11 Feb

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Kuwait hosts international meeting on IT audit

Australian trafficker Corby released from prison in Bali

NO: 16074

150 FILS

2 40 PAGES

RABI ALTHANI 11, 1435 AH

‘Power of Life’ at Boushahri Art Gallery

12

40

www.kuwaittimes.net

World warms to Sochi through Lipnitskaya’s elegance

19

Kuwait awards $12bn clean fuels project JGC Corp, Fluor and Petrofec bids approved conspiracy theories

Call it a fair deal

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

A

s the nation demands more, the government has woken up to a new system. I love it guys. It could not be more cynical. If we demand something, the government finds a way to buy it for us and to silence us. Instead of serving as a government, they turn into a shopping mall. The latest suggestion that was leaked to the media is that the government is studying an idea to face the demands by parliament to raise the children’s allowance.

Currently the allowance is KD 50 per child.

Parliamentarians are demanding that it should be at least KD 75 or KD 100. Of course the government’s brilliant and shrewd consultants immediately solved the problem - give them diapers and baby milk. That should settle the problem. Like this those who are just producing kids for the sake of collecting KD 50 or KD 75 or KD100 will get baby milk and diapers. Of course they can sell it later at the traffic lights at a cheaper price with bedoon kid vendors.

The nation demands that the KD 70,000 house allowance is insufficient to buy a house. This, in all honesty is not enough. In India you can buy a beautiful house by the lake. In Nepal you can get a castle for a fraction of this amount. In the Middle East and nighbouring countries, you can also buy a decent house with that amount.

My dear friends, in Kuwait with KD 70,000 you cannot even build a kitchen. The land alone, and I have said this a hundred times, will cost at least KD 400,000 unless you opt to live on the border near Khafji. You might get if lucky if you find a plot of 300 sq m for KD 100,000. So the government decides to solve the problem by giving KD 30,000 worth of cement and building materials.

Do not forget who will be the lucky one who will win the tender to provide these materials. Same is the story with the baby milk and diapers. Which importer will get the tender?

Thank God, women are not asking for a raise otherwise the suggestion will be the provision of free tampons and foundation creams for your makeup. The more the nation demands from now on, it will be a trade deal. I think the next thing for the government is to turn into a big shopping mall that will compete with the Avenues.

God bless the nation. Have a happy Hala February!

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Co said yesterday it has awarded a $12-billion project to British, US and Japanese-led consortia to boost capacity at oil refineries and make production more environmentally friendly. Work on the three-part project for KNPC to upgrade refineries while reducing sulphur and carbon pollutants is expected to start in April and be completed in five years. The Mina Abdullah I project was awarded to a consortium led by Britain’s Petrofac at $3.8 billion, Mina Abdullah II to US Fluor-led consortium for $3.4 billion, while Mina Al-Ahmadi went to Japan’s JGC Corp-led consortium for $4.8 billion, KNPC spokesman Khaled Al-Assousi told AFP. Assousi said he expected the contracts to be signed within the next six weeks and work to commence in April. The current production capacity of the two refineries of Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah is around 730,000 barrels per day, while the capacity of Kuwait’s third refinery at Shuaiba is 200,000 bpd. At the end of the projects, the capacity of the two refineries will be raised to 800,000 bpd, while Kuwait plans to shut the third refinery. Kuwait awarded Foster Wheeler with the management and service contract for the clean fuels project in Dec 2012 in a deal worth around $500 million.

Kuwait is soon also expected to award contracts for the stateof-the-art Al-Zour refinery with a capacity of 615,000 bpd expected to come onstream after five years. Kuwait’s refining capacity will reach over 1.4 million bpd from the existing capacity of 930,000 bpd, when all the projects are completed. The plans have been repeatedly delayed because of political disputes between parliament and the government. The project to build a new refinery was scrapped by the government around five years ago, months after five Japanese and South Korean companies were KUWAIT: The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation building is lit up in national colours yesterday. — KUNA awarded contracts. MPs had opposed the plan complaining of a (See Page 3) lack of transparency in the tendering process. —- Agencies

Gulf security pact blasted

By B Izzak and A Saleh KUWAIT: The controversial Gulf security pact came under fire yesterday from lawmakers and politicians who insisted the pact breaches the Kuwaiti constitution and called on the National Assembly to reject.

The pact was signed by the interior ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in Saudi Arabia over a year ago but Kuwait’s parliament must ratify it to become effective. The Assembly’s foreign relations committee held a meeting last week with the foreign, interior and justice ministers to debate the pact which has so far remained confidential.

The charge against the agreement was led by opposition leader and former MP Musallam AlBarrak, who asserted that the pact violates the Kuwaiti constitution which guarantees freedoms.

Barrak called on political movements in the country to unite in rejecting the pact and strongly blasted Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem for saying that the pact cannot violate the constitution. The former lawmaker said that the pact requires member states to extradite people, especially expatriates, after any member state accuses them of committing crimes even before the accusations are proven.

Ghanem said after last week’s meeting that article Continued on Page 13

PAGE

Yemen to become 6-region federation

PAGE

UAE to use drones for govt services

Govt faces hard sell as it eyes subsidy cut KUWAIT: Policymakers face the uphill challenge of convincing citizens that despite hefty oil revenues, one of the world’s richest countries per capita needs to reduce spending to avoid a potential damaging budget deficit later this decade. Long a topic of debate, the task has now fallen to new Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh, who said shortly after his appointment in January that a plan to review the lavish subsidy system should be ready later this year.

Thanks to subsidies, it costs as little as KD 5.2 ($18.40) to fill an 80-litre petrol tank. Electricity costs just 2 fils (less than 1 US cent) per kilowatt hour, a fraction of what it costs to produce.

Economists say such cheap prices, available to Kuwaitis and foreigners alike, encourage waste.

Building managers complain of people leaving their air conditioning on while they are on holiday so that their home is cool when they return. But any marked reduction in subsidies could erode stability since

Max 18º Min 5º High Tide 11:01 & 20:55 Low Tide 04:37 & 15:25

Kuwaitis have a recent history of street protests and industrial action to voice dissatisfaction with the government. “There will be a revolt in Kuwait,” said Abdullah Al-Shayji, political science faculty chief at Kuwait University. “Kuwaitis will cope with anything, but don’t come too close to their wallets and chequebooks. They will really put up a big fight.”

In 2012 thousands of Kuwaitis marched against changes to voting rules and voiced anger about slow economic development. Public sector workers went on strike the same year over pay. In a sign of how sensitive the subsidy subject is, Saleh has been on the defensive since announcing his plan, stressing that it will not hurt Kuwaitis with low and middle incomes. “ The government’s behaviour is very provocative for Kuwaitis because they don’t believe it,” said Shayji. “You shouldn’t be touching this with a 10-foot pole at this stage, this is something that Continued on Page 13

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LOCAL

Kuwait hosts world meeting on IT audit Forty countries participate

KUWAIT: British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker visited the Kuwait Times office yesterday and discussed matters of mutual interest with Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan, Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Conference on social sciences kicks off KUWAIT: Some of the participants of the 23rd meeting of the INTOSAI working group on IT Audit held yesterday. (Inset) Abdulaziz Al-Adsani addressing the meeting. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Forty countries are participating in the 23rd International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on Information Technology Audit (WGITA) meeting in Kuwait from Feb 10 to 12. The opening ceremony was held at the Crowne Plaza hotel yesterday, where representatives from various countries discussed issues such as the website of the working group, IT governance, data mining as a tool in fraud investigation, development of standards for state information systems, project audits among others.

“Our membership in INTOSAI - that comprises a selection of distinguished and highly experienced professional specializations related to working group tasks - indicates the importance of the working group and the support it provides to our SAIs that are members in INTOSAI to enhance their capabilities in the field of information technology through activities, publications, projects, researches, specialized journals and many other valuable products,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Adasani, President of the Audit Bureau of Kuwait, during the opening ceremony.

Reliance on IT in performing different tasks saves time and efforts. “It also allows achieving adequate performance, as it became a feature of this era and requirement for the development to enable our SAIs to adapt with the developments,

maintaining their position and progress and realizing the maximum benefit to achieve their tasks effectively and efficiently,” he added. “This matter requires collaborated efforts, increase and development of cooperation prospects, exchange experiences, promoting training activities at all levels and sharing knowledge in compliance with the INTOSAI declared motto ‘Mutual Experience Benefits All’,” stressed Adasani.

Shashi Kant Sharma, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Chairman, Working Group on IT Audit, welcomed a new member. “I have great pleasure in informing the members that the membership of the INTOSAI Working Group on IT Audit has grown to 40 (including one observer). I welcome SAI of Zambia as the new member to this working group,” he said in his opening remarks.

“The auditing environment has undergone tremendous change with the increasing application of information technology across all fields in society. To meet these challenges, SAIs worldwide have adopted information technology in the process of government auditing to effectively enhance the quality and efficiency of audits.

The Working Group on IT Audit is constantly working to support SAIs in developing their capacity and skills in information technology audit by facilitating knowledge sharing and encouraging bilateral and regional cooperation,” he added.

During the 22nd meeting held in April 2013, a total of five projects on emerging issues of IT audit have been identified by the working group in its work plan for developing further International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI) research papers during the next three years. “This meeting will review and discuss the progress made so far of these five IT projects undertaken by the Working Group,” stressed Sharma.

Another important role of this working group is promoting and sharing best practices and methods in information technology related audits and to facilitate the exchange of information and experience. “We have in this meeting three SAIs presenting country papers on a variety of topics like recent trends in IT audit, different procedures of IT audit and developments of IT audit and the support IT audit provides to both financial and performance audits. The INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) will also be giving an update on its activities,” he added.

“The 5300 series of ISSAIs lacks an overarching, generic standard on IT audit, which enunciates the first principles of IT auditing. Therefore, the Working Group has taken up a project for developing ISSAI 5300 on basic principles of IT audit. The review of ISSAI-5310, which was due for review in 2013, would be taken up after finalization of ISSAI-5300 in the next INTOSAI Congress in 2016,” concluded Sharma.

KUWAIT: Under the auspices of Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Ahmad Al-Mulaifi, the Third International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities kicked off in Kuwait yesterday.

The three-day conference is organized

by London Social Consultancy and Research (SCRLondon) center and hosted

by Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). SCRLondon also organizes on the sidelines of the conference, the first conference of Scientific Research Academy League. In a speech read out on behalf of Minister Al-Mulaifi, KISR’s Director General Dr Naji Al-Mutairi said that the SCRLondon’s initiative to organize a series of conference on social sciences and humanities help increase interaction and communication between Arab researchers and their peers

from the four corners of the globe.

He added that such a kind of conferences help link Arab scientific institutions with Arab researches living abroad to benefit from their researches.

Al-Mutairi stressed that scientific research is giving a great priority by the state of Kuwait.

For his part, the conference President Dr. Othman Al-Siddiqi said that the event aims to bring researchers from all around the world to present their research outputs and hence to foster research relations between researchers and scientific institutions.

He added that the conference also serves as a platform for researchers and delegates to exchange ideas and to establish business or research relations, and to find global partners for future collaborations. —KUNA

‘Ketab’ to make learning fun

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Students will be able to use modern, up-to-date learning technology through a ‘smart schools’ program called ‘Ketab’. This product will be provided by Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co in cooperation with the Jordanian company Ketab Technologies. This was announced during a press conference yesterday at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel. Ketab provides various technologies and applications to increase the educational ability of schools. “Ketab will allow exploiting technology to serve the educational process in a way to make learning a fun with more interaction between the teacher and the students. This

will produce a standard of graduates,” said Khaled Al-Kalalda, Chairman of Ketab Technologies.

According to him, this program brings a qualitative shift in the education process. “Kuwait was always known for being a pioneer in education in the region. It even has the oldest university in this area, so the educational tools and system should be the most modern with the best technology. I believe Ketab will meet the needs of students and teachers in Kuwait,” stressed Kalalda.

Muneer Al-Nouri, International Sales Manager of Ketab Technologies, gave a presentation explaining the features of the program. “This

KUWAIT: Akram Shukr, Khaled Al-Kalalda, Wael Deeb and Muneer Al-Nouri during the press conference held yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

program includes an interactive authoring tool called Ketab Studio, which allows the teacher to upload the lesson he prepared in a simple way and publish it on the interactive website Dardasa - a social learning platform. This will make it easy for the student to comprehend and review the lesson at home again at any time.

This will allow students in the classroom to use their time in interaction and other creative activities,” he explained.

Ketab is focusing on four parties. “This program has many useful features for students, teachers, parents and the authorities - who are the four pillars of the educational solutions. The program also helps the parents to be updated in the new way of learning and getting information, which will help them teach their children.

One of the best features of this program is that it can operate with any operating system,” added Nouri.

“We are targeting both public and private educational institutions including schools, universities, institutes and others. This product will save the young students of carrying heavy books to school every day. The program is safe and provides correct information uploaded by the teacher. The application is available in Arabic, English, Spanish, German, Turkish, Portuguese and Greek,” he stated.

Ketab Technologies is a Jordanian company working in the educational field for more than 10 years. “We have offices all over Jordan, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Ketab was also adopted by several European countries and is currently used in 123 schools in Dubai. The best feature of our product is its simplicity, where the information is in one place and is protected,” noted Kalalda.

Urban development in Gulf must be viewed objectively ABU DHABI: Scholars should avoid making value judgments about urban development in the Arabian Gulf because they are not helpful, an audience was told on Sunday.

“Why are we importing value judgments into the way we interact and think about everything?” said Ahmed Kanna, an anthropology professor at the University of the Pacific in the US. He was speaking at New York University Abu Dhabi’s downtown campus as part of a lecture series. A lot of people talk about cities in the region by labelling them as “unique”, “exotic”, “authentic”, “weird” or “stupid”, he said. But experts and scholars in particular should be wary of making such value judgments when describing these cities. This way of talking about cities in the region “reinforces inequality” and “tends to obscure the history of how it came about”, said Kanna. The migrant workers who live in Arabian Gulf cities and help to build them, for example, seem to be told the cities are not

theirs. While he didn’t think cities in the region were necessarily good models for urbanism, he said the ways in which scholars, particularly Western ones, often talk about the Gulf can be unhelpful.

Not serious “I think the Gulf makes Westerners very uncomfortable in some ways,” he said. “I think the Gulf is seen by people in other parts of the Middle East and in the West as being fake, as being not serious.”

This is particularly true for many Western scholars, who view Gulf urban spaces through the “legacy” of Orientalism and tend to see nonWestern people as less serious, Kanna said.

Khudooma Said Al Naimi, a forensic anthropologist at the Ministry of Interior, was at the lecture and said that while he disagreed with some aspects of Prof Kanna’s approach, he appreciated the analysis and believed that dis-

cussing urban development was important for the nation. “I think it is useful because the city is quickly growing,” Al-Naimi said. “It is good to open discussion about how the city developed and how we can make it better.

“We are better than cities in the US, which have high rates of crime. It’s not perfect but we hope we are going to have a good image.”

Justin Stearns, assistant professor of Arab Crossroads Studies at NYU Abu Dhabi, said the discussion Kanna had provoked was positive for the local community. “I think it’s vital to have scholars who work on the United Arab Emirates to be heard in the United Arab Emirates, and for people here to be able to engage with them, as we saw this evening,” he said.

About 80 people attended the lecture, titled “Gulf Urbanism: The Semantic Field of the Category of Space”. It was the second in a series of three lectures about new topics in Arab studies. —The National

KUWAIT: Sri Lankan Ambassador to Kuwait C. A. H. M. Wijeratne receiving MOH representative at his office recently.

Sri Lanka mulls ban on sending maids abroad

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: There is a huge possibility that Sri Lanka will place a ban on sending domestic helpers to Kuwait and other parts of the world. Sri Lankan Ambassador to Kuwait C A H M Wijeratne said Sri Lanka is now feeling the social impact of sending domestic labor abroad. Of the total of 130,000 Sri Lankans residing in Kuwait, some 80,000 are domestic helpers. “We are paying the price - the social impact is huge, and families are breaking up,” he said in remarks to the media. “For some women, it’s a way to get away from a drunk husband, but the government is seriously contemplating (placing a ban),” said Wijeratne at a meeting with Ministry of Health officials at the embassy to open a regular weekly health service in the embassy compound.

Several doctors and health officials recently paid a visit at the embassy to arrange the program and check the facilities. They agreed to hold a weekly health checkup at the embassy. “Last year we organized a medical camp at the embassy.

This new initiative was a request from our side because I personally believe that health should be everybody’s priority. This is a concern not just from our side, but from

their side too, because everyone in the country should be healthy,” said Wijeratne.

He pointed out that some runaway housemaids at the embassy shelter are deprived of health services due to their residency status. “I told them it’s not just my problem but the problem of your country as well because if they have communicable diseases and it spreads, it’s a problem of the host country and needs to be cured. I thank them for heeding my request,” he noted. “When they visited our embassy, they told me we will conduct regular health checks and if there are any serious problems, we can refer them to the hospital even MRIs will be free. So I am very happy about it,” he said.

Wijeratne’s efforts were prompted by an incident at the embassy where a runaway housemaid died of a heart attack. He said medical check-ups are necessary to help them survive any sicknesses or diseases.

“The health ministry listened, so I really appreciate the fact that they are cooperating with us fully and their commitment to regular health services here. I thank them greatly,” he added. The embassy has installed a multi-purpose hall in front of the compound and the regular check-up will be held there, according to the envoy.

CP receives PAAET officials, hails authority KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah yesterday received DirectorGeneral of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) Dr Ahmad Al-Athari.

His Highness the Crown Prince also received PAAET ’s Deputy DirectorGeneral for Training Affairs Hajraf Falah Al-Hajraf, and the coordinator of the first technical educational and training conference, Usama Saleh Al-Duaij.

The two PAAET officials informed His Highness the Crown Prince about the authority’s new strategy aimed at training students on most up-to-date scientific techniques in the sector.

Sheikh Nawaf praised directors of this

vital sector, affirming necessity of upgrading vocational and technical education to secure graduates with specialties most in demand in the labor market and capable to contribute to the fullscale national development.

Human resources constitute the basis of the national economic development scheme, HH the Crown Prince said.

The meeting was attended by Undersecretar y of His Highness the Crown Prince Diwan for Information Affairs, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Humoud AlSalman Al-Sabah, and Undersecretary of the Diwan of His Highness the Crown Prince for Protocol and Formalities, Sheikh Mubarak Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah. — KUNA

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LOCAL

New traffic decree to encourage violations Car rental companies might face bankruptcy

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: A recently issued decree that forces rental car offices to pay the fines on behalf of their clients and subsequently remove the ministry as a debt collector in between has raised havoc amongst rental companies. For some offices, the new decree might lead to

third party in collecting debts from the customer and the rental car office. According to ministry officials, this decree will ensure faster collection of government money.

According to Khalid Yousif, owner of a rental car office in Salmiya, collecting the money of the traffic fines committed by customers is a very complicated problem. “On

KUWAIT: One of the rent car offices in Salmiya area. — Photo by Joseph Shagra bankruptcy. “The new decision of the Ministry of Interior is a disaster. We may close our business completely,” a disappointed owner of a car rental office in Salmiya told Kuwait Times.

The Ministry of Interior recently issued a decree forcing car rental offices to pay the socalled “indirect traffic fines” on behalf of customers who committed the violations with a vehicle rented from them. The decree is applicable to traffic fines committed in the period after July 1, 2013. Customers who committed a traffic violation before July 1 will be responsible to pay their own fine.

The Traffic Department argued that the implementation of this decision is important because they will no longer have to chase customers of rental offices for a violation committed with a car owned by a rental company.

The new decree removes the ministry as a

average, only one customer from 10 who have committed a violation while renting our vehicles pays his fines,” explained Yousif, elaborating that his office receives about 200 fines per month. “Of these I have to pay about 90 percent. Most indirect fines are registered after three to six months, and during this period customers leave the country, others change their addresses, while many switch off their cell phones. This makes it difficult or impossible for us to collect the money from them.

This decree is a disaster,” he pointed out.

New solution “We paid about KD 5,000 in fines and only collected about KD 500. We have employed a debt collector for this reason only, yet we incur great losses and still pay great amounts of money on behalf of customers,” Yousif said,

adding, “My office as well as other offices are facing the danger of closing due to this problem.” In a bid to solve the problem, Yousif suggested a solution. “You can block an amount from the credit card of the customer as a guarantee to deduct the amount after receiving the fine,” added Yousif.

Omar, director of another car rental office in Farwaniya, criticized this decree as well as the traffic fines registering system. “In the United Arab Emirates for instance, the rental offices do not face such problems in collecting traffic fines. This is due to the improved system used there, as the fines are registered immediately and the customer pays them on the spot. So the rental office does not have to bother with any fine collection. The recent ministry decree is paralyzing our work, and may lead to ending our business,” he stated.

Traffic jams In the past fines were collected differently.

“If we received the fine before the customer handed over the vehicle, the fine amount used to be added to his payment. While if it came later, then the office was able to transfer the fine from the office’s vehicle to the customer’s name,” he said. “No mistakes or cheating can happen in this operation as we have to provide the contract and copy of the customer’s civil ID, proving by date and time that he was using it at the time of committing the violation,” stressed Omar.

According to Hosni, an administrative staff in a car rental office in Sharq, this decree may be related to corruption. “This decision is not in favor of small offices. We won’t be able to survive. I heard as well from other colleagues from various offices that the traffic department is allowing the transferring of fines for certain offices only, which means there is wasta for some. Also, maybe this decision was issued to decrease the number of rental vehicles with the excuse of reducing traffic jams,” he said. The rental car clerk explained that customers will now be encouraged to be careless and not respect traffic rules. “Our office receives about 80 fines every month, which is about KD 3,000. To collect the fine later from the customer through the court is not feasible, as it will cost much more to file a case to collect KD 15 or KD 20 from a person, in addition to the long time it will take at the court,” Hosni added.

KUWAIT: Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah chairs the Cabinet meeting.—KUNA

Cabinet holds weekly meeting KUWAIT: The Cabinet held yesterday its weekly meeting at Seif Palace, under Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Following the meeting, Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Acting Minister of Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah made a statement on the meeting’s deliberations and outcome. In his statement, Sheikh Salman stated that the ministers, at the beginning of their meeting, reviewed the letters addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah from President of Senegal Macky Sall, President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Percy Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan Minister of Economy Rishad Bathiyutheen.

These letters focused on bilateral relations between Kuwait and the three friendly countries and means to bolster them, Sheikh Salman said.

He added the ministers were briefed about a letter sent to His Highness the Amir from President of Cape Verde Jorge Carlos Fonseca including a new invitation to His Highness the Amir to visit Cape Verde.

They were also apprised of a letter addressed to His Highness the Amir from UN Resident Coordinator in Kuwait

Mubashar Sheikh. In his letter, the UN official congratulated His Highness the Amir on the success of Kuwait-hosted second aid pledging conference for Syria donors on January 15.

The ministers reviewed a letter sent to His Highness the Amir by Grand Sheikh of Cairo-based Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmad AlTayyeb. In his letter, Al-Tayyeb said he is looking forward to visiting Kuwait soon in response to the official invitation to him to discuss bolstering religious cooperation between Al-Azhar and Kuwaiti religious institutions.

The Cabinet approved a request from Kuwaiti citizen Mohammad Abdulrahman Al-Bahr to donate KD 8 million to finance the establishment of Dental Hospital at Al-Murqab neighborhood. The ministers thanked Al-Bahr for his initiative which reflects social solidarity among Kuwaitis.

The Cabinet agreed on a proposal for declaring Thursday, Feb 27, 2014 an official holiday for all state bodies.

Then, the ministers mulled the main issues on the agenda of the upcoming sessions of the National Assembly. They also touched upon the latest political developments in the Arab region and the world. In this regard, the ministers congratulated Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on the endorsement of the new constitution.— KUNA

Approval for home-based businesses KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry will soon allow citizens who operate businesses or make handicrafts from home and give license to their activities officially, a local daily reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the news.

“An approval was given to come up with the procedures and conditions required to issue licenses for homebased businesses,” said the sources who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity.

The sources did not provide specific details about the conditions under studying, but explained that they are required to allow Kuwaitis to launch

commercial or handicraft activities at home. “The step comes to have further control over home-based businesses which are currently taking place while being unlicensed”, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the sources noted the conditions to allow Kuwaitis to obtain a license to launch home-based commercial activities, but without permission to hire foreign labor or work in the goods and services fields. “Licenses will be given for activities in which innovative products and handicrafts are presented rather than licensing the sale of goods and services that are already promoted by commercial bodies,” the sources explained.

KD 4 Million loan for Zambia

KUWAIT: Night view of Kuwait as buildings and houses are decorated with lights and other colorful items.

Kuwait lively with National Days celebrations KUWAIT: Kuwait is glowing these days with public landmark sites and buildings being adorned with national flags and colorful decoration ribbons marking the country’s national days.

The national occasions have prompted citi-

zens, corporations and authorities to adorn buildings and houses with lights and other shining and colorful decoration items.

February has begun with onset of the annual festival, “Hala Febrayer (February),” which coincides with the Independence and

Liberation Days.

The country is literally witnessing a carnival with simultaneous and coinciding celebratory ceremonies, cultural and artistic activities, held daily throughout the month, which also sees start of the spring blooming. — KUNA

Kuwait to contact Indian authorities over terrorism-linked drug dealers KUWAIT: Kuwaiti authorities launched preparations to contact their Indian counterparts and inquire about news that drug dealers in the Gulf state were financing terrorist activities in India according to a recent New York Times report.

The American newspaper’s report last week quotes the Indian police who said that they “had intercepted 22 pounds of heroin headed from Pakistan to South India, breaking up a network that included a police officer from Indian-administered Kashmir”.

Yesterday, Al-Rai quoted a ‘high-ranked security source’ who revealed that Kuwaiti authorities are preparing to contact their Indian counterparts and request the detainees names and details about the interrogation process. “Local authorities are looking to verify whether the suspects are connected with

people currently residing in Kuwait,” said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

SN Srivastav, a senior police officer in the Indian police, was quoted by the New York Times saying that the transaction “was planned by a Kuwaitbased syndicate linked to Hizb-ul-Mujahidin,” a banned terrorist network based in Pakistan.

“Proceeds from the sale of the heroin would be used to finance terrorist acts in India,” Srivastav said.

According to Srivastav, the shipment was transported over the heavily militarized, hilly border between Pakistan and India, and was to be carried by train to New Delhi. The Indian police said they arrested four members of the same syndicate late last year, confiscating 103 pounds of heroin and four pounds of crack cocaine, New York Times reported.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed a KD 4 million loan agreement with the Republic of Zambia to contribute to funding a project of establishing a teachers’ training college in the northwestern province.

The agreement was signed yesterday in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, said a statement issued by KFAED, noting that the project aims at improving and increasing the training opportunities for the teachers in science, mathematics and technology in the north-western region of the country, which will meet the needs of Zambia for teachers.

The project includes establishing buildings, the infrastructure and the

facilities needed for the training college of furniture and educational equipment, in addition to the advisory services that are necessary to design and supervise the project, added the statement.

It said the expected beginning of the project implementation will take place on the first half of 2014 until the end of 2016, indicating that this loan is the fourth provided by KFAED as the previous ones were worth a total of about KD 44.8 million, assigned finance projects in the transportation sector.

The agreement contract was signed by the Finance Ministry Undersecretary Felix Nkulukusa on behalf of Zambia and by KFAED’s Deputy Director General Hamad Al-Omar. — KUNA

Iranian warships ‘ordered to advance’ DUBAI: An Iranian naval officer said a number of warships had been ordered to approach US maritime borders as a response to the stationing of US vessels in the Gulf, the semi-official Fars news agency reported yesterday.

“Iran’s military fleet is approaching the United States’ maritime borders, and this move has a message,” the agency quoted Admiral Afshin Rezayee Haddad as saying.

Haddad, described as commander of the Iranian navy’s northern fleet, said the vessels had started their voyage towards the Atlantic Ocean via “waters near South Africa”, Fars reported. Fars said the plan was part of “Iran’s response to Washington’s beefed up

naval presence in the Persian Gulf”.

The Fars report, which carried no details of the vessels, could not be confirmed independently.

In Washington, a US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cast doubt on any claims that the Iranian ships were approaching US maritime borders. But the official added that “ships are free to operate in international waters”.

The US and its allies regularly stage naval exercises in the Gulf, saying they want to ensure freedom of navigation in the waterway through which 40% of the world’s seaborne oil exports pass.

US military facilities in the region include a base for its Fifth Fleet in

Bahrain. Iran sees the Gulf as its own backyard and believes it has a legitimate interest in expanding its influence there.

Iranian officials have often said Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, if it came under military attack over its disputed nuclear programme, and the western war games are seen in the region as an attempt to deter any such move.

Fars said the Iranian navy had been developing its presence in international waters since 2010, regularly launching vessels in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates operating in the area. —Gulf News

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Supporters of rentier spending

Step in right direction

ns

l

Nationa Unity

atio

br ele

C

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa

A

T

he true squanderers of the national wealth raise the slogan of fighting corruption in order to justify the continuation of their actions. They also demand rationalization of government spending, blaming the government’s “irresponsible spending” and “waste of public funds” as the main or only reason for the looming budget deficit. I have written so much about the allegation of corruption that repeating what I said one again is no longer appropriate. I am sure however that I will eventually find myself forced to write about the subject one more time because there are people who continue to make corruption claims in order to justify their control over the national wealth.

Rationalization, just like fighting corruption, is a big lie that does not provide an actual solution for the imminent budget deficit. Ever since the 1970s and until

Kuwaiti Spring Al-Anbaa

The true solution to avoid the forthcoming deficit is to find alternative sources of income other than oil. Anything else would be delaying the issue not a radical solution that can be relied on for years and centuries to come.

kuwait digest

Vision of Kuwait’s future

By Hassan Abbas

today, the government has failed to implement one project. Furthermore, it did not spend on anything but salaries and allowances. Spending on development stopped due to the drop in oil prices and local opposition to developmental projects. After the increase in oil prices in recent years, the only form of spending that we saw was increased payrolls and allowances. If the proposed rationalization calls are targeting that type of spending, this would be good. But the fact remains that even that would fall short of providing an effective solution.

The true solution to avoid the forthcoming deficit is to find alternative sources of income other than oil.

Anything else would be delaying the issue - not a radical solution that can be relied on for years and centuries to come. The supposed rationalization, just like fighting alleged corruption, is not a solution, because in reality there is nothing that can be rationalized. Kuwait is forced to spend on necessities due to a lack of productivity. The only form of money waste is that which is spent on unemployment or underemployment.

Meanwhile, the actual productive citizens, just like expatriates, barely receive a salary that they deserve. It is unfair to force productive citizens into more deprivation for the benefit of supporters of rentier spending who are at the same time opponents of the spirit of work and productivity. —Al-Qabas

L

eaders come up with visions for what goals they want to reach, while political and executive groups are responsible to implement the plan that help achieve these goals. A vision for the future requires a goal, and a goal needs political stability. Stability means that the government is allowed to work, and a functioning government contains ministers who retain their posts for years as opposed to mere weeks or months. Consistent ministers have strategic plans, which must be unchanging regardless of the changes in the minister’s position in order to achieve the ultimate vision.

The general guidelines of this strategy are drawn by undersecretaries in each ministry. These officials make executive programs based on those guidelines, and then hand them over to assistant undersecretaries who in turn depend on executive directors. Directors are specialized people who supervise the implementation of projects. The implantation process on the ground is supervised by heads of departments, who have an army of qualified employees who work hard for financial reward.

The quality of work is assessed through a criteria based on scientific research and supervised by people with experience in the field. He who works hard and helps achieve the goal in the time and quality required is rewarded with allowances and bonuses. This is because their contributions allowed the work plan to go smoothly in accordance with the annual plans, and according to the leader’s vision for what the country should be like in the future.

In Kuwait, this cycle is completely reversed. It starts with employees’ demands for financial reward based on their nationality as Kuwaiti citizens which makes them believe that they are entitled to monthly pay regardless of their productivity level. Citizens elect MPs to realize these demands. Since MPs are afraid of voters, they start blackmailing the minister who in turn yields in fear of losing his position.

The more populist laws are passed, the more the budget is inflated. And since the budget relies solely on oil revenues, we continue to take from the depleting natural resource. And since the depleting resource will dry out one day, ministers start thinking of how they can secure their share of the public funds. Since public funds are under the parliament’s watchful eye, the Cabinet starts thinking of best ways to ‘buy’ loyalties.

And since people are different, the price to ‘buy’ their loyalty differs as well. The price is also subject to supply and demand, and the fluctuation eventually leads to conflicts and threats.

Threats usually come in the form of grilling motions, which eventually forces Cabinet reshuffles. And since a reshuffle is only a temporary solution, the Cabinet ends up submitting its resignation. When so many Cabinets resign, it means that there is no stable political team. Instability means a dysfunctional government that is unable to implement the work plan, which leads for the vision to remain a dream.

Hopefully this gives you an idea about when to expect seeing the realization of the future vision to turn Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub in the region. —Al-Rai

royal order was issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz which criminalizes those fighting abroad or members of any religious or ideological groups considered as terrorist organizations locally, regionally or internationally. Those who adopt those organizations’ ideas and support them financially or morally and those who commit such crimes will be punished by three to 20 years in jail. The move of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, though 30 years late, is a step in the right direction because it will stop trade in religion and pushing our Gulf youth in wars that they have nothing to do with at all.

The question is why did the king’s step was taken now and its aim? This courageous step was made due to several considerations, including the speedy and scary deterioration of security in the region particularly in neighboring countries such as Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The political Islam movements headed by AlQaeda, ISIL and Nusra started to use violence and terror in a mad fashion and started to threaten the existence of the region’s countries.

These Islamist movements that used to claim that their message is peaceful and the aim is to spread Islam’s values and promote religion peacefully have today revealed their true face they are terrorist groups that are using religion to take over power. What worries the Gulf leaders, headed by King Abdullah, is the involvement of Gulf youth in jihadist action in numbers that are not small. The youth, including some women, live in well-todo Gulf societies and enjoy a good standard of living, so why do they go for jihad and kill hundreds of innocent people and themselves?

The question is who are the political powers that encouraged them for jihad? Who is responsible for wasting our Gulf youth? Is it the family that failed to raise their children in the right manner? Or is it the Education Ministry and its sterile and rigid curricula that do not accustom students to think and use their brains?

May those responsible for the youth involvement in jihadi action are the religious sheikhs and mosque preachers who instill in our children wrong understandings of Islam. There may be hidden hands that do not want anything good for the Gulf countries as they work for compromising regimes by stirring sectarian strife in the name of religion, in the sect’s name and the name of fighting Western invasion. Saudi Arabia did well by criminalizing jihad abroad because there is no justification for youths fighting, especially that they do not have a certain ideology. They are ignorant about religion and their ideas are distorted with narrow partisan principles as they do not have a clear working program about what they want to achieve out of killing themselves and many other innocent people. These youth distort the image of Islam and their countries, making others think that Gulf countries push their children for jihad around the globe.

The step of King Abdullah requires joint Gulf interaction and cooperation to keep youth from going for jihad in any country, and this requires identifying and monitoring the sources of jihadi ideas in Gulf countries. Follow up of finance resources that created the culture of religious culture in our schools, universities, mosques and educational institutions in our countries is also needed. Fighting terrorism requires the adoption of an alternative culture which is the culture of love, brotherhood, forgiveness and others. The pillar of the alternative culture is loyalty to the country and being proud of all society groups and rejecting sectarianism, tribalism and religious zealotry. —Al-Watan

LOCAL

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Royal teenager arrested with unlicensed weapon Man dies in Abdaly Road accident KUWAIT: A teenager from the ruling family was arrested Sunday on multiple charges including possession of an unlicensed firearm and driving without a license. Traffic patrol officers had pulled the man over near Jabriya for illegal window tinting, before discovering that he was under the legal age of driving. According to the police report, the youngster showed frustration for being pulled over as he identified himself as a member of the ruling family. He further challenged policemen as he showed a gun he kept in the glove box. The teen was put under arrest after the officers called for backup. He was taken to the Jabriya police station then the Juveniles Investigations Division in the Criminal Investigations Department to face charges.

Players row A teenager faces charges after attempting to run over following a dispute which escalated during a football match in Sulaibiya recently.

According to the police report, the suspect confronted a man who took a

hard foul on him, and the two engaged in a fistfight until they were separated by teammates. The Gulf national went out of the field and back to his car, then drove towards his foe in an attempt to run him over. The bedoon man was able to escape and head directly to the police station to report the case. Police arrived at the scene and put the suspect under arrest after discovering that he was driving without a license since he is only 17 years of age. A case was filed for investigations.

Rapist at large Investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest a man accused of raping a domestic helper in Subahiya recently. The Ugandan woman was reportedly left alone when the suspect broke into her employer’s house, sexually assaulted her and then escaped. The Kuwaiti employer returned home from a family camping trip to find the maid tied up and in bad shape. He went to the area’s police station to file a case after the woman explained to him what happened.

Road accident A man died and three others were injured in an accident repor ted recently at the Abdaly Road. The four were found in critical conditions by paramedics who transported them to the Jahra Hospital. One man, 29-yearold Saudi national, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead inside the hospital. An investigation was opened to reveal the circumstances which led the victims’ car to lose balance and overturn.

Drug addict caught A drug addict was arrested after he was caught abusing drugs inside his car in Rihab area. Patrol officers h a d fo rce d t h e s u s p e c t to s to p when he tried to escape after they a p p ro a c h e d h i s ve h i c l e t h a t h e stopped near the parking lot of the area’s co-op society. Police arrested the Kuwaiti man after discovering that he was under the influence and finding drugs with his possession. He was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department for further action.

Kuwait’s support for cultural projects in Lebanon hailed

KUWAIT: Drugs control General Department officials arrested two Asian expats with 1,500 mind altering tablets, 100 grams of heroin and 100 grams of Shabu. The two were sent to concerned authorities. —Hanan Al-Saadoun

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Minister of Culture Gaby Layoun praised the support provided by Kuwait to Lebanon, especially in establishing cultural institutions that hold historic legacies.

Kuwait has long been supporting Lebanon as it never hesitated in extending a helping hand during Lebanon’s crises, wars and Israeli attacks, as well as in establishing and reconstructing institutions and the infrastructure in various areas, Layoun said.

He added that the Beirut History Museum, funded by an Amiri grant from Kuwait, is still under construction.

Saida Museum, funded by the grant provided to Lebanon from Kuwait in 2006, is nearing completion, he added, noting that the purpose of establishing it is to highlight the city of Sidon (Saida) and its culture, history and civilization. Kuwait has spared no effort in supporting Arab cultural projects and enriching the Arabic library through the provision of scientific research and instructive issues to face illiteracy.

Meanwhile, Layoun expressed hope that the Lebanese government would be formed as soon as possible after it had been delayed for 11 months.

“There are serious concerns on the presidential elections in case the new government was not formed as soon as possible,” he said, noting that most of the main obstacles to the formation were “overcome.”

Minister Layoun has been intensifying calls and consultations with the parties concerned in order to overcome all obstacles that continue to hinder the formation of the new government, which is supposed to precede the presidential elections on March 25 to May 25 this year. —KUNA

Japan-Kuwait ties ‘a role model’ TOKYO: Japan-Kuwait Society Chairman Yasushi Kimura commended firm and longstanding friendly ties between Japan and Kuwait, as the society is set to mark the 50th anniversary next year.

“Japan made a contribution to liberation and reconstruction of Kuwait during the Gulf conflict and the Gulf War in 19901991. After 20 years of Japan’s assistance, Kuwait offered the fullest support to our country in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Such a mutual assistance cannot possibly be achieved overnight and it much owes to longtime amicable relations cultivated by our predecessors,” Kimura said.

The Japan-Kuwait relationship dates back to 1958 when Arabian Oil Co signed an oil exploration concession agreement with the Kuwaiti government. Following the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1961, upon Kuwait’s independence, the

two countries have fostered friendly relations and deepened cooperation in broad spheres ranging from energy, economy, scientific technology, environment protection, and education to cultural exchanges.

Kimura shed light on recent reciprocal visits of the Kuwaiti and Japanese leaders, which became milestones of bilateral relations.

His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah visited Japan in March 2012 as a state guest. The historic visit, in which he received a welcome from the Emperor Akihito and met then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, resulted in achievements including the signing of an Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investment.

Strong will Last August, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid an official visit to

Kuwait for the second time following his trip in 2007 during his first stint as prime minister. At the meetings with His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Abe expressed his strong will to further promote the multi-layered Kuwait-Japan relations.

“Constant contact and mutual consideration are important for cultivating and maintaining friendships, same as people-to-people exchange. Our two countries have witnessed cordial relations for more than a half-century, and the mutual visits by His Highness the Amir and Prime Minister Abe played a significant role in further advancing this friendly relationship and building a stronger bond between the two countries,” Kimura said. —KUNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Some of the Kuwaitis who participated in the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra yesterday.

Kuwait participates in Australia’s National Multicultural Festival KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Embassy in Australia had participated in the National Multicultural Festival held in the capital Canberra, according to Kuwaiti Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Khalid Al-Shibani.

Al-Shibani said yesterday that the embassy’s corner showcased the Kuwaiti heritage and culture, and provided visitors with brochures containing important information

about the country and its history.

The embassy participates in the festival which is organized by Australia’s Ministry for the Arts each year, said the Ambassador, noting that the Kuwaiti corner had attracted large numbers of visitors. Embassies of foreign, Arab, and GCC countries all participate in the annual festival which sees over 150, 000 visitors. —KUNA

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LOCAL

Millennials in Kuwait prefer own business 30% willing to sacrifice personal life for career KUWAIT: The Bayt.com ‘Millennials in the MENA’ survey, recently conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGovSiraj, a research and consulting organization, has revealed that in Kuwait, millennials (working professionals 35 years of age or below) are considered to be innovative and hardworking by older peers, and that the majority of them (76 percent) consider entrepreneurship more preferable than employment.

Roughly four in 10 Kuwait respondents are currently employed in large, private multinational companies (42 percent of those under 35; 33percent of those 35 and up), while the preference for those under 35 is to work in the public sector. This is because of the perception of more attractive salaries (56percent), and more opportunities for learning on the job (51 percent). A third of those aged 35 and above is content in their current industry, because of the attractive salary (39 percent).

Interestingly, four in 10 of all Kuwait respondents strongly agree that unemployment is a significant issue in the country.

A third of Kuwait respondents (27 percent of those under 35; 33percent of those 35 and up) got their current job through a referral.

The majority (28 percent) under the age of 35 are currently in their second job, while those aged 35 and up claim equally to be in their fourth job (35 percent each). For the most part, Kuwait respondents can only see themselves working with their current organization for the next 1-2 years. Six in 10 respondents state that the factor that would encourage them to be more loyal to their company is a good work-life balance. Engaging work is an important loyalty factor for more respondents in the 35+ age group. Fairness in salary and remuneration also encourage young people to remain with a company.

When asked what change they would like to bring to their organization, respondents under the age of 35 would like to see higher salaries (59 percent), while those aged 35 and up want better allowances and benefits (55percent).

Seven out of 10 Kuwait respondents would consider relocating to another country in order to pursue their goals and career prospects (70 percent of those under 35; 72 percent of those 35 and up). Four in 10 of all respondents are willing to sacrifice their personal life to further their career to some extent; a third is willing to do so to a large extent (30percent of those under 35; 23 percent of those 35 and up).

A larger number of respondents below the age of 35 (76 percent) would prefer to have

their own business rather than being employed, compared to 69percent of respondents aged 35 and up who would consider entrepreneurship.

Younger respondents would like to retire earlier than those aged 35 and above, with 22percent hoping to retire before they turn 50. Half want to retire between 50-60 years (47 percent), with 21percent looking to retire after they turn 60. For the respondents aged 35 and up, the majority (51 percent) are looking to retire after their 60th birthday. A further21percent wants to retire between 55-60, with only 4percent considering doing so before then.

Income and remuneration In Kuwait, 88 percent of respondents age 35 and over are the chief wage earner in their family, with 72 percent of those under 35 maintaining the same role. Though the majority is independent, roughly a third of all Kuwait respondents say that they rely, to some extent, on money from their family as supplementary income.

Preferences regarding income scheme don’t seem to differ much for millennials and non-millennials in Kuwait. Eight out of 10 respondents are currently on a fixed monthly income, which is the preferred method of payment. A quarter of Kuwait professionals under 35 currently work overtime with monetary compensation, as do 43 percent of those over 35. Annual/regular bonus, health and medical insurance coverage for family, and housing allowance top the list of preferred perks and benefits for those over 35. Annual vacation and travel allowances are also important to both age groups.

Personal income allows the majority of Kuwait respondents to live comfortably, according to 43 percent of those aged below 35 and 52 percent of those aged 35 and up.

However, for a quarter of respondents (24 percent of those under 35; 29 percent of those 35 and up) their present income allows them to only just get by, and a further seventh of respondents find it difficult to meet their expenses with their current pay.

Millennials at the workplace Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov, commented saying: “31percent of those below 35 years old in the MENA region claim they are just getting by or find it difficult to meet expenses on their current income. This is highlighted by the fact that nearly 59percent of those working in this age group are dependent on family for financial assistance.”

Most of the Kuwait respondents are comfortable working with a generation other

than their own. While those aged 35 and up are more comfortable working with the younger generation (52 percent versus 39percent), they do not feel they can learn as much from their younger peers (according to 36percent), compared to the 48 percent of respondents under the age of 35 who feel they can learn more from their older colleagues.

When it comes to education, half of the Kuwait respondents over 35 believe that their academic years completely prepared them for the workplace, while 44 percent of those

many respondents,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com. “More of those aged 35+ are planning to enroll in online courses while employed, whilst more of those below 35 are planning to take time off work to pursue higher education. Therefore, companies offering on-the-job training would possibly see lower labour turnover. Professionals should start seriously looking at other methods of gaining knowledge to stay relevant, whether through further education, online resources, or training and workshops. The recentlylaunched Bayt.com Specialties is a great plat-

KUWAIT: A young entrepreneur is showing locally made products during Mubarakiya Festival last week. —Photo by Joseph Shagra under 35 believe it has done so only to some extent. The majority feel that pursuing higher education is a way to enhance career options, including better positions and promotions.

This is felt more by millennials than by the older generation (80 percent of those under 35 compared to 62percent of those 35 and up).

The biggest barrier to career growth, both for those currently employed and those seeking employment, is a lack of financial support, according to roughly a third of all respondents. Three in 10 (36 percent) of the respondents under the age of 35 feel that family commitments present a barrier. For respondents aged 35 and up, the biggest barrier for growth is a disconnect between their educational qualification and current job profile (39 percent).

“Education is viewed as incomplete by

form for professionals to increase their knowhow in their jobs, and even get ranked for what they know. At Bayt.com, our mission is to empower people with the tools and information they need to lead their lifestyle of choice, so we are constantly creating innovative new solutions to make it easier for professionals from all industries and experiences to succeed in their careers, and Bayt.com Specialties is one of these solutions.”

Communication and technology When asked what attributes they associate with their older colleagues and supervisors, respondents below 35 years of age chose willing to teach (45percent), hardworking (43 percent) and understanding (43 percent). In terms of their perception of their millennial colleagues, respondents aged 35 and up believe that they bring innovative ideas to

the table (52percent), are hardworking (38 percent), and impatient (36 percent).

Internet penetration is high in Kuwait.

More than a third (34 percent of those under 35; 57 percent of those 35 and up) spends between 2-3 hours online per day, including time for work and recreation. 16 percent of respondents under 35 spend 5-10 hours online, compared to 13percent of respondents aged 35 and up.

When it comes to communication in the workplace, interestingly, there is no significant difference in preference of communication method by the two age groups. The preference is for face-to-face meetings according to 60percent of those under the age of 35, and 48percent of those aged 35 and up. Email comes second, followed by phone conversations.

Technology is considered to make respondents more effective at work according to eight out of 10 respondents across all age groups, though a quarter (29 percent) of those below 35 years of age believe that their older counterparts do not take full advantage of what’s available to them. A quarter of them (23 percent) also believe that their older colleagues do not always understand the way in which they use technology.

Life beyond work The top three priorities for respondents in Kuwait are the same, regardless of age: financial stability/independence (77 percent for both groups of 35 and above 35), good health (72 percent of those under 35; 85percent of those 35 and up), and a successful career (66 percent of those under 35; 77 percent of those 35 and up). For those aged 35 and up, children’s education and happiness is also important.

Both age groups surveyed consider a lack of financial stability (54 percent of those under 35; 45percent of those 35 and up) and the rising cost of living (58percent of those under 35; 60 percent of those 35 and up) to be the biggest causes of stress in their life today. Four in 10 of those aged below 35 find the lack of work-life balance to be a main cause of stress, while respondents aged 35 and above are concerned about a lack of job security (52 percent).

Three quarters of respondents believe that they share the same values as their parents. This is especially true for those aged 35 and up. In fact, 34percent of older respondents strongly agree that their values are the same as the previous generation, compared to 32percent of those aged below 35.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Nepal MPs pick Koirala new PM

Syria’s warring parties kick off new round of talks Page 8

Page 11

Mysterious Greek god detained in Gaza Life-sized Apollo could be more than 2,000 years old GAZA: Lost for centuries, a rare bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo has mysteriously resurfaced in the Gaza Strip, only to be seized by police and vanish almost immediately from view. Word of the remarkable find has caught the imagination of the world of archaeology, but the police cannot say when the life-sized bronze might re-emerge or where it might be put on display. A local fisherman says he scooped the 500-kg god from the sea bed last August, and carried it home on a donkey cart, unaware of the significance of his catch.

Others soon guessed at its importance, and the statue briefly appeared on Ebay with a $500,000 price tag - well below its true value. Police from the Islamist group Hamas, who rule the isolated Palestinian territory, swiftly seized it and say they are investigating the affair. To their great frustration, archaeologists have not been able to get their hands on the Apollo, and instead must pore over a few blurred photographs of the intact deity, who is laid out incongruously on a blanket emblazoned with Smurfs.

From what they can tell it was cast sometime between the 5th and the 1st century BC, making it at least 2,000 years old. “It’s unique. In some ways I would say it is priceless. It’s like people asking what is the (value) of the painting La Gioconda (the Mona Lisa) in the Louvre museum,” said JeanMichel de Tarragon, a historian with the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem.

“It’s very, very rare to find a statue which is not in marble or in stone, but in metal,” he told Reuters television.

The apparently pristine condition of the god suggested it was uncovered on land and not in the sea, he said, speculating that the true location of where it was unearthed was not revealed to avoid arguments over ownership. “This wasn’t found on the seashore or in the sea ... it is very clean. No, it was (found) inland and dry,” he said, adding that there were no tell-tale signs of metal disfigurement or barnacles that one normally sees on items plucked from water.

Naked treasure Palestinian fisherman Joudat Ghrab tells a different tale. The 26-year-old father of two said he

saw a human-like shape lying in shallow waters some 100 metres (yards) offshore, just north of the Egyptian-Gaza border. At first he thought it was a badly burnt body, but when he dived down to take a closer look he realised it was a statue. He says it took him and his relatives four hours to drag the “treasure” ashore.

“I felt it was something gifted to me by God,” the bearded Ghrab said. “My financial situation is very difficult and I am waiting for my reward.” His mother was less happy when she saw the naked Apollo carried into the house, demanding that his private parts be covered. “My mother said ‘what a disaster you have brought with you’ as she looked at the huge statue,” said the bulky Ghrab.

The discoloured green-brown figure shows the youthful, athletic god standing upright on two, muscular legs; he has one arm outstretched, with the palm of his hand held up. He has compact, curly hair, and gazes out seriously at the world, one of his eyes apparently inlaid with a blue stone iris, the other just a vacant black slit. Ghrab says he cut off one of the fingers to take to a metals expert, thinking it might have been made of gold.

Unbeknownst to him, one of his brothers severed another finger for his own checks. This was melted down by a jeweler.

Family members belonging to a Hamas militia soon took charge of the statue, and at some stage the Apollo appeared on Ebay, with the seller telling the buyer to come and collect the item from Gaza.

That would have been easier said than done, however, as Gaza is virtually sealed off from the outside world, with both Israel and Egypt imposing rigid controls on access to the impoverished enclave and its 1.8 million inhabitants. Whether any potential buyers stepped forward is not clear, but when Hamas’s civilian authorities found out about the artefact, they ordered that the police seize it.

International horizons Officials at Gaza’s tourism ministry told Reuters the statue will not be shown to the public until a criminal investigation is completed into who tried to sell it. However, Ahmed Al-Bursh, the ministry’s director of archaeology, said he had seen it and promised that Ghrab would receive a reward once

GAZA: Palestinians walk past the wreckage of a motorbike whose driver was injured in an Israeli air strike in Deir Al-Balah, in the centre of the Gaza Strip. — AFP the issue was resolved. “It is a precious treasure, an important archaeological discovery,” said Bursh.

Once the statue was released by police, his ministry plans to repair it and put it on show in Gaza.

“International institutions have also contacted us and have offered to help with the repair process,” he said, adding that a museum in Geneva and the Louvre in Paris wanted to rent it. Like Ghrab, Bursh said the statue had been found at sea. The historian Tarragon said it was vital to know

the true location of its discovery. Some 5,000 years of history lie beneath the sands of the Gaza Strip, which was ruled at various times by ancient Egyptians, Philistines, Romans, Byzantines and Crusaders.

Alexander the Great besieged the city and Emperor Hadrian visited. However, local archaeologists have little experience to carry out any scientific digs and many sites remain buried. Statues such as the Apollo cast would not have been held

in isolation, meaning it might prove the tip of an historical iceberg, Tarragon said. “A statue at that time was (put) in a complex, in a temple or a palace. If it was in a temple, you should have all the other artefacts of the cult (at the site),” he said, adding that he hoped Hamas appreciated its potential importance. “There is a feeling that they could find more and more (items) linked to the statue, more and more artefacts, so this is very sensitive,” he said. — Reuters

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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

Rebel attack on Syrian Alawite village kills 40 Syria’s warring parties kick off new round of talks BEIRUT: Extremist Islamic rebels who overran a village in central Syria populated by the Alawite minority have killed at least 40 people, activists said yesterday. Half of the victims in Sunday’s attack were civilians, including women, while the other half were village fighters defending their homes in Maan in the province of Hama, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Syrian state media described the attack as a “massacre” perpetrated by terrorists, a term the government uses to describe rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad. Ex tremist Sunni Islamic fighters have come to dominate the armed uprising against Assad, who is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. The raid on

est session in Geneva by shuttling between the government and opposition teams.

It was not clear when or if the two sides would sit down for the sort of mediated face-to-face negotiations they held for a week in January. Brahimi hopes to capitalize on the Homs agreement to find some way of closing the vast divide separating representatives from President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and the fractured opposition. There was little optimism that the tone would be more constructive this time. Both sides have shown themselves to be obstinate and quick to engage in blaming the other side.

This time, Brahimi wants to nudge the teams towards discussion of the core issues: stopping fighting and agreeing a transitional

An image grab taken from a video uploaded to YouTube shows a group of nuns from the historic Christian-majority town of Maalula, speaking to the camera from an undisclosed location. The women are reportedly 12 nuns from a Greek Orthodox convent of Mar Takla in Maalula who were taken by gunmen in early December. — AFP

Maan is likely to bolster efforts by the government delegation to convey their narrative at the Geneva peace talks that the three -year uprising to over throw Assad is dominated by Al-Qaeda extremists.

The ex tremists see Alawites as apostates who should be killed.

Meanwhile, Syria’s warring sides launched a new round of peace talks yesterday, as an agreement from the first round last month was being implemented with aid convoys evacuating the besieged city of Homs. The UN and Arab League mediator, veteran Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi, began the lat-

government in Damascus. The initial round late last month was the first time the Syrian government and opposition sat down face-toface since the outbreak of their vicious war nearly three years ago.

More than 136,000 people have been k illed and millions driven from their homes. The government side is again headed by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem while the opposition negotiators were headed by Hadi Al-Bahra.

Syrian state daily Al-Watan said its sources expected “no progress”, after the first round “failed... due to the stubbornness of the coalition’s

delegation.” A source in the opposition delegation said it planned to submit a report about the Assad regime’s “violence, crimes against humanity and state terrorism”. The report claims among other things that the regime, especially through its campaign of “barrel bombs”-canisters of high explosive dropped by aircraft-has killed more than 1,800 people since the beginning of the first round of talks in Switzerland on January 22.

Push to end war The so-called Geneva II talksspurred by the United States, which backs the opposition, and Russia, a key ally of Syria-mark the biggest international push so far to end the war. The aim is to build on an international conference held in Geneva in 2012 which did not include both the warring parties but ended up with world powers calling for political transition in Syria. That issue is highly contentious in the Geneva II talks. While the opposition sees a transitional governing body as excluding any role for Assad, the Syrian government insists that the president ’s future is not up for negotiation.

The regime delegation instead maintains that the negotiations must be about stopping the violence and “terrorism”-its term for the revolt, which it says has been fuelled by foreign jihadists and Gulf money. The opposition, in turn, wants discussions to address regime actions such as starving out opposition-held areas, raining explosives-packed “barrel bombs” from helicopters, and deploying fighters from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia.

“Fighting terrorism for the Syrian people (means fighting) the terrorism of the regime who resorts to warplanes, rockets and barrel bombs,” National Coalition secretary general Badr Jamous said in a statement yesterday. The ceasefire permitting the Homs operation proved fragile on Saturday, when the first aid convoy coming under attack and mortar shells raining down on a rebel-held district on Sunday, killing five people. Red Crescent teams on Sunday managed never theless to evacuate some 600 people. — Agencies

BUJUMBURA: The bodies of the people who perished in flooding and landslides in Bujumbura are laid on the ground before being transported to morgues. — AFP

51 die in Burundi flooding disaster BUJUMBURA: At least 51 people perished in flooding and landslides in a night of torrential rain in the Burundi capital that swept away hundreds of homes and cut off roads and power, officials said yesterday. Police in Bujumbura said the toll was the highest in living memory from a disaster caused by freak weather, with more than 100 people also injured. “The rain that fell in torrents overnight on the capital caused a disaster,” Security Minister Gabriel Nizigama told reporters. “We have already found the bodies of 51 people killed when their houses collapsed or were swept away.”

Nizigama said burials of the victims would begin on Monday because there was not enough space for their bodies in the capital’s mortuaries. He was speaking at a police station in the nor thern par t of Bujumbura, the area hardest hit by the landslides and flooding after the rains began lashing the capital late Sunday. An AFP journalist saw 27 bodies covered in white sheeting at the police station. Police said several hundred homes were destroyed and more than 100 people injured in Bujumbura, which lies on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.

Houses in the poorer parts of town

are often built from mud bricks, which offer no resistance to torrents of water and mud.

Nizigama, touring the disaster zone with other ministers, promised food aid to those who lost their homes and said the government would bear the cost of burying relatives and would provide new housing. Torrential rain fell solidly for 10 hours overnight, causing power cuts in whole areas of the city. The road leading out of the capital to neighboring Rwanda was blocked because of a landslide while a bridge was washed away on the road to the Democratic Republic of Congo.—AFP

UN nuclear agency sees good progress with Iran VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog signaled its determination yesterday to get to the bottom of suspicions that Iran may have worked on designing an atomic bomb, a day after Tehran agreed to start addressing the sensitive issue. Chief UN nuclear inspector Tero Varjoranta said progress had been good during Feb 8-9 talks in Tehran but that much work remained in clarifying concerns of possible military links to Iran’s nuclear program, in an investigation which Western diplomats say Tehran has stonewalled for years.

“There are still a lot of outstanding issues,” Varjoranta, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said at Vienna airpor t after returning from the Iranian capital. “We will address them all in due course.” Iran denies Western allegations it seeks the capability to make nuclear weapons, saying such claims are baseless and forged by its foes. Years of hostile rhetoric and confrontation have raised fears of a new war in the Middle East. But a diplomatic push to resolve the decade - old dispute gained new momentum after last June’s election

of a relative moderate, Hassan Rouhani, as Iran’s president on a platform to ease its international isolation.

Iran and six powers agreed late last year on an interim deal to curb Tehran’s nuclear work in exchange for some easing of sanctions that have battered the oil producer’s economy and they will next week start talks on a long-term agreement. The IAEA investigation into what it calls the possible military dimensions (PMD) to Iran’s nuclear activity is separate from, but closely linked to, wider diplomacy between Tehran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China.

The IAEA investigation is focused on the question of whether Iran sought atomic bomb technology in the past and, if it did, to determine whether such work has since stopped. Diplomats say the way the Iran-IAEA talks progresses will be important also for the outcome of the big powers’ diplomacy, which the West hopes will lead to a settlement denying Iran the capability to make a nuclear weapon any time soon.

“Continued progress on resolving

PMD issues will go a long way to demonstrate to the international community that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons and is willing to come clean about its past activities,” Kelsey Davenpor t of the Arms Control Association, a US research and advocacy group, said.

IAEA probe will ‘take time’ The IAEA said on Sunday that Iran had agreed to take seven new practical measures within three months under a November transparency deal with the IAEA meant to help allay concern about the nuclear program.

For the first time, one of them specifically dealt with an issue that is part of the UN nuclear agency’s inquiry into suspected atomic bomb research by Iran, which has repeatedly denied any such ambitions.

The IAEA said Iran would provide “information and explanations for the agency to assess Iran’s stated need or application for the development of Exploding Bridge Wire detonators”. Although such fast-functioning detonators have some nonnuclear uses, they can also help set off an atomic device. — Reuters

Ntaganda: Congo’s rebel ‘Terminator’ THE HAGUE: A Congolese militia leader widely known as “the Terminator” ordered troops, including child soldiers, to massacre and rape civilians to spread terror and grab territory, prosecutors told the International Criminal Court yesterday. The allegations against Bosco Ntaganda were made at the opening of hearings seen as a test for the global legal institution after a string of troubled cases. Ntaganda has yet to enter a plea.

“He played a key role in planning assaults against the civilian population in order to gain territory,” said Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, setting out her arguments to judges who will decide if there is enough evidence for Ntaganda to stand trial.

Ntaganda was a senior military commander who should also be punished because he “failed to prevent or punish crimes by troops under his effective command or control,” she said. Ntaganda, an ethnic Hema, is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder and rape, all allegedly committed during a 2002-03 conflict in the mineral-rich east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The crimes were committed against the Lendu population and other ethnic groups in a bid to drive them out of the Ituri region over 12 months from September 2002, said the prosecutor.

Ntaganda, a tall, slight man with a pencil-line moustache, rose briefly at the start of the hearing, speaking in his native Kinyarwanda tongue to confirm

his identity. Ntaganda handed himself in to the US embassy in the Rwandan capital Kigali last March after a 15-year career as a commander in a series of rebellions in Congo’s Ituri province. Shortly after his arrival in The Hague, prosecutors asked judges for more time to rebuild a case which had been dormant for five years while Ntaganda was on the run.

The session will be a test of prosecutor Bensouda’s promise last year that cases will be “trial ready” by the time they come to court - an implicit response to criticisms by academics and member states of earlier cases which collapsed when judges ruled evidence was not strong enough. The court, 11 years old this year, has handed down just one con-

viction - jailing another Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga, for 14 years in 2012 for using child soldiers.

“The court is struggling, and the prosecutor, with her new strategy, has been trying to turn something around,” said Bill Schabas, professor of international law at England’s Middlesex University.

“The new strategy was a good sign, showing there was a sense of dissatisfaction with how things were going,” he added. Judges are due to decide over the next few weeks whether to suspend their most high profile current case - against Kenya’s president on charges of orchestrating violence following 2007 elections - after prosecutors said several witnesses had withdrawn. —Reuters

Bosco Ntaganda

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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

CIA drone targets American suspect White House weighing legal options WASHINGTON: An American citizen who is a member of Al-Qaeda is actively planning attacks against Americans overseas, US officials say, and the Obama administration is wrestling with whether to kill him with a drone strike and how to do so legally under its new stricter targeting policy issued last year. The CIA drones watching him cannot strike because he’s a US citizen and the Justice Department must build a case against him, a task it hasn’t completed.

Four US officials said the American suspected terrorist is in a country that refuses US military action on its soil and that has proved unable to go after him. And President Barack Obama’s new policy says American suspected terrorists overseas can only be killed by the military, not the CIA, creating a policy conundrum for the White House. Two of the officials described the man as an Al-Qaeda facilitator who has been directly responsible for deadly attacks against US citizens overseas and who continues to plan attacks against them that would use improvised explosive devices.

But one US official said the Defense Department was divided over whether the man is dangerous enough to merit the potential domestic fallout of killing an American without charging him with a crime or trying him, and the potential international fallout of such an operation in a country that has been resistant to US action. Another of the US officials said the Pentagon did ultimately decide to recommend lethal action. The officials said the suspected terrorist is well-guarded and in a fairly remote location, so any unilateral attempt by US troops to capture him would be risky and even more politically explosive than a US missile strike.

Under new guidelines Obama addressed in a speech last year to calm anger overseas at the extent of the US drone campaign, lethal force must only be used “to prevent or stop attacks against US persons, and even then, only when capture is not feasible and no other reasonable alternatives exist to address the threat effectively.” The target must also pose “a continuing, imminent threat to US persons” - the legal definition of catching someone in the act of plotting a lethal attack.

The Associated Press has agreed to the government’s request to withhold the name of the country where the suspected terrorist is believed to be because officials said publishing it could interrupt ongoing counterterror operations.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the classified drone targeting program publicly.

House Intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers, RMich., complained last week that a number of terrorist suspects were all but out of reach under the administration’s new rules that limit drone strikes based on the target’s nationality or location. Two of the US officials said the Justice Department review of the American suspected terrorist started last fall. The senior administration official con-

‘Castaway’ flies out of Marshall Islands MAJURO: ‘Castaway’ Jose Salvador Alvarenga flew out of the Marshall Islands yesterday on his way home to El Salvador after an odyssey he says saw him drifting in the Pacific for 13 months. Alvarenga shook hands with Marshalls President Christopher Loeak in a brief ceremony at the airport before departing the island nation where he washed up 12 days ago with an amazing story of survival. “Thank you for everything the people of the Marshall Islands have done for me during my stay,” the 37-year-old fisherman said through an interpreter as Loeak placed a woven lei garland around his neck.

Alvarenga will arrive in Hawaii in the early hours of Tuesday and then travel to San Salvador, most likely via the US West Coast, to be reunited with the family who had long thought he was dead. It will be a quicker and more comfortable journey across the Pacific than the 12,500-kilometre (8,000-mile) odyssey which began when a fishing trip off the Mexican coast went awry in late 2012.

Alvarenga says he stayed alive in his seven-meter (24-foot) fibreglass boat on a diet of raw fish and bird flesh, with only turtle blood and his own urine to drink. He told AFP last week that his crewmate-named as 24-year-old Ezequiel Cordoba-could not stomach such foodstuffs and starved to death four months into the voyage. Officials have said his story checks out and survival experts concede living in such conditions is theoretically possible, supporting the veracity of what would be one of history’s greatest maritime endurance feats.

Alvarenga needed a green light from doctors to fly out of the Marshalls after suffering from ill-health in the wake of his ordeal, which ended when he was found disorientated and clad only in ragged underpants on a remote coral atoll. He was in and out of hospital suffering from dehydration and a range of ailments including back pain, swollen joints and lethargy. Franklyn House, a retired US doctor who met Alvarenga last week, said he had also become increasingly withdrawn and appeared to be suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

The Salvadoran had been due to leave last Friday but medics warned he was to sick and needed more rest. Alvarenga lived as an illegal migrant in Mexico for more than a decade before the fateful shark-fishing trip and has expressed interest in moving back to his adopted homeland. But Manila-based Mexican diplomat Christian Clay Mendez, who was in Majuro helping coordinate Alvarenga’s repatriation, made it clear he would have to go to El Salvador first, then apply to enter Mexico legally.

His parents, who have hailed his survival as “a divine miracle” live in western El Salvador, near the border with Guatemala, where they care for his 14year-old daughter Fatima. The girl has little recollection of her father and could not even picture his face until newspapers published photographs of the stocky fisherman with the bushy beard and unkempt hair who washed up on the other side of the Pacific.

In an interview with AFP from hospital last Tuesday, Alvarenga said he had suicidal thoughts during his trip but was sustained by dreams of reuniting with his family and eating tortilla and chicken. His mother Maria Julia has said she is eager to oblige when he returns home. “We will make him a big meal, but we won’t feed him fish because he must be bored of eating that,” she said. “We will make him a big plate of meat, beans and cheese to help him recover.”— AFP

firmed that the Justice Department was working to build a case for the president to review and decide the man’s fate.

The official said, however, the legal procedure being followed is the same as when the US killed militant cleric and former Virginia resident Anwar Al-Awlaki by drone in Yemen in 2011, long before the new targeted killing policy took effect. The official said the president could make an exception to his policy and authorize the CIA to strike on a onetime basis or authorize the Pentagon to act despite the possible objections of the country in question.

The Justice Department, the Pentagon and the CIA declined to comment. If the target is an American citizen, the Justice Department is required to show that killing the person through military action is “legal and constitutional”in this case, that the Pentagon can take action against the American, as the administration has ruled him an enemy combatant under the Authorization for Use of Military Force, a resolution Congress passed a week after the 9/11 attacks to target Al-Qaeda.

Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor of international law at the University of Notre Dame, said there is a school of thought that the Obama administration’s drone policy is “lawless.” “Why should the Justice Department issue the execution warrant for anyone abroad? The fact that they give extra scrutiny only because he’s an American exacerbates this negative impression,” O’Connell said. US drones have killed four Americans since 2009, including Al-Awlaki, who the administration said was actively plotting to kill US citizens. Attorney General Eric Holder said the three other Americans were killed by drones, but were not targeted.

The three are Samir Khan, who was killed in the same drone strike as Al-Awlaki; Al-Awlaki’s 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman, a native of Denver who was killed in Yemen two weeks later; and Jude Kenan Mohammed, who was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan. The case has galvanized congressional opponents of Obama’s plan to transfer drones from the CIA to the Defense Department. Before the plan was announced, either CIA or Pentagon drones could go after terrorist targets, even if they were US citizens. The CIA could also fly drones in areas where host countries might object.

WASHINGTON: Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. An American citizen who is a member of Al-Qaeda is actively planning attacks against Americans overseas, US officials say, and the Obama administration is wrestling with whether to kill him with a drone strike and how to do so legally under its new stricter targeting policy issued last year. — AP But by law, the Pentagon can only strike in war zones, in countries that agree to US counterterrorism action or in lawless areas like parts of Somalia where that government’s security forces cannot reach. Even then only Al-Qaedalinked suspects can be targeted. “It is very clear that there have been missed opportunities that I believe increase the risk of the lives of our soldiers and for disrupting operations underway,” Rogers said last week. US officials said both Senate and House appropriators have blocked funding to transfer the CIA’s stealth RQ-170 drone fleet to the

Pentagon. Some lawmakers want the White House to come up with a fix for targeting suspects in areas where the Pentagon is banned from operating - either by leaving some part of the CIA operation running or by granting the Pentagon authority to strike covertly despite the location meaning they could legally deny the operation. Lawmakers like Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., have also objected to the shift to the Pentagon, arguing that the CIA has more experience flying drones.— AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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

Asylum seekers accuse Australia navy of abuse KUPANG: On New Year’s day, 45 asylum seekers in a ramshackle wooden boat slid ashore on a small island off the Australian city of Darwin. Four others had been swept overboard that morning in rough seas and were believed dead. The survivors, from Africa and the Middle East, stumbled onto the beach, thankful to find refuge on Australian soil. Or so they thought. Within an hour, an Australian warship and other vessels arrived. Military personnel forced the asylum seekers back onto their wooden boat and towed it out to sea. Their destination: Indonesia.

Determining precisely what happened is difficult. But interviews with five of the passengers reconstructs a journey they say was marked by physical and verbal abuse.

Their accounts highlight just how far the newly elected conservative government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott is going to meet his election promise to “stop the boats” - a policy which involves towing vessels back to Indonesia, the main departure point for people-smuggling boats.

In a statement in response to questions on the accusations from the five asylum

seekers, Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison said he did not give “credibility to malicious and unfounded slurs”. “I know and trust that our Navy and Customs and Border Protection Service act in accordance with their training and lawful orders and would only use force where necessary,” he said.

The navy refers all questions about the operations to Morrison’s office.

About 16,000 asylum seekers came on 220 boats to Australia in the first seven months of last year. The government has said that since mid-December, not a single boat has arrived. In separate interviews, the five asylum seekers all said their vessel landed on the island - raising questions about what Canberra means when it says no boats have arrived. One of the men said he had carried a Global Positioning System (GPS) device that showed Darwin was roughly 35 km (22 miles) away.

They also gave multiple accounts of military personnel using plastic zip ties and pepper spray to restrain asylum seekers. Passengers were denied proper access to food, water, medical treatment and toilets, they added. Reuters was given permission by Indonesian immigration

authorities to interview the five men, who were detained when their boat arrived back in Indonesia. Four were interviewed in person in the city of Kupang and the other by telephone.

Towed out to sea Tensions flared as soon as the Australian military personnel arrived on the island off Darwin, said Yousif Ibrahim Fasher, an English-speaker from Sudan’s Darfur region. He said he told the Australians that four men had been swept overboard. “We told them: ‘that direction, we lost people.’ We told them everything.

They said: ‘No, you go back to the boat’.”

“We refused, and then they used force,” Fasher said. Men who resisted were picked up by their arms and legs and dumped in the boat, the asylum seekers said. Fasher said he saw military personnel kick and use zip ties to handcuff one man who tried to flee. The boat, its engine crippled after men sabotaged the motor on arrival, was tethered to a navy speedboat and towed back to sea. Morrison said claims of four people falling overboard had been investigated and that he was confident they were not true.

Abbott came to power last September partly because of his tough stance on asylum seekers, an issue that has polarized Australia since the first boats from Vietnam came in the 1970s. The government has offshore detention centers in the impoverished South Pacific nations of Papua New Guinea and Nauru capable of holding thousands. He has likened the battle to stop the boats as a war, insisting secrecy is important to prevent “the enemy” receiving information. The UN refugee agency has warned that Australia could be breaking its obligation under the UN Refugee Convention by failing to hear asylum seekers’ claims.

Not quite Australian soil Standing on the beach that New Year morning, Mansoor Ali, a former sailor in the Eritrean Navy, stared at his GPS device.

His reading suggested the boat had landed on one of several islands north of Darwin in Australian territorial waters, a former Australian Navy officer with experience in intercepting asylum seeker boats said. But unbeknown to Ali, the sand beneath his feet was not as Australian as he assumed.

In 2001, then Prime Minister John Howard made it harder for asylum seekers by removing the right of unauthorised boat arrivals to apply for a visa on landing in several territories, such as Christmas Island, that were popular due to their proximity to Indonesia. Under pressure from then-opposition leader Abbott over a surge in asylum seekers, the previous Labor government last year expanded this to include all of Australia’s coastline. For Ali and the others, the result was immediate: an armed escort back to where they came from.

Tensions build Once out to sea, the asylum seekers were guarded by 10 personnel from the warship HMAS Parramatta, according to witness recollections of its hull number.

Shifts changed every four hours. Some of the guards called asylum seekers “monkeys” and told them they were not wanted in Australia, Fasher said. Guards imposed strict discipline on the cramped, roughly 10-metre-long boat. Food and water were insufficient and some requests for medical help went unheeded, the asylum seekers said. —Reuters

River Thames on flood alert as blame game rages LONDON: Thousands of homes in southeast England were braced for flooding yesterday after the River Thames burst its banks, as a political row over the handling of devastating winter storms erupted into the open.

The Environment Agency issued 14 severe flood warnings-meaning lives are at risk-for the Thames in the affluent counties of Surrey and Berkshire to the west of London.

Some areas are already under water, including parts of the Great Windsor Park, near Queen Elizabeth II’s castle at Windsor, which itself is built on higher ground. London itself is protected by the Thames Barrier, although a suburb to the south of the capital, Croydon, announced plans to divert rising floodwaters caused by heavy rain away from homes and businesses by pumping them into a pedestrian underpass. Parts of the southwest of England have been under water for weeks after the wettest January since 1766, with more bad weather expect-

ed over the coming days.

Forecasters at the Met Office said the run of winter storms, which have brought heavy rain and strong winds and seen high waves batter the English coastline, has been “exceptional in its duration”. But there has been a growing tide of criticism at the official response, which has erupted into a full-blown political row. Many people in Somerset, one of the hardest-hit counties in the southwest, blame the devastating floods on the failure of the Environment Agency-a government body-to dredge local rivers.

Communities minister Eric Pickles joined the attack on Sunday, suggesting the government “perhaps relied too much on the Environment Agency’s advice” on flood prevention.

“I am really sorry that we took the advice... we thought we were dealing with experts,” Pickles, a member of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party, told BBC TV. Chris Smith, the head of the Environment

Agency, hit back yesterday and accused ministers for holding back vital funds. “When I hear someone criticizing the expertise and professionalism of my staff in the Environment Agency who know more about flood risk management-100 times more about flood risk management-than any politician ever does, I am not going to sit idly by,” he said.

Smith, a former minister for the now opposition Labor government, said the Treasury had limited the amount the agency could spend on flood management in Somerset. The prime minister last week announced £130 million (155 million euros, $215 million) in extra funding for emergency repairs and maintenance.

Cameron paid his first visit to Somerset, where the Royal Marines have been deployed to help with sand-bagging, on Friday and yesterday toured storm-affected areas in the southwest counties of Devon and Cornwall.— AFP

ZURICH: People demonstrate against the result of the national vote in Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss citizens voted amongst others - in favor of the initiative “Against Mass Immigration”. —AP

EU to review ties with Switzerland Vote creates ‘toxic uncertainty’ ZURICH: European partners threatened yesterday to review their relations with Switzerland after voters in the Alpine nation narrowly backed a proposal to curtail immigration from the EU in a referendum that has also unsettled Swiss business. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius described the vote, initiated by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and opposed by the government in Berne, as a “worrying” move that showed Switzerland was withdrawing into itself.

“We’re going to review our relations with Switzerland,” Fabius said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said that while Berlin respected the result, it would create “considerable problems” for Switzerland’s relationship with the EU. The European Commission said it went against the principle of free movement between the Alpine nation and the EU that has existed for over a decade.

“The EU will examine the implications of this initiative on EU-Swiss relations as a whole,” the Commission said. Switzerland is not a member of the 28-nation EU, but a pact with

Brussels has ensured the free movement of citizens to and from the bloc since 2002. The vote to reintroduce immigration quotas, backed by a razor-thin margin of 19,526 voters on Sunday, threatens that pact, and with it a key pillar of the Swiss economy, which relies on the EU for nearly onefifth of its workforce.

Switzerland is home to food and beverage giant Nestle, drugmakers Novartis and Roche, as well as a host of major commodities dealers such as Glencore Xtrata and Louis Dreyfus Commodities. “What’s the point of investing in Switzerland, when in the end it’s not certain whether you can get qualified staff to carry out your plans,” Valentin Vogt, president of the Swiss Employers Association, told the NZZ newspaper. He said the vote created ‘toxic uncertainty’ for Swiss businesses, which already face pressure amid a foreign crackdown on banking secrecy and an outcry over the favorable tax rates some Swiss cantons offers to multinationals.

Swiss banks including and Credit Suisse are especially dependent on the flow of foreign workers, employ-

ing up to 25 percent of overall staff from the EU. “We fear that the pool of available workers will dwindle,” said Sindy Schmiegel of the Swiss Banking Association. “It could become much more difficult for banks to meet their staffing needs.” Although the Swiss government had urged voters to reject the introduction of EU immigration quotas, it is now obliged to write the results of the referendum into law.

It will have a degree of flexibility as the referendum did not set specific quotas.

Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said on Sunday that the government planned to draft a law by the autumn, before approaching the EU with its plans. Anger among parties that had opposed the vote was palpable yesterday, with the Swiss Liberal Democrats suggesting that Christoph Blocher, the billionaire industrialist and SVP lawmaker who poured his own money into the quota campaign, be sent to Brussels himself to explain the vote. “He has an obligation to find a good solution, together with the other parties,” the FDP said in a statement.— Reuters

From immigration to trade, inaction in the US Congress WASHINGTON: Little more than a week after Groundhog Day, the evidence is mounting that lawmakers have all but wrapped up their most consequential work of 2014, at least until the results of the fall elections are known. “We’ve got a lot of things on our plate,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said recently when asked what Congress will be busy with this year, but he predicted no breakthrough accomplishments on immigration, taxes or any other area.

“Why don’t we just pack up and go home?” countered House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California after Boehner blamed President Barack Obama for lack of movement on immigration. “What we’re supposed to do is legislate and not make up excuses as to why we don’t.” Immigration legislation is hardly the only area where inaction is the likeliest outcome.

A Senate-passed bill has fallen into the congressional equivalent of a black hole in the House, where conservative critics cite a changing series of reasons for not wanting to take action. Initially, they said they didn’t want to vote on a bill because they oppose amnesty for immigrants living in the country illegal-

ly. Then they observed it would be a political mistake to shift focus away from their own opposition to the health care law, which unites them, and turn it onto an issue that divides them. Most recently, Boehner, who has said repeatedly he wants to pass an immigration bill, has joined others in citing a lack of trust with Obama as a reason for inaction. If immigration legislation is moribund in the House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev, has made it clear he doesn’t intend to seek passage of a second Obama priority, this one a bill to facilitate passage of trade deals with Europe and Asia.

“I’m against fast track,” said the man who sets the Senate’s agenda, referring to the measure Obama wants. “I think everyone would be well advised just to not push this right now.” The legislation is opposed by large segments of organized labor, the ver y unions that Democrats will be counting on to pour money and manpower into their bid to hold control of the Senate in the November election.

Republicans need to gain six seats to win a majority. They say they increasingly are bullish about their prospects, what with the country gen-

erally pessimistic about the future, Obama’s favorability ratings well below the levels of his re-election campaign, and controversies afflicting the president’s health law. While Reid hasn’t said so, other lawmakers and aides speculate that trade could top the agenda of any postelection session of Congress.

And an overhaul of tax laws may not be as far off as it did a year ago. While there was scant evidence of progress in 2013, a transition is occurring at the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen Ron Wyden, D-Ore, the incoming chairman, announced late Friday his first priority in the job will be overhauling the nation’s tax system, which he called a “dysfunctional, rotten mess.”

He will succeed Sen. Max Baucus, DMont., who was confirmed on Thursday as ambassador to China. Deficit reduction, the driving force of the tea partyheavy House majority, now occupies a back seat, and the projected deficit for the current budget year is the lowest since George W. Bush was in the White House.

Nor do Republicans appear likely to compromise any time soon on an increase in the minimum wage or other items on Obama’s agenda. —AP

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Thai woman shot dead, burnt in revenge attack BANGKOK: A policeman’s wife was shot dead and then set on fire in front of terrified shoppers at a busy market in Thailand’s violenceridden deep south, officials said yesterday, in an apparent revenge attack. The 28-year-old Buddhist woman was gunned down on Sunday afternoon as she returned to her car from a market in the Ratapanyang area of Pattani province. A local police officer said a note left at the scene indicated the attack was in revenge for the deaths last week of three Muslim brothers-aged three, five and nine.

Insurgents blame Thai authorities for the boys’ murder-although there has been no official evidence to back up the claim.

The latest killings raise the spectre of a spiral of tit-for-tat killings between Muslims and Buddhists in Pattani. The restive region is one of three Muslim-majority provinces in the grip of a bloody decade-long insurgency that has claimed over 5,900 lives-the majority of them civilians. After being shot, the woman’s body was torched in front of market goers, the police officer said, but no-one had come forward with information fearing retribution from the attackers-who are suspected militants.

Last Monday, the Muslim brothers were gunned down in front of their home in neighboring Narathiwat province. Their pregnant mother and father were also shot in the attack but survived. “We will keep killing you as long as you are still on our land,” the letter said, according to the officer who added

Sunday’s victim was “an unarmed, soft target from the Buddhist community”. Srisompob Jitpiromsri, at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani, said the boys’ deaths “have set off a chain-reaction which will be hard to control unless authorities can bring to justice their killers”.

“The insurgent movement is taking their deaths as an opportunity for revenge. Local feelings over this are running very high,” he said. The insurgents want a level of autonomy from Thailand, which annexed the region over a century ago. They accuse Thai authorities of riding roughshod over the local Melayu culture as well as widespread human rights abuses. There have been more than 40 killings since the start of the year across three southern provinces. Experts say the spike in deaths is linked to the stalling of peace talks while the Thai government struggles to curb anti-government protests in Bangkok.

Rebels, including those from the shadowy Barisan Revolusi Nasional which is believed to command many of the grassroots fighters, have made a series of demands so that peace talks can continue. As yet there has not been a full response from the Thai side. Dozens of children have been killed either by insurgents or security forces since the start of the bloodshed in 2004 and nearly 400 others wounded.

Following the shooting of the boys the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned attacks on children in Thailand’s deep south. —AFP

Taiwan to push for press freedom in historic talks TAIPEI: Taiwan said yesterday it would raise the issue of press freedom with China at their first government-to-government talks since 1949, after media outlets were refused accreditation for this week’s meeting. The Mainland Affairs Council, which formulates the island’s China policy, said its chairman Wang Yu-chi would “discuss issues related to equal exchanges of news information” when he meets today with his counterpart Zhang Zhijun, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office chief.

“Press freedom is a universal value. We’ve repeatedly said that the most important thing regarding news exchange between the two sides is the free and equal flow of information,” it said in a statement. The talks in Nanjing in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, and a later visit to Shanghai, are the fruit of years of efforts to normalize relations and mark the first official contact between sitting governments since a split six decades ago.

Two million supporters of the nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan-officially known as Republic of China-after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists in 1949. The island and the mainland have

been governed separately ever since. The mood surrounding the talks soured in Taiwan after Beijing refused to issue credentials to the Taipei-based Apple Daily and the US government-funded Radio Free Asia on the weekend. China’s decision also sparked rebukes from the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ ) and the affiliated International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) over what they described as an attack on journalists.

“Again this indicated that the Chinese government has gravely suppressed freedom of press,” the ATJ said in a statement on Sunday. The IFJ said it also called on the governments of Taiwan and China to sign an “Agreement to Ensure News Freedom” and to immediately refrain from using visas or permits as “instruments of censorship”. Apple Daily was founded by Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai, an outspoken critic of human rights standards in China, while Radio Free Asia was established to provide an alternative to staterun media for people living under repressive regimes. —AFP

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s newly-elected Prime Minister Sushil Koirala greets supporters as he leaves the parliament in Kathmandu yesterday. Nepal’s fractious lawmakers elected veteran politician Sushil Koirala as prime minister, with the 75-year-old promising to steer through a long-delayed new constitution for the Himalayan nation within a year. —AFP

Nepal’s MPs pick Koirala new PM amid challenges Silver-haired bachelor grabs 405 out of 553 votes KATHMANDU: Nepal’s fractious lawmakers elected veteran politician Sushil Koirala as prime minister yesterday, with the 75-year-old promising to steer through a long-delayed new constitution for the Himalayan nation within a year.

The silver-haired bachelor easily won a vote in the constituent assembly, which was elected last November in only the second national polls since the end of a civil war in 2006.

Koirala, from the family that dominates Nepal’s oldest party the Nepali Congress, won 405 out of 553 votes cast after winning the support of the influential leftist Unified MarxistLeninist (UML) at the weekend. “We will deliver the constitution through agreement, unity and reconciliation,” Koirala, who was once jailed over the hijacking of a plane in India, told reporters after the election.

“We would try to include all the parties in the process and would work to safeguard peace and democracy,” said the partly Indian-educated politician, wearing his trademark black cap and glasses. He earlier told the assembly that the impoverished nation would rely on its two giant neighbors, China to the north and India to the south, “as well as other friends to complete our responsibilities”. Since Nepal’s first post-war elections in 2008, five prime ministers have served brief terms, the country has had no leader for

Taleban sets tough conditions for talks MIRANSHAH: Taleban insurgents have set tough terms for peace talks with Pakistan’s government including the release of all imprisoned fighters and the withdrawal of troops from tribal areas, a militant source said yesterday. The Taleban outlined their demands to a team of Islamist clerics who are holding talks with the government on the militants’ behalf about ending a sevenyear insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. Negotiating teams held a first meeting on Thursday, but the dozen conditions now laid down by the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) will raise further doubts about the chances of success.

A TTP commander said the prisoner and troops issues were a “test case” for the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to prove its sincerity. “This is the first round of talks. The committee

members will now meet the government committee and will forward our demands, they will meet us again with a reply,” the commander said. The team representing the TTP met the insurgents’ 10-member council in the mountainous tribal district of North Waziristan over the weekend.

The chief negotiator representing the Taleban, Maulana Samiul-Haq, told reporters in the northwestern town of Akora Khattak the meeting had been “positive”. The next round of talks with government negotiators would take place within two days, he said. Haq, who did not travel personally but sent a delegate in his place, added that the TTP meeting had taken place at a secret location some four hours from Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. —AFP

long periods, and the constituent assembly has been perpetually deadlocked.

The first version of the 601-member body, dominated by the one-time rebel Maoists, finally collapsed in May 2012 after failing to agree on a constitution and complete the peace process.

The Maoists, who traded their guns for politics after signing a pact to end the civil war, have been relegated to a humiliating third place in the new assembly with just 80 seats. Koirala, who is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday, is the fourth member of his extended family to become prime minister in Nepal’s history.

Political limbo He is charged with trying to unify and rebuild the country, whose economic growth has slid in recent years, forcing hundreds of thousands of Nepalis to migrate overseas for jobs. “The government under my leadership will promote internal capital and external investment. We will create economic opportunities within our country to end poverty and unemployment,” Koirala said in his speech in the assembly. Leaders from across Nepal’s political divide have pledged to draw up the constitution within a year, after the assembly convened for the first time since the polls last month. Observers say he faces a difficult task. “Koirala has to address the concerns of

more than two dozen parties within the house,” Geja Sharma Wagle, a political commentator said.

“He also has to placate the opposition within his own party. People have high expectations from the government. So, Koirala will face several challenges,” he added. As part of the weekend deal to form government, the Nepali Congress has agreed to UML’s request to hold fresh elections for top posts including for prime minister and president after the constitution is delivered.

The Maoists only agreed to be part of the new assembly in December after securing a pledge from the other parties to probe their claims that the elections were rigged.

The last assembly dissolved over the differences among parties on the issue of state boundaries, as well as the power of states and the president. When he was in his 30s and exiled with his family in India, Koirala was involved in hijacking a plane known to be carrying boxes of cash, which he and his relatives wanted to use to fund their Nepali Congress party. He spent three years in an Indian jail over the crime, which was masterminded by senior Congress leader and relative G P Koirala. At the time, Nepal was run under a party-less “panchayat” system overseen by a monarchy that had overthrown a shortlived democratically elected government in 1960. —AFP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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

China puts US businessman on trial for mob crimes BEIJING: An American businessman stood trial in China yesterday for allegedly heading a violent mob that kidnapped rivals and operated illegal casinos, charges he’s said he was tortured into confessing. Authorities in southern China have accused Vincent Wu of gang crimes but Wu’s family and lawyers say he’s a law-abiding businessman whose rivals have framed him to seize his assets.

“We are still very confident because our lawyers have all the evidence to prove that he is innocent,” said Wu’s daughter, Anna Wu, by phone from Guangzhou. “We believe we still have a

chance and so we’ll hope for the best.”

Wu’s lawyers urged a court in the southern city of Guangzhou to recognize the defendant’s American citizenship as he and more than two dozen associates stood trial.

Wu has been denied US consular access since his detention in June 2012 despite being a US passport holder who shuttles between his family in Los Angeles and his business in China.

China refuses to acknowledge Wu’s American citizenship because his last entry into mainland China was made on his Hong Kong residence pass. The case underscores the risks faced by

individuals working in China who have travel documents from more than one country because Beijing does not recognize dual nationalities.

Two US consular officials attended yesterday’s hearing and told the court the American government recognized Wu’s US citizenship but judges rejected their assertion, said Wu’s legal adviser, Li Zhuang.

The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court and the US Embassy in Beijing had no immediate comment.

Wu, who was seeing his family and friends for the first time since he had been taken away nearly two years ago,

appeared emotional, his daughter said.

“He kept saying ‘I’m an American citizen, you have to give me a fair trial,’” Anna Wu said.

The case exposes the murky environment in which businesses in China often operate. Widespread corruption allows entrepreneurs to cozy up with police and run roughshod over the law to take down their rivals. Wu is charged with getting an associate to throw acid at a judge who ruled against him in a lawsuit, and with ordering thugs to set fire to sheds owned by farmers who refused his offer of compensation to clear off land he wanted to develop.

Canadian couple murdered 12 bodies found in 2 graves in southern Mexico GUADALAJARA: An elderly Canadian couple were beaten and knifed to death when their home in the western Mexican state of Jalisco was raided by thieves, a local official said yesterday. Ernesto Robles, chief of police in the municipality of Chapala, identified the victims as a 72-year-old woman and an 84-year-old man, both from the Canadian province of Ontario. No names were released. The couple arrived in Ajijic, a town popular with foreigner retirees, some six months ago, Robles said. “The gardener arrived in the morning and found the door to the home open,” Robles said.

“He went inside, and in the living room he found two bodies with various lesions.

The home had been looted.” Robles, who said a gang of thieves operating in the area may be responsible, also said that two vehicles belonging to the couple were stolen.

Ajijic is a bucolic lakeside town some 50 kilometers south of the state capital Guadalajara, Mexico’s second most populous city. Some 5,000 foreigners, mostly US retirees, live in the town, according to municipal officials. Immigration authorities and the state prosecutors are also investigating the case, Robles said.

Bodies found in graves In another development, a spokesman for the governor’s office says at least 12 bodies - nine of them men and three of

them women - were found in two clandestine graves in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero. The state Attorney General’s office says the bodies were found by military personnel after they received an anonymous tip Saturday night. Governor’s office spokesman Jose Villanueva Manzanarez said the bodies were found in the town of Mexcaltepec and one of them appeared to be dressed in the uniform of the nearby Taxco city police department.

On Feb 3-4 members of armed self-defense groups found a clandestine grave in the town of Cajelitos near the state capital Chilpancingo and reported the skeletons of three men and two women. Local authorities, however, have not confirmed that.

Drug suspect nabbed Meanwhile, Mexican authorities have detained a suspected drug trafficker sought by the United States, the National Security Commission said. The US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Tirso Martinez Sanchez. In an operation in the central state of Guanajuato, authorities “arrested the suspect, wanted on charges that he moved 76 tons of cocaine into the United States from 2000-2003,” the commission said in a statement. The United States says Martinez Sanchez received cocaine directly from

MICHOACAN: An armed man stands guard at a barricade on the outskirts of Apatzingan, Michoacan State, Mexico. Vigilante militias that have fought a drug cartel in western Mexico for a year entered a city considered a key gang bastion and they are helping authorities police the town. —AFP Colombia and then imported it through Mexico through large urban distribution centers in the lucrative US market. The USMexican border is a porous and violent 3,000-kilometer stretch where trafficking in

drugs and people is widespread. Drugrelated and organized crime violence in Mexico has left more than 77,000 people dead since 2006, according to official data.— Agencies

Australia wildfires destroy 30 homes

BALI: Schapelle Corby is seen with her face covered at a correction bureau in Denpasar on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali yesterday. — AFP

Drug mule Corby: An Australian obsession JAKARTA: The story of Schapelle Corby, the Australian woman jailed in a notorious Indonesian prison for a crime she says she did not commit, has fascinated the public in her home country like few others in recent times. The dramatic courtroom scenes of Corby breaking down in tears as she was convicted and her sister, Mercedes, screaming from the sidelines were watched live by millions of Australians, and were the start of a national obsession with the beauty school dropout.

As she left jail on the resort island of Bali yesterday on parole after more than nine years behind bars, scores of camera crews and photographers, many of whom had flown from Australia especially for her release, fought to get a shot of her. The media circus does not look like slowing down any time soon-a bidding war is reportedly in full swing back home in Australia for her first post-jail interview.

The Australian media have carefully tracked every development in the case of Corby, arrested in 2004 with 4.1 kilograms (nine pounds) of marijuana hidden in her surfing gear as she arrived on Bali.

From the sordid conditions in Kerobokan jail-where prisoners live in cramped, filthy cells and drug abuse is widespread-to her descent into mental illness, TV channels and newspapers back home lapped up every detail. Every aspect of her past life has been documented, from her dropping out of beauty school to working in her family’s fish-andchip shop and spending time in Japan,

where she lived with her Japanese husband before their relationship broke down.

Mercedes Corby told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in a 2012 interview that her sister’s case had “struck a chord” as she seemed like any normal Australian going on holiday to Bali only to get caught up in a nightmare. “A lot of people come to Bali and a lot of people love Bali, I just think it was a bit of a shock,” she told the ABC. “She could have been your sister, your daughter, your friend just going on holiday, and this is what happened.”

Protesting her innocence Despite her conviction and sentencing to 20 years in jail, Corby is routinely portrayed as a victim of a drugs syndicate and Indonesia’s notoriously corrupt justice system. She has fuelled this perception, steadfastly maintaining her innocence since day one, claiming that the drugs were planted inside her body board bag.

“When I flew to Bali on 8 October 2004, I imagined my biggest problem was going to be deciding which sarong to wear with which bikini,” Corby wrote in her 2006 autobiography “My Story”, co-authored with Australian journalist Kathryn Bonella.

While other Australians have been jailed on the resort island for drugs offencesnotably members of the heroin-smuggling gang known as the “Bali Nine”-none has attracted the same attention as Corby.

Her good looks, her relative youth-she was jailed at the age of 27 — and appear-

ance of naivety have all added to the image of her as a victim. The question of her guilt has been pored over by the Australian media during the past decade and the closely-watched case has spawned a string of conspiracy theories, some pointing to her guilt and others to her innocence. Despite the widespread sympathy back home, the view in Indonesia is starkly different, where many see Corby as a common criminal who simply broke the country’s tough anti-drugs laws.

Indonesian lawmakers and an antidrugs group have strongly criticized the decision to grant her parole, which was taken by Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin on Friday. Her well-documented mental health problems-she spent time in hospital in Bali to be treated for depression-were used to support her plea for presidential clemency, which reduced her sentence by five years.She also received regular remissions for good behavior which is a routine procedure under the Indonesian justice system.

Her jail term now officially comes to an end in 2016, although she will have to stay in Indonesia a further year to comply with her parole conditions. In recent years, she appeared to be in a better state of mental health and was occasionally spotted at the prison in good spirits. After her release, she is expected to live with Mercedes and her Balinese husband in their modest home in a backstreet in Kuta, a tourist district in south Bali visited by throngs of Australians every year.— AFP

MELBOURNE: More than 30 homes have been razed in the worst fire conditions Australia has seen since a 2009 inferno killed 173 people, with flames threatening the country’s second-largest city, officials said yesterday. Hot, dry winds and soaring temperatures fanned scores of major blazes across the southeast on Sunday, with Victoria state sweltering through its worst fire risk weather in five years. “They were ferocious fires, they ran hard, they hit homes,” said fire commissioner Craig Lapsley.

The emergency came exactly five years after the socalled Black Saturday firestorm devastated the state, flattening whole towns in what was Australia’s deadliest natural disaster of the modern era. Victoria state premier Dennis Napthine said it had been the worst fire danger day since Black Saturday, with more than 30 homes confirmed lost so far across the state. “At this stage we have no evidence of loss of life, which is a great effort by the firefighters and all emergency services, and at this stage we have no evidence of serious injury,” Napthine said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government stood ready “to do all we reasonably can to ensure that people get the help they need in these difficult, difficult hours and days”. Hundreds of people spent the night in evacuation shelters after being forced to flee their homes. A major open-cut coal mine was ablaze, with a nearby power station in the path of one fire. Napthine said emergency crews were working “very, very hard in that area to protect those strategic assets”.

Six blazes remained at emergency level Monday including a 40-k ilometre front on the outsk ir ts of Melbourne, Australia’s second-biggest city, with tens of thousands of hectares scorched. At least 12 of Sunday’s fires were thought by police to have been deliberately lit.

Residents described houses “exploding” into flames, with one woman saying it was like “the whole world was alight”. Fire crews said they saved about 550 properties from an intense blaze at suburban Keilor near Melbourne Airport.

“It was very hard for us to initially get that fire to stop due to the fact that the winds were blowing up towards the airport,” said Rob Purcell from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. “But we had great firefighters who did a brilliant job in saving a huge amount of assets.” ‘Terrifying’ experience At Warrandyte, also on the outskirts of Melbourne, resident Brenda Ireland described a “huge ball of flames just rushing across our backyard”. Neighbor Jamie Conlon said he “just sprinted” shirtless and without shoes down his driveway, which was flanked by flames. “I didn’t stop to look... I thought I was dead,” he said. “I was just screaming. I was terrified.”

One man told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that fast-moving flames had cut off his evacuation route, forcing him to stay and defend his property near Forbes north of Melbourne. “It was a massive wall of fire,” said the man, who identified himself only as Peter. “I really didn’t think I was going to make it but luckily in our case the fire spread around our house and our shed, went either side of us. And then for a good five, 10 minutes I thought ‘This is it’.”

Chintin resident Helen Goudy described abandoning her house as flames licked the walls and running 20 meters to a neighbor’s dam with her children aged 2, 4 and 7. They took refuge under a blanket for an hour while the flames passed. The fire threat eased in many areas Monday as cooler temperatures arrived from the south.

Vast wildfires are common in Australia’s DecemberFebruar y summer months. Some 25 homes were destroyed in the southeast last month following a weeklong heatwave that also saw 56 homes razed in separate blazes on the west coast. Experts say heatwaves are becoming longer and more frequent in Australia due to climate change.—AFP

Wu is also accused of operating illegal casinos that raked in 48 million yuan ($7.8 million) and of attacking or kidnapping people who crossed him in various disputes. The businessman has also alleged that he was tortured in detention, telling his lawyers he had been beaten, kicked and strung by his arms from a ceiling beam as police tried to coerce him to sign a confession. Wu left China in the late 1970s as a stowaway to neighboring Hong Kong, where he obtained residency. He moved with his family to the US in 1994, settled in Los Angeles and eventually became a US citizen.— AP

News

in brief

Philippines troops kill 6 Abu Sayyaf gunmen ZAMBOANGA: The Philippine military said yesterday it had killed six members of an Al-Qaedalinked group that is holding three foreign hostages in the volatile south of the country.

The military launched an assault on Saturday against dozens of Abu Sayyaf militants hiding in and around a remote village on Jolo island, where the militants are holding two European tourists and a Japanese. Marines, backed by police forces and a pro-government militia unit, launched the ground assault after acting on tipoffs from locals, local commander Colonel Jose Johriel Cenabre said. “Our firepower was controlled because we did not want any collateral damage. It was a surgical strike,” Cenabre said.

He said six militants were killed and six others were wounded during a 15-minute assault, but about 50 escaped after they put up strong resistance with heavy return fire. Cenabre said it was not immediately clear whether the hostages were with the militants when fighting erupted. “But I can assure you that based on intelligence reports they are alive and still being kept on the island,” he said.

Suicide bomber kills 4 women in Pakistan PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed four women in northwest Pakistan yesterday in an attempted attack on mourners at a funeral, police said. The blast hit a house in Peshawar, a frontline city in Pakistan’s battle against Islamist insurgents, close to where a group of people were holding funeral prayers, senior police official Najeeb Ur Rehman said. According to Rehman, the mourners spotted three would-be suicide bombers coming towards them but managed to scare them off. Two fled the scene while the third entered a nearby home, unconnected to the mourners, and blew himself up at the entrance, said Rehman. “Four women died and six people were wounded in the suicide blast,” he said. Shafqat Malik, chief of Peshawar’s Bomb Disposal Unit, confirmed the suicide attack and said that the bomber used around six kilograms of explosives along with ball bearings in his suicide vest. Jamil Shah, a spokesman for Peshawar’s main Lady Reading hospital where all the dead bodies and injured were taken said that five of the injured were women.

6 die in multi-car crash on S California freeway DIAMOND BAR: A suspected drunk driver sped the wrong way on a Southern California freeway, causing a pre-dawn crash that killed six people, authorities said. Olivia Culbreath, 21, of Fontana, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence and manslaughter after being pulled from a badly mangled Chevy Camaro on State Route 60, California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said. Jimenez said the crash scene in this suburb east of Los Angeles was horrific. Three people were ejected from their cars and the Camaro was barely recognizable. Authorities said Culbreath was traveling north in the southbound lanes of State Route 57 before transitioning east in the westbound lanes of State Route 60, where the Camaro collided head-on with a red Ford Explorer. A Ford Freestyle then collided with the Explorer. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two people died after being taken to the hospital, Jimenez said. Witnesses told dispatchers the Camaro was speeding up to 100 mph, Jimenez said. Culbreath was in serious condition at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center with a broken femur and a ruptured bladder, he said.

Four militants killed in North Caucasus MOSCOW: Russian police killed four suspected militants, law enforcement officials said yesterday, in a shootout at a house in the North Caucasus, highlighting regional security concerns near the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The gun fight broke out on Saturday after police surrounded a private house used by militants in the province of Dagestan, which lies some 600 kilometers from Sochi on the other end of the Caucasus Mountain chain. There was no indication the shooting was connected with the Games. President Vladimir Putin, who has invested personal and political prestige to ensure the Games’ success, ordered security forces on high alert after a suicide bomber killed at least 37 in the southern Russian city of Volgograd in December. Militants wage violence to establish an Islamist state in the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus. Militant leader Doku Umarov, Russia’s most wanted man, threatened to disrupt the Olympic Games in a video posted online last year. Russian newspaper Kommersant said among those killed was an ethnic Russian convert to the insurgency.

NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2014

Yemen to become 6-region federation

DUBAI: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, attends the first day of a government summit yesterday. — AFP

UAE to use drones for government services DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates says it plans to use unmanned aerial drones to deliver official documents and packages to its citizens as part of efforts to upgrade government services. The wealthy Gulf state is known for its showmanship - it boasts the tallest skyscraper in the world - and its love of high-technology gadgets. The drone project appears to satisfy both interests. “The UAE will try to deliver its government services through drones. This is the first project of its kind in the world,” Mohammed AlGergawi, a minister of cabinet affairs, said on Monday as he displayed a prototype developed for the government.

The battery-operated vehicle, about half a metre across, resembles a butterfly with a top compartment that can carry small parcels. Coloured white and enblazoned with the UAE flag, it is propelled by four rotors. Local engineer Abdulrahman Alserkal, who designed the project, said fingerprint and eye-recognition security systems would be used to protect the drones and their cargo. Gergawi said

the drones would be tested for durability and efficiency in Dubai for six months, before being introduced across the UAE within a year. Services would initially include delivery of identity cards, driving licences and other permits.

Proposals for the civilian use of drones have run into practical difficulties elsewhere in the world. In December Amazon.com Inc chief executive Jeff Bezos said his company planned to deliver goods to millions of customers with a fleet of drones, but safety and technical issues mean the plan is unlikely to become a reality in the United States this decade, engineers say. The UAE drone program faces similar obstacles, plus temperatures which often exceed 40 degrees Centigrade in summer and heavy sandstorms which occasionally sweep across the desert country.

“Within a year from now we will understand the capabilities of the system and what sort of services, and how far we can deliver. Eventually a new product will be launched across all the country,” Gergawi said. — Reuters

Gulf security pact blasted Continued from Page 1 one of the security pact clearly states that its provisions cannot violate constitutions and laws of member states.

Almost all the seven Shiite MPs have already said they will strongly oppose the agreement because it contradicts the Kuwaiti constitution. MP Khalil Al-Saleh said the Gulf security pact is not in harmony with the vast freedoms in the country, adding the pact completely violates the Kuwaiti constitution. Saleh vowed to resist the ratification of the agreement by the Assembly, adding that he has already consulted constitutional experts, all of whom said the pact is in breach of the constitution.

Another Shiite MP, Abdullah Al-Tameemi, called on MPs not to ratify the Gulf pact before it is amended to be in line with Kuwait’s constitution and laws. “This pact is in contradiction with the principles and provisions of the Kuwaiti constitution which guarantees and safeguards freedoms. Ratifying the pact is considered a breach of Kuwait’s national sovereignty,” Tameemi said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah told MPs last week that the pact cannot be amended and it has to be accepted or rejected in full. Tameemi

insisted that more than 10 provisions of the pact contradict with the principles of democracy and national interests. The lawmaker said that he does not believe that any of the seven Shiite MPs will vote in favour of the pact, adding that even if all the other 49 MPs approve it, “I will take the honour of rejecting it alone”.

The pact must be first revised by the foreign relations panel of the Assembly, then debated by the parliament before voting on it. If the Assembly refuses to ratify the pact, Kuwait will have to pull out of it.

The Islamic Constitutional Movement also reiterated its rejection yesterday of the pact, saying it contradicts with the constitution and contains articles that effectively turns the country into a ‘police state’. “The agreement contains articles that contradict with the idea of the state’s sovereignty and others that are unclear and can be interpreted in different contexts,” read a statement released by the Sunni Islamist group. The ICM, which is considered the unannounced political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, further accused the pact of being in violation of laws that guarantee freedoms. “We cannot accept agreements that contradict with freedoms that the constitution guarantees for all,” the group said, adding that approving the pact in the parliament “restricts freedoms and allows Kuwait to become a police state”.

SANAA: Yemen’s president and main parties agreed yesterday to transform the unrest-riven country into a sixregion federation as part of a political transition. “The final approval” on creating a “federal state of six regions” came at a meeting of a committee, headed by President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and including representatives of Yemen’s main parties, state news agency Saba said. Hadi formed the committee in late January at the end of a “national dialogue” to decide on the number of regions, and to insert it into the text of a new constitution, to be drafted and voted on within a year.

Yemen’s parties had been divided on whether to split the future federation into two or six regions. Sanaa feared that a straight north-south divide could set the stage for the disgruntled south to secede. Southern parts of Yemen formed an independent state from the end of British colonial rule in 1967 until union with the north in 1990. A secession attempt four years later sparked a brief but bloody civil war that ended with northern forces taking over the south.

The six agreed regions include four in the north, comprising Azal, Saba, Janad and Tahama, and two in the south, Aden and Hadramawt. Azal includes the capital Sanaa, in addition to the provinces of Dhamar, Amran and Saada, a stronghold of Shiite rebels. Aden would comprise the capital of the former south, as well as

Abyan, Lahej and Daleh, Saba reported. The southeastern Hadramawt province would include Al-Mahra, Shebwa and the island of Socotra, while Saba comprises Bayda, Marib and Al-Jawf. Janad would include Taez and Ibb, and Tahama also takes in Hudaydah, Rima, Mahwit and Hajja.

The city of Sanaa, however, will be a “federal city not subject to any regional authority”, the panel decided, agreeing that special clauses will be put in the constitution draft “to guarantee its neutrality”. Aden will also have special “independent legislative and executive powers” to be stipulated in the constitution. The decentralisation of power aims to meet the southerners’ demands for autonomy.

Yemen’s national dialogue was stipulated by a UNbacked roadmap that ended a year of protests against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who stepped down in 2012 after 33 years in power. But as in other countries rocked by the Arab Spring, Yemen’s leaders have struggled to agree on a way forward, while living conditions in the impoverished Arabian peninsula state have further deteriorated. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, meanwhile, has stepped up attacks on security forces, despite Yemeni military operations and a covert US drone campaign. And fighting between Shiite rebels and Sunni militants has escalated in the north, while sabotage of electricity and oil infrastructure is rife in tribal areas. — AFP

Govt faces hard sell as it eyes subsidy cut Continued from Page 1 could sink the government,” he said. “Each Kuwaiti believes, deep down inside, he was raised to believe: I am entitled to the oil.”

In recent years a steady rise in the oil price has helped the OPEC producer pay for its growing wage bill, subsidies, a generous welfare system and a series of one-off handouts. Such benefits, common in the Arab Gulf, are often credited with shielding Kuwait, a US ally, and its regional peers from the type of unrest which swept much of the Arab world in 2011. They are difficult to reduce, despite warnings that spending at the current rate could outpace Kuwait’s revenues as early as 2017-18, according to the worst-case scenario from the International Monetary Fund.

“With risks to oil markets skewed to the downside, so are risks to the public finances,” said Farouk Soussa, chief Middle East economist at Citigroup, who says Kuwait needs to make progress on fiscal reform. Kuwait’s budget surplus narrowed in the first nine months of this fiscal year as spending rose 18 percent, figures released on Sunday showed.

Enlightened New Generation Kuwait’s success with the subsidies review, or lack thereof, is relevant to other Gulf states which do not charge income tax and rely on a patronage-style system of handouts. Work on the review started late last year in Kuwait, which relies on oil for over 90 percent of revenues.

Subsidies are expected to cost KD 5.11 billion ($18.08 billion) next fiscal year to cover items like fuel and energy.

Finance Minister Saleh, who is in his early 40s, is part of a younger generation of ministers tasked with exploring such controversial economic reforms. He is the fourth finance minister in less than two years. “He is one of a number of people who understands it. There are more people in the Cabinet who understand it now,” a diplomat said.

A former commerce and industry minister, Saleh helped push through a new companies law in 2012 aimed at

boosting the private sector, a challenge in a country where implementing new systems takes years if not decades. USeducated, with a business background, Saleh is taking a path backed by predecessor Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz AlSabah, who initiated the review and has led calls for spending cuts. Sheikh Salem, who ran the Central Bank for 25 years, warned in January that the government would be forced to take damaging measures if spending continues unabated. He said Kuwait might have to devalue the dinar or dip into its Future Generations Fund, a nest egg meant for economic shocks.

But many Kuwaitis are confused by the idea of shaving subsidies given the large budget surpluses of the past decade. “Why do they do this? We have a lot of money and it is to our advantage. We should spend it,” said 20-year-old student Samaher Usama, who like more than half of Kuwaitis is under 25. Some Kuwaitis see the logic in raising prices for goods and services, but they question the government’s method. “They need to make a plan over five years and then look at developing different ways of producing electricity if they want to make it more expensive,” student Reem Al-Asmi, 22, said. She suggested Kuwait develop solar energy in order to reduce dependence on oil for its own energy consumption.

Talk about subsidies angers some who think Kuwait has been too generous abroad. It gave Egypt $4 billion as part of a Gulf aid package after the ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and donated $1 billion for humanitarian aid to Syria. They also point to Kuwait’s potholed roads and housing shortage as evidence that the state is not using money effectively or that funds are disappearing elsewhere. “There are influential people who take their fortune.” MP Saleh Ashour told parliament on Feb 4. Some populist MPs are also part of the problem, campaigning to raise citizens’ benefits to win support from constituents.

MPs are calling for increases in allowances for housing and children. Last month they passed legislation to subsidise house-building materials. — Reuters

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

ANALYSIS

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

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

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

Issues

Iran sets ‘red lines’ ahead of nuclear talks

By Siavosh Ghazi

I

ran laid out “red lines” yesterday related to its ballistic missile program, nuclear sites and uranium enrichment ahead of fresh nuclear talks with world powers.

President Hassan Rouhani insisted Iran was “serious” about the negotiations, as his negotiators warned they would not back down on some of the thorniest issues of the decade-long dispute. Negotiations are set to resume in Vienna on February 18 and 19 between Iran and the so-called P5+1 - Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China plus Germany.

Building on a breakthrough interim deal reached in November, negotiators hope to eventually reach a comprehensive accord to allay international concerns that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability, allegations denied by Tehran. Iran made progress in separate but parallel negotiations over the weekend with the UN nuclear watchdog by agreeing to divulge information that could shed light on allegations of possible past weapons research.

Under a deal reached in Tehran with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran will explain its need for sophisticated detonators that could be used to initiate a nuclear chain reaction. But yesterday, deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, who is also a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, said “the defence-related issues are a red line for Iran. “We will not allow such issues to be discussed in future talks,” he said.

The US lead negotiator in the talks, Wendy Sherman, last week told a Senate hearing that Iran’s ballistic missile programme would be addressed in the comprehensive deal. The missile program - targeted by UN Security Council sanctions - worries Western powers, as Iran boasts long-range missiles with a maximum range of 2,000 km, enough to reach Israel. Sherman also argued that Iran does not require an unfinished heavy water reactor in Arak - which could one day produce plutonium as a by-product - nor the underground Fordo uranium enrichment site for its civilian nuclear program.

But another Iranian nuclear negotiator, Majid Takhte Ravanchi, yesterday reiterated that Iran would not accept the closure of “any of its nuclear sites”. The Arak site is of international concern because Iran could theoretically extract weapons-grade plutonium from spent fuel if it also builds a reprocessing facility. Last week, nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran could make changes to Arak’s design to produce less plutonium and “allay the worries.”

‘Lack of trust’ Salehi has also said Iran would refuse to give up enrichment to 20 percent, a few technical steps short of weapons-grade material. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on key state matters, “has said that Iran should not give up its right to enrich (uranium) to 20 percent,” Salehi said. Salehi also announced the development of a new type of centrifuge “15 times more powerful” than those currently being used to enrich uranium. The November deal stipulates that Tehran stops 20 percent enrichment for six months while transforming its current stockpile into a form that is more difficult to refine.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s top negotiator, said Monday the talks in Vienna would be “difficult”, while anticipating that a framework for future negotiations would be discussed. “The biggest challenge is the lack of trust,” he added. Tehran-based analyst Mohammad Ali Shabani said the progress in talks with the IAEA may help smooth the negotiations with the P5+1. “The new agreement is a good indicator that Iran is serious in its commitment to a political solution to the nuclear issue, and is indeed ready to resolve all outstanding issues with the IAEA,” Shabani told AFP. The Vienna-based UN watchdog seeks to probe allegations that Iran’s nuclear work prior to 2003, and possibly since, had “possible military dimensions”. IAEA chief inspector Tero Varjoranta said Monday Tehran’s promise to provide “information and explanations” for the development of Exploding Bridge Wire (EBW) detonators was only a “first step”. These detonators can have non-nuclear applications, the IAEA said in a November 2011 report, but are mainly used in weapons research, making Iran’s stated development of them a “matter of concern.” The 2011 report detailed information made available to the IAEA, much of it thought to have been provided by Western and Israeli intelligence, about “possible military dimensions” of Iran’s program. —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.

Switzerland vote is boon for far-right

By Alain Jean-Robert

A

nti-EU parties already expected to do well in European Parliament elections in May claim the Swiss vote to curb immigration vindicates their stand. “ What the Swiss can do, we can do too,” said Geert Wilders, leader of Holland’s extreme-right PVV. France’s extreme right National Front party too hailed “the Swiss people’s lucidity,” calling for Paris to stop “mass immigration” while Austria’s far-right FPO party said the country would vote the same way given the chance.

“With the (Swiss) referendum, it becomes more likely that the anti-Europeans will represent the biggest group in the European parliament, with a quarter of the MEPs,” German daily Tagesspiegel said.

Up until the last moment, Brussels had hoped Swiss voters would reject the siren call of the right in one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Brussels had warned Switzerland it could not cherry-pick which EU accords it liked or not in a relationship based on dozens of bilateral agreements, especially in trade. Instead, 50.3 percent of voters agreed with the country right-wing SVP’s call to curb migrantion, prompting the European Commission to say it had no option but to “examine the implications of this initia-

tive on EU-Swiss relations as a whole”.

The “ball is in Switzerland’s court,” a Commission spokeswoman said Monday, describing freedom of movement as a “fundamental, non-negotiable” EU value. The global financial crash, the eurozone debt crisis and then a deep recession have made EU citizens wary of what

Brussels has to offer, stoking a sense of general insecurity.

Worse still, as Brussels took on more powers to tame the crisis through austerity, EU rules became more deeply involved in their daily lives but to no immediate benefit as the economy struggles and unemployment runs at record highs.

Against that backdrop, it is

no surprise that voters are disillusioned and looking for alternatives, analysts said. “In the 28 member states, a growing number of voters share this same sense of rejection, based on the same fears,” said JeanYves Camus, analyst at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) in Paris.

An old steamroller painted with the EU stars stands in Kloten, Switzerland yesterday. The choice by Swiss voters to re-impose curbs on immigration is sending shockwaves throughout the European Union. —AP

Swiss vote, ‘strong impact’ on May polls “ The outcome will have a strong impact on the Euro-sceptic parties,” said Daniela Schwarzer, director of the European Programme for the German Marshall Fund in Berlin.

Schwarzer said popular discontent with the EU has grown steadily, driven in part by the poor economic outlook, and immigration has become the lightning rod for a whole range of grievances. The extremist parties, to both left and right, have seen the opening and moved the topic “into the mainstream,” Schwarzer said. “What this (Swiss vote) does reflect is that there is growing concern around the impact that free movement can have,” British Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokesman said yesterday. “That is why the prime minister and other ministers have been raising this issue, and will continue to do so, with their counterparts across the EU.” Schwarzer said the mainstream political parties “will have to look at the reasons why (immigration) has become such an issue.” The pro-EU parties “have to make clear a political agenda to offer some degree of (social) protection,” she said, but this is a long-term project, without a quick fix. “It will be very difficult for the moderates to turn this around by May,” Schwarzer added. —AFP

An expensive trip for Palestinians to Jordan

By Abdullah H Erakat

I

t has three names. But for the majority of Palestinians, it serves one purpose as the sole gateway to the rest of the world. Known to them as Al Karameh Bridge, Israelis refer to it as Gesher Allenby and the Jordanians as the King Hussein Bridge. West Bank residents who use it have to trek to the city of Jericho. But before hopping on the first bus of three to begin their quest to Jordan, they have to pay an exit tax. It’s this $43 fee, collected

by Palestinian customs authorities that has caused a row and prompted the independent Palestinian group “Beh Karameh (With Dignity)” to file a lawsuit against the Palestinian Finance Ministry and minister Shukri Bishara.

While Palestinians accept paying a departure tax, they say the current price is too high. This does not include the $4 ticket for the bus or the $.90 for each bag that adults and children have to pay - an amount that goes to the Abdo Palestinian Bus Company. Speaking on the condition of anonymity because he would lose his job if it was discovered he spoke to press, an employee working on the Palestinian side of the bridge told The Media Line that West Bank residents are constantly complaining about the departure tax. Others he say, experience ‘shocks.’ “Recently, an old (Palestinian) woman from the north (northern West Bank) started cursing out the Palestinian Authority,” he said lighting a cigarette. “She was loud, swearing at

them over and over. Then the police came and kindly escorted her to the management office where she told them she did not want to pay the tax.” Eventually, the bridge employee, a resident of Jericho, said she did pay. He also says that the amount is slated to rise again soon; something sure to cause more anger among Palestinian travelers.

The Protocol on Economic relations (Paris Protocol), the economic agreement signed in 1994 between the Israelis and Palestine Liberation Organization, within the framework of the Oslo Accords, states the departure tax should be $26 dollars with ten dollars of it going to the Palestinian Authority, the rest to Israel.

Currently, travelers are paying $43. “All we need from the Palestinian government is stop collecting the travel tax at the Jericho station,” Beh Karameh President, Talat Alawi told The Media Line. “We as Palestinians do not have to collect money for the Israeli government.”

A spokesman for the Israel Borders Authority told The Media Line that the fee is in line with all Israeli-Palestinian agreements. He said that tourists crossing the bridge pay an even higher toll. “ The amount of the exit tax was amended in 1988 to reflect changes in the dollarshekel exchange rate, and in accordance with the Israeli government,” spokesman Ofer Leffler told The Media Line, adding that Israel has recently invested almost $4 million in infrastructure at the bridge, and extended the opening hours. The

Palestinian Ministry of Finance says it is not getting this money monthly according to what was agreed upon after the Oslo Accords.

The ministry’s Media and Public Relations director general Rami Mehdawi told The Media Line that Israel punishes the Palestinian government by withholding its’ tax money “whenever they feel like” and not distributing it. According to the Paris Protocol, Israel is required to transfer Palestinian tax revenues to the PA on a monthly basis. The Israeli Border Authority spokesman said the money is transferred according to the law. In the past, Israel has occasionally withheld this money, but that has not happened since Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid took office a year ago.

‘Piracy’ Mehdawi said that while his ministry believes all citizens may lawfully file complaints against the Palestinian Authority (PA), in this case, the Palestinian independent group is suing the wrong people. “The (Israeli) occupation is to blame. If an Israeli soldier shoots a Palestinian, do you file suit against the PA or Israeli government?” he asks. He says what Israel is doing is ‘piracy.’

“What’s tragic is that we collect it in cash and transfer it on a daily basis to the Israeli government and then have to wait for them to give us our share,” said Alawi. “But on a number of occasions, for “punishment” reasons, the state of Israel withholds this money.”

And while he agrees with Mehdawi,

Alawi says the PA should accept its’ responsibilities. “Every time we have something against the (PA) government, they bring up the Israeli side. Stop collecting the (departure) tax and in 24 hours, you will see that we have filed a lawsuit against the Israelis.” The Allenby Bridge spans the Jordan River and connects the West Bank with Jordan. It is the only designated exit and entry point for Palestinians residing in the West Bank - traveling in and out. Travelers cross through six inspection points - Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian.

Alawi says in the winter 3,000 Palestinians use the bridge daily while in the summer, the number can go as high as 7,000 to 8,000. Annually, he says 1.5 million Palestinians leave and enter the West Bank. He adds that in the winter, the whole process can take four or five hours, while in the summer, it can take most of a day. Comprised of volunteers, ‘Beh Karameh’ was founded in 2009 and receives no financial support from the Palestinian Authority. It says it seeks only to improve the travel aspect for Palestinians. In 2009, the group succeeded in getting the Palestinian Authority to remove a $2 fee to enter the Jericho side of the crossing, which was put in place in 1994 after the Oslo accords. “Palestinians pay $100 before even getting to Jordan $43 of it which is this departure tax,” Alawi said. Alawi is confident the case against the Palestinian Authority will end with the exit tax being cancelled or reduced. —Media Line

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

S P ORTS

Ryder, Bracewell axed for late-night drinking

Socceroos face Ecuador in World Cup warm-up

Pistons fire head coach Cheeks in half a season

WELLINGTON: Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell have been dropped from the New Zealand squad for the second test against India starting on Friday as punishment for going on a late-night drinking session on the eve of the first test in Auckland.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told reporters in Auckland yesterday that team officials had lost confidence in the pair and they would not be considered for the Wellington match, although Bracewell was already ruled out with a broken foot.

“We need to make sure that all our players prepare themselves accordingly for test cricket, and at the moment we don’t have confidence that that’s the case,” Hesson said of the visit to an Auckland bar until the early hours of Thursday. “Both Jesse and Doug did not prepare themselves well for the test match and we’re certainly very disappointed about that.

“We’re dealing with grown men. If a player was to have a beer with their meal before a game, we don’t have an issue with that at all.

“But there’s a big difference between that and what occurred the night before the test match.”

New Zealand won the first match of the two-test series by 40 runs late on the fourth day on Sunday and Hesson was annoyed that Ryder and Bracewell’s behaviour was still detracting from that performance. “The fact that we’ve won a test match yesterday and the fact the first few questions are based around off-field incidents is clearly an extreme disappointment for the team,” Hesson said. — Reuters

SYDNEY: Australia will play fellow 2014 World Cup finalists Ecuador in an international friendly in London next month, Football Federation Australia (FFA) said yesterday.

It will be the final match Socceroos’ coach Ange Postecoglou will have to give any fringe players an opportunity to push their claims for his squad at the tournament in Brazil before they re-assemble in May ahead of the June 12-July 13 showpiece.

“Were excited to have secured the match against Ecuador, which offers us a good test against South American opposition leading into the World Cup,” Postecoglou said in a FFA statement yesterday.

“This is also the last match we will play before we get together in May for our final World Cup preparations so its important that we can build on the first positive steps we took in the match against Costa Rica late last year.”

The clash will be the first between the two teams and will be at English Championship (second division) side Millwall’s ‘The Den’ stadium in southeast London on March 5.

Australia are in Group B at the World Cup with defending champions Spain, the Netherlands and Chile, while Ecuador are in Group E with Switzerland, France and Honduras. — Reuters

NEW YORK: The Detroit Pistons have fired head coach Maurice Cheeks after barely half a season in charge of the National Basketball Association team, the club announced on Sunday. Cheeks became the first NBA head coach fired this season. “This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change,” President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. The Pistons are ninth in the Eastern Conference this season at 21-29, though they have won their past two games. “Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores.

“We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress.” Cheeks, 57, was appointed coach in June on a two-year deal. An NBA point guard for 15 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia 76ers where he was part of the 1983 championship-winning team, Cheeks previously served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and 76ers. “The leadership and player development qualities he brings as a former player and coach blends nicely with the roster we are building for the future,” Dumars said at the time of the hiring.

“He’s won an NBA championship, coached in two NBA Finals as an assistant coach and mentored some of the top young players in the NBA.” —Reuters

Zimbabwe cricketers on strike again HARARE: Zimbabwe’s cricketers went on strike again yesterday and refused to start a domestic Twenty20 tournament after payments promised by the national board to end a two-month standoff weren’t received.

A representative of Zimbabwe’s players’ association said they also wouldn’t hesitate to pull out of next month’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh if they aren’t paid. He said the national board, Zimbabwe Cricket, had been “insincere” with its players.

Players from all the five provincial sides decided to boycott the T20 competition due to open Monday after a meeting at Harare Sports Club, the venue for the tournament. They decided to go home after payments didn’t appear in bank accounts in the morning, as agreed by ZC at a meeting over a week ago to end the strike.

“ZC has been insincere in their dealing with the players,” Eliah Zvimba, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers Association, said. “At the moment we have reached a boiling point.”

Zvimba said the problem needed to be dealt with “once and for all.” Zimbabwe’s national squad briefly returned to training last week, but the latest strike will have more ramifications for their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup starting on Mar. 16.

Zimbabwe hasn’t played international cricket since September, when the home test series against Pakistan was also undermined by threatened strikes over non-payment. The struggling board recently canceled tours by Sri Lanka and Afghanistan because of its financial problems and also turned down a one-off test

HARARE: Zimbabwe domestic franchise cricket players sit back as players boycott a domestic T20 tournament ahead of the T20 World Cup. — AFP against South Africa. There has been no domes- poor state. They have huge debts,” Streak said. tic cricket in Zimbabwe for two months. ZC “To get yourself out of that is hard. There are in a owes a total of around $217,000 to its centrally trap. With the reputation ZC has no one can give contracted players, Zvimba said, and more to them things on credit. It’s virtually impossible franchise players. Former Zimbabwe captain for them to get things back to normal again.”

Zimbabwe Cricket reportedly has debts of Heath Streak said the national body’s finances $18 million and has requested a loan from the were in a mess.

“The thing is ZC allowed things to get to this International Cricket Council. — AP

ECB: Pietersen axed because team need to ‘trust each other’ QATAR: Tom Boonen (left) of Belgium and the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team receives his trophy on the podium after winning stage two of the Tour of Qatar from the Camel Race Track to Al-Khor Corniche. — AFP

Boonen wins Tour of Qatar stage DOHA: Tom Boonen claimed the Tour of Qatar second stage yesterday, the former world champion fending off Denmark’s Michael Morkov in a sprint finish.

The 33-year-old Belgian’s Omega Pharma teammate, Niki Terpstra of the Netherlands, retained the leader’s yellow jersey. Boonen is back in action after missing the second half of last year, including the world championships in Florence, due to a saddle injury.

Boonen and Morkov were joined on the podium after yesterday’s 160-kilometre ride from the Camel Race Track to Al Khor by another Belgian, Jurgen Roelandts. “The final 40 kilometres, with the wind on our backs, we were riding at 60-70kmh ,”

reported Boonen.

He added: “Towards the finish we were all dead, you could see that by the fact that only five or six riders took part in the sprint finish.” This was Boonen’s 21st stage win in Qatar in an event he has already captured four times. “Generally, when I do well in Qatar the rest of the season goes well. I hope it’ll be the same this year.”

Terpstra holds a 14-second advantage over Boonen in the overall standings, with the Belgian reflecting: “It’s not going to be easy to make up that time in tomorrow’s time trial, even if I’m going to give my all.”

Today’s third stage, a 10.9km race against the clock, is being held at the Losail motor racing track near Doha. — AFP

Pakistan PM sacks PCB KARACHI: The Pakistan government dismissed the country’s cricket board yesterday and appointed an ad-hoc committee to run the sport.

Following an order from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, an 11-member committee will run cricket in the country, replacing the Zaka Ashraf-led

LAHORE: Ousted Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf speaks on a cell phone in Lahore.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has removed the country’s cricket chief Zaka Ashraf in the latest twist to a long-running saga dogging the national board. —AFP Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), of which Sharif is the chief patron. “Zaka Ashraf has been dismissed on several charges by the Prime minister, who is a great lover of the sport,” Shakil Sheikh, a member of the committee, told Geo News

channel.

“The charges include that he (Ashraf ) left Pakistan isolated in world cricket with his mishandling of the big three issue and there were also financial mismanagement and appointments in his tenure.”

Pakistan and Sri Lanka abstained from voting on Saturday when the International Cricket Council board passed structural and financial reforms to effective place India, England and Australia in charge of the game.

The new committee includes former test players Zaheer Abbas and Iqbal Qasim and former board chiefs Shaharyar Khan and Najam Sethi.

According to a government notification, the committee will nominate a chairman to head the administration.

Ashraf was reinstated as the PCB chairman last month by the Islamabad High Court after filing an appeal against his dismissal by a single bench of the same court in May last year.

The single bench had declared the election process during which Ashraf was elected last year as malafide and polluted and dismissed him, following which the government appointed Sethi as acting chairman. “I am still the chairman of the board and this notification has no bearing on my position,” a defiant Ashraf told Geo News. “This decision will only further weaken Pakistan’s position in international cricket and I will decide on what legal recourse to take soon,” he said. — Reuters

LONDON: Kevin Pietersen’s international career was ended because captain Alastair Cook needed to be able to trust and rely on the support of all his players, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Sunday. The controversial batsman’s England career finished on Tuesday when he was left out of the squad for this month’s one-day tour of West Indies and the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March. “The team needs to rebuild after the whitewash in Australia,” the ECB said in a statement, referring to the 5-0 Test defeat Down Under.

“To do that we must invest in our captain Alastair Cook and we must support him in creating a culture in which we can be confident he will have the full support of all players, with everyone pulling in the same direction and able to trust each other.

“It is for those reasons we have decided to move on without Kevin Pietersen.” The ECB had come under-fire for not disclosing the reasons for sacking Pietersen, with friends of the South African-born 33-year-old, current and former players and media commentators wading into the debate.

Television personality Piers Morgan and England wicketkeeper Matt Prior engaged in a spat on social media. Pietersen’s only pub-

lic comment was contained in the original statement announcing his sacking, during which he said he regretted he would not be playing for England again. “Following the announcement of that decision, allegations have been made, some from people outside cricket, which as well as attacking the rationale of the ECB’s decision-making, have questioned, without justification, the integrity of the England team director and some of England’s players,” the ECB said on Sunday.

“Clearly what happens in the dressing room or team meetings should remain in that environment and not be distributed to people not connected with the team. This is a core principle of any sports team and any such action would constitute a breach of trust and team ethics.

TOTAL RESPECT “ Whilst respecting that principle it is important to stress that (former coach) Andy Flower, Alastair Cook and Matt Prior, who have all been singled out for uninformed and unwarranted criticism, retain the total confidence and respect of all the other members of the Ashes party.”

Pietersen scored 8,181 runs in 104 tests, including 23 centuries, and more than 4,000

runs in one-day internationals but he was never far from controversy.

His impact on and off the field was dramatic and he was dropped over “provocative” text messages sent to opposition players during a test series against South Africa in 2012 before being reintegrated into the squad. Following England’s drubbing in Australia, however, media reports emerged of more problems. Pietersen, for his part, said he wanted to keep playing in all three formats of the game until at least 2015. The ECB offered additional support for Cook, Prior and Flower on Sunday.

“These are men who care deeply about the fortunes of the England team and its image and it is ironic they were the people who led the re -integration of Kevin Pietersen into the England squad in 2012,” the ruling body said. Pietersen, no longer contracted to the ECB, is now likely to turn his attention to lucrative Twenty20 competitions in India and other countries and possibly move into the media. “The ECB recognises the significant contribution Kevin has made to England teams over the last decade,” said the board. “He has played some of the finest innings ever produced by an England batsman.” — Reuters Preview

Pace battle as S Africa, Australia square up CENTURION: Batsmen can expect a torrid time when South Africa and Australia square up at SuperSport Park tomorrow in the first of three Test matches. Both teams have formidable fast bowling attacks at a venue which usually favors fast bowlers.

South Africa’s battery is spearheaded by Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn, who are first and second in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings, while Morne Morkel is 13th.

Australian fast bowlers Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson are third, fifth and ninth respectively. Australian captain Michael Clarke claimed after a crushing 5-0 Ashes series win over England that his side had the best bowling attack in the world - an assertion he repeated when he arrived in South Africa.

South African captain Graeme Smith said his world champion team would not be drawn into a war of words. “We just want to focus on ourselves and get ourselves ready,” he said when his team assembled an unusually early nine days before the start of the series.

While South Africa had a three-day practice match against a composite team, Australia’s only scheduled warm-up game in Potchefstroom was cancelled because of persistent heavy rain.

But the tourists have had some hard workouts in the nets, with the fast bowlers encour-

aged to go flat out against the batsmen, as well as a makeshift practice game.

Both teams have selection challenges. It will be the first series for South Africa since the retirement of star all-rounder Jacques Kallis, their leading batsmen of the past decade.

Faf du Plessis is slated to move up to take Kallis’ place at number four in the batting order to enable AB de Villiers to continue to keep wicket and bat at five.

All-rounders Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell are competing for the vacancy left by Kallis. McLaren is the steadier player but leftarmer Parnell bowls with greater pace and could be a better attacking option. After playing all five Ashes Tests with the same eleven, Australia will be forced to make at least two changes.

Batsman George Bailey was dropped, while allrounder Shane Watson was ruled out of the first Test with a calf strain.

Uncapped Alex Doolan is the favourite to take over from Watson at number three, while Phil Hughes and Shaun Marsh will be in contention for the remaining batting place.

Moises Henriques could also come into contention if Australia opt for an all-rounder to augment the bowling attack of Harris, Siddle, Johnson and off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

Both batting line-ups could be vulnerable

against high-quality fast bowling. Despite eventually winning all five matches comfortably, Australia were in trouble several times against England.

South Africa’s batting has been solid in recent times but Kallis will be missed. Hashim Amla and JP Duminy had poor series against India recently, while Smith was troubled by Johnson in particular when South Africa lost at home to Australia in 2008/09 - the last time South Africa were beaten in a Test series.

Centurion has been a stronghold for South Africa, who have won 14 out of 18 Test matches at the ground. Three matches were drawn and only one was lost - a contrived finish against England in 1999/2000.

South Africa (likely): Graeme Smith (captain), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (capt), JP Duminy, Robin Peterson, Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel.

Australia (likely): Michael Clarke (captain), Chris Rogers, David Warner, Alex Doolan, Steve Smith, Phil Hughes or Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin (wkt), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Richard Illingworth (ENG) TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG).

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI). — AFP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

S P ORTS

Michael Sam bravely comes out, now what?

NEW YORK: Michael Sam could’ve taken the - well, not the easy, but certainly the easier - way out by staying mum on his sexual orientation, at least until after the NFL draft.

Instead, one of the nation’s top college football players bravely decided to speak now, to tell the world he is gay at a time when NFL teams are grading the guys they’ll be picking in a couple of months.

This is not Jason Collins, as courageous as he was, coming out at the end of his NBA career. This is a young man just getting started as a professional, after leading Missouri to one of the best seasons in school history. Finally, we’ll get to see how this plays out, an openly gay player lining up in America’s most popular sport. Finally, we’ll get to see what barriers we’ve broken down and, more important, what hurdles remain when someone acknowledges they are gay, then competes with and against guys who may be repelled by the notion of having a relationship with another man.

Because of Sam, it will be easier for the next guy.

And the guy after that. But for all the progress this country has made in gay rights, there will surely be plenty of ugliness in the weeks and months and years to come.

LOT OF CRITICISM “The reality is: Michael Sam is going to open himself up to a lot of criticism and a lot of challenges,” said former NFL offensive lineman Frank Garcia, now a sports radio show host in Charlotte.

“Those are challenges most gay people have to go through, but when you are dealing with alpha males and some meatheads in an NFL locker room, it’s amplified. And there are some guys who have strong religious beliefs too, so he’s going to be judged. He’s going to face some things that are going to be very difficult to overcome.”

We’ve already gotten more than a glimpse at what Sam will face. At last year’s Super Bowl, San Francisco cornerback Chris Culliver made a fool of himself when jokingly asked by comedian Artie Lange if he would ever pursue a gay man.

“Ain’t got no gay people on the team,” Culliver said. “They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff.” A few years ago, I broached the idea of having an openly gay teammate to several players in the Atlanta Braves clubhouse. One freely conceded he would be uncomfortable dressing or showering in front of someone he knew was gay, and I’ve long suspected he was not alone in that attitude. Anyone who has ever been in a sports lock-

er room knows what a macho world that can be, where distasteful - even hurtful - words are thrown around with shocking frequency.

BULLIED AND HARASSED Just ask Jonathan Martin, the offensive lineman who walked away from the Miami Dolphins this past season, claiming he had been bullied and harassed daily by teammate Richie Incognito and others.

Eight NFL executives and coaches, interviewed by SI.com and given anonymity so they could give their true opinions, revealed the daunting challenges that Sam set himself up for by coming out ahead of the draft. Before he spoke, the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year was projected as a midto late-round draft pick. Now, according to everyone interviewed by SI.com, his stock will certainly plummet. “I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down,” said a veteran NFL scout. “Do you want to be the team to, quote-unquote, break that barrier?”

MAN’S-MAN GAME A player personnel assistant added, “I don’t think football is ready for it just yet. In the coming decade or two, it’s going to be acceptable, but at this point

in time it’s still a man’s-man game. To call somebody a (gay slur) is still so commonplace.”

Imagine what Sam might face on the field, in a sport where it’s not all that unusual for a player to exact his own version of justice with a low blow or a dirty block. But there’s some encouraging signs, as well. Sam came out in August to his teammates and coaches at Missouri, and it sure didn’t seem to have any negative impact on the Tigers. They went 12-2, won the SEC East Division title, and defeated Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. Sam, a 6-foot-2, 255-pound defensive end, led the conference in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19).

“Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, he’s taught a lot of people here firsthand that it doesn’t matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, we’re all on the same team and we all support each other,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “If Michael doesn’t have the support of his teammates like he did this past year, I don’t think there’s any way he has the type of season he put together.”

Let’s hope there’s another team, another group of players that feels the same way, that judges Sam by what he can do on a football field. Nothing more.

Nothing less. It’s time. — AP

Italy, Australia, Germany into Fed Cup semi-finals

Kuwait Shooting Club board members and representatives from ministries during the press conference.

Kuwait gears up for shooting tourney

By Abellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: President of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federation, Engr Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi said HH the Amir Third International Shooting Tournament which will start on March 7 at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Shooting Olympic Shooting Complex will be distinguished and different from the previous two tournaments. This time the tournament will see three competitions shotgun, rifle and sporting, as all events will be under the patronage of HH the Amir.

Engr Al-Otaibi was speaking during a press conference held Sunday evening in the presence of KSSC vice chairman Mohammad Karam, Secretary General Obaid Al-Osaimi, Treasurer Essa Bu-Taiban, Assistant Secretary Engr Mohammad AlGhurba as well as representatives from concerned state ministries. Al-Otaibi said this tournament will qualify winners to the youth Olympic games to be held in China, as 45 countries already expressed their wish to participate bringing the number of shooters to 600, compared with last year’s tournament in which 33 countries were present.

He said many countries were motivated to participate because the tournament holds the name of HH the Amir with its outstanding shooters who made several achievements at the Olympic and international levels, in addition to Kuwait shooters who are well known around the world. He said Kuwait Shooting Club was very active, under the leadership of its President Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud AlSabah, who is President of the Asian

Duaij Al-Otaibi Shooting Confederation and ISSF Vicepresident, in organizing international and regional tournaments that received praise from all.

Al-Otaibi said it is expected to have 26 countries participating from Africa, Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, in addition to other countries who will send shooters to specially participate in this particular event. He said that the President of ASC instructed that a preparatory camp be held for participating shooters under the supervision of international coaches, as a support from him to Arab and Asian shooters. He said the mission of Kuwait Shooting Club is to strengthen relations between Kuwait and other countries in the field of the shooting sport while working on developing the technical and administrative aspects. Al-Otaibi thanked representative of government ministries and authorities for their support to make this tournament a success.

Li Na: I can do better DOHA: Li Na, the Chinese star who won her second Grand Slam title last month and will earn a world number two ranking this week, believes the best is yet to come.

The 31-year-old has top seed status at this week’s Qatar Open, the $2,440,000 event which is her first since her Australian Open triumph two weeks ago.

“I don’t think this is the best moment of my career - the year is only just beginning.

I can’t just say I did well in the first one,” Li insisted, referring to the Melbourne success. “There’s another ten months in the year. She added: “It’s only February, so I can’t say it’s the best yet. The future may be better. There are many more months in the year. I am confident I can still do well, so I want to prove what I can do.”

What makes Li feel confident of continuing to do well is that her feelings after winning the Australian Open are unlike those after winning her first Grand Slam title, at the French Open in Paris nearly three years ago. “It feels much, much different,” she said. “It feels much better than my first big win. After Melbourne I was feeling not excited like the first one (Paris). That’s because I know what happens. I have been feeling much more relaxed.”

INFORMED APPROACH This different feeling has made possible a different, more informed approach which Li believes may produce her best tennis again in the future - and, with average luck, further big successes.

“After the second one (Grand Slam title) I started training hard straight away. Carlos

(Rodriguez, her coach) helped me a lot to do that. I’m feeling much stronger when problems come up and I can be free of them. It makes my tennis life much easier.”

Li has also analysed the benefits as well as the difficulties of reaching mature years, and thinks she can turn this knowledge to her advantage.

“When you turn 30 people say you are old. For me I was really happy because now I am healthy and feeling stronger than before.

“Age doesn’t mean anything. It’s a question of how you handle it, how you use it.

With age you get so much more experience which you can use. “I take care of myself better. You can see I never got injuries except when I fell over! Otherwise I never got an injury.

“I have learned how to do things to avoid that. I have learned many things, for instance what I should eat and what I can’t eat. I don’t want to lose energy.

“I like spicy food but during a tournament I don’t eat that because it’s not always good for your stomach. I don’t really like pasta, but I actually will eat that because it gives more energy.”

Li will begin tomorrow against either Francesca Schiavone, the Italian who is also a former French Open champion and similarly a 30-plus aged player, or Magdalena Rybarikova, a good all-court player from Slovakia who is pushing to get inside the top 30. If she survives that, she could well face Sloane Stephens, the ambitious 20year-old American who has already broken into the world’s top 20. —AFP

PARIS: Italy kept their Fed Cup title defence on track Sunday, downing the United States to join Australia and Germany in the semi-finals of the women’s tennis competition.

Karin Knapp claimed the decisive third point for Italy, giving them an unbeatable 3-0 lead with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over American Alison Riske.

The holders won’t know their opponents for the April 19-20 semi-finals until late yesterday, after rain in Seville forced decisive matches in Spain’s clash with the Czech Republic to be pushed back with the hosts holding a 1-0 lead. Both Italy and the United States were without their top players for the tie on an indoor hard court in Cleveland, Ohio.

Italy, seeking a fifth Fed Cup in nine years, were without Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta, while the United States were without injured stars Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens.

But Knapp, ranked 40th in the world, came through with two victories. She opened the tie with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Christina McHale on Saturday, when Camila Giorgi crushed US teen Madison Keys 6-2, 6-1. In the meaningless doubles match, Keys and Lauren Davis teamed up to beat Nastassja Burnett and Alice Matteucci 6-2, 6-3 and prevent the whitewash, giving Italy a final 3-1 triumph. US captain Mary Joe Fernandez opted to substitute Riske for Keys in Sunday’s reverse singles, hoping her more aggressive style would prove troublesome for the Italian.

Instead, Knapp broke Riske seven times, and while the Italian’s nerves got the better of her in her first two chances to serve for the match, she finished it off in style with a love game punctuated by a service winner on her first match point.

“I got a little bit nervous,” Knapp admitted. “I got a little bit of emotion. At the end, the last game, I served again better. I think this was the key.” In Hobart, Australia ensured their place in the next round for the first time in 21 years with a crushing Samantha Stosur-inspired 4-0 defeat of Russia. The 2011 US Open champion added to her Saturday sin-

PARIS: French Fed Cup team celebrates after winning the first round tennis tie against Switzerland at the Pierre de Coubertin stadium. France won 3-2. — AFP gles win when seeing off FedCup newcomer Victoria Kan 6-2, 6-3 in Sunday’s opening rubber to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead. Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua sealed a 4-0 clean sweep over the Russians with an emphatic 6-1, 6-3 doubles win over Irina Khromacheva and Valeria Solovyeva.

“We’re still in it, so we have a chance to win it,” Stosur said of Australia’s prospects of claiming the title for the first time since 1974. First though they will have to overcome Germany, waiting for them in the semis. The Germans, who were last crowned champions in 1992, qualified 3-1 after Angelique Kerber defeated Slovakia’s Australian Open runnerup Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in the first of

the reverse singles in Bratislava.

Kerber had already beaten Daniela Hantuchova 7-6 (11/9), 6-1 in the second of Saturday’s two singles, after Andrea Petkovic had saved a match point en route to a 1-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 win over Cibulkova.

“It was tough, so I was just trying to play point-bypoint. I think I played well, I moved well, I mixed it up well, sometimes aggressive, sometimes defensive, and I’m so happy that we’re now through,” Kerber said. Slovakia picked up their point courtesy of Jana Cepelova and Magdalena Rybarikova’s 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 doubles win over Julia Goerges and AnnaLena Groenefeld. This is the first time Germany have graced the last four since 1995. — AFP

Walker hangs on to win at Pebble Beach PEBBLE BEACH: Jimmy Walker did it the hard way, almost squandering a huge lead before registering a nervous one-stroke victory to continue his hot start to the season at the $6.6 million Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Sunday.

Walker began the day with a six-stroke lead but he made hard work of it with consecutive bogeys at the 12th and 13th holes that opened the door to his rivals at Pebble Beach.

He steadied the ship down the stretch for the most part, hitting a series of precise shots, before a three-putt bogey at the penultimate hole left him with a tenuous one-stroke lead going to the parfive 18th. But Walker managed a nervous par, sinking a five-footer to stagger across the finish line with the victory after running his first putt past the hole. “I hate three-putting,” Walker told the Golf Channel. “I had a couple but managed not to do it on the last hole. I made a really good putt.

“I tried to blank everything out that was going on, tried to go about it as businesslike as possible.”

He carded a two-over 74 to finish at 11-under-par 276, with fellow Americans Dustin Johnson (66) and Jim Renner (67) equal second on 10 under par.

It was Walker’s third victory in eight starts at the start of the season - a feat achieved since 1995 only by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval, according to the PGA Tour. The 35-year-old from Oklahoma collected nearly $1.2 million to increase his lead on the PGA Tour money list with more than $3.6 million and his lead in the FedEx Cup points standings. Walker was relieved rather

than ecstatic, admitting that trying to protect a big lead was an unnerving experience. “It’s a different feeling when you’ve got a lead like that,” he said.

“You know pars are going to be good enough. I just struggled a bit with the speed of some of those greens and some of the chipping.” About the tournament-winning putt, he said: “I was thinking good set-up, keep your head down, don’t watch the putt, make a good stroke. I think I peeked on 17 and so learned from it.”

NECK SETBACK He may seem like an overnight success, but in reality he has steadily progressed since 2008, when he finished 192nd on the FedEx Cup standings.

Three years earlier, he badly hurt his neck during a practice swing, an injury that was diagnosed as a bulged disc and caused him to miss most of the 2005 season.

That setback no doubt delayed his emergence as a big-time player, but he has improved his ranking every year since, and last season finished 26th on the list despite not winning.

He finally broke through in his 188th start to win the opening event of the 2013-14 “wraparound” season last October.

Walker said that victory taught him the importance of staying on an emotional even keel - something he needed to draw on Sunday as the lead seeped away. He seemed to be cruising to victory when he made a 10-foot birdie at the 11th hole to take a six-stroke lead. —Reuters

PEBBLE BEACH: Jimmy Walker poses with the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. — AFP

WADA to speed up doping probe NAIROBI: A team from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is in Kenya to try to speed up investigations into doping which have stalled due to lack of funds.

The WADA officials are due to meet with the Kenyan sports minister, Hassan Wario, and the members of a 12-member special taskforce that was appointed by the government last November to investigate allegations of widespread doping among Kenyan athletes.

The taskforce, which was given two months to complete the investigations and submit their report to the government, has threatened to wind up its work due to financial constraints, having conducted just 23 days of investigations.

“What we have done is very little compared

to what we anticipated to do,” the taskforce vicechair, Njeri Onyango, told AFP. “We have only interviewed three out of the nearly 30 athletes who have been suspended due to drug-related offences. We have not even done any investigations into rugby, football and volleyball which are the big Kenyan sports,” she said.

“We also need to go back to the training camps in Iten and Eldoret, and also visit the random-testing centres to see the efficiency of the anti-doping measures being carried out,” she added.

The commission says it has spent 4.5 million shillings ($55,000) and needed a further 18 million shillings ($208,000) to complete their inves-

tigations.

Kenya has been under pressure to act on the issue of doping since a German television investigation in 2013 alleged that banned drugs including the blood booster EPO were readily available.

Since January 2012, increased tests have netted 17 Kenyan cheats. While none of them have been big-name record breakers, the findings have contradicted previous assertions from Athletics Kenya that its runners are spotless.

The allegations have cast a shadow over Kenya, famed for its record-breaking runners who hold world records from the 800m through to the marathon and where running is a major source of national pride and, in some communi-

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

S P ORTS

Hazard gunning for West Brom WEST BROMWICH: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho may have played down his side’s Premier League title chances, but in-form forward Eden Hazard admits that he has been dreaming of winning the league.

Hazard’s hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday means that Mourinho’s side will travel to West Bromwich Albion today a point clear at the head of the table with a third of the season remaining.

The run-in is about to gather pace and the Belgium winger has revealed that thoughts of lifting the championship trophy are already disturbing his sleep.

Following the weekend win, Hazard told Chelsea TV: “Top of the league. I go in my bed, I dream. I hope at the end of the season it will be the same. “It’s a pleasure to play for this team and to work for that.”

Hazard’s personal contribution has been one of the main factors underpinning Chelsea’s progress this season and the 23year-old has been described as the best young player in the world by Mourinho.

“Eden is a great player, he has great confidence as well, and anything he touches at the moment is going for him,” said teammate Gary Cahill. “He’s a young player getting better and at the moment he is producing some world-class football for us.

“In the first half (against Newcastle), when we didn’t play particularly well and the game was quite tight, you want that little bit of individual brilliance and Eden produced that for us with two goals in which he was heavily involved in the build-up and he finished them.

“He has adapted to the league very well, he is a special player, and he thoroughly deserved his hat-trick.” While Chelsea are on an outstanding run that has yielded eight wins and two draws in their last 10

league games, they face a West Brom side who slid into the bottom three following their weekend loss at Crystal Palace.

The form book suggests a comfortable win for the league leaders, but Cahill insists that there is no chance of complacency creeping in.

“We got credit for the performance against Manchester City last week (a 1-0 win), but we didn’t want to sit back and rest on our laurels,” he said.

“It is all about momentum for us. There is no better feeling than winning football matches and at the minute we are getting some good results and we want to keep that feeling going.”

West Brom head coach Pepe Mel says that his players must quickly turn around their fortunes after slipping into the bottom three.

The 3-1 defeat at Palace left them with just one victory from 15 Premier League games and Mel with two points from a possible 12 since taking charge.

“For me it’s early, it’s like pre-season, but there are no friendly matches,” he said. “The matches are all important. “I hope it comes together soon because we need to win three points soon.

West Brom need to be in the Premier League next season.” West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster admits that his side cannot allow themselves to start against Chelsea like they did at the weekend, when they fell 2-0 down to Palace within the opening 27 minutes.

“We can’t let it get to the point when we are one or two goals down in a game and then finally make a push for the game. We need to go from the very first minute,” he said. “We have to remain positive and take the second-half performance into the Chelsea game.” — AFP

LONDON: Chelsea’s Eden Hazard bumps fists with teammate Samuel Eto’o in this file photo.

PRIVIEW

Bayern, Dortmund eye semi-final Cup berths BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund face mounting injury woes for today’s German Cup quarterfinal at Eintracht Frankfurt with Bayern Munich also out to secure their semi-final berth at Hamburg. Dortmund suffered a double injury blow over the weekend with both Germany midfielders Marco Reus and Sven Bender ruled out of the trip to Frankfurt.

Left winger Reus suffered a torn right thigh in Saturday’s 5-1 Bundesliga hammering of Werder Bremen and will be out for a fortnight, while defensive midfielder Bender has a thigh strain and misses the next week. But Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp said the Bremen win meant Borussia headed to Frankfurt in buoyant mood after Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan both scored twice.

“From the first seconds, we saw what we want to see every week,” said Klopp, with Dortmund third in the league and set to face Zenit St Petersburg in the last 16 of the Champions League.

“That was a game where there was nothing to criticise.” In a double-header, Frankfurt host 2012 German Cup winners Dortmund in the Cup today, then travel to Borussia’s Westfalenstadion on Saturday for a league match. The double injury blow is more bad news for Klopp who lost Germany defender Mats Hummels last week after the centre-back injured his foot in a friendly and will miss the Frankfurt double-header.

Klopp is already without both centre-back Neven Subotic and winger Jakub Blaszczykowski for the rest of the season as the

pair have torn knee ligament injuries.

Frankfurt also have a few injury concerns with captain Pirmin Schwegler carrying a rib injury and fellow midfielder Johannes Flum, who scored in Saturday’s 3-0 win over bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig, has a thigh strain.

“We normally do well against Borussia at home, we lost 2-1 to them earlier this season and drew 3-3 last season, which was a real spectacle,” said Eintracht midfielder Alexander Maier.

“If we put in our best performance, we make it tough for any team to beat us and we’ll try everything to pull off a shock.”

European champions Bayern travel to Hamburg in Wednesday’s ties while Bayer Leverkusen are home to second division Kaiserslautern, in the only non-Bundesliga clash, and Hoffenhem are home to VfL Wolfsburg. Bayern, who are on a record 45 match unbeaten league run, are peerless in the Bundesliga and are on course to repeat last year’s treble of European, league and cup titles.

Hamburg are in chaos having been booed by their own fans on Saturday after crashing to a sixth-straight league defeat, a club record, on Saturday as they were routed 3-0 at home by Hertha Berlin. Coach Bert van Marwijk has been given a job guarantee by director of sport Oliver Kreuzer until at least Saturday’s Bundesliga match at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig, but first come Bayern in the Cup. Pep Guardiola’s Bayern have already beaten Hamburg 3-1 in Munich last December while the European champions warmed up for their Hamburg Sojourn with a 2-0 win at Nuremberg on Saturday. — AFP

LONDON: Manchester United’s English midfielder Michael Carrick (second right) Belgian midfielder Adnan Januzaj (right) Dutch striker Robin van Persie (second left) and Mexican striker Javier Hernandez celebrate in this file photo. — AFP

Arsenal, Man United out to make amends LONDON: Arsenal and Manchester United will be out to make amends after a weekend of damaging results when they meet at The Emirates in the Premier League tomorrow.

Arsenal lost top spot in the league after a 5-1 humiliation by a rampant Liverpool at Anfield, with their previously much-praised defence being torn to shreds as they conceded four goals in the first 20 minutes. Manager Arsene Wenger called the performance “feeble”, and will be hopeful the defeat won’t signal the end of Arsenal’s title hopes as they face a run of matches taking in United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton by early March.

Defender Per Mertesacker admitted the loss was a major setback, but called on Arsenal to summon the spirit they showed after December’s 6-3 loss to Manchester City, when they went on to win six of their next eight matches. “ We feel very bad at the moment, disappointed with our performance right from the start,” the German told the club website (www.arsenal.com).

“It was just not good enough to compete at that level. Liverpool seemed full of confidence. At the start we were eight points clear of Liverpool so we should have been more confident and more aware of the situation but that wasn’t the case.

“We have the opportunity to respond quickly tomorrow and we have to remind ourselves what we have done from Man City until now. That is at stake and to show that responsibility for ourselves and for the pride

of our club.” David Moyes admitted his first season at Old Trafford had hit a new low after United conceded an injury time goal to Darren Bent salvaged a 2-2 draw for bottom club Fulham on Sunday, despite the hosts dominating possession and sending in a remarkable 81 crosses. United are seventh, 15 points behind leaders Chelsea and nine off Liverpool in the final Champions League qualification spot, and are fast running out of time to salvage their season.

‘MUST WIN’ “We have to win all our games,” Moyes told the club website (www.manutd.com). “You can ask me as many times as you like but I’ll keep saying that we have to win all our games. We should have won that one (against Fulham) and we needed to as well.

“We’ve just got to go into the next game.

That’s what happens, you take the team on and you challenge them and we’ve got some good players here. I don’t think there’ll be many teams keen to take on Manchester United.”

Chelsea’s move to the top of the table has coincided with Eden Hazard’s purple patch, with the gifted Belgian scoring a hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Newcastle United.

They travel today to face a West Bromwich Albion side fast being dragged into the relegation scrap, with their 3-1 loss to a revitalised Crystal Palace putting them in 18th place. The Baggies face a daunting fixture list in the coming weeks, but manager Pepe Mel,

yet to win in four matches since taking charge, was confident they would play their way out of trouble. “This year the Premier League is extremely tight,” the Spaniard said.

“I knew we had Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa and tomorrow we play Chelsea. “We also have Manchester United and have to play in London against Arsenal, and play Manchester City at their stadium.

“The fixture list is quite tough but I’m no wimp and West Brom brought me here to keep them up - I am going to achieve it.”

Fifth-placed Spurs will be looking to remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot when they travel to Newcastle, without a win in three matches, tomorrow, while Fulham are the next side in Liverpool’s sights after their five-star effort at Anfield.

Captain Steven Gerrard warned the result would count for little if they don’t produce against the west London side. “We aren’t going to look back at the end of the season and think ‘How good were we against Arsenal?’ if we never got (into) the top four,” he said. “We can enjoy this but we have got to move on quickly and try to get three points against Fulham.”

In today’s other matches, Cardiff host Aston Villa, Hull play Southampton and Nor wich travel to West Ham, while on Wednesday, Ever ton will be seeking to bounce back from defeat at Spurs when they host Crystal Palace, Manchester City, without a win in two matches, entertain Sunderland and Swansea travel to Stoke. — Reuters

Cruz Azul retains Mexican lead MEXICO CITY: Cruz Azul downed Atlante 4-1 on Sunday to remain undefeated atop Mexico’s top division after the sixth round of the Clausura championship, the second of the country’s two annual football tournaments.

Toluca is second in the standings, three points behind, after a 2-0 win Sunday over Chiapas, while America held on to third place - a point behind Toluca - despite losing 1-0 to Pachuca on Saturday.

In other games this weekend, Pumas won 2-1 against reigning champions Leon, Chivas defeated Puebla 1-0, Atlas drew 1-1 with Morelia, Tijuana overcame Monterrey 2-1, Queretaro defeated Veracruz 2-0 and Tigres and Santos Laguna played out a 1-1 draw.

Marco Fabian finished in the 1st minute to put Cruz Azul ahead and rounded off the scoring with a header in the 82nd. Angel Sepulveda volleyed in the equalizer in the 34th, before Joao Rojas and Mauro Formica took the game beyond Atlante with second half goals.

Isaac Brizuela cut inside and fired a shot into the goal from outside the penalty area to open the scoring for Toluca in the 50th, with Pablo Velazquez heading in the second from close to the penalty spot four minutes from time.

Pachuca rookie Hirving Lozano found the net in the 89th to hand his side a victor y over America. — AP

Marco Fabian

Lisbon derby postponed

GERMANY: Dortmund’s Manuel Friedrich (left) and Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon celebrate in this file photo. — AP

LISBON: The Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting was postponed on Sunday, and the crowd evacuated, after high winds caused debris to fall from the roof at the venue that will host the Champions League final in May. The president of the Portuguese Football League, Mario Figueiredo, said the decision “avoided a tragedy” after pieces of glass fell to the ground.

The teams had already been announced when the crowd was told the match would be delayed as wind blew debris and rubbish around the pitch. The game was then called off after the scheduled kickoff time. “There were

small pieces of glass which had come off the roof,” Figueiredo told a news conference at the Stadium of Light.

“An emergency meeting was held around 15 minutes before the kickoff and we asked the civil defence if the game could go ahead. They said it couldn’t and told us to evacuate the stadium as quickly as possible.

“Fortunately this measure was decided in good time because shortly afterwards the pieces (of the roof ) started to fall. A tragedy was avoided. “We had to take this drastic decision,” added Figueiredo. The stadium was rebuilt and completed in 2003 before being used in Euro

2004. Sporting’s official supporters club were unhappy with the way the evacuation was carried out. “The Sporting fans were only allowed to leave the stadium around one hour after it was announced the game had been postponed,” they said in a statement.

“The fans were kept in a sporting arena that was not safe enough to stage the match,” the supporters club said before adding they had been treated in an “irresponsible” manner.

The match has been rescheduled for today.

Benfica are top of the league on 40 points, one ahead of Porto and two in front of third-placed Sporting. — Reuters

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

S P ORTS

In India, small steps are key to waking a giant NEW DELHI: Praful Patel worked out a way to get India into an elite, global football competition for the first time. As host of the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, India gets an automatic spot in the tournament.

OK, so it’s like buying a ticket to get in. But it’s a start. And it’s part of the All India Football Federation president’s grand plans for the game in the country of 1.2 billion people.

The AIFF has a blueprint for the future code named “Laqshya 2022.” That translates to Aim 2022 it’s all about qualifying for the World Cup. “We have to ensure football is the No. 1 sport in the country and for that to happen the platform has been laid,” Patel said after his federation was awarded the rights to the 2017 tournament. “It will be a landmark event for India which will redefine Indian football.”

As a politician and football administrator Patel knows well enough, though, that’s it is one thing to be in the competition, and something entirely different to be competitive.

Heavy defeats in the youth tournament could have a detrimental impact on the development of

football in India if players, fans and sponsors lose confidence in a country where cricket already is allpervading. There are millions of football followers in India, but it’s a small percentage of the massive population. The game is becoming increasingly popular among a growing middle class, but many of those fans tend to follow the Premier League and other European competitions and aren’t emotionally invested in local teams.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter once described India as the “sleeping giant” of international football, and urged the government to allocate land and build infrastructure.

It’ll take more than a few nudges to wake up this giant. Ex-India coach Bob Houghton complained when he was in charge of the national team that the “country has zero football infrastructure,” and there are other issues for the game locally.

The domestic I-League is dwarfed by cricket on the Indian sports landscape, despite extra funds flowing from a $140 million, 15-year marketing contract with IMG-Reliance.

Luring and retaining talented Indian athletes is difficult, with the top-earners making between

$100,000-$150,000 a season in the I-League - a fraction of the salaries on offer in some other leagues around the world and in cricket’s lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League.

The professional I-League hasn’t dramatically improved the standard at the grassroots level, despite the presence of foreign players. And there are concerns that a franchise-based league being planned for later this year - along the lines of cricket’s immensely popular IPL - could still be a flop even it attracts some star players.

Meanwhile, facilities are slowly improving. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, which was rebuilt for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai are among the handful of stadiums capable of staging international matches.

But the bigger, newer stadiums tend to be multidiscipline venues, so football has to share with cricket and field hockey - the two leading sports in the country - and often with track and field and other sports as well. So availability can be an issue.

A team from FIFA is visiting this week to assess the stadiums and tell organizers what is needed

ahead of the 2017 tournament.

India is languishing in No. 156 spot in the FIFA rankings, but hasn’t always been so far down the pecking order in international football.

India received a late invitation for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil after a withdrawal by some other Asian teams, but declined it due to financial and logistical problems at the time. The game was flourishing in the subcontinent in the 1950s and 60s - before cricket had gained such an imposing stature -but Indian football went into decline after winning the Asian Games gold medal in 1962.

That was at a time when field hockey was considered the top game, before cricket gained its imposing stature in this vast country where more than half the population is younger than 35.

Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, still the face of football in India, sees hosting the Under-17 World Cup as a crucial first step in really tapping into the youth market.

“We’re very excited to host the Youth World Cup since India has not been so much in focus where youth development is concerned,” Bhutia said. “I think the youth will become the prime focus.” — AP

PREVIEW

Barcelona, Real on brink of Cup final showdown MADRID: Barcelona and Real Madrid are poised to secure their places in April’s King’s Cup final this week before turning their attention to the main prize on their agendas: the European Champions League. The record domestic Cup winners with 26 titles, Barca are 2-0 up on Real Sociedad ahead of their semi-final second leg in San Sebastian tomorrow.

Real, who have claimed the trophy 18 times and are third on the all-time list behind Athletic Bilbao with 23, have a 3-0 cushion before their trip across the capital to play holders Atletico Madrid today.

As well as revenge for last season’s 2-1 defeat in the final, Real’s convincing performance in last week’s first leg at the Bernabeu was the latest evidence they are coming into form just as the season is approaching a critical juncture.

Barca suffered a surprise wobble in La Liga at the beginning of the month, losing 3-2 at home to Valencia, but have made serene progress in the Cup and returned to the top of the league thanks to Sunday’s impressive 4-1 comeback win at Sevilla.

Their four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has taken time to get back into his stride following a twomonth injury layoff around the turn of the year but his superb double in Seville suggested he is not far off his scintillating best.

“If anyone says anything negative

about him all they are doing is provoking him,” Barca coach Gerardo Martino, who hails from Messi’s home town of Rosario in Argentina, told a news conference.

“And if you provoke the world’s best player his next opponent will have a problem. “He is always decisive, even if it is merely a matter of dragging opposition players into the centre and anything that distracts their attention is positive.”

MINOR NIGGLES Real also look to have their latest “galactico” signing, Wales winger Gareth Bale, back to full fitness after a series of minor niggles.

The world’s most expensive player opened the scoring in Saturday’s 4-2 La Liga win at home to Villarreal and set up Karim Benzema for the second of the night.

“I scored a fantastic goal and made an assist,” Bale told reporters. “I am very pleased and available for the coach for our upcoming games. “I am working hard on the pitch and in every training session so I can be in the team.”

Once the Cup semi-finals are out of the way, Barca have one more La Liga game, at home to struggling Rayo Vallecano, before they play at Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League on Feb. 18. Real play at Getafe and host Elche in La Liga before their trip to Germany to meet Schalke 04 on Feb. 26. — Reuters

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Sergio Busquet (right) and Sevilla’s Piotr Trochowski (left) fight for the ball during their La Liga soccer match at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. — AP

Messi lifts Barca back to the top MADRID: Lionel Messi netted a superb double as Barcelona recovered from a shaky start to secure a 4-1 comeback win at rain-lashed Sevilla on Sunday that lifted the champions back to the top of La Liga. Barca’s defeat at home to Valencia last weekend meant they surrendered the lead for the first time since the beginning of last season and allowed Atletico Madrid to climb above them into first place. Atletico crashed to a shock 2-0 reverse at promoted Almeria on Saturday and Real Madrid, 4-2 winners at home to Villarreal, were the overnight leaders.

Barca’s victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville means the top three all have 57 points with 15 matches left, with Barca leading Real on goal difference and Atletico in third.

“It was important for us to get back to the top today,” Barca playmaker Andres Iniesta said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster

Canal Plus. “The conditions weren’t the best but it was the same for them and in the end we managed to get the result,” added the Spain international.

“Leo is one of the few players who can change a game in a few minutes if you give him just a bit of space. He does it in almost every game and he did it again today.”

Barca initially looked out of sorts on a foul night in Andalusia and were in trouble when Alberto Moreno’s deflected shot put Sevilla ahead in the 15th minute.

The home side had two more clear chances, with Carlos Bacca nodding against a post, before Alexis Sanchez levelled with a header from a Messi free kick in the 34th minute.

Messi, who looks to be getting back into his stride after a two-month injury layoff, fired Barca ahead with a typically brilliant effort 10 minutes

later. With the rain beating down and puddles dotting the playing surface, he picked up the ball on the edge of the area and lashed it into the far corner.

Sevilla had a couple of chances early in the second half before Messi’s second in the 56th.

Andres Iniesta skipped through the centre and fed the Argentina forward, who took one touch before sidefooting in off a post.

Cesc Fabregas came off the bench and scored a delightful dinked effort to finish off a move he started two minutes from time.

In the earlier kickoffs, Real Sociedad missed a chance to close to within a point of fifth-placed Villarreal when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Levante. Osasuna beat visiting Getafe 2-0 and Real Valladolid came from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw at home to Elche on their waterlogged Jose Zorrilla pitch. — Reuters

United’s Moyes baffled by failure to beat Fulham FRANCE: Monaco’s James Rodriguez of Colombia (left) challenges for the ball with Paris Saint Germain’s Marco Verratti of Italy during their French League One soccer match. — AP

Monaco hit back to hold PSG FRANCE: A late Thiago Silva own goal cancelled out Javier Pastore’s early opener as Paris St Germain drew 1-1 at Monaco on Sunday to maintain a fivepoint cushion over their title rivals at the top of Ligue 1.

Argentine Pastore, starting up front in the absence of the injured Edinson Cavani, headed his first league goal of the season after eight minutes.

Monaco hit back when Thiago Silva diverted Fabinho’s low cross into his own net in the 74th minute before Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a last-gasp chance to earn the leaders victory.

PSG, aiming to win back-to-back titles for the first time, have 55 points from 24 games with second-placed Monaco on 50.“Monaco produced a great second half. We tried to play when we had the ball and I think it was a good match,” PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi told Canal Plus television.

“Both sides deserved a point. We are

still five points ahead and that’s good.”

The clash between the two big-spending clubs lived up to expectations in the early stages. PSG went ahead through Pastore after centre back Alex had nodded on a Thiago Motta corner.

Emmanuel Riviere went close to an equaliser when he missed the target after a powerful James Rodriguez effort was parried into his path.

Swedish talisman Ibrahimovic then had two good opportunities either side of halftime but was thwarted by superb saves from Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.

The home team pushed hard for an equaliser and new loan signing Dimitar Berbatov came on for Valere Germain just after the hour.

After Thiago Silva’s own goal, Brazilian Fabinho was denied a goal by keeper Salvatore Sirigu with three minutes to go and then Ibrahimovic spurned another chance with seconds left. — Reuters

LONDON: Manchester United manager David Moyes was left scratching his head after watching his team concede a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2 with the Premier League’s bottom club Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Despite dominating possession and sending in a remarkable 81 crosses, United trailed for much of the match after an unmarked Steve Sidwell volleyed home Lewis Holtby’s clever chip.

Two goals in two minutes from Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick appeared to have salvaged three points, but Darren Bent scored with a header in the dying minutes to grab a share of the points for Fulham.

“Today was as bad as it gets,” Moyes, who replaced fellow Scot Alex Ferguson this season, told reporters. “How we didn’t win, I have no idea. It’s goals that count. You can have as much possession as you like.” The defeat left United 15 points behind leaders Chelsea and in a battle to qualify for nex t season’s Champions League.

They remained nine points adrift of fourthplaced Liverpool, and face missing out on Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in 19 years.

The formidable aura that surrounded United under Ferguson has been eroded by losing eight league matches this season, half of those at home, and Carrick said defeat by a team who had lost their last four league matches was hard to stomach. “It’s a tough one to take, it’s hard to explain how we’ve

only come away with a point,” he told the club’s website (www.manutd.com).

“It was an incredible game, so one-sided.

We played well for most of the game, we created opportunities but just couldn’t score.

When we finally got in front, we should have extended the lead with the chances we had, so it’s tough to take after being hit like that at the end.

“We certainly had chances to do it (go further ahead), but even so, we were so in control that letting it slip like that is criminal.” United’s next game is tomorrow at second-placed Arsenal who will be smarting from a 5-1 drubbing at Liverpool on Saturday. — Reuters

Manchester United’s manager David Moyes

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League West Ham v Norwich beIN SPORTS Hull City v Southampton beIN SPORTS Cardiff v Aston Villa beIN SPORTS West Brom v Chelsea beIN SPORTS

22:45 22:45 22:45 23:00

23:00

German League Frankfurt v Dortmund Dubai Sports

22:45

French League

Italian Cup Fiorentina v Udinese beIN SPORTS

Spain Copa del Rey Atletico v Real Madrid beIN SPORTS

23:00

Toulouse v Bastia beIN SPORTS

22:30

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

S P ORT S

World warms to Lipnitskaya’s grace SOCHI: At every Olympics, Summer or Winter, there is always one person who stands out from the rest, an individual who becomes an irresistible and enduring reminder of the Games.

That “Face of the Games” is an unofficial accolade that is decided not by judges or by referees, but by public opinion. For the past year, the face of the Sochi Olympics has been the Russian President Vladimir Putin — but no longer.

In his place, a pint-sized Russian teenager has emerged, melting hearts around the world in a way no politician ever could. Just as Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut did at Munich in 1972, Julia Lipnitskaya is changing the perception of Russia, not through force but through grace.

Virtually unheard of before the Games, the 15year-old is on her way to becoming the next global phenomenon after helping Russia win gold in the figure skating team event.

Although she was on a Russian team packed with stars, Lipnitskaya stole the show on Sunday with a performance so breathtaking it is being seen as the icebreaker the Sochi Olympics needed to win over a sceptical world. At the end of her routine the packed crowd inside the Iceberg, the gleaming stadium staging the figure skating events, instinctively rose to their feet for a thunderous ovation, tossing bouquets and teddy bears onto the ice.

As banks of press photographers clamored for the best shot of the spor t ’s new darling, Lipnitskaya waved to the crowd and flashed a sheepish smile.

Putin personally congratulated her and she was mobbed by Russian media, with local newspapers and television dubbing her the ‘little genius’.

Russians love their figure skaters but the rest of the world is smitten with Lipnitskaya as well.

GLOBAL FASCINATION Around the globe, her name and footage of her routine was trending on social media sites while American television commentators were gushing about the arrival of a superstar who is sure to drive ratings through the roof in the sport’s biggest market. By winning the team event, Lipnitskaya became Russia’s youngest Winter Olympic gold medallist, and the youngest gold medallist in figure skating for 78 years.

She is now favourite to win next week’s individual title, one of the blue-riband events of the Winter Olympics. In a sport decided by the subjective scores of judges, star appeal can be the difference between winning and losing and Lipnitskaya has it all. Petite, standing 5ft 2in (1.58 metres) tall, she looks like a real-life Russian doll, charming the crowds as much with her poise and precision as her rubbery flexibility and athleticism.

In the short programme, she completed all her mandatory jumps and spins with consummate ease before blowing away the opposition in the free skate. In the long programme, she played the role of the doomed little girl in the red coat from Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List who seems oblivious to the horrors of the Holocaust.

By her own admission, Lipnitskaya’s performance in the team event was not perfect, yet it was spellbinding enough to win over the judges, who awarded her with the second highest score ever given to a female figure skater.

Lipnitskaya becomes the latest in a long line of athletes who have helped shunt politics into the

background after the Sochi Games began with questions over Russia’s “gay propaganda” law and criticism of their $50-billion price tag.

Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler hoped to use the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin to promote his ideals of racial supremacy and had threatened to ban blacks and jews. Yet, it was a black American athlete, Jesse Owens, who is remembered as the star of the Games after winning four track and field gold medals.

COLD WAR In 1972, the hostility of the Cold War was starting to ease with the United States and the Soviet Union agreeing to an era of detente.

At the Munich Olympics that same year, Russian gymnast Olga Korbut emerged with perfect timing, capturing the hearts of the western world with her three gold medals and inspiring a generation of girls to take up gymnastics.

She was invited to the White House to meet President Richard Nixon, who told her that her captivating performances had done more to improve relations between their two countries than anything the politicians had managed in years.

Four years later, at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, another petite eastern European became the centre of attention after more than 20 African countries had boycotted the Games.

The African states were protesting against the International Olympic Committee’s decision not to suspend New Zealand for sending their national rugby team to South Africa when it was banned for apartheid. Into this came Nadia Comaneci, who won three gold medals in Montreal and is forever remembered as the first gymnast to be awarded the perfect

score of 10.There was no shortage of celebrities at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Jamaica sent a bobsled team which became the inspiration for the movie ‘Cool Runnings’ and a British skijumper Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards developed a cult following for finishing so far behind all his rivals.

But the face of the Games was the East German figure skater Katarina Witt, who won her second individual Olympic gold medal and was described

by Time magazine as “the most beautiful face of socialism” while reclusive North Korea issued commerative stamps featuring her image.

BATON HANDED OVER While most athletes are recognised as the face of the games for sporting success, there are some exceptions. The most notorious was Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who was stripped of the gold medal he was awarded for winning the 100 metres at Seoul in 1988 after testing positive for drugs.

Cathy Freeman became the face of the 2000 Sydney Games after she was unwittingly thrust into Australia’s 200-year struggle for reconciliation between blacks and whites.

As the country’s most prominent Aboriginal sports person, Freeman reluctantly accepted her role even though the pressure on her was overbearing at times. She was selected to light the Olympic flame, an honour that only increased the intense interest in her, then won the 400 metres gold against the backdrop of 100,000 flashing cameras to fulfill her own dreams. In doing so, she joined the likes of Owens, Korbut and Comaneci by helping to change the hopes and perception of an entire race, and now the baton has been handed to Lipnitskaya. — Reuters

Curlers shape up for gold

SOCHI: Rebecca Johnston of Canada shoots past Saija Tarkki and goalkeeper Noora Raty of Finland for a goal during the third period of the 2014 Winter Olympics women’s ice hockey game. — AP

Canadian women march on SOCHI: Canada’s bid for a fourth consecutive women’s ice hockey Olympic gold medal remained safely on course yesterday but they took a while to subdue Finland before going on to secure a nervy 3-0 win.

After two scoreless periods that saw both teams miss a number of chances, Canada pulled in front when Meghan AgostaMarciano ripped a shot past Finnish goalie Noora Raty on the powerplay with just over 10 minutes to play.

Jayna Hefford added another goal with a dazzling deke on Raty three minutes later and Rebecca Johnston tallied finished it off with a two-on-one break.

“We knew that Finland was going to come out and bring it. They are an unbelievable team, they have improved so much and we knew we needed to be patient,” Agosta-Marciano told reporters.

“We didn’t get frustrated, we stuck to the game plan, we kept coming, we kept getting shots on net and sooner or later once we got that one, we got three.”

The win extended Canada’s impressive streak of never losing a game in a major ice

hockey competition to any other nation than the United States.

They play their neighbors in their final preliminary group game tomorrow but, with both teams already safely assured a quarter-final bye, there is only pride, and the chance to gain a psychological edge ahead of their expected return meeting in the gold medal game, at stake.

Raty, who made 40 saves in her team’s 31 loss to the United States on Saturday, baffled Canada’s shooters for much of the game and turned aside 39 shots in another strong showing. “We played really well for 50 minutes and then the last 10 minutes we ran into penalty trouble and that takes a lot of energy out of our players, including myself. So we kind of ran out of gas there,” she said. “We were close but is wasn’t enough. We played well but if you want to beat the US or Canada you have to play a full 60 minutes.” Finland will close out the preliminar y round tomorrow against Switzerland, with both teams moving to the quarter-finals to play the top two teams from Group B. — Reuters

SOCHI: Bad raps are hard to reverse, but Brad Jacobs is doing his part to change the stereotype of the chain-smoking, beer-swilling curler who spends more time in the bar than fine-tuning his craft.

Jacobs says there is a new era of athleticism emerging in curling and his Canadian crew is on the cutting edge of a fitness trend that has helped transform the sport’s image ever since curling was featured in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. “Our identity as a team is of fit young guys,” said Canadian skipper Jacobs after Sunday’s practice at the Ice Cube Curling Center ahead of their Sochi Olympic campaign which started yesterday.

“Our team is unique in the sense that whether we curled or not we would still be in the gym.” Jacobs and his three man crew spend up to 10 hours a week in the gym working out, doing cardio, stretching and core exercises. “I try to work every muscle,” he says.

The image that curling bashers like to project of balding overweight men, raising another toast in the pub, won’t cut it anymore at a highperformance event like the Olympics, says Denmark skip Rasmus Stjerne.

“I would like to see if those (critics) could handle a month of what I do in the summer,” said Stjerne, who is a student at the University of Copenhagen. “I am getting up early in the morning, working out six days a week before work or school. That is really hard work. “When we get compared to amateurs doing a silly sport it gets frustrating because the amount of work we put in is huge.”

In the 1988 Calgary Games, curling was included in the Olympics as a demonstration sport. Canada held a pre-Olympic trial to help pick their team and the potential players were put through a series of fitness tests which revealed that some of Canada’s top curlers were in dismal shape.

COULDN’T DO A SINGLE SIT-UP Two-time champion Ed Werenich couldn’t even do a single sit-up and was asked to shape up which he did by losing 18 pounds.

“It used to be bad, the smoking and drinking,” said Norway’s skip Thomas Ulsrud. “So I guess the bad reputation we had 10 years ago was true. “But now I would say the curling athletes are fit. Look at the Canadian and Scottish teams, they work out. “ We get funded from the Norwegian Olympic Committee so we had to do a lot of physical tests. They test us for core muscles, strength and balance and we actually tested better than some athletes in alpine skiing and hockey. I wouldn’t say we beat them badly but we were up there with them.” Curling is doing other things to try and change its staid image and attract more fans like having players dress flashier or encouraging them to pose for raunchy calendars. Ulsrud was in the “Men of Curling” calendar that was a big hit last year.

SOCHI: American Jeff Isaacson (lower left) delivers the rock during a training session at the 2014 Winter Olympics. — AP USA women’s team member Debbie McCormick also posed for a calendar called “Fire on Ice” in 2006. “It is kind of fun to be a supermodel,” McCormick quipped. “I like to joke that I was the centre fold because all the months were under my photo.” Russian curling beauty Anna Sidorova does a lot of modelling away from the curling rink. The Russian skipper recently brought attention to her team by releasing pictures of herself wearing lingerie and holding a curling rock and broom.

Ulsrud’s Team Norway is known for their funky outfits. After the Vancouver Olympics they signed a endorsement deal with US clothing maker Loudmouth Golf, who also make the outrageous and colorful outfits that golfer John Daly likes to wear.

“The best thing we did was put on the pants four years ago,” Ulsrud said. “If we go around in Norway in regular jeans no one recognizes me and I can go anywhere.

“But if I put on these pants I get stopped all the time.” Money of course is a constant concern for Olympic curling teams. Most of the Olympians in Sochi have regular jobs which pay the mortgage and puts their kids through college.

Canada’s curlers each receive $1,500 a month from the Canadian Olympic Committee as an officially carded athlete. Canada’s women’s team auctioned the uniforms they wore during the Olympic qualifying tournament on eBay to raise travel funds for Sochi. Dawn McEwen’s jersey eventually sold for C$840 (US$761). — AFP

White eyes perfection in pipe and own form KRASNAYA POLYANA: Yelizaveta Axenova of Kazakhstan speeds down the track in her second run during the women’s singles luge competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics. — AP

‘Perfect’ Geisenberger red-hot on Sanki ice ROSA KHUTOR: Gold medal favorite Natalie Geisenberger led her rivals a merry dance to move into a commanding position to win a possible first Olympic title after the first two runs in the women’s singles yesterday.

The German, bronze medallist four years ago, began in scintillating fashion at the Sanki Sliding Centre by setting a track record of 49.891 seconds on her opening slide.

She was nearly half a second quicker than the next best - a massive advantage in luge where tiny fractions matter. “It was perfect,” said the smiling Bavarian police officer, who scorched to a second World Cup title this season by winning seven out of eight races.

The 26-year- old world champion also dipped under 50 seconds on her second attempt to clock a combined 1.39.814 and it will take a monumental error when she returns

for two runs on Tuesday to let gold slip from her grasp. “I’m satisfied with both runs - the second was a little worse,” she said. “But I’m not champion yet, I still need two good runs. My lead is comfortable and I feel calm, but there could be many mistakes tomorrow.”

Compatriot and 2010 gold medallist Tatjana Huefner trails Geisenberger by 0.766 in second place with American Erin Hamlin third, 0.818 behind the leader.

German women have monopolized Olympic luge medals, having won every gold medal since the Nagano 1998 Olympics. They have also won 10 of the last 12 medals of any colour in the last four Games. Huefner was given vociferous backing by what appeared to be her own fan club, packed into the small stand at the end of the finishing straight, who held up letters spelling out her name. —Reuters

ROSA KHUTOR: American Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White hopes both he and the halfpipe snow will be in better shape when he goes for a third straight gold medal at the Sochi Games today.

Official training for the event was postponed yesterday as warm weather turned packed snow to slush and left organisers struggling to get the pipe in top shape for Tuesday’s men’s competition.

“It’s a little disappointing, it’s hard to get in there and have all the tricks and have everything that you need and not to be able to get to the wall,” the American told reporters, admitting he had a “pretty terrible” practice.

White had already pulled out of Saturday’s slopestyle at these Sochi Games because he felt the course was too dangerous. His team mate Danny Davis described yesterday’s conditions as “garbage” and several other riders expressed frustration during halfpipe practice.

White admitted it had not been

just the pipe that was to blame for his poor form on the day. “ Today it seemed as if I was taking off where everyone was landing and it created this hole,” he said. “I was just getting caught in this hole, so I’m hoping to get over the hole and feel better.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

“I just had a frustrating practice.”

White lauded the decision to postpone and then shorten yesterday’s practice in order to ensure the best possible conditions for today’s men’s contest. “ Today they had a smart decision where they shortened practice, the more chewed the pipe gets the worse it is to reshape it for the next day,” he said.

“They’re talking about shortening practice for tomorrow which would help dramatically, the less traffic through the pipe the longer it will hold up.” White has won the last two Olympic gold medals in halfpipe, in Turin in 2006 and four years later in Vancouver. —Reuters

KRASNAYA POLYANA: Shaun White of the United States trains in the half pipe at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics. —AP

Boonen wins Tour of Qatar stage

Walker hangs on to win at Pebble Beach

16

15

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

In India, small steps are key to waking a giant

Page 18

SOCHI: Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch competes during the Women’s Alpine Skiing Super Combined Downhill at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center during the Sochi Winter Olympics. — AFP

Maria in super-charged masterclass SOCHI: Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch put on a skiing masterclass to defend her Olympic super-combined title yesterday, but 40-year-old biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen saw his hopes of becoming the greatest ever winter Olympian stalled. The 29-year-old Hoefl-Riesch, who also claimed the world title in 2013, posted a total time of 2min 34.62sec after one downhill and one slalom run on the tricky course high above the Games’ Sochi hub on the edge of the Black Sea. She finished ahead of Austria’s Nicole Hosp at 0.40sec and US favourite Julia Mancuso, who made a key mistake halfway through the course to finish third at 0.53sec despite leading after the downhill. Hoefl-Riesch had been fifth after the morning’s run, but put in a smooth performance in the slalom-her speciality-to take her third Olympic gold medal after combined and slalom wins in Vancouver in 2010. “It was a big fight and it wasn’t easy because the snow was tough and bumpy. The hill was steep at the start, which I found especially difficult,” said Hoefl-Riesch.

“It didn’t feel great, but I skied fast enough. I was able to keep my skis going and didn’t break too much in the

turns.” For Mancuso, it was a fourth Olympic medal-the joint-second most for an American woman at the Winter Games. “To win another medal is just a dream come true,” said Mancuso. “I dedicated this to my grandpa. He had always encouraged me, but he passed away a year ago.

We had hoped he would make it to this Games, but it’s a great feeling that he has been watching from above.”

Bjoerndalen, taking part in his sixth Games, had drawn level with compatriot Bjorn Daehlie when he clinched a 12th Olympic medal with gold in Saturday’s 10km sprint and he star ted the 12.5km pursuit on Monday as favourite. But his hopes of a record 13th medal were agonisingly thwarted when he finished fourth, 1.7sec behind France’s Jean Guillaume Beatrix in third, after missing targets in the shooting stages.

World Cup leader Martin Fourcade took his first Olympic gold to give France their first title in Sochi after dominating the race from the mid-stage. He finished in 33min 48.6sec, 14.1sec ahead of Ondrej Moravec of the Czech Republic who came in second for silver. Despite his setback, Bjoerndalen is due to race in four more events in Sochi and remains on course to reach 13 medals.

Canada’s Charles Hamelin, wearing a high-tech spandex bodysuit, claimed his third Olympic gold when he won the men’s 1500m short track speed skating title.

Hamelin, 29, timed 2:14.985 to snatch the gold ahead of 17-year-old Han Tianyu of China, who took silver in 2:15.055. Victor Ahn, 28, gave hosts Russia their first ever Olympic short track medal with bronze in 2:15.062. It was a fifth Olympic medal for Ahn, formerly known as Ahn Hyun-Soo, who won gold in the 1000m, 1500m and 5000m relay for South Korea in 2006, before switching nationalities after failing to qualify for Vancouver.

Michel Mulder saw off a fierce challenge from his Dutch team-mates to win the 500m speed skating gold as the Netherlands swept the podium. Mulder, 27, won with a combined time from his two races of 69.31sec, beating compatriot Jan Smeekens by just 0.01sec in a thrilling climax to the competition. Ronald Mulder, the twin brother of Michel, took bronze in a time of 69.46sec. The day’s last gold will be in men’s moguls in freestyle skiing, where Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury, the 2013 world champion, and his compatriot Alex Bilodeau, who won gold in Vancouver, go head-to-head. — AFP

Olympics medals table SOCHI: Olympics medals table yesterday (after four of five gold medal events): Netherlands Canada Norway United States Germany Russia Austria France Poland Slovakia Switzerland Czech Republic Sweden Italy China Finland Slovenia Great Britain Ukraine

Gold 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Silver 2 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0

Bronze Total 2 7 1 5 4 7 3 5 0 2 2 5 0 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

Clippers batter 76ers LOS ANGELES: Blake Griffin had 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Los Angeles Clippers stormed out to a 31-point lead in the first quarter with Chris Paul back in the lineup and pummeled the Philadelphia 76ers 123-78 Sunday.

Jamal Crawford scored 21 for the defending Pacific Division champions, who were 12-6 while Paul was sidelined with a separated right shoulder that occurred on Jan. 3 at Dallas. The seven-time AllStar point guard had seven points and eight assists in 23 minutes. DeAndre Jordan had 20 rebounds and 10 points, helping Los Angeles increase its division lead over idle Phoenix to four games.

Reserve Tony Wroten scored 21 points for the 76ers, losers of six straight and 13 of 16. Center Spencer Hawes missed all eight shots in 23 scoreless minutes and had just two rebounds.

The 45-point margin of victory was the largest for the Clippers’ franchise. The previous record was 37 on Dec. 5, 1975, when the Buffalo Braves beat Cleveland 125-88 at home. Philadelphia never challenged after the Clippers built a 69-30 halftime lead - matching the largest halftime advantage in franchise history set this season against Chicago.

Crawford’s 15-footer gave the Clippers their biggest lead, 89-33, with 6:01 left in the third quarter. It was 100-51 going into the fourth.

THUNDER 112, KNICKS 100 Kevin Durant had 41 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help Oklahoma City beat New York.

Reggie Jackson added 19 points and six assists, and Serge Ibaka had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, who were coming off a 103-102 loss to struggling Orlando on Friday night.

Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer, got the best of his duel with New York’s Carmelo Anthony, the league’s No. 2 scorer. Anthony had with 15 points on 5-for-19 shooting for the Knicks, who have lost four of five. Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire each scored 16 points for the Knicks.

The Thunder made 12 3-pointers and shot 55 percent overall.

MAGIC 93, PACERS 92 Victor Oladipo had 23 points, including 13 in the

fourth quarter, as Orlando rallied to surprise Indiana. Indiana stole Orlando’s inbounds pass with 9 seconds left and Paul George was able to get off a 20-foot jumper. But it was deflected and rebounded by the Magic, who ran out the clock.

Orlando has beaten the top teams in both conferences in back-to-back games, having stunned Oklahoma City on Friday. The victory ties the Magic’s season-high win streak of three games. It also extends their home win streak to five consecutive games.

Nik Vucevic added 19 points and 13 rebounds.

George led the Pacers with 27 points. Lance Stephenson added 16. The loss ended Indiana’s win streak at four games.

BULLS 92, LAKERS 86 Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points, Joakim Noah had 18 points and 13 rebounds as Chicago held off Los Angeles after nearly blowing a 19-point lead.

Taj Gibson added 18 points for the Bulls, who never trailed against an injury-ravaged Lakers squad missing Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry.

Center Chris Kaman scored a season-high 27 points off the bench for the Lakers, who won their previous two games following a 3-19 slide that buried them in the race for a Western Conference playoff spot. Point guard Steve Nash, playing his third game after missing 39 because of a nerve problem in his back, had eight points in 21-plus minutes before leaving in the third quarter because of irritation in his left leg.

NETS 93, PELICANS 91 Rookie Mason Plumlee scored a season-high 22 points and matched his best with 13 rebounds in a high-flying performance, as Brooklyn used its best defensive first half in eight years as the springboard for the victory over New Orleans.

Brooklyn held New Orleans to 28 points in the first 24 minutes, its lowest total since also allowing 28 against the Lakers on Nov. 27, 2005. The Nets were fueled by their reserves, with their top scorers coming off their bench and no starters finishing in double figures.

Mirza Teletovic had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who improved to 13-5 overall and 9-2 at home in 2014. Alan Anderson scored 13 points.

Anthony Davis had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who had won seven of 10. They used big fourth-quarter comebacks to win their previous two games, but fell too far behind to come back in this one.

WIZARDS 93, KINGS 84 Nene scored 18 points and led a strong defensive effort in Washington’s victory over Sacramento.

Bradley Beal scored 16 points, hitting two 3-pointers in the final 6 minutes. Marcin Gortat added 17 points and eight rebounds as Washington halted a two-game skid and reached the .500 mark.

Sacramento’s Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points and had eight assists. But DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay combined to hit 5 of 27 shots, with Cousins scoring 14 points and Gay finishing with five.

The Kings outrebounded the Wizards 49-38, but made only 35.4 percent of their field goal tries and went 2 of 11 from 3-point range.

CAVALIERS 91, GRIZZLIES 83 Kyrie Irving scored 28 points and Cleveland won back-to-back games for the first time in a month with the overtime victory over Memphis.

The Cavaliers, who broke a six-game losing streak Friday night against Washington, have won both games since general manager Chris Grant was fired last week.

Irving scored the final four points in regulation to tie it. Luol Deng’s 3-pointer on the first possession of overtime put Cleveland ahead for good, 8178.

Nick Calathes scored 17 points to lead Memphis, which has lost three of four since winning six straight. Deng began the overtime scoring with a 3pointer from the corner as the shot clock was winding down. Baskets by Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao, sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Calathes, left Cleveland with an 85-81 lead. A resounding dunk by Waiters and four free throws

by Irving put the game away. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Clippers forward Blake Griffin (right) puts up a shot as Philadelphia 76ers forward Evan Turner defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game. — AP

NBA results/standings Oklahoma City 112, NY Knicks 100; Chicago 92, La Lakers 86; Dallas 102, Boston 91; Brooklyn 93, New Orleans 81; Cleveland 91, Memphis 83 (OT); Orlando 93, Indiana 92; Washington 93, Sacramento 84; LA Clippers 123 Philadelphia 78.

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

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB 26 24 .520 23 26 .469 2.5 20 31 .392 6.5 18 34 .346 9 15 37 .288 12 Central Division 39 11 .780 25 25 .500 14 21 29 .420 18 18 33 .35321.5 9 41 .180 30 Southeast Division 35 14 .714 25 24 .510 10 25 25 .50010.5 22 29 .431 14 16 37 .302 21

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 41 12 .774 Portland 36 15 .706 4 Denver 24 25 .490 15 Minnesota 24 27 .471 16 Utah 17 33 .34022.5 Pacific Division LA Clippers 36 18 .667 Phoenix 30 20 .600 4 Golden State 30 21 .588 4.5 LA Lakers 18 33 .35316.5 Sacramento 17 34 .33317.5 Southwest Division San Antonio 37 14 .725 Houston 34 17 .667 3 Dallas 31 21 .596 6.5 Memphis 27 23 .540 9.5 New Orleans 22 28 .44014.5

Business

Egypt scrambling to meet summer energy needs Page 22

Barclays seen cutting costs after profit drop

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Page 25

Dubai surges; Egypt hits new 45-mth high

Mercedes-Benz puts on a show stopping display at the Auto Moto 2014 Page 23 Page 26

SINGAPORE: Peter Chanddler, Airbus chief test pilot engineering flight operation, sits inside the cockpit of an Airbus A350-900 during a media preview at Changi International Airport ahead of the Singapore Airshow yesterday. — AFP (See Page 23)

Egypt unveils $4.9bn stimulus package Pound strengthens at CB currency sale CAIRO: Egypt’s interim government unveiled its second stimulus package yesterday, which will inject 33.9 billion Egyptian pounds ($4.87 billion) into the economy, with most of that money coming from aid pledged by the United Arab Emirates. Previously the finance ministry said Egypt planned to spend around 30 billion Egyptian pounds. The first stimulus package, amounting to 30 billion pounds, was launched in August. Ahmed Galal, the finance minister, said in a statement yesterday that the new spending would be financed mostly by the United Arab Emirates, one of the Gulf Arab countries that has pledged billions of dollars in support for Egypt.

Three years of political unrest since a popular uprising ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have scared away investors and tourists, weighing on economic growth. The army toppled Islamist President Mohammad Morsi in July, triggering unrest. Security forces have killed about 1,000 Morsi supporters and arrested many more in a tough crackdown. Analysts say the army-backed authorities are anxious to get the economy moving to shore up public support and curb the scope for more unrest as the government moves along a political transition plan leading to elections this year.

Nearly 20 billion Egyptian pounds will be spent on

Swiss markets hold up despite vote clouding EU links PARIS: Swiss financial markets took a shock vote restricting immigration with the European Union in their stride yesterday although analysts warned it could have a major impact on the economy.

The weekend referendum vote throws into question other economic agreements with the EU, which is Switzerland’s biggest trading partner. The Swiss franc, which the central bank held down at the height of the eurozone debt crisis, firmed slightly to 1.2236 to the euro from 1.2239 late on Friday before the weekend vote.

The yield, or interest indicated, on traded 10-year Swiss debt bonds rose slightly to 1.023 percent in afternoon trading from 1.012 percent on Friday. A sharp rise in the yield would have been a sign of perceived sharply increased risk for the Swiss economy in view of the referendum vote. The main stock market index in Zurich was up 0.06 percent in late afternoon trade. The referendum vote, carried with a majority of 50.3 percent, narrowly backed restricting immigration from European Union countries, but it also reopens other economic agreements with the bloc.

Brussels said it will now scrutinize all EU-Swiss relations as a result of the vote, although Switzerland is expected to first make its proposal how to implement the quotas and it has three years to put them into place with legislation.

Credit Suisse bank said in a note for clients: “ The free movement of labour between Switzerland and the EU is now in question ... The short-term effects on growth are probably limited, but the medium- and longer-term growth potential of Switzerland could be seriously affected.”

The bank said that this “should in principle” weaken the Swiss franc. The bank noted that Switzerland had been trying to extend bilateral treaties with the EU but it was now

unclear what progress could be made, including on free trade in services and financial services.

The bank said that the vote “has increased economic uncertainty in Switzerland with immediate effect.” At Natixis bank in Paris, stock strategist Rene Defossez took a more cautious view. “ There is little reason why this news should have a big effect on the markets in the short term.” The effects of the vote were limited in the short term because the decision did not affect the free movement of goods and capital. But the effects could be felt further down the line depending on how the EU responded, he said.

Vote poses ‘grave threat’ The European Commission was quick to say that it regretted the outcome of the vote, and said it would study how it affected all of Switzerland’s relations with the EU. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Switzerland’s largest trade partner in the bloc, said she foresees “considerable problems”.

Defossez said: “If there are retaliatory measures, such as a reduction of the movement of goods and capital, automatically that would have negative effects in the longer term on growth and the markets.” This aspect was highlighted by senior economist Christian Schulz at Berenberg finance house in London who said: “The vote poses a grave threat to the Swiss economic model.

“With its special role as an off-shore financial centre under global pressure, it may be about to cut off another of its economic legs, if it loses preferred access to the market of 506 million EU citizens.” Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis expressed yesterday its concern about immigration limits “because the success of Novartis is substantially built on the availability of a qualified workforce.” — AFP

development projects and 2 billion pounds would be directed towards developing a corridor around the Suez Canal under the second stimulus package, according to the statement. Twelve billion pounds will go towards financing social programs, including a rise in the minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian pound strengthened fractionally at a central bank foreign currency sale yesterday and was stable on the black market. The central bank sold $38.6 million to banks with a cut-off price of 6.9514 pounds to the dollar, compared with 6.9515 at the last auction on Thursday. The bank had offered to sell up to

Dubai house prices forecast to reach pre-crisis levels DUBAI: Dubai house prices are only 15 percent short of their 2008 peak and will return to those pre-crisis highs within 18 months, consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said yesterday. The emirate outpaced all major property markets last year, with prices climbing more than 22 percent as billions of dollars of government real estate projec ts triggered a buying binge among investors.

The fast growth, however, has raised concern about a potential repeat of the property market bubble that sent prices plunging by more than 50 percent after the 2008 financial crisis.

“We are expecting prices to get very close to pre-crisis levels by the end of this year. It has already reached that level in some locations,” Craig Plumb, JLL’s head of research for Middle East and North Africa, said at a conference to release a report on trends in United Arab Emirates real estate.

“We are likely to be back to those levels in the next 18 months,” Plumb added. The International Monetary Fund warned in January of a potential bubble if huge government projects are not executed carefully. Investors, however, are more cautious and new government regulations to control speculative buying has reduced the risk of another bubble, the JLL report said.

JLL added that prices will continue to rise in 2014 but not as fast as last year. Rents for newly leased homes in Dubai will grow in the range of 10 to 20 percent, Plumb added. JLL said that 27,000 new homes are due to be built in 2014 as developers complete projects that were shelved over the past few years. “Not all will get built on time. So we can say at least 20,000 units will enter the market,” Plumb said. — Reuters

$40 million.

On the black market, a participant said the dollar was changing hands at 7.30/33 pounds, unchanged from last week. The pound has been under pressure during three years of political turmoil in Egypt. Foreign currency reserves stood at $17 billion in December, down from $36 billion on the eve of the uprising that led to president Hosni Mubarak’s downfall in 2011.

The central bank introduced dollar currency sales a year ago. Last month it held a $1.5 billion exceptional auction, its largest ever, to restock the market with dollars and curb the unofficial currency market. — Reuters

US mulls India trade enforcement action NEW DELHI: The United States will announce a trade enforcement action linked to India, potentially dealing another blow to bilateral relations damaged in December by the arrest and strip-search of an Indian consul. US Trade Representative Michael Froman was expected to hold a news conference at 2 pm (1900 GMT), his office said. It said it could offer no additional details.

It was not clear what the action related to, but the US government has come under growing pressure to react to perceived intellectual property rights abuses by Indian drug companies.

India is widely perceived by lawmakers and business groups in Washington as a serial trade offender, with US companies unhappy about imports of everything from shrimp to steel pipes they say threaten US jobs. Both countries have taken disputes to the World Trade Organization on several occasions.

India’s trade minister, who met with the head of the US Food and Drug Administration in New Delhi yesterday, said the USTR had not warned him about the action. The prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry also said the United States had not yet informed them.

The ten-day visit by FDA head Margaret Hamburg that started yesterday is the first high-level US visit to India since the row over the arrest in New York of an Indian diplomat.

The arrest of Devyani Khobragade, accused of visa fraud and underpaying her maid, led to the cancellation of scheduled bilateral meetings. On Friday, the US Chamber of Commerce called for measures to reprimand India over intellectual property rights, a move that could help prevent Indian companies from producing cheap generic versions of medicines still under patent protection.

Also this week, the US International Trade Commission has a hearing scheduled for

Wednesday and Thursday to look into Indian trade and investment practices.

‘Pressure tactic’ “This is nothing but a pressure tactic. As the US is a big economy, they think they can arm-twist India to get concessions for entering into (India’s) expanding market, in manufacturing and retail,” said a senior official at India’s trade ministry who deals with international trade issues, when asked about the US action against India. India’s trade minister Anand Sharma said he talked to the FDA’s Hamburg yesterday about drug registration and quality, following a string of sanctions against Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. A source present at the meeting said the pending trade action was not discussed. Another source said India complained to Hamburg that sanctions were imposed on Indian pharmaceutical companies before the companies were given the opportunity to make their case. Issues of access of Indian fruit and rice to the US market were also discussed, the source said.

India is the biggest overseas source of medicines to the United States and is home to over 150 FDA-approved plants, including facilities run by global players. Pharmaceutical exports from India to the United States rose nearly 32 percent last year to $4.23 billion.

In a submission to the USTR, the Chamber of Commerce asked that India be classified as a Priority Foreign Country, a tag given to the worst offenders when it comes to protecting intellectual property and one that could trigger trade sanctions. Other trade groups, including those representing the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, echoed the call for a tougher stance on India. — Reuters

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

BUSINESS

Egypt scrambling to meet summer energy needs Minister critical of Egypt’s energy mix CAIRO: Egypt will need to import an additional $1 billion worth of petroleum products and secure significant natural gas supplies as it scrambles to meet energy needs for the summer, Oil Minister Sherif Ismail has told Reuters.

One government after another has struggled to cope with energy crunches, and Ismail said this coming season would be no exception. Failure to find a solution could frustrate Egyptians, who rioted in the past over long lines at gas pumps just before the army toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Political turmoil since a popular uprising ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011 has paralyzed decision making. Disarray in the energy sector will take time to fix, even after a new government replaces the army-backed interim administration. “Of course there are needs,” said Ismail, adding that efforts to import badly needed natural gas may not succeed.

“The intention is to (make available) liquefied natural gas (LNG) and (to get) LNG facilities in operation before the summer ...It is our prime concern and intention to solve this problem if not for this year by 100 percent then at least for the years yet to come.”

Egypt in October tendered for a floating terminal needed to import LNG. An official said at the time that the government wanted the terminal in place by April, before temperatures rise and consumption spikes. The tender has not yet been awarded, and experts say that time has run out for a terminal to be delivered and installed before the summer.

Ismail said the alternatives to importing LNG include shifting to using more expensive fuel oil and encouraging Egyptians to conserve energy during peak hours. These steps may not suffice. Analysts say about 75 percent of electricity production in Egypt is dependent on gas, not fuel oil.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates extended an economic lifeline to Egypt

after the army ousted Morsi after mass protests against his rule. Deeply mistrustful of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement, these Gulf Arab states pledged billions of dollars to the armybacked government, including petroleum products.

Egypt has said it has received $4 billion in fuel products from Gulf nations since Morsi’s ouster.

Ismail said Egypt would require more imports for the summer. “The first estimate...is that we will need to import petroleum products of around $250 million per month during the four summer months,” Ismail said in an interview.

Not all Gulf countries were generous with the government after Morsi’s ouster. Qatar, which backed the Brotherhood, sent Egypt LNG shipments last summer but negotiations for further supplies stalled over political tensions. The growing population of 85 million has kept energy demand steadily rising so that it now outstrips the production of oil and gas from fields in the Western Desert, Nile Delta and offshore.

Compounding the problems, the government fell into heavy debt to foreign energy firms which Egypt needs to help it exploit gas reserves that could enable the country to end power cuts and bolster export income.

Instead, surging demand has caused Egypt to divert high levels of gas produced by foreign companies such as BG Group and promised to them for export. Ismail said that “the gap between production and consumption” is caused mainly by the fact that Egypt has not developed its available reserves.

Subsidy burden Egypt’s energy troubles weigh heavily on the economy. Talk of cutting fuel subsidies costing $15 billion a year has produced limited results.

Successive governments have feared that raising energy prices could trigger unrest in a country where street protests have helped remove two presidents in three years. Ismail, an engi-

JP Morgan cuts banking ties with Emirates NBD LONDON: JP Morgan has cut its correspondent banking relationship with Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank, as part of a global review of its business, sources familiar with the matter said.

In a memo to staff last year, the US bank said it would scale back its relationships with foreign banks in order to comply with regulatory pressure to tighten risk controls.

As part of this process, the bank has severed relationships in its cash management business in the Middle East, and has not spared Dubai’s largest bank by market capitalization. “JP Morgan is undertaking a global review of its banking relationships both on profitability and on compliance. In the Middle East they have cut many relationships, including with Emirates NBD,” a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Another Dubai-based banker said he had received similar information. “It is not very surprising given the pressure they’ve been under from regulators. They are cutting any relationship that holds even a slight bit of risk,” he said.

JP Morgan does not comment on individual relationships, but a source said: “It is well known we are tightening our controls, especially in the corresponding banking business...and we mentioned it in our Q3 earnings.” An Emirates NBD spokesman said the lender did not comment on the relationship between the bank and clearing banks.

Correspondent banking, which involves activities such as processing transactions and clearing US dollar payments for foreign banks, has historically been a core part of JP

Morgan’s business. It emerged in August last year that this business would be scaled back at JP Morgan and the bank would not take on any new clients, particularly in the light of increased regulatory scrutiny in the aftermath of the “London Whale” derivatives trade losses.

Following media reports, JP Morgan said in a statement that it was “important for us to pause and assess our business, particularly in select markets, to ensure we are well-positioned to meet our responsibilities for the long term”. Bankers working for international banks in the Middle East said they would be surprised if JP Morgan was the only international firm to cut relationships in the region.

“I think it is a little unfair to single out JP Morgan on this issue - many of us will need to look at our relationships again and there could be more developments of this nature,” said one.

One problem facing international banks in the region is some Gulf lenders’ relationships with clients in Iran, though there are no suggestions that the relationship with Emirates NBD was terminated for this reason. In February 2012, Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank (now called Noor Bank) stopped channelling billions of dollars from Iranian oil sales through its accounts after pressure from the United States, Reuters reported.

In May last year, the United States blacklisted two Dubai-based trading companies Al Hilal Exchange and Al Fida International General Trading - accusing them of helping Iran evade financial sanctions. —Reuters

neer who held senior posts at several state-run energy firms before his appointment as minister last July, says the interim government will take the first steps in a reform program that would see subsidies cut by 25 to 30 percent in five to six years.

A smart card system for fuel purchases by drivers launched during Mursi’s year in office should be operational within three months, he said. The government hopes the initiative will allow it to analyse fuel consumption data before enacting reforms. Ismail acknowledged that subsidy spending in 2014 could exceed the targeted 140 billion Egyptian pounds ($20.11 billion), saying that industrial needs may increase in the second half of the financial year which ends in June.

“The subsidy issue is crucial,” he said, adding that increasing energy consumption and the government’s target of seven percent economic growth requires subsidy reform and efforts to diversify the energy mix. “Ninety-five percent of energy consumed depends on crude oil and natural gas. The current energy mix doesn’t really work for Egypt, it is not secured, it is not economical, and it is not sustainable,” he said.

For now, Egypt is aiming to increase its natural gas output even as the companies that produce it warn that political and economic turmoil will lower their output. Ismail said that Egypt aims to increase its natural gas output by 1,800 million cubic feet this year, up by 35 percent from the current production level of 5,100 million cubic feet. His ministry forecast last week that gas production in the next fiscal year, which begins in July, would fail to meet surging domestic demand.

Ismail said that the government was in talks with BG Group to speed up the process of getting Phase 9A of its West Delta Deep Marine offshore natural gas project on-stream. The latest drilling phase of that project fell behind schedule last year. —Reuters

Saudi’s Jan oil output drops slightly to 9.767m bpd KHOBAR: Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia produced 9.767 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in January, down from 9.819 million in December, a Gulf industry source said yesterday. The kingdom raised its supply to the market, however, to 9.916 million bpd from 9.897 million, he said. Supply may differ from production depending on movement in or out of storage. “The market is really good, the market is stable, there is strong demand growth,” the source said.

The slight drop in output suggests Saudi Arabia for now shows no signs of curtailing production. Some market observers had speculated that it would need to cut output towards 9 million bpd by the middle of this year to make way for more oil expected to reach the market from Iran and Iraq. Crude exports from Iraq declined in January to an average of 2.228 million bpd but are expected to rise this month, Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi said last week. OPEC’s oil output rose to an average of 29.94 million bpd in January from a 21/2-year low in December due to a partial recovery in Libyan supply and higher shipments from Iraq and Iran, a Reuters survey found.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed in early December to renew a 30 million bpd output cap for the first six months of 2014.

Both Iraq and Iran, second and third in the OPEC producers’ league table after Saudi Arabia, wasted no time in making clear that they had no interest in contributing to a collective cut should one be required next year. —Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistani stockbrokers watch share prices on a computer monitor during a trading session at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) in Karachi yesterday. The benchmark KSE-100 index ended at 26097.49, down 584.29 points midway through the day’s trading. —AFP

Qatar’s CBQ studying further capital-boosting measures tion probe. The current Turkish turbulence is “violently disconcerting” but will have an “immaterial” impact on CBQ’s profitability in 2014 as its Turkish business is a small part of the overall group, Stevens said.

DUBAI: Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ) is studying a number of initiatives, including retaining earnings, to boost its capital base in the next 18 months, its group chief executive told Reuters. The second-largest lender by assets in the Gulf Arab state sold a 2 billion riyal ($549 million) capital-boosting bond in December, raising its capital adequacy ratio to 13.9 percent after its reserves had been depleted by high loan growth and its purchase of a majority stake in Turkey’s Alternatifbank.

“There are a number of initiatives which we are analysing to boost capital in the next 12 to 18 months,” Andrew Stevens said. He wouldn’t elaborate further, except to say there would be a proposal put to shareholders at their next meeting relating to retaining earnings. CBQ will not complete any further acquisitions in the near future as it integrates the Turkish business into its organization, Stevens said in a telephone interview from the bank’s Doha headquarters. “If you look at our previous acquisitions, it has taken us two to three years to digest them. This time, it is different as this is a full-scale consolidation so time is needed to digest, work out the management strategy and improve the links and governance standards between the two parts,” Stevens said.

CBQ bought a 74.24 percent stake in Alternatifbank during 2013, part of a trend of Gulf banks looking to acquisitions to diversify their businesses away from competitive home markets.

Since late last year, Turkey has suffered economic instability, with the lira plunging 10 percent in a month, as investors worry about the country’s current account deficit and the impact of a wide-ranging corrup-

Performance Stevens took up the group CEO role with responsibility for the bank’s international operations in August, when Qatari Abdulla Saleh Al-Raisi was appointed chief executive of the bank. He said CBQ would focus on cutting its costs and managing its margins better in 2014, with an expanded retail business and lower provisioning boosting the bank’s earnings.

CBQ reported a 32.9 percent drop in fourth-quarter net profit earlier yesterday as it was hit by higher provisioning for non-performing loans. Stevens said impairments in 2013 were caused by a revaluation of Indian investments following the depreciation of the rupee, and provisions against loans to a Qatari real estate project and an Omani cement factory.

The bank had already provisioned for 10 percent of its Qatar property loan exposure in its second-quarter earnings, but was asked to take a further 10 percent impairment by the country’s central bank at the end of the year, Stevens said. He added he was confident that further provisioning wouldn’t be required as real estate values in Qatar were recovering and that rental income generated by the project was enough to service the loan.

Meanwhile, the bank had commenced legal action against the developers of the unnamed Omani factory to recoup its money. CBQ had provisioned for 100 percent of the loan, he said. —Reuters

UAE-led group plans to ink $2bn India power deal over $2 billion. The consortium is likely to take over the debts of the seller,” a second source said. The sources declined to be named as the deal is yet to be signed.

Spokesmen for TAQA and Jaiprakash Power declined to comment.

The deal would be TAQA’s second investment in north India. Early last year, it acquired a minority interest in a 100 megawatt hydroelectric plant, Himachal Sorang Power, in a joint venture with Jyoti Structures. TAQA also operates a 250 megawatt lignite power station in the Neyveli region of southern India. Last month TAQA appointed five banks to arrange a potential international bond offer that is expected to launch this quarter, sources told Reuters.

The state-owned utility has investments in the energy and power sector from India and the Middle East to Africa, Britain and North America. —Reuters

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi National Energy Co (TAQA), leading a consortium that plans to invest around $2 billion to acquire hydropower assets in India, expects to close the deal this quarter, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. TAQA, majority-owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is buying two hydropower plants owned by Jaiprakash Power Ventures in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

The plants have a total capacity of 1,300 megawatts. TAQA plans to take a majority stake in the plants while India’s IDFC Alternatives and PSP Investments, a Canadian pension fund manager, will hold minority stakes, the sources said. “They are working to finalize it before the end of this quarter, reinforcing TAQA’s confidence in the Indian market to complement its existing power generation business there,” an Abu Dhabi source familiar with the matter said.

“The deal value is estimated to be slightly

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 2.770 4.550 2.688 2.166 2.849 225.260 36.556 3.642 6.306 8.660 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.657 77.955 737.010 753.550 77.265

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.850 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.309 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.324 Tunisian Dinar 178.590 Jordanian Dinar 400.650 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.903 Syrian Lira 2.022 Morocco Dirham 35.230 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.600 Euro 389.670 Sterling Pound 468.370 Canadian dollar 260.180 Turkish lira 128.120 Swiss Franc 318.650 Australian Dollar 256.370 US Dollar Buying 282.400 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 240.000 121.000 62.500

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 256.83 259.34 318.26 386.56 283.10 466.63 2.85 3.642 4.527 2.170 2.842 2.688 77.15 753.49 40.66 402.92 736.24 78.18 75.62

SELL CASH 253.83 260.34 316.26 387.56 286.10 469.63 2.87 3.912 4.827 2.605 3.377 2.790 77.61 755.56 41.26 408.57 743.54 78.73 76.02

2.975 3.790 85.810 47.080 9.610 127.770

Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.006495 0.000069 0.220232 0.019635 0.001894 0.009230 0.008315

0.006775 0.000075 0.226232 0.028135 0.002474 0.009410 0.008865

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 0.744738 0.037200 0.000078 0.000184 0.395218 1.0000000 0.000138 0.024452 0.001198 0.729552 0.077078 0.074883 0.002170 0.173515 0.124752 0.076123 0.001286

0.752738 0.040300 0.000080 0.000244 0.402718 1.0000000 0.000238 0.048452 0.001833 0.735232 0.078291 0.075583 0.002390 0.181515 0.131752 0.077272 0.001360

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 282.950 259.420 464.925 387.045 315.605 747.125 77.015 78.565 76.320 398.760 40.589 2.163 4.536 2.680 3.635 6.284 694.980 3.760

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

SELL CASH Europe 0.007361 0.458289 0.006067 0.047666 0.380471 0.041811 0.081716 0.008115 0.039623 0.309466 0.124752 Australasia 0.246250 0.228616

SELLDRAFT 0.008361 0.467289 0.018067 0.052666 0.387971 0.047011 0.81716 0.018115 0.044623 0.319666 0.131752 0.257750 0.238116

Al Mulla Exchange Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

America 0.251236 0.279100 0.279600

0.259736 0.283450 0.283450

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee

Asia 0.003384 0.045272 0.034392 0.004079 0.000018 0.002686 0.003367 0.000254 0.082391 0.003076 0.002397

0.003984 0.048772 0.037142 0.004480 0.000024 0.002866 0.003367 0.000269 0.088391 0.003246 0.002677

Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 283.150 384.550 462.850 256.950 4.525 40.315 2.164 3.640 6.235 2.685 753.900 77.100 75.600

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

BUSINESS

Dubai surges; Egypt hits new 45-mth high MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s shares surged above a psychologically important level yesterday as heavy retail activity continued amid positive earnings expectations, while other Gulf bourses were mixed and Egypt climbed to a new 45-month high. Dubai’s index rose 1.3 percent to 4,026 points, closing above the 4,000 level for the first time in five years and adding to the bullish retail investor sentiment.

“The market is driven by retail; foreign investors will get more active and chase blue chips but maybe (only) after the MSCI inclusion,” said Sebastien

Henin, head of asset management at The National Investor. Index compiler MSCI has upgraded UAE and Qatar to emerging market status, which will be implemented in late May and potentially bring in about $500 million worth of passive funds to each country.

Currently, local investors are trading heavily in small-caps, while anticipating earnings from many of the listed firms in the coming days. Shares in Gulf Navigation surged 14.9 percent, leading trading after the firm posted a fourthquar ter net loss of 697.9 million dirhams, but said provisioning for claims

against the company amounted to 89 percent of the losses and will be nonrecurring.

Drake and Scull climbed 3.6 percent after its German subsidiary won contracts relating to three water and wastewater treatment plant projects in Europe with a combined value of 166 million dirhams ($45.2 million). Builder Arabtec Holding gained 1.2 percent after a joint venture in which its subsidiary has a stake won a $239 million Abu Dhabi airport contract.

Abu Dhabi’s measure rose 1.5 percent to a new five -year high. In Doha,

Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ) fell 4.0 percent to its lowest since Dec. 22 after the lender posted a drop in fourth-quarter profit and missed analysts’ forecasts.

The bank made a net profit of 300 million riyals ($82.4 million), down 32.9 percent from a year earlier as provisioning for bad loans rose substantially.

Analysts had forecast CBQ’s profit would be 422.3 million riyals. Large-cap Qatar National Bank climbed 2 percent, helping lift the market. The benchmark added 0.5 percent, up for a fourth consecutive session to hit a 66-month high.

Egypt’s benchmark index rose for a

fourth straight session, up 0.4 percent to 7,488 points, to its highest level since April 2010. But some players think the rally might be running out of steam.

“Money rotation is taking place - we need another wave of fresh funds or the critical level of 7,500 could become a resistance,” said Mohamed Radwan, director of international sales at Pharos Securities. Investors have been pricing in army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s run for presidential elections but are waiting for an official announcement, which could further boost the market.—Reuters

Boeing sees Asia-Pacific fleet nearly tripling Singapore Airlines, Garuda eye more orders

MUMBAI: An Indian bank employee carries a board announcing a 48-hour nationwide bank strike in Mumbai yesterday. Employees from public sector banks are taking part in a two-day nationwide strike to press for wage revision. — AFP

Iran parliament passes budget DUBAI: The first state budget proposed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has sailed through parliament, handing him a political victory as he seeks to build domestic support for international negotiations on the country ’s nuclear program.

Parliament approved on Sunday a budget bill worth 7,930 trillion rials ($319 billion at the official exchange rate) for the next Iranian calendar year, which starts on March 21, official media reported.

The budget slows growth in spending in an effort to repair state finances that have been ravaged by economic sanctions.

Expenditure is to rise about 9 percent from the original budget plan for the current year - not nearly enough to keep pace with inflation, which is running near 40 percent.

“Everything passed by parliament is acceptable to us. There are only a few differences but they are not major,” a deputy to Rouhani, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Majid Ansari, was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.

Rouhani, who took power last August after elections, needed only 10 days of debate to get his budget passed, an apparent endorsement of his administration as it tries to get the sanctions lifted by reaching a deal with world powers on Iran’s disputed nuclear plans. By contrast Rouhani’s predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who took a hard line with the West, continually feuded with parliament over economic issues including the budget, which was passed with delays of several months. To seal a nuclear deal, Rouhani will need to overcome domestic opposition from opponents of his relatively conciliatory approach towards the West, including some of Ahmadinejad’s allies and senior members of the Revolutionary Guards.

Spending Rouhani told parliament in December that Ahmadinejad had squandered oil revenues on cash handouts and housing projects, and that Iran faced a mix of high inflation and stagnating growth, with the economy shrinking 6 percent in the past year.

His budget suggests he views spending discipline as key to rescuing the economy; the 9 percent rise in his plan is much lower than the 31 percent increase envisaged in Ahmadinejad’s last budget. Iranian-born economist Mehrdad Emadi, of the Betamatrix consultancy in London, said that after years in which Ahmadinejad tried to offset the economic sanctions with huge jumps in government spending, Rouhani was starting to reimpose normal budget constraints, a process that would take years.

“He is addressing serious problems like the fact that Iranian banks have started to face rial shortages,” Emadi said. “The budget begins to address these problems and is designed to rein in inflation.” Iran’s budget announcements are fragmentary and involve a string of revenue assumptions that are subject to sudden change, so analysts said it was impossible to make firm estimates for the government’s budget deficit next fiscal year.

For example, Rouhani’s budget estimates crude oil exports, Iran’s top revenue source, at 1.5 million barrels per day.

Exports, slashed by the sanctions, are now running at just over 1 million bpd, and look unlikely to rise much unless Iran reaches a comprehensive nuclear deal with the West.

But if Rouhani sticks to economic reforms, the deficit may shrink significantly.

Last week parliament approved politically sensitive plans to slash subsidies on fuel and food, potentially saving some 630 trillion rials annually in subsidy payments.

Implementation of the reform has been delayed for several months while authorities try to soften the blow to consumers by handing out food packages to over 15 million poorer families. Next year’s budget plan projects a rise in spending on government operations - excluding items such as activities of state enterprises - of about 14 percent to 1,950 trillion rials. It still needs to be approved by the Guardian Council, a super visor y committee of clerics and lawyers answering to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. — Reuters

Tata Motors Q3 profit triples on JLR sales NEW DELHI: Tata Motors, India’s top vehicle group, yesterday reported a tripling of quarterly net profit as a sterling performance by British luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover offset dismal domestic sales.

Tata Motors, recovering from the apparent suicide of managing director Karl Slym who was driving the firm’s attempted domestic turnaround, said consolidated net profit soared to 48.1 billion rupees ($771 million) in the three months to December from 16.3 billion rupees a year earlier. The surging performance comes on the back “of strong demand, growth in volumes and favourable product mix” at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the company said. JLR’s profit more than doubled to 619 million pounds ($1.01 billion). JLR’s sales have been propelled by the launch of the new Range Rover Sport, the new Range Rover and the Jaguar F-TYPE. Tata Motors has become heavily reliant on revenues from JLR, which it bought for $2.3 billion from Ford in 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis.

The purchase, seen by auto analysts at the time as a risky gamble, has paid off dramati-

cally with the iconic luxury brands accounting for virtually all of Tata Motors’ profit.

The vehicle giant, which also makes the ultra-cheap Nano hatchback, announced that total revenue for the third financial quarterincluding JLR jumped 38.6 percent to 638.77 billion rupees from a year earlier. But sales of domestic-led commercial and passenger vehicles for the quarter fell 36 percent for the quarter to 1.32 million units from a year earlier. Revenue from Tata Motors’ local operations slid to 77.7 billion rupees from 106.30 billion rupees. However the domestic arm of Tata Motors swung to a profit of 12.5 billion rupees in the third quarter from a loss of 4.6 billion, lifted by a one-off gain. Slym was struggling to put the domestic operations of Tata Motors back on the road to profit when he fell to his death last month from the upper storey of a Bangkok hotel. JLR has separate management.

Tata Motors blamed the slide in its Indian sales on a “prolonged slowdown in economic activity, weak consumer sentiments, subdued infrastructure activity, tight financing environment with high interest rates”.—AFP

SINGAPORE: The world’s biggest planemaker Boeing expects nearly half of the world’s air traffic growth will be driven by the Asia-Pacific region over the next 20 years, but is monitoring local currencies to assess airlines’ ability to meet orders. On the eve of the Singapore Airshow, Boeing forecast the fleet of aircraft in the region would triple in size over the next two decades, sparking demand for close to 13,000 more planes valued at $1.9 trillion.

Air travel has surged in the region, driven by a rise in disposable incomes and low air fares offered by budget carriers, notably in Southeast Asia. But Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, sounded a note of caution, saying market conditions were being monitored closely for any signs of overcapacity. “We are watching what’s happening here in terms of currencies and in terms of economic growth,” he told Reuters television.

After years of explosive growth, the region’s budget carriers now face the possibility of overcapacity as deliveries accelerate, airlines expand into each other’s markets and currency weakness threatens to dent economic growth. By the end of the year, airlines in Southeast Asia will have 1,800 planes, while their order book is set to surpass the 2,000 mark.

This week’s Singapore Airshow, Asia’s biggest aerospace event, attracts the world’s major commercial and defense manufacturers, as well as buyers in the form of airlines and military top brass. Billions of dollars in deals are likely to be finalized.

A spat between hosts Singapore and neighbor Indonesia has cast a slight pall over the event, and a series of meetings between their

military leaders this week have been cancelled.

Singapore’s government has been angered

by Jakarta’s decision to name a new frigate after two Indonesian marines executed for a 1965 bombing in the city state that killed three people. Boeing estimated Asia-Pacific’s fleet size would blow out to 14,750 over the next 20 years, from 5,090 in 2012. “Asia Pacific economies and passenger traffic continue to exhibit strong growth,” Tinseth told a media briefing. “Over the next 20 years, nearly half of the world’s air traffic growth will be driven by travel to, from or within the region.”

Similarly, rival Airbus sees Asia-Pacific as a lucrative market. It says planes on order make up 36 percent of the world total and the figure is rising. Both Airbus and Boeing have committed to record production rates for their most popular models, but executives are closely watching the financial turmoil in key aviation markets, such as Indonesia and Thailand.

Asia Pacific is home to some of the world’s biggest long-haul carriers and budget carriers AirAsia and Lion Air have placed aircraft orders valued at billions of dollars and are among the biggest customers of Boeing and Airbus. “They (low-cost carriers) have been able to provide a service to a part of the population that couldn’t fly before. And so what they are able to do is, to reach into a country and help stimulate demand, very similar to what a Southwest or a Ryanair did over time,” said Tinseth.

“Their growth is being bolstered by both the growth in income we see, growth in the economy, but also the fact that they are able to push their product into a greater base.”

Flag carriers weigh orders Full service carriers are also getting in on the act. Singapore Airlines is weighing a potential order for up to 40 of wide-body jets as it compares Boeing’s revamped 777X against Airbus A350, sources familiar with the matter said. The airline is looking at a potential order for as many as 40 777X aircraft in a deal potentially worth $15 billion at list prices, the sources said, asking not to be identified.

Garuda Indonesia is looking to tie up a long sought deal with Airbus for around 10 A330 aircraft, a source familiar with the matter said, echoing a Bloomberg report. Tinseth said the boom in low-cost carriers and demand for intraAsia travel have fuelled a substantial increase in single-aisle airplanes.

Boeing’s data projects that passenger airlines in the region will rely primarily on single-aisle planes such as the Next-Generation 737 and the 737 Max, a new engine-variant of the 737, to connect passengers. Single-aisle airplanes will represent 69 percent of the new airplanes in the region.

Carriers in Southeast Asia are due to take delivery of about 230 aircraft worth over $20 billion this year. “As we would move forward, we are going to be watching that capacity growth very closely and asking ourselves, ‘Will it change the yield market and the revenue market?’,” said Tinseth.

“We see the capacity that’s coming into the market within the bounds of our forecast, which is good but it’s aggressive growth. And so you have to watch, especially as they open up new markets, where those markets will be and whether they will be successful.” — Reuters

News

in brief

SINGAPORE: A man walks inside the cabin area of an Airbus A350-900 during a media preview at Changi International Airport ahead of the Singapore Airshow yesterday.—AFP

Airbus shows off A350 at big Asian airshow SINGAPORE: Airbus showed off its new wide-body A350 yesterday ahead of Asia’s biggest airshow, signaling that the jet’s delivery schedule is on track and stepping up its battle with Boeing for the lucrative long-haul market. The European plane-maker gave reporters a look at the twin-engine A350 before it goes on display at the Singapore show starting today in its first public appearance since its debut flight in June last year. It will also join the show’s flying display.

A little more than half of the jet is made of lightweight carbon fiber to make it lighter and more fuel efficient, a key consideration for airlines contending with volatile fuel prices. The A350, which comes in three versions typically carrying 276 to 369 passengers and has a list price ranging from $254.3 million to $332.1 million, will allow Airbus to step up competition in the long haul market dominated by Boeing’s 777 and 787 jets.

Airbus has received 814 orders for the A350 so far, with 30 percent coming from Asian airlines such as Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines. The region is a crucial market for plane makers because its economic growth is driving rapid expansion of jet fleets.

Airbus hopes to woo buyers by showing off the plane to trade visitors on the show’s first two days. Visitors won’t see a plane with a completed passenger cabin because it’s still outfitted with monitoring equipment used in ongoing testing. The A350 presents an alternative to Boeing’s 787, which also make extensive use of carbon fiber but suf-

fered from teething problems last year.

Lightweight lithium-ion batteries that caught fire on some planes were the highest profile problem. Airbus opted to abandon using the same type of battery on the A350 after the fires forced authorities to ground the 787 fleet for more than a month.

“Airbus has learned a lot from the 787 Dreamliner’s unfortunate problems since its launch. This is the plane for the next decade and beyond,” said Shukor Yusof, an airline analyst at Standard & Poor’s.

He predicted that Asian and Middle East carriers would place more orders over the next two years because of the plane’s fuel efficiency, advanced design, long range and cheap operating and maintenance costs. “If you’re the CEO of an airline and you’ve seen the problems that airlines have had with their 787s, you’d seriously have to consider the A350.”

Airbus promises that passengers will benefit from larger windows, bigger storage bins, better air quality and mood lighting in the cabin. “At the end of the day our airplanes are judged by their efficiency but also by how much the customer enjoys it,” said Fernando Alonso, senior vice president for flight testing. The airplane’s appearance in Singapore is a strong sign it’s on schedule to start deliveries to airline customers in the second half of the year. Airbus hopes to complete certification by the third quarter. Alonso said the plane is expected to go into service with launch customer Qatar Airways in the final quarter.—AP

Emirates to ground 20 planes for runway work DUBAI: Dubai’s Emirates flagship airline plans to ground 19 or 20 planes from May because of runway construction work at Dubai International Airport, the airline’s president Tim Clark said yesterday. That number of planes represents roughly 10 percent of the airline’s fleet of about 200 planes. The work is expected to be finished by July 20, Clark told reporters.

“It’ll have an impact on the revenue. We will have to learn how to manage this,” he said without elaborating. Passenger flows through the airport, which is an important source of economic growth for Dubai, jumped 15.2 percent to a record 66.4 million people in 2013. The impact of the runway work on Emirates suggests growth in traffic may temporarily slow.

Egyptian inflation eases in January CAIRO: Egypt’s annual urban inflation rate slowed slightly to 11.4 percent in January from 11.7 percent in December, the official statistics agency CAPMAS said yesterday. The core annual inflation rate, announced by the central bank, fell to 11.7 percent in January from 11.9 percent in December. Annual inflation hit a four-year high of 13 percent in November. Egypt’s economy has continued to suffer from investment outflows and a drop in tourism during political turmoil since autocrat President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in an uprising in early 2011.

Despite inflows of billions of dollars in aid from Gulf Arab states after the army’s ouster last year of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, economic recovery is limited. The army-backed government introduced a 30 billion Egyptian pound ($4.3 billion) stimulus package in 2013 and said it would follow up with a second package of similar size last month, but details of that package have yet to be announced.

Saudia picks adviser for cargo unit’s share sale DUBAI: Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has chosen the investment banking arm of Banque Saudi Fransi to advise it on the initial public share offer (IPO) for its cargo unit, it said yesterday. A senior official from Saudia told Reuters last week the IPO of the cargo unit would go ahead this year, with a stake in the maintenance subsidiary sold to the public before June 2015.

The cargo unit would be the second of six units - the others are catering, ground services, maintenance, airlines and flight academy - to pursue a stock market listing following Saudia’s decision in 2006 to privatize them. The first of the units to be sold publicly, Saudi Airlines Catering Co, raised $347 million with an IPO for 30 percent of its shares in 2012.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

BUSINESS

Asia shares rise after Wall Street advance HONG KONG: Asia’s markets rose yesterday, taking their lead from a strong rally on Wall Street as investors brushed aside below-forecast US jobs data, and analysts suggested the recent downturn may have ended. The dollar edged higher against the yen in early trade, adding to its gains in New York on Friday thanks to an uptick in optimism.

Tokyo rose 1.77 percent, or 255.93 points to 14,718.34, Seoul was flat, inching up 0.80 points to

1,923.30 and Sydney was 1.08 percent, or 55.6 points, firmer at 5,222.1.

Shanghai rallied 2.03 percent, or 41.57 points, to 2,086.07 but Hong Kong eased 0.27 percent, or 57.59 points, to 21,579.26. The US Labor Department said Friday the economy added 113,000 jobs in January, far below the 175,000 forecast. However, the report did include some positive news such as a rise in labor force participation.

Analysts said unusually severe winter weather over the past few weeks may have been a factor in the soft data. US investors were undeterred by the numbers, with the Dow jumping 1.06 percent Friday, the S&P 500 up 1.33 percent and the Nasdaq 1.69 percent higher.

There had been fears that a disappointing set of numbers could send global markets slumping again after suffering huge sell-offs at the start of the

month following weak US and Chinese manufacturing reports and the Federal Reserve’s decision to further cut its stimulus.

However, Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management, said: “Wall Street’s reception of the jobs numbers showed that the recent market correction may very well be over.” On currency markets the dollar bought 102.20 yen compared with 102.30 yen in New York, where it had firmed from 102.05 earlier Friday in Asia.

The euro bought $1.3637 and 139.30 yen compared with $1.3637 and 139.52 yen. The single currency is well up from the $1.3583 and 138.65 in Tokyo at the end of last week.

Eyes will now be on Washington, when the new Fed chief Janet Yellen makes her first appearance in the post before Congress. Investors will be looking for clues about the central bank’s plans for its stimulus program, which has been credited with buoying global equity markets.

Oil prices slipped. New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate for March delivery, eased 10 cents to $99.78 and Brent North Sea crude for March was down 35 cents at $109.22.

Gold fetched $1,272.60 an ounce at 1045 GMT compared with $1,260.90 late Friday.

In other markets: • Mumbai fell 0.21 percent, or 42.29 points, to end at 20,334.27 points.

Mobile service provider Idea Cellular fell 8.43 percent to 126.50 rupees a share while competitor Reliance

Communications fell 3.95 percent to 120.35 rupees.

• Kuala Lumpur rose 7.55 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 1,816.14.

Malayan Banking inched up 0.2 percent to 9.82 ringgit, while plantation giant Sime Darby gained 0.1 percent to 9.02. Conglomerate YTL lost 0.6 percent to 1.57 ringgit. Bangkok lost 0.45 percent, or 5.83 points, to 1,290.66.

• Coal producer Banpu fell 1.83 percent to 26.75 baht, while Airports of Thailand dropped 1.44 percent to 171.50 baht. Singapore rose 0.13 percent, or 4.06 points, to close at 3,017.20. Oil rig maker Keppel Corp eased 0.39 percent to Sg$10.33 while DBS bank gained 0.18 percent to Sg$16.38.

• Jakarta closed down 0.36 percent, or 15.92 points, at 4,450.75. Mobile phone provider Indosat fell 0.25 percent to 4,030 rupiah, while Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper lost 0.38 percent to 1,315 rupiah.

• Taipei was flat, edging up 4.60 points to 8,391.95. Leading smartphone maker HTC eased 3.79 percent to Tw$127.0 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.96 percent lower at Tw$103.0.

• Wellington fell 0.16 percent, or 7.73 points, to 4,833.06. Energy provider Vector ended down 4.0 percent at NZ$2.38 and SkyCity fell 1.6 percent to NZ$3.66. Fletcher Building was off 0.22 percent at NZ$8.98.

• Manila closed 0.52 percent higher, adding 31.11 points to 6,042.25.

Universal Robina rose 1.02 percent to 119 pesos while Ayala Corp. added 1.43 percent to 533 pesos. — AFP

TOKYO: Men walk past an electronic stock indicator showing charts of Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 which gained 255.93 points, or 1.77 percent, and closed at 14,718.34 in Tokyo yesterday. — AP

Gold extends gains on weak US jobs data SINGAPORE: Gold edged higher for a second session yesterday on speculation that the Federal Reserve would slow the pace of its stimulus tapering after a weak US jobs report raised questions over the state of economic recovery. Some analysts said the gains may not last as the labour market weakness could be due to weatherrelated issues.

Data on Friday showed that US job creation slowed sharply over the past two months, turning in the weakest performance in three years. “The fall in the nonfarm payrolls is only a blip. We think the US economic recovery is still on track,” said Barnabas Gan, an analyst at OCBC Bank.

“We have a bearish view on gold and expect prices to drop to $1,150 by the end of the year,” he said. Spot gold rose 0.4 percent to $1,272.10 an ounce by 0742 GMT, after gaining 0.7 percent in the previous session. Gold, often seen as a safe-haven investment, lost 28 percent of its value last year as the US economy showed continued signs of recovery, prompting the Fed to

begin scaling back its bond-buying stimulus measures. The US central bank has said it aims to finish the tapering by the end of this year. The Fed is unlikely to reverse the decision to wind down its bond-buying program just because employers hired fewer workers than expected in January, a top bank official said on Friday.

China consumption Consumer demand in China, the biggest bullion consumer, topped 1,000 tons for the first time in 2013, an industry body said yesterday. Chinese demand for jewellery and bullion has been robust since last year due to the slide in prices. However, demand is expected to drop slightly this year from the record levels seen in 2013.

China’s gold output in 2013 also reached a record high of 428.16 tons, making the country the world’s biggest producer for a seventh straight year. Gold premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange for 99.99 percent purity gold rose to about $12 from $11 on Friday. — Reuters

Oil slips below $109 from five-week high LONDON: Brent crude eased back after hitting a five-week high above $109 a barrel yesterday as investors bet the US central bank would maintain stimulus measures to support demand in the world’s biggest economy and top oil consumer. The new head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, delivers her first testimonies to Congress this week and markets expect her to indicate monetary policy will stay loose.

Economists assume Yellen will say gradual tapering of asset buying is likely as long as the economy continues to improve.

This view was reinforced on Friday by disappointing US employment data, showing job creation slowing to its weakest in three years and suggesting US economic growth may be losing momentum. “Oil has spiked up on expectations that tapering of asset buying will not be accelerated,” Commerzbank head of commodities research Eugen Weinberg said. But Weinberg said oil could be close to the top of its range for a while, with US crude futures edging up towards $100 per barrel and North Sea Brent not far below $110.

Both contracts jumped more than $2 on Friday but eased yesterday.

March Brent crude fell 60 cents to $108.97 a barrel by 0900 GMT, down from a session high of $109.75, its loftiest since Jan

2. US crude was down 50 cents at $99.38, after rising to $100.46, a 2014 high. Brent could be supported by tighter North Sea supply this year as Britain’s biggest oilfield, Buzzard, undergoes a total nine weeks of maintenance in 2014, rather than the two weeks traders had expected.

Chinese economic data this week could also be supportive if it shows faster growth in the world’s second-biggest oil user.

“The overall picture of the economy remains one coming out of recession and quite clearly in recovery mode,” CMC Markets chief strategist Michael McCarthy said. But analysts are wary after the recent run-up in oil prices. “We are striking resistances on both charts,” McCarthy said. “I suspect that’s containing the exuberance in the market.”

An easing of geopolitical tensions over Iran’s nuclear program could also weigh on oil prices as supply from the OPEC producer may rise if Tehran reaches a final deal with world powers. Iran has agreed to start addressing suspicions that it may have worked on designing an atomic weapon, the UN nuclear agency said on Sunday.

Iran and six world powers are due on Feb. 18 to start a final round of talks aimed at reaching a broader diplomatic settlement with the Islamic state. — Reuters

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

BUSINESS

No surprise ECB rates cut, markets cautious NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: After the liquidation that hit equities and currencies emerging markets on Tuesday and following a rocky Thursday when the European Central Bank left rates unchanged while Draghi drove the euro to the highest level we have seen in over a week, the week ended on a quiet tone.

The inaction of the ECB council on Thursday have caused more uncertainties coming into next month meeting with many investors were disappointed by the status quo of the Bank and the lack of a surprise drop in interest rates in Europe. Draghi refused to signal a clear commitment mentioning the council would await the new ECB staff projection for the year 2016. It seems that the ECB council is deeply divided, with Germany’s two members resisting any move that brings the ECB closer to quantitative easing.

On the other side of the world, emerging markets remain cautious and the absence of any further shocks has seen global risk appetite recover slightly after the drop of Tuesday. Indeed, we had a break in the EM world sell off as most currencies rebounded somewhat by the weekend.

In the US, the disappointing employment report fuelled investors’ expectations that the Fed would stop tapering its asset purchases program, thus sending equity markets higher on Friday’s close. Federal reserve Fisher attempted to calm markets by arguing that the job data was significantly affected by the bad weather in the US in the month of January.

On the foreign exchange side, Markets closed the week with a stronger sterling pound. Employment news out of the US pushed the dollar lower while a short squeeze pushed GBPUSD higher.

After reaching a low of 1.6252 on Tuesday, the Pound ended the week at 1.6411. The euro on the other hand, behaved in a more bullish manner. After dropping to a low of 1.3477 going into the ECB meeting, the currency closed the week at 1.3634.

In the commodity complex, Gold con-

tinued its attempt to climb reaching a high of $1,275 after the release of slightly lower ADP than expected and a more disappointing employment report. The change in unemployment rate to 6.6% accompanied with a lower participation rate on Friday reinforced the move causing the metal to close the week at $1,266.

Unemployment at 6.6% The US economy added just 113,000 new jobs in January, according to figures released on Friday, fuelling fears that the recovery in the jobs market appeared to have stalled. Expectations were for the economy to add around 180,000 jobs.

This is the second month of disappointing jobs news, which last month surprised investors as the number was just 74,000 jobs in December, well below the 200,000 markets had been expecting.

We should however keep in mind that nonfarm payrolls have averaged gains of +187k per month. Even if we have another weak reading in February, that average monthly gain is likely to remain above +170k.

The hurdle to a “non-taper” remains very high and would likely need to be evident in weaker monthly job reading that extend past February.

Normal balance-sheet In a speech given in Florida, Boston Fed Eric Rosengren, dovish non-FOMC voter, said that the Fed should be “quite patient” in removing stimulus. Too much labor market slack along with very low inflation calls for highly accommodative policy. As labor markets were far from conditions that warrant raising rates, he added that the Fed’s goal was to avoid repeating Japan mistakes over deflation.

He reiterated the need to see inflation rate closer to 2%, however he said that Fed tapering was possible because the economy was improving at home.

Finally yet importantly, he argued that monetary policy would not have to be as accommodative if fiscal policy were so as the Fed wanted a more normal balance sheet when that becomes

appropriate.

ECB buying time The accompanying press conference of the European Central Bank decision on Thursday albeit was dovish, was full of uncertainties. So close to the zero bound for policy rates, and in a situation where any unconventional action would be politically sensitive, the ECB has less room for maneuver to accommodate a policy error. Rather than addressing the

downside risks head-on, the ECB decided to play for time and gather more data.

The Council did not want to pre-empt the new staff forecasts. In an unanticipated move, next month, the staff will publish 2016 forecasts, nine months earlier than usual. This creates some additional ambiguity. If projected inflation by 2016 remains significantly below the ECB’s definition of price stability, then the ECB would be required to potentially accommodate further, but would also take the risk of triggering themselves a dis-anchoring in market inflation expectations.

France rejects deflation threats Member of the governing council of the European Central Bank’s and Bank of France Governor, Christian Noyer argued it would be normal to see euro weaken given their delay behind the US recovery.

On the inflation matter, he mentioned that the euro area was not facing deflationary threats: “I’m saying it as strongly as possible: the situation has nothing to do with deflation. The situation isn’t normal but it’s not alarming.” On a different subject, he argued that turbulence in emerging markets is unlikely to affect the euro-zone because transmission channels were limited. Over the French situation, he continued praising Hollande plan to lower social charges as

inflation slowed and non-food deflation intensified as discounting became more aggressive after the holidays season.

According to the CRB food price index, we can expect further falls in food price inflation in the CPI going forward too, which is important as food is worth almost a tenth of the basket.

the plan may add “several hundred thousand jobs” and one percent of GDP over two or three years.

BoJ ready to act further The Bank of Japan stand ready to expand monetary stimulus further to safeguard its inflation mandate, two top policy makers said Thursday, warning that the rout in emerging markets was already affecting Japanese assets by lifting the safe-haven yen and hurting equities. The main concern amongst BoJ officials they said, was that trouble elsewhere specifically in Emerging Markets could undermine all their efforts. He reinforced that BoJ won’t stop easing abruptly, allaying fears from a report a few days back highlighting that the BoJ was slowing down their quantitative easing.

UK awaiting inflation report Awaiting guidance from the inflation report, the Bank of England left both rates and asset purchases on hold, and gave no clues as to what to expect from next week’s Inflation Report. On Wednesday the Bank is likely to provide an update on guidance given that the unemployment rate is closing in on the 7% threshold and is likely to go through it given the strong pace of GDP growth On the economic data front, last week’s UK BRC shop price index showed prices falling at a faster rate -1% in January from -0.8% in December. This drop represents the fastest rate of deflation since the index began in 2006. Food

Better days ahead The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its growth and inflation projections higher, reflecting a weaker currency and reiterated its shift to a neutral policy stance in the release of the monetary policy statement. Over the past few months, there have been further signs that very stimulatory monetary policy is working to support economic activity,” the RBA said in its quarterly monetary policy statement in Sydney. “The board’s view is that a period of stability in the policy rate is likely.”

In summary, the Bank projected inflation to hit the 2-3% band in June before slowing down back to 2.5%. When it comes to interest rates, markets are not expecting the Bank to cut rates in the next six month; however, investors are pricing a first 25 bps rate hike by March 2015.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28235 The USDKWD opened at 0.28235 yesterday morning.

Barclays seen cutting costs after profit drop Earnings drop by a quarter to $8.5bn

LAHORE: A Pakistani vegetable vendor sells carrots at a market in Lahore yesterday.

Pakistan was on track to receive a third loan package worth $550 million from the International Monetary Fund, the Washington-based lender indicated, saying the nation’s economic recovery was gathering pace. — AFP

Former Madoff aides get their day in court NEW YORK: Four months into a criminal trial for five former employees of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, witnesses have made it clear that no one but Madoff himself knew the whole truth about his massive Ponzi scheme, from his top lieutenant on down. With prosecutors expected to wrap up their case yesterday, the defendants’ lawyers will try to convince a federal jury that their clients were completely in the dark, unaware that they were propping up an unprecedented fraud.

The defense’s task is twofold: to persuade jurors that cooperating witnesses are lying to secure lighter sentences, and that whatever improper acts the defendants may have committed were done unwittingly. “In white-collar cases, the issue often is not who did what,” said Robert Anello, a partner at Morvillo Abramovitz Grand Iason & Anello, who is not tied to the case. “It is often whether what you did, based on your knowledge, is a crime.”

The five defendants are the firm’s director of back office operations, Daniel Bonventre; portfolio managers Annette Bongiorno and Joann Crupi; and computer programmers Jerome O’Hara and George Perez. The case in Manhattan federal court is the first criminal trial to stem from Madoff’s fraud, which cost investors an estimated $17 billion in principal losses.

Madoff pleaded guilty and is serving a 150year prison sentence; he has not implicated the defendants.

In their opening statements in October, the lawyers painted Madoff as a cult-like figure whose orders the defendants followed blindly. “ They thought he was almost a god,” Eric Breslin, Crupi’s lawyer, told jurors at the start of the trial in October. “They did not want to question

anything he did.”

But prosecutors have argued that the defendants knowingly committed crimes like faking documents, deceiving regulators and filing false tax returns, even if they were not fully aware of the extent of the scheme. “You don’t have to know everything that’s going on to be guilty of a conspiracy,” said Michael Shapiro, a white-collar defense lawyer with Carter Ledyard & Milburn who is not involved in the case.

Prosecutors have introduced reams of documents and called approximately three dozen witnesses, including several former Madoff employees, some of whom pleaded guilty themselves and appeared as government cooperators.

Chief among the latter was Madoff’s top aide, Frank DiPascali, the government’s star witness, who pleaded guilty in 2009 and has not yet been sentenced. He spent about a month on the witness stand telling jurors that all five defendants were intimately involved in every aspect of the fraud.

In one instance, DiPascali claimed Crupi, O’Hara and Perez helped him print fake records for a KPMG auditor and then used a refrigerator to cool them down, reasoning that the auditor might be suspicious if the papers were still warm from the printer.

They then tossed the papers around “like a medicine ball” in order to make them appear older, he testified. Other former Madoff employees appearing as cooperating witnesses have included trader David Kugel, who said he helped Bongiorno and Crupi to fabricate trades in client accounts; his son, Craig, who said he arranged for Bonventre’s son to receive health benefits even though he did not work at the firm; and controller Enrica Cotellessa-Pitz. — Reuters

LONDON: Barclays said earnings dropped by a quarter to 5.2 billion pounds ($8.5 billion) last year from the year before, missing analysts’ forecasts and raising expectations the bank will step up cost cutting as investment bank earnings wane.

The British bank will not report its full results until today, but it released the headline number early on Monday. A preview in the Financial Times newspaper had included numbers close to the figures released by Barclays. The earnings show Barclays had a grim fourth quarter, with an adjusted profit of about 200 million pounds and a statutory profit of less than 100 million, as investment banking income slumped and it took further charges related to a cleanup of the banking industry in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Barclays was rocked by a fine for rigging Libor interest rates in 2012 which cost its chairman and chief executive their jobs and showed the bank’s UK regulator had long had concerns over its business culture.

Chief Executive Antony Jenkins subsequently took the helm, tasked with cleaning up standards and improving returns, and though he is regarded as having acted more decisively than many rivals, he continues to be dogged by past problems and has warned cultural change could take 10 years.

Most focus today will be on what Jenkins plans to do to increase cost savings - which could include hundreds of job cuts - and shrink Barclays’ investment bank. He is attempting to

improve profitability, cut risk and reduce the bank’s leverage. Morgan Stanley analyst Chris Manners said Barclays may target cutting its balance sheet by 150 billion pounds or more, which could be taken positively by investors. After raising 6 billion pounds from shareholders in October, Barclays said it would cut the size of its balance sheet by 65-80 billion pounds and Jenkins is expected to increase that target to improve his bank’s leverage ratio - a key focus for regulators eager for the industry to reduce its risks.

Jenkins is expected to increase cost savings targets beyond the 1.7 billion pounds in annual savings unveiled a year ago. Barclays shares were up 1.6 percent at 276 pence by 1300 GMT, outperforming a weaker European bank index, as dealers said news on efforts to improve returns would be more important than last year’s results.

Improving culture Barclays has cut about 400 jobs in its investment bank in the last two weeks and plans to cut a similar number in its corporate bank.

Jenkins has made no secret that he intends to significantly cut staff and branches over the medium-term to improve efficiency. Investment bank income is likely to have dropped to 1.9 billion pounds in the fourth quarter, Morgan Stanley analysts estimated. That would be Barclays’ weakest quarter for two years and follow a slump in fixed income revenue, which has already been shown by rivals including

Deutsche Bank.

Barclays is expected to increase the bonus pool for staff to more than 2 billion pounds for 2013, from 1.85 billion in 2012, citing the need to retain US bankers in a competitive market.

Barclays had been expected to report adjusted profit before tax of 5.4 billion pounds for 2013, according to the average forecast from analysts polled by the bank.

The only other number released on Monday was a statutory pretax profit of 2.9 billion for 2013. The bank had already said it would take a 330 million pound charge in the fourth quarter to cover litigation and regulation penalties.

Jenkins is also due to set new targets on how staff conduct themselves as he tries to improve culture following a string of industry scandals.

His attempts to restore confidence and put past problems behind him suffered another setback at the weekend, however, after a report said details of 2,000 customers had been stolen and sold to rogue investment advisers.

Confidential information on customers’ earnings and finances had been sold, The Mail on Sunday reported, citing data provided to it by a whistleblower. The report said it was a sample from a database that included details of 27,000 customers.

Barclays said the issue appeared to involve criminal action and it was co-operating with an investigation by police and the financial regulator, which could impose a hefty fine on Barclays if the bank is at blame. —Reuters

British Gas may be split Government chides sector on prices LONDON: Former gas monopoly British Gas might be broken up to put a stop to excessive profit margins charged by Britain’s biggest gas supplier, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said yesterday, responding to an energy sector review by regulators. Soaring energy costs have become a big political issue in Britain since opposition Labor leader Ed Miliband said in September he would freeze consumers’ bills for 20 months if he wins power in the next national election in 2015.

“There is evidence that British Gas, the company with the largest share of the gas domestic supply market, has tended to charge one of the highest prices over the past 3 years, and has been on average the most profitable,” Davey said in a letter dated Feb. 9 to the head of Britain’s energy regulator Ofgem. Ofgem, the Office for Fair Trading and the Competition and Markets Authority are carrying out an investigation into competition in Britain’s energy retail market whose top six players are Centrica-owned British Gas, SSE, EDF , RWE npower, E.ON and Scottish Power.

Centrica shares fell 3 percent to 305 pence by 1127 GMT, having sunk as low as 302-1/2p, their lowest since June 2012. Analysts said gas supply margins cited by Davey were not new and have been in the public domain for several years.

“Margins in gas supply for both Centrica and SSE have been relatively high since 2009/10 with no particular push back from Ofgem,” Liberum Capital analysts said. “Mr Davey’s letter, no doubt intentionally, raises the political temperature once again around UK energy supply. It is very difficult for investors to price in political risk for UK utilities at this time,” they said.

Davey’s Department of Energy and Climate Change has analyzed figures from energy regulator Ofgem last year which show that gas profits at some of Britain’s biggest suppliers are more than 5 times higher than profits from electricity. The government started an annual energy market competition investigation last year to address consumer complaints over increasing energy bills.

The first report conclusions are due

at the end of March. “We will be looking at all available evidence when producing this report, until we have completed it we will not comment further,” a spokesman for Ofgem said. A spokes-

woman for British Gas said the company welcomed the annual investigation and that further discussions on the topic were scheduled to take place over the coming weeks. — Reuters

AUCKLAND: Boats are moored in waters in front of the Auckland city skyline, New Zealand yesterday. New Zealand’s central bank left the official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at a record low of 2.5 percent on January 30 but warned it will rise soon as the economy gains momentum. —AFP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

BUSINESS

Ruler of Sharjah honors Malabar Gold & Diamonds Recognition for participating in 6th International Scout SHARJAH: Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, honored Malabar Gold & Diamonds in recognition of its participation in the 6th International Scout as a part of its CSR activities in the region.

Shamlal Ahamed M P, Managing Director, International Operations of Malabar Gold & Diamonds received the award from the ruler of Sharjah in the presence of Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, other VIP guests, dignitaries and delegates during the fifth day of 6th International Scout gathering on February 5, 2014. While handing over the memento, the ruler of Sharjah expressed his appreciation for the group’s involvement in philanthropic activities.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is one of the sub-sponsors of the 6th International Scout Gathering, which coincides with the selections of Sharjah as Islamic Cultural Capital for 2014.

The gathering takes place from 1st to 10th February 2014 under the patronage of Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of

Sharjah, with the participation of more than 100 scouts from different parts of the world.

The event aims at strengthening the ties of friendship and brotherhood among the participants from all over the world, capacity building and encouraging cultural exchanges and awareness raising.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds contributes to this event as a sub-sponsor and the jewelry group is always sensitive when it comes to paying tribute to the country’s historical and cultural tradition. The group is in the forefront when it comes to its CSR activities and is intrinsically connected to the communities and the world that surrounds it.

The group, which currently has 108 showrooms in India, GCC and Singapore, has set apart 10% of their net profit for CSR activities every year and undertakes several welfare activities in the areas of their operations. They put the welfare of people at the heart of their development activities and set apart 10% of its net profit to the benefit of needy. They focus primarily in five priority areas such as health, education, environment, housing and women empowerment.

SHARJAH: Shamlal Ahamed M P, Managing Director- International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds receives award from the ruler of Sharjah.

Chevrolet Alghanim provides NBK customers with exclusive offer

Mercedes-Benz puts on a show stopping display at the Auto Moto 2014 KUWAIT: For the 2nd year running, Mercedes-Benz Kuwait participated in the Auto Moto 2014 motor show at 360 Mall. Held from 21 until 25 January, A R Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co, the exclusive distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Kuwait, displayed a variety of the luxury automotive brand’s passenger cars. MercedesBenz also included a separate section dedicated to its performance driven AMG vehicles.

This year, AR Albisher and Z Alkazemi Co chose to display a selection from Mercedes-Benz most sought after vehicles, including the G 500, ML 350, C 250 and eye-catching E 300.

The Mercedes-AMG display stand featured the thundering V8 power of the GL 63 AMG, SL 63 AMG and E 63 AMG. Michael Ruehle, CEO, Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co, said: “Mercedes-Benz has a distinctly unique and dominant presence in any automotive show that we participate in. Each time we make sure our participation is exception by selecting cars that will make participants curious and interested in what we are displaying. Mercedes-Benz is always pushing the limits in the automotive industry and motor shows are the perfect venue for customers to experience what that means.”

“Our selection for the Auto Moto show this year included three of our best-selling SUV’s. Kuwait is a leading market for SUV sales and most drivers opt to purchase these incredible vehicles for their durability, safety and amazing performance on and off the tarmac. The GL-Class is particularly a favorite because of the interior space for families and remarkable off-road specifications,” added Ruehle.

The Auto Moto 2014 is held under the patronage of Sheikh Salman AlHomoud Al-Sabah, and comprises several display stands for automotive brands to showcase their latest and most impressive car launches.

KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, launched a new joint promotion exclusively for National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) customers.

NBK customers can now benefit from an exclusive KD222 discount on top of the existing offer. As a result, any NBK customer can drive home with a brand new Chevrolet Cruze at an exclusive price of KD4333. NBK customers are encouraged to take advantage of this limited time promotion by simply presenting their NBK debit or credit card. The offer is currently running and will end on February 28, 2014.

Featuring Chevrolet’s global signature face, a two-tier grille with the gold bowtie logo, the New Cruze offers a refreshed front grille, a refreshed fog lamps design, an arching roofline that connects a steeply raked windshield and fast-sloping rear pillars that provide a sporty, coupelike proportion, prominent headlamp housings that wrap around the corners and sweep upward in the fenders and hood, as well as a short rear deck typically found on sport coupes, wheels planted at the car’s corners with minimal front and rear overhangs and a twin-cockpit motif that is matched with high-quality interior materials and exceptional assembly tolerances. Cruze surrounds you in genuine luxury to ensure you’re comfortably in control. Sit back in the spacious dual cockpit and look around. You’ll find premium surfaces and finishes you’d never expect from a compact car Performance is the true test of any car, and the one where most compact sedans come up short. Not the Chevrolet Cruze.

A vigorous 140hp, which is the strongest in its class and is complemented by a sixspeed automatic transmission, respon-

sive handling and a solid, planted stance.

The Cruze continues to evolve into one of Chevrolet’s most impressive vehicles in its segment, offering competitive amenities, quietness, safety features and space expected of a larger sedan, but still providing the efficiency and value of a compact car. Now available with the new infotainment system ‘MyLink’, the Cruze offers more value for customers than ever. Chevrolet MyLink is the brand-new

bags, including frontal driver and passenger air bags, side-impact air bags (driver and front passenger), threepoint safety belts in all five seating positions and safety belt load limiters in the front safety belt retractors, the Cruze’s level of safety is further enhanced with its child seat latching system in the rear seats, four-wheel disc brakes and rear-parking assist and side blind zone alert.

and sophisticated infotainment system, which brings smartphone capabilities into the vehicle. Chevrolet MyLink aggregates content from a smartphone onto the seven-inch, high resolution, full color touch-screen display.

The Cruze achieved an overall fivestar safety rating in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) in Europe, Australia, US and Korea. Cruze’s safety features all contribute to Chevrolet’s goal of protecting passengers before, during and after a crash. With four air

If you are an NBK customer and are currently looking for a brand new drive that suits your lifestyle, take advantage of this offer and drop by Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s Showroom to test-drive the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze. Whichever model you choose, you will enjoy excellent customer service, quality maintenance and competitive prices on spare parts, all of which is provided by a team of professional and skilled team members and technicians.

Warba realizes KD10.3million operating revenues for 2013 216% growth in deposits

Cadillac Alghanim celebrates February, launches insurance program KUWAIT: In honor of the special relationship it shares with its clients, Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Cadillac vehicles in Kuwait, has launched a brand new promotion during February by offering comprehensive insurance across the entire Cadillac line up, a factor that reflects Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim Automotive’ s commitment towards providing its customers with offers that best suit their luxurious lifestyle.

The Cadillac lineup of luxury vehicles introduces a range of exclusive models including the sporty ATS, the luxurious all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS, CTS Coupe, XTS with its new twin turbo engine, the elegant crossover SRX and Escalade, the powerful and sophisticated premium SUV. The Cadillac models are equipped with the innovative CUE technology, offering the customers many luxury and safety-oriented options that add to the driver’s pleasure and excitement on the road. The CUE system (Cadillac User Experience) is part of the new and advanced technology that enhances Cadillac owners’ entertainment experience with LCD touch screen that are similar to the ones used in smartphones.

The large icons, the easy to use commands and the memory card adds to the touch screen’s functionality. It also comes with a USB and MP3 player that can be connected to the car owner’s mobile phone. These high quality and technological elements heighten Cadillac owners’ luxurious drive and unparalleled experience on the road.

It is worth mentioning that Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive has recently launched the all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS and its proud to announce that it has been named Motor

Trend’s 2014 Car of the Year as soon as it was released . The car is distinguished by its crafted design, thrilling performance and sophisticated technology. Named “Wards” 10 best engines, the 6 cylinder 3.6-liter engine generates 321 HP. All new Cadillac CTS is also available in 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo engine generates 272 HP-Best in Class. It is also the first Cadillac to offer Automatic Parking Assist and a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s showcases the company’s commitment to enhance customers’ unique Cadillac experience by offering customers peace of mind with a comprehensive insurance program. In addition, all Cadillac owners will enjoy service and maintenance for four years or 100,000 km, 24hour roadside assistance anywhere in the Middle East for four years, plus a courtesy transportation & replacement vehicle upon availability.

Adding to the luxury, Cadillac offers its customers in Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim the highest quality of services. Being one of the largest in the world, the service center is equipped with a large variety of the most advanced equipment operated by a team of skilled professionals and effective consultants who ensure timely service. Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Automotive continues to offer exclusive promotions that cater to its customers’ needs and wants as well as providing them the opportunity to drive their luxurious car that possesses only the highest features. Visit Cadillac’s showroom in Safat Alghanim today and do not pass up this opportunity to book an appointment to drive your favorite Cadillac vehicle.

KUWAIT: Emad Al-Thaqeb, Chairman, Warba Bank, announced that Warba Bank has realized operating revenues of KD10.3 million for the year 2013 compared with KD 8.1 million in 2012, with an increase of 27 percent. He added that despite the challenges posed by the local and global economic conditions as well as the fierce competition among local banks, Warba’s business indicators show a remarkable improvement in the bank’s performance and the operating efficiency of assets.

As the realized operating revenues increased, exclusive of nonrecurring transactions resulting from sale of investments, at 75 percent (KD10.3 million for the year 2013 compared with KD 5.9 million in 2012). Bank’s total assets grew by 81 percent as at the end of 2013, reaching KD 405.5 million compared with KD223 million as at the end of 2012, while the financing portfolio increased to KD 218 million compared with 82.9 million as at the end of 2012, a growth of 163 percent. It is important to refer to the portfolio’s quality which is evident through the lower percentage of defaulting finances, which is 0.30 percent. Meanwhile, the provisions made by the bank to cover the defaulting finances reached 479 percent as at the end of 2013.

Customers’ deposits reached KD 246.8 million as at end of December 2013 (compared with KD 78.2 million as at the end of December 2012), a growth of 216 percent.

In addition, Warba has a storing financial position and quality assets, which is evident through the bank ’s end of year Capital Adequacy Ratio of 47.54 percent.

Thus, Warba has a potential for future growth and new investment

opportunities that would achieve optimum returns to the shareholders and depositors. However, this will require more time to materialize, given the current economic conditions as the global market in general and the local one in particular experience scarcity of new reasonable-risk investment opportunities. On the local level, the second half of 2013 witnessed the

Warba Bank Chairman Emad Al-Thaqeb launch of certain developmental projects, but the need arises for more developmental spending in the future so as to benefit the local macroeconomic.

Al-Thaqeb pointed out that the positive indicators include revenues from financing and deposits, which reached KD8.2 million compared with KD3.2 million in 2012, a growth of 156 percent. Although the fact that the bank’s loss reached KD3.7 million compared with KD1.9 mil-

lion in 2012, with an increase of KD1.8 million attributable to the general and precautionary provisions made at the request of the regulatory bodies and not to cover a specific defaulting finances, Warba managed to control the operating expenses, whereas the increase in operating expenses reached 8 percent only despite the bank’s expansions and new branches, and the remarkable increase of businesses during the year 2013. This is expected to increase the income generating portfolio to the extent that covers the bank’s main expenses so that the bank would start generating profits in the near future.

With respect to its plans for 2014, Warba will remain focused on fulfilling the needs of its customers, developing and expanding its customer base, and taking new opportunities to achieve growth in both corporate and retail sectors, while maintaining a robust financial position that safeguards the bank’s shareholders. In addition, the bank will continue recruiting, training and developing talented national cadres in different sectors, as they will provide a great support for the bank in the future in order to achieve the bank’s ambitious goals in this field. Based on its belief in the importance of the human element, especially the Kuwaiti one, Warba is committed from the very beginning to support the national workforce and provide tangible contributions to the ongoing development of distinguished professional cadres in Kuwait. It is noteworthy that Warba exceeded the Kuwaitization level of 60 percent, while certain sectors in the bank, like corporate and retail, achieved a Kuwaitization level of more than 80 percent.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

technology

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg biggest giver in 2013 SEATTLE: Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were the most generous American philanthropists in 2013, with a donation of 18 million shares of Facebook stock, valued at more than $970 million, to a Silicon Valley nonprofit in December.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported yesterday that Zuckerberg’s donation was the largest charitable gift on the public record in 2013 and put the young couple at the top of the magazine’s annual list of 50 most generous Americans in 2013.

The top 50 contributors made donations last year totaling $7.7 billion, plus

pledges of $2.9 billion. The Chronicle’s editor says the most significant fact from the list was the amount of money coming from living donors, which totaled about the same amount as the two previous years combined.

“It’s a sure sign that the economy is getting better and people are getting a lot less cautious,” said Stacy Palmer, Chronicle editor. Some of the nation’s biggest givers do not appear on the 2013 list, not because they stopped being generous, but because their donations in 2013 were counted as pledges in previous years.

For example, Microsoft co-founder

Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, gave their foundation slightly more than $181.3 million last year, but they were paying off a pledge of about $3.3 billion they made in 2004. CNN-founder Ted Turner and Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett also made large gifts toward previous pledges.

It took gifts totaling at least $37.5 million to make the list this year. Forty-two of the top 50 made gifts of $50 million or more. Thirty made big gifts to colleges and universities, but Palmer noted most college gifts went to science and research this year, not to buildings, as in previous years.

Ten of the 50 made the list because of bequests after their deaths, including the second biggest giver in 2013, George Mitchell, a Galveston, Texas, man who made his fortune in energy and real estate.

At No. 3 were Nike chairman Philip Knight and his wife, Penelope, of Portland, Ore., who made a $500 million challenge grant to Oregon Health & Science University Foundation for cancer research. The Knight pledge requires the university match it within the next two years. No. 4 was philanthropist and former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made gifts totaling

$452 million in 2013 to arts, education, environment, public health and other causes. Nineteen people or couples on the list have signed the Giving Pledge, started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010. More than 120 of the world’s wealthiest individuals and families have pledged to give at least half their wealth to charity since the movement began.

Although most people on the list were prominent wealthy people who have given generously in the past, Palmer said a few were surprises, including Jack MacDonald, a Seattle lawyer, who gave $139 million to three nonprofits upon his death.— AP

Too late to say ‘I love you’ for Valentine’s Day? New apps rush in

HANOI: This picture taken on February 5, 2014 shows Nguyen Ha Dong, the author of the game Flappy Bird relaxing inside a coffee shop in Hanoi. The Vietnamese developer behind the smash-hit free game Flappy Bird has pulled his creation from online stores after announcing that its runaway success had ruined his “simple life”. — AFP

Online games go local for SE Asia’s booming market SINGAPORE: It was while hunting for monsters in a virtual cave that Bend Henmoko Madio met his community and realised why companies are adapting online video games to suit the different languages, tastes and mobile devices in Southeast Asia.

Text translation, dialogue dubbing and character outfits are among the most common tweaks in the “localisation” work by firms wanting to capitalise on the region’s booming game market and keep players loyal.

“I met these friends when I was playing Rohan: Blood Feud hosted on the Indonesian server,” said 32-year-old Madio. “Localisation makes it easier to form a community ... After all, it is easier to communicate with fellow countrymen.”

Localisation is gaining ground in Southeast Asia, where 85 million players spent $661 million last year on online games, research firm Niko Partners says. It expects that spending to hit $1.2 billion by 2017.

“The growth has been quite staggering,” said David Ng, chief executive of Singaporebased gaming company Gumi Asia Pte Ltd. “That is what’s fuelling the localisation business because more and more people are starting to realise it’s worthwhile.”

Gumi Asia, a unit of Japan’s Gumi Inc, creates in-house games and also publishes those of its parent, with teams working on localisation for Southeast Asia.

In Puzzle Trooper, a game originally intended for western players, a character resembling the wrestler Hulk Hogan got some manga makeovers.

“When we started doing testing in Southeast Asia, we realised that they don’t really like the western art that much,” Ng said.

“Then we tested with some more Japaneselooking art and the response was really good.”

Beyond language, culture Still, Southeast Asia is far from homogeneous. Gamers in Thailand and Vietnam tend to like Chinese-style outfits, while those in the Philippines love western-style characters such

as the original Puzzle Trooper, Ng said.

“Indonesia is hard,” he said. “You have the Muslims, Chinese and Christians. It’s a mix. It’s really difficult to comprehend a market as diverse as that.”

Indonesia’s nearly 20 million players spent $88.1 million on online gaming in 2012, almost 26 percent higher than the year before, according to Niko Partners. “ The future of game localisation in Southeast Asia is going to be decided by the Indonesian market,” said Harry Inaba, managing director of localisation firm Synthesis APAC. Unlike Gumi Asia, independent firms such as Synthesis work on contract with developers wanting to localise their games. Catering to the Southeast Asian market goes beyond language and culture to include optimising graphics and adapting to diverse handset types, Ng said. The Android operating system’s domination in the region presents a sizeable challenge.

With at least nine Android systems now in use and thousands of distinct devices in the market with different screen sizes and graphics capabilities, developers must localise their games into many formats. In contrast, the vast majority of Apple devices run on iOS 7 or the previous version of that system.

Low connection speeds in parts of Southeast Asia hinder developers from using high-quality graphics and elaborate animation, so banners that pop out on the screen would not be ideal as they can take a long time to load.

Instead, developers are using the pixel technology found in older phones that requires lower bandwidth. Gumi picked the 20 to 30 most popular Android devices to localise into, Ng said, with the ultimate goal of fostering player loyalty by making games “sticky” to various markets.

“Stickiness equates to removing any barriers from their understanding of how to play the games,” he said. “To remove barriers, you give them something they’re more familiar with.” — Reuters

Carl Icahn steps back from battle with Apple NEW YORK: Activist investor Carl Icahn said yesterday he would no longer press Apple to boost its share buyback plan after a proxy advisory firm recommended against his proposal.

The billionaire said in an open letter to shareholders that Apple has already done much of what he was seeking, by repurchasing $14 billion in shares in recent weeks. Icahn’s letter said he was “disappointed” by the recommendation against his plan from Institutional Shareholder Services. But he maintained that “we do not altogether disagree with their assessment and recommendation in light of recent actions taken by the company to aggressively repurchase shares in the market.”

Since last year, Icahn has been increasing his stake in Apple and pressing management to boost its share buyback as a way to boost the value of the stock, which has fallen from highs in 2012.

Last year, Apple agreed to a plan to return some $100 billion to shareholders including $60 billion in buybacks. Icahn, however, has talked about a bigger share buyback and made a formal, non-binding proposal to the tech giant’s board of directors to add $50 billion to the buyback. Icahn said the ISS report released Sunday indicated that Apple recently repurchased in “two weeks alone” $14 billion worth in shares, and that “for fiscal 2014, it appears on track to repurchase at

least $32 billion in shares.”

Our proposal, as ISS points out, “thus effectively only asks the board to spend another $18 billion on repurchases in the current year.”

“In light of these actions, and ISS’s recommendation, we see no reason to persist with our non-binding proposal, especially when the company is already so close to fulfilling our requested repurchase target,” Icahn said in the letter released on his Shareholders’ Square Table website.

Icahn has a long history of taking positions in companies that give him the leverage to force changes in management or provide dividends to shareholders.

“Keep buying Tim!” Icahn implored Cook in a message posted Friday on his Twitter account. His tweet also noted that Apple still should have about $145 billion in cash even after the company’s recent buyback spree.

Apple has repurchased more than $40 billion of its shares in the last 12 months.

Icahn contends that stock remains a bargain at that price. He also used his Twitter account to make a case that Apple’s stock would be trading at more than $1,200 now if investors valued the company’s operating profit as highly as they do the operating profit of Google Inc., the maker of the Android operating system that powers many of the devices competing against the iPhone and iPad.—Agencies

TORONTO: Those who fear that their penchant for procrastination may have foiled plans for a Valentine’s Day of romance can turn to new apps that offer help with dinner reservations and fresh flowers, even at the last minute.

Consumers expect to spend about $133 on Valentine’s Day, with candle-lit dinners, flowers, candy and greeting cards the most common ways for couples to express their love, according to a National Retail Federation survey of more than 6,000 consumers.

But despite the best intentions, without some advance planning Cupid’s arrow may not find its intended target. For a spouse or significant other who forgot to make dinner reservations on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year an app called NoWait let users view how booked a restaurant is and has virtual waiting lists.

“Valentine’s Day should be spent falling in love with your wife again, or with your date. It shouldn’t be stuck waiting,” said Ware Sykes, the chief executive officer of NoWait, which is based in New York and Pittsburg.

The app shows how many people are ahead on a restaurant list and the estimated wait time.

It will also send a notification when a table becomes available. “It means you can make time to have a glass of wine at home or at a bar around (the restaurant), knowing you have the extra time you would normally spend waiting,” Sykes explained.

Simplify the act of giving flowers Thousands of restaurants across the United States are available on the app, which launched last week on iOS and Android devices. Several other apps aim to modernize and simplify the act of giving flowers on Feb. 14.

With ProFlowers, for iOS, and Bouqs for iOS and Android devices, users can order flowers from smartphones for delivery the next day.

MINSK: A young woman gestures as she stands near the gifts for Valentine’s Day displayed for sale at an outdoor market in the Belarus capital Minsk. — AFP ProFlowers lets users pay by taking a photo of their credit card.

In the San Francisco area serious procrastinators can have flowers delivered with a hand-written note in 90 minutes via BloomThat, a new app for iOS. The app sends a notification when the flowers are sent and delivered.

“If you don’t get your order in for flowers in the next few days you’re not getting them, or you’re scrambling at the grocery store to pick out the best of what’s left wrapped in cellophane,” said Matt Schwab, co-founder of the San Francisco-based startup.

For couples in New York City in need of a bot-

tle of wine on Valentine’s Day a new app called Minibar will deliver one within 60 minutes. Users enter their ZIP code, select wines or spirits and proceed to checkout.

And for last-minute Valentine’s Day cards, Shuttersong, a free app for iOS devices, lets people send audio-enabled photos instantly via text, email and social networks.

The company has teamed up with the American Greetings card company to provide virtual Valentine’s Day cards that can be personalized with a voiceover or music clip. A pack of 10 cards costs $1.99 and can be used an unlimited number of times. —Reuters

Hackers used Pittsburgh company to hit Target

TOKYO: This picture taken on Sunday shows Japan’s University of Tokyo professor Takao Someya displaying the world’s first flexible wireless organic sensor system which has a power supply circuit, data transmission circuit and a sensor on the 12.5 micrometers thin film, designed as a wearable sensor at his laboratory in Tokyo. —AFP

Japan sensor will let diaper say baby needs changing TOKYO: A disposable organic sensor that can be embedded in a diaper and wirelessly let a carer know it needs changing was unveiled by Japanese researchers yesterday.

The flexible integrated circuit printed on a single plastic film transmits information and receives its power wirelessly, and could potentially be manufactured for a few yen (US cents), the developers told AFP. The system, which uses organic materials that can be printed with inkjet technology, was developed by a team led by professors Takayasu Sakurai and Tak ao Someya at the University of Tokyo.

In addition to use in infants’ diapers, the technology can be applied to adult nappies, which are a big-seller in rapidly-ageing Japan. Regular diapers change colour to indicate they are wet, but a care-giver still needs to take off the wearer’s clothes to see.

“If sensing is done electronically, you can tell simply by coming close to the wearer-without unclothing him or her,” Someya said.

The technology could also be put

directly on the skin like a plaster, in place of often ring-shaped devices currently used in hospitals to monitor pulse and blood oxygen levels, he said.

Healthcare sensors often use silicon and other relatively rigid materials that can cause their users discomfort. The flexibility of a single sheet of plastic film reduces discomfort for wearers and means it can be applied to a larger number of places-offering greater potential for doctors or carers to monitor wellbeing.

The prototype system that has been developed is capable of monitoring wetness, pressure, temperature and other phenomena that cause a change in electrical resistance, said Someya, but the team would like to refine it to reduce its power consumption before it goes into widespread use.

Currently the data-reading device needs to be a few centimetres (inches) from the sensor, but Someya said the team was exploring how practical this is and whether they can boost the distance. Researchers are to unveil their work at an academic gathering now under way in San Francisco. —AFP

NEW YORK: The hackers who stole millions of customers’ credit and debit card numbers from Target may have used a Pittsburgh-area heating and refrigeration business as the back door to get in. If that was, in fact, how they pulled it off - and investigators appear to be looking at that theory - it illustrates just how vulnerable big corporations have become as they expand and connect their computer networks to other companies to increase convenience and productivity.

Fazio Mechanical Services Inc., a contractor that does business with Target, said in a statement Thursday that it was the victim of a “sophisticated cyberattack operation,” just as Target was. It said it is cooperating with the Secret Service and Target to figure out what happened.

The statement came days after Internet security bloggers identified the Sharpsburg, Pa., company as the third-party vendor through which hackers penetrated Target’s computer systems. Target has said it believes hackers broke into its vast network by first infiltrating the computers of one of its vendors. Then the hackers installed malicious software in Target’s checkout system for its estimated 1,800 US stores.

Experts believe the thieves gained access during the busy holiday season to about 40 million credit and debit card numbers and the personal information - including names, email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses - of as many as 70 million customers.

Cybersecurity analysts had speculated that Fazio may have remotely monitored heating, cooling and refrigeration systems for Target, which could have provided a possible entry point for the hackers. But Fazio denied that, saying it uses its electronic connection with Target to submit bills and contract proposals.

The new details illustrate what can go wrong with the farflung computer networks that big companies increasingly rely on. “Companies really have to look at the risks associated with that,” said Ken Stasiak, CEO of SecureState, a Cleveland firm that investigates data breaches. Stasiak said industry regulations require companies to keep corporate operations such as contracts and billing separate from consumer financial information. Stasiak emphasized that the thieves would have still needed to do some serious hacking to move through Target’s network and reach the checkout system.

Talented Chester Wisniewski, an adviser for the computer security firm Sophos, said that while it may seem shocking that Target’s systems are that connected, it is a lot cheaper for a company to manage one network rather than several.

He added that while retailers are supposed to keep consumer information separate, they are not required to house it on a separate network. Still, he said he was extremely surprised to hear that the hackers may have gotten in via a billing system, saying those kinds of connections are supposed to provide extremely limited access to the other company’s network. As a result, while the hackers were clearly talented, it’s obvious something went wrong on Target’s end, he said.

“If normal practices were followed, they wouldn’t have been able to get access,” Wisniewski said.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary confirmed that investigators are looking into the attack at Fazio Mechanical Services, but wouldn’t provide details. Molly Snyder, spokeswoman for Minneapolis-based Target, would not comment.

Federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh referred calls to their counterparts in Minnesota, who would not discuss the investigation. In the weeks since Target disclosed the breach, banks, credit unions and other card companies have canceled and reissued cards, closed accounts and refunded credit card holders for transactions made with the stolen data.—AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

New Zealand rebukes Japan in whaling row WELLINGTON: New Zealand sharply criticized Japan yesterday for allowing a whaling ship to enter New Zealand’s maritime economic zone. The government said Japan ignored requests that the Shonan Maru 2 steer clear of New Zealand’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone as the whaler pursued an anti-whaling vessel operated by protest group Sea Shepherd.

Japan defended the incident, saying any ship is allowed under international rules to enter an exclusive economic zone, and that it had been necessary to protect Japanese whalers from the activists’ protest.

The incident comes during height-

ened tensions over Japan’s whaling. Last week, a different Japanese whaling ship and a second Sea Shepherd boat collided in the icy seas off Antarctica, with both sides blaming each other for the crash.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Japan’s latest actions were “unhelpful, disrespectful and short-sighted” and that Japanese Ambassador Yasuaki Nogawa had been summoned on Monday to meet with a senior official who expressed New Zealand’s “deep disappointment.”

“The New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo last week made it very clear we did not want members of the Japanese whaling fleet entering our EEZ,” McCully said.

“New Zealand’s strong opposition to Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean is well known and further action may be taken.”

He didn’t elaborate on what the action might be. Japan’s chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said the Japanese ship’s entry into New Zealand’s EEZ was “part of necessary safety measures that Japan had to take.” “We don’t see any problem,” he said. Suga also defended Japan’s research whaling as legitimate under international rules, and condemned Sea Shepherd’s actions as “dangerous and illegal acts” that endanger Japanese crewmembers and their ships.

Glenn Inwood, a spokesman for the Institute of Cetacean Research, which is funded by the Japanese government, said every vessel has a right to enter another country’s economic waters, and New Zealand’s request for the boat to stay away was not legally enforceable.

He said the Shonan Maru 2 was monitoring the Sea Shepherd protest boat Steve Irwin following harassment near Antarctica. “It’s important for their own safety to know exactly where the Sea Shepherd pirate vessels are at all times,” Inwood said.

Speaking by satellite phone from the Steve Irwin, captain Siddharth Chakravarty said his organization abides

by the law and is trying to prevent the unwarranted slaughter of whales. He said the Shonan Maru 2 had been tailing their vessel for a week.

Under the provisions of a United Nations treaty signed by more than 160 countries including New Zealand and Japan, each country has certain sovereign rights over their economic zone.

Those rights are not as strong as the rights for territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the shore.

The Southern Hemisphere whaling season typically runs through the end of March. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.— AP

Caffeine common in US children and youths Caffeine has no nutritional value

ATLANTA: In this Friday, Jan. 24, 2014 photo, a bed sits empty in an operating room at Grady Memorial Hospital, in Atlanta. In two years, federal payments to hospitals treating a large share of America’s poor will begin to evaporate under the premise that more people than ever will have some form of insurance under the federal health care law. The problem is that many states have refused to expand Medicaid, leaving public safety net hospitals there in a potentially precarious financial situation and elected officials facing growing pressure to find a fiscal fix. —AP

Tweaking an exercise routine to stay strong even after 50 NEW YORK: People turning 50 may want to consider tweaking their exercise routines because as they age stiffer joints, slower recovery from injury and the loss of lean body mass are among the perils facing the youngest baby boomers, fitness experts say.

Studies have shown that even a 90year-old can build muscle, so the halfcentury mark is a good time to retire joint-stressing high jumps and to start lifting dumbbells to build strength.

Dr. Wayne Westcott, co-author of the book “Strength Training Past 50,” said maintaining lean body mass becomes harder with ageing.

“The average man in good shape is about 85 percent lean weight, organs, blood, bones, muscles and skin, to 15 percent fat. The average healthy woman has a 75/25 ratio,” said Westcott, fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.

“It’s more challenging with age but if you do strength training you can maintain your lean muscle to about age 70,” he said, adding that an older woman who doesn’t resistance train will lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) of lean mass per decade.

Westcott places equal value on cardiovascular training. “We recommend approximately 20 to 30 minutes of resistance exercises two to three times a week.

Then try to have an equal amount of aerobic activity four to five days a week,” he explained.

Westcott added that older adults, who are hitting the gym in increasing numbers, might want to avoid explosive, high velocity activities, such as high jumps.

In 1990 there were 1.9 million health club members aged 55 and above, while in 2012 there were over 10 million, according to a 2014 report by the trade association IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association).

Physical activity Dr. Barbara Bushman of the American College of Sports Medicine said regular physical activity, rather than a sedentary lifestyle, has the potential to minimize the physiological changes that occur with age and inactivity, in addition to limiting the progression of chronic diseases. “Older adults can benefit from exercise, and although absolute improvements may be less than for younger adults, relative increases can be similar,” Bushman said, adding that older adults may take longer to make improvements. At 54, Florida-based fitness trainer and wellness coach Shirley Archer noticed that if she did not weight train she lost lean body muscle at a faster rate.

She also found it harder to get it back.

Happily for Archer, who has enjoyed running, cycling and hiking, her endurance activities remain unaffected by her ageing. “I feel that I have not lost any endurance,” said Archer, author of the book “Fitness 9 to 5: Easy Exercises for the Working Week.”

As people age, she explained, they lose muscle fibers that produce quick powerful bursts before fibers that are engaged in endurance activities such as running or cycling.

She said that is why older athletes, who cannot physically compete against younger athletes when it comes to strength and power, can remain competitive in endurance sports.

The ageing exerciser also faces longer warm-up and recovery times, as the body is stiffer and slower to heal, Archer said. And the burning of fewer calories means paying even more attention to diet. Staying hydrated is also impor tant. “ We need to be sure to hydrate even if we don’t feel particularly thirsty,” she said. “Hydration will keep all systems working much more efficiently - and even help keep our thinking clear.” —Reuters

CHICAGO: Nearly 3 out of 4 US children and young adults consume at least some caffeine, mostly from soda, tea and coffee. The rate didn’t budge much over a decade, although soda use declined and energy drinks became an increasingly common source, a government analysis finds.

Although even most preschoolers consume some caffeine-containing products, their average was the amount found in half a can of soda, and overall caffeine intake declined in children up to age 11 during the decade.

The analysis is the first to examine recent national trends in caffeine intake among children and young adults and comes amid a US Food and Drug Administration investigation into the safety of caffeine-containing foods and drinks, especially for children and teens. In an online announcement about the investigation, the FDA notes that caffeine is found in a variety of foods, gum and even some jelly beans and

marshmallows.

The probe is partly in response to reports about hospitalizations and even several deaths after consuming highly caffeinated drinks or energy shots. The drinks have not been proven to be a cause in those cases.

The new analysis, by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that at least through 2010, energy drinks were an uncommon source of caffeine for most US youth. The results were published online yesterday in the journal Pediatrics.

Harmful effects The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against caffeine consumption for children and teens because of potentially harmful effects from the mild stimulant, including increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and worsening anxiety in those with anxiety disorders. Dr. Stephen Daniels, chairman of the acad-

India defends drug safety as US FDA chief visits NEW DELHI: India defended the safety standards of its vast generic drugs industry yesterday as the US Food and Drug Administration chief arrived in the capital to discuss quality concerns.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg’s trip follows a string of import restrictions slapped by the body on products made by Indian pharmaceutical heavyweights Wockhardt and Ranbaxy over safety concerns.

India’s lower cost medicines should not be viewed as “cheap and spurious”, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said in New Delhi as Hamburg opened her eight-day visit. “Efficacy of the Indian drugs should not be judged on the basis of their cost,” he said, adding that “the input cost in India is much less than that in the developing countries due to the less expensive human resources”.

India’s generics industry is a massive supplier of copycat lifesaving drugs to the United States and over 200 other nations, many of them poorer countries.

On the first day of Hamburg’s trip, India’s health ministry and the FDA signed a statement of intent on cooperation in the field of medical products between the two countries.

Speaking ahead of her talks with Indian government officials, Hamburg said the FDA’s “engagement” with its Indian regulatory counterparts was “critical to our ability to effectively promote the health and safety of American and Indian consumers”.

“I look forward to enhancing our existing relationship and identifying additional opportunities for collaboration,” she said. India’s commerce minister Anand Sharma told reporters both sides believe “this is a partnership which is very important”.

The two sides have agreed to create an “institutional framework” involving “sensitising and educating the pharmaceutical industry” over the certification of medicines, he said.

Hamburg was due to meet pharmaceutical industry representatives on Tuesday for talks organised by a national business group. Her trip in India will also take her to the financial hub of Mumbai and Kochi in the southern state of Kerala. — AFP

Trade winds spur hiatus in global warming SYDNEY: An unprecedented spike in Pacific trade winds has seen global warming slow significantly in the past 12 years but the effect is only temporary and temperatures will surge, a study found yesterday.

The Australian-led report, published in the latest edition of Nature Climate Change, said a dramatic acceleration in equatorial trade winds blowing from the Americas to the West Pacific had boosted circulation of the ocean.

“If the trade winds blow particularly strong that warm water that’s piled up there starts to converge in the ocean interior,” said lead author Matthew England.

“In a way it’s locking away energy we’ve obtained from greenhouse gas into the subsurface ocean and that’s what causes the hiatus (in global warming).”

The study examined a pause in global warming since 2001 along with a previous such stall between 1940-75 and identified a close link to negative phases of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) — a wind pattern associated with a cool tropical Pacific and strengthened winds.

England said the winds finding helped to explain why global warming didn’t occur in a continual upward trajectory-a criticism of cli-

emy’s nutrition committee, said caffeine has no nutritional value and there’s no good data on what might be a safe amount for kids.

Evidence that even very young children may regularly consume caffeine products raises concerns about possible long-term health effects, so parents should try to limit their kids’ intake, said Daniels, head of pediatrics at the University of Colorado’s medical school.

Soda was the most common source of caffeine throughout the study for older children and teens; for those up to age 5, it was the second most common after tea. Soda intake declined for all ages as many schools stopped selling sugary soft drinks because of obesity concerns.

The American Beverage Association, whose members include makers of soft drinks and energy drinks, maintains that caffeine has been safely added to drinks as a flavor enhancer for more than 100 years. —AP

mate change sceptics-but “a series of abrupt steps in between periods of more or less steady temperatures”.

England said the current plateau in global warming at a time when “greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have shot up to record levels” had puzzled scientists. “This pause in surface warming doesn’t mean that global warming has stopped at all, we see Arctic sea ice melting to record low levels, the land ice sheets across the world are melting rapidly, ocean temperatures continue to warm,” he said.

“So it’s not a contradiction of global warming but it has confused scientists, just because we do expect the surface temperatures around the world to progressively warm decade by decade.”

England’s team, which also included researchers from the United States, looked to the seas for answers and found “there was more than enough heat going into the ocean to account” for the plateau they were seeing.

“The reason the oceans are taking up extra heat, and this is particularly occurring in the Pacific Ocean is that the trade winds have strengthened considerably over the last two decades,” he said.

He described their intensification as

“unprecedented in the measurement record and way beyond the strength of the trends ever captured by climate models”.

But England said the surging trade winds were only temporary and their associated cooling effects would likely reverse sharply once the IPO shifted back to a positive phase “within as little as a decade”.

“If the trade winds slow down or stop, what happens is that heat absorption by the ocean reverses and we actually get heat coming back up to the atmosphere,” he said.

“The bad news is that out of this hiatus we’re expecting quite rapid warming to occur.”

Were the elevated winds to persist, England’s study found the current hiatus would extend to 2020. If they abated in the next few years it was likely to be “short-lived, with rapid warming set to resume soon after the wind trends reverse”.

Steve Rintoul from Australia’s government science agency CSIRO-a partner in the studysaid the oceans held the key to understanding climate change. “More than 93 percent of the warming of the planet since 1970 is found in the ocean,” he said.

“If we want to understand and track the evolution of climate change, we therefore need to look in the oceans.” — AFP

NEW SOUTH WALES: This undated handout and annotated image obtained yesterday from the Space Telescope Science Institute shows a star discovered to be the oldest ever found, by Dr Stefan Keller with the SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia. Australian astronomers on Sunday said they had found a star 13.6 billion years old, making it the most ancient star ever seen. — AFP

Ancient star helps scientists understand universe’s origins SYDNEY: Australian astronomers have found the oldest known star in the universe, a discovery that may help to resolve a long-standing discrepancy between observations and predictions of the Big Bang billions of years ago.

Dr Stefan Keller, lead researcher at the Australian National University Research School, told Reuters his team had seen the chemical fingerprint of the “first star”.

After 11 years of searching, the star was discovered using the SkyMapper telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory.

“This star was formed shortly after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago,” Keller said. “It’s giving us insight into our fundamental place in the universe. What we’re seeing is the origin of where all the material around us that we need to survive came from.”

Simply put, the Big Bang was the inception of the universe, he said, with nothing before that event. The ancient star is about 6,000 light years from Earth relatively close in astronomical terms. It was one of 60 million stars photographed

by SkyMapper in its first year.

“This is the first time we’ve unambigu-

ously been able to say we’ve got material from the first generation of stars,” Keller said. “We’re now going to be able to put that piece of the jigsaw puzzle in its right place.”

The composition of the newly discovered star shows it formed in the wake of a primordial star, which had a mass 60 times that of our Sun. Keller said it was previously thought primordial stars died in extremely violent explosions that polluted huge volumes of space with iron. But the ancient star shows signs of pollution with lighter elements such as carbon and magnesium - with no sign of iron. “What that means is we had a long-held theory that the first stars to form would be extremely massive because they are formed out of pure hydrogen and helium,” he said. “A star is like an onion - it has all these layers and the heaviest material like iron is right down in the core. The only thing to come out of it was the carbon and a little bit of magnesium from that supernova and that’s what we’re seeing today in the star that we’ve discovered.”

The discovery was published in the latest edition of the journal Nature. — Reuters

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

W H AT ’ S O N TIES Center - Where cultures meet

I

n cooperation with the Albanian embassy, the TIES Center will be hosting an Albanian cultural day. The activities will include a presentation about tourism and life in Albania, recitation of poetry related to the country’s rich traditions, a gallery of photos, and some delicious traditional food. This event promises to be exciting, educational, and entertaining. When? Thursday, February 13 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Liberation Village Festival at AUK

T

he International Relations Club (IRC) at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) is organizing an event this week titled “The Liberation Village”, during which lectures will be held over the three days of the event, where the subjects of Kuwaiti foreign policy, how the invasion changed Kuwaiti society, and the role of Kuwaiti women in Kuwaiti society will be addressed. Speakers include Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Sabah Al-Nasser AlSabah, and Under Secretary of State for Youth Affairs Al-Zain Al-Sabah. The lecture schedule is as follows: In addition to the lectures, the IRC will provide a venue for more than 100 booths for companies led by young, Kuwaiti entrepreneurs to display their products and services, as was larger, well-established companies, and non-profit organizations, such as the Blood Bank. The three-day event, which takes place in AUK, is open to the public daily from 11 am until 7 pm.

NAFO holds awards ceremony

Advisory to Indian nationals in Kuwait

T

he Embassy of India has been receiving often reports from the members of Indian community residing in Kuwait regarding thefts, robberies assaults and damages to their property etc. All such incidents should be immediately reported to the local police station. In order to extend help the members of our community, please contact us with the following information so that the matter could also be taken up by the Embassy with Kuwaiti authorities:(a) Brief details of the incident; (b) Civil ID of the affected member(s) and their passport details; (c) Contact telephone number and the proof of residence of the person(s) affected; (d) Copy of FIR along with address of the Police station.

2. Please contact either Hend, Ambassador’s office at Telephone No. 22561276, Fax No. 22546958 (E-mail: amb.kuwait@mea.gov.in OR ambss@indembkwt.org) or Balram Kumar Upadhyay, Counsellor (Consular and Chief Welfare Officer) on Telephone No. 22533125, Fax No.22573910 (E-mail: counsellor@indembkwt.org).

N

AFO Kuwait conducted a glamorous ceremony on February 1 to honor meritorious and outgoing students of NAFO family. The function was held at Indian Community Senior School, Salmiya.

Renowned career guide Prof Dr Venkitaraman was the chief guest. The ceremony started with a prayer song by Anamika Anilkumar, Anupama Dileepkumar, Aswathy Vijayakrishnan, Gopika Menon, Muktha Gopakumar, Sruthi Uday and Vrichika V Nair, members of NAFO Symphony which was composed by Sreela Raviprasad and Sreeranjini Ajay, NAFO Ladies Wing Coordinators.

NAFO General Secretary, Murali S Nair welcomed the gathering followed by Dr Srikumar’s presidential address. The pro-

gram started by honoring Dr Venkitaraman with a ‘ponnada’ and NAFO memento.

Program convener Vijaykrishnan introduced Dr Venkitaraman by reading his brief profile. NAFO ‘Gurukulam,’ an innovative value-added educational scheme for the benefit of younger children and designed by the NAFO Ladies Wing was inaugurated

by Dr Venkitaraman by releasing the scheme syllabus. NAFO Ladies Wing coordinator Sreekala Dileepkumar briefly elaborated on the benefits and merits of the scheme.

NAFO meritorious students of Class X, Rathan Pradeep Kumar and Navaneethakrishnan Unnikrishnan of NAFO family were honored with NAFO medals gifts and appreciation certificates.

NAFO outgoing students Ajith Aravind, Akhil Dilip Kumar Nambiar, Anjali Rajiv Menon, Anushka Anil, Archana Rajendran, Adhira Anilkumar Pillai, Meenakshy Suresh, Pooja Vinay Menon, Reshmi Ramesh Kumar, Rohan Mahesh, Sandeep Dileep, Sharat Menon, Sheethal Rajiv Menon and Siddharth Menon were also honored with NAFO gold medals and appreciation certificates and Malavika Menon (Class X) with appreciation certificate and NAFO medal by the invited guests, officials and senior members of NAFO family.

While speaking on the occasion, Dr Venkitaraman highly commented on NAFO’s dedicated and committed activities aiming at the betterment of the society. He specifically praised NAFO Ladies Wing for

Dance and music festival

S

hivarathri Dance & Music Festival will be held on 27th February 2014 Thursday at 5.30 pm Onwards at Indian Community School Senior auditorium, Salmiya.

Bharathanatyam by Kalamandalam Sreeja Krishnan, Bhajans by Kottayam Santhosh Kumar & Group and Veda Chantings are few attractions for the event. The entry is free and organizers can be contacted at madhutn@hotmail.com / 97978286 / 96696704.

initiating the ‘Gurukulam’ scheme. He thanked NAFO for facilitating the opportunity for him to visit and fruitfully interact with students and parents of Indian community in Kuwait. While felicitating the outgoing students, Vijay Karayil (NAFO Patron), Dr Prasad Nair (NAFO Advisory Board), Dr Binumon(Principal, ICSK, Salmiya), BS Pillai (former NAFO president), and Smitha Sashikumar (Chief Coordinator-Ladies Wing) reminded them of their future challenges, duties and responsibilities and wished all of them a bright and prosperous future. Program committee co-convener, Krishnan K Pillai congratulated the students and proposed a vote of thanks. He inspired the audience and students by making some Vedic references.

Indian passport, visa fees reduced

A

s a goodwill gesture, BLS International Visa Services Company Co (KSCC), which is operating as a sole partner for the Embassy of India in Kuwait to handle passport and visa services, has reduced the Indian Passport processing fee from KD 1.500 to KD 1.000 and Indian visa processing fee from KD 5.000 to KD 3.000.

These rates have been implemented with effect from 17/12/2013.

Around Kuwait Drawing competition Thiruvananthapuram district expats association TEXAS, Kuwait, will be conducting a drawing competition on the topic ‘Conservation of the Eco system’ to create a social awareness among the young generation. This will be an opportunity for the students of Indian school sin Kuwait to participate and exhibit their drawing skills. Those who wish to participate can register online on http://www.texaskuwait.com/register.htm. Registered candidates will be contacted by the association officials for further details of the competition.

The final competition will be held on 14th February 2014 at 3 pm. For details, contact 66629159, 67043133, 99358911, 97540482.

Art and Feast festival Kozhikode District Association Mahilavedi is organising Art & Feast Festival-2014, a full day program for ladies and children on 21st February 2014 at Indian Community School, Khaitan from 9.30 am onwards. A variety of arts & cookery competitions with very attractive prizes for women of all ages aim to promote their talents.

The festival will be inaugurated by Mrs. Gargy Jain, wife of Ambassador of India to Kuwait. The presence of the master chef Mrs Jumanah Kadri who is reputed all over GCC as well as India for her unique and mouthwatering traditional and multinational cuisines, as a judge for the cooking competitions adds to the attraction of the event. The different competitions for ladies are organized as follows cooking competition (Pudding/snacks-ladies, either one or both) hair decoration (18 Years onwards-Ladies) Registration: Ladies of all communities in Kuwait can participate in these competitions.

Details of the competitions are available at our website www.kdakuwait.com. The candidates

can register online through our website or through the following Mobile numbers: 97896263, 97141673, 69391238 & 55839915. The registrations are open only for a limited number of candidates and hence hurry up to confirm your chance.

Folk song competition Kerala association Kuwait a secular pravasi malayali unity celebrating their 15th year of successful journey and conducting Nadanpattu Mathsaram kathirmanikal [Malayalam folk song competition (group)] on February 14th at 3 pm at Abbassiya United Indian School. Several renowned teams are participating in this competition.

Former Kerala state revenue minister & ex Rajya Sabha MP KE Ismael will be the chief guest on the occasion.

Competition will be held in Junior & Senior categories to bring back Pravasi Malayalis nostalgic memories about motherland. To participate in Kathirmanikal folk song competition please contact 60753530, 69011429, 97253689, 55831679, 69305736.

World of Opera concert Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia

presents their inauguration concert of musical season 2014. The “World of Opera” concert will feature two soprano vocalists: Verica Grmusa and Anna Karadimitrova with the accompaniment of pianist Bartek Rybak.

The event will take place at the Abdul Hussain Marafie Grand Ballroom at the Radisson BLU Hotel Kuwait. The program includes pieces

by Bizet, Rossini, Verdi, Chopi, Mozart, Delibes, Handel, Puccini and others. This concert is organized by the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia.

‘Layali Febrayer 2014’ “Layali Febrayer 2014” is finally here, and it is jam packed with 20 unforgettable shows & festivities!

Lucky for us non-Arabic speakers, there is also an English version of the “Layali Febrayer” website filled with information & a schedule of events.

Visit Feb.Kuwait.tt for the full scoop on “what’s on” this “Layali Febrayer”.

As per their website: “After the huge success of “Layaly Febrayer 2013” Al Watan TV is back for the sixth consecutive year to present “LayalyFebrayer 2014” the new program is international and presenting

more than 15 shows for the first time in Kuwait coming from 15 countries around the world, and include sky, water, and underground shows.”

The Spring Carnival “The Spring Carnival” charity event at BSK on February 15, 2014 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm at British School of Kuwait (Salwa, Block 1, Street 1).

“Bedouin Tents & Desert Customs” a diwaniya by Maziad Al-Khaldi On February 18, 2014 @ 7:00 pm at AWARE Center (Surra, Block 3, Surra Street, Villa 84). Modern day Kuwaitis are the descendants of several nomadic tribes and clans who ultimately settled on the coast of the Arabian Gulf during the eighteenth century to avoid the persistent drought of the desert. When they arrived at the coast, the clans built forts to protect themselves from other nomadic tribes who still traversed the desert. Until now, ethnic Kuwaitis are still struggling to maintain their cultural heritage in an increasingly complex society. One of the aspects in which they strive to maintain their culture is living in tents in winter. Do

you know how many types of tents exist? What is the different between tents of today and those of the past?

In his 25-minute presentation, Maziad will answer all these questions and share a Bedouin recipe on the screen.

‘Fires of Kuwait Movie night at The AWARE Center: “Fires of Kuwait” on February 13, 2014 @ 6:00 pm at AWARE Center (Surra, Block 3, Surra Street, Villa 84).

Documentary: Firestorm in the desert: The terrible legacy of the Gulf War - 607 oil wells burning out of control, ignited by retreating Iraqi troops. Firefighters from 10 countries answered Kuwait’s cry for help.

Supported by more than 10,000 people from 40 nations, they battled & won. A 1992 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, “Fires of Kuwait” is a dramatic story of human ingenuity, cooperation and courage. Movie Duration: 39 minutes.

Hala Kite Flying Hala Kite Flying & Fun Fair Festival on February 21, 2014 @ 8:00 am 7:00 pm at Julaiya Camping.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

W H AT ’ S O N

Remal International Festival offers unprecedented excitement for visitors

R

emal International Festival, the world’s largest sand sculpting and lightshow festival taking place in Kuwait, expects another massive turnout of visitors in its second week as it introduces additional activities for the period of February 10th-15th, in cooperation with Platinum Sponsor Wataniya Telecom.

A higher than expected number of visitors attended Remal International Festival in its first week thanks to the ongoing involvement of international entertainment companies, utilizing hightech special visual & sound effects accompanied by a series of 24 daily live shows retelling the classic tales of “1001 Arabian Nights”.

Additionally, the sand sculpting festival offers visitors an awe-inspiring close-up view of some of the largest and most sophisticated sand sculptures in the world. According to Remal International Festival’s management, 73 of the world’s best sand artists from over 20 countries joined hands to create the sculptures under the “1001 Arabian Nights” theme using the latest techniques. The festival also represents first time anywhere in which visitors may walk onto and through a sand sculpture. Furthermore, Remal International Festival covers an area of 30,000 square meters and was built with 35,000 tons of sand, constituting the largest on the planet.

Remal International Festival is a

unique celebration of entertainment and the arts. The first of its kind in the GCC, Remal

International Festival aims to restore Kuwait’s image as a leading regional tourist destination. The

festival is a unique blend between sand sculpture and literary storytelling where scenes from tales

such as “Sinbad’s Voyage” and “Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp”are creatively depicted in over 100 sculptures. For the first time, a sand sculpture event unifies under a single theme to dazzle audiences of all ages with outstanding creativity and world-class artistic performances.

The festival’s organizers seek to make Remal International Festival an annual event that consistently attracts the world’s most talented sand sculptors and employs their talents to highlight the wealth of humanity’s literary heritage throughout the world.

Remal International Festival is open through April 26, 2014 at the Kuwait International Fairgrounds.

Upper Crust Pizzeria holds ‘Kids Day Activities’ event

U

pper Crust Pizzeria, the awardwinning Boston based pizzeria known for offering some of the most unique pizza in Kuwait, recently organized the “Kids Day Activities” event at Rimal Al-Bida’a branch as a support to the Kuwaiti orphanage and as an initiative to enhance its social responsibility towards the community.

The event included various funfilled entertaining activities such as face painting, bouncing castle, and offering children the opportunity to learn how to make their own delicious pizza in addition to using a wide range of fresh mouth-watering toppings with the help of professional pizza chef.

Moreover, Upper Crust Pizzeria never missed the chance to cater to the needs of all sweet lovers by arranging an activity that allowed them to create their own masterpieces and decorate cupcakes using an assortment of colorful frostings, candy toppings and sprinkles.

Open to the public, this special day was an appeal to the spontaneous participation of all kids who wish to enjoy their time while sharing their energy and talent for the benefit of

the community.

In fact, the proceeds of the pizza lessons were donated to the Kuwaiti orphanage as an initiative to raise awareness among the Kuwaiti society and encourage youth to be actively

engaged in humanitarian activities and initiatives.

Therefore, due to the success achieved among many kids and their families, some of the activities like “Make your own Pizza” and “Decorate your own cupcake” will continue to be available every Friday and Saturday in order to cater to the needs and expectations of all ages and groups.

Upper Crust Pizzeria’s branches are today open to all pizza lovers to grab takeout, get delivery or choose to dine in and enjoy an engaging atmosphere and a friendly customer service, all adding up to deliver a truly unique experience that can only be described as Upper Crust.

After opening 3 branches in Kuwait, the restaurant’s main goal today is to become one of the best pizza-serving restaurants in the marketplace where guests would be offered delectable, aesthetically pleasing food to all those craving something delicious and extraordinary.

Yashwant Sinha - Chief Guest for the annual day of IES

Y

ashwant Sinha, the former Union Minister for Finance, Government of India will be the Chief Guest of the School Annual Day programme of Indian Educational School, Kuwait on 13th and 14th of this month.

Sinha who is currently the Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance is an ex-IAS officer turned politician.

He is widely credited for his reformist measures that put the Indian economy on a growth path. Confessions of a Swadeshi Reformer written by Yashwant Sinha is a comprehensive account of his years as the Finance Minister. He was appointed External Affairs Minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Cabinet, following his tenure as the Finance Minister.

According to the press statement released by the school principal Premkumar on behalf of the Chairman, N. K. Ramachandran, the School Annual Day programme for the senior sections and the junior sections will be held on 13th and 14th respectively. The function also comprises distribution of certificates and medals to meritorious students and a cultural feast.

Sunil Jain, Ambassador of India to Kuwait will be the Guest of Honour on 13th and Santhanagopal, Director Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, India will be the Special Guest of the programme on both days.

Sinha will also be addressing the audience in a special meeting convened for parents and teachers at 9.30 am on 14th Feb in the school premises.

BSK students visit Vintage and Classic Car Museum

E

xcitement at The British School of Kuwait reached a peak last week when students were given the opportunity to visit The Vintage and Classic Car Museum.

It was with great enthusiasm that the Year 1 pupils headed there to extend their historical awareness of vehicles from the past. The children were transported back in time through the grand hall of exhibits starting their journey back in 1904 with the Minerva Type A, the first car to arrive in Kuwait during the reign of Sheikh Mubarak AlKabeer. Children gasped in awe at the world’s most famous car, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 (1964) that appeared in the ‘Goldfinger’ movie.

Everybody wanted to take one home and present it to their parents.

The museum has its very own library where car enthusiasts are able to research the restoration and history of their cars before heading to the wellequipped workshop to work on them, the children had the opportunity to have a look around these areas where they gained an insight as to how the past can be preserved for the future.

In Car Museum City the children

were given a short talk on key rules of road safety. following this they took to the circuit, complete with mini Kuwait towers, in battery operated cars to practice what they had learned. Our careful drivers experienced real life traffic lights, road signs and markings.

Children were able to hone their driving skills and impress their friends in a safe environment.

The car museum provided a great day out for all of the pupils who thoroughly enjoyed their experience where the past truly came to life for them.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

TV PROGRAMS 00:15 00:45 01:35 02:05 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:00 05:20 05:40 05:50 06:05 06:15 06:35 06:55 07:05 07:20 07:30 08:15 08:45 09:15 09:45 10:15 11:05 12:00 12:45 13:15 13:45 14:10 14:40 15:35 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:55 21:45 22:15 23:00 23:45

Doctors New Tricks My Family Walk On The Wild Side Daddy Daycare Spooks The Weakest Link Me Too! Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Garth And Bev Me Too! Nuzzle & Scratch: Frock n Roll Bobinogs Boogie Beebies Garth And Bev The Weakest Link My Family Only Fools And Horses Eastenders Doctors Call The Midwife New Tricks The Weakest Link My Family Only Fools And Horses Eastenders Doctors Call The Midwife New Tricks The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors The World Of Stonehenge Last Of The Summer Wine Moone Boy Call The Midwife Life On Mars Absolutely Fabulous Stella The Weakest Link Eastenders

00:00 DIY SOS: The Big Build 00:55 Come Dine With Me 01:45 MasterChef Australia 02:55 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 03:40 Cash In The Attic 04:25 Bargain Hunt 05:15 Come Dine With Me 06:05 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London 06:30 Baby Borrowers USA 07:15 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 08:00 Cash In The Attic 08:45 DIY SOS: The Big Build 09:40 Masterchef: The Professionals 10:25 Come Dine With Me 11:15 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London 11:40 Come Dine With Me 12:30 Baby Borrowers USA 13:20 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 14:05 Antiques Roadshow 15:00 Britain’s Dream Homes 16:45 Bargain Hunt 17:35 Cash In The Attic 18:20 Antiques Roadshow 19:15 Homes Under The Hammer 20:10 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London 20:35 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery 21:00 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic Cookery 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:30 Gold Rush 02:10 Ice Cold Gold 03:00 One Car Too Far 03:50 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 04:15 Auction Kings 04:40 Auction Hunters: Pawn Shop Edition 05:05 How Do They Do It? 05:30 How It’s Made 06:00 Sons Of Guns

07:00 One Car Too Far 07:50 Flying Wild Alaska 08:40 Fast N’ Loud 09:30 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 09:55 Auction Kings 10:20 Auction Hunters: Pawn Shop Edition 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How It’s Made 11:35 Gold Rush 13:15 Ice Cold Gold 14:05 Border Security 14:30 Auction Kings 14:55 Auction Hunters: Pawn Shop Edition 15:20 Alaska: The Last Frontier 16:10 Fast N’ Loud 17:00 Ultimate Survival 17:50 Dirty Jobs 18:40 One Car Too Far 19:30 Sons Of Guns 20:20 How Do They Do It? 20:45 How It’s Made 21:10 Auction Kings

00:40 01:30 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:45 04:35 05:25 06:15 06:40 07:05 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:25 12:20 13:10 14:00 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:55 18:45 19:35 20:30 21:20 22:10 22:35 23:00

00:00 00:45 01:30 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:45 04:30 05:15 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 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25

Time Warp Weird Connections The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 World’s Top 5 Engineering Volcanoes Prototype This Prophets Of Science Fiction The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Superships Ways To Save The Planet Space Pioneer The Gadget Show The Tech Show What’s That About?

Superships Prototype This Prophets Of Science Fiction Engineering Volcanoes Weird Connections The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 World’s Top 5 Prophets Of Science Fiction Prototype This Superships What’s That About?

Unchained Reaction Strangest Weather On Earth The Gadget Show Tech Toys 360 Unchained Reaction

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin & Ally Dog With A Blog A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Wolfblood Gravity Falls My Babysitter’s A Vampire Jessie Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Dog With A Blog Suite Life On Deck My Babysitter’s A Vampire That’s So Raven Hannah Montana Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Austin & Ally A.N.T. Farm Jessie Dog With A Blog Wolfblood Gravity Falls

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

Good Luck Charlie Violetta A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Gravity Falls Jessie Good Luck Charlie Dog With A Blog Violetta Jessie Wolfblood Dog With A Blog Gravity Falls Shake It Up Austin & Ally A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:15 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 00:45 One Man & His Campervan 01:10 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 02:35 Eat Street 03:00 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 03:30 Bondi Rescue 03:55 Eat Street 04:25 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:20 Somewhere In China 06:15 Earth Tripping 06:40 Maverick Chef 07:10 Eat Street 07:35 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 08:05 One Man & His Campervan 08:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 09:00 Mega Food 09:55 Eat Street 10:20 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 10:50 Bondi Rescue 11:15 Eat Street 11:45 Don’t Tell My Mother 12:40 Somewhere In China 13:35 Earth Tripping 14:00 Maverick Chef 14:30 Eat Street 14:55 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 15:25 One Man & His Campervan 15:50 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 16:20 Mega Food 17:15 Eat Street 17:40 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 18:10 Bondi Rescue 18:35 Eat Street 19:05 Don’t Tell My Mother 20:00 Eat Street 20:30 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 21:00 Mega Food 22:00 Deadliest Journeys 22:25 On Hannibal’s Trail 22:55 One Man & His Campervan 23:20 Delinquent Gourmet 23:50 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35

Wild Case Files Hooked Tiger Queen Fish Tank Kings Ultimate Animal Countdown Africa’s Deadliest Tiger Queen Fish Tank Kings Ultimate Animal Countdown Jobs That Bite!

Man v. Monster Dangerous Encounters Predators In Peril Monster Fish Night Stalkers Fish Tank Kings Ultimate Animal Countdown Jobs That Bite!

Man v. Monster

Danish film director Gabriel Axel dies at 95

G

abriel Axel, director of the film “Babette’s Feast” which made him the first Dane to win an Oscar for best foreign film, has died. He was 95. His daughter, Karin Moerch, said in a statement that he died on Sunday.

She did not say where he died or the cause of death. Axel divided his time between France and Denmark, where he directed television series and movies. He also acted in several films.

Axel had his big international breakthrough in 1987 with “Babette’s Feast,” based on the novel of the same name by Danish author Karen Blixen. It starred French actress Stephane Audran. Axel’s wife of nearly 50 years, Lucie Axel Moerch, died in 1996. He is survived by their four children and eight grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were not announced. — AP

IRON SKY ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:10 21:00 21:50 22:40 23:30

00:00 Web Therapy 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Hello Ladies 02:00 Eastbound & Down 02:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 03:00 The Cleveland Show 03:30 The Simpsons 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Raising Hope 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 09:00 Arrested Development 09:30 2 Broke Girls 10:00 Trophy Wife 10:30 Friends 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Seinfeld 13:30 Friends 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 2 Broke Girls 15:00 Trophy Wife 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Last Man Standing 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Melissa & Joey 19:00 The Crazy Ones 19:30 Trophy Wife 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

CLEAR HISTORY ON OSN MOVIES HD

Dangerous Encounters Monster Croc Hunt Night Stalkers Fish Tank Kings Ultimate Animal Countdown Jobs That Bite!

Man v. Monster Dangerous Encounters

C.S.I. Strike Back Betrayal The Client List Revenge The Blacklist C.S.I. Burn Notice Body Of Proof Revenge Burn Notice The Blacklist Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Body Of Proof C.S.I. Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Body Of Proof The Fosters Grey’s Anatomy Mistresses The Killing

00:00 Primal 02:00 Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings 04:00 Summer’s Blood 06:00 The Rescue 08:00 Interview With A Hitman 10:00 Iron Sky 12:00 The Blood Bond 14:00 Thief 16:15 Iron Sky 18:00 Broken Path 19:45 Thief 22:00 The Big I Am

00:00 Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings-18 02:00 Summer’s Blood-18 04:00 The Rescue-PG15 06:00 Interview With A Hitman 08:00 Iron Sky-PG15 10:00 The Blood Bond-PG15 12:00 Thief-PG15 14:15 Iron Sky-PG15 16:00 Broken Path-PG15 17:45 Thief-PG15 20:00 The Big I Am-18 22:00 Red Dawn (1984)-PG15

00:00 How To Make Love To A Woman-18 02:00 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story-18 04:00 Hit List-PG15 06:00 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 08:00 Bushwhacked-PG 10:00 Gabe The Cupid Dog-PG 12:00 Hit List-PG15 14:00 Who Framed Roger Rabbit 16:00 Gabe The Cupid Dog-PG 18:00 Nacho Libre-PG 20:00 Hard Breakers-18 22:00 Dude, Where’s My Car?-PG15

01:15 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

A Woman-PG15 The Wild Hunt-PG15 One Angry Juror-PG15 The Key Man-PG15 A Woman-PG15 The Host-PG15 Flower Girl-PG15 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 Matching Jack-PG15 Drift-PG15 The Impossible-PG15 Maniac-R

01:00 Gone-PG15 03:00 Color Of Night-18 05:00 Across The Universe-PG15 07:15 Dark Horse-PG15 09:00 The Woman In The Fifth 11:00 The Lucky One-PG15 13:00 StreetDance 2-PG15 15:00 Katy Perry The Movie: Part Of Me-PG 17:00 The Lucky One-PG15 19:00 Flatliners-18 21:00 Emperor-PG15 23:00 In The Land Of Blood And Honey-R

01:00 Cash-PG15 03:00 Another Harvest Moon-PG15 05:00 Crisis Point-PG15 07:00 Drew Peterson: Untouchable-PG15 09:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 11:00 Class-PG15 13:00 A View From Here-PG15 15:00 One Life-PG15 17:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 19:00 Clear History-PG15 21:00 Drive-18 23:00 Taken 2-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00

Fastest-PG15 Here Comes The Boom-PG15 Now Is Good-PG15 Fastest-PG15 3 Times A Charm-PG15 Love’s Kitchen-PG15 Here Comes The Boom-PG15

14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Shark Night-PG15 3 Times A Charm-PG15 Pitch Perfect-PG15 The Possession-PG15 Skyfall-PG15

01:30 Top 14 Highlights 02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 ICC Cricket 360 03:30 Futbol Mundial 04:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 05:00 PGA Tour Highlights 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 10:00 Top 14 Highlights 10:30 Futbol Mundial 11:00 Golfing World 12:00 Top 14 14:00 Top 14 16:00 Top 14 Highlights 16:30 Trans World Sport 17:30 HSBC Sevens World Series Highlights 18:00 Golfing World 19:00 Champions Tour Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Top 14 Highlights 22:00 Trans World Sport 23:00 Premier League Darts

00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Spin Crowd 01:25 Style Star 01:50 Style Star 02:20 The E! True Hollywood Story 03:15 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Pop Innovators 05:05 E!ES 06:00 THS 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Opening Act 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 The Wanted Life 12:05 E! News 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 E!ES 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On 17:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On 18:00 The Drama Queen 19:00 E!ES 20:00 Married To Jonas 20:30 Giuliana & Bill 21:30 Giuliana & Bill 22:30 Fashion Police 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:30 The Killer Speaks 01:30 The First 48 02:30 My Ghost Story 03:30 Jeffrey Dahmer 04:30 The Killer Speaks 05:30 Private Crimes 06:00 Beyond Scared Straight 07:00 The First 48 08:00 Nightmare In Suburbia 09:00 Fred Dinenage: Murder Casebook 10:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 11:00 Deadly Wives 12:00 Beyond Scared Straight 13:00 Evil Up Close 14:00 Look Who’s Stalking 15:00 Deadly Wives 16:00 Born To Kill 17:00 Curious & Unusual Deaths 17:30 Private Crimes 18:00 Homicide Hunter 19:00 The First 48 20:00 The Devil You Know 21:00 Beyond Scared Straight 22:00 Private Crimes 22:30 Evil Up Close 23:30 Frenemies

In this Monday, April 12, 1988 file photo, Gabriel Axel gestures backstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles after winning an Oscar for Best Foreign Language at the Academy Awards. — AP

Jared Leto’s awards show tip: Keep snacking

J

ared Leto says there’s only one thing that gets him through the endless film awards season: A packed lunch. The 42-year-old has already won a Screen Actor’s Guild Award and a Golden Globe for his performance as the transgendered Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club” and is nominated for an Academy Award.

He says award shows “last for sometimes hours and hours and hours.” Actors and directors “do red carpet in the afternoon and you end up leaving late in the evening. I like to eat really healthy, so I bring little snacks.” At the Golden Globes, Leto says he got plenty of ribbing for his snacks but within minutes “Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner, Matthew (McConaughey), everyone is reaching into my bag!” — AP

Jared Leto

Film rights for Toronto Mayor book sold

T

he antics of embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford could soon be coming to a TV or movie screen. Torontobased indie film and TV production company Blue Ice Pictures said yesterday it has acquired the film and television rights to the new book ìCrazy Town: The Rob Ford Story.î Published by Penguin Canada, itís written by Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle, one of three journalists who viewed a video that appeared to show Ford smoking crack cocaine.

Ford last year made international headlines for admitted to having smoked crack while in a drunken stupor and also threatening ìmurderî in a viral video. He still draws attention for erratic behavior, but has resisted pressure to step down and is seeking re-election. Fordís bizarre behavior made him a favorite of late-night comedians. — AP

Classifieds TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 ROBOCOP (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-3 THE NUT JOB (DIG) THE NUT JOB (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 GRAND PIANO (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-1 THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-2 RIDE ALONG (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-1 FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) NO THU+FRI+SAT ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US (DIG) THU+FRI+SAT RIDE ALONG (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-2 RIDE ALONG (DIG) FRI LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) NO FRI THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG)

3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM

MUHALAB-3 ROBOCOP (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM

1:30 PM

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) 6:00 PM NO FRI (07.02.2014) Special Show “DHOOM 3 (DIG) (HINDI)” FRI (07.02.2014) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) 8:30 PM NO FRI (07.02.2014) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) 11:00 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

360º- 1 ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 2 SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

1:00 PM

FANAR-1 GRAND PIANO (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-2 THE NUT JOB (DIG) THE NUT JOB (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-3 SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

CHANGE OF NAME

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (06/02/2014 TO 12/02/2014)

AVENUES-2 THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-3 KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1 THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) RIDE ALONG (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) GRAND PIANO (DIG) SAVING Mr. BANKS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-5 ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

BAIRAQ-1 THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) THE LEGO MOVIE (DIG-3D) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) ROBOCOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2 FROZEN (DIG) THE NUT JOB (DIG) FROZEN (DIG)

FOR SALE 2001 model Mitsubishi Galant Super Salon, ash color, 146,000 km, price KD 500, negotiable. Contact: 99208656, 24313796.

(C 4638)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-6 LONE SURVIVOR (DIG) LONE SURVIVOR (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360º- 3 FROZEN (DIG-3D) FROZEN (DIG) FROZEN (DIG-3D) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-4 KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) KHOUTAT GIMI I?E ???? (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

6:00 PM

Old name: Mustufa Yacubali Motagaonwala to new name Mustufa Yacubali Udaipurwala. My address in India: 34 Taheri Bldg, Amakine Mohammediya Khabhalpada Dombivli (E) Thane, Maharashtra.

(C 4640) 11-2-2014

Full household items to be sold in Abbassiya 21” TV, DD fridge, washing machine, 3 window AC (G) two big almira, sofa set, d. table, kitchen cabinet etc. computer desk. Contact: 99208656, 24313796. (C 4637) 8-1-2014 Expats leaving bargain prices king size queen beds, wardrobes bedside tables chest of drawers. TV 42” couch lounge chairs carpet, coffee tables desk, office

chair, dining table, chairs, plates, pota pans curtains, washing & tumblodryer machines cooker microwave fridge.

94400865.

SITUATION VACANT Required English speaking driver. Contact: 99824597.

(C 4635) 4-2-2014 SITUATION WANTED Young Indian male looking for any office assistant or computer data entry operator, or clerk or any suitable job. Computer knowledge and eager to learn.

Transferable visa number 18. Contact: 99794561.

(C 4639) 11-2-2014

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry aboutthe Civil ID card is

1889988

112 Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM

05:11 06:31 12:02 15:11 17:34 18:52

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines BBC JAI KLM THY QTR JZR PIA DLH ETH GFA THY UAE ETD TAR JAI OMA MSR RJA QTR FDB THY DHX FDB JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB QTR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC SVA UAE ABY ETD FDB QTR IRA GFA MEA JZR FDB JZR TMA UAE MSR

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 11/2/2014 Flt Route 43 DHAKA 574 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 1084 DOHA 539 CAIRO 239 SIALKOT 637 DAMMAM 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 764 SABIHA 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI-INTL 328 TUNIS 576 COCHIN 643 MUSCAT 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA 1076 DOHA 67 DUBAI 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 416 JAKARTA 53 DUBAI 1086 DOHA 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 332 TRIVANDRUM 284 DHAKA 512 RIYADH 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI-INTL 55 DUBAI 1070 DOHA 619 LAR 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 8051 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 213 BEIRUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO

Time 00:05 00:10 00:30 00:45 00:55 00:40 01:05 01:10 01:45 02:10 02:15 02:35 02:45 02:45 02:50 03:05 03:10 03:15 03:45 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:50 05:50 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:45 08:15 08:50 08:15 08:40 09:00 09:20 09:40 09:55 10:05 10:40 11:55 11:30 11:45 12:55 12:10 12:50 13:00

KAC FDB QTR SVA KNE FDB KAC KAC JZR QTR UAE KAC ETD RJA SVA ABY GFA JZR UAL KAC JZR QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC GFA OMA FDB MSR JAI AXB ABY IRA DLH ALK MEA ETD UAE GFA QTR FDB KLM JZR AIC UAL JZR

514 57 1078 500 472 8055 546 672 325 1072 857 562 303 640 510 127 215 777 982 742 177 1080 63 542 786 678 618 166 774 104 674 217 647 61 618 572 393 129 605 636 229 402 307 859 219 1074 59 415 239 981 981 185

TEHRAN DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI NAJAF DOHA DUBAI AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA ABU DHABI-INTL AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA RIYADH SHARJAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES DAMMAM DUBAI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO JEDDAH MUSCAT DOHA PARIS RIYADH LONDON DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH ISFAHAN FRANKFURT COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI-INTL DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI AMSTERDAM AMMAN-QUEEN ALIA CHENNAI BAHRAIN DUBAI

13:45 13:50 13:55 14:30 14:35 14:45 14:05 14:00 16:05 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:55 18:00 18:20 18:20 18:40 18:45 18:05 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:10 19:30 19:35 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:05 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:55 21:10 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:30 23:10 23:20

Airlines AIC PIA TAR AXB JAI KLM BBC DLH PIA ETH THY TAR UAE ETD OMA MSR QTR FDB QTR JZR FDB JAI JZR THY RJA GFA KAC THY FDB BAW QTR SVA KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE ETD FDB QTR IRA GFA KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR FDB JZR MEA KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Tuesday 11/2/2014 Flt Route 976 GOA 206 LAHORE 327 DUBAI 490 MANGALORE 573 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 44 CHITTAGONG 637 FRANKFURT 240 SIALKOT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 328 TUNIS 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 644 MUSCAT 613 CAIRO 1085 DOHA 68 DUBAI 1077 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 575 ABU DHABI 164 DUBAI 765 ISTANBUL-SABIHA 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 545 ALEXANDRIA 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 1087 DOHA 513 RIYADH 513 TEHRAN 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 101 LONDON 856 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 56 DUBAI 1071 DOHA 618 LAR 214 BAHRAIN 561 AMMAN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 677 MUSCAT 776 JEDDAH 8052 DUBAI 324 AL NAJAF 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Time 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:15 01:10 01:45 01:45 02:10 02:20 02:45 02:55 03:35 03:50 04:00 04:05 04:10 04:15 05:00 05:15 06:20 06:30 06:35 06:55 07:05 07:05 07:15 07:15 07:30 08:30 08:45 08:50 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:40 09:50 09:55 10:05 10:20 10:55 10:55 11:25 11:25 11:30 11:50 12:20 12:25 12:25 12:40 12:55 13:00 13:45

TMA MSR UAE FDB QTR KAC KAC FDB KNE KAC SVA KAC JZR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA GFA JZR JZR UAL JZR FDB QTR GFA KAC FDB OMA ABY KAC MSR JAI KAC AXB IRA KAC DLH DHX ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC FDB UAE KAC KLM QTR JZR KAC

223 611 872 58 1079 673 741 8056 473 617 501 773 238 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 216 184 266 982 554 64 1081 218 283 62 648 120 361 607 571 351 3942 604 343 636 171 230 403 308 220 301 60 860 205 415 1075 528 411

AL MAKTOUM INTERNATIONAL CAIRO DUBAI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI DAMMAM DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA JEDDAH RIYADH AMMAN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DHAKA DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH COLOMBO LUXOR MUMBAI KOCHI KOZHIKODE ISFAHAN CHENNAI DAMMAM BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA ASYUT BANGKOK

13:45 14:00 14:15 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:20 15:25 15:30 15:30 15:45 16:05 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:50 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:30 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:50 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:25 23:55

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 456

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES Some difficulties are always going to rise up when there are many people involved in the decision-making responsibilities. Listen to your inner voice before jumping in too quickly to add your thoughts. Mental stimulation is easy to find—emotional upheavals will be short lived. Music is likely to play an important role for you as a calming method. You may find yourself shopping for a gift or looking for that new music album that just came on the market recently. At home, you escape into some special quiet place to rebuild your energies. Perhaps you have an indoor garden. This is a wonderful way to relax and bring a balance into your day. Others find themselves interested in your hobby or music. Conversations are easy to enjoy this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Respect, status and achievement are central goals for you as a new phase begins in your life. Investments can start small and grow beyond your wildest dreams—be on the lookout for opportunities of this sort. Challenging authority and striving for success are on your agenda now. Properly channeled ambition results in great achievements and brings recognition. Regardless of the weather outside, you may decide to smoke a couple of hens and throw some vegetables together for a fun meal with friends this evening. If you are musically inclined, you may find yourself or others sitting around a piano and singing, or you just generally enjoy being with your friends. A feeling of being at peace comes into prominence at this time.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A federation of North American industrial unions that merged with the American Federation of Labor in 1955.

4. (legend) Chalice used by Christ at the last supper.

12. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

15. A reproach for some lapse or misdeed.

16. An extinct Semitic language of northern Syria.

17. The cry made by sheep.

18. How long something has existed.

19. A basin for washing the hands (`wash-hand basin' is a British expression).

20. Atypically small.

22. Italian lawn bowling (played on a long narrow dirt court).

24. American Revolutionary patriot.

26. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

27. A colorless explosive liquid that is volatile and poisonous and foul-smelling.

28. Mostly freshwater protozoa.

31. Flesh of young Atlantic cod weighing up to 2 pounds.

34. The probability of a specified outcome.

35. Of or relating to or characteristic of Wales or its people or their language.

38. The mountain peak that Noah's ark landed on as the waters of the great flood receded.

40. The domain controlled by an emir.

42. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

45. Half the width of an em.

46. (computer science) Memory whose contents can be accessed and read but cannot be changed.

47. Of or relating to near the ear.

48. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

50. A small rubbery granuloma that is characteristic of an advanced stage of syphilis.

52. An adherent of any branch of Taoism.

53. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

55. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

56. An associate degree in nursing.

59. Of or relating to or characteristic of Ghana or its people or language.

63. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

64. Atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility.

67. The rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land.

70. Relating to or lying near the palate.

72. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

75. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

76. Capital and largest city and economic center of Peru.

77. A city in southern California (southeast of Los Angeles).

79. Artists or writers whose ideas are ahead of their time.

80. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

81. A Chadic language spoken in the Mandara mountains in Cameroon.

82. Either extremity of something that has length.

DOWN 1. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers.

2. The villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife.

3. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

4. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Clinoril).

5. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

6. A member of an Athapaskan people that migrated to Arizona and New Mexico and Utah.

7. Arranged in a sequence of grades or ranks.

8. Humorously vulgar.

9. Spray very finely.

10. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

11. A digital display that uses liquid crystal cells that change reflectivity in an applied electric field.

12. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

13. An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect.

14. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

21. A man who courts a woman.

23. Relating to or written for or in the style of a Greek chorus.

25. Conforming to truth.

29. Swiss theologian whose sermons began the Reformation in Switzerland (1484-1531).

30. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

32. A native or inhabitant of Crete.

33. (combining form) Indicating radiation or radioactivity.

36. A minute epidermal pore in a leaf or stem.

37. Relating to the blood vessels or blood.

39. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

41. A state in New England.

43. A large mass of ice floating at sea.

44. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

49. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Bahama Islands or their inhabitants.

51. A resident of Utah.

54. A small cake leavened with yeast.

57. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

58. A doctor's degree in education.

60. 1 species.

61. Being such by origin.

62. A punctuation mark (,) used to indicate the separation of elements within the grammatical structure of a sentence.

65. Large ornamental tropical American tree with bipinnate leaves and globose clusters of flowers with crimson stamens and sweet-pulp seed pods eaten by cattle.

66. Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes.

68. Concerning those not members of the clergy.

69. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

71. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

73. (used especially of commodities) In the natural unprocessed condition.

74. A doctor's degree in theology.

78. Being nine more than forty.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Communicating is strong today. Those around you will find you aware and in touch with the world around you—willing to give yourself to important issues. There is an unusual method or technique to learn today and you seem to enjoy sorting through things. This afternoon there will be time to share a couple of funny stories.

Stability and permanence satisfies a deep emotional need and you may work very hard at bringing things into balance. Sometimes it does not take so much work; sometimes just a smile and a hug is good. You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in vocalizing about important subjects. The situation is a natural for self-expression and you are able to articulate your particular ideas and thoughts well. This is also a lucky day!

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Someone may not understand you this morning, but you can make things work if there is an understanding to agree to disagree. Think things through before acting—have a plan. Your desire to accomplish a task all the way through to the end may cause some undue stress. Push too hard and you could drive everyone nuts—including yourself. Your current situation may demand some reevaluation or otherwise challenge your ideas. Give yourself a break during the noon break and enjoy the fun activity in a music store, bookstore, art or hobby store, etc. Wrap yourself in good energies and return to work feeling refreshed and renewed. Work is easier this afternoon. You find yourself more talkative this evening. A dialogue with an older person is insightful.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights and solutions are available in the workplace. There are two kinds of you when it comes to money. Have you decided which one you are this day at times you spend money as if it was your last day on earth and then at other times you save, invest and double your money in wise business choices. Remember that money is energy. For every five or so dollars there is one hour of energy. When you purchase a product that costs ten dollars, you could be looking at two hours of energy in order to pay off the item. This may help you consider your next purchase. For your enjoyment and your professional progress, keep your business and your personal life separate. Music and friends go side by side this afternoon.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a great time to play! Unfortunately, it is a workday. Plan some fun activities with your friends or a loved one this afternoon and dive in to the work this morning with your eager drive to accomplish. Progress will be easier than you think, especially once you settle down and put your mind to a particular task. Family, home, relatives and real estate play a big part in your life this afternoon. You want to belong on a private, intimate, personal level—to be needed and to feel it is okay to have needs. The purchase of new property may be the outcome soon whether you are currently married or not. Investing in something you can call your own is a good thing. You return a favor to a friend later today. You are understanding and helpful.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) This is not the best day to handle money or be involved with contracts, agreements or hiring. Your judgment has been known to be better and you could easily be conned into an impulsive and unwise course of action. You may, however, be moved to appreciate some new piece of equipment and instead of making a purchase at this time, request a demonstration. Remember, sometimes products on sale cannot be returned— ask questions. This evening you and your loved one may catch up on some paperwork, perhaps taxes. Consider this tax reporting to be a project to be taken in little steps and you will make greater progress before a target date. The rest of the evening has possibilities for some fun activity that the two of you can enjoy.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Taking care of business is a major theme where your emotional orientation is concerned. You crave organization and practicality and you want to get things accomplished. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others and you are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. Friends will keep you busy this afternoon, perhaps with young people and teaching. A feeling of being at peace and stable on the emotional level comes to your attention at this time. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion.

You are called on to express your natural abilities. Music is likely to play a more important role for you this evening—perhaps you are performing.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Everything today seems to point to the unique qualities that most people do not see from you. You and a co-worker could begin a new group within the working team. This would be helpful when there is a push to accomplish rush jobs or in searching for answers. You could come up with new solutions or inventions. You have a natural sense of what the public wants and can step up to help whenever there is a need.

There is a group activity that needs your leadership today. You use your mind to create positive results and although you are not an extrovert, you have a way of leading that can be very commanding. Pay attention to the financial news today. There are opportunities to improve your finances now. Romantic arguments end quickly.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a day of much energy and drive. Perhaps that extra cup of coffee has you running full speed ahead. This is the perfect time for taking care of business quickly. You will find yourself running errands and feeling comfortable with the physical demands of today as well. Financial savvy and a practical turn of mind are qualities that take on a greater importance this afternoon. Your knack for knowing how to put people, ideas and things together profitably will have you in a management position very soon.

Figuring out how to organize projects and people is apt to become a topic of special interest—and a challenge. This is one of your best days for love. If you are not involved with a loved one you will soon become smitten. Romantic times are ahead.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is one of your best days this month. There are quite a lot of insights as well as creative ideas for accomplishing your goals. This should be an extremely successful day in the amount of progress you make toward your goals, at least in the planning, if not in the doing. A feeling of being at peace and stable on many levels is in the making now. Constancy and dependability satisfy emotional needs. Some form of entertainment is enjoyed this afternoon. Attending a performance or buying a musical video is always a mood lift. Family and loved ones fill your time and heart in the evening.

Perhaps setting aside some time to see how the family or your loved ones are getting along with their goals, may be included in this evening time.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You show great understanding for the needs of others and you are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. You may have a job as a teacher; however, it is time to consider some form of management. A desire to teach the teacher is strong and the next step may be to see where you would fit in at the university level of teaching. Successfully guiding people to seek knowledge beyond the usual is a jazzy feeling when you consider the desire to learn is where we get our scientists, adventurers and teachers of knowledge. You enjoy taking a part in making positive things happen. Close personal ties with small groups assume a high priority in the evenings; perhaps a book club or travel group is an inspiration.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LIFESTYLE A w a r d s

Row elbows way into Spanish Oscars

The Goya awards winners pose together after the XXVIII edition of the annual Goya film awards.

A

controversial plan in Spain to scrap easy access to abortions took centre stage at the country’s equivalent of the Oscars, with several actresses slamming the reform as they accepted their prizes. “I don’t want anyone to decide for me,” Natalia de Molina said late Sunday as she collected the prize for best new actress for her role in “Living is Easy with Eyes Closed”. The movie, about a smalltown schoolmaster who teaches his pupils English during the Franco dictatorship by playing them Beatles songs, also won the best prize and best director statues at the Goya awards in Madrid.

“I want to dedicate my this to all women who fight for our rights,” said Marian Alvarez after she picked up the Goya for best actress for her role as an ambulance driver in “Wounded”. The ceremony was broadcast live on public television network TVE to an estimated audience of 3.6 million people. The issue has prompted deep debate and big protests in Spain, with many opposed to the conservative government’s draft law unveiled in December that would allow abortion only in cases of rape or health risk to the mother.

Critics say the measure scrapping more liberal access to abortion would throw the Catholic country back decades, when Spanish women had to go abroad to seek pregnancy terminations. If the law is adopted, Spain would be the first country in the 28-member European Union to reverse legalizing abortion. The Goyas also saw several cinema figures use their time at the podium to complain that a recent big hike in sales tax was throttling box office revenues, therefore reducing Spanish film production.

“Making a movie in our country is an authentic act of heroism,” said the president of the Spanish film academy, Enrique Gonzalez Macho. Spanish movie theatre revenues dropped 16 percent in 2013 compared to the previous year due to the sales tax hike, as well as the economic downturn and online film piracy, he said.

Winners

FILM “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed” (David Trueba)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY David Trueba, “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed”

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, ACTOR Javier Pereira, “Stockholm”

SOUND Charly Schmukler, Nicolas de Poulpiquet, “Witching & Bitching”

ACTRESS Marian Alvarez, “Wounded”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Alejandro Hernandez, Mariano Barroso, “All the Women”

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, ACTRESS Natalia de Molina, “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed”

MAKEUP AND HAIR DESIGN Francisco J. Rodriguez Frias, Maria Dolores Gomez Castro, Javier Hernandez Valentin y Pedro Rodriguez, “Witching & Bitching”

CINEMATOGRAPHY Pau Esteve Birba, “Cannibal”

LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM “Abstenerse agencias,” Gaizka Urresti

ORIGINAL SCORE Pat Metheny, “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM “Strings,” Pedro Solis

ACTOR Javier Camara, “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed” DIRECTOR David Trueba, “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed” EUROPEAN FILM “Amour,” Michael Haneke FOREIGN SPANISH-LANGUAGE FILM “Blue and Not So Pink,” Miguel Ferrari

FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR Fernando Franco, “Wounded”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS Terele Pavez, “Witching & Bitching”

EDITING Pablo Blanco, “Witching & Bitching”

SUPPORTING ACTOR Roberto Alamo, “Family United”

LINE PRODUCTION Carlos Bernases, “Witching & Bitching”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT “Minerita,” Raul de la Fuente COSTUME DESIGN Francisco Delgado Lopez, “Witching & Bitching” ART DIRECTION Arturo Garcia, Jose Luis Arrizabalaga, “Witching & Bitching”

Spanish director David Trueba holds his Goya award for Best Original Screenplay, Film and Director award for the film “Vivir es facil con los ojos cerrados” or “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed” during the annual Goya film awards in Madrid, Spain, Sunday. —AP photos

Spanish actress Marian Alvarez holds her Goya trophy after winning the best female actress award for her role in the film “La Herida”or “Wounded”.

Javier Camara holds his Goya award for Best Leading Actor for the film “Vivir es mas facil con los ojos cerrados” or “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed”.

Roberto Alamo holds his Goya award for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Family United”.

Spanish director Fernando Franco gives a speech after winning the Goya award for best new director for his film “La herida”or “Wounded”.

Spanish actor Javier Pereira kisses the Goya award after winning in the best upcoming male actor category in the film “Stockholm”.

Presenter Manel Fuentes speaks during the annual Goya film awards.

Spanish actor Jaime de Arminan waves after winning an honorary Goya award.

Spanish actress Pilar Bardem, left and her son, actor Javier Bardem walk on the red carpet.

SPECIAL EFFECTS Ferran Piquer, Juan Ramon Molina, “Witching & Bitching” ORIGINAL SONG “Do You Really Want to Be in Love?” Josh Rouse (“Family United”) DOCUMENTARY “Las maestras de la Republica”, Pilar Perez Solano ANIMATED FEATURE “Foosball,” Juan Jose Campanella LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Jaime de Arminan —AFP

Spanish actress Terele Pavez holds her trophy after winning the Goya award for best supporting actress for her role in the film “Las brujas de Zugarramurdi”or “Witching & Bitching”.

Natalia de Molina holds her Goya award for Best New Actress for the film “Vivir es facil con los ojos cerrados” or “Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed”.

37

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Kajang women carrying buckets of water at Amatoa village where the Kajang tribe live in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. —AFP photos

A Kajang man walking towards a village hall for a meeting with Indonesian officials.

Indonesia seeks to protect ancient tribe D

eep in a remote forest in the Indonesian archipelago, the Kajang tribe lives much as it has done for centuries, resisting nearly all the trappings of modern life.

Their lifestyle has drawn comparisons with the Amish in the US, but they live in even more basic conditions, residing in houses on stilts and dressing only in black sarongs and headdresses. It is in stark contrast to even many rural areas of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, where the rapid growth of the middle class has led to an explosion in the number of vehicles on the streets and people with smartphones.

But fears have been growing in recent years that the traditions of the Kajang, who live in a densely forested area called Tana Toa on the central island of Sulawesi, are increasingly vulnerable. Officials worry there is little protection for the forests considered sacred by the tribe in a country where environmental destruction is rampant and that a sudden influx of technology could overwhelm their way of life. Now the local government in Bulukumba district is hoping it can use a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court of Indonesia as a launchpad to grant the Kajang the right to manage their own forests, instead of it being owned by the state. Tribal rights group AMAN said it would be the first area in Indonesia to use the court ruling to grant an indigenous group such autonomy-a

milestone in the fight for the rights of the country’s approximately 70 million tribespeople.

‘Make this earth last longer’ The attempt to help the Kajang is driven by outsiders and the tribe itself harbors some suspicions about any sort of external interference in their affairs. However the so-called “ammatoa”, or chief, Puto Palasa said he did not object as long as the effort did not change the tribe’s traditional ways, and recognized the attempts to help his beloved forest.

“Preserving the forest will make this earth last longer,” Palasa, who has never set foot outside the Kajang’s tribal heartland and has received no formal education, told AFP. “Leaves invite the rain to fall, roots are home to springs, the forests are the world’s lungs,” he added in his native language called “Konjo”. Signs of modernity are undoubtedly creeping in to the land of the Kajang, who number around 5,000, with the majority strictly following the tribe’s traditions, according to a local government official. On a recent visit to Tana Toa, AFP saw some of the young Kajang clutching mobile phones while others were wearing sandals-the most ardent followers of tribal tradition prefer to go barefoot.

Nevertheless much remains as it has done for centuries. Scores of men were seen lifting enormous tree trunks to build a traditional house while candlenuts, an oily nut which

A Kajang man cutting down bamboo trees.

burns for a long time once lit, are the only lights at night. The Kajang even has its own mini-government, made up of 37 “ministers”, including an agriculture minister who tells people when and where to plant their crops by studying the stars. They dole out punishments-which include fines and caning-for infringements of their rules, such as removing a tree that has fallen naturally catching shrimps from rivers, activities the tribe believes create imbalances in the ecosystem.

Little is known about the tribe’s origins or how long they have been around but they claim to be one of the first peoples on earth, and say they are duty-bound to protect their ancestral lands. Their religion is a mix of tribal beliefs and Islam. Their total land covers around 760 hectares (1,900 acres), while the area of forest considered “sacred”-the tribe’s heartland-covers some 330 hectares, according to research group the World Agroforestry Center.

Controlling destiny Bulukumba officials fear this ancient way of life could be wiped out if the Kajang are not given the right to manage their own lands, a move they believe would encourage the tribe to preserve its traditions.

They hope to use the court ruling passed in May as the basis for a local bylaw to give the Kajang this right.

The ruling said that indigenous peo-

ple owned forest on their ancestral lands. Previously the state claimed ownership of all the country’s forests. As with many such rulings made centrally in Indonesia, it still needs to be applied locally.

Bulukumba officials argue the decision gives the Kajang the right to manage all their densely-forested land.

The latest draft bylaw seen by AFP says that the land can be only traded among the Kajang. Officials hope it will be passed in the coming months. As well as giving the Kajang more control over their destiny, the bylaw would also overturn an official decision taken in the 1990s to allow some logging on their land. In reality the only logging in the area since then has been carried out by the Kajang themselves, who allow small numbers of trees to be cut down in certain areas for purposes such as building homes.

Officials fear this could change at any moment-many tribes across Indonesia have lost their rainforest homes due to logging. Bulukumba forestry chief Misbawati Wawo says that in areas of the district outside the Kajang’s lands, there has been widespread logging to make way for clove, cocoa and coffee plantations.

“Our concern is if we don’t make a written bylaw to protect these people, who can guarantee their traditions will still exist in 20 to 30 years?” she told AFP. —AFP

Kajang women weaving fabrics at Amatoa village.

Kajang men making rooftops from coconut trees.

Kajang women and children sitting outside a house at Amatoa village.

Kajang men carrying logs used to build a house at Amatoa village.

Chinese director brings part-blind cast to Berlin

P

rominent Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye brought a cast of blind and sighted actors to the Berlin International Film Festival yesterday with “Blind Massage,” an adaptation of a popular novel that’s set largely in a massage center run by the blind. It’s the first of three Chinese movies competing at the festival this year.

US actor Shia LaBeouf arrives on the red carpet for the screening of the film ‘Nymphomaniac Volume I (Long Version)’ at the 64th Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin. —AFP photos

US actor Shia LaBeouf walks past US actress Uma Thurman as he walked out of the press conference for the film ‘Nymphomaniac Volume I (Long Version)’.

LaBeouf makes a scene at Berlin film festival

A

ctor Shia LaBeouf hit the Berlin Film Festival in memorable style Sunday, first walking out of a press conference for the film “Nymphomaniac Volume I” and then wearing a paper bag over his head at the red carpet premiere. The actor posed for photographers in a stylish tuxedo - and a paper bag with eyeholes and the words “I am not famous anymore” written across it. LaBeouf has frequently used the statement on his Twitter page, and he was identifiable by a tattoo on his hand.

The unconventional attire came shortly after the star walked out of a press conference with co-stars Uma Thurman and Christian Slater to promote Lars von Trier’s film, the first installment of a two-part drama about a woman’s sexual life from girlhood to age 50. A reporter’s question as to whether the actors were worried about the film’s sex scenes elicited the response: “When the

seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much.” He then walked out.

LaBeouf’s line was borrowed from French soccer player Eric Cantona, who baffled reporters with it in the mid-1990s following his suspension for a flying kick on a heckler. The actor has come under fire for borrowing dialogue and story line for his short film, “Howard Cantour.com,” which closely resembled a 2007 graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. “In my excitement and naivetÈ as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation,” LaBeouf said on Twitter in December in response to Clowes’ publisher’s claim that he stole dialogue verbatim.

LaBoeuf wasn’t the only one making a statement. Von Trier turned up to a photo call sporting a t-shirt with the logo of the Cannes Film

Festival and the words “Persona non grata, official selection.” In 2011, von Trier was ejected from the Cannes event after a bizarre, rambling news conference in which he expressed sympathy with Adolf Hitler. He said afterward he had been joking, later issuing an apology and then saying he would refrain from future public statements. The director skipped Sunday’s news conference to talk about the film. The version at the festival increases to nearly 2 1/2 hours the first installment.

At the press conference, Thurman said she enjoyed letting off the “fury of woman scorned” in a monologue von Trier wrote for her in the movie. “It was a real great challenge to memorize seven pages of Lars’ female diatribe of rage,” she told reporters. “Lars kept saying I was overacting, but that’s nothing new,” Thurman added.

—AP

Total immersion Actor Guo Xiaodong said he initially rejected the idea of playing a blind masseur but then changed his mind and prepared for the part by living for a while at a school for the blind in Nanjing, where Bi Feiyu’s novel and Lou’s film are set. Guo told reporters that he blindfolded himself and found that “when you close your eyes, your own mood changes; the world changes.”“I became more appreciative of the things I have,” he said.

Slice of life Mu Huaipeng, an amateur actor in a blind theater troupe, said he worked in a massage parlor for 20 years and relished the chance “to show everybody what this life is like” alongside actors he knew from radio broadcasts. The movie follows the dreams, desires and everyday troubles of the center’s workers.

More from China Lou, who has won international acclaim but also run into trouble with authorities at home over the years, is joined in the 20-film race for the Berlin festival’s Golden Bear award by fellow Chinese directors Diao Yinan and Ning Hao. Diao’s “Black Coal, Thin Ice,” the story of a policeman-turned-detective investigating a series of murders in a northern Chinese town. Ning’s “No Man’s Land” portrays a society devoted to the pursuit of wealth and power.

Both screen later this week.

Kruger’s American dream Outside the main competition, a new film starring Diane Kruger takes viewers to a very different world: rural Indiana in 1817. Kruger plays Sarah Lincoln, the young Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother, in director A.J. Edwards’ “The Better Angels.” The German-born actress said that “it’s wonderful to learn more about such a great man and such an important man for the United States, where I live most of the time now.” She said Lincoln’s story illustrated the American dream that anything is possible - “it’s something that I myself, I think, have experienced coming to the United States and trying my luck out as an actress.” —AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

lifestyle F A S H I O N

The Fall 2014 DKNY collection is modeled during Fashion Week in New York, Sunday. — AP/AFP photos

NY Fashion Week, Day 4:

DKNY, Beckham and Bono N

ew York Fashion Week ended its fourth day Sunday with a celebration of Diane von Furstenberg’s wrap dress, an appearance by Victoria Beckham’s family, and Chelsea Clinton popping up at the show for Edun, the Africa-focused line founded by rocker Bono and his wife and Manolo Blahnik, known for his sexy high-end shoes. Donna Karan brought real, everyday New Yorkers onto the runway along with models showing her fall DKNY collection. And while some of the models at the Tracy Reese show were wearing gold glitter boots, heels and highly bedazzled outfits, the designer herself was resplendent in gold platform sneakers.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents at Lincoln Center were a welcome return to familiar Manhattan territory after many in the fashion world had trekked out to Brooklyn Saturday night for the must-see Alexander Wang show, held in the unlikely setting of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Victoria Beckham show: It’s a family affair Those who come to fashion shows purely for the celebrity factor would not have been disappointed Sunday morning at Victoria Beckham’s runway show. Her husband, soccer great David Beckham, accompanied by their four impeccably groomed children, snapped selfies of himself and his toddler daughter while waiting for Mom’s big moment. On the runway, Victoria Beckham presented a fall collection based on the idea, in her words, that “Everything is not what it seems.” “It’s all 360 degrees - nothing is flat,” she said in a postshow interview backstage. “You look at a structured coat from the front, and then from the back you see this beautiful pleat. Or you’re looking at a dress, and then the whole back is missing.”

The collection was almost entirely black and white, with an emphasis on ruffles and pleats, and a fondness for a single gold chain draped across a garment. Beckham said she was trying to incorporate changes in her clothes, but not so much as to alienate her regular customer. “It’s about satisfying my sense of creativity, but also giving our customer what she wants,” she said.

After the show, Beckham spoke about building a stronger presence in New York. But she made clear that the couple won’t be moving to Miami - even though David Beckham just confirmed a few days ago that he plans to become owner of a Major League Soccer

Tracy Reese

expansion franchise there. “Just because David has a club in Miami doesn’t mean we are moving to Miami,” she said. “We’re based in London and that’s where the kids go to school.” Seated next to the Beckham family were Vogue editor Anna Wintour, a familiar sight at New York Fashion Week shows, and her daughter Bee Shaffer.

Bohemian wrapsody from Diane Von Furstenberg Diane von Furstenberg ended her runway show Sunday with a burst of golden confetti showering down from above, with her models - all dressed in shiny gold - dancing and cheering behind her. It was a suitably celebratory atmosphere, enhanced by live music, for a designer who’s enjoying a burst of attention this year because of the use of the wrap dress a garment for which the word iconic is justified - in the ‘70s-themed Oscar-nominated film “American Hustle.” DVF has been marking the 40th anniversary of the dress this year, with an exhibition in Los Angeles, and there were a number of them on the runway Sunday, in all sorts of colors and fabrics.

“This year is the anniversary so it was nice to do something new,” she said, explaining that she chose the name “Bohemian Wrapsody” for the collection, because of the anniversary and also because she was inspired by the Ballets Russe - a famous ballet company that performed throughout Europe and elsewhere in the early 20th century. “And then it occurred to me that my wrap dress was originally inspired by the little sweaters that ballerinas wear,” she said, referring to the pink sweaters that wrap with a ribbon above the waist. The finale of von Furstenberg’s show, in which the models came out again, in shiny gold dresses, made clear reference to the little sweaters.

Who’s that on the runway at DKNY? Real people!

If you’ve ever watched a fashion show and said to yourself, “Those aren’t real people out there on the runway,” Donna Karan has an answer for that. For her DKNY runway show Sunday, Karan presented - along with the models, of course - an assortment of nonmodels: A DJ. A TV presenter. A printmaker. A few students. A biologist, a “night life hostess,” and, in the most intriguing entry in the show’s written program, a “tattoo artist/ pro skateboarder.”

They walked the runway with confidence

and drew enthusiastic cheers. Some were built almost like models, others weren’t. Some had (gasp) gray hair, but all looked great in Karan’s colorful clothes. Karan said she decided to display non-models because “DKNY really is about the streets. It’s about the streets of New York, the energy of New York, the people of New York. “The show began with a short film featuring the young New Yorkers about to walk the runway, speaking about where they live - Greenpoint in Brooklyn, for example, and Tribeca - and why they came to New York.

Angel Haze, a musician, wore a favorite DKNY look: a long black faux fur vest. Devan Mayfield, a painter and a health practitioner, wore a crepe houndstooth and lace shift dress.

Daniel Bamdad, a TV presenter, wore slim black jeans and a black cotton cutoff shirt.

Masha Korchagina, an actress and biologist, wore a black and white shearling “cape vest.”

Melissa Burns, the nightlife hostess, wore a striped shearling coat. Some of the nice looks went to the models, too, including an edgy black vinyl pleated slip dress, a delicate gray lace dress with a pleated hem, and the filmy silk, lace and flannel long slip dress that closed the show - all in gray.

Tracy Reese: Diversity is an issue on and off the runway Diversity on the runway is only part of the race problem in fashion, said Reese. There’s plenty to be done behind the scenes as well, she said. Reese, a rare black female designer at New York Fashion Week, sees no single solution. “There’s so many things that need to change. There are a lot of designers of color but I think there’s just a dearth of designers out front,” she said Sunday as she dashed from runway walk-through to makeup re-touches for one of her models Sunday at a space in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. “Some of that is finance. But I think by saying that diversity is beautiful, that is a beginning, to look at all people and to see the beauty in each of us and their value is a very strong beginning. It’s important to keep the conversation going, then people will start to broaden their vision.”

During September’s Fashion Week, supermodel Iman joined Naomi Campbell and veteran modeling agent Bethann Hardison talking loud and clear about race and runways.

They launched Balance Diversity, an effort to boost the number of black models. And they named names, calling out Donna Karan, Proenza Schouler, The Row, Victoria Beckham and Calvin Klein as among those who used

Diane von Furstenberg

nearly no black models the previous February.

The website Jezebel calculated that 82.7 percent of that season’s New York Fashion Week models were white, 9.1 percent were Asian, 6 percent were black and 2 percent Latina. Reese, known for diverse runways, said she mentors up-and-comers of all colors, including black women. “Quite a few black women have interned for us over the years.

I’ve hired a few of them on our team. That’s important, too, to keep talking to young people and let them know what the possibilities are in the industry,” she said. But it’s not all about the runway. “There are so many amazing jobs in the fashion industry as a whole. It’s not all about design,” she said. “We need great PR people of color, for one. That’s a very nondiverse group. It’s all facets of the industry that have to be addressed.”

Derek Lam goes to his cozy place From roomy cashmere in pale lavender to nubby boucle in a pleasing blue, there was barely an outfit on Lam’s runway Sunday that you wouldn’t want to curl up in. But not all.

Open slits on several dresses were held together by gold beads in colors that included navy and marine blue. They were perhaps too risky for the average girly girl, though she remains the one he loves.

He offered her a lovely shade of “lake” blue (think deep robin’s egg) in a sleeveless dress and roomy coat. A cashmere crewneck sweater and boucle coat came in a pale lavender. Lam lacquered canvas and colored it a forest green for a stiff coat that would hold up to the autumn elements and used the same technique and color for a shorter jacket. One of his standouts was a multicolored patchwork skirt showing both leather and suede. Known for culottes, he didn’t disappoint, splitting trousers well below the knee but just short enough to protect from rain and snow. — AP

Victoria Beckham

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Derek Lam

Tracy Reese

Designer Manolo Blahnik looks over his shoe collection during Fashion Week.

NY Fashion Week, Day 4: DKNY, Beckham and Bono

38 Boushahri TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Art Gallery showcases ‘Power of life’ exhibition

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Reem Al-Sager.

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Manal Adra. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Rawan Al-Quallaf.

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Lulwa Al-Muhanna.

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Dania Essa.

Painting entitled ‘Power of Life’ by artist Bashayer Al-Ruwaili.

Painting entitled ‘Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty’ by artist Lulwa Al-Muhanna.

Painting entitled ‘Power of Life: Hope’ by artist Salah Salem.

Painting entitled ‘Women’s rights’ by artist Fatmeh Al-Omani.

Painting entitled ‘Power of Life: Hope’ by artist Abrar Al-Mohsen.

Boushahri Art Gallery cordially invites you to attend the preview of ‘Power of life’ exhibition, (Universities Art Competition 2014), which started on February 9, 2014 and will continue till February 13, 2014.