will improve the way capital markets function to the benefit of the real economy,” said the EU’s Financial Markets Commissioner Michel Barnier. “They are a key step towards establishing a safer, more open and more responsible financial system and restoring investor confidence in the wake of the financial crisis.” Barnier first

pushed for the new rules in 2011 at the height of the eurozone debt crisis which was sparked by the 2008 global financial crash. They aim to curb speculative trading in commodities and to regulate high-frequency trading so as better to protect investors and make the markets less crisis prone.

They will apply to investment firms, market operators and services providing post-trade transparency information in the European Union, a parliament statement said.

They will notably force market players to buy and sell financial instruments on regulated markets comparable to stock exchanges to ensure that all trading is tracked by MiFID.

Another key provision covers high-frequency trading based on automatic algorithmic systems, forcing investment firms to stop trading if price volatility becomes too high. To help limit speculation in food and energy, authorities for the first time will be able to limit the size of a net position that a person can hold in commodity derivatives.

A ‘good start,’ enforcement crucial International aid group Oxfam welcomed the deal but warned of the dangers of exemptions, especially for Britain which is home to one of the world’s largest financial markets in London. “Today’s decision marks a good start in tackling ‘gambling’ on food prices which are a matter of life

US wholesale costs rose on gas prices

GENEVA: German Klaus Schwab, founder and president of the World Economic Forum, WEF, gestures during a press conference in Geneva yesterday. — AP

Davos to focus on global economy, conflicts GENEVA: Conflicts like the war in Syria and getting the world economy back on track will be the focus of next week’s annual gathering of world leaders and power brokers in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

Organizers of the World Economic Forum said yesterday that hundreds of public figures are expected to attend, including the leaders of Iran, Israel, Japan and Britain. This year’s event will coincide with the start of the first face-to-face negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition, which will also take place in Switzerland, in the cities of Montreux and Geneva. But the forum’s organizers said they do not yet know how many of the ministers who will be at those talks might then join the event in Davos.

The forum’s founder, Klaus Schwab, told reporters yesterday at the organization’s lavish headquarters overlooking

Lake Geneva that the event seeks to “push the reset button” on the world’s crisis mode.

He expects there to be “cautious optimism” among the attendees, but also realistic expectations about what could be achieved. It will be hard, for example, to expect the global economy to return to the high growth rates it enjoyed before the 2008-09 financial crisis.

“Confidence seems to come slowly back,” Schwab said of the world economy. “It’s like running with a heavy backpack on your shoulders.”

Among the world leaders attending will be Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff, Myanmar’s President Thein Sein and British Prime Minister David Cameron. — AP

WASHINGTON: US wholesale prices increased in December, pushed up by rising gasoline prices and energy costs. But overall inflation remained mild. The Labor Department said yesterday that the producer price index, which measures costs before they reach the consumer, rose 0.4 percent last month from November. That ends three straight months of falling wholesale prices.

Gas prices increased 2.2 percent after recent declines. Home heating oil costs grew at the fastest pace in 10 months, while diesel fuel prices increased at the biggest clip in almost four years.

Excluding volatile energy and food costs, so-called core prices increased 0.3 percent in December. That was partly because of a one-time bump in tobacco costs. Over the past 12 months, overall prices have risen a modest 1.2 percent and core prices are up just 1.4 percent. Both are well below the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent inflation target. Businesses have struggled to raise prices because of historically high levels of unemployment and meager wage growth. Low inflation has also allowed the Fed to pursue extraordinary stimulus programs to try and boost economic growth.

In December, prices for alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals and autos all rose. The 3.6 percent jump in tobacco prices caused by state and local government tax hikes. Food costs fell 0.6 percent, led by a 13.4 percent drop in vegetables and declining prices for pork, chicken, beef and dairy products.

The increase in gasoline prices reversed two months of sharp declines. Still, prices are relatively low.

The average price of a gallon of gas was $3.31, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That’s up from $3.23 a gallon one month ago. — AP

and death to millions,” Oxfam said. But “the deal is far from perfect,” Oxfam said.” Unjustified exemptions were granted to powerful lobbies and limits will be set nationally, rather than at the European level.

The European Union urged Britain, Germany and nine other member states yesterday to send in proposals to tackle youth unemployment as soon as possible, saying a lack of action on the problem would threaten the bloc’s economic prospects. Brussels last year agreed a scheme worth up to 8 billion euros ($10.95 billion) to provide jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships to try and reverse growing youth joblessness, which has topped 50 percent in Greece and Spain. — Agencies

Earnings lift Saudi to new 5-yr high MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Upbeat earnings in Saudi Arabia helped lift the market to a new five-year high yesterday, while other regional shares also gained. Saudi Arabia’s Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) rose 2.9 percent to 88.5 riyals and trading volumes jumped to their highest in three years after the firm beat analysts’ forecasts with an 8.6 percent rise in fourthquarter net profit.

The stock jumped to a seven-year intraday high of 90 riyals but failed to break resistance from 88.50 and 89 riyals - the peaks of November and August 2013 respectively. Mobily cited the profit growth on increased revenue from corporate customers along with data income.

“We believe the corporate segment will provide the next phase of growth for Mobily with the segment expected to contribute 28 percent of total revenues by 2018,” Abdulelah Babgi, analyst at NCB Capital, said in a note. “Moreover, Mobily expects the revenue from the data segment to continue growing and contribute 32 percent of the total revenues in 2014.”

Small-cap Atheeb Telecom surged 9.7 percent after Mobily’s results. The latter is in talks with four shareholders of Atheeb to buy their majority stake, with a deadline to secure a deal of Jan. 30 fast approaching. Samba Financial Group climbed 2.5

percent after posting a fourth-quarter net profit rise of 15.8 percent year-on-year, broadly in line with estimates. The bank helped push the banking sector index 0.4 percent higher. However, it still underperformed against the main index, which climbed 0.6 percent to its highest close since September 2008.

Kuwait’s index climbed 0.6 percent, halting a three-session dip, while Oman’s bourse added 0.3 percent, hovering just below Sunday’s five-year high.

In the United Arab Emirates, Aldar Properties rose 3.1 percent to 3 dirhams per share, its highest since June 2010, after the Abu Dhabi Municipality said in a statement late on Tuesday that it had registered land development contracts for Aldar’s residential units under freehold ownership, and the deeds will be issued to owners.

“Aldar is the biggest governmentowned property developer (in Abu Dhabi) and it will always benefit when the government wants to do something,” said Sanyalaksna Manibhandu, senior analyst at NBAD Securities. Manibhandu also said the stock had been lagging its Dubai peer Emaar Properties and was playing catchup. His target price for Aldar is 3.5 dirhams. — Reuters

Galfar MD resigns after court verdict DUBAI: Oman’s Galfar Engineering said yesterday that the managing director who was sentenced to prison by an Omani court as part of a corruption probe had resigned from its board of directors.

Galfar’s Managing Director, Mohammed Ali, and a former business development manager, Abdullmajeed Nushad, were handed jail terms of

three and two years and ordered to pay fines worth 600,000 rials ($1.56 million) and 200,000 rials respectively by an Omani court. The verdict was the first in a trial process which involves more than 20 government officials and private executives from Oman’s oil industry and related sectors, on trial on charges of offering or accepting bribes in exchange

for contracts, mostly in infrastructure projects. The resignation was submitted at a board meeting on Tuesday, the firm said in a Muscat bourse filing.

The construction firm said it hired KPMG to conduct an internal review of the corruption episode and how it could improve its current compliance framework. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

BUSINESS

Apple fights for bigger slice of China smartphone pie Homegrown competitors pose challenge SHANGHAI: The world’s biggest mobile network is ready to offer Apple’s iPhone, but while the US technology giant has declared China its biggest future market, it faces an uphill battle to unseat Samsung and homegrown competitors.

Majority state-owned China Mobile has more than 760 million customers but for years it has declined to provide the iPhone as the two companies argued

far too late for the US giant to take the lead. Although the iPhone commands fanatical devotion from its Chinese fans, South Korea’s Samsung rules the smartphone market with more than 18 percent share, according to consultancy Analysys International.

Apple sits in a lowly eighth place with a 3.5 percent share as of the third quarter last year, with six Chinese companies

China’s Lenovo, renowned for buying IBM’s personal computer business, is in second position, while two companies best known for telecoms equipment and controversy over network securityHuawei and ZTE-are also in the top five, according to Analysys. The iPhone launch just two weeks before the Chinese New Year, a traditional time for gift-giving, should benefit both China Mobile and

iSuppli, believes that the US company has a tough job on its hands.

“Although cooperation with China Mobile will help boost Apple’s sales and market share in China, it’s unlikely that its share will rise to among the top three, given the intense competition in China’s smartphone market,” he said.

“Smartphones that cost around 1,000 yuan ($165) are the most popular,” he added. In the United States, an iPhone 5s with 16GB of storage retails for $649 while that same device is $726 in Hong Kong-the special administrative region that borders China-and $867 in the mainland itself through the Apple Store, due to taxes and other charges.

The higher prices in China have given rise to a flourishing market for smuggled iPhones, eroding official sales in the country. As a result, many China Mobile subscribers have already procured iPhones and use them on its network, though some functions suffer. Apple’s revenue in Greater China-which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan-still reached $5.7 billion for its fiscal quarter ended in September 2013, up 24 percent from the previous quarter, according to the company.

The firm does not reveal iPhone sales in China. Cook said in January last year that he expected the country to become Apple’s largest market, though he gave no timeframe. Unlike many network providers in the United States and other Western countries, Chinese telecommunications firms require hefty up-front payments for iPhone and other packages.

But analysts said China Mobile will have to make its pricing attractive to potential subscribers to promote iPhone sales, which could eat into its profits.

China Mobile has yet to announce prices, despite the imminent launch, but with investors also worried about profitability, its Hong Kong-listed shares had fallen 4.22 percent yesterday since the Apple agreement was announced in late December. Some Chinese consumers are unimpressed by the launch. One microblog user posted: “Those who like the iPhone wouldn’t wait for China Mobile to sell it. Those who dislike the iPhone will not like it after China Mobile launches it.” —AFP

SHANGHAI: An Apple iPhone advertised in a China Mobile store in Shanghai. China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile network is ready to offer Apple’s iPhone, but while the US technology giant has declared China its biggest future market, it faces an uphill battle to unseat Samsung and homegrown competitors. —AFP over commercial terms. The country’s other big mobile telecommunications firms, China Unicom and China Telecom, already stock the product, and China Mobile will join them on Friday.

Analysts expect the move to boost the number of subscribers for China Mobile, which was recently awarded a government licence for 4G (fourth generation) services, and lift Apple’s iPhone sales in China by millions-but in all likelihood it is

ahead of it, many offering cheaper phones using the Android operating system. “ The domestic high-end smartphone market is much more diversified and competitive now, leaving users more choices,” said Wang Jun, an analyst for Beijing-based Analysys. “It’s likely Apple will move up one or two places in the market-share rankings, but it’s impossible for it to make it into the top three or four,” he said.

Apple, analysts said.

China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua told a briefing in Beijing yesterday that the company had received “multi-millions” of iPhone pre-orders, Dow Jones Newswires reported. Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook told the same event: “As of this weekend, we will be selling iPhones in more than 3,000 additional locations.” But Kevin Wang, director of China research for consultancy IHS

Bank Muscat meets Q4 forecasts DUBAI: Bank Muscat, Oman’s largest lender, posted a 42 percent increase in its fourth-quarter net profit yesterday, largely in-line with analysts’ estimates, after insurers agreed to indemnify the bank’s losses in a prepaid card fraud case. The bank made a quarterly profit of 49.7 million rials ($129.1 million) in the three months to Dec. 31 compared with 35 million rials in the corresponding period of 2012, according to Reuters calculations.

Four analysts polled by Reuters had, on average, estimated a fourth-quarter profit of 48.7 million rials.

Reuters calculated the net profit figure based on the bank’s previous financial results. It posted a net profit of 152.2 million rials for the full-year 2013, compared to 139.2 million rials in the previous year. The results were

boosted by the $38.8 million payout from insurers after the bank was the victim of one of the biggest cyber fraud cases in history - an event which had forced it to provision the amount in the first quarter, significantly impacting its earnings.

The bank said last month it would reverse the impairment in its full-year numbers following the payout. The fraud targeted prepaid travel cards, which allow users to carry currencies abroad rather than using their debit or credit cards in foreign countries, which can be expensive.

Impairments for the final three-month period of 2013 stood at 24.1 million rials, Reuters calculated, taking them to 50.5 million rials for the full year. Quarterly provisions rose 42 percent year-on-year while the

annual amount fell 13 percent.

The bank said it booked a 2.7 million rials impairment following the sale of its stake in an Indian securities firm through a share buyback. Bank Muscat had said in November it had received board approval for the planned disposal of Mangal Keshav Securities Ltd, without giving a value for the sale.

Loans and advances rose 9.7 percent year-on-year to 6.1 billion rials at the end of December compared to 5.6 billion rials at the same point of 2012, while deposits increased 5.9 percent over the same timeframe to 5.7 billion rials. The lending growth rate is higher than that for the wider market, with central bank data showing a 6.3 percent year-on-year increase in November, the latest month for which figures are available. —Reuters

Saudi Mobily Q4 profit up 8.6%, beats forecasts DUBAI: Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), Saudi Arabia’s No 2 telecom operator, beat analysts’ forecasts with an 8.6 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit yesterday as revenue from corporate customers increased along with data income. Mobily, an affiliate of the United Arab Emirates’ Etisalat , made a fourth-quarter net profit of 2.04 billion riyals, up from 1.88 billion riyals in the prior-year period, according to a bourse statement.

Analysts polled by Reuters on average forecast Mobily, which competes with the Gulf’s No 1 operator Saudi Telecom Co and Zain Saudi, would make a quarterly profit of 1.87 billion riyals. Mobily’s revenue for the three months to Dec. 31 was 7.2 billion riyals, up from 6.76 billion riyals from the prior-year period. It proposed a dividend of 1.25 riyals per share for the fourth quarter.

The firm’s full-year profit for 2013 was 6.68 billion riyals, up from 6.02 billion riyals a year earlier.

Annual revenue rose 7 percent to 25.2 billion riyals.

The company said more income from data and business clients were the reason for the quarterly and annual profit increases. Business sector revenue rose 23 percent. Saudi operators have focused on data and combined services to help offset waning demand for conventional call and text services, which are under pressure due to the popularity of substitute applications such as Internet-based phone calls and instant messaging.

Data accounted for 28 percent of Mobily’s total revenue in 2013. It did not provide a comparative percentage for the previous year, but said revenue from its mobile and fixed broadband networks increased and forecast data would account for more than 32 percent of total revenue this year.

Mobily said more than 530,000 residential units were now connected to its fibre network and it aims to double this in 2014. The firm plans to buy a stake in loss-making fixed line operator Etihad Atheeb, a move seen as helping it offer service bundles that include voice, data and television services. —Reuters

Samba Q4 profit up 15.8%, slightly under estimates DUBAI: Samba Financial Group, Saudi Arabia’s secondlargest listed bank by assets, said its fourth-quarter net profit rose 15.8 percent year-on-year, coming in slightly below analysts’ expectations.

The bank said in a bourse filing yesterday that it made 1.01 billion riyals ($269 million) in the three months to Dec. 31, compared to 869 million riyals in the same period of 2012. Nine analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast it would, on average, post a net profit for the quarter of 1.08 billion riyals.

Samba attributed the profit rise to an increase in operating income, which advanced 9.9 percent year-onyear to 1.6 billion riyals; it did not elaborate. Saudi firms issue brief earnings statements early in the reporting period before publishing more detailed results later.

The quarterly results pushed up full-year 2013 earnings after three flat quarters, with net profit advancing 4.1 percent on the previous year to 4.51 billion riyals.

Saudi Arabian banks are benefiting from a positive economic climate, as years of high oil prices and government surpluses have pushed state spending to record levels - the kingdom’s budget for 2014, while the smallest increase for a decade, is still another record amount.

Samba’s loans portfolio climbed 10.6 percent year-onyear to 113.5 billion riyals at the end of 2013. Deposits grew 6.5 percent to 158.3 billion riyals.

The bank said late last month that its board had recommended a cash dividend of 0.85 riyals per share for the second half of 2013, in line with the dividend for the corresponding period of 2012. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal transfer Irani Riyal cash Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.701 4.552 2.684 2.166 2.847 223.970 36.568 3.641 6.335 8.598 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.644 77.941 736.880 753.420 77.251

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 259.13 264.09 318.91 390.71 282.70 470.13 2.78 3.636 4.580 2.165 2.865 2.684 77.04 752.43 40.60 402.35 735.20 78.07 75.52

SELL CASH 256.13 265.09 316.91 391.71 285.700 473.130 2.80 3.906 4.880 2.600 3.400 2.790 77.50 754.50 41.20 408.00 742.50 78.62 75.92

2.990 3.830 87.350 47.240 9.565 130.045

Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.006395 0.000069 0.220132 0.020507 0.001871 0.009313 0.008375

0.006675 0.000075 0.226132 0.029007 0.002451 0.009493 0.008925

Bahrain Exchange Company

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 0.743809 0.037433 0.000078 0.000184 0.394722 1.0000000 0.000138 0.022620 0.001196 0.728643 0.076982 0.074790 0.002167 0.168631 0.131857 0.076028 0.001285

0.751809 0.040533 0.000080 0.000244 0.402222 1.0000000 0.000238 0.046620 0.001831 0.734323 0.078195 0.075490 0.002387 0.176631 0.138857 0.077177 0.001365

Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi Thai Bhat Turkish Lira

COUNTRY Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

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

Selling Rate 283.500 264.505 467.530 387.090 311.375 748.580 77.165 78.715 76.470 399.535 40.662 2.167 4.580 2.686 3.686 6.335 695.335 3.700

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

SELL CASH Europe 0.007351 0.459576 0.006088 0.047720 0.381009 0.041948 0.084857 0.008099 0.039520 0.307083 0.131857 Australasia 0.246894 0.229003

SELLDRAFT 0.008351 0.468576 0.018088 0.052720 0.388509 0.047148 0.84857 0.018099 0.044520 0.317283 0.138857 0.258394 0.238503

Al Mulla Exchange Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.254020 0.278750 0.279250

0.262520 0.283100 0.283100

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee

Asia 0.003556 0.045059 0.034386 0.004271 0.000018 0.002647 0.003262 0.000257 0.082949 0.002973 0.002486

0.004156 0.048559 0.037136 0.004672 0.000024 0.002827 0.003262 0.000272 0.088949 0.003143 0.002766

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) 282.700 388.350 464.800 261.300 4.599 40.600 2.162 3.635 6.332 2.678 752.800 77.000 75.500

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

BUSINESS

Saudi budget spending growth to slow in 2014 NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Recently released figures for the 2014 budget reveal a sharp slowdown in the growth in planned government spending in Saudi Arabia. Overall expenditures are budgeted to rise by a modest 4 percent this year in budget-onbudget terms, compared to the 19 percent leap envisaged in the 2012 and 2013 budgets. The targeted rise in spending is also the lowest rate seen in the past decade, signaling efforts to curb expenditures after years of huge increases.

Although the Saudi economy seems to have some momentum, a more cautious approach to government spending could contribute to slower economic growth over the medium-term than in the past. After growing at an average rate of 8 percent over the past decade fuelled by average government spending increases of 14 percent per year - we expect real non-oil GDP growth to reach around 4-5 percent this year. Going forward, this implies a greater role for the private sector in supporting growth.

The slowdown in budgeted spending growth comes from both the current and capital spending segments. Current spending - which accounts for around 70 percent of all spending - is projected to rise by 14 percent to SAR 607 bn.

Although still very strong, this is a much slower pace than in recent years.

Following pay raises and bonuses in the public-sector, planned current expenditures grew by a remarkable 29 percent per year on average between 2011 and

2013. Budgeted capital spending, on the other hand, is due to fall outright, by 13 percent to SAR 248 bn. This is its lowest budgeted level since 2009. This may partly reflect the completion of an earlier round of investment spending. But it is also worth noting that many large infrastructure projects by state-owned firms, like Saudi Aramco for example, are financed off-budget and thus do not show up as direct government spending. Despite the softness of the headline figures, however, the deceleration in overall spending growth in 2014 is unlikely to be as sharp as suggested by the budget. This is because actual

spending growth has already moderated over the past two years, partly as a result of one-off spending measures in 2011. Actual government spending grew by a moderate 6 percent in 2012 and 2013, down from a massive 26 percent in 2011. We expect growth in actual spending to come in at a more modest 5 percent this year - more or less in line with the government’s projections. The slowdown from 2013 is therefore marginal. * Moreover, there is another reason to interpret the headline budget figures with caution. Saudi Arabia has overshot its budget plans by around 25 percent

on average over the past decade, partly due to supplementary spending on subsidies and wages and additional expenditures for ambitious infrastructure plans. But in 2013, the government overspent by a much lower 13 percent.

We interpret this as further evidence of a tighter approach to spending practices than before, with an eye on curbing excesses and improving fiscal sustainability. * We project revenues to decline again this year on the back of lower oil prices and reductions in oil output. As global oil demand weakens and nonOPEC supplies continue to rise, Saudi

Arabia is expected to make significant production cuts this year in order to balance the market. Oil revenues should therefore fall. Non-oil revenues are likely to grow, but still only constitute around 10 percent of the total. * The government has projected a balanced budget for this year, after an estimated surplus of 7 percent of GDP in 2013. Given the expected decline in revenues, we also project the budget surplus to narrow this year - despite moderating expenditure growth. Based on our revenue and spending forecasts, we expect Saudi’s fiscal surplus to shrink to around 5 percent of GDP in 2014.

China asks IMF to give more power to emerging markets India ‘disappointed at US lack of action’

HONG KONG: A pedestrian walks along a road leading to the city’s financial district in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong’s leader announced plans to tackle rising poverty in a policy speech delivered amid growing public discontent and his own low popularity rating. —AFP

Brunei’s takaful growth pushes its Islamic finance ambitions KUALA LUMPUR: Assets held by the Islamic insurance (takaful) sector in Brunei recently have grown significantly while those of conventional types of insurance have been declining, a report from the country’s central bank showed. The monthly report from Brunei’s monetary authority, known as AMBD, said that in the year ended Sept 30, takaful assets rose 21 percent to 425 million Brunei dollars ($336 million).

Conventional insurers saw a drop of 1.3 percent in assets during the same 12month period. The fast-growing takaful sector indicates Brunei is progressing toward its goal of having Islamic financial products account for up to 60 percent of total banking assets in five years, compared with 40 percent at present.

At end-September, Brunei’s takaful market accounted for 33 percent of total insurance assets, up from 29 percent a year earlier, according to the AMBD report. Brunei, which has Southeast Asia’s highest percapita income after Singapore, aims to compete in Islamic finance with regional powerhouses Malaysia and Indonesia. That is part of a strategy to wean itself off

dependence on oil reserves, which are expected to run out in about two decades, and diversify Brunei’s economy.

Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia have the largest potential for retail Islamic banking in Southeast Asia. The combined population of the three Muslim-majority countries is nearly 280 million.

Although insurance assets have seen rapid growth in Brunei in the past decade, industry players say there is still poor awareness about insurance among its population. Brunei has four takaful operators.

Assets of Indonesian takaful firms grew 43 percent to 13.1 trillion rupiah ($1.1 billion) during 2012, from 9.15 trillion rupiah a year earlier, data from that country’s regulator showed. Takaful firms accounted for 2.3 percent of Indonesia’s total industry assets.

A proposed law in Indonesia that requires takaful firms to be spun off into standalone entities could, when enacted, spur mergers in that market. In July, Malaysia declared new rules for takaful firms to separate life and general business lines, a move observers said could spur buy-outs of smaller operations.

Etisalat hires Standard Bank for Nigeria tower sale DUBAI: Etisalat, the Gulf ’s top telecom operator, has hired Standard Bank as an advisor for the planned sale of transmitter towers by its Nigerian affiliate, three banking sources aware of the matter said.

Etisalat Nigeria is considering a sale of its towers in a deal that could raise about $400 million, Reuters reported in October.

Etisalat did not respond to an email seeking comment, while Standard Bank declined to comment. Johannesburgbased Standard Bank, Africa’s largest lender, has been hired due to its local presence and expertise in the African country, two of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter has not been made public.

Building and maintaining mobile towers in Africa is typically more expensive than in other regions because of security costs and electricity shortages, that often require towers to be powered by generators, while new roads may need to be built to reach rural areas. This has increasingly prompted operators to seek to sell or

lease towers to specialist firms such as Eaton Towers, Helios Towers Africa, American Tower Corp and IHS. In December, MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom, agreed to over 1,200 mobile towers in Rwanda and Zambia to IHS, as part of a strategy to dispose of some of its infrastructure to focus on products and services.

Standard Bank is in the process of helping identify potential buyers for the business, the sources said. Etisalat is estimated to own about 2,500 towers in Nigeria.

Towers are often valued at around $150,000 each, making 2,500 potentially worth up to about $400 million. Nigeria is an attractive market for tower firms as it has 169 million people and a relatively low mobile penetration of 68 percent. Etisalat has a 40 percent stake in Etisalat Nigeria, while Abu Dhabi state investment fund Mubadala owns a 30 percent stake. The telecoms firm agreed to buy Vivendi’s 53 percent stake in Maroc Telecom for $5.7 billion in November. — Reuters

BEIJING: China called on the IMF yesterday to stick to a commitment to give emerging markets more power at the world body after US lawmakers set back historic reforms that would give developing countries a greater say.

The remarks by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei were an indirect criticism of the United States, the biggest and most powerful IMF member, where lawmakers failed on Monday to agree on key funding measures, though Hong did not mention the United States by name.

The proposed $1 trillion spending bill for the US federal government did not include funding for the International Monetary Fund.

Congress must sign off on the IMF funding to complete 2010 reforms that would make China the IMF’s third-largest member and revamp the IMF board to reduce the dominance of Western Europe. The changes would also give greater say to nations such as Brazil and India to reflect their growing economic heft. But the changes have been held up by the lack of approval from the United States. “The IMF quotas reform is an important decision made by the organization,” Hong said at a daily news briefing. “The relevant organization’s members should earnestly implement the decision, and honor and enhance the voice and representation of developing countries within the IMF.” The reform of the voting shares, known as quotas, cannot proceed without the United States, which holds the only controlling share of IMF votes.

After putting off the request in 2012 because of the US presidential election, the US Treasury has sought to tuck the provision into several bills since March. The administra-

BEIJING: Chinese shoppers walk through entrance doors decorated for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year at a shopping mall in Beijing yesterday. The global economy is slowly picking up steam, led by advanced economies appearing to turn the corner after five years of financial crises and recession and a continued good performance by China, the World Bank said. —AP tion’s requests, however, have been met with skepticism from some Republicans, who see them as tantamount to approving fresh funding in a tight budget environment.

Some lawmakers have also raised concerns about how well the IMF is helping struggling economies in Europe and the risks attached to IMF loans, suggesting Congress is in no hurry to approve any changes India’s Finance Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But an official at the ministry, who has been dealing with multilateral institutions including

the IMF, said India was “disappointed” at the Congress lack of action.

The official declined to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. A South Korean Finance Ministry official, who declined to be identified, said: “While we appreciate the US government’s efforts, we regret the fact that the proposed funding measure fell through in Congress at the last minute.

“IMF quota reform is an important matter to address and we hope that the matter will be discussed at the G-20 level with the end-January

Turkish lira weakens amid rate uncertainty ISTANBUL: Turkey’s lira weakened yesterday, putting further pressure on the central bank to hike interest rates as a government corruption scandal and the scaling back of US bond buying dampen appetite for Turkish assets. The lira weakened to 2.1900 against the dollar by 1138 GMT from 2.1830 late on Tuesday, not far off record lows, as investors wondered whether the bank might raise rates as early as next week. Stocks were weaker and bond yields rose.

“We see no alternative to the CBRT (central bank) outright raising rates in coming months, despite recent guidance that it will not do so. The first hike will likely come next week,” Commerzbank said in a note. Other economists said they expected the central bank, which has so far avoided rate hikes for fear of denting growth, to leave its main interest rates on hold again at its monetary policy meeting next Tuesday.

The bank has been tightening policy by cancelling its repo auctions, which fund the market at 4.5 percent, lower than the average cost of funding for banks at over 7 percent. It has also tried

to shore up the lira with dollar sales, with a minimum of $3 billion to be auctioned in January. “We don’t have to implement orthodox approaches in monetary policy just because others want us to do so,” Finance Minister Simsek said yesterday, an apparent defense of the central bank’s policy mix.

The corruption scandal, which has led to the resignation of three ministers, as well as the Fed’s plans to cut the stimulus that has flooded emerging markets with cheap money, are hanging over the Turkish economy. At a news conference in Ankara, Simsek said Turkey’s political turbulence and the scaling back of the US Fed’s bond buying pose a threat to a four percent growth target this year, but said any impact would be temporary.

The lira has hit record lows since the corruption scandal erupted in midDecember. The main Istanbul index was down 0.48 percent at 67,742.68 points, underperforming the main global emerging market index which rose 0.21 percent.

The yield on Turkey’s 10-year benchmark bond inched up to 10.06 percent from 10.05 percent late on Tuesday. — Reuters

deadline approaching.”

Developing nations have longed viewed the IMF with suspicion for promoting disastrous privatizations that complicated the transition from communism for some emerging nations in the early 1990s, and for pushing budget cuts that exacerbated debt crises in Asia and Latin America a few years later.

That suspicion has been compounded by a power structure that dates to IMF’s founding in 1944. The structure was shaped by the victors of World War Two - the United States and Europe. — Reuters

Malaysia’s IOI property shares surge 25% in debut KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Malaysian conglomerate IOI Corp.’s property business soared 25 percent on its trading debut yesterday after the palm-oil producer raised 1.87 billion ringgit ($570 million) by spinning off the unit. IOI Properties Group Bhd shares closed at 3.15 ringgit, up from their 2.51 ringgit offer price, with IOI Properties Group one of the top property stocks on the Malaysian bourse.

IOI has said it will use the proceeds from its listing for debt settlement and future expansion.

IOI owns large tracts of land in Malaysia, including in the huge Iskandar economic zone in the country’s south near the border with Singapore. It also has new residential and commercial projects under way in Singapore and China. Malaysia, Southeast Asia’s thirdlargest economy, has seen a flurry of big listings in the last two years. In 2012, palm oil giant Felda Global Ventures raised $3.25 billion and helped Malaysia’s stock market become the world’s fifth-largest for IPOs that year.

The bullishness tapered last year as uncertainty surrounded elections in May, where the country’s long-ruling coalition suffered its worst ever result but still managed to fend off a resurgent opposition. In November, UMW Oil and Gas Corp raised $740 million in Malaysia’s largest IPO in 2013. — AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

BUSINESS

Asian shares higher after US retail data

TOKYO: Money traders work under a screen indicating update of US dollars against yen at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo yesterday.

The euro was up 0.2 percent at $1.364 while the dollar rose 0.2 percent to 104.33 yen. —AP

HONG KONG: Asia’s markets mostly rose yesterday after a surprisingly strong batch of retail data out of the United States eased concerns about the world’s number one economy. The better-than-forecast figures provided a springboard for a rally on Wall Street and gave some support for the dollar against the yen. Tokyo led gainers to surge 2.50 percentits best performance of 2014 helping it claw back some of the losses of more than three percent suffered on Tuesday. The Nikkei ended 386.33 points higher at 15,808.73.

Sydney rose 0.64 percent, or 33.4 points, to 5,245.4 and Seoul added 0.37 percent, or 7.21 points, to 1,953.28. Hong Kong ended 0.49 percent higher, adding 110.72 points, to 22,902.00 but Shanghai closed down 0.17 percent, or 3.49 points, at 2,023.35. The US Commerce Department said retail sales-a key gauge of the consumer spending that drives the economy-rose 0.2 percent in December, upending estimates of no change. That figure is an even more impressive 0.7 percent if a sharp fall in auto sales is taken out of the equation owing to severe cold weather across the country.

Tuesday’s figure boosted Wall Street’s main indexes, with the Dow jumping 0.71 percent, the S&P 500 up 1.08 percent and the Nasdaq adding 1.69 percent. It also soothed concerns about the world’s number one economy after Friday’s disappointing jobs report that had fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve could hold off announcing any further cuts to its stimulus program when it meets later this month.

“A gradual US economic recovery and an incremental tapering (of US monetary stimulus) will likely continue,” Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Currency traders moved back into the dollar after it sank on Friday and Monday after the jobs report. The dollar bought 104.30 yen in afternoon Tokyo trade compared with 104.20 in New York and much stronger than the 103.43 yen in Asia earlier Tuesday.

The euro was trading at 142.30 yen against 142.52 yen but well up from the 141.27 yen Tuesday in Tokyo. The yen faced added downward pressure from news Japan’s current account deficit had ballooned to a record 592.8 billion yen in November.

The single currency fetched $1.3640 com-

pared with $1.3677 in New York. In Tokyo Japan Airlines rose 1.33 percent despite earlier announcing that it has grounded one of its Dreamliner jets after discovering “white smoke” apparently coming from a battery system during a check-up for departure. GS Yuasa, the battery maker that supplies lithium-ion batteries for the planes, slipped 0.68 percent. On oil markets New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for February delivery, was down two cents to $92.57 a barrel in afternoon trade, while Brent North Sea crude for February dropped 12 cents to $106.27.

Gold fetched $1,239.10 at 1105 GMT compared with $1,249.20 late Tuesday.

In other markets: Bangkok lost 1.45 percent, or 18.84 points, to 1,277.03. Coal producer Banpu dropped 4.46 percent to 26.75 baht, while Airports of Thailand gained 4.08 percent to 166.00 baht.

• Jakarta gained 1.16 percent, or 50.82 points, to 4,441.60. Mobile provider Indosat added 6.18 percent to 4,295 rupiah, while paper firm Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia fell 3.63 percent to 1,725 rupiah.

• Kuala Lumpur lost 0.60 percent, or 10.94 points, to 1,824.03. Financial firm CIMB Group Holdings shed 2.9 percent to 7.09 ringgit, while palm oil giant Sime Darby fell 1.0 percent to 9.21.

• Taipei rose 0.64 percent, or 54.41 points, to 8602.55. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. added 1.45 percent to Tw$105.0 while leading chip design house MediaTek was 0.84 percent higher at Tw$419.0.

• Manila added 0.38 percent, or 22.56 points, to 5,958.12. Ayala Corp added 1.24 percent to close at 530 pesos and Aboitiz Equity Ventures rose 2.26 percent at 54.20 pesos.

• Mumbai jumped 1.22 percent, or 256.61 points, to 21,289.49.

Engineering giant Larsen and Toubro rose 2.71 percent to 998.8 rupees while private ICICI Bank rose 2.00 percent to 1,058.35 rupees.

Singapore climbed 0.62 percent, or 19.50 points, to 3,143.25.

Oil rig maker Keppel Corp dropped 0.09 percent to Sg$10.85 while Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation gained 0.31 percent to Sg$9.73. Wellington jumped 0.98 percent, or 47.88 points, to 4,913.03. — AFP

Gold falls on strong dollar, growth hopes LONDON: Gold fell for a second straight session yesterday, retreating from onemonth highs, as strong US data and optimistic global growth prospects prompted a rally in the dollar and equities, detracting interest from the metal.

A disappointing US jobs report last week stoked speculation the US Federal Reserve would remain very cautious on the pace of its stimulus tapering. That gave a boost to gold, which hit a onemonth peak of $1,255.00 an ounce in the previous session. But strong US retail sales on Tuesday, coupled with news the World Bank raised its forecast for global growth for the first time in three years, lifted the dollar and global shares to multi-month highs. Spot gold eased 0.5 percent to $1,237.69 an ounce by 10.38 GMT. It posted a 0.7 percent loss on Tuesday.

US gold futures for February delivery were down $7.80 to $1,237.10 an ounce.

“Gold is giving back some of the strength seen over the past week, with quite a significant level of resistance above the $1,255 level,” Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said. “US data showing that retail sales have taken off neutralized the bad number of the US jobs report on Friday, giving a boost to the dollar.”

The dollar rose 0.4 percent versus a basket of currencies , making dollardenominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. Share markets were mostly higher after the World Bank upgraded its 2014 forecast for global growth by two tenths of a point to 3.2 percent, and predicted a faster pace for

both 2015 and 2016. “Stronger dollar and shares are a challenge for gold... we need to see some more data come through but the overall expectation is that the Fed will continue to taper at the same rate and that they won’t react to just one or two US numbers to change their view,” Hansen said. The Fed announced its first cut to the $85 billion in monthly bond purchases in December, citing an improving economy. Markets are now closely watching economic data to gauge whether the bank will deepen the cuts.

As a gauge of investor sentiment, holdings in the world’s largest goldbacked exchange-traded fund SPDR Gold Trust fell 3.56 tons to a five-year low of 789.56 tons on Tuesday.

In the physical markets, premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange for 99.99 percent purity gold remained largely steady at about $13 an ounce. China has granted licenses to import gold to two foreign banks for the first time, sources told Reuters, as moves to open the world’s biggest physical bullion market gather pace. Silver fell 0.8 percent to $20.05 an ounce. Spot platinum dropped 1.1 percent at $1,410.60 an ounce, while palladium was down 0.3 percent at $731.20 an ounce.

The metals failed to react to news that South Africa’s Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) said it would not hesitate to call a strike in the platinum industry over wage negotiations. — Reuters

Brent hits 2-month low on Iran talks LONDON: Brent crude fell under $106 a barrel yesterday, hitting a fresh two month low, as the prospect of a possible rise in Iranian oil exports weighed. Investors looked ahead to weekly oil inventories data from the United States to assess shorter term supply.

Big powers and Iran have continued to move ahead on an interim deal that eases some sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Any signs that the initial deal might lead to higher Iranian oil exports will add to global supply and depress prices. Brent prices have been declining since the start of the week as some Libyan exports have restarted and regardless of an accord, Iranian oil exports could rise by some 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) through a oil-for-goods deal currently being negotiated with Russia. “It looks as if we’re moving towards resumption of production (and the) lifting of sanctions,” Michael McCarthy, chief strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney, said.

“That’s the major reason for the weakness in Brent.” February Brent crude slipped for a third session, fell by 40 cents to $105.99 a barrel by 1052 GMT, the lowest since November 13.

US crude for February delivery edged up 12 cents to $92.71 after settling up 0.86 percent on Tuesday. The preliminary accord between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers goes into effect on Jan. 20. Under the deal, Iran’s oil exports are to hold at current levels of about 1

million barrels per day (bpd).

Talks on a final settlement to the long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions will start in February. The spread between US crude futures WTI and Brent has narrowed since the start of the week on the imminent start of a major new pipeline with the capacity to pump up to 700,000 bpd from the mid-continent of the US to refineries on the Gulf Coast, meaning that this crude will compete more evenly with the international market.

“While the front structure of Brent is very strong, Brent was weaker on a prompt flat price basis and it lost about $1 a barrel of its premium to WTI. The Keystone Cushing/Gulf crude oil pipeline is expected to start operating on January 22nd and that will bring a new challenge for the Brent-WTI spread,” Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix consultancy in Switzerland said in a daily oil note.The resumption of oil production at Libya’s El Sharara field has also weighed on prices, although the key issue is still when the blockade at its eastern oil ports will end. Weekly crude stocks in the United States fell by 4.1 million barrels, data from industry group American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday, more than expected, but there was a rise in stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma-the delivery point of the benchmark US futures contract. The US Energy Information Administration, a government agency, is expected to release its stockpile data at 1530 GMT. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

BUSINESS DETROIT AUTO SHOW

As luxury reaches masses, will auto brands lose prestige?

DETROIT: A visitor looks over engine options on display next to a 2015 Chevrolet ZO6 Corvette at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The auto show opens to the public January 18-26. —AFP DETROIT: American consumers have a taste for luxury and automakers are rushing to deliver by upgrading interiors, loading up on fancy features and expanding their offerings with stylish new models. Some analysts warn that the line between the mass market and premium brands is blurring as automakers vie for attention in a bustling and highly competitive industry.

Voice-activated ‘infotainment’ systems, leather seats and rear-view cameras are becoming standard options even in entrylevel cars. And the speed at which innovative features migrate downward is accelerating.

While the options race has increased pressure on luxury brands to innovate, the prestige associated with their brands is what truly sets them apart.

“You can get a Nissan Maxima or Buick LaCrosse with an extraordinary amount of content. But the one thing you’re not getting is the image,” said Tom Libby, an analyst with IHS Automotive.

“That’s why people aren’t driving the Genesis-it’s put out by Hyundai.”The real danger comes from the introduction of downmarket models being introduced by premium brands to capture new customers with a lower price point.

“The thing you have to be careful of is if you sell too many vehicles, you’re not premium anymore,” said Dave Sargent, vice president for global automotive analysis with JD Power. “Because if everyone’s driving a BMW, you’re not special anymore.” There is also the risk that instead of capturing new customers, existing ones will simply buy the cheaper models, he added.

Mercedes shook things up last year with the CLA, a sleek but small sedan offered with a base price of just $29,700. The German automaker insists its “breakthrough” car is no threat to its prestige or its previous entry level option, the best-selling C class. Some 80 percent of CLA buyers were new to the brand and most were much younger than the typi-

DETROIT: The Volkswagen Beetle Dune — AFP

Bank of America earnings rise on credit quality NEW YORK: Bank of America yesterday reported an eight-fold increase in quarterly earnings due to primarily improving credit quality and costly charges in the year-ago period. The US banking giant reported fourth-quarter earnings of $3.2 billion on revenues of $21.5 billion, compared with earnings of $367 million on revenues of $18.7 billion in the year-ago period. Those results translated into per-share income of 29 cents, above the 26 cents projected by analysts. The results were boosted by much lower provisions for credit losses than in the 2012 period. Bank of America booked just $336 million in reserves compared with $2.2 billion in the 2012 quarter.

Leading banks have benefited from better credit quality in recent quarters as the US economy has improved and consumers have paid down debt. Bank of America also

pointed to higher commercial loan balances and record global banking revenue. But litigation expenses rose to $2.3 billion from $916 million a year ago as it confronts suits related to residential mortgage-backed securities sold by the bank ahead of the housing crisis.

Bank of America reported a quarterly loss of $1.1 billion in its consumer real estate division compared with a loss of $3.7 billion in the 2012 period. The 2012 quarter was hit by a large settlements with the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae. Earnings in consumer and business banking rose to $2.0 billion thanks to better credit quality and higher average deposit balances. Earnings in this category were $1.4 billion a year ago. Bank of America reported full-year earnings of $10.1 billion compared with $2.8 billion in 2012. —AFP

Burberry sees hit from sterling LONDON: Demand for coats and large leather bags helped Burberry to top Christmas sales forecasts, though the British luxury brand said its incoming chief executive might have to cope with a hit to profit from a stronger sterling in the months ahead. Shares in the 158year-old firm known for its camel, red and black check pattern rose up to 7.1 percent yesterday, as investors welcomed the strong sales in an industry jittery about volatile demand in China - until recently its engine of growth.

“We believe many markets are still underpenetrated for the brand,” HSBC analysts said of Burberry’s prospects. The jury is out on whether sales growth in the luxury goods industry this year will match, drop or slightly outpace the 10 percent rise recorded last year at constant currencies.

Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and HSBC are forecasting a slight slowdown to 9 percent while others are expecting growth of 11 percent. Much will depend on

China, where slowing economic growth and a government crackdown on conspicuous consumption have cooled demand in recent quarters. Burberry, whose long-term chief creative officer Christopher Bailey is due to take on the role of chief executive later this year, said its retail revenues rose 14 percent in the three months to Dec. 31, the third quarter of its fiscal year.

Finance chief Carol Fairweather told reporters comparable store sales in China were up by a “double-digit” percentage. At 1045 GMT, Burberry shares were up 4.8 percent at 1,540 pence, the biggest rise by a European blue-chip stock. The stock has fallen 7 percent since Oct. 15 when Burberry said Chief Executive Angela Ahrendts would step down in mid-2014 to take up a job at Apple and hand over to Bailey, who will have a dual role, although the firm has since named a chief design officer to assist him in his creative functions. —Reuters

DETROIT: A worker polishes a Chevrolet Z71 offroad truck — AFP

cal Mercedes customer.

“The huge excitement which goes around the CLA is beneficial for the brand altogether,” Mercedes-Benz chief Dieter Zetsche said as he unveiled an updated and upgraded-C class at the Detroit auto show. “It brings more dynamics, more coolness to the brand.”

Luxury carmakers aren’t just chasing new customers with their down-market options, said Bob Carter, head of automotive operations for Toyota Motor USA. They’re also being forced into introducing smaller cars and less powerful engines in order to meet upcoming regulations tightening corporate average fuel efficiency standards, Carter said.

Unlike its main competitors, Lexus doesn’t need to downsize its engines and options to meet the new rules. The Japanese automaker is able to get its overall numbers down with the smaller vehicles sold by the Toyota and Scion brands. “The advantage of having three brands, as we have, is we’re able to keep clear-

ly succinct brand clarity,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the auto show.

Going small-or even less expensivedoesn’t have to mean going down-market, insisted Andy Goss, head of global sales for Jaguar and Land Rover.

“We’re packaging luxury in a different way with smaller vehicles,” he said.

The key is to maintain the same level of quality and stay true to the “DNA of a Jaguar or Land Rover,” he said in an interview on the sideline of the Detroit show. There are many ways to improve fuel efficiency without damaging the brand, Goss said. The Tata-owned luxury carmaker managed to lower the weight of the new Range Rover by 800 pounds (360 kilos) by incorporating more aluminum into its body and streamlining parts and components. It is also exploring hybrids and the possibility of introducing diesel options in the United States, he said.

The German automakers who dominate the luxury market-Mercedes and BMW, fol-

lowed by Volkswagen’s Audi and Porsche brands-have already introduced a number of hybrid and diesel options and are also bringing electric and eventually hydrogen-powered vehicles to market.

They have also been improving fuel efficiency and performance by taking weight out of their vehicles and integrating carbon fiber and other materials into their frames. It’s not yet clear if this will be sufficient to meet the new standards while also maintaining premium performance.

Despite the intense competition in the luxury market, German automakers posted record sales in 2013 of 1.3 million vehicles, a five percent increase. Germany’s VDA automakers association expects luxury sales to expand to 11 to 12 percent of the US market from 10 percent in 2013.

“We are confident the premium market, which we dominate, will be growing,” VDA president Matthias Wissmann told reporters. —AFP

The Acura display on the showroom floor. — AFP

German GDP growth slows to 4-year low Euro-zone recession takes its toll BERLIN: The German economy, Europe’s biggest, turned in the slowest growth for four years last year as the sluggish global economy and euro-zone recession took their toll, data showed yesterday.

But strong domestic demand kept Germany’s economic engine ticking over and will place it in a good position for recovery this year, analysts said. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 0.4 percent in 2013, down from 0.7 percent a year earlier and the slowest rate since 2009, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated in preliminary data.

It is also slightly lower than analyst forecasts for full-year growth this year of around 0.5 percent. “It seems that the German economy was hit by the ongoing recession in a number of European countries and the sluggish global economy,” said Destatis chief Roderich Egeler.

“Strong domestic demand could only partially compensate for this. Nevertheless, after the period of weakness last winter, the economic situation improved over the course of 2013,” Egeler said. In the fourth quarter alone, the German economy expanded by “around a quarter of a percent” after growth of 0.3 percent in the third quarter, said the statistics office chief economist Norbert Raeth. Destatis is scheduled to publish a more concrete estimate on February 14. But GDP growth was zero in the first quarter of last year, 0.7 percent in the second quarter and 0.3 percent in the third quarter.

German economy in good shape Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that

“even if annual average growth figure looks fairly subdued, it has to be seen positively.

“Germany was largely able to escape the recession that has hit a number of euro-area countries. The German economy is in good shape. All indicators suggest that consumers and companies are counting on a broad-based recovery,” Gabriel said.

Analysts agreed. “The euro-zone crisis hurt export-orientated industries, particularly at the start of last year,” said Ferdinand Fichtner of the DIW economic think tank. “But since the spring, GDP has expanded at a moderate pace,” he said. Commerzbank chief economist Joerg Kraemer said the German economy “has sustained the solid gain seen in the third quarter.”

And rising leading indicators, such as confidence surveys, “suggest that the expansion will probably continue at a similar pace in the first quarter” of this year. He was forecasting growth of 1.7 percent for the whole year 2014, Kraemer said. UniCredit economist Andreas Rees said “the odds have risen that we are getting some kind of a big bang in form of a spectacularly high growth number for the first quarter of 2014.” Indeed, UniCredit is pencilling in growth of 2.5 percent for the whole of this year, way above consensus, Rees said. Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz said that Germany’s “weak 2013 GDP growth highlights the impact of the euro crisis even on the strongest eurozone economy.” The long recession in the countries that share the euro “prevented stronger growth and a lack of confidence had caused

companies to shelve investment plans for a long time,” he said.

Nevertheless, “2013 was also the year recovery finally started. Consumption growth was resilient in 2013 and the beginning global recovery should allow Germany to grow at trend rates in 2014,” Schulz concluded.

Domestic demand Germany has come under heavy fire recently, from both its European neighbors and the United States, for its booming trade surplus, which critics argue has been built up at the expense of the country’s crisis-ridden neighbors.

But the Destatis data appeared to contradict this interpretation, since imports grew faster than exports, meaning that the net foreign trade balance shaved 0.3 percentage point off overall growth.

Domestic consumption, on the other hand, contributed 0.7 percentage point to growth.

“While some people abroad still think that the German economy is exclusively driven by exports and complain about an excessive current account surplus, the exact opposite was true,“ said Rees at UniCredit.

Germany’s public finances were also slightly in the red last year, with a deficit equivalent to 0.1 percent of GDP compared with a slight surplus in 2012, Destatis calculated. The Finance Ministry calculated that the budget deficit amounted to 22.1 billion euros in 2013, 3.0 billion euros below forecast as a result of lowerthan-expected spending. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

BUSINESS

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive offers free vehicle check-up service Offer valid until Jan 30, 2014 for Chevrolet owners

DUBAI: Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum and Vice-Chairman of the Crescent Group, gives the keynote address.

Foreign investments by UAE companies exceed $100bn Majid Jafar highlights UAE’s strategies DUBAI: The Highflyers Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Economy in order to highlight the successes of more than 130 successful UAE companies that have operations and investments abroad, was held at the Mina A Salam Hotel in Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE, on January 14, under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and was opened by Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy.

The initiative by the Ministr y of Economy is a platform to underline the experiences and expertise of UAE companies that have investments abroad.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the total cumulative value of such investments across the world, is Dh350 billion.

Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum and Vice-Chairman of the Crescent Group, gave the keynote address, entitled “Charting growth and prosperity: winning strategies to export UAE’s mastery in a morphing global economy”, in which he how described how the major successes of UAE companies in foreign investment can be attributed to the open policy adopted by the UAE to the world, and the strong government support given for all UAE companies from the highest leadership of the UAE and all the relevant government ministries including the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economy.

He also described how many UAE companies have already become regional and global leaders in their sectors, following key strategies such as excellence in quality standards, understanding and adapting well to the local environment, and high levels of corporate governance: “We must continue to engage, as the UAE corporate community, in the national effort to ensure competitiveness, economic diversification and sustainability in the future”, he said, while placing special

emphasis on the key strategic decisions Emirati companies can take to export the UAE’s economic expertise in achieving global competitiveness.

Describing the Crescent Group’s experience in foreign investments over the past 43 years as a UAE-headquartered company, Jafar said: “UAE companies have already successfully invested in over 100 countries worldwide, and we as the Crescent Group have current investments in 22 countries throughout the region and internationally, in sectors such as oil & gas, ports and logistics, power and engineering, real estate and construction, and private equity. Our oil & gas operations through Crescent Petroleum - the oldest private exploration and production company in the Middle East - have included experience as an international operator in numerous countries including Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Canada, Yugoslavia, Tunisia, and Argentina,” he added.

The Highflyers Forum brought together prominent CEOs of UAE companies operating abroad and highlighted their successes in foreign investments, the challenges they face, and their strategies for future overseas expansion in international markets. In addition to the speeches and panels, the Forum featured the video and launch ceremony of the Highflyers Initiative by HE the Minister of Economy.

Headquartered in Sharjah in the UAE, Crescent Petroleum has international offices in the UK and Iraq, as well as affiliated offices in Egypt and Bahrain. Crescent Petroleum is also the largest shareholder in Dana Gas, the Middle East’s leading publicly-listed natural gas company. Through its sister company Crescent Enterprises, other subsidiary and affiliate companies include Gulftainer Group, Clinical Pathology Ser vices (CPS), the Gama Aviation Group, and URUK Engineering.

The company also holds private equity fund investments and is a founding investor and shareholder in Abraaj Capital and GrowthGate Capital Corporation.

ABK continues auto finance offer KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait continues its Auto Finance offer to enable its customers to conveniently buy the car they desire. Stewart Lockie, General Manager, Retail Banking explained, “We are pleased to announce the extension of the offer to enable our clients finance their car of choice from most of the major showrooms in Kuwait.ABK customers can avail auto finance from a wide range of well known brands: GMC,SEAT, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Nissan, Infiniti, Citroen, Renault, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Saab, Ford, Subaro, Toyota, Lexus, Hummer, Opel, Peugeot,

Mazda,Kia, Lincoln, Audi and Skoda.”

Lockie continued, “Auto financing is available to all ABK customers without having to transfer their salaries to the Bank. The benefits offered are excellent with discounts up to KD 250 and auto finance up to a maximum of KD 15,000.”

Visit any of the car showrooms, inquire about exclusive offers for ABK customers and own your dream car. For more information you can contact us directly through the Ahli chat service on our website www.eahli.comor call Ahlan Ahli at 1899899to speak with a customer service representative.

World Bank sees global economy picking up WASHINGTON: The global economy is slowly picking up steam, led by advanced economies appearing to turn the corner after five years of financial crises and recession and a continued good performance by China, the World Bank said. However, it said Tuesday that growth prospects remain vulnerable to rising interest rates and potential volatility in capital flows as the US Federal Reserve eases up on the extraordinary stimulus it has been providing to the US economy, the world’s largest.

The bank’s twice -yearly Global Economics Prospects report says global growth is expected to firm from 2.4 percent in 2013 to 3.2 percent this year and 3.4 percent in 2015.

The report said the momentum that countries such as the United States and Japan are building up should support stronger growth in the developing countries. Presenting the findings, Kaushik Basu, the bank’s chief economist, the outlook for the global economy is uneventful.

“It’s a strange world we live in that news that an uneventful economy ahead of us is meant to be good news,” Basu said at a news conference at the bank’s Washington headquarters. He added, “But not surprising” that this is the case after years of economic turmoil.

The report says that although risks to the global economy have subsided, they have not been eliminated and include fiscal uncertainty in the United States, protracted

recovery in the euro zone and possible setbacks in China’s restructuring policies.

The bank said the Federal Reserve decision to begin trimming its intervention in the market, known as quantitative easing, “is welcome as it reflects increasingly convincing signs that a self-sustaining recovery is under way.” It said the most likely scenario is for the tapering off to follow an orderly trajectory and for global interest rates to rise only slowly, reaching 3.6 percent by mid-2016.

In Japan, the report says, large doses of fiscal and monetary stimulus have sparked a strong cyclical upturn but keeping this going will require structural reforms. The bank says in the euro zone, banks have gone a long way to restructuring themselves but that sector remains weak. Details on a fully fledged banking union are still being worked out “and the currency bloc remains susceptible to shock.”

The report says that although developing country growth in 2013 was relatively weak, at an estimated 4.8 percent, “it has been firming in recent months, partly reflecting strengthening growth in highincome countries, but also a recovery from earlier weakness in large middle-income countries, such as India and China.” Looking at regional trends, the bank said growth will be flat in East Asia and the Pacific, modest in Latin America and the Caribbean and held back in the Middle East and North Africa due to social and political strife. — AP

KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait is pleased to announce its Free Checkup campaign. The free vehicle checkup campaign invites every Chevrolet owner to a 21 point complete inspection, and provides customers with a detailed condition report and cost estimate, special discounts on parts and labor, valid for two months as well as a free wash and vacuum. Customer will also be entitled to enter a raffle on KD750. The draw will take place on 6th February 2014.

The Free Check-up campaign is valid from the 11th until 30th of Januar y 2014. All Chevrolet owners are able to benefit from this valuable opportunity by bringing in their vehicles into the Service center in Shuwaikh and Fahaheel for a free check-up which includes a special discount on spare parts and labor. If you are interested in the Free Check-up and you are not able to drop off your vehicle to the service center in Shuwaikh during the week, Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive has made it convenient for you to enjoy this limited offer during the weekend due to the fact that the service center in Shuwaikh is open on Fridays from 2 PM until 7 PM. To book for an appointment and benefit from this Free Check-up campaign, please call 24969000.

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive operates under a simple philosophy to excel ownership experience for owners of Chevrolet and

Cadillac vehicles and will continue to launch initiatives to suit all of its customers’ needs to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.

Joyalukkas opens 2 more showrooms in Andhra

KHAMMAM, India: Joyalukkas, the globally renowned Dubai-based jewelry retail chain, opened two more showrooms in Andhra Pradesh, the first at Warangal and the second at Khammam, on 11 January, 2014.

The Warangal showroom was inaugurated

by Smt. Erebelly Swarna Guru, former Mayor of Warangal, while the Khammam showroom was inaugurated by A V Ranganath IPS, Superintendent of Police, Khammam District, along with Joy Aluk k as, Chairman and Managing Director Joyalukkas Group, in the presence of several local dignitaries. Joyalukkas also plans to open shortly yet another showroom in Andhra Pradesh, this time in Kadapa.

“We just opened two more showrooms in the city of Mumbai; and the three new showrooms in Andhra Pradesh are a continuation of our rapid expansion plans as per our ‘Mission

2014’ strategy. ‘Mission 2014’ is a target we have set for ourselves to become a 100 jewelry showroom chain across 10 countries by March 2014, and I am happy to say that we are right on track in achieving this feat. We have received a phenomenal response in Andhra Pradesh; and thanks to the patronage and blessings of consumers, we are expanding our network here to 12 showrooms, which will make it all the more convenient for jewelry lovers to shop at Joyalukkas,” said Joy Alukkas All three new showrooms will follow the signature Joyalukkas large format designs and will be home to over one million designs across a range of jewelry forms such as gold, diamond, and precious stones, polki, platinum, pearl and silver jewelry.

These showrooms will offer the same service excellence that Joyalukkas is renowned for

globally, along with best prices, superior quality and the very popular CPT (Clear Price Tag) - a unique price tag system that enables customers to fully understand the value and details of the jewelry they are purchasing.

Joyaluk k as offers consumers the biggest choice of exquisite jewelr y designs from around the world, created by expert award winning craftsmen.

“Joyalukkas is a global brand with a customer base of over 10 million people worldwide. The brand stands for choice, latest trends, convenience, value and trust and this has helped them become one of the largest jewelry retail chains. I am very proud to represent this Superbrand and I would like to invite everyone to Joyalukkas to experience world-class gold shopping,” said Stylish star Allu Arjun, who is also the brand Ambassador of Joyalukkas.

Al-Tajer Account - The first account for business activities from ABK KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait is here to offer business solutions combined with great service.

As such ABK’s Al-Tajer account, tailored to cater to SMEs, especially retailers can add a fresh impetus to their business. Commenting on AlTajer Account Stewart Lockie, General Manager of Retail Banking said, “At ABK we try to support a range of our merchant’s banking needs, with Al-Tajer we cover their business requirements, whether it’s a start up or an established one.”

“Merchants can benefit well from the Al-Tajer Account. By installing their POS Terminal through ABK without an installation fee, and linking it to their Al-Tajer Account they can avail life time free cheque books, free credit card, free local and international telex transfers, and free access to Al-Tajer Account and POS detailed statements, in addition to many other benefits. I would encourage ABK’s merchants and other new merchants to open an Al-Tajer Account to

enjoy varied advantages; it is an exceptional offer and one that your business needs to succeed!”

For more information about this account, please visit any of our ABK branches throughout Kuwait or call Ahlan Ahli at 1899899.

Alternatively you can visit our website at www.eahli.com where you can chat live regarding any of your banking queries, with our Client Service Manager on Ahli Chat.

India’s inflations eases to 5-mth low NEW DELHI: India’s headline inflation eased to a five-month low in December on lower vegetable prices, providing some relief to the ruling coalition before a national election and increasing the odds that interest rates will stay on hold this month. The Congress party is struggling to win back voters but is grappling with its worst economic slowdown in a decade amid surging food prices that have largely affected the country’s rural poor. The wholesale price index (WPI), India’s main inflation indicator, climbed an annual 6.16 percent last month, its slowest pace since July 2013. The reading compared with a 7.00 percent rise predicted by economists in a Reuters’ poll. Wholesale prices had increased 7.52 percent on year in November - their fastest clip in 14 months.

The pace of gains in December was tempered by a softening in vegetable prices that fell nearly 30 percent from November, bringing down overall food inflation for the month to 13.68 percent from 19.93 percent a month ago. Yesterday’s WPI data follows an easing in consumer inflation that slowed to a three-month low of 9.87 percent last month after vegetable prices dropped nearly 19 percent from November. The latest inflation numbers are expected to give the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) some leeway to keep interest rates on hold at its upcoming policy meeting on Jan. 28. “The WPI data has surprised on the downside and seen in conjunction with the CPI (consumer price index) data should strengthen the case for a rate pause in the Jan review,” said A. Prasanna, an economist at ICICI Securities primary dealership Ltd. Indian bonds as well as interest rate-sensitive shares rallied after the WPI data. The benchmark 10-year bond yield fell 5 basis points to 8.63 percent from levels before the data. The benchmark 5-year swap rate and the 1-year rate each fell 4 basis points, dealers said.

Vegetable prices Wholesale prices for vegetables had surged 116 percent between March and November, resulting in a drubbing for the ruling Congress party in recent state elections. Cooling prices will bring some relief to the party as it heads into national elections due by May, seeking a third term. Most opinion polls are predicting heavy losses for the party, in part due to its failure to control inflation.

Persistently high inflation in Asia’s thirdlargest economy is pressuring household budgets and company profits, hitting consumer demand as well as corporate investments. After raising interest rates twice since

September, the RBI lef t rates steady last month, ignoring high inflation readings as it feared aggressive rate hikes could be damaging for a weak economy. A surprise contraction in industrial production in November and a slowdown in merchandise exports growth last month suggest the central bank’s growth concerns were not out of place.

But what could worr y new RBI chief Raghuram Rajan is a pickup in core WPI inflation, which inched up to around 2.8 percent last month from 2.66 percent in November.

Already, core CPI inflation is hovering around 8 percent for the past three months, a level Rajan deems as uncomfortably high. —Reuters

TOKYO: A customer checks hybrid vehicles of Japanese auto giant Toyota Motor at the company’s showroom in Tokyo yesterday. Cumulative global sales of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles topped the 6 million units at the end of last year, Toyota said yesterday. —AFP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

technology

NSA maps pathway into computers WASHINGTON: The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world - but not in the United States - that allows the US to conduct surveillance on those machines, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The Times cited NSA documents, computer experts and US officials in its report about the use of secret technology using radio waves to gain access to computers that other countries have tried to protect from spying or cyberattacks. The software network could also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks, the Times reported.

The Times reported that the technology, used by the agency for several years, relies on radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted covertly into the computers. The NSA calls the effort an “active defense” and has used the technology to monitor units of China’s army, the Russian military, drug cartels, trade institutions inside the European Union, and sometime US partners against terrorism like Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan, the Times reported.

Among the most frequent targets of the NSA and US Cyber Command, the Times reported, has been China’s army.

The United States has accused China’s army of launching regular attacks on American industrial and military targets, often to steal secrets or intellectual property. When Chinese attackers have placed similar software on computer sys-

tems of American companies or government agencies, American officials have protested, the newspaper reported.

The NSA says the technology has not been used in computers in the US “NSA’s activities are focused and specifically deployed against - and only against valid foreign intelligence targets in response to intelligence requirements,” Vanee Vines, an agency spokeswoman, said in a statement to the Times. “We do not use foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of - or give intelligence we collect to - US companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line.”

Parts of the program have been disclosed in documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former NSA systems analyst, the Times reported. A Dutch newspaper published the map showing where the United States has inserted spy software, sometimes with the help of local authorities. Der Spiegel, a German newsmagazine, published information about the NSA’s hardware products that can secretly transmit and receive signals from computers, according to the Times.

The Times said that it withheld some of those details, at the request of US intelligence officials, when it reported in summer 2012 on American cyberattacks on Iran. China’s ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to faxed queries from The Associated Press seeking comment on the article. Chinese officials in the past

FORT MEADE: Photo shows the sign outside the National Security Agency campus in Fort Meade, Md. Telephone companies are quietly balking at the idea of changing how they collect and store Americans’ phone records to help the NSA’s surveillance programs. — AP have stressed that China is a victim of international cyber-espionage and have pushed for international coordination on controlling such espionage.

Zhu Feng, an international security

expert at Peking University, said: “Those spying activities show that the U.S. says one thing while doing another thing, and the spying activities are being conducted in an irregular way without rules.

Other countries may follow suit, leading to a fierce arms race on the Internet. So, it is time to set up rules and regulations in cyberspace with coordination from the international community.” — AP

Facebook data funneled to Russian search engine Yandex’s search results will incorporate articles, videos

CALIFORNIA: The Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector is displayed at a Home Depot store in San Rafael, California. — AFP

Google builds ‘Nest’ for future of smart homes SAN FRANCISCO: When our Internetconnected gadgets and home appliances all learn to talk to each other, Google wants to be at the center of the conversation. This imagined future is still a few years away, but Google is already preparing with its $3.2 billion acquisition of high-tech thermostat and smoke-detector maker Nest Labs.

The surprise deal announced earlier this week will provide Google Inc. with more tools to build a valuable hub for homes. It’s a world of network-tethered toasters and tea kettles, or a so-called “Internet of Things,” that is destined to reshape society, experts say, in the same way that smartphones have done in the seven years since Apple Inc unveiled the iPhone.

The research firm Gartner Inc. expects more than 26 billion objects to be connected to the Internet by 2020, a figure that doesn’t include personal computers, smartphones or tablets. That would be a nearly 30-fold increase from roughly 900 million Internet- connected things in 2009. Google established itself as an instrumental player in smartphones with the 2008 release of Android, a free operating system that runs on more mobile devices than any other piece of software.

Now, the company is gearing up for the advent of the smart home with the help of Nest Labs, a 300-employee company started in Palo Alto, Calif. less than four years ago. Tony Fadell, Nest ’s founder, is an Apple veteran who helped design the iPod and the iPhone. As influential as smar tphones have become, their role in understanding people’s habits and preferences could be eclipsed once everything in the home has a computer chip and is connec ted to the Internet. “Google bought Nest in order to learn about this world where even more information is going to be accessible by computers,” said Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett.

Nest Labs quickly won over gadget lovers with its 2011 release of an I nternet- connec ted thermostat that learns to cool and heat homes to suit the needs of the inhabitants. Late last year, the company followed up with a smoke and carbon-monoxide detector equipped with voice technology and the ability to communicate with the company’s thermostat.

Nest hasn’t said how many of its devices have been sold, though analysts believe they are in just a small fraction of homes. The products have only been available in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom. Google hasn’t disclosed its specific plans for Nest, but analysts

anticipate an entire line of Internet-connected home products will be coming to countries around the world. Some of those Nest devices could be melded with existing Google services in an effort to make people’s lives easier.

Such a move also would provide Google with the means to gather more insight that could be used to sell the digital advertising that generates most of the company’s revenue. In a blog post about the Google acquisition, Nest Labs cofounder Matt Rogers promised that customers’ personal information will only be used for “providing and improving Nest’s products and services. We’ve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change.”

But that pledge won’t preclude Google from incorporating its services with Nest’s products, said Gartner analyst Angela McIntyre. For instance, Google already makes a digital assistant called “Google Now” that strives to learn what its users like and where they tend to go so it can provide helpful information without prompting. McIntyre believes Nest’s products will teach Google Now to become more helpful so it can increasingly take over more of the mundane tasks in people’s lives. “ They need to gather as much information as they can to understand the context in how we live our lives,” McIntyre said.

Google also could plug its digital mapping software into Nest products so it could learn the layout of a home, said Brian Proffitt, a technology analyst who is also a management instructor at the University of Notre Dame. That knowledge could then be deployed to delegate such household chores as vacuuming to a robot that would be able to rely on the interior maps to navigate its way through an entire home without human help, Proffitt said. A Google division run by Android creator Andy Rubin is working on various ideas for robots, though the Mountain View, Calif., company hasn’t shared many details about its goals.

Google’s expansion into robotics is also being bolstered by a spate of acquisitions that included the recent purchase of Boston Dynamics, a US military contractor that has already built a variety of contraptions that can be programmed to run at rapid speeds, leap high into the air and climb rock y terrains. Even as it explores various technological frontiers, Google still makes most of its money from advertising tied to search requests.

Acquiring and developing products with Internet connections and environmental sensors can only help Google get an even better grasp on people’s interests. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Yandex yesterday announced that it is adding public Facebook data to the index of data mined for queries handled by the Russian Internet search giant.

“As of today, public content from Facebook users in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, other CIS countries and Turkey will be available for indexing by Yandex as soon as it has been published,” Russia’s biggest search engine said in an English-language statement. Yandex said that an agreement with Facebook gives it full access to the California-based social network’s “firehose” of public data. “Users can find out what those on the social network are saying about the current headline news events, for

example, or the latest movies,” Yandex said.

“In the near future, Yandex’s search results will display not only Facebook users’ posts but also others’ comments on them.” Facebook profiles or posts set to “private” by users will not be searchable. Microsoft also has a deal with Facebook to incorporate public social network information into search results at Bing. Google has no formal agreement with Facebook for its data stream but can in many cases find public posts on the social network.

“Information about the hot topics in social networks is an important factor for a search engine in answering users’ questions,” Yandex said in a blog post.

Kaspersky lab warns online banking users DUBAI: Kaspersky Lab has recorded several thousand attempts to infect computers used for online banking with a malicious program that its creators claim can attack “any bank in any country”. The Neverquest Trojan banker supports just about every possible trick used to bypass online banking security systems: web injection, remote system access, social engineering, and so on. In light of the Trojan’s self-replication capabilities, a sharp rise in the number of attacks involving Neverquest can be expected, resulting in financial losses for users all over the world.

Kaspersky Lab noted that the holiday period in particular is a period of high malicious user activity with experts reporting instances as early as November where posts were made in hacker forums about buying and selling databases to access bank accounts and other documents used to open and manage the accounts to which stolen funds are sent. Neverquest appeared on the market even earlier - an advert looking for a partner to work with the Trojan on the servers of a group of cybercriminals, with their support, was posted in July of this year.

Sergey Golovanov, Principal Security Researcher, Kaspersky Lab, commented: “After wrapping up several criminal cases associated with the creation and proliferation of malware used to steal bank website data, a few ‘holes’ appeared on the black market. New malicious users are trying to fill these with new technologies and ideas. Neverquest is just one of the threats aiming to take over the leading positions previously held by programs like ZeuS and Carberp.”

Neverquest steals usernames and passwords to bank accounts as well as all the data entered by the user into the modified pages of a banking website.

Special scripts for Internet Explorer and Firefox are used to facilitate these thefts, giving the malware control of the browser connection with the cybercriminal’s command server when visiting the sites of 28 sites on the list, including those that belong to large international banks - sites of German, Italian, Turkish and Indian banks, as well as payment systems. Another function helps the malicious users replenish their list of targeted banks and develop code to be seeded on new websites that were previously not on the target list.

Of all of the sites targeted by this particular program, an investment fund appears to be the top target.

Its website offers clients a long list of ways to manage their finances online. This gives malicious users the chance to not only transfer cash funds to their own accounts but also to play the stock market, using the accounts and the money of Neverquest victims.

After gaining access to a user’s account with an online banking system, cybercriminals conduct transactions and wire money from the user to their own accounts or - to keep the trail from leading directly to them - to the accounts of other victims. Protection against threats such as Neverquest requires more than just standard antivirus; users need a dedicated solution that secures transactions. In particular, the solution must be able to control a running browser process and prevent any manipulation by other applications.

“The intensity of discussion on any subject in social media is proof of the topic’s relevance.” “Yandex’s search results will incorporate articles and videos that have had particular resonance on the social network,” the Russian search engine said. “The popularity of materials on Facebook will be taken into consideration when ranking search results.”

Facebook did not reply to an AFP inquiry about the alliance, which reportedly involved no money changing hands. Yandex raised some $1.3 billion in a 2011 public offering on the Nasdaq. It handles some 60 percent of search queries in Russia and has a presence in several other countries. — AFP

Nikon ushers in a new era of wireless connectivity in DSLRs KUWAIT: Nikon Middle East FZE yesterday highlighted its commitment to wireless connectivity in Digital SLR cameras, on the back of a hugely successful 2013, which has seen the company achieve pole position in market share in the Middle East and Africa region. Takashi Yoshida, Managing Director Nikon MEA, said: “Nikon has been growing steadily in region, with business doubling in the past three years. From August 2013 onwards, we have achieved No. 1 market share in value of digital cameras1, which include both DSLRs and point-and-shoot cameras. We’re very proud of reaching this milestone, and look forward to keeping up the momentum in 2014.”

According to Narendra Menon, Regional Head Sales and Marketing, Nikon MEA, retailers are increasingly concentrating on the DSLR segment as an area of high growth. “The popularity of DSLRs is increasing on the back of their affordability, compact size and superior-quality pictures when compared for point-and-shoot cameras,” he explains, “In addition to the cameras, retailers also view lenses and other accessories as fast-growing sections with rising demand.”

The boom in DSLR demand has contributed to Nikon’s rapid growth, and the company is capitalizing on this interest through their Nikon School program. The school provides free classes and workshops to help people enhance their photography skills, with sessions emphasizing the advantage of capturing high-quality images and exploring one’s capability to make art out of light.

Wi-Fi the way forward Nikon views Wi-Fi as a

major trend going into 2014, and anticipates cameras such as the D5300 to appeal to customers in the region. The D5300 is Nikon’s first entry-level DX-format digital SLR camera, with Wi-Fi and GPS functions incorporated within the camera itself, enabling photographers to share photos directly within seconds. Entry level photographers need not to worry, as this camera is the ideal transition to Digital SLRs with an automatic mode as well as several scene modes suitable for various activities and occasions.

The D5300 also simplifies other aspects of photography; it has a new EXPEED 4 processor, which allows post production of photos to be done on the camera without needing to be downloaded into the desktop, thus saving time and cost. “Nikon is known for producing the highest quality cameras to capture long-lasting memories,” commented Menon.

“The D5300 is a camera that offers superior quality photos matched with convenience. It is the perfect modern day camera for anyone, whether a family who simply want to snap stunning images or teenagers who can enjoy a professional camera without worrying about the cost.”

Nikon is showcasing the real-time sharing capability of the D5300 at a multimedia heart-shaped display at the Dubai Mall.

The rotating multimedia heart is the first of its kind in Dubai, and made up of a complex 3D arrangement of monitors in a heart shape.

The showcase will run from January 1222, enabling people to take photos with the D5300 and upload them on to the screens. The images will be displayed across the 100+ screens making up the heart-shaped display, with an opportunity for participants to share their pictures on social media platforms and take home photo souvenirs.

The Nikon D5300 is available in three colors (Black, Red and Gray) at the suggested retail price (SRP) of AED 3,999. If a picture is worth a thousand words, one can only imagine how many stories the D5300 camera can tell every day.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

US Supreme Court takes up controversial abortion issue WASHINGTON: More than four decades after legalizing abortion, the US Supreme Court returns to the hot-button issue today in a case about the right to protest near clinics that terminate pregnancies.

The high court is due to hear a challenge on the ground of free speech rights to a Massachusetts law that sets a buffer zone around the entrance to abortion clinics.

“Pro-life” and “pro-choice” activists are expected to wave their banners outside the Supreme Court steps during the debate. Surprising court watchers and despite an increased number of appeals, the nine justices chose to weigh in on the peripheral issue, shunning the heart of the controversy and a potential return to the court’s 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision that legalized abortion.

On Monday, they refused to take up

an Arizona law that largely banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy after an appellate court struck it down as unconstitutional last year.

It was the second time this term that the court decided against reviving a new abortion control law, after removing from its docket an Oklahoma law that limited doctors’ ability to perform medical abortions. The court also let stand a state court decision invalidating limits on a so-called abortion pill.

“Because the court chose not to review the case, nothing final can be read into that denial, except perhaps that the court is not ready to reopen the whole question about the continuing validity of its precedents on women’s abortion rights,” said Lyle Denniston, who has covered the high court for 55 years and writes for the SCOTUSblog.

“Lawyers for anti-abortion groups

have been attempting to fashion arguments that they hoped would lead the court to see that earlier-stage laws against pregnancy terminations were actually regulations of the procedure, not a total ban.”

In November, however, the court refused to block a new Texas law banning abortions in clinics lacking doctors on staff with full professional privileges at a hospital nearby. The decision triggered the closure of a third of the state’s abortion clinics.

A divided bench The divergent decisions make it more difficult to predict the future direction of the court on the controversial topic, especially since the conservative justices are now in the majority.

“The court’s decision will likely be significant because of the underlying topic-

abortion,” said David Hudson of Vanderbilt Law School and Nashville School of Law. In the latest case before the court, seven pro-life militants cited the free speech rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution to contest a Massachusetts law barring them from protesting in a 30-foot (10meter) buffer zone around the entrance, exit and private access of abortion clinics. “It’s time for the Supreme Court to put an end to these perverse attempts to silence pro-life speakers,” said Dana Cody, president of the anti-abortion Life Legal Defense Foundation.

“Massachusetts is grasping at straws and its bubble zone law flies in the face of the very notion of freedom of speech.”

She estimated it would only take the vote of two of the four new justices to nullify the law.

“ Too many times, we’ve seen the Supreme Court pass a death sentence on voiceless children in the womb. It would be yet another injustice to silence any person who speaks out on behalf of these children,” said Live Action president Lila Rose.

“The Constitution of the United States does not become void as one gets close to an abortion facility.”

In an editorial, The New York Times stressed that while the right to free speech is officially the question before the court, “the broader issue at stake is protecting women’s access to abortion, which is under assault around the country by lawmakers and protesters alike.”

The ruling, expected in late June, could have an impact in other states that have also set up similar buffer zones around abortion clinics, as well as certain places of worship and funerals. — AFP

Heroin, pill abuse stir battle cry in Vermont Unslakable hunger for money

WASHINGTON: In this May 13, 2009, file photo, first lady Michelle Obama hugs a third grade student at Ferebee-Hope Community School in southeast Washington. The nation’s first lady turns 50 on Friday and, by her own account, feels more relaxed now that President Barack Obama’s days as a candidate for elected office are over. —AP

US first lady won’t rule out plastic surgery WASHINGTON: Michelle Obama, who turns 50 later this week, isn’t ruling out using plastic surgery or Botox in the future.

“Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves,” the first lady told People magazine in an interview hitting newsstands Friday, her birthday. “Right now, I don’t imagine that I would go that route, but I’ve also learned to never say never.”

Her message to women is to be healthy.

Michelle says she has never missed a health checkup, including mammograms and Pap smears. She’s also had a colonoscopy.

“I don’t obsess about what I eat, but I do make sure that I’m eating vegetables and fruit,” added Michelle . “And as everyone knows, I do exercise.” Her “Let’s Move” campaign to reduce childhood obesity rates through the combination of exercise and healthier eating enters its fifth year next month. Her workouts have also evolved from weight-bearing and cardio exercises to include things like yoga that she says will help keep her flexible.

‘Ever-evolving’ Asked whether she has peaked at 50, Michelle joked that being first lady is “pretty high up.” She said she’s always felt that her life is “ever-evolving” and she doesn’t have the right to “just sit on my talents or blessings.”

“I’ve got to keep figuring out ways to have an impact, whether as a mother or as

a professional or as a mentor to other kids,” the first lady said, noting that daughter Malia, now 15, will be in college when she and President Barack Obama leave the White House in January 2017. Daughter Sasha, 12, won’t be far behind.

“At that point in life, whoa, the sky is the limit,” Michelle said.

President Obama is planning a big birthday dance party for his wife at the White House on Saturday night. Aides are keeping a tight lid on details to maintain the element of surprise for Michelle . Guests have been told to come prepared to dance and to eat before they come.

“There’s one thing I can tell you for sure ... people will move,” Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser who is close to the Obamas, said.

Jarrett wouldn’t comment on reports that Beyonce, who also is close to the Obama family, will sing at the first lady’s party. Beyonce serenaded the Obamas as they danced at one of the balls for the president’s first inauguration in 2009. Last year, she lip-synced to a pre-recorded voice track of the national anthem at Obama’s second swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

Coincidentally, Beyonce’s husband, rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z, is scheduled to bring his Magna Carter World Tour to Washington’s Verizon Center on Thursday night, two days before Michelle’s White House birthday blowout. That means Beyonce could be in town anyway. — AP

MONTPELIER: Behind the facade of pristine ski slopes, craft beer, quaint village greens and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, Vermont is grappling with painkiller and heroin abuse, a challenge leaders say is fueling crime and wrecking lives and families disproportionately in this tiny state.

Nearly every day, police across Vermont are responding to burglaries or armed robberies investigators believe are prompted by the unslakable hunger for money to feed heroin or pill habits. In many cases, law enforcement officials say, what began as the abuse of prescription drugs has turned into heroin use because it’s less expensive and, more recently, easier to get.

Federal statistics rank Vermont among the top 10 states for the abuse of painkillers and illicit drug use other than marijuana - including heroin - for people ages 18 to 25.

Last week, Gov. Peter Shumlin took the unusual step of highlighting the challenge by devoting almost his entire State of the State address to it. He described the drug abuse as “a crisis bubbling just beneath the surface” and called on the Legislature to pass laws encouraging treatment and seek ideas on the best way to prevent people from becoming addicted in the first place. He also called for stiffer penalties for traffickers and people who use weapons in drug crimes. “Anyone who doesn’t believe that they have an opiate challenge in their state is in denial,” Shumlin said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, the day after his speech. “The point is that if we can shift from our belief, our fantasy, that we can solve all of these problems with law enforcement, we’ll go a long way toward solving the problem. This is primarily a public health crisis.”

The numbers are startling for a state the size of Vermont, which with 625,000 residents has a population about the same as Nashville, Tenn.: • It ranks second in the country for the rate of people being treated for opiate abuse, the Vermont Health Department says.

Swine flu kills two men in Spain MADRID: Two men have died of swine flu in northern Spain, where an outbreak of the H1N1 virus has left over 40 people in hospital, officials said yesterday.

Laboratory tests confirmed that the virus killed a 62-year-old man, who died Saturday in a hospital in Cantabria, the regional government said. A 76-year-old victim, who had been suffering from other unspecified diseases, died at a hospital in Zaragoza in the region of Aragon where he was being treated for the H1N1 virus, a government spokeswoman for the region said. Another 43 people who have tested

positive for the H1N1 flu virus are receiving treatment in hospitals in Aragon, including 18 who are in intensive care, she added.

All of those who are infected with the virus had not received flu shots and they all suffered from chronic disease that had already weakened, regional health minister Ricardo Olivan told reporters.

The World Health Organisation declared the swine flu pandemic over in August 2010, more than a year after the H1N1 virus that emerged from Mexico sparked panic and killed thousands of people around the world. —AFP

BENNINGTON: A suspect is taken into custody in Bennington, Vt., one of dozens of suspects rounded up in southwestern Vermont on charges related to the distribution and sale of illicit drugs. —AP

SPRINGFIELD: Springfield resident Susan White looks over booking photos displayed at a Vermont State Police news conference to discuss the arrest of 36 people in the area as part of a large drug sweep. —AP • Over the past five years, the number of serious drug crimes rose 46 percent, according to a study released in October by the Justice Center of the Council on State Governments.

• Last year, the number of heroin overdose deaths almost doubled from nine to 17. And the number of heroin dealers indicted at the request of Vermont’s federal prosecutors increased rose more than five times between 2010 and 2013.

• From 2009 through 2012, the number of calls reporting suspected child abuse or neglect caused by drug abuse to the Vermont Department of Children and Families increased about 38 percent, from 3,293 to 4,555, said Commissioner Dave Yacovone.

Lack of hope Vermonters have no ready explanation for the rise in drug use. The state has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, but in his speech, Shumlin said the underlying cause of addiction was “a lack of hope and opportunity” that he proposed counteracting with good jobs and “the best early education in America.”

Many prescription painkillers belong to a class of drugs known as opioids, which also includes heroin, codeine and methadone. Many states are reporting increasing heroin problems as an unintended byproduct of efforts to crack down on painkiller abuse that didn’t include treatment of the underlying addiction, said Sherry Green, executive director of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws.

“What they are doing, they are shifting to heroin because if they are already addicted to opiates they are going to ... switch to the next best thing, which is heroin,” she said.

Shumlin wants the Legislature to expand treatment and recovery programs, and create a system that would allow some addicts to be sent for treatment immediately after their first contacts with law enforcement. He wants to emphasize treatment and search for ways to keep people from becoming addicted in the first place.

He also seeks tougher criminal penalties for drug traffickers and those who use violence during drug crimes. Shumlin, a Democrat, is proposing several million dollars in new spending to help contain the proposals. Shumlin is set to reveal a budget proposal Wednesday that could contain details on how to pay for his proposals.

While Republicans in the Vermont Legislature criticized the governor’s speech for not focusing more on jobs and the economy, they agreed with the need to fight the drug threat.

Recovering addict Dustin Machia, 25, attended Shumlin’s speech and was singled out by the governor as someone who quickly became addicted after being offered Oxycontin, a powerful opioid, in high school.

“It led me to places I didn’t want to go, never thought I’d be,” Machia said.

Pills intermixed He soon became a $500-a-day addict who stole $20,000 worth of equipment from the family farm before his mother introduced him to a local physician who helped him. It took him more than a week to get into a rehabilitation program.

Machia, who lives in the community of Swanton, just a few miles from the Quebec border, managed to overcome his addiction with the help of family, friends and hard work. He said his experience came before heroin reared its head in Vermont and he also hopes the Legislature can find ways to get people the help they need when they ask for it.

“When people are ready, they have to go,” Machia said in the governor’s office after the speech. “Three weeks, a month, it’s too late by then.” The demand for heroin is being quickly filled by out-of-state drug dealers or Vermonters who travel to cities in southern New England or beyond, where heroin can cost $5 to $10 per bag. A couple of years ago they were being sold in Vermont for $40, but now they fetch $15 to $20, said Maj. Glenn Hall, head of the Vermont State Police’s criminal division.

“For years now when we do heroin cases, we find pills intermixed,” Hall said. “Many times heroin users have pills. When they don’t have heroin, they’re looking for the pill. When they don’t have the pills, they’re looking for heroin.”

Vermont’s public health community is responding. Since 2008, the state has funded 11 recovery centers. But the governor says more can be done.

“All of us, together, will drive toward our goal of recovery by working with one another creatively, relentlessly, and without division,” Shumlin said during his speech. “We can do this.” —AP

Pot debates continue even where it’s legal

DENVER: Customers stand in a line numbering several hundred people, shortly after the opening of 3D Cannabis Center, which opened as a legal recreational retail outlet in Denver on New Year’s Day. —AP

DENVER: Recreational marijuana may be legal in Colorado and Washington, but debates over the drug are far from over. Here’s a look at debates emerging in the states where the drug is already legal without a doctor’s recommendation: • A group of marijuana activists want another pot vote in Colorado - to loosen restrictions on who can have it. A proposed ballot measure up for state review Wednesday would end criminal penalties for cannabis possession. If approved, the measure would effectively discard Colorado’s 1-ounce possession limit and 21-and-over restriction. A similar pot possession measure has been proposed before in Colorado, and failed to get enough signatures to make ballots. There’s little reason to expect more success for the 2014 version of the legalize-for-all proposal.

• Another group of pot activists - longtime users with medical permission to use the drug -

are also unhappy. A patient-advocacy group has written to lawmakers requesting the creation of a “Cannabis Patient Fund” to provide subsidies for some 120,000 Coloradans on a list of approved medical pot users. The group is alarmed over escalating pot prices, which aren’t regulated by the state and have more than doubled in retail shops since Jan. 1, when recreational sales began. So far, the group hasn’t found any lawmakers willing to sponsor its idea.

Packaging problems • Washington has a curious economic problem as it prepares for retail pot sales: too many growers and shops. According to figures released last week, more than 2,600 applications have been submitted to produce pot. That’s a problem because officials are, at least initially, capping total production at 2 million square

feet, or about 46 acres. They’re seeing too many would-be retailers, too. In Seattle, where the state has allotted 21 pot shops, there have been 408 retail license applications. In Spokane, which will have eight marijuana stores, there have been 84 applications.

• Colorado’s pot regulators have been widely praised for trouble-free openings when recreational pot sales opened this month. But the openings haven’t been without problems. Last week, they sent pot shops a warning about marijuana packaging. The shops were allowed to transfer raw pot from their medical inventory to their recreational inventory, but they needed new packaging and labeling. Some shops continue selling pot in old packaging, instead of using the stricter packaging requirement passed for recreational sales. There was no immediate word on licenses being revoked.—AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

West African lion threatened with extinction Leaner, less hairy than other lions DAKAR: West Africa’s lions, which once prowled across the region in their tens of thousands, are close to extinction as farmland eats up their ancient habitats and human hunters kill the animals they feed on, a study has shown. Just around 400 of the animals were thought to have survived across 17 countries, according to the paper published in scientific journal PLOS ONE. “These lions are standing on a cliff looking at

the chasm of extinction,” Luke Hunter, one of the paper’s authors and president of wild cat conservation group Panthera, said on Tuesday.

“It would be very easy for small, isolated populations to be wiped out over the next 5-10 years.” Fewer than 250 of the survivors were mature cats, capable of breeding, the study said.

But even that ability to produce cubs was limited by the fact they were spread across wide

DAKAR: The West African lion, a relatively slender animal with a thin mane, is genetically distinct from the rest of the African species.

areas in groups that often did not have enough lionesses to sustain a population.

The study said there had been no comprehensive study of the size of past populations, though Hunter said there would at one stage have been “many tens of thousands” of lions.

The study, led by Panthera, said they were now only present in 1.1 percent of their original habitat and recommended they should be classified as “critically endangered”.

Conservation efforts Conservation efforts in a region known for its poverty and political instability, have been weak compared to other parts of Africa, and the population density is about 15 times lower compared with lions in east Africa, the study said.

Parks in the region typically had four staff or fewer per 100 square kilometres, it added.

One of the main reasons for the decline was the conversion of habitat into farm land. Others included sharp falls in the numbers of antelope, buffalo, and other prey, and villagers killing lions in revenge for the loss of livestock.

“It’s become very complicated for this carnivore at the top of the food chain to find enough space and food to survive,” said Hunter.

The West African lion, a relatively slender animal with a thin mane, is genetically distinct from the rest of the African species. — Reuters

Ancient fish shows signs of rear-leg development CAMBRIDGE: Fossils of an ancient fish species discovered in the Canadian Arctic show that hind legs evolved from fins some 375 million years ago, challenging a theory that they developed only after vertebrates took to land, according to research published this week.

The remains of the fish, the Tiktaalik roseae, were discovered in 2004 on southern Ellesmere Island in northern Canada by a team of scientists that included a now-deceased Harvard University professor, Farish Jenkins, according to the findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a scientific journal.

Researchers had initially focused only on specimens containing the front portion of the fish but subsequently discovered pelvises and partial pelvic fin material from the rear portion that were comparable to those of some early fourlegged animals, with a ball-and-socket hip joint. “This is an amazing pelvis, par-

ticularly the hip socket, which is very different from anything that we knew of in the lineage leading up to limbed vertebrates,” Ted Daeschler, associate curator of vertebrate zoology at Drexel University in Philadelphia and a coauthor of the study, said in a statement.

Front-wheel drive The prevailing scientific understanding, Daeschler said, was based on “a ‘front-wheel drive’ idea that these animals were primarily using their front limbs for locomotion,” while hind limbs were small and not necessarily used for movement. “It looks like this shift actually began to happen in fish, not in limbed animals,” Neil Shubin, a University of Chicago professor and co-author of the study, said in the statement. “It’s reasonable to suppose with those big fin rays that Tiktaalik used its hind fins to swim like a paddle. But it’s possible it could walk with them as well.”—Reuters

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net Nouf Al-Muthayan

Ali Najem

Ahmed Al Refai, President of Kuwait Media Club.

Dr Mohammed Akbar, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Media, and Advisor to the Kuwait Media Club at AUK.

‘Know Media’ at AUK bridges gap between theory and practice

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KDMCA annual day celebrations

he Kuwait Media Club at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) invited Ali Najem, from Marina FM, and Nouf AlMuthayan, from Kuwait Public Radio Station, to hold a discussion on life in the Communications and Media industry in an event entitled “Know Media”. The event was open to members of the AUK community and the public. The event provided the attendees and the hosts with a forum to speak freely about media in Kuwait, giving all those present an opportunity to criticize or praise the current practices in the industry.

One of the issues raised was the difference between public and private media outlets in Kuwait, especially when it comes to freedom of expression and censorship.

The guests shared their personal experiences within the private and public media,

noting that private radio and TV in Kuwait offers more space for freedom of expression. According to Najem, cultural barriers play an important role in determining what can and cannot be said on air. Al-Muthayan recalled several situations when she was required to “filter” her sentences when she worked in public radio. The topic of censorship triggered a heated debate where students expressed their views on censorship in the media.

The discussion also shed light on necessary qualities and attributes required to become a successful media person.

According to Al-Muthayan, a combination of factors contributes to success in the field of media, the most important of which is building specialized knowledge in specific area of interest. A media person should “find his niche”, she advised; whether it is in

science, sports, or social affairs. A media person should have a strong background knowledge about the area of interest he/she wishes to pursue as a TV/Radio journalist; “this is what builds talent” according to Al-Muthayan. The ability to engage one’s listeners while speaking is an important skill to master when seeking a job in TV/Radio journalism. “Take every course you can find about public speaking,” said Al-Muthayan addressing the communication students, this will build confidence and enhance selfexpressivity needed for any media person who goes on air, according to Al-Muthayan The “Know Media” event is one of the Kuwait Media Club initiatives that aims to bridge the gap between the academic and professional practices of journalism. “It is very important to expose the COMM students to the professional life of Media in

Kuwait. I repeatedly hear the students’ questions on how the theories we study in class apply in real life. These talks by experts in the field answer many inquiries.

In addition, they help undeclared students to finalize decisions on their academic paths,” said Dr Mohammed Akbar, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Media, and Advisor to the Kuwait Media Club.

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational liberal arts institution of higher education. The educational, cultural and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning. The language of instruction is English. More information on the American University of Kuwait can be found at www.auk.edu.kw

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uravilangad Deva Matha College Alumni Association (KDMCA) conducted its Annual Day Celebrations at the Hidine Auditorium, Abbassiya. The meeting was presided over by Jose Thomas, president of KDMCA and inaugurated by Leelamma Zacharias, mother of Loni Maxi.

Jojo Mathews welcomed the audience. The gathering of the DMC Alma Mater also celebrated Christmas and the New Year 2014. Johnson Sebastian, former president and General Convener of the program gave a formal introduction about Deva Matha College and their current activities.

The Sworn in ceremony of the new office bearers was coordinated by Jayesh John. Jaison Joseph, Bindhu Jayesh, Bobby Patani, Shibu John, Daiju Kuncheria and Lakh Chakola are the new office bearers of 2014. Bobby Patani, former president and the new Secretary expressed their thanks.

Raju Zacharias, KJ John, George Chelakkamakkil and Tomy Ikarat, former presidents and senior members of KDMCA felicitated on the occasion.

Maxi Mani, Chairman Advisory Board with his team of KDMCA family members and children welcomed the visiting Santa who was also entertained with variety cultural programs. The program concluded with the vote of thanks by Manoharan, Treasurer, followed by dinner hosted by KDMCA food committee. We express sincerest thanks and gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the program.

Announcements TIES Center - Where cultures meet he TIES Center is glad to announce that its Winter 2 Arabic language courses will begin on Sunday January 19 until Wednesday March 5, 2014. We offer classes for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

Our classes are specially tailored to meet the needs and requirements of expats living in Kuwait. You still have the chance to join if you are interested. The TIES Arabic classes are intended for all expats who wish to learn Arabic. Whether you want to Learn Arabic for business or basic communication or simply as a hobby, the TIES Center welcomes you. Throughout the course, the students will learn how to read, write and speak Arabic in a friendly, relaxed and welcoming environment.

TIES Arabic program highlights: Lessons are step by step - ranging from basic to advanced level; Lessons build confidence for speaking, reading, and writing Arabic; Lessons combine language learning with cultural insights; Lessons are specially tailored for expats living in Kuwait. It is an opportunity to interact with other Westerners, who are taking the courses. For more information, please e-mail: Hassan@tiescenter.net .”

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Masters seen from right Sensei Dinesh Kumar P.V. Sandan (3rd Dan Black Belt), Dai Sensei K.P. James 8th Dan Black Belt, Grand Master Nippon ShitoRyu India, Sensei Suresh Chandran - Godan (5th Dan Black Belt) and Vijayalakshmi — Nidan (2nd Dan Black Belt).

Students who successfully qualified for the grading test.

Nippon Shito-Ryu conducts black belt test grading

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ippon Shito-Ryu Karate one of the oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry conducted Black Belt test grading on last Friday at Mangaf Dojo Kuwait.

Dai Sensei K.P. James 8th Dan Black Belt, Grand Master Nippon Shito-Ryu India had arrived from India to lead the training camp & Test 15 students & three Masters were successfully qualified for the grading test as below.

No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Name Nandhitha Venkataraman Sandan Cyril justin Sirajabdul Kareem Aravind B M Santhosh M M Nathanael Nakkiran V Shiva

Black Belt Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Nithin K Babu Tharun Kumar Aryan Vinunath Rohith Sathish Nair Sriram Prakash Julio Dass N Nagarajan Esakkivel

Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan Shodan

Indian Overseas Congress Fest competitions on March 6-7 ndian Overseas Congress, Kuwait is conducting 7th Arts Competitions-IOC fest 2014 on 6th and 7th March 2014 at United Indian School. IOC, once again welcome the growing buds of Indian expatriate community in Kuwait from various disciplines to test their talents and competency in the field of arts. The winners of this prestigious competition will be awarded with Trophies and Medals.

Kalaprathiba and Kalathilakam prizes will be awarded for the top scorers in the fest.

The competitions are for Elocution, Solo, Poetry Recitation(Mal), Classical Dance (single), Folk Dance(single), Group Dance(Cinematic), Indian Patriotic Song, Mono act, Drawing/Painting and Poster Poetry writing. Although the competitions are meant for children from various disciplines, Elocution, Solo, Poetry Recitation and Indian Patriotic Song Competitions will be held for contestants above 18 years also. A committee under the leadership of Raju Zacharias as General Convenor, Sunil Rapuzha and Jacob Kavalam as joint conveners has started functioning.

The entry forms, are available at the following places: Abbassiya - Hidine Super Market, Sakina Book Stall. Hidine Restaurant; Riggae - Al Dallah Super Market; Fahaheel - Royal Mobile Services and Sales. Enquiry can be send to Email : iocfest2014@gmail.com

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Kalabhavan Kuwait celebrates Annual Day

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alabhavan Kuwait Annual Day “Kalabhavan Fest’13” was celebrated in the Kuwait Medical Association, Jabriya on 10th Jan 2014 and was inaugurated by Dr. Rashed Al Shatti in the presence of the Director of Kalabhavan R. Gopakumar, Mrs Sreeja Gopan, Mrs Usha R. Bhat, Josen P. Joseph &

teachers of Kalabhavan.

More than 300 Students of Kalabhavan showcased their talents through Indian and Western Dance, Classical Music, Light Music, Instrumental Recitals and an art exhibition where the drawings & paintings of our students were exhibited. The show received wide

acclaim and appreciation. Kalabhavan brings you the spirit of Indian culture, the tempo of Indian and western dance and the esoteric sounds of Indian and Western Musical Instruments.

In connection with the Annual Day, Kalabhavan conducted Chitrahar Drawing

Contest’13 for all the children in Kuwait on 13th & 14th Dec 2013 at United Indian School, Abbasiya and at Indian Public School, Salmiya wherein 600 students participated in the competition and 14 students won the prizes in 3 categories. The winners’ trophies were distributed on the occasion of Kalabhavan Fest’13.

W H AT ’ S O N

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 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.vfs-augcc.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 INDIA India and Kuwait have enjoyed historically close, warm and friendly ties. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait to India in November 2013 has imparted a new thrust to the strengthening further of the bilateral ties. To facilitate travel of Kuwaiti nationals to India for business, tourism, medical and study purposes, the embassy has adopted the following visa structure for Kuwaiti nationals with immediate effect:

Annual ceremony of Meshaal Suleiman Al Shatti General Trading Company

M

eshaal Suleiman Al Shatti General Trading Company, the exclusive agent of Make Up Store and Swarovski Elements, and the owner of Shadow- Beit Hanayen, and Zwarah Restaurants’ chain, celebrated its employees’ first annual ceremony in the presence of the company’s managers and staff.

The ceremony was held at Al-Hashemi

Ballroom - Radisson Blue Hotel and was marked by its warm atmosphere where members gathered as one family. The CEO Meshaal Al-Shatti delivered the speech in which he expressed his happiness because of the positive vibe that prevailed in the company and wished to pursue with this positivity in the New Year to start with more success and progress.

The Human Resources Manager Khalida Khanafer praised in her speech the efforts of the team and promised that new projects will be conducted by the company in the upcoming year. Marketing Director Roula Issa in his address talked about the vision and marketing strategy of the company in the future. Moreover, every brand manager- Yaser Yassin, George Nassar, and

Farouk El Eit - gave a brief description of his brand. The ceremony included a draw with valuable prizes that were distributed. At the end of the ceremony, the company’s management presented certificates of appreciation to the veteran employees who have made a great effort to make the company reach the present success and prosperity.

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 SOUTH AFRICA

Friday Brunch at The Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait

F

ridays should be the time to enjoy life, so why bother with cooking when you can have a relaxing meal at the Radisson Blu Hotel’s Al Bustan Restaurant & Terrace?

This stylish all day buffet dining restaurant serves inter-

national cuisine in a contemporary atmosphere, perfect for casual dining any time and any day.

On Fridays from 12:30 pm until 4 pm take your time and taste the delicacies prepared by top chefs for a special rich buffet, including live sushi and live cooking sta-

tions, ensuring the food is served as hot and freshly prepared as possible.

While you are enjoying the brunch, let your children have fun with a magician, face painting, watching movies and enjoying other games and activities.

South African Citizens who are out of the country, are not already registered 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 : l Be a South African Citizen and be 16 years of age and older; l Submit a valid green bar-coded Identity Document, a valid Temporary Identity Certificate (valid for 2 months) or a Smart Card; l Submit a valid South African Passport; and l Submit in person the application form, the identity document and a valid passport.

NOTE : If persons are already registered to vote in SA but are now living abroad, they are NOT required to re-register - best for such persons to check their registration status on www.elections.org.za. If they discover that they are not registered to vote, then they are advised to register.

For any further enquiries, phone : Tel : 25617988 during office hours or visit the IEC Website at www.elections.org.za nnnnnnn

NAFO ‘Family Fun Day,’ a huge success

I

n order to promote harmony and cordial co-existence among member families, a picnic was conducted by National Forum Kuwait (NAFO) on Friday, January 3.

It was a grand success in achieving its aims and was interesting and meaningful by the large participation of members.

The picnic turned out to be an excursion trip, according to organizers. On the early morning of 3rd January, a convoy of buses and cars carrying about 150 families kicked off from the meeting point at Salmiya garden, to picnic venue - a farm

house at Wafra green belt in the outskirts of Kuwait.

While welcoming the family members, General Secretary M S. Nair flagged of the day with full of fun and frolic in the auspicious presence of NAFO President Dr T S Srikumar. Organizing committee consisted of, Premraj Nambiar (Convener), Vijayakrishnan, Anilkumar, Satheesh Pillai, Rajkartha, Madhu Menon, Sunilkumar, also NAFO Ladies and General Committee members.

As scheduled the coordination commit-

tee evolved numerous games by dividing the entire group into three team, ensuring participation of all ages. However, the climax of the day was the well awaited Board game “Housie” followed with an American auction. In between, there were intermittent lucky family draw, wherein the members participation was quite enthusing and many NAFO families were lucky to take home attractive prizes.

The breakfast during the morning trip, the tasty and delicious lunch in the afternoon and the snacks and tea in the

evening, arranged by the food committee led by Vijayakrishnan were avidly enjoyed by one and all. The marvelous picnic day blessed by the nature with a pleasant weather concluded at 5.30 PM, by bringing the picnic-goers back home safely.

The day concluded with a gala prize distribution to all winning teams in the group games conducted during the day.

NAFO once again is proud and thankful to all its esteemed members for having made this outdoor “Family day-out”, a grand success.

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 +965-2227-1673).

5. If you need to change or cancel your appointment, please do so 24 hours beforehand, as a courtesy to other applicants. For more information, please visit the US Embassy website - kuwait.usembassy.gov - as it is the best source of information regarding these changes. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VATICAN The Apostolic Nunciature Embassy of the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066. Email: nuntiuskuwait@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:45 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 10:10 10:35 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:30 18:25 18:50 19:20 20:15 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Animal Cops Houston I’m Alive Untamed & Uncut Wildest Africa North America Galapagos Animal Cops Houston Meet The Sloths Meet The Sloths Swamp Brothers Monkey Life Meet The Sloths Meet The Sloths Wildest India Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors Wildest Africa Animal Cops Phoenix Monkey Life Swamp Brothers Swamp Brothers Swamp Brothers Biggest And Baddest Wildest Africa My Cat From Hell Wildest India Karina: Wild On Safari Karina: Wild On Safari Ray Mears’ Wild Britain North America Galapagos Wildest Africa Man, Cheetah, Wild The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner

00:15 Doctors 00:45 Stella 01:30 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 02:15 One Foot In The Grave 02:45 The Office 03:15 The Shadow Line 04:15 The Weakest Link 05:00 Balamory 05:20 Nina And The Neurons: In The Lab 05:35 The Green Balloon Club 06:00 3rd & Bird 06:10 Poetry Pie 06:15 Balamory 06:35 Nina And The Neurons: In The Lab 06:50 The Green Balloon Club 07:15 3rd & Bird 07:25 Poetry Pie 07:30 The Weakest Link 08:15 One Foot In The Grave 08:45 Absolutely Fabulous 09:15 Eastenders 09:45 Doctors 10:20 Alone In The Wild 11:10 Stella 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 One Foot In The Grave 13:15 Absolutely Fabulous 13:45 Eastenders 14:15 Doctors 14:45 Alone In The Wild 15:35 Stella 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 Alone In The Wild 19:00 As Time Goes By 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Shadow Line 21:00 Silent Witness 22:40 Blackadder The Third 23:10 Last Man Standing

00:00 00:55 01:40 02:30 03:15 03:40 04:05 04:55 05:40 06:25 07:15

Homes Under The Hammer Cash In The Attic Come Dine With Me MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Fantasy Homes By The Sea Cash In The Attic Bargain Hunt Homes Under The Hammer Fantasy Homes By The Sea

08:05 08:50 09:45 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:35 13:25 14:10 15:05 15:55 16:40 17:30 18:20 19:15 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:20 23:15

Bargain Hunt Homes Under The Hammer Masterchef: The Professionals Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 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 Antiques Roadshow Phil Spencer - Secret Agent Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:25 13:15 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40

You Have Been Warned Treehouse Masters Mythbusters Bush Pilots Border Security Auction Kings American Digger How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Sons Of Guns Bush Pilots Finding Bigfoot Fast N’ Loud Border Security Auction Kings American Digger How Do They Do It? How It’s Made You Have Been Warned Treehouse Masters Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings American Digger Countdown To Collision Fast N’ Loud Ultimate Survival Dirty Jobs Bush Pilots Sons Of Guns How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Auction Kings American Digger Sons Of Guns Street Outlaws Hellriders

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 09:55 10:15 10:40 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 Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Dog With A Blog 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 A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Gravity Falls Shake It Up 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 Spin Crowd 01:25 Style Star 02:20 E!ES 03:15 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 E!ES 06:00 THS 07:50 E! News 09:15 Scouted 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 Eric And Jessie: Game On 11:35 Eric And Jessie: Game On 12:05 E! News 13:35 E!ES 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Married To Jonas 17:30 Married To Jonas 18:00 E! News 19:00 E! Entertainment Special 20:00 The Drama Queen 21:00 Party On 21:30 Fashion Police: The 2014 Golden Globe Awards 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 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:25

Roadtrip With G. Garvin Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Tastiest Places To Chowdown Easy Chinese: San Francisco Charly’s Cake Angels Unwrapped Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Roadtrip With G. Garvin Roadtrip With G. Garvin 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 Tastiest Places To Chowdown Grill It! With Bobby Flay Reza, Spice Prince Of India Charly’s Cake Angels

NICK OF TIME ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

01:00 Is It Real?

02:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 03:00 Wild Russia 04:00 One Ocean 05:00 Animal Autopsy 06:00 Wild Russia 07:00 Mystery Files 07:30 Mystery Files 08:00 Mega Breakdown 09:00 Is It Real?

10:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 11:00 Wild Russia

12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 Earth 23:00

One Ocean Animal Autopsy Wild Russia Mystery Files Mystery Files Mega Breakdown Is It Real?

Space Mysteries Virgin Galactic Jurassic C.S.I. Silence Of The Bees Race To The Bottom Of The Inside

Film, TV shoots surge, but Hollywood

Hemorrhaging

T

PREMIUM RUSH ON OSN MOVIES HD 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 18:25 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 Mexican Made Easy 23:25 Mexican Made Easy 23:50 Siba’s Table

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 Weeds 03:00 Raising Hope 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 Guys With Kids 10:00 Community 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 14:30 Guys With Kids 15:00 Community 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 The Goodwin Games 19:00 Guys With Kids 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 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 Weeds 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

15:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

Defiance The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Carrie Diaries American Idol Devious Maids Sons Of Anarchy

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 09:45 11:30 14:00 15:45 18:00 20:30 22:30

Elfie Hopkins-18 The Blood Bond-PG15 Men In Black 3-PG Ultraviolet-PG15 Nick Of Time-PG15 When A Stranger Calls-PG15 Transformers-PG15 Nick Of Time-PG15 Battleship-PG15 Transformers-PG15 15 Minutes-PG15 7 Below-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:15 18:00 20:00 22:00

Grassroots-PG15 Stripes-18 Nacho Libre-PG I Think I Do-PG15 Falling Star-PG15 Love Birds-PG15 Nacho Libre-PG Mrs. Doubtfire-PG Love Birds-PG15 Another Stakeout-PG15 Detention-18 The Janky Promoters-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Arbitrage-PG15 Buried-PG15 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 Killer Mountain-PG15 Arbitrage-PG15 Lying To Be Perfect-PG15 Virtual Lies-PG15 The Giant Mechanical ManAnother Harvest Moon-PG15 Dark Horse-PG15 Red Lights-PG15 Passion-18

08:00 From Prada To Nada-PG15 09:45 The Amazing Spider-ManPG15 12:00 What To Expect When You’re Expecting-PG15 14:00 Shark Night-PG15 16:00 From Prada To Nada-PG15 18:00 The Guilt Trip-PG15 20:00 The Dark Knight Rises-PG15 23:00 Rock Of Ages-PG15

02:00 european Challenge Tour 02:30 Inside The PGA Tour 03:00 Amlin Challenge Cup 05:00 Cricket ODI Series Highlights 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Snooker Masters 11:00 Inside The PGA Tour 11:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 12:00 Live PGA Tour 16:00 Trans World Sport 17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 Live Dubai World Cup Carnival 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 Futbol Mundial 23:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 23:30 Inside The PGA Tour

00:30 PGA European Highlights 01:30 Trans World Sports 02:30 Snooker 01:00 Wish You Were Here-PG15 03:00 The Tall Man-PG15 05:00 Young Adult-PG15 07:00 An Inconvenient Truth-PG 09:00 Carnage-PG15 11:00 I’ve Loved You So Long-PG15 13:00 Matching Jack-PG15 15:00 Katy Perry The Movie: Part Of Me-PG 17:00 I’ve Loved You So Long-PG15 19:00 Left To Die-PG15 21:00 Hamlet-PG15

01:00 Chernobyl Diaries-18 03:00 Premium Rush-PG15 05:00 Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax-PG 07:00 You Got Served: Beat The World-PG15 09:00 The Iron Lady-PG15 11:00 Premium Rush-PG15 13:00 The Makeover-PG15 15:00 Good Day For It-PG15 17:00 The Iron Lady-PG15 19:00 Salmon Fishing In The Yemen-PG15 21:00 Side Effects-18 23:00 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters-PG15

01:00 D’Fenders 02:45 The Legend Of Sasquatch 04:30 Puppy In My Pocket: The Movie 06:00 D’Fenders 08:00 Luke And Lucy: The Texas Rangers 10:00 Dr Seuss’ Cat In The Hat 11:30 Barbie: A Perfect Christmas 13:00 Puppy In My Pocket: The Movie 14:30 Eleanor’s Secret 16:00 The Clockwork Girl 18:00 Dr Seuss’ Cat In The Hat 20:00 Flicka 3 22:00 Eleanor’s Secret 23:30 The Clockwork Girl

00:00 01:45 PG15 04:00 06:00

06:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 07:00 Amlin Challenge Cup 09:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 10:00 PGA Tour Highlights 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Cricket ODI Series Highlights 12:30 Darts 15:30 Futbol Mundial 16:00 Live Snooker 20:00 NFL Gameday 20:30 WWE NXT 21:30 WWE Vintage 22:30 Live Amlin Challenge Cup

03:00 03:30 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 17:30 22:00

00:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 15:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

FEI Equestrian World Trans World Sport European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour PGA Tour Highlights ICC Cricket 360 Golfing World Live Asian Tour Golf Futbol Mundial FEI Equestrian World FEI Equestrian World Trans World Sport Top 14 Highlights ICC Cricket 360 Golfing World Inside The PGA Tour European Tour Weekly PGA European Tour Live Snooker Masters

NHL The North Canyon Bellator MMA US Bass Fishing Ping Pong World WWE SmackDown Storm Show Collection Porsche GT 3 Cup Challenge World Snowboarding Tour World Snowboarding Tour Live Cricket Big Bash League NHL WWE SmackDown Pro Bull Riders NHL Bellator MMA

Phil Spector-PG15 The Amazing Spider-ManThe Tooth Fairy 2-PG Charlotte’s Web-PG

Tour

00:00 Mega Breakdown

he overall production picture in the Los Angeles area remains grim - despite double-digit percentage increases in both movie and TV drama shoots in 2013, a study released Tuesday by FilmLA reveals. Onlocation feature film shoots rose 19 percent from 2012 but are still 50 percent below their 1996 peak. And scripted TV drama shoots, next to movies the most economically beneficial for the region, were 39 percent below their 2008 peak despite rising by 16 percent over 2012.

That data was part of a 20-year overview entitled “Filming On-Location in Los Angeles: 1993-2013,” prepared by the non-profit agency that oversees the permitting process for location filming of TV, film, commercials and online projects in the region. The picture it paints for the region isn’t pretty. More than 40 states and 30 foreign nations now offer financial incentives for feature and TV productions designed to lure projects away from Hollywood, and that has taken a major toll. To make matter worse, the projects that are staying are “lower value,” the report says, while big-budget film projects and scripted TV series are leaving.

In 1997, California’s share of the top 25 live-action movies was 68 percent. In 2013, it was eight percent. Only two live-action movies with budgets over $100 million “Star Trek Into Darkness” (photo above) and “ The Hangover: Part III” - were shot in L.A. last year. Much of James Cameron’s 2009 epic “Avatar” was shot in L.A., but the director recently announced that he’d be shooting the three sequels in New Zealand to take advantage of the generous tax rebates there. That’s expected to pump more than $430 million in the local economy.

Reality TV, online productions and student films production have risen 16 percent over the past six years, but don’t come close to offsetting the loss of long-form TV and film projects, which bring much more employment and peripheral benefits, and rose just two percent over the same time period. The CBS drama “The Mentalist,” for example, has spent more than $300 million in the state, created roughly 200 jobs and supported more than 160 vendors over its four seasons of shooting in LA. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has made halting the production exodus a priority, and on Tuesday underscored that in response to the study’s release. “The entertainment industry is a cornerstone of our civic identity and our economy, with 500,000 jobs at stake,” he said. “I will cut red tape at City Hall and fight in Sacramento to make sure LA is the best possible place for production and ensure that we are always the entertainment capital of the world.” In October, he signed a measure waiving permit fees for TV pilot shoots in the city.

Earlier, Garcetti appointed former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Tom Sherak to head the city’s push to keep TV and film projects in the area. A key par t of his mission is to lobby Sacramento legislators to extend and beef up the state’s production tax credits, which are currently capped at $100 million, far below those offered by other states and countries. It’s hugely over-subscribed, too. Last year, just 31 of a record 380 projects that applied via a lottery were chosen to receive credits.

“It’s all about the incentives,” FilmLA President Paul Audley told TheWrap. “That’s what we hear from the studios, the independent and commercials producers, everybody. And unless we start competing, we’re not going to be able to continue to say that we’re the best place for filming.” For several years, California could point to its infrastructure of world-class array of sound stages, crew bases and post-production facilities to offset other state’s incentives. But the gap between California’s credit programs have increased - New York’s is up to $420 million, Georgia and Louisiana’s are uncapped - and now that may be in jeopardy.

“All those things made us special, now we’re seeing other states luring sound facilities, tech operations and vendors, and they’re creating production centers that could become permanent, and that would be devastating,” he said. Doing something this year is critical, before things get worse, Audley believes. “It’s frustrating because if we do decide to really compete, we’re still the best place to film. And if we had started to do that years ago, we could have shut this whole race down.”

Audley said that the key to selling legislators and ultimately Gov Jerry Brown on improving the incentives is making them aware of the financial impact. “One of the most significant things Mayor Garcetti has done is to start working with other cities and communities to make clear that the benefits of this program go beyond LA and will help the entire state,” he continued. Here’s how some of the categories broke down over the past two decades.

The data in the charts is based on the number of permitted production days for location shoots: Television Overall, on-location TV shoots last year rose 11 percent from 2012 and eight percent over the five-year average.

But as with movies, the bigger-budget projects like scripted dramas and programming for cable are forsaking the region for New York, Vancouver and Atlanta, while the gains are based on more reality TV and Web productions.

Film Feature production was up 21 percent over the category’s five-year average. But with big-budget features heading for greener pastures, the production numbers have been swelled by smaller, independent projects which don’t offer the same employment and spending benefits. Projects that received state incentives accounted for nine percent of feature film production.

Commercials Growth in this category has been significant, due primarily to a marked increase in the number of commercials created for online. Production increased by 5 percent from last year, hitting an all-time high in 2013. This category includes music videos, adult and industrial films, still photography and student films - all “lower value” in terms of economic benefits to the region - and accounts for roughly one third of all LA area production. The category rose 11 percent year-to-year in 2013 and hit an all-time high. — Reuters

Classifieds THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) RAZE (DIG) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) NO FRI RAZE (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) RAZE (DIG)

8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-2 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) FROZEN (DIG-3D) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

MUHALAB-1 HOMEFRONT (DIG) NO FRI BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) NO FRI YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 5:30 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) RAZE (DIG) FROZEN (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) RAZE (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU)

12:45 PM 2:00 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:15 PM

AVENUES-2 MR.GO (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) MR.GO (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 AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-4 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM

AVENUES-5 AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM

3:30 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:15 PM

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM

FANAR-4 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

FANAR-5 RAZE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) RAZE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) RAZE (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) RAZE (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) RAZE (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) RAZE (DIG)

FANAR-3 MR.GO (DIG) ZINDA BHAAG (DIG) (PAKISTANI) YEVADU (DIG) (TELUGU) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) POLICE STORY 2014 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-2 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

FANAR-2 FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

FANAR-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (16/01/2014 TO 22/01/2014)

MARINA-1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

1:30 PM

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

FOR SALE

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG) AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (DIG)

9:45 PM 12:15 AM

360ยบ- 1 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360ยบ- 2 HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HATOULY RAGEL (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

360ยบ- 3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) A STRANGER IN PARADISE (DIG) A STRANGER IN PARADISE (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.1 JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) HOMEFRONT (DIG) JUSTIN AND THE KNIGHTS OF VALOUR (DIG-3D) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) HOMEFRONT (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 RAZE (DIG) MR.GO (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) RAZE (DIG) BEBE (DIG) (ARABIC) RAZE (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.3 JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.4 POLICE STORY 2013 (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) VEERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG-3D) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG) JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-2 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) RAZE (DIG) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (DIG) RAZE (DIG) THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (DIG) RAZE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

Toyota jeep Land Cruiser G.X. R model 2012, white metallic color, full options, 8 cylinder engine, sun roof, alloy rim fog lamp. FR + R bumper sensor wooden interior, CD cruise control etc, km done 56,000, dealer maintained (installment possible) cash price KD 12,450, negotiable. Tel: 99194874. (C 4620) 16-1-2014 Toyota Camry model 2013, GLX full options, sunroof, alloy rim, fog lamp, sensor + camera etc, installment possible. Cash price KD 4,950. Tel 99589094.

(C 4616) 13-1-2014

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non smoking, one big room, Amman Street, opposite to Al Rashid hospital. Please contact: 66232356, 55862576.

(C 4621) 16-1-2014 Sharing accommodation available for a single working lady with another lady

in Mangaf in a three bed spacious flat in good location from March 1. Contact: 66395004. (C 4618) 14-1-2014 Sharing accommodation available near United Indian School, Abbassiya.

Contact: 97612248.

(C 4614) 12-1-2014

SITUATION VACANT Driver needed for Kuwaiti family, full-time or parttime. Mobile: 60623330.

(C 4617) 14-1-2014 Required a full time live-in housekeeper for a family with a 7yr old child in Shaab. KD. 150/- per month. Call 97243777 Required live-in housemaid (Filipino or Srilankan) who knows cleaning and can speak English. Call 66473343. (C 4613) 12-1-2014

4440799 issued at Kuwait on 12-01-2011, hereby change my name to Sayed Mohammed Wasique Mifzal. My address in India is Dariapur, PO Kood, Dist Cuttack, Orissa. Henceforth I shall be known as Sayed Mohammed Wasique Mifzal for all purposes. (C 4619) 15-1-2014 My old name was Fakhruddin Khamusi now I want to change my name Shabbir Husain Lukmani. In future I know from new name Shabbir Husain Lukmani M Mohammad Husain Khamusi Nichlipol Banswara Rajasthan, India.

(C 4615) 13-1-2014 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

CHANGE OF NAME I, Wasique Mifzal Sayed Mohammed, born on 0803-1995, holder of Indian passport with number J

112

No: 16049

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines BBC JAI JZR JZR KLM THY JZR QTR SAI GFA THY UAE ETD JAI MSR QTR MSC FDB THY DHX QTR FDB JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC IRA QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC SVA UAE ABY ETD IRA FDB QTR QTR IZG GFA MSC MSC JZR DHX MEA JZR SYR TBZ UAE MSR MSR KAC FDB QTR KAC SVA

Arrival Flights on Thursday 16/1/2014 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 574 MUMBAI 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 411 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 1084 DOHA 441 LAHORE 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 576 COCHIN 612 CAIRO 1076 DOHA 401 ALEXANDRIA 67 DUBAI 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 8524 DOHA 69 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 529 ASYUT 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 302 MUMBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 617 AHWAZ 1086 DOHA 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 332 TRIVANDRUM 512 RIYADH 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 605 ISFAHAN 55 DUBAI 1070 DOHA 8650 DOHA 4161 MASHAD 213 BAHRAIN 403 ASYUT 405 SOHAG 165 DUBAI 870 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 561 SOHAG 341 DAMASCUS 5483 MASHAD 872 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 579 SOHAG 382 DELHI 57 DUBAI 1078 DOHA 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH

Time 00:05 00:10 00:40 00:40 00:30 00:45 02:25 00:55 01:30 02:10 02:15 02:35 02:45 02:50 03:10 03:45 03:45 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:45 05:50 05:50 06:20 06:45 06:40 07:55 07:40 07:50 07:50 07:50 08:10 08:45 08:15 08:15 08:40 09:00 09:20 09:30 09:40 09:55 10:05 10:35 10:40 11:15 11:20 11:30 11:15 11:55 12:55 12:30 12:35 12:50 13:00 13:05 13:05 13:50 13:55 14:05 14:30

KNE JZR GFA KAC KNE KAC KNE JZR NIA OMA RAB JZR QTR KAC UAE ETD RJA JZR SVA ABY GFA JZR UAL JZR KAC JZR KAC KAC QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA KAC OMA TAR FDB MSR JAI JZR JZR AXB ABY KNE DLH ALK FDB MEA ETD UAE GFA QTR KLM JZR AIC FDB UAL PIA JZR

472 257 221 562 460 788 470 535 251 645 700 779 1072 118 857 303 640 787 510 127 215 777 982 135 542 177 786 284 1080 63 618 176 674 774 614 217 104 647 328 61 618 572 189 181 393 129 480 634 229 71 402 307 859 219 1074 417 239 981 59 981 205 185

JEDDAH BEIRUT BAHRAIN AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH JEDDAH JEDDAH CAIRO ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT KABUL JEDDAH DOHA NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH DHAKA DOHA DUBAI DOHA GENEVA DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN LONDON MUSCAT DUBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH TAIF FRANKFURT COLOMBO DUBAI BEIRUT ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA AMSTERDAM AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA CHENNAI DUBAI BAHRAIN LAHORE DUBAI

14:35 14:45 15:00 14:50 15:05 15:10 15:35 15:50 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:05 16:40 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:05 18:20 18:45 18:00 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:30 19:35 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:10 20:15 21:30 20:15 20:20 20:50 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:30 22:30 23:10 23:15 23:20

Airlines AIC AXB JAI KLM BBC DLH SAI THY KAC UAE ETD MSR QTR MSC FDB QTR KAC JZR FDB JAI JZR THY GFA QTR KAC THY FDB BAW IRA QTR JZR JZR SVA KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE ETD IRA FDB JZR QTR GFA KAC IZG QTR KAC MSC MSC JZR MEA KAC DHX SYR JZR JZR TBZ MSR MSR

Departure Flights on Thursday 16/1/2014 Flt Route Time 976 GOA 00:05 490 MANGALORE 00:15 573 MUMBAI 01:10 411 AMSTERDAM 01:45 44 DHAKA 01:45 635 FRANKFURT 02:10 442 LAHORE 02:30 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 02:55 381 DELHI 03:50 854 DUBAI 03:50 306 ABU DHABI 04:00 613 CAIRO 04:10 1085 DOHA 04:15 406 SOHAG 04:45 68 DUBAI 05:00 1077 DOHA 05:15 283 DHAKA 05:30 560 SOHAG 06:20 70 DUBAI 06:30 575 ABU DHABI 06:35 164 DUBAI 06:55 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 07:05 212 BAHRAIN 07:15 8525 DOHA 07:15 545 ALEXANDRIA 07:15 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 07:30 54 DUBAI 08:30 156 LONDON 08:45 616 AHWAZ 08:50 1087 DOHA 08:50 256 BEIRUT 08:55 534 CAIRO 09:00 513 RIYADH 09:15 787 JEDDAH 09:25 561 AMMAN 09:25 126 SHARJAH 09:40 101 LONDON 09:50 856 DUBAI 09:55 302 ABU DHABI 10:05 606 MASHHAD 10:20 56 DUBAI 10:20 778 JEDDAH 10:35 1071 DOHA 10:55 214 BAHRAIN 11:25 541 CAIRO 11:30 4162 MASHHAD 11:35 8650 DOHA 11:35 165 ROME 11:50 404 ASYUT 12:15 402 ALEXANDRIA 12:20 776 JEDDAH 12:25 405 BEIRUT 12:55 785 JEDDAH 13:00 521 BAGRAM 13:00 342 DAMASCUS 13:30 786 RIYADH 13:35 176 DUBAI 13:45 5484 MASHHAD 13:50 580 SOHAG 13:50 611 CAIRO 14:00

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

UAE FDB QTR JZR KAC KAC KNE JZR GFA KNE SVA KAC KAC KNE KAC NIA OMA JZR JZR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR JZR RAB UAL JZR FDB QTR GFA FDB TAR KAC OMA ABY MSR JAI KAC AXB KAC KNE KAC DHX FDB ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC UAE KAC KLM FDB QTR JZR KAC KAC

872 58 1079 134 673 617 473 188 222 481 505 773 501 471 613 252 646 180 238 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 216 184 266 701 982 554 64 1081 218 62 328 331 648 120 619 571 351 394 343 461 543 171 72 230 403 308 220 301 860 205 417 60 1075 528 411 415

DUBAI DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI BAHRAIN TAIF JEDDAH RIYADH BEIRUT JEDDAH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL AMMAN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT SHARJAH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI TUNIS TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI KOCHI KOZHIKODE CHENNAI RIYADH CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DUBAI DOHA ASYUT BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

14:15 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:40 15:45 15:50 16:00 16:05 16:30 16:30 16:35 16:50 16:55 16:55 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:45 20:50 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:50 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:25 23:55 23:55

34

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

s ta rs CROSSWORD 431

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty. Problems are lessons rather than obstacles and you might be teaching this to other people today. You may be helping an elderly person this evening and you might get this person talking about little pieces of world history the person might remember. This will promote a feeling that this senior person can be encouraged to be expressive. You make plans to pull in some of your friends to help with a volunteer project. They will follow through with their help when they see the results of their efforts. An easy manner will make conversations and interactions go well. You have a knack for knowing how to make things work and encouraging people. A positive attitude is admirable.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Weather problems make outdoor exercise a bit difficult, but not impossible, especially if you are willing to do a bit of aerobics to some good music. Perhaps you will invite a friend or family member to join with you—just wear warm, snug shoes. In the workplace you are glad you have worked at taking care of your mind and body. You have the ability to work hard and become very productive. After the workday is over a friend will show loyalty and have you beaming from ear to ear. Catch up on your phone calls later today. You will receive some information that you have been expecting. There is a dreamy manner about you tonight and people gather around to listen to you weave an enthralling story. The least expected pleasantly occurs.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Remove from office.

5. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes.

11. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

15. Humble request for help.

16. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

17. Being here now.

18. At any time.

19. An ordered reference standard.

21. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

23. Striped hyena of southeast Africa that feeds chiefly on insects.

25. A state in northwestern United States on the Pacific.

28. A strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula.

29. A family of Amerindian languages spoken in California.

32. An awkward stupid person.

33. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

36. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

39. The center of an object.

40. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

45. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

46. Used chiefly as a direction or description in music.

47. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

49. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

52. A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge).

53. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

54. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

55. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

57. A local computer network for communication between computers.

60. Not only so, but.

63. Bourbon with bitters and Pernod and sugar served with lemon peel.

69. The universal time coordinated when an event is received on Earth.

70. An island of central Hawaii.

73. Marked by the reception of pay.

74. (informal) Of the highest quality.

75. Relating to or associated with Arabia or its people.

77. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.

78. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

79. That can be given a date.

80. A recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occur.

DOWN 1. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

2. Type genus of the family Ulvaceae.

3. Sew up the eyelids of hawks and falcons.

4. National capital of Kiribati.

5. Any orchid of the genus Disa.

6. A drug combination found in some over-thecounter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

7. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships.

8. Strike with a flat object.

9. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

10. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

11. An Indian tree of the family Combretaceae that is a source of timber and gum.

12. Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century).

13. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

14. The main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants.

20. Designer drug designed to have the effects of amphetamines (it floods the brain with serotonin) but to avoid the drug laws.

22. A decree that prohibits something.

24. Take something away by force or without the consent of the owner.

26. An alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding.

27. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.

30. A member of the Iroquoian people formerly living east of Lake Ontario.

31. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

34. An industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula.

35. Make steady.

37. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

38. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

41. Make an incision into by carving or cutting.

42. A sheath worn to protect a finger.

43. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

44. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

48. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

50. A language spoken by the Atakapa people of the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas.

51. 5-story-tall dinosaur.

56. Type genus of the family Myacidae.

58. A periodic paperback publication.

59. A member of the Nahuatl people who established an empire in Mexico that was overthrown by Cortes in 1519.

61. Enthusiastic approval.

62. A state in New England.

64. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

65. Having been read.

66. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

67. A title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority.

68. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

71. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

72. Horny projecting mouth of a bird.

76. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

Initiate projects where you work. You will put your creative mind to work.

There are many benefits in the financial sector. Be careful of your expectations of loved ones. Although you have good communication action between loved ones, this may not be the day to push a particular issue. You may be dealing with them based on what you think is real, rather than what is reality. You will prefer not to deal with actuality today, but should make a special effort to avoid incorporating fantasy into your view of the world—or others. Artistic work will be inspired and perhaps a safer activity than working on relationships for now. This very special time can enhance your artistic sensibilities in a remarkable way.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Something you see, read about or hear today can be used in your professional work. This may mean that you have discovered some new business techniques that will double the production of work results. You may also discover some new techniques to save or invest your money that have become very successful for a friend or family member. It may also mean doing a little researching in the new technology of how we pay for products. You may find yourself deciphering the choices of credit cards, debit cards or using your phone as a payment tool. You and a friend talk about ways that you could encourage a slowdown of global warming. Perhaps a garden is not such a bad idea, particularly if you can keep a garden protected from predators.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are more able to communicate your feelings today. Professionally speaking, you know just what to say to make sales or solve frustrations. Your money problems could be clearing up or at least you see that some relief is in the forecast. Meeting your financial obligations is important to you and leaves you feeling good about you. You become more interested in travel and in helping others and in working to make the money that will match those desires. Your generosity and care of other people’s lives is admirable. The more you enjoy your creative side the more you will come to know your spiritual side. Tonight is all about art and communicating through the talents you have developed. You have an optimistic and enthusiastic attitude.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You understand yourself better now than in the past. Smile! Take a little trip, or get outside today. You may want to break that routine and try something new or different. You may discover insights into day-to-day problems that will be of vast significance.

Professional achievement is important at this time and some good changes are in the making. You may want to plot your path in order to make these changes work. Some friends look to you for your advice regarding very personal and emotional issues. You are able to lend sane advice; just don’t expect others to follow word for word. Questions and discussions about plans with your loved one go well this evening. Romance is possible if controversial subjects are left for another time.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Sports competitions are the topic on your mind these days. If you are not involved in professional sports, you may be talking to co-worker friends about the next triathlon, or competition or team with which you want to become involved. The energies of the universe are in your favor to complete whatever tasks you have before you. If you are trying to convince someone to back you, there will be little difficulty at this time. Keep home repairs up-to-date. Soon you will be making plans to involve yourself in successful new endeavors. A sense of humor added to some communication with difficult people this evening is a joyful change and clears the air very well. This may be neighbors that have loud dogs, boisterous children or loud music.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is a great day! There is an open door to create some extra money for you. This could mean that you agree to help a brother or sister at an indoor flea market or auction this afternoon. This may be work and it is also fun; if you are not careful, most of your income will be spent on those pretty things that catch your eye before you realize it; careful. Fun times are ahead, whether you are married or committed to a special loved one. If you do not have a loved one but want one, you will meet this person soon. Make any changes you feel are necessary to your personal appearance so that you will feel more presentable to the world. Balance your social, personal and business affairs so that you do not deplete your energies or your focus becomes too intense.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may have some responsibilities in your professional life today that could take some extra work or patience on your behalf—all will go well. You may not have all the data you need so some research may be in order. Co-worker friendships may come into play today and you may be pleased at the group cooperation toward some project. This could be a follow-through on some last minute request at work. Reaching a happy medium between good friends, as well as those friends that help us stretch and reach our goals, is an important balance. Good communications between neighbors and loved ones delightfully fill the evening. Your sense of humor must be included in conversations this evening as there could be some sort of frustration to unravel.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) When a subject catches your attention, you could become most involved. If you find yourself answering questions and popping in to help with useful information, you could find this a habit that could turn bad. There is a powerful feeling when we are asked constantly how to do and solve problems. When we allow other people to involve us in their histrionics, everyone loses something in the process. A good conversation with your co-workers opens doors of possibilities for you. A networking type of interaction is much more fun than you thought. You may be fascinated to see simple little changes around your neighborhood that you may not have noticed before, like a new paint job, a bus stop and the fun discovery that owls live near you.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Today you may decide to go ahead and make plans for an indoor garden near a window area of your home. You could stop on the way home from work to shop for the products you might need. With the cold weather outside, you may feel herbs and some other plants would be nice indoors and the good smells lift everyone’s spirit. Lemon herbs and violets do have a magical way about them. You work to plan on placement as well as timing and equipment that is necessary to carry out this plan. Through your free, independent thinking, attractive personality, kindliness and ability to be all things to all people, you make others happy. You are in a class by yourself and you set an example that others follow.

Beauty, cheerfulness and good humor surround you.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) A challenge can be fun when you have a positive mind set. This new challenge could come to you today in the form of organizing a group, person or event.

Confirmations and feedback are necessary ingredients to the success of this endeavor in order to achieve the desired result. This could mean that you will be asked to decorate a restaurant or paint a room—you will do well. The energies are in your favor for a physical checkup with positive results. Extra attention to any physical symptom may soon bring relief to a chronic problem. If you have just finished school, you will find a wonderful job soon! Career opportunities lead you into a new location of your city—if that is what you want. Seize the day!

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 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

36

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

y e l Ash

, n e s l O

it l p s d n e i r f y o b

T

he actress-turned-fashion designer has called it quits with businessman David Schulte, whom she was first linked to last year. A source told UsMagazine.com: “He was a great guy and cute, but it didn’t work out.” The 27-year-old former child star began seeing David - who is the CEO of luxury eyewear brand Oliver Peoples - some time in 2013, but their romance didn’t go public until September.

Ashley previously dated ‘The Hangover’ actor Justin Bartha between 2008 and 2011, but she has largely remained private about her love life. While Ashley’s relationship has ended, her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen has been going strong with French banker Olivier Sarkozy, 44, for nearly two years, with rumours that the couple are even planning to start a family. A source previously said: “She’d like to get pregnant but isn’t so sure about marriage.” Ashley recently indicated she has no plans to return to acting following her last movie with Mary-Kate 2004’s ‘New York Minute’ - because she is so preoccupied with their successful fashion endeavors.

Brian May celebrates with just a cup of tea

T

he Queen guitarist is relieved to have learned in a biopsy last Friday that he has no cancerous cells after doctors came across “some small possible problem areas” on his prostate. In a blog post to his fans, Brian wrote: “I got a great phone call from my specialist this evening. “He said, ‘I have great news ... we did not find any cancer cells.’ So finally, as far as that vital organ is concerned, I thank God - in the clear. It’s a great relief. I celebrated in the studio with a cup of tea.” The 66-year-old musician revealed last month he had a series of “urgent” tests to rule out the possibility of the disease, after complaining of back pain last month. He previously stated: “The scans showed up all kinds of mechanical disc and vertebra problems that might be the cause, but there were also some abnormalities in the bones - things that the report said needed urgent attention. “So I’ve been having a series of blood tests, ultrasounds, and various kinds of scans, to see if they could rule out various kinds of cancer.”

Liza Minnelli dropped out of shooting advert

T

he 67-year-old screen icon was set to film the Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops commercial, which promotes their throat lozenges, in September last year but cancelled after claiming it was “too much pressure”. Her decision to pull out of the project comes after she demanded a rider which reportedly included two cartons of cigarettes, a $400 coffee service, black Egyptian cotton towels, a body scale, a food scale, six cases of Bai antioxidant drink, no Styrofoam plates, a humidifier and full make-up and hair products in the suite which screenwriter Fred Wolf had set up, with the help of a team, at the Waldorf Towers, New York City. A source told the New York Post newspaper: “Producers begged Liza to leave her apartment, which was only a few blocks away, and come to the shoot. She refused, saying this was ‘too much pressure.’ “ Pine Brothers boss Rider McDowell asked 72-year-old TV personality Martha Stewart to step in and she was there within the hour, ready to get to work.

Khloe Kardashian to be guest judge on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

T

he 29-year-old beauty has announced she will be starring in the upcoming sixth season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and has expressed her excitement about taking part. The ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star said: “I’ve been a huge fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race for years. Every episode is packed with glamour, beauty secrets and fashion - all things I love! “It really was a dream come true to be a guest judge this season. My favorite part was working with RuPaul who is a legend and getting to know the contestants - they are all so talented. I am cheering for them all!” A photograph of Khloe with RuPaul was also posted on the show’s official Twitter account with the caption: “We must say that @RuPaul and @khloekardashian are looking #SIXENING! (sic)” According to Us Weekly, the fashion designer will be a judge on two back-to-back episodes and will be on a panel alongside TV personality Michelle Visage and fashion designer Santino Rice to help select the winners.

In a statement, host RuPaul - born Rupaul Andre Charles - said: “This season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ is perfect for viewers who want to ‘butch it up’ after watching a month of Olympic figure skating!”

Demi Moore, Sean ‘made out all night’

T

he pair were spotted at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood where they couldn’t keep their hands off one another and danced into the early hours of the morning, leaving at around 2am on Sunday. A source told People magazine: “They danced and made out all night. “Demi was chatty and smiley all night. She looked flawless.” They were joined

by Demi’s friend, floral designer Eric Buterbaugh, in the VIP section of the club where their table was covered in Red Bull drinks - one of the 51-year-old actress’ favorite beverages. The ‘Striptease’ actress recently holidayed with the Dead Sara drummer, 27, in Mexico and his brother Jason Friday previously revealed their budding romance is getting serious. Jason said: “It’s going well. They are great and he seems really happy, so it’s all good.”

Demi and Sean’s romance comes shortly after her divorce from Ashton Kutcher was finalized in November 2013, almost two years after they separated. The ‘Two and a Half Men’ star filed for divorce in December 2012 but proceedings took a while to resolve because the former couple were reportedly at odds over how to divide their assets and $300 million fortune.

Since splitting from Demi - who has three daughters with second husband Bruce Willis Ashton has been romancing Mila Kunis.

Tamara Ecclestone is expecting a baby girl

T

he socialite and businesswoman revealed her happy news today by tweeting a picture of her baby shower invites, which are a gold rattle inside a pink box. She also thanked her sister, Petra, for her part in designing them, writing: “The most beautiful baby shower invites I have ever seen, I have the world’s best sister.” Seven months pregnant Tamara, 29, has previously said she wants her first child with husband Jay Rutland to be as close as possible in age to Petra’s daughter, Lavinia, who is currently 11-months old. She said: “I want them to be as close as me and my sister. And I would just love to have a little girl who would be super close to Lavinia.

“There’s only going to be a year between my baby and Lavinia so that would be amazing. Lavinia is the cutest little pooch in the world.” Tamara has also said her sister has been giving her lots of help preparing for the birth. She said: “Having her go through it so recently, I’m getting loads of tips from her, she’s really helping me out and giving me loads of advice, which is really nice.”

David Arquette an ‘instinctive’ father

T

he ‘Scream 4’ actor worried about how he’d cope after the birth of his first child Coco, now nine - from his marriage to Courteney Cox - but he is much more relaxed about the prospect of fatherhood the second time around with girlfriend Christina McLarty. He told People.com: “Animals across the world have babies and they know how to take care of them instinctually. Us humans get so in our heads about it all but as soon as the baby comes it is just instinct. “I know I’ve done it once so there’s not that fear that a first-time parent has because you just don’t know what to expect.” David - who is set to welcome a son with Christina - is about to go to Puerto Rico to film two series of his show ‘Cleaners’ but has made sure shooting will not interfere with his impending fatherhood. He added: “I had to make sure [we] could get out [there to film] in time long before my baby would be born.” While he’s on the Caribbean island, David is also looking forward to a little bonding time with Coco before she becomes a big sister.

37

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Quran recitation, chants, candy on Prophet

Muhammad’s (PBUH) birth anniversary in

Egypt

By Sherif Ismail CAIRO: As is the custom of Egyptians to annually commemorate the Prophet’s (PBUH) birth anniversary (Mouled Nabawi) by setting up large marquees selling special candy, the people at Sayyeda Zainab square and its vicinity, and all over Cairo and the suburbs await this day every year. It is a festival-like public ceremony attended by tens of thousands of people of all classes, rich or poor.

Streets are usually overcrowded with people who spend the night out on the streets so as not to miss this solemn anniversary.

Besides the special candy, all kinds of nuts and dried fruit, Quranic recitations and chants of praise can be heard everywhere in the background of this wonderful scene. Voices of some very famous chanters like Sheikh Yaseen Al-Tuhami, who is well known all over Egypt, can be heard everywhere.

Some people dance the Sufi ‘tannura’ (Egypt’s famous colorful dancing skirt) dance locally known as ‘Abul Ghaitt’, around whom both young and old gather while girls and ladies fill the surrounding buildings’ terraces to watch the ceremony and exchange folktales.

The traditional Egyptian candy horse

The traditional Egyptian candy doll­and a candy stall (below) — Photos by Sherif Ismail

Moallem Samir holding a candy horse

Ahmed, a candy salesman speaking about this year’s sales upsurge.

Egyptians surrounding a candy vendor ordering their gifts.

Egyptians unanimously agree that this year’s ceremony was much better than any earlier one. ‘Moallem’ Samir, the owner of a candy outlet in Sayyeda Zainab neighborhood said that sales are much better this year and that there is a growing demand for the traditional candy dolls (for girls) and horses (for boys) made of sugar and molasses by Egyptians. He also noted that many occasion-related toys equipped with built-in music and songs are unfortunately imported from China nowadays. “Despite the cold weather, many people are flocking to the carnival to purchase candy and take part in the ceremonies due to their growing sense of security in the presence of more police forces on the square,” he underlined.

he added, noting that in more recent years, namely under King Foad, the ceremony moved to the Al-Abbasiyya area where the Awqaf ministry took over its responsibility including building marquees and organization.

The beginning of the story Moallem Samir said that Egyptians started celebrating the Prophet’s (PBUH) birth anniversary during the Fatimid era. The first Mouled ceremony was held during the reign of the Fatimid caliph Al-Moezz Ledeenellah in 972. The ceremony has always been associated with its special candy moulded in different shapes like birds, cats, horses and dolls. He added that upon the caliph’s orders, these forms of candy have been distributed amongst the people on various religious occasions, namely the Mouled. “People used to store margarine or butter, sugar and flour especially to make candy on this occasion,”

Chinese-made dolls

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

lifestyle

‘Gravity’ soars in Visual Effects Society Nominations

An Oscar statue is seen on the red carpet before the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. — AP

Oscars to celebrate big-screen heroes T

he upcoming Academy Awards show will celebrate movie heroes, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced on Tuesday in their first public comment on the show’s content. The 86th Oscars will celebrate “big-screen real-life heroes, super heroes, popular heroes and animated heroes,” according to an Academy press release. To coincide with the theme, the Academy will host a poster exhibit in the lobby of its Beverly Hills headquarters devoted to still photos and posters from films that include “Gandhi,” “Silkwood,” “Superman,” “The Dark Knight,” “Shrek,” “ The Incredibles,” “Gladiator,” “The Grapes of Wrath” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the film that showcased Atticus Finch, the character named by the American Film Institute as the greatest screen hero of all time.

When they produced the Oscars last year, Zadan and Meron became the first producers in years to set a theme for the broadcast. The 2013

theme was the music of the movies, which included a lengthy medley of songs from the last decade of movie musicals and a James Bond tribute that featured Shirley Bassey singing “Goldfinger.” This year’s theme will obviously fit with many of the year ’s most high-profile movies, which sport such heroes as Solomon Northup (“12 Years a Slave”), Richard Phillips (“Captain Phillips”) and Ron Woodruff (“Dallas Buyers Club”).

And it will also enable the producers to bring in characters from the comic book and superhero movies that are typically ignored by Academy voters except in the visual effects category, but whose films are often among the topgrossers of the year. (Zadan, Meron and the Academy have already secured a superhero, Chris Hemsworth from “Thor,” to help AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the nominees on Thursday morning.)

No word, though, on whether the March 2

show will embrace some of the year’s most delicious anti-heroes from films like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “American Hustle.” “We wanted to unify the show with an entertaining and emotional theme,” said Zadan and Meron in the press release announcing the theme. “People around the world go to the movies to be inspired by the characters they see on the screen. By celebrating the gamut of heroes who have enriched our movie-going experience, we hope to create an evening of fun and joy.

“And that includes the filmmakers and actors who take risks and stimulate us with provocative subjects and daring characters. They are all heroes in the cinematic landscape.” The producers added that “there will be no shortage of comedy” with host Ellen DeGeneres. The exhibition titled “The Oscars Celebrates Movie Heroes” will be on display in the Grand Lobby Gallery of Academy headquarters from this Friday through March 5. — Reuters

Dogged on disarmament, actor Douglas earns UNICEF award O

scar-winning actor Michael Douglas says his main philanthropic cause - nuclear disarmament - is not exactly the kind of “touchy-feely” issue that celebrities and their fans covet, and it can be awfully frustrating when it comes to progress. It’s one, however, he has stuck with for years as a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 1998, and for that persistence he will be recognized on Tuesday night with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Peace Award from the US fund for UNICEF, the UN branch for children.

“I was born in 1944, one year before the first bomb went off, and I hope in my lifetime to see the elimination of the weapons,” Douglas told Reuters ahead of UNICEF’s Beverly Hills ball, with childhood friend Dena Kaye, the only daughter of the late comic actor and UNICEF’s first ambassador, by his side. That he is being honored with the Danny Kaye award is especially meaningful, he said, because he knew Kaye as a child, admired his impact on children and can still recite rhymes from his films. He said Kaye “did more for the United Nations and for UNICEF than anyone I can think of.”

It will be the 69-year-old actor’s second honor this week after winning a Golden Globe on Sunday for his acclaimed portrayal of the exuberant pianist Liberace in the HBO drama “Behind the Candelabra,” a role that made many in Hollywood see the famously virile Douglas in a new light.

The recognition for his work both on and off screen comes in the wake of his successful treatment for stage IV cancer that made him so weak, as he said in his acceptance speech Sunday, that the Liberace biopic had to be put on hold. And although he recognizes that he “is the cancer poster boy right now,” supporting cancer charities is not his main focus.

He decided long ago, he said, that

Actor Michael Douglas to deal with the overwhelming demand for him to show up for charity, that he would principally work with the elimination of nuclear weapons and small arms at the United Nations, a cause that can move at a glacial pace.

“Sure, it’s painful,” said Douglas. “We were gearing up just a few years ago for the START talks with President Obama and the Russians and there was a reduction in warheads.” “But things have gotten cool now again between Russia and the US and it has slowed down. I think it will happen again. We will have an increased reduction.”

COLD WAR INFLUENCES The guiding principles of Douglas’ philanthropic work are rooted in the

Cold War and how actors like Kaye who died in 1987 and would have been 101 this week - and his own father Kirk Douglas navigated the channels of exchange where Western leaders could not.

Kaye, the star of films like 1947’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” had “a childlike joie de vivre and was a wonderful host,” Douglas remembers from when he was invited to the Kaye house for the famous Asian meals that Kaye himself cooked.

“He was the greatest spokesman you could possibly have, because especially during the Cold War, the one thing that the East knew were the movie stars,” Douglas said. Dena Kaye called Douglas “like my father, a 100-

percenter, gives 100 percent, doesn’t give his name without giving himself.”

Douglas believes Hollywood’s celebrities are doing a good job these days with philanthropic and humanitarian causes and cites the work of Angelina Jolie with refugees as a noteworthy example. Most talent agencies these days have specialized departments to match their clients up with philanthropic projects, a necessity for the modern-day movie star, he said. While Kaye did film roles for children and humanitarian work for children, Douglas says there is no such connection in his onscreen/offscreen work, even though he started looking at the nuclear issue in the 1979 film he produced and starred in, “ The China Syndrome.”

Many of his roles have been men of dubious morals, like the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko in “Wall Street” for which Douglas won an Oscar in 1988. “I always go with what the best movie is,” he said, adding that it is about “how good the material is, and my role comes secondarily.” To that end, on Monday Douglas came out with another unconventional career choice, this time playing scientist Hank Pym in Marvel superhero film “Ant-Man,” due for release in 2015.

“Sometimes - like (when) they didn’t see you for Liberace - you’ve got to shake them up a little bit and have some fun,” Douglas said of surprising both studios and audiences with his decision to do a superhero film. And he’ll keep plugging away at disarmament, but he did acknowledge that he plans to do some more work advocating for more lenient sentencing for non-violent drug criminals “just because of my situation with my son.”

His son, Cameron, is in federal prison serving a 10-year sentence for drug dealing, a situation Douglas criticized when he won an Emmy for his Liberace role last year. — Reuters

US senators slam ‘glamorization’ of e-cigarettes at Golden Globes

A

group of US senators is taking the Golden Globes to task for showing celebrities puffing on electronic cigarettes at this year’s awards show, complaining such depictions glamorize smoking.

“The Golden Globes celebrates entertainers who are an influence on young fans,” the four Democratic senators wrote on Tuesday.

“We ask the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC Universal to take actions to ensure that future broadcasts of the Golden Globes do not intentionally feature images of e-cigarettes.” “Such action would help to avoid the glamorization of smoking and protect the health of young fans,” said the letter signed by Dick Durbin of Illinois, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Edward Markey of Massachusetts.” The Golden Globes ceremony that aired on Comcast Corp-owned NBC on Sunday night showed actor Leonardo DiCaprio

smoking an e-cigarette during the broadcast, as well as nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus puffing on one as part of an opening skit. The Golden Globes, which honor achievement in film and television, are handed out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The show drew its best television audience in a decade.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered metal tubes that turn nicotine-laced liquid into vapor. Some analysts predict that the fast-growing market for the product could outpace that of conventional cigarettes within a decade. Regulators are agonizing over whether to restrict the product as a “gateway” to nicotine addiction and tobacco smoking, or to embrace them as treatments for would-be quitters. NBC Universal and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment. — Reuters

Writer Sheherazade Goldsmith (left) and director Alfonso Cuaron, winner of Best Director for ‘Gravity,’ pose in the press room during the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. — AFP

‘G

ravity’ led all films in nominations for the 12th annual VES Awards, according to a Tuesday morning announcement by the Visual Effects Society that should surprise no one. Alfonso Cuaron’s groundbreaking space thriller picked up eight nominations for its visual effects in eight live-action feature-film categories. “Pacific Rim” received six, while “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and Iron Man 3” received five each. “Frozen,” “The Croods” and “Epic” led all animated features with four nominations each, while HBO’s “Game of Thrones” topped the TV nominations with four.

The most surprising and telling of the “Gravity” nominations may have come in the Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture category. Alongside the dragon Smaug from “The Hobbit,” China Girl from “Oz the Great and Powerful” and the alien monster Leatherback from “Pacific Rim,” VES members in eight cities voted for Ryan, the “Gravity” character played by Sandra Bullock (apparently with the help of four VFX artists).

Further proof of just how thoroughly “Gravity” dominated the 2013 visualeffects field: Even before VES voters made the film the year’s top nominee, the society selected Cuaron to be the recipient of its Visionary Award at the ceremony on Feb 12 at the Beverly

Hilton. In addition to “Gravity,” nominees in the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, the VES Awards category that most closely corresponds to the Oscar visual-effects category most years, included “Iron Man 3,” “Pacific Rim,” “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and “The Hobbit.”

All of the nominated films are on the Oscar shortlist for visual effects. The VES Awards give out prizes in eight categories for live-action feature films, four for animated features, three for broadcast television programs, two for commercials, four for either commercials or broadcast, and one each for videogames, special venue projects and student projects. In the animatedfeature categories, “Frozen,” “The Croods” and “Epic” scored four nominations each, while “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” and “Monsters University” received two and “Despicable Me 2” landed one.

“Game of Thrones” led a group of television nominations that were spread among more than a dozen programs. The miniseries “Inseparable” was the only other TV program to receive multiple nominations, with two. Other TV nominees included “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “DaVinci’s Demons,” “Mob City,” “The Borgias” and “Hawaii 5-0.” Effects pioneer John Dykstra will receive the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Feb 12 ceremony. — Reuters

‘Grown Ups 2’ leads Razzies worst-of list

‘G

rown Ups 2’ is making the most noise at this year’s Golden Raspberry Awards.

The silly comedy sequel about four childhood friends starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade led the Razzie lineup Tuesday with eight nominations, including worst picture, sequel, ensemble, screenplay, lead actor for Sandler, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, supporting actress for Salma Hayek and director for Dennis Dugan.

Sandler is no a stranger to the Razzies, which launched in 1980 as a spoof of Hollywood’s awards season.

He won the worst actor trophy last year for the man-child comedy “That’s My Boy,” and his 2011 cross-dressing comedy “Jack and Jill” made Razzie history the year before with a record 10 awards, with Sandler winning both the worst actor and actress prizes. This year’s other worst-picture nominees are the Wild West romp “The Lone Ranger” starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, Tyler Perry’s holiday

comedy “A Madea Christmas,” sci-fi coming-of-age story “After Earth” starring Will and Jaden Smith, and comedy anthology “Movie 43” featuring the likes of Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

“After Earth,” “A Madea Christmas” and “Movie 43” are tied with six nods each. In addition to worst picture, screenplay and ensemble nominations, they’re also in worst actor, actress and supporting actor slots for Will and Jaden Smith of “After Earth,” Perry and Larry the Cable Guy of “A Madea Christmas,” and Berry and Naomi Watts of “Movie 43.” The Razzies announcement comes ahead of Thursday’s Oscar nominations.

Winners for the 34th annual Razzies will be announced March 1, the night before the 86th annual Academy Awards. While far less star-studded than other award shows, past winners like Berry and Sandra Bullock have sometimes shown up in person to claim their gold spray-painted prizes. — AP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

lifestyle

Paris fashion week kicks off with menswear A

fter London and Milan, men’s fashion hits Parisian runways yesterday, with some 50 shows planned as more and more European and Asian houses battle to get a slot amid rising interest in this section of the market.

Kickstarting Paris fashion week before bowing out on Sunday to make way for haute couture, houses such as Kenzo and Hermes will showcase their collections for men, an increasing number of whom no longer buy clothes when they need to but when they want to.

“The market for men has developed a lot, especially in the past two or three years,” said Veronique Nichanian, Hermes’ menswear creative director, who will showcase her collection on Saturday evening. “Now, they (men) have the same buying impulses as women.”

A model wears a creation by French fashion designer Lucien Pellat Finnet during his men’s fall-winter 20142015 fashion collection presented yesterday. — AP Yesterday, France’s Carven, Valentino and Belgium’s Raf Simons-who created his collection in tandem with US artist Sterling Ruby-hit the runways in some of the most beautiful places of the French capital, in the National School of Fine Arts or near the Place Vendome, the epitome of luxury.

US designer Rick Owens, Louis Vuitton, Japan’s Yohji Yamamoto and Dries Van Noten will take over on Thursday. “Three years ago, we had three days of shows.

Now, we have five,” said Didier Grumbach, head of the French Couture Federation, amid growing interest for men’s fashion.

Nichanian explained that men’s fashion is “less codified than before.” “In some sectors, men are no longer forced to wear suits to work,” she said, pointing out that different styles were now blending together.

Emerging menswearonly brands are also attracting more and more attention, such as France’s AMI, founded by Alexandre Mattiussi, who previously worked for Dior, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs. On Sunday evening, after the Saint Laurent show by creative director Hedi Slimane, menswear gives way to six days of haute couture during which Italy’s legendary Schiaparelli house makes a comeback more than 40 years after the death of its founder. Versace kicks off on Sunday, and the Schiaparelli show by brand new creative director Marco Zanini gets underway on Monday morning. — AFP

Models pose beside French fashion designer Lucien Pellat Finnet during the presentation of his men’s fall-winter 2014-2015 fashion collection, in Paris yesterday. — AP

A model presents a creation of Anja Gockel’s Autumn Winter 2014 collection during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week yesterday. — AP

Britain television stars in court to face sex charges T

hree ageing stars of British television appeared in separate courts Tuesday, all accused of raping or assaulting women and young girls.

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris, TV soap star William Roache and veteran presenter Dave Lee Travis deny the charges against them, most of which date back several decades. Roache, 81, is the world’s longest-serving soap star, having played character Ken Barlow in

girl and to secure her unquestioning loyalty. “A sort of grooming, as we would nowadays call it,” added the prosecutor. Roache denies five counts of indecent assault and two counts of rape involving five girls aged between 11 or 12 and 16.

Meanwhile prosecutors told the trial of Dave Lee Travis that the former BBC star had assaulted young women while live on television and in his radio

British actor William Roache (2nd left), who plays Ken Barlow in television drama Coronation Street arrives at Preston Crown Court in Preston, northwest England. — AFP the ITV show “Coronation Street” since its first episode in 1960.

As his trial in Preston, northwest England got under way Tuesday, prosecutors claimed Roache used his fame to rape or sexually assault five girls who were aged as young as 11 at the time, in the 1960s and 1970s. “Favor or condemn him on the evidence, not because he plays Ken Barlow,” prosecutor Anne Whyte warned the jury.

Whyte said Roache had attacked one of the girls in a toilet before sending her a signed photograph, which was “designed to impress a young school-

studio. The 68-year-old, one of the biggest names in British broadcasting during the 1970s and 1980s, denies assaulting 11 women, one of whom says she was underage at the time. The jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court was shown footage of Travis allegedly putting his hand up a young woman’s skirt as he introduced a song

by The Smurfs on the TV show “Top of the Pops” in 1978.

Prosecutor Miranda Moore said Travis, appearing in court under his real name David Patrick Griffin, was an “opportunist” who had targeted

“young women who were very vulnerable”. The youngest of his alleged victims says she was 15 when Travis groped her breasts and pinned her to her seat while in his trailer at a concert by the pop group Showaddywaddy in 1978.

Another accuser said she was groped by Travis while working at a theatre where he was performing as the “evil wizard” in the pantomime Aladdin. The jury was told that Travis pulled his hand out of her trousers when he heard a member of the comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers, who were also performing in the pantomime, walking past. Travis spent 25 years presenting on BBC Radio 1, and also hosted a music request show on the BBC World Service. Travis is accused of 13 counts of indecent assault between 1976 and 2003, and one count of sexual assault in 2008.

In London, Australian-born Harris denied 12 counts of indecent assault.

All except one of the cases involve women who were aged under 16, the age of sexual consent in Britain. The 83-year-old musician, presenter and artist-who once painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and who has been honored by both Britain and his native Australia-has yet to make a plea on four additional charges of making an indecent image of a child in 2012.

Harris is due to go on trial on April 30 accused of assaulting four women between 1968 and 1986. One of the charges relates to a girl who was only seven or eight at the time of the alleged assault. Travis and Harris are among several ageing celebrities arrested under Operation Yewtree, the British police probe into historical abuse set up in the wake of revelations that the late BBC star Jimmy Savile was a prolific sex offender. Roache was not arrested as part of the operation.

Comedian Freddie Starr, 71, was arrested for a third time on Tuesday under Operation Yewtree, police said. — AFP

New series - Transformers and Ghostbusters mix up

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t’s not every day you stumble across transforming alien robots, sewer-dwelling mutant ninja turtles, ghost hunters and conspiracy theorists trying to track them down amid a nationwide contagion. Unless it’s in the pages of IDW Publishing’s “X-Files: Conspiracy,” a sprawling six-part story that sees the Lone Gunmen trio attempting to blow wide open rumors of Transformers, Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - among others - to a public that has been kept in the dark.

Writer Paul Crilley, who is writing the John Stanisci-illustrated and Miran Kimcolored crossover, said the intrigue begins with a WikiLeaks file in the Lone Gunmen’s email while, at the same time, FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are investigating a rapidly spreading contagion. The six-issue event launches Wednesday with “X-Files: Conspiracy” No. 1 and includes four issues that focus on the Ghostbusters, The Crow, Transformers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before concluding with “X-Files: Conspiracy” No. 2. “A mysterious Wikileaks file appears in (Richard) Langly’s inbox, and, as the Lone Gunmen start to decode them, they realize the files are about events that haven’t actually happened yet,” Crilley said without divulging too much of the plot in a bid to avoid any spoilers.

“At the same Mulder and Scully are busy trying to trace the origin of a lethal contagion that is spreading through the U.S.,” he said. “The Lone Gunmen realize their WikiLeaks files might be related to this contagion and trying to solve this mystery is what brings them into contact with the other properties.”

It’s one of the elements that helps tie the story together, said Erik Burnham, who writes IDW’s “Ghostbusters” title. “When the characters have voices as clear and as strong as the Ghostbusters or the Lone Gunmen, it’s not hard to imagine how they’d react when something weird is put in front of them. That makes translation a pretty easy trick, and leaves the pure fun of imagining weird things to present to the characters.” —AP

BERLIN: A model presents a creation of fashion label Bagaz’ Autumn Winter 2014 collection during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin yesterday.

— AP photos

Designer Anja Gockel (left) receives applause after the presentation of her Autumn Winter 2014 collection during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week yesterday.

India woos foreign filmmakers I

ndia has simplified rules for foreign moviemakers wanting to film in the country and is promising speedy approval of projects, after frustrating redtape and delays were blamed for crews shooting elsewhere. The ministry of information and broadcasting said it was “inviting” foreign filmmakers to make their movies in India-”a country with locations of untold beauty”. “We have simplified the procedure for shooting of films by foreigners in India,” the ministry of information and broadcasting said on its website.

“Your permission to shoot should not take more than three weeks to process,” an undated notice on the website said yesterday. The move comes after global business consultancy Ernst and Young in a report last year called India’s lack of simplified clearance for filming a “primary obstacle” to attracting foreign moviemakers. Under the old rules, foreign filmmakers needed 70 approvals and licences from different Indian government authorities to shoot movies in the country, the Ernst and Young report said.

The new rules tell applicants to send a letter with proposed dates and sites for shooting the movie as well as cast member names and a $225 cheque, the website said.

Bureaucratic red-tape was blamed for India losing at least 18 big-budget foreign movies over four years to 2012, the report by Ernst and Young said. Special approval, in consultation with India’s home ministry, is still needed to

shoot movies in the picturesque, revolt-hit regions of Indian Kashmir and the northeast as well as in sensitive border belts.

Despite the simplification, it was not clear whether the new rules would change India’s sensitivity to scenes that it feels show the country in an unfavorable light. In 2012, India hit the headlines when it asked makers of the recent James Bond hit “Skyfall” to change a stunt showing people travelling on train rooftops, saying it would depict the state-run railway in a poor light. The film in the end was not made in India due to various problems including bureaucratic delays, according to media reports, and was shot in Turkey, Japan and Scotland among other locations, reports said.

Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari flagged plans last October to change the rules in a bid to attract more foreigners, saying “any lost opportunity is a revenue loss for the country”. Even under the old system, a number of recent Hollywood box office hits were filmed in India including “Eat, Pray and Love, and “Life of Pi”. India also plans to update its 1952 Cinematographic Act which governs censorship and assigns classifications to films that critics say is outdated. India is seeking to compete with other countries which are offering incentives to attract movie producers to shoot films there. — AFP

Britain television stars in court to face sex charges

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THURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

AQABA: The calm and peaceful sunset in Aqaba, Jordan is captured by the lens of Badrya Darwish.

London’s new theater offers tragedy by candlelight S

hakespeare’s Globe in London is adding a couple of innovations in its quest to give audiences a sense of theater as it was 400 years ago: a roof and candles. Hundreds and hundreds of candles. They flicker in sconces and chandeliers inside the Globe’s brand-new indoor venue, which stands alongside its Elizabethanstyle open-air playhouse beside the River Thames.

The oak-framed, wood-paneled theater will allow the Globe to stage plays year-round for the first time - starting with a production of John Webster’s revenge tragedy “The Duchess of Malfi” featuring screen star Gemma Arterton in the title role. The playhouse, which seats 340 people in tiered galleries, was built from original 17th-century plans using centuries-old techniques, and its

shows will be lit entirely by candles - an exercise in authenticity that came at a price. “They’re not cheap,” chief executive Neil Constable, who oversees the Globe purse strings, said Tuesday. “We’ve had to create a new budget line.”

The beeswax candles require frequent trimming by a team of staff - advised, said artistic director Dominic Dromgoole, by “one of the world’s leading candle experts.” There was also the challenge of getting local government and fire authorities to agree to a wooden structure lit by open flames. Health and safety officials were “incredibly cooperative and imaginative,” said Dromgoole. He’s emphatic that all the effort was worth it. Candlelight welcomes audiences with “a blaze of excitement and color,” he said, to a venue that smells faintly of wood, wicks and wax.

British actress Gemma Arterton (right) and Brendan O’Hea perform a scene from The Duchess of Malfi at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in central London.

Gemma Arterton as The Duchess of Malfi (center) Alex Waldmann as Antonio (right) and Sarah MacRae as Cariola act in a scene from the play ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ during a photocall in the Shakespeare’s Globe new indoor theatre Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London. — AP photos

“The idea was always - if Shakespeare walked in here, would he feel at home?” Dromgoole said.

“A lot of the great plays of the period that this space was built for were written for these conditions,” he said. “Something like ‘Duchess of Malfi,’ it’s rich with references to light.” Building an indoor playhouse fit for Shakespeare has been a lengthy process. The new venue is named the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, after the late

American actor-director who spent decades realizing his dream of rebuilding Shakespeare’s London playhouse near its original site.

Wanamaker, who died in 1993, dreamed of an indoor theater beside the outdoor Globe, and the brick shell of the venue was built as part of the reconstruction. But financial constraints meant it wasn’t completed at the same time as the Globe, which opened in 1997. In the last few years, the

company has raised most of the 7.5 million pound ($12.3 million) cost of the new venue from individuals and charitable trusts. Its indoor productions should bring in 100,000 more ticketbuyers a year.

Globe staff call the playhouse an “archetype” rather than a reconstruction - it’s modeled on the designs of several 17th-century theaters, including the nearby Blackfriars, where Shakespeare’s company performed. Architect Jon Greenfield said the materials were scrupulously researched, including green oak for the galleries. Chisel and saw marks from time-honored craft techniques are visible on the wood.

There are a few concessions to modernity.

Understated electric lights help spectators find their seats. And, Greenfield said, “we’ve planned this building to have as many good fire escapes as possible.” No one knows exactly how the venue will transform the plays staged in it. In the 90s, naysayers predicted the Globe would be a tourist trap offering “olde worlde” Shakespeare, but its productions have proved both popular and innovative.

The Globe’s all-male productions of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and “Richard III,” starring Mark Rylance, are currently running on Broadway. If the atmosphere at the Globe is often open, inclusive and raucous, the new venue seems ideal for reflective, spooky and menacing moments - Dromgoole has even called it the “anti-Globe.” Its repertoire will include Shakespeare’s late plays, as well as the bloody, brooding works of Jacobean playwrights who came after him.

Dromgoole said that even before the opening night of “The Duchess of Malfi”, cast and crew had learned “a huge amount” about the plays from the new-old building. “We’re learning about their capacity for intimacy. We’re learning about their extraordinary psychological depth,” he said. “The stillness of the face under candlelight ... immediately makes it a very intimate, very psychologically deep and detailed exercise in a way you can’t quite achieve in the broadness and the breadth and the light of the Globe.” — AP

Drugs found at Justin Bieber home after egg-attack raid D etectives searching pop singer Justin Bieber’s Los Angeles mansion over an egg-throwing attack seized illegal drugs and arrested one of the singer’s associates on Tuesday, officials said. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department officer Dave Thompson said an individual was arrested after the drugs were discovered in “plain view” as deputies combed through Bieber’s luxury home in the upmarket enclave of Calabasas. Around a dozen detectives swooped on the 19-year-old star’s home early Tuesday, probing allegations that the Canadian teen idol was responsible for causing thousands of dollars in damage to a neighbor’s house after pelting it with eggs.

Thompson said an investigation into a “felony crime” was ongoing, with the neighbor claiming as much as $20,000 in damage was caused. On the narcotics arrest, he initially said the drug found on the premises was cocaine, but his department later backtracked on that statement. “Nothing is confirmed,” another spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department, Sergeant Carmen Arballo said. “It’s a controlled substance but we don’t know if it’s cocaine. We won’t know until it’s gone to a lab and been tested.” Another sheriff’s spokesman told The Los Angeles Times it could be a form of ecstasy.

Thompson said the drugs found at Bieber’s property were “in plain view of the deputies when they were looking for the evidence.” Celebrity news website TMZ, which generally has solid sources, said the man arrested was rapper Lil Za, one of Bieber’s close friends. Bieber, who was in the home during the raid, had been neither “arrest-

ed or exonerated” in connection with the vandalism case, Thompson said. He added that the pop star was “not connected” to the drugs seizure, beyond the fact that “the gentleman was staying at his residence.”

Officials however dismissed suggestions that the nature of the alleged vandalism was trivial. “A felony crime is a felony crime. The damage was from the eggs,” Thompson said. “ The felony comes from the amount of the damage, and this residence sustained a great amount of damage that easily achieve the felony vandalism section. “I get that the eggs don’t seem that significant but it does rise to the level of a felony.

There’s an extensive amount of damage and I and the sheriff’s department take that very seriously.”

The Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department earlier confirmed they had served a warrant at Bieber’s home over the egg-throwing allegations. “The purpose of the search warrant is to seek video surveillance or other possible evidence in the vandalism that occurred on January 9 ... The vandalism damage is estimated by the homeowner to be approximately $20,000,” a statement said. The warrant followed a complaint from a neighbor of Bieber that the star had hurled raw eggs at his home last week.

The case was first classified as a possible misdemeanor offense. However officials said Tuesday it was now being

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s leave ‘The Oaks of Calabasas’ property, where the residence of the pop star, Justin Bieber (inset) was searched by police in Calabasas, Calif.— AP probed as a more serious felony offense because the damage to property exceeded $400. It is not known what prompted the alleged egg attack. But if Bieber is eventually charged and convicted with vandalism he could be facing jail time and a heavy fine under California’s penal

code. Tuesday’s raid was the latest in a long line of controversial headlines which have tarnished the once clean-cut image of Bieber, who has sold more than 12 million albums since emerging on the music scene in 2009 as a schoolboy sensation. —AP