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THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Islamic scholar defends Brotherhood in Kuwait

Teenager, army officers killed in Egypt violence

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UK hopes to foil fraudsters with new 1-pound coin

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Van Persie rescues United in Champions League

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Abu Ghaith recalls 9/11 with Laden inside cave Ex-Qaeda spokesman unexpectedly testifies at US trial

Trial closure of key roads before summit KUWAIT: As the convening of the Arab summit next week requires security and traffic measures, the traffic department will close some roads starting Saturday, March 22 at 8:45 am on a trial basis to regulate traffic flows during the arrival of participating delegations. The Interior Ministry’s security information department draws the attention of citizens and expatriates to the following: • King Faisal Expressway will be closed from the airport until its intersection with Sheikh Zayed (Fifth Ring) Road.

• The main King Faisal Expressway from Kuwait City after Yarmouk towards the airport will be closed and diverted to the Fifth Ring Road as an alternative for both directions - Salmiya and Jahra.

• Ibrahim Al-Mazayen Road will be completely closed starting from the Khaitan Club bridge until the intersection of Al-Aqsa with Khalid bin Abdulaziz roads.

• Subhan road from the Seventh Ring Road intersection until Subhan road intersection with King Faisal Expressway will be completely closed in both directions.

Continued on Page 13

NEW YORK: In this courtroom sketch, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith (right) testifies at his trial yesterday. — AP

Controversy rages over increasing MP numbers Adasani wants legal viewpoint on Zour

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Controversy raged yesterday among MPs supporting and those opposing a proposal to amend the constitution to raise the National Assembly membership from the current 50 to 70 MPs. The proposal was floated a few days ago

by MP Yacoub Al-Sane, who said he

has already obtained the signatures of 18 MPs to the proposal which he said would allow the expansion of the council of ministers over the current 16-member limit. Under the law, the Cabinet cannot exceed one-third of the Assembly members, which means that the number of ministers cannot exceed 16 including the prime minister.

MP Adnan Abdulsamad said that Kuwait is not in an urgent need to raise the number of MPs or ministers, adding that the “prevailing situation and the absence of political agreements make it difficult to amend the constitution”. MP Khalil Abul said that it is the right of lawmakers to propose amending the Continued on Page 13

Information vacuum breeds wild theories KUALA LUMPUR: The ice-cold trail for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has spawned an expanding array of theories - from the sensible to the outlandish - as a fascinated public attempts to fill the information vacuum.

Did distressed pilots veer toward a nearby airstrip? Was the plane hidden under another jet’s radar “shadow”?

Did it fly on for hours past the remote Maldives? Some of the hypotheses would strain the creativity of a

Hollywood screenwriter, but in the absence of firm facts in one of aviation’s greatest mysteries, few can be completely ruled out.

One new theory exploding across social media is that a cockpit fire or other emergency disabled MH370’s communications and forced the pilots into a heroic attempt to land in a nearby Malaysian airfield. Former Continued on Page 13

Max 27º Min 16º High Tide 11:03 & 21:33 Low Tide 04:46 & 16:05

NEW YORK: In surprise testimony in a Manhattan courtroom yesterday, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law recounted the night of the Sept 11 attacks, when the Al-Qaeda leader sent a messenger to drive him into a mountainous area for a meeting inside a cave in Afghanistan. “Did you learn what happened? We are the ones who did it,” the son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, recalled bin Laden telling him. When bin Laden asked what he thought would happen next, Abu Ghaith testified that he responded by predicting America “will not settle until it kills you and topples the state of the Taleban”.

Bin Laden responded: “You’re being too pessimistic,” Abu Ghaith recalled. Bin Laden then told the onetime imam, “I want to deliver a message to the world. ... I want you to deliver the message,” he said. The testimony came at Abu Ghaith’s trial on charges he conspired to kill Americans and aid Al-Qaeda as a spokesman for the terrorist group. His decision to take the witness stand was announced by his lawyer, Stanley Cohen, who surprised a nearly empty courtroom that quickly filled with spectators as word spread.

Testifying through an Arabic interpreter, the 48-yearold Kuwait-born defendant said he went to Afghanistan for the first time in June 2001 because he had a “serious desire to get to know the new Islamic government in Afghanistan”. He said he met bin Laden when the AlQaeda leader, who was living in Kandahar, Afghanistan, summoned him after hearing that he was a preacher from Kuwait. Abu Ghaith said bin Laden explained that the Al-Qaeda training camps involved so much weapons training and a rough, hard life that he wanted Continued on Page 13

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Under auspices of the Deputy PM and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khaled and with the attendance of his undersecretary Lt Gen Suleiman Al-Fahad, the fourth phase of the ‘Aman1’ drill was held at Al-Qurain Markets area.

The drill was witnessed by personal from the National Guard, the defence ministry, IAEA, the GCC Crisis Management Center and various MOI departments.

GCC to be fully represented at Arab Summit in Kuwait Mediation to end disputes KUWAIT: Gulf Cooperation Council member states will all be represented during the Arab Summit that Kuwait hosts on the 25th and 26th of this month, a senior government official confirmed during a meeting with the parliament’s foreign affairs committee Tuesday. This will be the first time in which the six nations gather in one place since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar.

Kuwait, along with Oman, did not follow suit. Instead, Kuwait launched efforts to achieve reconciliation between GCC states that is hoped to be accomplished simultaneously with the Arab Summit. Gathering the six GCC states in one place is the ‘first fruits’ of these efforts, said First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister did not mention during the one-hour meeting Kuwait’s position on political groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood which was listed by some GCC states on their terrorism list, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting. “[The foreign minister] gave a detailed explanation about Kuwait’s role in leading reconciliation efforts between Gulf states,” committee member Hamad Al-Harshani said.

“He also explained that Kuwait has already started mediation efforts, with high hopes put on HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah’s experience to end the dispute. The GCC conflict will likely be resolved before the Arab Summit especially that Kuwait exerts all efforts to achieve reconciliation,” Harshani said.

Regarding the prospect of inviting other countries to join the GCC such as Egypt and Jordan, the foreign minister said during the meeting that such reports are “media speculations” and that there is nothing official in this regard, according to Harshani. Shiite MP Abdulhameed Dashti argued in the meantime that a similar invitation should be sent to Iraq, Yemen and even Iran “from geographical and historical standpoints”.

LA Embezzlement In other news, the Criminal Court on Monday found five diplomats at the Kuwaiti Consulate in Los Angeles not guilty of embezzlement and fraud. The defense attorney had argued that their

clients, who include the General Consul in Los Angeles, committed administrative errors that do not qualify to be considered evidence of theft of public funds. — Al-Rai

Ban on Bangladeshi workers partially lifted KUWAIT: Kuwait has started issuing work permits for Bangladeshi nationals to work in the country in agriculturerelated jobs, a senior Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor official said. Kuwaiti farmers had demanded to lift the ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers, citing difficulties in hiring labor forces from other nationalities to do farming and grazing. The Kuwait Farmers Federation received an approval during a meeting Monday with Abdulmohsen Al-Mutairi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor official, which was also attended by Maj Gen Sheikh Faisal Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, the Assistant Undersecretary for Immigration Affairs and the Interior Ministry.

However, farmers are still required to honor a quota that indicates that the number of Bangladeshi nationals they hire should not exceed 25 percent of the total numbers of employees at their farm or jakhour (livestock pen). “After discussing the farmers’ demands with the Interior Ministry, we reached an agreement on a plan that calls for a partial lifting of Bangladeshi workers’ recruitment for agricultural activities and in accordance with the followed procedures,” Mutairi said in a statement following the meeting.

The Interior Ministry has banned issuance of work permits in recent years for workers from Bangladesh, along with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and Yemen, citing security reasons.

KUWAIT: Abdul Aziz Al-Khaldi during the tour at the perfumes exhibition. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Perfumes exhibition at Mishref

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: A large number of perfume and cosmetic companies are exhibiting their products at the Kuwait International Fair Ground (KIF) at Mishref in Halls 5, 6, and 7 from March 19-29, 2014 during the International Perfumes and Cosmetics Exhibition. Also during the same period, the Watches Exhibition is being held in Hall 8.

More than 200 local and international companies are participating in both the perfume and the watch exhibitions. “This exhibition is one of the oldest and most visited exhibition as it’s being held for about 25 years. A visitor can find western and oriental perfumes and essences. It’s a great chance for customers to buy perfumes and cosmetics at discounted prices,” noted Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Abdulaziz Al-Khaldi during the launch of the exhibition yesterday.

The Ministry of Commerce inspects all goods and products in the local market. “All products on display should comply with the ministry’s rules and criteria. The ministry inspects such fairs and exhibitions, especially perfumes and watches, as fake products may be displayed. I advise any customer not to hesitate in case of any complaint to contact the ministry through the hotline 135, and a team of inspectors will help them,” he added. “The fairground hosts various fairs during the year, and the ministry encourages such activities due to its benefits to the national economy. Also, a gathering of huge number of companies under one roof gives the visitor a chance to exploit the offers of these companies,” Khaldi added.

On rumors spread on social media about fake perfumes from unknown sources being sold, he said that the customer should be careful. “People should make sure of the store they buy from that guarantees the source. This applies to food products too, especially if the seller offers delivering the products at discounted prices. The customer should check the quality of the product,” concluded Khaldi.

Sebamed is a popular participant in this exhibition. “We are participating in this exhibition for more than 20 years. I think it’s a good chance for the visitor to find different products under one roof. This fair is a great opportunity for us to tell people about our brand, especially those who are not familiar with it. And even our customers can benefit from seeing our new products,” Abdullatif Al-Sharaa of Sebamed told Kuwait Times.

Layla, the promoter of Sebamed, said they offer special discounts during the fair. “Some of our products are on special sale, while other products are sold with special offers or with free samples. We are also displaying new products for the first time during this fair. The visitor also can try our products to choose what best suits him,” she explained. According to Khalid from Miss Glamour Perfumes, the International Perfumes and Cosmetics Exhibition is the biggest and most visited of other similar fairs held in the region. “I attended perfume exhibitions held in Qatar and the UAE, but this one is much bigger and more visited. It’s great chance for us to display our products and let more people become familiar with them. We offer a 50 percent discount on most products especially for this fair,” he pointed out.

KUWAIT: Abdellatif Al-Sharaa at the booth of Sebamed at hall 5 at the fair ground in Mishref.

Another challenge for Syrians in Kuwait

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The 142,000 Syrians in Kuwait will now process their paperwork and documentations in Abu Dhabi after the embassy here said they will no longer accept transactions. The new directive of the Syrian Embassy here will take effect on April 1.

What does it mean to Syrians in Kuwait? Ali, a Syrian from Aleppo, said the new development is another challenge amidst the crisis.

“We don’t really know what it means. If we have to send our papers to Abu Dhabi, it will be a logistical nightmare. We will have to actually go to another country just to do our paperwork.

We are in the midst of a conflict so we have to bear with the new development,” Ali noted.

Another Syrian said the problem did not originate in Syria government but in Kuwait. “I heard no diplomats from Syria were allowed to enter Kuwait. Some of our embassy staff were refused residency. How will they do their job if they are illegally staying in the country?” he asked.

Kuwait Times tried to contact the UAE Embassy in Kuwait for comment but to no avail.

The United States also closed the Syrian embassy and consulates until ‘Bashar Al-Assad leaves office’.

Kuwaitis review state’s history in stargazing AMMAN: A Kuwaiti delegation was yesterday sharing the history of stargazing and drawing calendars over the span of 20 years in a presentation during the 6th Islamic Astronomical Conference.

The conference is held under the theme (Astronomy Sciences and Calendars between the Arab Heritage and Contemporary Aspects) and is co-organized by the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre (RJGC) and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences. Astronomer and member of Kuwait Science Club Bader Al-Emeirah is taking part, along with fellow club member Fahad Al-Meshehni, in activities attended by 60 scientists and researchers and 100 other participants from 17 Arab and Islamic countries.

The sessions and activities started on March 18 and would end on March 20. The researcher said he reviewed the history of monitoring stars and astronomical events in Kuwait and presented his study on the change in Man’s view of and attitude and response to astronomical events

over history. He added that he stressed how advances in science helped the masses realize comets were blocks of stone or sometimes ice and rock debris that cross the solar system repeatedly.

The researcher said a comet is of two parts; a central block surrounded by a great cloud of dust and a tail of gas and dust as long as 120 million kilometers. Comets’ tails reminded old seafaring Kuwaitis of a frond of palm and that inspired a local name for it, an adjective derived from the Arabic word for frond.

Most famous of all comets, Halley’s comet had crossed the sky over Kuwait and was observed by stargazers back in 1910, he said.

The presentations by the Kuwaiti and other participants aim to shed light on aspects of astronomy which are related to religious and cultural rites such as the sighting of comets and the problems faced when determining timings with reference to astronomical events, as well as innovations and possible solutions available today.—KUNA

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

LOCAL

CAIRO: Kuwaiti and Egyptian officials at the opening of Cairo International Fair yesterday. Choosing Kuwait as a guest of honor at the fair is a vivid testimony to the growing relations between Kuwait and Egypt, said the Assistant Undersecretary for International Relations at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Kuwait and head of the delegation to the fair Dr. Abudullah Al-Uaisi.

Islamic scholar defends Brotherhood in Kuwait Media accusations ‘baseless’ KUWAIT: A renowned Kuwaiti Islamic scholar has defended the local Muslim Brotherhood and called on Gulf countries not to overact to media accusations of sedition. Shaikh Dr Khalid AlMathkour, chairman of the Supreme Consultative Committee on the implementation of the provisions of sharia law in Kuwait, said that the Muslim Brotherhood had no plans to overthrow any Gulf regime and that they were committed to working with the monarchies of the Arab Gulf states.

Al-Mathkour called upon the Kuwait government not to believe the media that attacks the Brotherhood without justification, reported a local Arabic daily.

Al-Mathkour, who is a member of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood’s charitable arm, the Social Reform Society, said he follows the Brotherhood’s ideology and sympathizes with Shaikh Hassan Al-Banna, the late founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.

He commented on Saudi Arabia’s decision to list the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization by saying “It is not right to accuse the Brotherhood of terrorism without evidence. I have nothing to do with them and I do not interfere in anybody’s affairs - my con-

Shaikh Dr Khalid Al-Mathkour

cern is my country Kuwait, its Amir and stability.”

Muslim Brotherhood members, both from Egypt and the Gulf, have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months with several dozen members in the UAE arrested as well as Egyptian Brotherhood members arrested recently in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Gulf states Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain also pulled their ambassadors from Qatar over Doha’s support of the Brotherhood in Egypt and regionally.

Al-Mathkour is a prominent Kuwaiti cleric who also sits on the sharia board of the Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait’s largest Islamic bank.

Speaking about the recent visit of AlAzhar’s Grand Imam, who is accused by the Brotherhood of being against them, Al-Mathkour said Dr Ahmad AlTayyeb was the guest of HH the Amir and “he visited the committee as a guest of Kuwait and we received him warmly and explained our job to him”.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

LOCAL kuwait digest

Greatness of a nation

issue ...’

As sem bly

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

I

ulously cured a couple of days after a holiday too!

When millions of sick leaves are submitted in the public sector every year, does that leave enough room where our ‘powers’ can ‘erupt’? Isn’t this a phenomenon worth attention from the Parliament Speaker and a decision to ask the World Health Organization, for example, to study it?

How can we be a great nation whose powers erupt during hard times when we commit millions of traffic violations at the same time? And while traffic violations can easily be detected and announced, other violations including environment-related, commercial fraud, building violations, contrabands smuggling and human trafficking cannot be detected as easily. But if the government was able to announce accurate statistics for those violations and others, would Speaker Al-Ghanim still describe us as a ‘great nation’?

Yes, Kuwaitis were a great nation when Saddam Hussein invaded their land. They expressed a rare show of greatness and courage at the time, but all that disappeared in front of the tons of violations, thefts and irregularities that happened afterwards.

The Kuwaiti government failed to take advantage of social unity following the Liberation, and could not create the free and beautiful country that we long for. It adopted the ‘divide and conquer’ concept in the end, which brought out the worst of us under its blessings. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

The feast of the goat

By Dr Sajed Al-Abdali

O

n the evening of May 30, 1961, a group of rebels ambushed the Dominican Republic’s leader and dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. On that day, his vehicle was showered by shots fired from rebels’ guns and rifles like nothing would stop them from shredding his body except running out of ammunition.

At that time, the Dominican Republic had been ruled by Trujillo for thirty years since he came to power in 1930 and controlled everything starting with sugarcane, coffee and coconut farms to cattle and horses ranches, salt production, the country’s national carrier, insurance company, sugar refinery plants, oil, liquor, tobacco, cement, sulfur and shoe manufacturing -all the way to brothels and drug trafficking.

This brutal tyrant had always covered his horrible eyes behind dark glasses through which he did not only watch behaviors of those surrounding him, but also watched their feelings, conscience and dreams. ‘The Feast of the Goat’ is a novel that is brilliantly written by the creative novelist Mario Vargas Liosa, meticulously portraying a phase in the history of the small Dominican Republic using the same taste of words that characterize the Dominican way of speaking.

Liosa described this tyrant who gave his people the worst

This brutal tyrant had always covered his horrible eyes behind dark glasses through which he did not only watch behaviors of those surrounding him, but also watched their feelings, conscience and dreams. unimaginable forms of plagues, misfortunes and horrors.

Using his deep novelist senses, his novel writing career and investigation of a certain political and historical period, he managed to portray him as a terrifying person with a style rarely used in any other novel.

Reading the translation from Spanish of ‘The Feast of the Goat’, I found deep, accurate and detailed descriptions of the characters’ inner feelings, motives, the panic they undergo and the most fascinating portrayal of streets, houses, roads and the sea in scenes showing the most minute details over various periods of times that were seamlessly written to help readers easily travel through them.

This novel came to describe souls in quest of tranquility through the hard terrain of the disturbed Dominican Republic where they converse, live and die in fear but eventually succeed in overcoming this complex and murdered the tyrant! I was asked about my motive to write such an article and I said it was nothing in particular but like this ‘Goat’, all tyrants through history have some way or another met the same end. So let others, whose turn has not yet come, learn their lesson! —Al-Jarida

R

Al-Anbaa

How can we be a nation where ‘powers erupt’ when we have a large unemployment rate, and an unusual phenomenon of mass workers’ sickness two days before holidays?

Oppositionist, not terrorist

the disputed

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

n response to statements that I personally do not know where they came from, Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim said that “we are not a dependent nation, we are a great nation whose great works and powers erupt during hard times.”

That is a beautiful thing to say, but I wonder why we can be a great nation during hard times, which are rare in the lifetime of any country, and cannot be the same every other time?

I also wonder, how can we be described as a great nation when we continue flattering each other on the expense of morals and the truth? Big thieves are welcomed in public forums, presented as VIP guests and walked to their cars when they leave despite the fact that everyone knows their bad history. We also insist to elect those who bought their way into the parliament time after time.

How can we be a nation where ‘powers erupt’ when we have a large unemployment rate, and an unusual phenomenon of mass workers’ sickness two days before holidays? Said workers are always mirac-

kuwait digest

‘Regarding

t rnme Gove

in my view

Shrouded in mystery

ecep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey, described the young man who was killed by the Turkish police to having ‘links with terrorist organizations’. His description could be accurate or it could not, and what is considered terrorist in his eyes could be seen by others as national responsibility.

I am not concerned here with the Turkish situation, and do not plan to get into something that is not my business. But Mr Erdogan represents the Muslim Brotherhood which rules Turkey today, and dreams of ruling us tomorrow. I have nothing against others’ ambitions or the right to call for what they believe is right.

What I am against is the use of the adjective ‘terrorist’ to justify the killing of an innocent young man who has not been convicted of anything yet.

The Muslim Brotherhood is often described these days of being a terrorist organization. I believe, whether Erdogan likes it or not, that describing the young man as a terrorist falls in the same line and classification that some regimes use against their brothers in the Muslim Brotherhood.

I defend the young man who is innocent until proven guilty, the same way I defend the Muslim Brotherhood who until recently had been favorites of regimes in the region. Today and after their path crossed with that of the regimes, the Muslim Brotherhood suddenly became ‘terrorist’ and a ‘threat to the national security’ of countries in the region.

The Muslim Brotherhood is often described these days of being a terrorist organization.

I believe, whether Erdogan likes it or not, that describing the young man as a terrorist falls in the same line and classification that some regimes use against their brothers in the Muslim Brotherhood.

By Abdulateef Al-Mulhim

I

t seems that Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 is all set to was turned off and the plane made a drastic change in its course heading west back to Malaysian airspace instead of become yet another mystery in the history of aviation. flying over Vietnam and continue to its final destination.

This case has brought back the memories of Amelia Did Malaysian military radars see the plane on their Earhart who tried to circumnavigate the globe in 1937 in screens? They must have. It is a Jumbo Jet. And the other Model 10 Electra plane. Her plane was lost over the Pacific question is if they did, then why didn’t they try to commuOcean. Her disappearance is still shrouded in mystery. nicate with it because if the transponder was turned off, Since then the world has heard every possible theory that then it should have been considered an unknown target a human brain can come up with. and should have been interrogated and electronically Amelia was lost in 1937 when the technology was not challenged and even intercepted by air force jets. Any advanced but the disappearance of MH370 has emerged radar no matter how primitive should have easily detected as a big question mark over modern technology. First, I the plane. Commercial planes fly at higher altitudes and would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the families can’t hide from radars. Commercial planes are not terrain of the lost passengers and crew. And no matter what we followers and don’t need to hide. They are built to be seen. say or do for them, we will never fathom their agony.

We have heard many rumors about the plane. I don’t Aviation technology has come a long way since the day think it is hijacked. In that case, man succeeded in flying. It is the pilots will have time to say not only the aviation industry However, all the hassles something to the ground conthat has changed but we also trol or initiate the hijack code see difference in people’s behavior at airports. During the that one experiences like long 7500 or the emergency code past 30 years, we have witqueues, X-ray machines and 7700 on the transponder. Was there a sudden lack of oxygen nessed a change in people’s baggage handling are forgot- that incapacitated the crew and outlook toward this interest i.e. ran out of fuel but why the from romanticizing every ten the minute one enters the they transponder was turned off? aspect of this industry to a There is also a possibility that deep sense of mistrust and susaircraft. The last thing any one of the pilots might have left picion. passenger wants is to sit next the cockpit giving other the However, all the hassles that to close the doors and one experiences like long to a hijacker regardless of his chance take the suicidal dive. But again queues, X-ray machines and motives but there is somethis can happen only if both of baggage handling are forgothave the same intention. ten the minute one enters the thing even worse than a “tra- them If only one of them locked the aircraft. The last thing any pasother out of the cockpit, then senger wants is to sit next to a ditional” hijacker. any of the crew would have hijacker regardless of his called the ground and alerted motives but there is something them. The mystery could be solved if someone could even worse than a “traditional” hijacker. It is to fly with a come forward and let the authorities know about any conpilot whose intention is not to get them to their destinaversation that took place between him/her with the crew tion but to take his own life and of the passengers. In the or any passenger. The longer it takes to find the plane, the article, I am not blaming the crew of MH370 or questionmore complicated the case will become. The plane will ing the high quality of Malaysian Airlines. eventually be found but we will never find passengers or I am also one of those who are puzzled over the disapcrew alive. With such a disaster, there will be many pearance. If the plane is not found and the Black Box and changes to the way crew are monitored. And finally, why Cockpit Voice Recorder are not found, then this will be the don’t the aviation experts install cameras in the cockpits mother of all mysteries. The Boeing 777 is one of the most advanced carriers and has the most reliable engines in avi- and the airline center can monitor the cockpit activities if needed. As for violating crew privacy then crew should ation industry. So, what really happened to Flight 370? know that the life of a passenger is more important.

According to the latest official news, the transponder

in my view

Syria peace prospects

By Osama Al-Sharif

A

s the Syrian conflict entered its fourth year this week, government forces, assisted by Hezbollah fighters, were able to retake the rebel city of Yabroud in the Qalamoun mountain range. It was a major victory for the regime of President Bashar Assad and a bitter defeat for opposition forces, which after more than a month of bloody battles, were forced to abandon the strategic town. The fall of Yabroud means that government forces are now in control of the highway between Damascus and Homs and have full access to the coastal plains. It also means that rebels have lost a crucial gateway to Lebanon.

The opposition blamed lack of western support for their latest loss. But while that could be true, it also underlined the effect of divisions raging between various rebel groups. The Free Syrian Army (FSA), Jabhat Al-Nusra and others are still unable to unite their efforts on the ground. The regime has benefitted greatly from internal fighting between radical groups, mainly Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL), and the FSA and Jabhat Al-Nusra in Aleppo, Idlib and northeastern regions.

The battle for Yabroud has raged for well over a month, and yet there was little attention given to it by the West. The Obama administration is still reviewing its options in Syria.

The outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis and Russia’s incursion in Crimea last month overshadowed the Syrian crisis. UN-Arab League special mediator Lakhdar Brahimi admitted that chances for holding a third round of negotiations in Geneva were weak. He submitted his report to the UN Security Council last week and told reporters afterward that if Syria goes ahead with holding presidential elections in the coming few months the opposition will not be interested in resuming negotiations.

Brahimi has headed to Iran, Syria’s close ally, in a bid to convince Tehran to put pressure on the Syrian regime. Few believe his efforts will work. Observers think that Assad will win a third seven-year term. Syrian officials were critical of Brahimi’s remarks and insisted that holding the elections was a “sovereign domestic matter.”

It is clear that the Syrian president is determined to continue with the military option. His forces have been making important gains in recent weeks. After Yabroud he may turn his attention to Aleppo, the biggest Syrian city and the most

important stronghold for the opposition. The battle for Aleppo may decide the future of the conflict.

He has made good use of his resources and regional political development. International pressure on him has decreased since the eruption of the Ukraine crisis, and a recent dispute between Gulf countries has improved his odds. Turkey’s internal problems, over alleged government corruption, have also boosted his position.

The Syrian crisis has gone through three major junctures since it erupted four years ago. One, it started as a spontaneous and peaceful popular uprising, which was dealt with by force. Two, the uprising was militarized as opponents also resorted to violence. And three, it turned into a regional conflict as foreign fighters joined in, with Hezbollah, Iranian and Iraqi groups siding with the regime, and militants crossing the border to join the opposition.

The only way a political solution can be found is for Washington and Moscow to work together and come up with a plan that satisfies all parties. That remains a tall order. The alternative, it now appears that the war will continue for many weeks and months.

Still it is unlikely that the regime will be able to liberate the entire country. In spite of recent losses, the opposition continues to present a serious challenge. It will be able to drain and weaken government forces in other areas. And it is still possible that some rebel groups will receive modern weapons that will make it harder for the regime to make new advances.

The re-election of Assad will bury current political efforts.

It will force the West to reconsider its options. The presence of foreign militants has hurt the cause of the opposition. Assad’s claim that he is fighting terrorism has worked for now.

With fighting raging on in Syria the biggest challenge to its neighbors and to humanitarian agencies is to deal with the refugee problem. So far efforts to create safe corridors for civilians and end the siege of towns and refugee camps had all failed. The human cost will continue to rise. Syria is proving to be a big failure for the international community.

President Assad has defied all odds and survived. His opponents are divided both at the political and military levels.

It is unlikely that Russia and the US will find accord on Syria soon. The only sure thing about Syria today is that the war will continue.

They were transformed into terrorists and criminals without trial, conviction or even a case filed. It happened only because they stopped obedience towards regimes that embraced, sponsored and used effectively for years to contain the national and progressive expansion in the region.

This is exactly the situation of the innocent young man, who I am confident was killed by mistake. The prime minister of Turkey had better apologized for the tragic accident that happened unintentionally while Turkish police were trying to break up protests.

But that is not the only reason why I am against describing the young man as a terrorist. The other and main reason is my concern that the ‘democratic model’ in Turkey will become the standard and measuring stick for people of the region. The Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey are establishing the foundations for a Middle Eastern or Islamic democracy. We are not concerned with the situation in Turkey, as much as we are with the idea that the Turkish experience could become an example that people of the region look up to. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

The center of the universe

By Fahd Rashid Al-Mutairi

I

do not have a Twitter account but what some friends tell me about the content of that cyber platform does not amaze me. What is really amazing is what is not being said on it or rather, what is not directly said. Narcissism is probably the most important of such ‘unsaid’ or implied statements on a social medium where success is measured by the number of followers and fame is measured by the number of idiots.

Times when someone would blush on hearing compliments or praise before he would change the subject have gone with the modesty that characterized that time when someone would feel angry on hearing compliments he does not deserve or start squirming and denying on hearing ones he deserves. Imam Shafee was right in saying, “The most respected person is one who does not see how great he is and the most outshining is the one who does not see his virtues”. A philosopher once said “It amazes me how he who has been delivered twice through urinary passages could be egotistical!”.

Yes, indeed. Coyness has been replaced by impudence.

Pride has been replaced by boastfulness and because many people have gone way far in pomposity and snobbery, our era is full of hypocrisy. The increase of snobbish people is because too many faces have become shameless but we seem to have stopped naming things properly. For example, the concept of bragging has been replaced by the term ‘self-promotion’. Some people even view modesty as a sign of weakness!

I know you, readers, will be disgusted by the following assumption. Suppose I was amongst a group of people whom I do not know at all and one of them whispers his admiration of my articles. I then call everybody’s attention to the flattery I received that they missed! Such a scene would be disgusting to every sound-minded person, yet it happens round the clock on Twitter. When someone posts a tweet saying “How beautiful X is and how great the things he/she has done!”, X would quickly and shamelessly retweet this as if inclusively saying: “Wow, how beautiful I am and how great the things I have done are”. By the way, what if someone says the opposite, will that be retweeted too?!

Do you want more examples? Well, there so many writers, members of the media and others who, if attending a public event, immediately tweet saying: “Currently present at so and so place to attend a seminar about this or that subject”, “On my way to the book fair” or “Still enjoying a stroll at Mubrakiya market”. Well, what do these people want when they occasionally reveal their locations? Is it just a message intended to allow fans to rush to say hello to the person posting the tweet?

Human beings’ egoism had received hard blows by Copernicus and Darwin. Earth is no longer the center of the universe and Man is no longer a demigod. Nevertheless, self-ego has been and is still the center of the universe in the eyes of each narcissists! —Al-Jarida

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Within the awareness activities organized in collaboration between the Ministry of Interior’s security media department and the Ministry of Education, Lt Sharifa Haidar recently delivered a lecture on traffic safety regulations at Warba Primary School for Girls in Ahamdi.

‘Mentally ill’ Ethiopian maids come to Kuwait Psychiatrist demands more attention KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti psychiatrist demanded more attention to examine the mental state of expatriate labor forces, warning from ‘health conditions’ in their home countries and how their physical and mental health was before coming to Kuwait. Dr Abdullah Al-Hamadi, psychiatry consultant and head of the forensic unit at the Kuwait Psychological Medicine Hospital, made those statements when approached to comment on the recent crime in which an Ethiopian housemaid in Sulaibikhat murdered her employer’s daughter.

“Judging from the cases in the hospital, we have a ratio of four Ethiopian patients to one of other nationalities,” Hamadi told Al-Qabas.

Rabiya Mahmoud, who admitted to stabbing Seham Al-Shemmari to death Sunday morning, was remanded in custody by the Public Prosecution following extensive questioning on Tuesday. The woman was in normal condition and responded to all questions without problems, according to sources familiar with the investigations. “The suspect admitted premeditated murder and explained that she planned to take revenge from the girl since an altercation that happened three months earlier,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, the sources who spoke to AlQabas on the condition of anonymity denied rumors that spread on social media that suggested that the suspect said during questioning that her father called her before the crime and asked her to find a person to kill as a sacrifice. “All these sayings are completely untrue,” the sources said.

The exact motives behind Sunday’s crime remain unknown, but Hamadi indicates that psychological reasons remain the most common motive behind criminal acts. Other motives include social reasons and the miserable situation of the criminal. “Social motives are limited in Kuwait due to the exceptional level of social security that the citizen and expatriate enjoy,” Hamadi argued.

Mental disorders can also lead to crime, especially when it makes the individual feel like the entire society is against him, according to Hamadi. And while he blamed domestic labor recruitment offices for failure to examine the physical and mental health of recruited manpower, Hamadi did single out Ethiopian workers by saying that some Ethiopian housemaids “suffer mental problems before coming to Kuwait”. “These problems soon escalate after a worker reaches the

country, when they start feeling homesick and lose interest of living in Kuwait,” he said.

Hamadi elaborated further on why he made that assessment regarding Ethiopian domestic workers. “During therapy sessions with Ethiopian patients, we discovered that some of them spent time at psychiatric hospitals before coming to Kuwait,” he said. “This raises questions about how workers who are unqualified to enter Kuwait from a health standpoint are recruited in the first place,” he said, demanding action against recruitment offices.

On how domestic workers are admitted at the psychological medicine hospital, Dr Hamadi explained that employers mostly admit housemaids, “and Ethiopian nationals in specific”, as a precautionary measure after the workers show strange behavior. “Mental problems are more common among nationals of that country compared to other nationalities, which require immediate action to stop their access into Kuwait,” he concluded.

The Interior Ministry in Kuwait had issued a ban on recruiting Ethiopian domestic helpers on Feb 16, 2014, citing ‘official statistics’ for the increase in the crime rate among the Ethiopian community. — Al-Qabas

Expos help in revitalizing economy KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Abdulaziz Al-Khaldi said here yesterday it is important to hold commercial expos to contribute to revitalizing the country’s national economy.

Expos boost competition spirit among companies to provide best offers for their customers, Al-Khaldi told reporters on the sidelines of opening of Perfumes, Cosmetics, and Watches Exhibition, organized by Kuwait International Fair (KIF) and lasts until March 29th, with participation of 170 local, regional, and international companies and institutions.

Furthermore, Al-Khaldi urged consumers to check credibility and sources of products concerning shopping from unknown commercial websites on the Internet and social networks, indicating that the Ministry will not have information on these products

without consumers’ cooperation with the Ministry.

He also affirmed the Ministry’s constant keenness to abide by its laws and standards concerning commodities that are offered at the market, calling on citizens and residents who encounter commercial fraud to call the Ministry’s hotline and report it in order for the Ministry’s authorities to take necessary action.

In the same context, Mariam Al-Doseri, Director of Perfumes and Cosmetic Exhibition at KIF, pointed out the distinctive care the expo enjoys this year from 14 bodies and agencies, adding that a number of renowned companies from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and India are taking part at the Expo offering eastern perfumes, incense, and Arabic mixtures. — KUNA

Top priority to youth care JEDDAH: Assistant Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti State Ministry for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said yesterday his ministry gives priority to joint action with regional and international organizations to offer better care for the youth.

“We have long working to modernize the system of care for the youth and building their capacity under the instructions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah,” he said. Al-Mutairi made the comments in a speech to Second Islamic Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports on behalf of

Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah.

“Under the kind patronage of His Highness the Amir the Ministry has recently convened the national youth conference, titled ‘Kuwait hears;’ the conference led to the national youth document which set the priority of youth care in the coming years,” he pointed out.

The State Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Public Authority for Youth and Sport (PAYS) work together to ensure best possible care for the youth, he pointed out.— KUNA

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

LOCAL

Ruling family member complains of assault Officer accused of attack KUWAIT: A ruling family member accused seven people of physical assault during a football match at a private university in Salmiya.

According to his statements made to local police Tuesday morning, the man was refereeing a match when he whistled for a foul against a player who did not like the call. The player then started beating the referee with his teammates. The man went to the hospital afterwards and obtained a medical report before pressing charges. Investigations are ongoing to identify the suspects based on descriptions that the complainant provided.

Officer accused A Kuwaiti man accused a police officer of assault and being biased towards his ex-wife.

According to the police report, the man was summoned to the police station based on a case filed by his ex-wife after she won a court order that gave her custody of their child.

When he arrived to the police station, he met an officer who he had previously filed a complaint against after the officer had warned him to hand the child over to his mother. The man asked to go and pick up his son in order to

honor the court order, and left with his attorney. But before reaching his car, the officer reportedly followed him and asked him to turn himself in. When the attorney told him that the procedure he was doing was illegal, the officer reportedly punched his client and attempted to arrest him by force. His attempt failed, and the man headed to the hospital directly afterwards, obtained a medical report and went back to the police station and pressed charges. Investigations are ongoing.

Teacher charged A middle school teacher faces charges after he beat up a 14-year-old student who asked for permission to go to the bathroom, according to a case filed at the Naseem police station recently. Local police were approached by a woman who gave police a medical report showing bruises that her son had sustained.

She pressed charges against her son’s teacher, saying that he beat the kid who had asked for permission to go to the bathroom. The mother explained that her son suffers an allergy and has trouble breathing which makes him drink a lot of water during the day. The teacher is

being summoned for questioning.

Salwa firing Investigations are ongoing in search for three men who fired shots at a car in Salwa over disputes between one of them and the car’s owner.

In his statements to local police, the Kuwaiti man said that he was driving in the area when he noticed that a car was following him. He soon discovered that a person he has unfinished business with was inside the car along with two other men. The suspect soon fired gunshots at his foe’s car and escaped. Police did not find bullet traces on the complainant’s car.

Road accidents Two people died in separate accidents reported Monday in Kuwait. The first accident took place at the Wafra Road where paramedics and police responded to an emergency call reporting a two-vehicle collision. An Egyptian man was pronounced dead on the scene while the other driver’s condition was not mentioned in the report. The second accident was reported in Sharq near Dasman Palace, where an Asian man was run over and killed.

EQUATE sponsors chemistry conference KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company sponsored the 3rd Kuwait Conference of Chemistry (KCC 2014) under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah.

Representing His Highness the Amir, the conference was attended

by State Minister for National Assembly Affairs and Minister of Oil Dr Ali Al-Omair.

On this occasion, EQUATE VP for Technical Services Mohammad AlBenali said, “This event presented reunion of scientific figures from around the world to discuss a number of vital matters relevant to research and development (R&D), environmental affairs, industrial applications, as well as the hydrocarbon industry which includes oil, gas and petrochemicals, all of which are of relevance to EQUATE’s business.”

Al-Benali, who also heads EQUATE Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Team, added, “EQUATE is an avid supporter of awareness, educational and scientific affairs which constitute the pillars of EQUATE CSR Program that aspires to manifest and apply overall sustainability as per its tagline of ‘Partners in Success’ with all stakeholders within and outside Kuwait.”

Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility producing over 5 million tons annually of highquality petrochemical products which are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. Mohammad Al-Benali and Dr Ali Al-Omair

KUWAIT: VIVA staff celebrating Mother’s Day by visiting both the elderly at the Social Care House.

VIVA celebrates Mother’s Day with the elderly KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecom operator, took the initiative of celebrating Mother’s Day by visiting both the elderly at the Social Care House.

Abdulrazzaq Bader Al-Essa - Director of Public Relation and Social Media at VIVA said: “VIVA took the opportunity to show its respect and appreciation to the elderly that have contributed greatly to the development of this community and the younger generations throughout their years. VIVA is keen to continue its ongoing socially responsible role in the community by spreading the spirit of goodness amongst Kuwaiti society, and add joy and happiness in the hearts of the elderly as they are an integral part of the community. We thank the management of the Social Care House, which is led by the care sector in the Ministry Social Affairs and Labour for their efforts in facilitating the convenience of its residents and for all their efforts regarding our celebration.”

The visit to the elderly homes was a rewarding experience that VIVA truly valued. VIVA is keen to be part of the occasions that matter most and bring a smile to the faces of those it serves and works with.

VIVA is the fastest-growing telecom operator in Kuwait. Launched in December 2008, VIVA makes things Possible for its customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has

rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market through its customer centric approach.

VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of choice in Kuwait by being transparent, engaging, energetic and fulfilling. VIVA continues to take a considerable share of the market by offering an innovative range of best value products, services and content propositions; a state of the art, nationwide network and world-class service.

VIVA offers internet speeds of more than 100 Mbps, due to the implementation of the most advanced fourth generation (4G LTE) network in Kuwait resulting in superior coverage, performance and reliability.

Sheikha Latifa discusses Arab women problems NEW YORK: Chairperson of the Kuwaiti Cabinet ’s Committee on Women’s Affairs, and President of the Kuwait Union of Women’s Societies Sheikha Latifa AlFahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah held late on Tuesday a dinner banquet, during which she discussed issues of the Arab women with senior officials in the field.

Head of Department of Family and Childhood at the Secretariat General of the Arab League Inas Makkawi said following the banquet, she is working diligently for coordination of efforts at the Arab and international levels to best serve the women issues, especially concerning the violence practiced against women, which is considered a top priority issue.

Makkawi and Regional Director of United Nations (UN) Women Regional Office for Arab States Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri were Sheikha Latifa’s guests at the banquet.

They discussed the initiative launched by Sheikha Latifa last December in Kuwait on a comprehensive strategy to fight all forms of violence practiced against Arab women, especially in those areas suffering political unrest, Makkawi said.

Sheikha Latifa’s initiative is the first of its kind in the Arab region, a matter to be “highly appreciated”, she added.

Moreover, they discussed means to allow women to be more interactive and productive in her societies, especially in the Arab region, and also tackled the ArabAfrican cooperation in that matter, she said.

They also discussed during the banquet means to set a strategy to end all the negative practices done by youth in the Arab nations, upon a Kuwaiti initiative presented years ago, in order to spread it in all other Arab nations in order to set laws and regulations coping with the latest critical developments in the region, she added.

Makkawi said they discussed issues on the agenda of the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, pointing out this is the first time the Arab block takes a united position towards the strategic priorities for women upon what was agreed on in Cairo declaration in February 23 of the this year, which was attended by Sheikha Latifa who strongly supported it, Makkawi affirmed.

They also talked over a very critical issue, which is the systematic violence against women, especially in Palestine, Syrian and the surrounding countries, reflected in various negative forms like trafficking of women and early marriage, Makkawi said.

Dr. Al-Tuwaijri praised the remarkable role Kuwait plays in the Gulf and Arab regions, as well as in the international arena, being of “a source of high pride for everyone”.

She expressed her happiness for Sheikha Latifa’s participation in Commission on the Status of Women during its 58th session.

She discussed with Sheikha Latifa means of establishing partnership between UN Women Regional Office and Kuwait, especially the national committee for women affairs, in order to benefit from Kuwait’s expertise in that field, in order to transfer it to the Arab and intentional levels.

They also discussed the suffering of the Syrian women, hailing the distinguished Kuwaiti contribut i o n s to a l l e v i a te t h e i r gr i e f, t h ro u g h t h e Sy r i a n donors’ first and second conferences that were held in Kuwait. —KUNA

Fawaz Al-Khateeb

Stage ready for chess tournament KUWAIT: The National Real Estate Company announced hosting and sponsoring of the 7th International Chess Tournament in cooperation with the Kuwait Minds Sports Club.

The competition kicks off on March 27, featuring at least 80 Kuwait Minds Sports Club members and others, said Fawaz Al-Khateeb, the club’s vice-chairman.

Registrations can be made at the Kuwait Mind Sports Club building in Qadsiya block 1, street 10, house 7. For more information, call tournament judge Zainab Al-Fayyad at 665071371.

KUWAIT: The drugs and money confiscated from the drug trader yesterday.

Drug trader in custody

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: A traffic patrol stopped a car at dawn yesterday, and the officer noticed a transparent plastic bag with tablets in it. As the suspect was being placed in the patrol car, he was searched as a precautionary measure, drugs were found on him —a bag with white substance thought to be shabu, a black piece thought to be hashish, five blue tablets and four white tablets suspected of being drugs, along with other material. He was sent to the drugs control general department.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian was sent by Hawally police to the Drugs Control General Department, when a joint fell from his pocket during a routine inspection. The joint contained heroin.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Dog ‘sold for $2 million’ in China

Pro-Russian militias seize Ukraine’s Crimean navy HQ Page 9

Page 12

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman pushes her baby cart in front of the message board for passengers aboard MH370 yesterday. — AP

Why didn’t jet passengers use their cellphones?

Experts attempt to trace ‘handshake’ BANGKOK: In the age of smartphones and social media, one question surrounding the disappearance of the Malaysian airliner is why none of the passengers tried to contact relatives, as they did during the 9/11 attacks.

Even the absence of phone calls or emails from those on board the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 could provide clues for investigators struggling to solve one of the greatest mysteries of modern aviation. It may indicate that the plane was flying too high or was over water, or that the passengers were unconscious, possibly due to a change in cabin pressure.

Experts say the chances of the 239 people on board Flight 370 being able to use their mobile devices would have been better the closer they were to a mobile network on the ground. Many are skeptical that the passengers or crew would have been able to establish and maintain a call using cellphones while travelling at speed, particularly at cruising altitude.

For mobile phones to be used, there must be a contact between the handset and the network-known as a “handshake”. This requires a strong enough signal from both a transmission tower and the phone.

“Theoretically, 23,000 feet (7,000 meters) and 45,000 feet are a cell range that terrestrial mobile network could work with,” said Singapore-based telecommunications consultant Koh Chee Koon, referring to unconfirmed reports of changes in the plane’s altitude after it lost radar contact.

But given the limited transmission power of a commercial mobile phone, as well as the barrier presented by the plane body, “for the mobile phone to connect to the mobile network with acceptable strength and quality would require some luck”, added Koh. Experts note that in the case of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, the planes were flying at relatively low altitude over areas with cellphone coverage.

In any case most of the calls are believed

to have been made from seatback phones and not mobile devices. Recently some airlines have introduced technology to enable passengers to use their phones in the air using a small cellular base station on board, but Malaysia Airlines said this service was not available on Flight 370.

Without this, a cellphone cannot be used at an altitude of more than roughly 0.5 kilometers in the case of a commercial airliner, and must not be too far from a cell tower, according to AK Dewdney, professor emeritus of computer science at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. “No cellphone could possibly succeed from an airliner in mid-ocean, even if flying low over the water,” he said.

Phone records under investigation “At normal cruising altitude no cellphone could possibly succeed in making ground contact as it is completely out of reach of the network of towers, in any case,” added

Dewdney, who conducted experiments after the 9/11 attacks to test the capability of mobile telephones to make calls from the air.

Malaysia Airline chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said on Monday there was no evidence of any attempt by the people on board to make calls, but he added that “millions of records” needed to be processed.

“It’s being done as part of the investigation,” he said, without elaborating on the type of records being checked.

Deepening the mystery, Chinese media have reported that relatives heard ringing tones when trying to call passengers’ mobile phones. But experts believe this does not necessarily mean the phones were still functioning. Even if nobody on board the plane tried to make a call, logs of the “handshakes” might provide some clues about the route taken by the jet after it disappeared.

While many phones would have been switched off in line with airline rules, some

people may have forgotten to deactivate their devices. But to trace any “handshakes” investigators face the challenge of collecting the unique identity numbers for the passengers’ mobile devices, as well as signal data from network operators in countries along the possible flight paths, such as Myanmar which still has limited network coverage.

As the flight turned back and crossed over Malaysia after disappearing from radar en route to Beijing, it probably passed over a network area. After that, the chances of any “handshakes” depend on how low and close to mobile towers the plane flew. “Police track cellphones all the time by the last phone call they made,” said Ken Dulaney, a US-based analyst with technology research firm Gartner. But he added that this was only possible if the devices were in reach of a network. “If they are not in coverage then no one can do anything,” he said. — AFP

Missing plane boosts ethnic unity KUALA LUMPUR: The imam cupped his palms before his face and invited the congregation to pray. “Oh Allah the Almighty, return to us those who are lost. Oh, Allah the Almighty, grant safe passage to MH370,” he said. The prayer was not unusual. The setting was. Gathered in the courtyard of a shopping mall in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, the Muslim religious leader was followed by a Christian reading from the Bible, then a Buddhist monk, a Hindu and finally a Taoist priest echoing the imam’s pleas before hundreds of worshippers in a largely Muslim country where religious intolerance has been on the rise.

The baffling mystery over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on March 8 has united Malaysia, a nation of numerous ethnicities, as never before in recent memory. Tuesday night’s interfaith ceremony would have been inconceivable 11 days ago in the country of 28 million people where religious differences and bigotry have often been on open display. For Malaysians the sight of non-Muslims bowing respectfully as Imam Hilman Nordin said prayers from the rostrum was an incredible step toward unity. While there have been interfaith prayers before, they have always been without a Muslim representative.

Malays, who account for about 60 percent of the population, are almost exclusively Muslim. Chinese, who are Buddhists, Christians and Taoists, represent about 21 percent, while Indians, who are Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, are about 7 percent. Muslims have been at loggerheads with Christians and Hindus in recent years, and some sermons last month identified Christians and Jews as enemies of Islam.

“In the shared sadness of loss, the tragedy has revealed and reinforced a strong sense of community,” said Bridget

Welsh, a political scientist from Singapore Management University. “If anything, this is a silver lining of the tragedy.”

Thousands of Malaysians of all ethnic backgrounds were also touched by the tweets of Maira Elizabeth Nari, daughter of the chief steward aboard the plane. “It has been more than 100 hours. Where are you?” she wrote in one tweet.

One of her 40,000 followers encouraged her, saying, “Keep on praying, pray to Allah the Almighty.”

At the interfaith vigil at the Curve in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Damansara Perdana, leaders of several religious groups went on stage to offer their prayers. Many in the crowd wore white T-shirts with the words “Unite for MH370” and held white balloons with handwritten messages of hope. “Today is a rare occasion for us to bring unity, peace and harmony,” said a Buddhist monk who chanted a prayer for the plane’s safety.

“Please come back home. We are all in tears waiting for you, brothers and sisters,” said Shantha Venugopal, the Hindu representative. The Taoist priest beseeched God for divine intervention while the Sikh leader pleaded for a closure to the plane’s disappearance. Teh Su They, whose Global Peace Foundation co-organized the gathering with local singer Reshmonu, a Hindu, said the tragedy showed that “deep inside the heart of every Malaysian, we care for one another, that we are one family. In this difficult time we need to come closer to support each other.”

In a statement, Reshmonu said, “For one night, we forget our divisions and stand united for... faith, compassion and love.” “Because of this tragedy, we stand as one and respect one another’s religion. I see this as Allah the Almighty’s wisdom behind this tragedy to reunite all Malaysians,” said Nurul Arfarina Nasir, a 28-year-old housewife wearing a headscarf and holding a white balloon. — AP

KUALA LUMPUR: In this picture, a Malaysian Muslim man prays during an interfaith event for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at a shopping mall. — AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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

Teenager, army officers killed in violence in Egypt CAIRO: A 13-year-old boy was shot dead yesterday in southern Egypt in clashes between police and supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, a health official said.

And in Qalubiya province, north of Cairo, two Egyptian soldiers were killed in a shootout with Islamist militants, the Interior Ministry said, adding six militants were killed and eight arrested in a raid on a weapons storage facility.

Political violence, which has dogged Egypt since a popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, is expected to intensify as the country prepares for a presidential election, due in a few months, that army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi is expected to win easily. The Interior Ministry said a brigadier general and a colonel, both bomb disposal experts, were shot dead in the raid on

members of Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis, Egypt’s most active militant group.

The Sinai-based group has claimed responsibility for several high-profile attacks, including an assassination attempt on the interior minister last year. A health official later said a student, 13, was shot dead in clashes between police and pro-Mursi protesters in the city of Beni Suef, south of Cairo. The Interior Ministr y said 12 protesters were arrested.

Demonstrations also erupted in the capital. Medical sources said around 40 pro-Mursi demonstrators were wounded by birdshot or tear gas near Cairo University.

Al-Qaeda flag Egypt has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, killed hundreds of its supporters

Palestinians threaten to resume UN campaign RAMALLAH: The Palestinians yesterday threatened to resume their campaign for international recognition at the United Nations if Israel calls off a planned release of Palestinian prisoners, deepening a crisis that has threatened to derail US-led Mideast peace efforts. Israel pledged to release 104 long-serving Palestinian prisoners in four stages at the outset of the current round of talks last July. The fourth and final release was set to take place by March 29. But in recent days, Israel has signaled it may not carry out the final release. Israel’s chief negotiator, Tzipi Livni, told a conference Tuesday that Israel never committed to the releases and that much would depend on progress in the final month of talks. After months of deadlock, Israel is seeking an extension of negotiations beyond the current lateApril deadline.

Palestinian official Nabil Shaath said yesterday that the Palestinians would “immediately” resume their UN campaign if Israel reneges on the release.

The Palestinians froze these efforts as part of the US-brokered package that relaunched the negotiations last year.

“We committed to not applying to the UN agencies and Israel committed to release 104... prisoners in four batches,” he said. “ That was the deal. If Israel breaches it, we will too.”

The issue of prisoners is deeply emotional for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The Palestinians consider the 5,000 prisoners held by Israel to be heroes in the struggle for independence. Prisoners freed in previous releases have received jubilant welcomes upon their return.

Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists. The people freed in the previous releases had all served lengthy sen-

and arrested thousands. Yesterday, about 300 women, supporters of Morsi, most of them covered from head to toe in black, protested outside AlAzhar university, a venerable centre of Islamic learning. They chanted “down with military rule.” About 500 male demonstrators later took to the streets outside Al-Azhar. Police fired tear gas and birdshot at them, a Reuters witness said.

Egypt’s public prosecutor ordered an investigation into a report that some Brotherhood protesters attached an Al-Qaeda flag on buildings at Al-Azhar.

The Brotherhood denies it has links with violent militant groups and says is committed to peaceful activism. While the state has devastated the Brotherhood, tackling Sinai-based militant groups has proven to be a far greater challenge. Security sources said the militants targeted yesterday were linked to a

March 15 attack by gunmen who killed six army officers near Cairo. The Islamist insurgency has spread from the Sinai to other parts of the Arab world’s biggest nation, including Cairo, since Morsi’s fall.

“The violence is likely to increase as the political process continues, especially if Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announces his candidacy, but it won’t have a big effect on political measures,” said Mohamed Gomaa, political analyst at AlAhram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.

Egypt’s army, the largest in the Arab world, has launched several offensives against militants in the Sinai, but Islamist fighters who have mastered the terrain remain highly effective, residents say. In the 1990s, it took the government of former president Hosni Mubarak years to stamp out an Islamist insurgency. — Reuters

Iran locks horns with six powers over nuke reactor Iran prez to ‘remove all concerns’ of world

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian woman walks past posters with pictures of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who is currently imprisoned by Israel. — AP tences for participating in bloody attacks on Israelis, and the Palestinian celebrations have sparked widespread anger. But Israel may have little choice on the matter. On Tuesday, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US supports the prisoner release. “It’s part of what was agreed to between the parties,” she said. In addition, the resumption of the Palestinian at the campaign at the UN could cause new headaches for Israel on the global stage. Israel has condemned the campaign as an attempt to circumvent peace talks.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly granted the Palestinians upgraded “nonmember state” status, clearing the way for them to join various international

agencies to pursue an anti-Israel agenda. In particular, Israel fears the Palestinians will try to pursue war crimes charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court.

The spat over the prisoner issue is the latest sign of trouble for US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has spent months brokering talks between the sides.

Kerry had initially set a late-April target date for a full peace agreement.

After that became unrealistic, he said he would try to present a “framework” agreement by April that could be the basis of additional talks for a final deal.

That scaled-back goal now appears to be in jeopardy as well due to deep gaps between the sides. —Reuters

VIENNA: Iran and world powers locked horns yesterday over the fate of a planned Iranian nuclear reactor that could yield plutonium for bombs, diplomats said, although Tehran’s foreign minister voiced optimism that their July 20 deadline for a deal is within reach.

The meeting in Vienna is the second in a series that the six nations - the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France, Britain - hope will produce a verifiable settlement on the scope of Iran’s nuclear activity, ensuring it is oriented for peaceful purposes, and put to rest the risk of a new Middle East war.

At this week’s round, the two sides attempted to iron out their positions on two of the most thorny issues: the level of uranium enrichment conducted in Iran, and its Arak heavy water reactor that the West sees as a possible source of plutonium. The United States has called on Iran to scrap or radically alter the planned reactor, but Tehran has so far rejected that idea while hinting they could modify it. A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that the goal of the current round of negotiations was not to reach any final agreements.

“The goal of these sessions is not to solve any topics at this point (but) to be talking through the gaps and working on how to narrow them,” the diplomat told Reuters. Western nations want to ensure that the Arak reactor, which is still under construction, is modified sufficiently to ensure it poses no bomb proliferation risk. Iran insists the facility will be free to operate under any deal, saying it will be geared solely to producing radio-isotopes for medical treatments.

Possible options that could allow Iran to keep the reactor while satisfying the West that it would not be used for military purposes include reducing its megawatt capacity and altering the way it would be fuelled. Iran and the six powers aim to wrap up a lasting accord by late July, when their groundbreaking interim deal from last November expires and would need to be extended, complicating diplomacy.

The talks are meant to transcend ingrained mutual mistrust and give the West confidence that Iran would not be able to produce atomic bomb and Tehran - in return - deliverance from

economic sanctions that have crippled the OPEC state’s economy. Iran denies that its declared civilian atomic energy program is a front for developing the means to make nuclear weapons, but its restrictions on UN inspections and Western intelligence about bomb-making research raised concerns.

Tehran’s chief delegate voiced optimism about the talks. “At this stage we are trying to get an idea ... of the issues that are involved and how each side sees various aspects of this problem,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told Reuters at the start of the second day of talks in Vienna. Asked whether he expected negotiators to be able to meet their deadline, he said: “Yes, I do ... I am optimistic about July 20”. Zarif said talks were going well so far but few details have emerged. One Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday that no agreements on any individual issues would be reached at the Vienna discussions, expected to end late yesterday.

Wary steps The sides are conscious it may be difficult to reach gradual deals without having the overall picture in sight and are insisting that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. Much of the progress so far has been achieved since last year’s election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who launched a policy of “constructive engagement” to end Iran’s international isolation.

“Our ultimate goal is to maintain our peaceful nuclear programs in line with international rules, and at the same time remove all concerns of the international community,” the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Rouhani as saying yesterday. “So far we are satisfied with the results and hope that the whole dispute will be settled soon with goodwill of the other side.”

Since Rouhani’s rise, day-to-day relations between Iranian and six-power negotiators have improved dramatically.

Senior officials now address each other by their first names and use English in talks, rather than going through onerous translation. But the vast gap of expectations about the final deal could still scupper diplomacy. Both the US and Iranian delegations - the two pivotal

players in the negotiations - face intense pressure from hawkish critics back home. In Washington, a big majority of US senators urged President Barack Obama to insist that any final agreement state that Iran “has no inherent right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty”.

That would be a non-starter for Iran, which cites a right under the NPT to produce nuclear energy for civilian purposes. The final settlement will also have to address the acceptable level of uranium enrichment, the extent of research Iran is allowed to conduct into new enrichment technologies, and its remaining nuclear facilities. The powers will also want to spread out the sanctions relief over years, or possibly decades, to ensure they maintain their leverage over Tehran and that it meets its end of the deal.

The Islamic Republic has already suspended its most sensitive, higher-grade enrichment - a potential path towards bomb fuel - under the November accord and won modest respite from sanctions.

The Vienna talks were being held under the shadow of the Ukraine crisis, which has pitted the United States and the European Union against Russia over its move to annex the Russian-majority Ukrainian region of Crimea.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, said that the crisis in Ukraine the worst confrontation between the West and the East since the Cold War had so far had “no impact” on talks with the six nations. “We also prefer the (powers) to have a unified approach for the sake of negotiations,” he told reporters late on Tuesday, noting that the first day of talks was “positive and very good”.

A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who coordinates diplomacy with Iran on behalf of the six, said the powers were working in a “unified fashion”. Araqchi said that the next round of talks were expected to be held in the Austrian capital as well on April 7-9. In the past, Russia has generally enjoyed warmer relations with the Islamic Republic and suggested Western fears about any nuclear weapons designs by Tehran are overblown. As in previous meetings, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov represented Russia at the talks. — Reuters

Turkish president at odds with Erdogan ANKARA: President Abdullah Gul has dismissed suggestions that outside forces are conspiring against Turkey, openly contradicting Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s assertions that a corruption scandal is part of a foreignbacked plot to undermine him. The graft inquiry swirling around Erdogan’s government has grown into the biggest challenge of his 11-year-rule. He has repeatedly cast it as a scheme by political enemies at home and abroad to damage him ahead of March 30 local elections.

“I don’t accept allegations about foreign powers and I don’t find them right...

I don’t believe in these conspiracy theories as if there are some people trying to destroy Turkey,” the Hurriyet newspaper quoted Gul as telling reporters during a visit to Denmark. “Of course Turkey has its long-standing opponents in the world. Certain groups have praised our work for the past 10 years... Now that they are criticizing us, why is this an issue? These types of comments are for third world countries,” he said.

Turkey’s rapid growth into a major emerging market has largely been based on the stability brought by Erdogan’s firm rule over the last decade. But the past several months of political uncertainty have unnerved investors, helping send the lira currency down sharply. Gul co-founded the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party with Erdogan and has remained a close ally. But he is viewed as a more conciliatory figure than the combative prime minister and their relations have at times appeared strained.

“The political atmosphere we are in is not making any of us happy. It doesn’t make me happy. I am both troubled and saddened by the things we are going through,” Gul was quoted as saying. Gul has been under growing pressure from

ANKARA: Opposition members of the Turkish Parliament argue with Deputy Chairman of the Parliament Sadik Yakut (rear, center) during a debate as the Turkish Parliament convened yesterday. — AFP both within and outside Turkey to calm a cabinet reshuffle. Parliament, currently tensions generated by the graft scandal in recess for the local election campaign and is seen as a potential successor to period, will reconvene for an extraordiErdogan as prime minister and head of nary session yesterday, demanded by the AK Party, should Erdogan decide to the opposition, to hear prosecutors’ files run for the presidency in an August vote. on the allegations against four of the forHe and Erdogan had appeared to mer ministers.

Last week, a Twitter account behind a have closed ranks since the graft scandal erupted in December, with Gul approv- string of leaks in the scandal posted ing controversial laws tightening what it presented as prosecutors’ files Internet controls and giving the govern- accusing the former ministers of involvement greater influence over the judiciary ment with an Iranian businessman in a - moves seen by Erdogan’s critics as an bribery and smuggling racket. Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the authoritarian response to the probe. documents and the former ministers have denied any wrongdoing.

Election impact Erdogan says his former ally, USThe long-running investigation became public on Dec. 17 when police based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, detained the sons of three cabinet min- orchestrated the corruption investigaisters and businessmen close to tion through a “parallel state” of his supErdogan. The three ministers resigned a porters in the judiciary and police. Gulen week later, while others were removed in denies the allegations. —Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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

Thousands killed and abused in South Sudan UNITED NATIONS: Politically fueled ethnic violence in South Sudan since mid-December has led to the brutal killing and abuse of thousands of civilians and sparked a government campaign to vilify the United Nations and harass UN personnel, the UN peacekeeping chief said Tuesday. Herve Ladsous told the UN Security Council that despite a Jan. 23 cease-fire agreement, forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebel soldiers loyal to dismissed former vice president Riek Machar “continue to prioritize the pursuit of military gains over talks towards a comprehensive political settlement.”

Fighting that broke out Dec. 15 among presidential guards in the capital Juba quickly spread across the country and took on ethnic dimensions between the dominant Dinka tribe who support Kiir and the Nuer tribe loyal to Machar. “Political polarization that has been caused by the conflict now affects the lives of every single person in South Sudan as well the operations of the government and country as a whole,” Ladsous said.

He said preliminary inquiry reports indicate that atrocities and very severe human rights violations were committed by both sides in the conflict, and he warned that the longer the fighting goes on “the more chances for further regional intervention will grow.” Ladsous also warned that there will be no “meaningful progress” in talks organized by the regional group IGAD to resolve the crisis until the opposition’s key demand for the release of four remaining political detainees is resolved. The four went on trial for treason on March 11.

Ladsous urged the Security Council to condemn the campaign against the UN peacekeeping mission - which is sheltering 75,000 of approximately 800,000 people displaced by the ongoing violence - and to demand that Kiir condemn it and instruct government officials and his party to stop it. The anti-UN campaign has brought the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid “almost to a standstill,” which is extremely critical as the rainy season will begin soon, he said.

“The security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan will continue to deteriorate until the parties fully engage in the political talks, respect the cessation of hostilities and allow freedom of movement for the United Nations and its partners,” he said. Ladsous said the negative campaign against the UN peacekeeping mission known as UNMISS by some local and national officials has included public demonstrations, media articles, and harassment of UN personnel “including to the point of putting their lives in danger.”

A confidential note from the peacekeeping department to Security Council members, obtained by the Associated Press, lists dozens of violations of the UN’s status of forces agreement with South Sudan’s government. They include government forces restricting the movements of UNMISS patrols and helicopter operations, blocking contractors and supplies, assaulting an UNMISS national staff member, and harassing and detaining UN staff.

In response, Ladsous said, the UN needs to con-

sider reducing its staff and limiting its activities “to the absolute minimum related to protection, human rights monitoring and support to humanitarian assistance.” South Sudan’s UN Ambassador Francis Deng attributed the “negative outcry” against the UN mission known as UNMISS “to the trauma, frustrations, pain and anger caused by the devastating violence that broke out on Dec 15.”

Luxembourg’s UN Ambassador Sylvie Lucas told reporters after closed council consultations that violations of the status of forces agreement and harassment of UN personnel “are unacceptable and agreed on the need to send a strong message.” SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon has recommended that the council increase UNMISS’ strength for a year to the levels in temporarily agreed to in December - 12,500 troops and 1,323 and to re-prioritize its mandate to focus on protecting civilians, delivering aid and monitoring human rights. Lucas said “questions were raised about the appropriateness of a new mandate for UNMISS.” — AP

Pro-Russian militias seize Ukraine’s Crimean navy HQ In Crimea, some now ask: Go or stay?

Madeleine McCann

UK police probe new intruder link LONDON: British detectives investigating the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann said they were looking for a man suspected of carrying out a series of sexual assaults on young girls staying in Portuguese holiday villas between 2004 and 2010. McCann, then aged three, went missing from her bedroom at the Praia da Luz holiday resort in the Algarve region while her parents were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant, leading to a global search that gripped the world’s media. London police, who started a review of the case in 2011 and began their own investigation last year, said yesterday they were looking for more information about 12 crimes committed in Portuguese holiday resorts.

In four cases between 2004 and 2006 a man sexually assaulted five white girls, aged between 7 and 10 years, in their beds, in three different Algarve resorts, police said.

Two of the 12 offences were committed in Praia da Luz. “We need to eliminate this man from our enquiries and ascertain whether these offences are linked to Madeleine’s disappearance,” Andy Redwood, senior investigating officer at London’s Metropolitan Police Service, told a news briefing.

The man, described as being tanned with short, dark, unkempt hair, spoke English with a foreign accent and would appear early in the morning. In some incidents, he was disturbed and left. “This an offender who has got a very, very unhealthy interest in young, white female children who he’s attacking while they’re on holiday in their beds,” Redwood said.

“All options” open Redwood said the new appeal for information on the man who carried out the attacks was just one of the “priority lines” of inquiry currently being pursued. British police are also in contact with their counterparts in Spain, Belgium, Jersey, Switzerland, Netherlands and Germany over the case. British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a new investigation by London police after the McCanns wrote to him three years ago saying neither British nor Portuguese authorities had done enough to try to find their daughter. Redwood said McCann might have long been dead. “There is always the potential that she didn’t leave the apartment alive. What is important for us to do is consider all the options,” he said. — Reuters

SEVASTOPOL: Pro-Russian forces captured Ukraine’s naval commander after seizing his headquarters in Crimea yesterday as Moscow’s grip tightened on the peninsula despite Western warnings its “annexation” would not go unpunished.

Kiev said it was dispatching its defense minister but Crimea’s regional leader said he would be barred from entry amid mounting tensions in a region at the epicentre of the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. Dozens of despondent Ukrainian soldiers-one of them in tears-filed out of the Ukraine’s main navy base in the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol after its storming by hundreds of proKremlin protesters and Russian troops. “We have been temporarily disbanded,” a Ukrainian lieutenant who identified himself only as Vlad told AFP. “I was born here and I grew up here and I have been serving for 20 years,” he said as a Russian flag went up over the base without a single shot being fired in its defense. “Where am I going to go?” A Russian forces’ representative said that Ukraine’s navy commander Sergiy Gayduk-appointed after his predecessor switched allegiance in favour of Crimea’s proKremlin authorities at the start of the month-had been detained.

“He was blocked and he had nowhere to go. He was forced out and he has been taken away,” Igor Yeskin told reporters. A defense ministry spokesman in Crimea said pro-Russian forces also seized the checkpoint set up in front of a Ukrainian military base in the region’s western port town of Novoozerne. He said they used a tractor to ram open the gate and were now in a standoff with Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainian government dispatched acting Defense Minister Igor Tenyukh and First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema to the region for urgent mediation talks. But Crimea’s self-declared prime minister Sergei Aksyonov told the Interfax news agency while on a visit to Moscow that “no one will let them into Crimea and they will be sent back.”

Putin defiant A defiant President Vladimir Putin had brushed aside global indignation and Western sanctions on Tuesday to sign a treaty absorbing Crimea and expanding Russia’s borders for the first time since World War II. Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled unanimously yesterday that the “treaty complies with the Russian Constitution.”

The historic and hugely controversial moment came less than a month after the ouster in Kiev of a Moscow-backed regime by leaders who spearheaded three months of deadly protests aimed at pulling Ukraine out of the Kremlin’s orbit for the first time. Putin responded by winning the right to use force against his ex-Soviet neighbor and then using the help of local militias to seize Crimea-a heavily Russified region the size of Belgium that home to two million people.

The explosive security crisis on the EU’s eastern frontier now threatens to reopen a diplomatic and ideological chasm between Russia and Western powers not seen since the tension-fraught decades preceding the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. “Russia’s political and economic isolation will only increase if it continues down this path and it will in fact see additional sanctions by the United States and the EU,” US Vice President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday while paying a visit to Poland aimed at reassuring former Soviet satellites of Washington’s backing.

The greatest fear facing Kiev’s new leaders and the West is that Putin will push huge forces massed along the Ukrainian border into the Russian-speaking southeastern swathes of the country in a self-professed effort to “protect” compatriots who he claims are coming under increasing attack from violent ultranationalists. “We are not speaking about military actions in the eastern regions of Ukraine,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC. “But Russia will do whatever is possible... to protect and to extend a hand of help to Russians living in eastern regions of Ukraine.”

Threats did not work on Putin, now US tries pain WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama’s threats of “costs” did not sway Vladimir Putin’s calculations on Crimea. Now he must see if the pain he plans to escalate on Russia will be sufficiently acute to do any better. The White House’s initial strategy of seeking to defuse the crisis, offering Russia an “off-ramp” and warning of consequences has run its unsuccessful course.

Putin’s swift absorption of Crimea and his fiery speech Tuesday, which seemed to put a full stop on the post-Cold War era, forced the Obama administration into a new phase.

The plan now is to hike up the economic cost to Moscow and punish its move into the Ukrainian region by deepening its isolation. Washington must also try to keep the crisis from careening dangerously out of control-all while bolstering new allies in post-Soviet Europe and firming the West’s resolve.

In the longer term, the White House faces an uncomfortable self-examination of how it got here. Yet another US look at how to handle President Putin is in order. The strategic implications meanwhile of the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War threaten to consume much of the political bandwidth of Obama’s remaining second term.

Sanctions with teeth?

Obama will head to Europe next week on a trip which is suddenly the most important by a US president in many years.

He called G7 leaders to meet him in The Hague and will try to lock in Russia’s isolation and convince European states to build a sanctions regime with teeth. “We can calibrate our response based on whether Russia chooses to escalate or to de-escalate the situation,” Obama said Monday. Washington sanctioned 11 officials, including members of Putin’s inner political circle, on Monday, drawing only sneers from Moscow. But the White House promises more to come. Its economic leverage however over Moscow is finite, despite a widening trade relationship which has seen US firms such as Boeing and Exxon Mobil become players in the Russian market.

Europe, with its huge trade and energy relationships with Moscow, holds the key. “The Europeans are in a better position to do damage to the Russian economy,” said Anton Fedyashin, a Russia expert at American University. But will European leaders, for all their tough talk, follow through with measures that will also inflict a cost on their own fragile economies?

“I seriously doubt that most European countries are going to say, ‘Yes, we are ready to support that plan,’” Fedyashin said.

So far, Washington has targeted individuals and not the wider Russian economy. But it has hinted politically powerful tycoons should beware. Longer term, it must decide whether to attempt the kind of banking sanctions which humbled Iran’s economy. —AFP

SIMFEROPOL: Russian soldiers patrol outside the navy headquarters in Simferopol yesterday. — AFP First bloodshed Putin had signed the Crimea treaty-recognized by no nation besides Russia-after stressing the move was done “without firing a single shot and with no loss of life.” But the first bloodshed came to the rugged peninsula of two million people only hours later when a group of gunmen wearing masks but no military insignia stormed a Ukrainian military centre in Simferopol on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian defense ministry said one of its soldier died from a neck wound and another suffered various injuries. The pro-Russia Crimean police said a member of the local militias had also been killed. A spokeswoman blamed both casualties on shooting by unidentified assailants from a nearby location.

But the violence prompted Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to warn an emergency government meeting that “the conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage”. The Ukrainian defense ministry soon authorized its soldiers in Crimea to open fire in self defense for the first time.

Ukraine had previously forbidden its troops from shooting-

in some cases forcing them to stand guard at their bases with empty rifles-to avoid provoking a fully-fledged Russian offensive. Reports of the crisis turning deadly and fears what Biden called a further “land grab” by Putin prompted both expressions of concern and recollections of the horrors of prior European conflicts.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he was “deeply concerned” and urged all sides to “take all possible steps to avoid further escalation.” And German Chancellor Angela Merkel-seen as the most important potential powerbroker in the crisis-said Russia was guilty of repeatedly breaking international law. Moscow already risks expulsion from the G8 group of top nations and the promise of new US sanctions on top of Russian travel bans and asset freezes unveiled by the European Union and Washington on Monday. Diplomats in Brussels said EU and Ukrainian leaders would tomorrow sign the political portion of a landmark pact whose rejection by Yanukovych in November sparked the protests that led to his fall. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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

Zuma slammed for $23m home makeover PRETORIA: President Jacob Zuma benefitted “unduly” from a $23 million state-funded security upgrade to his home that included a cattle enclosure and an amphitheatre, South Africa’s corruption watchdog said yesterday in a damning report six weeks before an election. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela accused Zuma of conduct “inconsistent with his office” and said he should repay a reasonable part of the unnecessary renovations, which also included a chicken run and a swimming pool that had been justified as “fire-fighting equipment”. The findings were likely to further hurt the image of the scandalplagued Zuma and his ruling African National Congress (ANC) in May elections, although the former liberation movement that has ruled since the 1994 end of apartheid is still expected to win.

The ANC, which has staunchly supported the president over several previous allegations of corruption, was due to hold a news conference later in the day. “The

President tacitly accepted the implementation of all measures at his residence and has unduly benefitted from the enormous capital investment in the non-security installations at his private residence,” Madonsela said in her report.

The 444-page summary of the two-year investigation into the renovations at Zuma’s sprawling homestead at Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal province painted a picture of systemic government incompetence and flouting of normal tender procedures. Madonsela, a soft-spoken lawyer who has become famous in South Africa for exhaustive investigations into government graft, described the cost overruns as “exponential” and said ministers had handled the project in an “appalling manner”.

When news of the security upgrade first broke in late 2009 in the media, the cost was estimated at 65 million rand ($6.1 million). However, despite intense public scrutiny, the bill ballooned to 246 million rand ($23 million) as the project and its

costs spiraled out of control. The total spending amounted to eight times the estimated present-day value of securing the home of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, who died in December aged 95. “Our president needs to learn to be responsible, so I think it is fair for him to take that responsibility to pay what he did not spend fairly,” said Fundzo Mundalalo, an unemployed 21-year-old heading to the taxi rank near Johannesburg’s financial district of Sandton.

“Negative for the ANC” “This is negative for the ANC,” said Nic Borain, an independent political analyst.

“They will lose votes as a result of this.”

However, some other analysts saw it having little electoral impact because of the blanket publicity the case had already received. “This is unlikely to seriously shift people’s voting habits or make Zuma appear in a new light,” said Peter Attard

Republicans tout Hispanic outreach WASHINGTON: A year after a party review urged Republicans to embrace immigration reform to attract Hispanic voters and boost support, the party finds itself banking on the unpopularity of Obamacare for success in November’s congressional elections.

Republican leaders insist they have made progress reaching out to Hispanics, who helped propel President Barack Obama and other Democrats to victory in the 2012 election. That effort has been complicated, however, by the refusal of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to take up comprehensive immigration reform legislation that many think could help swing Hispanics towards the party. As campaigning heats up for the November elections, Republicans now see public disaffection with Obamacare, along with the president’s low approval numbers, as their key to keeping control of the House and retaking the Senate from Democrats.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus voiced confidence on Tuesday that voter displeasure with Obamacare would make 2014 a “tsunamitype election.” Republicans tend to do better in midterm elections, when voters are traditionally older and whiter, than in years with presidential elections, when Democratic-

leaning minorities and young people turn out to vote in greater numbers. Republican leaders believe they are expanding their electoral map by fielding potentially competitive candidates for such Democratic Senate seats as Colorado and New Hampshire. Concerned Democrats are urging big-money donors to contribute to this year’s campaign, instead of looking ahead to the 2016 presidential election. Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz brushed off Republican predictions of big wins in November. “I really hope that my counterpart remains bullish and believes Democrats are in the dumps,” said Wasserman Schultz, a Democratic representative from Florida.

“They were predicting up to hours before the polls closed on election day in 2012 that we would be inaugurating President Mitt Romney, too. So their prediction accuracy isn’t exactly on the mark as of late.”

Minority outreach Priebus said Republicans had made great strides on some recommendations from its 2013 Growth and Opportunity Project, dubbed the “autopsy” report on the party’s outlook following their 2012 defeat in the presidential race. Those efforts include spending tens of millions of dollars on efforts to catch up

to Democrats on voter data and technology programs. Priebus acknowledged the party had work to do on addressing the immigration issue as it seeks to enhance its appeal to the fast-growing Hispanic electorate.

“I think that we do need to tackle this issue. I think there is a general agreement within the party that needs to happen, but there is not agreement as to what, exactly, that package needs to look like,” Priebus told a Christian Science Monitor-hosted breakfast.

Republican leaders had believed that passing immigration reform in 2013 or 2014 could help the party seem friendlier to minority voters after a 2012 election that saw Romney cite the “47 percent of the people who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims.”

A comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Democratic-controlled Senate in June 2013 has stalled in the Republican-controlled House. Republican lawmakers have cited deep divisions in the party over the issue, including granting legal status to 11 million undocumented immigrants. Wasserman Schultz also rejected the Republican talk of progress on swaying minority voters, saying that Democratic positions resonate with Hispanics even beyond the immigration issue. —Reuters

Montalto, an emerging markets analyst at Nomura International.

Madonsela’s report, entitled “Secure in Comfort”, said public works funds had to be diverted from inner-city regeneration projects to carry out the upgrade on Zuma’s home. It added that at no point did Zuma express misgivings at its scale or opulence even though the construction would have raised the eyebrows of a “reasonable person”.

“A substantial amount of public money would have been saved had the president raised his concerns in time,” the report said.

It detailed how a swimming pool was justified in official documents as “fire-fighting” equipment, and how Zuma personally requested changes to the design of bulletproof windows.

It also criticized the placing of a medical clinic and police facilities inside the gated compound, saying they could have been moved outside for the benefit of the public in what is one of the poorest region’s of

Africa’s wealthiest country. Despite voter concerns about graft and shoddy public services, the ANC is almost certain to win the May 7 election, handing the 71-yearold Zuma another five years at the helm.

The extent of his unpopularity in urban areas was highlighted by the boos that greeted him at a memorial to Nelson Mandela at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium in December, although he still enjoys huge support in the countryside. The government had previously gone to court to try to prevent Madonsela releasing her findings on the grounds that they might jeopardize Zuma’s security. The challenge was dropped after Madonsela made clear there was no threat. Zuma, a polygamous Zulu traditionalist, has been beset by scandal throughout his political career. He only became president after corruption charges against him were dropped on a technicality days before the 2009 polls, and while in office fathered a child with the daughter of a close friend. —Reuters

Seattle looks at helipad rules after deadly crash ‘Fireball’ kills 2 onboard SEATTLE: The news helicopter had just stopped at a helipad to refuel on its way to another assignment when it crashed and burst into flames yards from the Space Needle in the heart of Seattle, killing the two men onboard and seriously injuring a third man who was on fire when he escaped from his car. It may be months before federal investigators know what caused the chopper to plummet at a busy intersection, setting three vehicles ablaze and spewing burning fuel down the street during the Tuesday morning commute.

The KOMO-TV flight was one of many helicopter flights that take off and land in Seattle’s downtown. Mayor Ed Murray said officials would review rules for helicopter pads in the city to determine if any changes need to be made. Witnesses reported hearing unusual noises coming from the aircraft as it lifted off after refueling, said Dennis Hogenson, deputy regional chief of the Western Pacific Region for the National Transportation Safety Board.

They also said the aircraft rotated counterclockwise before it crashed near the Seattle Center campus, which is home to the Space Needle, restaurants and performing arts centers. Bo Bain, an excavation foreman at a nearby construction project, watched the helicopter land as usual, one of many flights he has watched come and go in recent months.

But he said something sounded different when the aircraft left the helipad Tuesday morning.

“It pitched sideways. It was off balance, and you could tell right away something wasn’t right,” Bain said. “The helicopter was struggling to stay up. It spun around, hit the top of the tree and landed on the street.” Seconds later, he said: “It was just a fireball. The whole thing burst into flames.

I saw people running from their cars.”

Hogenson said a preliminary report on the crash is expected in five days, followed by a fuller report with a probable cause in up to a year. KOMO identified the pilot as Gary Pfitzner, of Issaquah. The other man killed in the crash was Bill Strothman, a former longtime KOMO photographer.

Both men were working for Cahokia, Ill.based Helicopters Inc., which owned the Eurocopter AS350 helicopter. The aircraft was leased jointly by KOMO and KING-TV. The helicopter was a temporary replacement for one that’s in the shop for an upgrade, KOMO reported. Firefighters who arrived at the scene before 8 am

found a “huge black cloud of smoke” and two cars and a pickup truck engulfed in flames, Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore said. Fuel running down the street also was on fire, and crews worked to stop it before it entered the sewer.

An injured man managed to free himself from a burning car and was taken to Harborview Medical Center, Moore said.

The man was on fire and KOMO reported that one of its building security guards, Brian Post, ran toward the fire to help. “I used my hand at first and then his jacket

Strothman as someone “who really knew how his pictures could tell a million words.” “He was just a true gentleman,” Lewis said on the air. “We’re going to miss you guys.” The Strothman family said in a statement that the former KOMO photographer was a “great man, a kind soul, a devoted husband, a loving father and brother.” Mark Pfitzner said in a statement that his brother Gary loved adventure, to travel and to fly. He was the oldest of seven kids and “took great care of his brothers and sister.”

Other cities have experienced helicop-

SEATTLE: An investigator looks over the aftermath of a news helicopter crash Tuesday, March 18, 2014, in Seattle, Wash. —AP to get the flames out,” Post, a former police officer, told the station.

Richard Newman, 38, suffered burns on his lower back and arm, covering as much as 20 percent of his body, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said. He was in serious condition in the intensive care unit and likely will require surgery, she said Tuesday. Two others who were in vehicles that were struck by the helicopter were uninjured.

KOMO is a block from the Space Needle and is surrounded by high-rise office and apartment buildings. Workers at the station rushed to the window when they heard the crash. KOMO reporters were then in the position of covering their colleagues’ deaths. One of them, Denise Whitaker, said on the street shortly after the crash: “It is a difficult time for all of us this morning.”

News anchor Dan Lewis described

ter crashes as TV stations rush to cover the news from above major cities. The last helicopter crash in Seattle was in November 1999, when a KIRO-TV news helicopter collided in midair with another helicopter over Lake Union. There were only minor injuries, after both pilots landed safely at nearby helipads, according to an NTSB report. Current rules in Seattle allow helipads to be used downtown and in some commercial zones and industrial areas. They can be used only for public service, emergency medical care and for news agencies, mayor’s office spokesman Jeff Reading said. Two news helicopters collided in midair in Phoenix in 2007 as the aircraft covered a police chase, sending fiery wreckage plummeting onto a park. Four people in the helicopters were killed. The crash prompted changes at the stations in how they operated their helicopter crews. —AP

Obama gives Medal of Honor to 24 veterans WASHINGTON: They were heroes who didn’t get their due. On Tuesday, 24 mostly ethnic or minority US soldiers who performed bravely under fire in three of the nation’s wars finally received the Medal of Honor that the government concluded should have been awarded a long time ago. The servicemen were identified following a congressionally mandated review to ensure that eligible recipients of the country’s highest recognition for valor were not bypassed due to prejudice. Only three of the 24 were alive for President Barack Obama to drape the medals and ribbons around their necks.

“Today we have the chance to set the record straight,” Obama said. “No nation is perfect, but here in America we confront our imperfections and face a sometimes painful past, including the truth that some of these soldiers fought and died for a country that did not always see them as equal.” The three surviving recipients - Vietnam veterans Jose Rodela, Melvin Morris and Santiago Erevia received a prolonged standing ovation at Obama’s side, their faces set in somber acknowledgement of the honor.

Rodela, now of San Antonio, was a 31year-old company commander of a Special Forces strike group on Sept. 1, 1969, in Phuoc Long Province, Vietnam, when he and his company of Cambodian soldiers whom he had helped recruit came under fire from North Vietnamese Army troops. According to his Medal of

Honor citation and supporting documents, the battle lasted 18 hours and 11 men in his company were killed and 33 others wounded.

Hidden enemy force The citation states that late in the battle, Rodela “was the only member of his company who was moving and he began to run from one position to the next, checking for casualties and moving survivors into different positions in an attempt to form a stable defense line.

Throughout the battle, in spite of his wounds, Rodela repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to attend to the

fallen and eliminate an enemy rocket position.”

In an interview with the Army News Service last December, he said simply, “We trained for this and I would have done it again.” Morris of Cocoa, Fla, was a staff sergeant during combat operations on Sept 17, 1969, near Chi Lang, South Vietnam. According to the Pentagon, Morris led soldiers across enemy lines to retrieve his team sergeant, who had been killed. He single-handedly destroyed an enemy force hidden in bunkers that had pinned down his battalion. Morris was shot three times as he ran with American casualties. —AP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama presents Nancy Weinstein with a Medal of Honor for her late husband Army Sergeant Jack Weinstein during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. —AFP

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Afghan police payroll under scrutiny from US watchdog ‘Ghost workers’ profit from US fund?

WASHINGTON: A government watchdog is raising fresh concerns that US funds meant to help pay Afghan police salaries may instead be going to “ghost workers,” according to a letter he sent to military commanders in Afghanistan. John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said his staff has initiated an audit on the reliability of personnel data for Afghan National Security Forces, including how such data are used to calculate payrolls for Afghan National Police officers.

“I am writing to express my concern that the US may be unwittingly helping to pay the salaries of non-existent members of the Afghan National

Police,” Sopko wrote in the Feb 19 letter to two US generals and one Canadian general in the NATO mission, seen by Reuters. “The possibility of ‘ghost workers’ on the (Afghan National Police) payroll came up several times in the course of my most recent visit to Afghanistan and in recent discussions with European Union (EU) representatives.”

Worries about insufficient accountability have long dogged the “Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan” (LOFTA), established by the United Nations Development Program in 2002. LOFTA’s website says the fund supports payment of salaries of more than 140,000 Afghan police officers. Sopko noted that the European Union had

KABUL: Afghan military officers look on as they attend their graduation ceremony at the National Military Academy yesterday. — AFP

Pentagon to focus on insider threats WASHINGTON: Threats to Defense Department personnel and facilities increasingly are coming from trusted insiders, and to defeat them the Pentagon must beef up security from within, according to several reviews triggered by last year’s Washington Navy Yard killings. The reviews say the shooting by a Navy contractor could have been prevented if the company that employed Aaron Alexis told the Navy about problems it was having with him in the months before he gunned down 12 civilian workers.

An independent study and an internal review ordered after the September 2013 massacre and released Tuesday said the Pentagon must expand its focus beyond defending against external threats. More attention must be paid, they concluded, to defending against threats from inside the workforce. “For decades, the department has approached security from a perimeter perspective,” said Paul Stockton, former Pentagon assistant secretary for homeland defense and one of the authors of the independent review. “That approach is outmoded, it’s broken, and the department needs to replace it.”

According to the Navy probe, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla-based company, The Experts, pulled Alexis’ access to classified material because of concerns he was having mental health problems. It then restored his access two days later and never told the Navy about it. The Associated Press reported those findings late last year. Alexis, a former Navy reservist, was shot to death during the incident. The broader department reviews reached similar conclusions. They said the department should cut the number of workers who hold security clearances, conduct better and routinely updated background checks, and establish a system to evaluate and handle employees who are potential threats.

Preventing violence in the workplace must start “long before someone enters an installation with a weapon,” the internal review said.

The Navy investigation’s most damning charges were against Alexis’ employers. The report written by Navy Adm John Richardson said Alexis’s behavior raised concerns among his supervisors and others and indicated he

may harm others. Had such information been reported to the government and acted upon, it stated, Alexis’ authorization to secure facilities would have been revoked.

Alexis’ company temporarily withdrew his access to classified information after a series of bizarre complaints and police incidents last August during a business trip to Newport, R.I. Alexis complained that people were following him, making noise and using a microwave machine to “send vibrations through the ceiling” in his hotel room. The report said The Experts’ human resources manager called Alexis’ mother, who said her son “has been paranoid and this was not the first episode he had experienced.”

Alexis was called back to Washington, and The Experts concluded the information on Alexis was based on rumor and innuendo and thus restored his access. His secret-level security clearance from the Navy carried over when he went to work as a computer contractor last summer. The Experts declined to comment.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday the department will set up an automated program that will continuously pull information from law enforcement and other databases. It will send out alerts if damaging information about a security-cleared worker is discovered.

Hagel said an inside threat management center will analyze the automatic record checks and “help connect the dots.” He said he will consider cutting the number of workers with clearances - currently about 2.5 million by at least 10 percent. The Pentagon may also take over background checks for its workers, which are now done by the federal Office of Personnel Management. Hagel said the department will look at the costs. Currently the Pentagon pays OPM about $700 million a year for the investigations.

Sens Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo, said the reports underscore the need for their legislation, which calls for automated reviews of public databases for information about workers who have security clearances. The bill would require OPM to implement the automated reviews that would search the databases at random times at least twice every five years. — AP

WASHINGTON: This file photo shows an armed officer who said he is with the Defense Department, standing near guard the gate at the Washington Navy Yard the day after a gunman launched an attack inside the Yard. — AP

withheld 100 million euros ($139 million) in planned contributions from the trust fund “due to concerns about how that money is being used, including the possibility of payments to ghost workers and other instances of financial mismanagement.”

The United States has provided 38 percent of the $3.17 billion that the international community has contributed to the trust fund since 2002, Sopko wrote. In a March 12 reply to Sopko, US Army Major General Kevin Wendel, the head of the Combined Security Transition Command for Afghanistan, said his command was “aggressively pursuing this issue.”

“But (our command) has not found evidence that anyone knowingly paid for non-existent workers,” Wendel wrote. Wendel acknowledged discrepancies between personnel and payroll records, which he said prompted a need to “reconcile approximately 54,000 erroneous personnel ID numbers” in the fund’s database.

But Colonel Jane Crichton, a spokeswoman for US forces in Afghanistan, said in response to a query by Reuters that did not mean those were ghost workers. She said more than 99 percent of the 54,000 ID card numbers identified had already been reconciled - “indicating no ‘ghost employees.’” For its part, the United Nations Development Program, asked by Reuters about concerns over ghost workers, said there had been improvements in the “efficiency and accountability” of the payroll system for the Afghan National Police.

“The (Afghan) government is committed to upgrading its police payroll system to remove all opportunities for corruption,” a UNDP spokeswoman said. Wendel, in his letter, said he had also requested the Defense Department’s Inspector General to carry out a comprehensive review of how payroll funds were accounted for within the Afghan financial system. “Our work is far from complete,” he wrote, citing a need for continued self-assessments and improvement.

The DOD’s Inspector General was expected to release a draft report in May and the final report in July, Crichton said. — Reuters

Harsh reactions to lapses during LA airport attack LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles International Airport is inexcusably lacking in its capacity to deal with a crisis, local and national government officials said, calling the communication lapses described in a report on last year’s deadly airport shooting everything from a “failure” and an “embarrassment.” While all were quick to praise the Transportation Security Administration officer who was killed and the officers who took down and arrested his attacker, they said the airport’s emergency response, hindered by communication problems and poor coordination, had to change quickly and thoroughly.

“I would say this is a nationwide failure so far,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said, “for us to be 13 years almost, 12 1/2 years after 9/11 still trying to figure out a way to talk to each other frustrates me as a policymaker, frustrates me as the mayor of the second biggest city in America, frustrates me as a leader of this airport too, which is consistently a target for international terrorism and domestic terrorism.” Congresswoman Maxine Waters, whose district includes the airport, was more blunt, saying she was “shocked and dismayed” at the system that “clearly failed on this critical day.”

“This report is an embarrassment,” Waters said in a statement. The airport “spends $125 million on security every year. With this level of investment, LAX should have a state-of-the-art emergency response system.”

Garcetti expressed particular frustration in the lack of communication between the airport and travelers, many of whom were left clueless in the incident’s aftermath. Garcetti said he found himself giving out information as he walked through the airport the day of the Nov 1 attack, and that airport officials “shouldn’t have to rely on people like myself.” — AP

Lanka police release two rights activists COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police said yesterday that they have released two prominent human rights activists whose arrests over the weekend drew international criticism. Ruki Fernando of Colombo-based INFORM and the Rev. Praveen Mahesan, a Catholic priest, were released late Tuesday, said police spokesman Ajith Rohana.

Their arrests Sunday drew wide criticism from international rights groups who said the detentions were arbitrary and an attempt to silence critics. Rohana said police had not yet decided whether to charge the two activists, but were “ascertaining the collaborative evidence.”

Earlier, police said Fernando and Mahesan were arrested and detained under the powerful Prevention of Terrorism Act for trying to create communal disharmony and disturbance. The anti-terrorism act has been widely criticized in Sri Lanka and by United Nations bodies, which say it has resulted in arbitrary detentions, contravened the right to a fair trial and due process, and even led to torture and disappearances.

A joint statement issued Monday by Amnesty International, Forum Asia, Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group and the International Commission of Jurists called the arrests of Fernando and Mahesan “arbitrary” and an attempt to silence criticism in the country.

Sri Lanka faces criticism for cracking down on rights activists and has rejected calls for an international inquiry into the conduct of the final months of the country’s decades-long civil war, which ended in 2009. Government forces defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, but have been accused of causing large numbers of civilian deaths during the last few months of the war. Fernando, an adviser on documenting human rights issues, and Mahesan, from the Center for Peace and Reconciliation, have been prominent in promoting human rights and media freedom in northern Sri Lanka, where the main fighting took place in the civil war. — AP

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THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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

Dog ‘sold for $2 million’ in China

HANGZHOU: This picture shows an unidentified man posing for a photo with two Tibetan mastiffs after they were sold at a “luxury pet” fair in Hangzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. —AFP

BEIJING: A Tibetan mastiff puppy has been sold in China for almost $2 million, a report said Wednesday, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever. A property developer paid 12 million yuan ($1.9 million) for the oneyear-old golden-haired mastiff at a “luxury pet” fair Tuesday in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Qianjiang Evening News reported. “They have lion’s blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs,” the dog’s breeder Zhang Gengyun was quoted as telling the paper, adding that another red-haired canine had sold for 6 million yuan.

Enormous and sometimes ferocious, with round manes lending them a passing resemblance to lions, Tibetan mastiffs have become a prized status symbol among China’s wealthy, sending prices skyrocketing. The golden-haired animal was 80 centimeters (31 inches) tall, and weighed 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds), Zhang said, adding that he was sad to sell the animals. Neither was named in the report.

“Pure Tibetan mastiffs are very rare, just like our nationally treasured pandas, so the prices are so high,” he said.

One red mastiff named “Big Splash” reportedly sold for 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in 2011, in the most expensive dog sale then recorded. The buyer at the Zhejiang expo was said to be a 56-year-old property developer from Qingdao who hopes to breed dogs himself, according to the report.

The newspaper quoted the owner of a mastiff breeding website as saying that last year one animal sold for 27 million yuan at a fair in Beijing. But an industry insider surnamed Xu told the paper that the high prices may be the result of insider agreements among breeders to boost their dogs’ worth. “A lot of the sky-high priced deals are just breeders hyping each other up, and no money actually changes hands,” Xu said. Owners say the mastiffs, descendants of dogs used for hunting by nomadic tribes in central Asia and Tibet, are fiercely loyal and protective. —AFP

Thai justice minister questions latest court case threatening PM Govt supporters accuse the courts of bias BANGKOK: Thailand’s justice minister yesterday questioned the validity of a court case that could lead to the scrapping of a Feb 2 election the ruling party looked set to win, one of many pending cases that could bring down the beleaguered government. The election was disrupted by anti-government protesters and any decision by the Constitutional Court to scrap it would add to the political chaos after 4-1/2 months of street rallies aimed at ousting Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Government supporters accuse the courts of bias and say many judges are aligned with the conservative establishment, prompting several to deny they are politicized. Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said he failed to see how the election could be unconstitutional.

“The petition is not clear on how the election violates the constitution ... This (case) might not even fall under the jurisdiction of the court,” he told reporters at the court. The court will hand down its ruling tomorrow.

The petition was brought by Kittipong Kamolthamwong, a law professor at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, and forwarded by the state ombudsman’s office. The Constitutional Cour t rejected a similar petition from the Democrat Party last month. Yingluck heads a

caretaker administration with limited powers and scrapping the vote would further delay the formation of a new government.

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, her Puea Thai Party said such a verdict would have disastrous implications. “If the Constitutional Court rules the election void, this would be a dangerous precedent for Thailand... because if a party knows it is going to lose, it will move to block elections,” it said.

Voting still has to be completed in the 18 percent of constituencies where it was disrupted before parliament can open. Some re-runs were held this month and the Election Commission has said others would be held on April 5 and 27. The protesters, mainly from Bangkok and the south, have been trying since November to oust Yingluck and rid the country of the influence of her brother, populist former premier Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled by the army in 2006.

Following that coup, courts dissolved two parties linked to Thaksin and banned around 200 of his political allies from office for five years. In 2008 court rulings forced out two proThaksin prime ministers. Aware that parties allied to Thaksin are likely to win any election under present arrangements, the protesters

want political reforms pushed through before any vote.

Twenty-three people have died in political violence since late November. Heightening the risk of further strife, the pro-Thaksin “red shirt” movement got a new, more militant leader at the weekend and he promised to lead supporters into the streets to save Yingluck if the courts ousted her.

Gunmen attacked the Bangkok home of the new leader, Jatuporn Prompan, and that of a fellow red shirt leader, Nisit Sintuprai, yesterday.

No one was hurt in the attacks, said Thanawut Wichaidit, a spokesman for the movement.

Among the charges Yingluck faces is one of dereliction of duty brought by the National Anti-Corruption Commission over a ruinous rice subsidy scheme. She has been given until March 29 to defend herself. Some analysts say she faces an uphill task in a legal system stacked with anti-Thaksin appointees. “The judiciary is strongly anti-Thaksin ... Judges were chosen after the coup (in 2006) based upon proven anti-Thaksin credentials,” said Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of South East Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai. “ The Constitutional Court has almost never ruled in favor of pro-Thaksin political parties.” —Reuters

Vietnam jails second blogger

TANGERANG: Supporters of Great Indonesia Movement Party (GERINDRA) shout slogans during a campaign rally in Tangerang, Indonesia yesterday.

Indonesia is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election on April 9 and presidential poll in July. —AP

Uighur’s support for knife attack proves terror: China BEIJING: A Uighur militant leader’s support of an attack this month in China in which 29 people were knifed to death is clear proof that the world should support China’s fight against terror, the foreign ministry said yesterday. Beijing blamed the stabbings at a train station in the southwestern city of Kunming on extremists from China’s far western region of Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people.

Abdullah Mansour, leader of the rebel Turkestan Islamic Party, called the March 1 attack an “expensive offer” for China to reconsider its “cruel” policies in Xinjiang, the SITE monitoring service said late on Tuesday, citing a video by the group. “If the fighters of East Turkestan are now fighting with swords, knives, and mallets, our dear Allah will soon give us opportunities to fight the Chinese using automatic guns,” Mansour said.

“Know that blood of those who are killing themselves is not being spilled for nothing, for their blood will bring tens of more to carry out jihad.” China says it faces a serious threat from armed groups who seek to establish an independent state called East Turkestan, and has reacted with anger to suggestions its policies are to blame for stoking Uighur resentment and violence.

Mansour told Reuters this month that his fighters were gearing up for retribution against China.

The Turkestan Islamic Party, which China equates with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), keeps a low profile in Pakistan, where it is holed up in a lawless tribal belt. Unlike the Taleban, it almost never posts videos promoting its activities or ideology. Its exact size is unknown and some experts dispute its ability to orchestrate attacks in China, or that it exists at all as a cohesive group.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters that Mansour’s video “exposes the true nature of their terrorist organization” with their open support for the Kunming attack.

“Terrorism is the public enemy of mankind.

Cracking down on the ETIM terrorist group is an important part of the international community’s fight against terrorism,” Hong added.

“We hope that the international community can clearly know their true terrorist nature of the TIP which represents ETIM and their serious threat, and understand and support China’s policies against terrorism.” Xinjiang, resource-rich and strategically located on the borders of central Asia, has been beset by violence for years, blamed by the government on Islamist militants and separatists.

Exiles and many rights groups say the real cause of the unrest is China’s heavy-handed policies including restrictions on Islam and the Uighur people’s culture and language. The government strongly denies such accusations but it has begun to recognize the economic roots of some of the upheaval, such as the lack of jobs in Uighur areas like rural southern Xinjiang, and it has poured money in to rectify the problem. In the latest plan, the government wants to increase to one million people the number of people working in Xinjiang’s textile industry by 2020, up from the current 200,000, as a way of drawing unemployed youths away from joining militants, the official China Daily said yesterday.

More than 100 people, including several policemen, have been killed in violence in Xinjiang since last April, according to state media reports. —Reuters

HANOI: Vietnam jailed a prominent blogger for 15 months yesterday on a charge of anti-state activity, the second such sentencing in a fortnight, prompting rights groups to condemn the alleged muzzling of dissent in the communist country. Pham Viet Dao, 61, a Communist Party member and a former official at the Ministry of Culture, was charged with “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the State” after a half-day trial in Hanoi. In addition to his own blogs, Dao’s popular site included links to dozens of other commentaries critical of Vietnam’s politics and society.

The court ruled that the posts “defamed the party and state... blackening the honor and prestige of the (communist) party leader and the prime minister,” presiding judge Ngo Tu Hoc said. “His online distortion and defaming of party and state leaders caused confusion over the party leadership and undermined people’s trust in the party,” Hoc added. Dao, who appeared calm in court, apologized for “having posted some incorrect information,” but added that he did not think his posts had “badly influenced society.” The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) condemned the sentence and called for the release of an estimated 200 political prisoners. “Vietnam continues to behave as an authoritarian government that perceives every freedom, including freedom of opinion and expression, as a threat to its rule,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

“Vietnam must end the harassment, arrest, and imprisonment of dissidents.” International rights groups said lawyers, bloggers and activists in the country are regularly subject to arbitrary arrest and detention. Two weeks ago, popular blogger and journalist Truong Duy Nhat was jailed for two years for the same charge, which prompted the US to say it was “deeply concerned” by the sentence and similar criticism from France.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Vietnam was second only to China in the number of bloggers it detained, with at least 34 currently behind bars. Communist Vietnam bans private media, with all its newspapers and television channels state-run. However, many citizens now prefer to access news through blogs and social media. —AFP

BEIJING: This file picture shows 89-year-old Zhang Shijie (center), a survivor who was forced to perform hard labor in Japan during World War II, speaking to the media outside the Japan embassy. —AFP

China court to hear Japan wartime forced labor suit BEIJING: A Beijing court has for the first time agreed to hear a lawsuit by Chinese citizens demanding compensation from Japanese firms for World War II forced labor, their lawyer said. Japan yesterday described the court’s decision as “seriously” worrying. Kang Jian, an attorney for the plaintiffs, confirmed to AFP the decision Tuesday by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court, which follows several failed attempts to bring such cases in both China and Japan.

The move comes in defiance of Tokyo, which argues such cases are barred by international agreement, and with relations between the Asian giants at their lowest point in decades. Tokyo’s top spokesman reiterated the country’s apology for forced labor yesterday and said the case could worsen ties further. China’s foreign ministry renewed its call for Japan to “properly handle this issue left over from history”.

Beijing regularly accuses Japan of failing to properly acknowledge and learn from its aggression during World War II, while Tokyo says its neighbors use history as a diplomatic stick to beat it with. Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist Party. “We received a notice from the court that the case has been accepted,” Kang said. “Based on the evidence and the facts at hand, there’s no reason they shouldn’t rule that the companies are responsible,” she added.

Two survivors and 35 people whose relatives were forced laborers filed the suit in late February against Japan’s Mitsubishi Materials Corporation and Nippon Coke & Engineering Company, formerly known as Mitsui Mining. Kang said yesterday that an additional three relatives had joined the suit, upping the total number of plaintiffs to 40. The laborers and their relatives are demanding one million yuan ($161,000) in compensation for each worker, as well as apologies printed in Chinese and Japanese newspapers.

‘Extremely regrettable’ Tens of thousands of Chinese were forcibly sent to Japan to work in factories and mines to fill a manpower shortage arising from Japan’s massive World War II military mobilization. Japan had invaded China during the 1930s and the Asian mainland

was a major front in the global conflict.

Japanese courts have rejected numerous similar cases filed there over the years, with the country’s Supreme Court ruling in 2007 that individual Chinese cannot demand compensation from Japan.

The court said China gave up its right to make such claims when the countries normalized relations more than four decades ago.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s top government spokesman, yesterday expressed remorse for forced labour, but maintained that a 1972 joint communique nullified Chinese rights to demand war-related compensation. “Regarding the forced recruitment and labor of Chinese people, the government cannot deny that many people fell into unfortunate situations in those days,” Suga told reporters.

“We think it was extremely regrettable that (Japan) caused unbearable suffering and sorrow for many people, even though it was in the abnormal situation of war.”

But he said the court case raised troubling questions. “We cannot help worrying seriously about the possible impact on the war settlement between Japan and China and bilateral economic relations as it could trigger similar cases in China,” Suga said. At a regular briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei called on Tokyo to reflect on its wartime misdeeds and said the decision to accept the case was “made

by Chinese courts in accordance with the law”.

“Forced recruitment of laborers was a serious crime committed by Japan during World War II, which caused great damages to the physical and mental condition of Chinese victims,” Hong said. The Beijing court’s acceptance of the case follows a separate lawsuit filed against both companies as well as the Japanese government earlier this month in Hebei province.

Zhang Yang, the son of one of the surviving laborers, told a news conference in Beijing the court’s decision meant his father “finally has something to look forward to”, according to the state-run Global Times newspaper. “At the age of 88, he still remembers when, where and how he was captured,” Zhang said. “He still remembers the look of the coal mine he was forced to work at and many other details.” —AFP

Australian killed in Syria was ex-soldier SYDNEY: An Australian man killed in the Syrian conflict was a former soldier who went absent without leave several years ago, a senior official revealed yesterday. Reports said that Caner Temel, 22, was killed on the frontline in January after travelling to Syria to fight in the civil war, joining up with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) radical jihadist group.

“From his name and from the photograph that the media showed, that matched the name and a photograph we had of a young soldier who served three years ago,” Assistant Defense Minister Stuart Robert told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “He only served for 17 months. He went absent without leave in September 2010. And of course if you go absent without leave, after 28

days if we can’t find you, we’ll discharge you.”

Robert said Temel would have done basic training, including construction work, arms training and a limited amount of explosives work. He said Temel’s reasons for leaving the Australian military were unclear, nor was it known when he went to Syria or whether he was a dual passport holder.

But Robert said the case highlighted concerns the government has about the prospect of Australians travelling to Syria to fight in the threeyear conflict, which has left more than 130,000 dead.

“I think it’s a concern to all Australians that we have Australian citizens choosing to go and fight with foreign militaries,” Robert said. “It’s deeply concerning.

“If reports are correct-and some commentators are speaking of up to 100 Australian citizens who’ve

chosen to join the fight in Syria-that is a concern because it’s clearly a criminal act if you go and serve with a foreign military.” “At present the (defense) department has no knowledge of any other serving military personnel from Australia who are over in Syria fighting,” he added.

In January, Australia’s government expressed concern at the growing numbers of its citizens travelling to Syria to fight alongside rebel groups, with several reported deaths. Attorney General George Brandis said he was worried about Australians returning radicalized and with new skills to commit extremist acts. ISIL fighters have fought Syria’s regime but have been increasingly battling a coalition of moderate and Islamist rebels angered by their abuses of rival fighters and civilians. —AFP

NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

A man walks on a sand dune with his camels in Mhamid el-Ghizlane in the Moroccan southern Sahara desert on March 16, 2014. — AFP

Controversy rages over increasing MP...

Continued from Page 1 constitution, but added that he believes Sane’s proposal could undermine the constitution. MP Abdulhameed Dashti said that although he normally does not support amending the constitution, the proposal to raise the Assembly membership to 70 has become a necessity.

The Kuwaiti constitution has never been amended or modified since it was issued more than 52 years ago mainly because the requirements for any amendment are very difficult. To place a proposal to amend the constitution, at least one-third of the Assembly must sign the motion which must be accepted by HH the Amir. Any amendment must then be supported by at least twothirds of the Assembly.

In another development, opposition MP Riyadh AlAdasani said yesterday he will seek the opinions of the government’s legal body and the Audit Bureau about the

controversy over the awarding of the contract for the AlZour North power plant. Adasani and a number of MPs have constantly argued that the awarding the contract to the winning consortium is flawed because the local company in the consortium is not listed on the Kuwait stock exchange, which is a prerequisite, according to the lawmaker. He was commenting on a reply he received last week from Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh on the project.

The minister affirmed in his answer that the awarding process was in line with the law. Adasani alleged that the minister has been fed with wrong information by ministry employees because the awarding process clearly violated the law.

The appeals court meanwhile yesterday upheld a decision by the lower court to order the interior ministry to return the passport of former opposition MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei. Tabtabaei had claimed that authorities had withdrawn his passport in order to prevent him from traveling to Syria. The new court ruling is final.

Abu Ghaith recalls 9/11 with Laden inside...

Continued from Page 1 him to change that, to reach the hearts of recruits and show them another side of life.

Abu Ghaith said he knew bin Laden was suspected in terrorist attacks but still “wanted to get to know that person”. “I wanted to see what he had, what is it he wanted,” he said. The defendant testified that videos he made warning that there would be more attacks on Americans and trying to inspire others to join AlQaeda’s cause were based on “quotes and points by Sheikh Osama”, including at threat in one video that “the storm of airplanes will not abate”. He also denied allegations by the government that he had prior knowledge of the failed shoe-bomb airline attack by Richard Reid in Dec 2001.

He said he stayed for two to three weeks after Sept 11 in a cave in a mountainous part of Afghanistan with bin Laden and others because the “situation was tense and the roads were dangerous”. He testified that his videotaped sermons were religious in nature, and meant to encourage Muslims to fight oppression. If “oppression befalls ... any category of people, that category of people must revolt,” he said. Abu Ghaith said his intention was not to recruit. “My intention was to deliver a message, a message I believed in,” he said. “I was hoping the United States would say, ‘Let’s sit down and talk

and solve these problems,’ but America was going on and doing what I expected them to do.”

Abu Ghaith is married to bin Laden’s eldest daughter, Fatima. According to Cohen, they were married in 2008 or 2009. The defendant looked relaxed on the witness stand, wearing a blue shirt, open at the collar, beneath a charcoal-colored jacket. His hands were sometimes folded before him, though sometimes he waved or pointed them for emphasis. The announcement that he would testify energized jurors, who became more animated as they looked around the courtroom as it filled.

Some of them leaned forward and toward the witness as Abu Ghaith spoke.

Some of his answers went beyond the questions posed to him and led to a warning from US District Judge Lewis A Kaplan, who said he should answer directly and “save the speeches for some other time”.

Kaplan did not immediately rule on Cohen’s request that the defense be permitted to call Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-professed architect of the Sept 11 attacks, as a witness via a video link from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he is imprisoned. Cohen said it wasn’t the right time to pursue that request, which was denied

by Kaplan on Tuesday but was renewed after Mohammed confirmed he would be willing to testify.

“I’ve got a few other things on the fire right now,” Cohen said. — AP

Trial closure of key roads before summit Continued from Page 1 Those heading to Kuwait international airport can take the Airport Road in the direction of Sixth Ring Road to the right until the air cargo station, then on to the airport; or from Ghazali Expressway until its intersection with the air cargo station to the international airport.

Those traveling through Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah airport should take Sabhan-Qurain bridge road (Road 208) from King Fahd Expressway.

All motorists can use the following roads:

• All seven ring roads in both directions - Salmiya and Jahra.

• Ghazali Expressway • King Abdulaziz Al-Saud Expressway • Airport Road opposite Farwaniya The security information department added any changes to the road closures will be announced through various media. It asked citizens and expats to cooperate with security personnel to ensure their comfort and safety, adding that alternative roads will limit traffic congestions.

Information vacuum breeds wild theories Continued from Page 1 airline pilots say this could explain why the plane was diverted - “deliberately”, according to Malaysian authorities - westward toward the Indian ocean and off its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing path with 239 people aboard early on March 8. “It is very possible that they were working their asses off, doing the very best they could to combat a very difficult problem and became overcome by perhaps a fire, perhaps smoke,” Barry Schiff, a TWA pilot for 34 years, said on CNN. Suspicions have mounted that the cockpit crew or hijackers disabled the plane’s communications systems to mask its location. A motive for that remains unknown, but everyone from media mogul Rupert Murdoch to alternative rocker Courtney Love and millions of social-media users worldwide have pushed their ideas. Murdoch piled on to wild early speculation that the plane may have been commandeered by unknown persons to Africa, Pakistan or even North Korea. “World seems transfixed by 777 disappearance.

Maybe no crash but stolen, effectively hidden, perhaps in Northern Pakistan, like bin Laden,” he said on his Twitter feed. Such theories are widely debunked due to the unlikelihood that a jumbo jet could have crossed numerous international boundaries and radar spaces undetected.

The exponents of another theory, which evokes a Hollywood thriller, suggest that whoever diverted the jet closely followed a Singapore Airlines plane flying north past Malaysia in an attempt to hide under its radar “shadow”. Meanwhile, social media in China - twothirds of the plane’s passengers were Chinese - have hypothesised that the plane was struck and vaporised

by a meteorite. Seeking hard facts, the global crowdsourcing community has engaged in intense debate over images circulated online that purportedly show possible aircraft debris at far-flung locations.

Satellite firm DigitalGlobe said Monday that three million people had used its platform in the desktop hunt for plane wreckage, with some 257 million “map views” by participants poring over grainy satellite images. Courtney Love, the flamboyant lead singer for alternative rock group Hole, weighed in on Monday, posting a photo of the sea’s surface with arrows she added and the word “Plane?”

Malaysian authorities have declined to comment on much of the speculation, and experts are reluctant to rule out all but the most outlandish notions, leaving much on the table and adding to the sense of a global response grasping at straws. “There are all these polarising theories with so little definitive information that is verified,” said Paul Yap, an aviation lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore. “Everything that is not denied so far is being considered to be true, making a lot of theories quite plausible and that makes it even more difficult.”

Police in the tiny island republic of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean said Tuesday they are probing reports that residents saw a “low-flying jumbo jet” with markings similar to Malaysia Airlines on the morning the plane vanished. “I could even make out the doors on the plane clearly,” one unnamed eyewitness was quoted saying. But the Maldives are far from the vast arc along which Malaysian authorities, based on satellite data, say the plane may have travelled. An earlier proliferation of reports of a jet in flames off eastern Malaysia proved false. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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Issues

Sanctions headache worsens for West after Crimea grab

By Angus Mackinnon

V

ladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea on Tuesday increases the pressure on western governments to hit Russia with tough sanctions but, as momentum for action grows, there are no easy options. Trade and economic sanctions could do real damage to the Russian economy and Moscow’s power of reprisal is limited, analysts say. But punitive measures would not come without a price for the countries adopting them, hence the diplomatic horse-trading currently going on over the share-out of the burden.

US Vice President Joe Biden warned Tuesday that further sanctions were inevitable, and, in the first concrete reaction to Putin signing a treaty reintegrating Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula into Russia, Britain suspended military cooperation and arms exports. The move will increase the pressure on France to follow suit by refusing to deliver the advanced Mistral warships it promised to Russia under a controversial 2011 accord. But will Paris really be prepared to put a $1.4 billion dollar contract and 1,000 shipyard jobs on the line?

Not immediately anyway, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius indicated. “On the one hand we cannot envisage supplying Russia indefinitely with arms given the way it has behaved, on the other hand there is the reality of jobs and the economy,” Fabius said. The minister made it clear that, if France were to take such a drastic step, it would expect Britain to match it by targeting London-based oligarchs with the power and influence to drag Putin to the negotiating table.

But can David Cameron’s government afford to alienate the Russian super-rich who pumped more than £500 million pounds into London’s property market last year, contributing to a broader recovery of prices that has, in turn, lifted the wider economy? Similarly Germany could block energy giant RWE’s planned sale of a subsidiary to a Russian-controlled group, but does it really want to jeopordise a 76-billion-euro trade relationship or risk Moscow cutting off its gas supplies?

“Sanctions always hurt those who apply them, sometimes more than those who are targeted,” says Gian Maria Fara, the president of Italian think tank Eurispes. “And for those subjected to sanctions, an external enemy inflicting pain on the country is always useful. “The (Italian) Renzi government has backed the European position, with its grand declarations of principle, but in reality it is business as usual.”

Sanctions Pressure Mounting Prior to Britain’s move on Tuesday, international action against Russia had been limited to asset freezes and visa bans targeting a handful of individuals involved in the process that led to Crimea returning to Russian control.

Options that would be tougher in terms of symbolism such as expelling Russia from the G8 or asking Putin to stay away from the D-Day anniversary commemorations in June - have been left unused so far. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has appeared to be preparing the way for a switch to actions that may have a painful kickback for European companies. “We have interests in Russia, but they also have interests,” she said. “We have to insist that international law is respected and we cannot stand by and do nothing as it is swept aside.”

Francois Heisbourg, of France’s Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), notes: “Germany’s employers and unions are united in their opposition to any sanctions. “But the Russians have a lot more to lose from sanctions than the Europeans Russia represents about one percent of EU external trade but the EU accounts for 50 percent of Russia’s.”

Heisbourg argues that the notion of EU dependence on Russian gas is overblown. Stocks are high on the back of a mild winter and the shale gas revolution in the United States has made it easier to source alternative supplies.

Against that backdrop, Merkel’s recent shift of tone on Russia from soothing to stern is significant, Heisbourg argues. “The Europeans learned, with Iran, how to put an economic and financial sanctions regime in place and organise it in an effective way.”

A top foreign policy aide to Putin on Tuesday ridiculed the steps taken by the west so far as worthy of “irony and sarcasm”. But according to Dominique Moisi, of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), the Russian leader would be wrong to underestimate the possibility of a tougher raft of measures and their likely impact. “You can feel already that big players in the economy and the stock market are getting nervous over Russia’s growing isolation.

“The US and European positions on sanctions are getting closer. I can see the US Congress adopting far-reaching measures that will affect third countries who continue to do business with Russia and the Europeans will be obliged to follow.” —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.

New age of discord as Putin rips up order

By Stuart Williams

happens next?” he said.

R

Resisting ‘Containment’ Putin made clear that Russia was tired of being “pushed into a corner” by the West who he accused of “time and again deceiving us and taking decisions behind our backs”.

Putting the standoff into a historic context, he said that the West was persisting with its policy of “containment” towards Russia which had been in place during the 18th and 19th centuries of Tsarist rule and the 20th century under the Soviet Union. “Everything has its limits,” said Putin, warning that the West had “crossed a line” by helping install an antiKremlin government in Kiev after the overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych.

Petrov said there would be a “new Cold War ” if Putin took any moves that went beyond the taking of Crimea. “This is the beginning of the game. The sides have exchanged predictable moves but now comes the exchange of unpredictable blows,” he said.

Putin in his speech blasted the world order that took shape after the collapse of the “bipolar” system when the USSR disintegrated, saying it had allowed the US to disregard international law from Yugoslavia to Iraq and Libya. In a sign of where Russia’s diplomatic priorities now lie, he reached out to China and

ussia is heading to a new era of confrontation with the West as President Vladimir Putin reasserts Kremlin power by tearing up the post-Soviet order that prevailed for over two decades, analysts say. On Dec 8, 1991 then Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the leaders of Ukraine and Belarus met at a remote dacha to sign the document that effectively dismembered the USSR into independent states. But by snatching Crimea from Ukraine, Putin has shown a readiness to redraw Russia’s current frontiers and shatter the order that dates from the so-called Belovezhskaya Accords.

It remains unclear whether Putin will stop there or will be tempted to take other Russian-speaking regions from Ukraine, Moldova or even Belarus and Kazakhstan. But what is clear from Russia’s lightning takeover of Ukraine’s Russian-speaking peninsula and a landmark Kremlin speech by Putin on Tuesday is the Russian strongman’s sense of mission to restore Russian power. “We are at the start, but not at the end, of a stormy development of events,” said Nikolai Petrov, professor at the Higher Economic School in Moscow. “Putin’s speech concluded the current stage of the absorbtion of Crimea. The question is, what

India. “Putin has declared war on the West and no reconciliation is possible,” said Petrov. “Now the West will play for the liquidation of the Putin regime.”

Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Centre in Moscow, described Russia’s seizure of Crimea as a “watershed” in its foreign policy.

“Up until now Moscow only talked about red lines,” he said. “The post-Soviet settlement in Eastern Europe is now history.”

Redrawing the Post-USSR Map For Putin and many Russians, the incorporation of Crimea into Russian territory simply rights a historic wrong that resulted in the Russian-speaking region ending up in postSoviet Ukraine. Crimea was transferred to the Soviet republic of Ukraine by Communist Party chief Nikita Khrushchev in 1954, a decision that Putin said may have been motivated by his guilt in organising “mass repressions” in Ukraine in the 1930s. But the sheer fact that Putin sent pro-Moscow forces into Crimea to seize the region shows a disregard for the borders set in 1991.

Russia may be the biggest country in the world by landmass, but it is still a shrunken entity compared with the reach it enjoyed during the Tsarist Russian Empire and Communist rule. “Putin can feel he has triumphed,” wrote

the business daily Vedomosti. “Russia, in his opinion, has refused to fulfil the rules of the unfair Belovezhskaya world order.” In his speech, Putin portrayed Russians as the victims of the break-up of the USSR, an event he once famously described as the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century. “What seemed unthinkable, unfortunately, became reality and the USSR collapsed,” he said.

Putin said millions of Russians had woken up in 1991 in foreign countries and Russians could now be described as the “most dispersed people in the world”. His remarks raise the question of whether the Crimea swoop will be a one-off or will be followed by the “return” of other Russian-speaking territories. A Russian move into east or southern Ukraine would mark an even greater escalation.

Lawmakers in the Russian-speaking separatist Moldovan territory of Transdniestr have already asked to become part of Russia.

Timofei Bordachev, deputy editor of the pro-Kremlin, Russia in Global Policy Journal, said further actions would depend as much on the behaviour of the United States as Russia. “A free, independent and neutral Ukraine could be a guarantor of peace in central Europe.

Russia in that case would not continue its active policies in the east and southeast of Ukraine,” he said. —AFP

Could Arak be ‘de-fanged’ to ease fears?

By Fredrik Dahl

I

ran appears ready to help allay international concerns that a planned research reactor could yield nuclear bomb material, raising hope for a compromise on a tough sticking point in negotiations with world powers.

How to deal with the Arak plant is expected to be among several thorny issues to be tackled in this week’s round of talks between Iran and the six global powers in Vienna, with the aim of resolving the decade-old nuclear dispute by late July. “There is more than one way to address this, and it is going to take some creativity,” Jim Walsh, a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said.

“Ultimately, I think this is a manageable issue - one way or another.”

Possible options that could allow Iran to keep the reactor at Arak while satisfying the West that it would not be used for military purposes include reducing its megawatt capacity and altering the way it will be fuelled. “There are different ways of making sure that the reactor can’t produce large quantities of plutonium,” said Gary Samore, until last year the top nuclear proliferation expert on U.S. President Barack Obama’s national security staff. “I think it is much easier for the Iranians to compromise on a research reactor than it is for them to compromise on the enrichment programme,” Samore told Reuters, referring to Iran’s existing, and much larger, operations to refine uranium.

Western powers fear Arak could provide a supply of plutonium - one of two materials, along with highly enriched uranium, that can trigger a nuclear explosion - once operational. The Islamic Republic has said that the 40-megawatt, heavy-water plant is aimed at producing isotopes for cancer and other medical treatments, and has denied that any of its nuclear activity is geared to developing a bomb. Their positions seem far apart: Iran has ruled out shutting down any nuclear site, including Arak. The United States says it sees no need for Arak as part of a civilian nuclear program.

The head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation last month said it was prepared to modify Arak, while insisting he did not believe Western concerns over Arak were genuine, calling them a “fabricated fire” used to put Iran under political pressure. “We can do some design change ... in order to produce less plutonium in this reactor, and in this way allay the worries and mitigate the concerns,” Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Washington Welcomes Iranian Gesture A US administration official said Washington was “pleased to see ... Salehi say that they were open to discussions of whether there were modifications that would be viable. “I think we have a long way to go in these discussions, but I think that we all have to be open to ideas and ways to address our concerns,” the senior US official said on Feb 17. Salehi did not spell out what kind of alterations he might have in mind, and Samore said it was “very unclear” whether Iran would be willing to undertake the big changes to the reactor core that would be required to address Western misgivings. “Presumably the Iranians will

want to make fairly cosmetic changes that would allow them to run the reactor at much higher power levels and therefore to produce more plutonium,” he said.

In contrast, the powers - the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia - “will want to make pretty extensive and fundamental changes to the reactor that won’t be easily reversible.” A diplomat from one of the powers, hinting at the need for a face-saving compromise, said some sort of “linguistic engineering to hide modifications that enable us to lessen the proliferation problems” would be required for Arak. Heavy-water reactors, fuelled by natural uranium, are seen as especially suitable for yielding plutonium. To do so, however, a nuclear reprocessing plant would also be needed to

If Arak were to be converted to use low-enriched uranium, it would “essentially be de-fanged,” nuclear expert Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment think-tank said. Another possible way forward, according to MIT’s Walsh and the Arms Control Association research and advocacy group, would be to send Arak’s spent fuel abroad, possibly to Russia, to make sure Iran did not draw plutonium out of it.

The fate of Arak was a big hurdle in talks last year that led to a landmark agreement to curb sensitive aspects of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for some easing of sanctions.

Under the interim pact that took effect on Jan 20, Iran pledged to not install any more reactor components or produce fuel for the plant during the six-month period of the deal. But allowing Iran to keep Arak in any shape or form

In this Jan 15, 2011 file photo, Iran’s heavy water nuclear facility is back-dropped by mountains near the central city of Arak, Iran. —AP extract the plutonium. Iran is not known to have any such plant.

‘De-Fanged’?

If operating optimally, Arak could produce about 9 kg of plutonium annually, enough for about two atom bombs, the US Institute for Science and International Security says. Any long-term deal must lower that amount, experts say. “The single most important modification that reduces plutonium production is to decrease the power level,” Samore said. In addition, “it would be advantageous to change the fuel from natural uranium to low-enriched fuel because that produces less plutonium and of a somewhat different quality.”

may anger Israel as well as some lawmakers in the US Congress, which has generally taken a tougher line on Iran than President Barack Obama. Israel regards Iran as a mortal threat. The Islamic Republic says it is Israel’s presumed nuclear arsenal that endangers peace and stability in the Middle East.

US nuclear expert Gregory Jones of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center said the United States should insist that Arak is never completed and its components destroyed. “Otherwise the US will be granting Iran a ‘plutonium option’ for acquiring nuclear weapons in addition to the dangers posed by Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program,” he said. —Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

S P ORTS

Robben extends Bayern deal

Hogg gets three-week ban

Murray splits with coach

BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s Netherlands winger Arjen Robben has extended his contract with last season’s treble winners by two years to 2017, the Bundesliga club said yesterday.

Robben, who moved to Munich from Real Madrid in 2009, has enjoyed success at Bayern, winning domestic and European trophies. He scored the late winner in last season’s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. The new deal is a seal of approval with the 30-year-old instantly becoming a key piece in coach Pep Guardiola’s attacking game this season after initial fears Robben would have trouble adapting his style to the Spaniard’s game plans.

“I am in my fifth year at Bayern and three more to come,” Robben said in a club statement. I look forward to the coming years and a lot more titles with Bayern.” Robben, who has also played for PSV Eindhoven and Chelsea, was a key player in Bayern’s treble run under coach Jupp Heynckes and has made a seamless transition to Guardiola’s quick passing game. He has notched up 10 goals in the Bundesliga and set up another six while adding another three in Europe this season. At times considered difficult to deal with or selfish on the pitch, Robben has carved out an exciting partnership with Frenchman Franck Ribery, helping Bayern to three of the last four Champions League finals and a domestic league and Cup double in 2010.

“We are extremely happy that Arjen extended his deal to 2017,” said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “He is an outstanding player and he proved how important he is for Bayern in last season’s Champions League final.” —Reuters

LONDON: Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg was banned for three weeks yesterday after being sent off in last weekend’s Six Nations defeat by Wales in Cardiff.

The Glasgow Warriors back was shown the red card in the 22nd minute at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday after smashing his shoulder into the face of Dan Biggar long after the Wales fly-half had completed a clearing kick.

In his absence for nearly an hour Scotland were thrashed 51-3 — their heaviest Six Nations loss-to round off a tournament where their lone win was by a mere one-point margin over bottom of the table Italy. Hogg, who issued an apology after the match, won’t be able to play again until April 7. Hogg’s punishment was handed down by a disciplinary tribunal in London. He was only the third Scotland player to be sent off in an international following Nathan Hines in 2002 and Scott Murray in 2006.

Hogg will now miss Glasgow’s Celtic League matches against Llanelli Scarlets, Ospreys and Benetton Treviso. Hogg’s case was an example of how match officials are now allowed to use technology beyond awarding a try, with French referee Jerome Garces initially producing a yellow card before changing his mind and showing a red after watching a replay of the incident one one of the Millennium’s giant screens. —AFP

LONDON: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has split with coach Ivan Lendl after two years, the British world number six said yesterday.

A statement on his Twitter page said they had mutually agreed to end a partnership that saw Murray win two grand slam titles and a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far,” said Murray, who became Britain’s first Wimbledon men’s singles champion for 77 years when he beat Novak Djokovic last year.

“As a team, we’ve learned a lot and it will definitely be of benefit in the future. I’ll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here.” Since winning Wimbledon last year Murray’s form has dipped, not helped by having back surgery towards the end of 2013. He is yet to win a title this year and was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open

by Roger Federer. Lendl was not at Indian Wells last week where Murray again suffered an early exit, losing to Canada’s Milos Raonic. Eight-times grand slam champion Lendl, 54, said he wanted to concentrate on his own projects. —Reuters

Bruins down Devils NEWARK: Brad Marchand and Jarome Iginla scored in a 59-second span early in the second period as the Boston Bruins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday for their 10th straight win. Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly also scored and Chad Johnson made 20 saves as the Eastern Conference leaders hurt the Devils’ postseason hopes by sending them to their third straight loss.

The 10-game winning streak ties Anaheim for the NHL’s longest this season. It is the Bruins’ longest since a 10-game run in November 2011, and four shy of the franchise record set in 1929-30.

Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac scored for the Devils, who are now in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight year and third time in four. Martin Brodeur made 27 saves.

ORLANDO: Golf instructor Sean Foley (left) works with Sean O’Hair during a practice round prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. — AFP

‘Top 5’ label sure to follow Patrick Reed ORLANDO: To listen to Patrick Reed after he won at Doral is to be reminded of the famous exchange at the 1989 Ryder Cup. US captain Raymond Floyd borrowed a line from Ben Hogan two decades earlier when he introduced his team as the “best 12 players in the world.” That worked in 1967 when Hogan’s team produced what remains the biggest blowout in history. On this occasion, it prompted a memorable reply from European captain Tony Jacklin.

“Does that make Seve Ballesteros the 13th best?” Some versions of the story have a European player whispering to Nick Faldo, “That makes you No. 14.” Faldo had won the Masters earlier that year.

Ballesteros was 14 months removed from his third British Open and fifth major championship.

They were bold words, indeed, especially when the Americans left England without the Ryder Cup. Reed didn’t declare himself the best player in the world at Doral, only one of the top five.

Asked about the other four, the 23-yearold Reed mentioned Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell (with a back-handed compliment), Dustin Johnson, and then he stalled and repeated that it was a “tough question.” “There’s so many great players out there,” he said.

Reed didn’t say anything he didn’t believe. Even so, his words have proved more memorable than any of the shots he hit on the Blue Monster to capture his first World Golf Championship, and third PGA Tour victory in seven months.

But golf is a quiet sport, so this kind of noise was unsettling. Woods has been No. 1 the equivalent of 13 years. He never really talks about it unless asked (although Nike tried to do the talking for him last year). Ian Poulter, as confident a player as there is in golf, once told a British magazine that when he plays to full potential, “it will be just me and Tiger.” A few years later, Woods bumped into Poulter in the locker room at The Gallery during the Match Play Championship and instinctively said, “Hey, No. 2.” The highest Poulter ever got was No.

5. Reed is No. 20, and he’s happy with that for now. To take everything he said at Doral into context, it’s clear he meant “top five” as an adjective. It’s similar to listening to football scouts talk about a player with 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash. Whether that’s the actual time, the point is that he’s very fast. Reed is very good.

Trouble is, a lot of good players are around him. If he doesn’t know that already, he will. The Masters next month will be Reed’s first major championship. A month ago, he had never even played in a World Golf Championship.

To listen to chatter on the range and in the locker room, Reed’s comments didn’t go over that well with his peers. But he is a tough-minded kid at 23, and he doesn’t really care what others think. That’s what he thinks. That’s what he said.

Speaking at Bay Hill on Tuesday, he didn’t back down from what he said or the reaction to it. “I thought it was pretty funny,” Reed said. “It was interesting to see how much of a stir that got up in the media.

When it comes down to it, that’s what I believe in. And that’s how I see myself as a player. But you have to have that belief in yourself. If you don’t, then you’re not going to play like it. And you’re definitely not going to be contending on Sundays.”

He doesn’t always contend on Sunday, though he’s hard to miss. He’s the guy in a red shirt and black pants. Those are his colors for the final round because that’s what Woods does, and he thinks Woods is the best. Paul Casey once had a red shirt set aside for Sunday until he realized he would be in the final threesome of Woods at Firestone. He switched to lime green and later joked that Woods “owns that color.”

Reed never gave it a second thought.

While his three wins since August are impressive, the consistency is lacking for Reed, and that’s what top-five players do.

Reed has won all three of his PGA Tour titles with at least a share of the 54-hole lead. But he has only four other top 10s, and he never started within four shots of the lead in any of them. His career is young. —AP

Torrey Pines to host US Open TORREY PINES: Torrey Pines, one of the most scenic courses in America, will host the US Open in 2021, the United States Golf Association announced on Tuesday.

In the first US Open that went prime time, Tiger Woods hobbled his way around Torrey Pines and made two eagles in six holes to take the 54-hole lead, made an allor-nothing birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, and won his 14th major on a shattered left leg in a playoff that went 19 holes. “When we look back on 2008, I think one of the things we all talked about is, ‘How can we possibly top that?’” USGA executive director Mike Davis said Tuesday.

“From my perspective, that was one of the great US Opens ever.” He’ll find out seven years from now.

The San Diego city council approved a proposal that brings the national championship back to the public golf course that was built along the bluffs of the Pacific Ocean. Being on the West Coast, it tends to get the most viewers.

That 2008 US Open was the first that truly was shown in prime time. When the next US Open is held at Torrey Pines, it will be the sixth time in 14 years that it is played on the West Coast. Davis said it’s not ideal for view-

ers in Europe and other parts of the world.

Graeme McDowell won at Pebble Beach in 2010 when the US Open ended at about 2 a.m. in his native Northern Ireland.

“It depends on your point of view on whether that’s good or not, but certainly from a domestic standpoint, we just get a bigger audience when we go west,” he said.

Torrey Pines hosts a PGA Tour event every year, which Woods has won seven times. Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan are the only players to win a regular PGA Tour event and a major champion on the same course in the same year. Woods has done it twice, at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach in 2000.

“I was excited to hear that the US Open was returning to Torrey Pines,” Woods said in a statement. “I think it’s great, when the USGA can, to play the US Open at a public course. The last time it was there, it was an amazing event. “I think it’s a great decision returning to Torrey,” he said. “It’s a very special place to me.” The city council voted unanimously on a proposal that, among other things, requires the USGA to pay $2.5 million for a site fee (including parking areas) and allows the city to get 20 percent of hospitality sales. — AP

RANGERS 8, SENATORS 4 Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves to become the Rangers’ winningest goalie and New York used a four-goal second period to cruise past the Ottawa Senators.

Lundqvist, who made 16 of his saves in the second period, has 302 victories - one more than Mike Richter. He is also one shutout shy of 50 for his career.

Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot, John Moore and Ryan McDonagh all scored in the second, with the final three coming less than four minutes apart late in the period. Brassard and Rick Nash each finished with two goals.

Mike Hoffman, Mika Zibanejad, Milan Michalek and Bobby Ryan scored for the Senators, who have lost four straight and eight of 10.

CANADIENS 6, AVALANCHE 3 Thomas Vanek had a hat trick to lift Montreal over the Colorado Avalanche in former Canadiens great Patrick Roy’s first game at the Bell Centre as an NHL head coach.

Brandon Prust, who left the game late in the first period with an injury, returned to score a goal and set up one by Travis Moen for Montreal, which won its third game in a row.

Vanek got his first goal in six games since he was acquired in a trade deadline deal.

Trailing by two goals, Roy pulled goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere with 2:20 left to play, but Dale Weise scored into the empty net.

Rookie Nathan MacKinnon scored a highlight-reel goal and Max Talbot and Jamie McGinn also scored for the Avalanche, who lost for only the third time in 10 games.

WILD 6, ISLANDERS 0 Matt Moulson scored twice and had three points in his first game against the Islanders since being traded earlier this season, and Ilya Bryzgalov was solid in making 36 saves as the Minnesota Wild made the most of 22 shots.

Moulson, an impending free agent dealt by the Islanders to Buffalo in October before being shipped to Minnesota at the trade deadline, scored the first of the Wild’s two goals in the opening period and their third in the final frame. Mikko Koivu had three assists to move past Marian Gaborik for the most points in Wild history with 438. Bryzgalov earned his second shutout of the season and 32nd in the NHL. PENGUINS 5, STARS 1 Sidney Crosby scored his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season and picked up an assist as Pittsburgh’s top line led the way in a victory over Dallas. Lee Stempniak added his first goal since being acquired from Calgary two weeks ago and finished with two assists while Chris Kunitz had a goal and an assist in his return from a lower-body injury. Brandon Sutter scored a late short-handed goal and Jeff Zatkoff stopped 32 shots to win for the 11th time in his past 14 games. Tyler Seguin scored his 31st goal for the Stars. Kari Lehtonen made 27 saves, but Dallas slumped again on the road.

HURRICANES 3, BLUE JACKETS 1 Anton Khudobin made a career-high 46 saves and Andrei Loktionov and Patrick Dwyer each had a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes topped the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Nathan Gerbe also scored, and Jay Harrison added two assists for the Hurricanes, who were criticized by coach Kirk Muller after weekend losses to Boston and Edmonton.

Carolina was close to a wild-card spot on Feb. 7, but the team has struggled since. They entered the game having lost nine of 12 and are likely going to miss the postseason for the fifth straight season. Boone Jenner scored for Columbus, which outshot the Hurricanes 19-0 in the third period.

NEWARK: Gregory Campbell No. 11 of the Boston Bruins clears the puck against Damien Brunner No. 12 of the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. — AFP

RED WINGS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2 Gustav Nyquist had two goals and Jimmy Howard made 31 saves to help the Detroit Red Wings hold on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jake Gardiner scored on a power play midway through the third period to pull Toronto within a goal. The Maple Leafs appeared to tie the game less than two minutes later, but Nazem Kardri’s goal was waved off because he made a kicking motion to knock the puck in with the inside of his right skate. The Red Wings seemed to seal the win with 2:33 left when Daniel Alfredsson’s wrist shot from the slot hit the back of the net.

Toronto, though, pulled its goaltender to add an extra skater seconds later and James van Riemsdyk scored with 1:13 left.

FLYERS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 Claude Giroux scored at 4:55 of overtime to lift the Philadelphia Flyers over the Chicago

OILERS 5, PREDATORS 1 Jordan Eberle had a pair of goals and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers cruised past the Nashville Predators 5-1.

Sam Gagner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall also scored for the Oilers, who have won two in a row and are 10-4-3 in their past 17 games.

Gabriel Bourque scored the lone goal for the Predators, who have lost two in a row and are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. They are nine points out of the last postseason berth in the Western Conference with just 13 games remaining.

PANTHERS 3, SHARKS 2 Brandon Pirri scored one goal and set up another in a 17-second span of the second period and Roberto Luongo made 52 saves to help the Florida Panthers snap San Jose’s sixgame winning streak.

NHL results/standings Boston 4, Minnesota 1; Tampa Bay 4, Vancouver 3; St. Louis 3, Winnipeg 1; Phoenix 4, Los Angeles 3.

Western Conference Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Pacific Division Boston 46 17 5 219 147 97 W L OTL GF GA PTS Tampa Bay 37 24 7 198 178 81 Anaheim 45 16 7 218 172 97 Montreal 37 25 7 174 174 81 San Jose 45 17 7 214 165 97 Toronto 36 25 8 203 211 80 Los Angeles 38 25 6 168 148 82 Detroit 30 24 13 175 188 73 Ottawa 28 26 13 190 221 69 Phoenix 33 25 11 192 196 77 Florida 25 35 8 169 221 58 Vancouver 31 30 10 170 194 72 Buffalo 19 41 8 132 202 46 Calgary 27 34 7 165 202 61 Metropolitan Division Edmonton 24 36 9 171 224 57 Pittsburgh 44 19 4 209 167 92 Philadelphia 35 25 7 192 193 77 Central Division Columbus 35 26 6 195 184 76 NY Rangers 36 29 4 177 170 76 St. Louis 47 14 7 226 152 101 Washington 32 27 10 201 207 74 44 19 5 209 181 93 Colorado New Jersey 29 26 13 166 176 71 Chicago 39 15 14 231 179 92 Carolina 29 30 9 169 194 67 Minnesota 35 23 10 165 168 80 NY Islanders 26 34 9 195 233 61 Dallas 32 24 11 193 192 75 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in Winnipeg 31 30 9 194 204 71 the loss column (L).

Nashville 29 29 10 164 201 68

Blackhawks. Scott Hartnell scored twice and Ray Emery made 23 saves for Philadelphia.

Andrew Shaw and Duncan Keith scored and Antti Raanta made 34 saves for Chicago.

Skating down the right wing, Giroux beat Raanta with a wrister to give Philadelphia its third straight win.

Flyers forward Vinny Lecavalier was involved in two chances that nearly broke the tie in the third. His breakaway attempt with 7:40 remaining was turned away by Raanta’s right pad, and Brayden Schenn’s almost-goal just over a minute later was waved off when referees ruled Lecavalier touched the puck with a high stick on its way to the net.

FLAMES 3, SABRES 1 Mike Cammalleri’s 20th goal of the season midway through the third period helped the Calgary Flames defeat the Buffalo Sabres.

Calgary’s Mikael Backlund beat Matt Ellis on a faceoff in the Sabres’ end, drawing the puck back to Chris Butler. From the blue line, Butler ’s shot toward the net was neatly deflected by Cammalleri past Nathan Lieuwen. Cammalleri has seven goals in his past nine games. Joe Colborne and Paul Byron also scored for Calgary. Drew Stafford scored for Buffalo, which has dropped seven games in a row.

Quinton Howden knocked in a rebound of Pirri’s shot to cap a game-changing shift and Scottie Upshall added a goal in the closing minute of the second period for the Panthers, who had lost seven of their previous eight road games.

Marty Havlat and Brent Burns scored for San Jose and Antti Niemi made 21 saves. The Sharks missed a chance to move past Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division.

The teams are tied with 97 points heading into Thursday’s showdown in San Jose, but the Ducks have a game in hand.

CAPITALS 3, DUCKS 2 Alex Ovechkin scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period as the Washington Capitals kept up their playoff push with a victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

Jaroslav Halak made 43 saves in his sixth consecutive start for the Capitals, who have won their past four games at Honda Center.

Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer also scored for the Capitals, who have won three straight to pull into an eighth-place tie with Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Ben Lovejoy and Mathieu Perreault scored for the Ducks, who have lost four straight home games while falling out of first place in the overall NHL standings. — AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

S P ORTS

Heat scorch Cavaliers CLEVELAND: LeBron James scored 43 points - 25 in a bewildering first-quarter shooting display and Chris Bosh added 21, leading the Miami Heat to a 100-96 win Tuesday over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played their first game without injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving.

James added two crucial blocks and made six free throws in the final two minutes and Bosh added a key rejection to lead the Heat to just their third win in eight games. Miami’s Dwyane Wade sat out resting his knees, but the Heat’s two other megastars put away the Cavs. Jarrett Jack scored 22 and Dion Waiters added 17 and 11 assists for Cleveland, which was also without forward Luol Deng (sprained ankle). Irving is expected to miss two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, an injury that further damages the Cavs’ fading playoff hopes.

NEW YORK: James Dolan (left) Executive Chairman of Madison Square Garden, stands with Phil Jackson during the press conference to announce Jackson as President of the New York Knicks. — AFP

Jackson seeks to recreate magic with the Knicks NEW YORK: Phil Jackson vowed to revive the struggling New York Knicks as he was officially announced as their new president Tuesday, returning to the team where he started his glittering career.

The 68-year-old Hall of Famer, who has won a record 13 NBA titles as a player and coach, said his aim was to bring a winning tradition back to New York.

“I am going to jump in with both feet,” Jackson said during a news conference at Madison Square Garden. “We want to build a team. “We’re going to make one step at a time. I think that’s the most important thing. “We’re going to push this team and, hopefully push into the playoffs, and see how they really can compete.

“From there on, we’ll take it a step at a time as we go forward.” Jackson will be trying to recreate the magic he was part of with the Knicks in the 1970s.

Jackson, who played for the Knicks from 1967 to 1978, has been put in charge of all basketball decisions. He won two titles as a player with the Knicks, helping them win their most recent NBA crown, in 1973.

“We are looking forward to embracing the past but also looking forward,” said Jackson, who has never had a losing season in the NBA as a head coach. “To come back to the place where I started in basketball is a great feeling.”

Jackson signed a five-year contract but wouldn’t commit to a timeline on how long it would take to restore the team to winning ways. The contract is believed to be worth $60 million, the New York Daily News reported.

‘ONLY ONE JACKSON’ Jackson won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. Jackson retired from coaching in May 2011 after leading the Chicago Bulls to six crowns in the

1990s and then Los Angeles Lakers to five titles. His last title came in 2010 with Los Angeles.

“This would be the pinnacle, a capstone, on the remarkable career that I’ve had,” Jackson said. Jackson replaces Steve Mills, who was named president and general manager of the Knicks in September. Mills remains as general manager. Jackson also said head coach Mike Woodson would stay.

This is Jackson’s first role as a frontoffice decision maker. “There is only one Phil Jackson, and he is synonymous with winning basketball teams,” said Knicks owner Jim Dolan, who joined Jackson on the podium for Tuesday’s announcement. “His history of success in the NBA is unrivaled, and he is the ideal executive to lead our team and develop short- and long-term plans that build a successful franchise and result in an NBA championship.” The Knicks are in the midst of a disappointing season after reaching the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2012-13. Their play has improved of late and they have won six straight games.

The Knicks are 27-40 — four games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, heading into Tuesday’s slate of games.

The Knicks are hoping the hiring of Jackson improves the chances they might keep star for ward Carmelo Anthony, who is looking at free agency after this season.

“Carmelo is one of the top scorers in the league,” Jackson said. “I have no problem saying Carmelo is in the future plans.

“He still has another level he can go to.”

Anthony said before the hiring was made official that he was looking forward to working with Jackson. “He has won a lot. I haven’t won yet. I am hoping and planning this all works,” Anthony said. — AFP

Ireland send UAE out SYLHET: Ireland sent debutants United Arab Emirates crashing out of the World Twenty20 yesterday, winning the Group B match in Sylhet by the Duckwoth Lewis method.

The Irish, who opted to bowl after winning the toss, restricted their opponents to 123-6 in 20 overs before reaching 103-3 in 14.2 overs when two power failures and then rain stopped play.

Ireland were declared the winners by 21 runs using the Duckworth Lewis formula. It was Ireland’s second win on the trot. A second successive defeat for UAE means they are eliminated from the tournament.

Ireland lost their opener Paul Stirling, who hit a brilliant 60 in his team’s threewicket win over Zimbabwe Monday, for just eight but quickly rallied.

Ed Joyce topscored with 43 while skipper William Porterfield made 33 not out. Ireland’s bowlers, led by spinner Paul

HAWKS 118, RAPTORS 113 Jeff Teague equaled his career best with 34 points and Paul Millsap had the first triple-double of his career as the Hawks extended their longest winning streak of the season to five in a row, beating the Raptors. Millsap had 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Hawks, who have bounced back after losing 14 of 15 to strengthen their hold on the final playoff spot in the East. The Hawks overcame an early 13-point deficit in a game that went back and forth in the final quarter. Millsap missed a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but Teague knocked down four free throws in the closing seconds to clinch it for Atlanta.

KINGS 117, WIZARDS 111 Isaiah Thomas had his first career triple double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Kings beat the Wizards.

DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay each added 24 points for the Kings, who rallied in the fourth to send the game into overtime and snapped a two-game losing streak.

It was a rare loss for the Wizards, who had won 10 of 13 games before falling to the Kings for the fourth straight time at Sleep Train Arena.

Bradley Beal had 19 points and Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards.

They had won six of their previous seven road games. Drew Gooden scored 18 points and John Wall had 14 before fouling out in overtime.

TRAIL BLAZERS 120, BUCKS 115 Wesley Matthews had 26 points, including a key 3-pointer in overtime, as the Trail Blazers overcame the tenacious Bucks.

Robin Lopez added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Blazers, who had been in a funk with losses in five of their last six games. Portland (44-24) has also struggled with the absence of injured forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Brandon Knight had 24 points and Ramon Sessions added a season-high 23 for Milwaukee, which lost its fifth straight. The Bucks (13-55) are just 2-24 against the Western Conference. Despite the worst record in the NBA, the Bucks gave the Blazers trouble for most of the game. There were 23 lead changes in regulation, and neither team was able to pull ahead by double digits.

WARRIORS 103, MAGIC 89 Stephen Curry had 23 points and five assists, and Klay Thompson scored 20 points as the undermanned Warriors overwhelmed the Magic.

The backcourt duo sparked an 18-4 run at the start of the second half that put the Warriors ahead by 24 points. They became the first pair of teammates in NBA history to combine for at least 400 3-pointers in consecutive seasons.

CLEVELAND: Miami Heat’s Ray Allen (34) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Dion Waiters (3) during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game. — AP David Lee added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Warriors offset the absences of Andre Iguodala (right knee tendinitis), Andrew Bogut (left ankle inflammation) and Jermaine O’Neal

(undisclosed reasons). Nikola Vucevic scored 15 points and Tobias Harris added 14 points and six rebounds for the overmatched Magic, who lost their sixth straight game. — AP

NBA results/standings Miami 100, Cleveland 96; Atlanta 118, Toronto 113 (OT); Portland 120, Milwaukee 115 (OT); Sacramento 117, Washington 111 (OT); Golden State 103, Orlando 89.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Toronto 37 29 .561 Brooklyn 34 31 .523 NY Knicks 27 40 .403 Boston 22 46 .324 Philadelphia 15 52 .224 Central Division Indiana 50 17 .746 Chicago 37 30 .552 Cleveland 26 42 .382 Detroit 25 41 .379 Milwaukee 13 55 .191 Southeast Division Miami 46 19 .708 Washington 35 32 .522 Charlotte 33 35 .485 Atlanta 31 35 .470 Orlando 19 49 .279

GB 2.5 10.5 16 22.5 13 24.5 24.5 37.5 12 14.5 15.5 28.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 49 18 .731 44 24 .647 Portland Minnesota 33 32 .508 Denver 30 37 .448 Utah 22 46 .324 Pacific Division LA Clippers 48 21 .696 43 26 .623 Golden State Phoenix 38 29 .567 Sacramento 24 44 .353 LA Lakers 22 44 .333 Southwest Division San Antonio 50 16 .758 45 22 .672 Houston Dallas 41 27 .603 Memphis 39 27 .591 New Orleans 27 39 .409

5.5 15 19 27.5 5 9 23.5 24.5 5.5 10 11 23

SYLHET: Zimbabwe’s captain Brendan Taylor plays a shot during their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against Netherlands. —AP

Stirling (2-12) and paceman Kevin O’Brien (2-17) kept it tight, preventing any UAE batsmen from hitting a big innings despite a soild 35-run start in five overs.

Once opener Amjad Ali fell for 20, it all went wrong for the UAE who were competing in the World Twenty20 for the first time. Shaiman Anwar topscored with a 28-ball 30 which included two sixes.

Elsewhere in Group B, the Dutch also have one win from two games and are still in with a chance of progressing. The top two teams in both Group A and B will join the eight seeds in the next round, starting from March 21.

Brief Scores: UAE: 123-6 in 20 overs (Shaiman Anwar 30; P. Stirling 2-12, K. O’Brien 2-17) Ireland: 103-3 in 14.2 overs (E. Joyce 43, W. Porterfield 33 not out) Ireland win on Duckworth Lewis method. — AFP

SYLHET: Ireland’s Ed Joyce (left) and captain William Porterfield run between the wickets during their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against United Arab Emirates. — AP

Zimbabwe alive in World T20 with last-ball victory SYLHET: Skipper Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza kept Zimbabwe’s hopes alive in the World Twenty20 tournament yesterday with a hard-fought five-wicket win over the Netherlands in Sylhet.

Taylor hit a solid 39-ball 49 while Masakadza scored 43 off 45 balls to help Zimbabwe pass their 141-run target with a six off the last ball.

When Taylor was dismissed after hitting two fours and a six, 15 runs were needed off the last 11 balls. When the last over began, seven were still needed.

Sean Williams hit a lucky boundary and then ran himself out for 26 with the scores tied. But Vusi Sibanda hit paceman Ahsan Malik for a huge six to give Zimbabwe victory. Taylor said there was still plenty of room for improvement. “We

committed very basic errors on the boundary which cost us 10-15 runs,” he said. “It wasn’t good enough for a professional outfit. “Hopefully, we can rectify that against the UAE and we’ll be a chance.” Netherlands skipper Peter Borren felt his team fell 20 runs short. “That said, we’ve got a good varied bowling attack, but we would have been confident with 150,” he said. The Netherlands, who won the toss and batted, were lifted from a precarious 19-3 to 140-5 by a fighting 58-ball 72 not out from Tom Cooper, including nine fours and a six. Cooper added an invaluable 52 for the fifth wicket with brother Ben Cooper (20) after spinner Prosper Utseya (2-24) had dismissed opener Stefan Myburgh for a duck off the third ball of the innings.

The Netherlands won their opening match

against the United Arab Emirates in Group B. They will now face Ireland on Friday to decide who goes through to the next round.

Yesterday’s win keeps Zimbabwe in the race after they lost their first match to Ireland. They face the UAE tomorrow.

Bangladesh won both their games in Group A. The top two teams from the preliminary rounds will join the eight seeded teams in the Super-10 stage starting March 21.

Brief scores: Netherlands 140-5 in 20 overs (T. Cooper 72 not out, P. Utseya 2-24) Zimbabwe 146-5 in 20 overs (B. Taylor 49, H. Masakadza 43; P. Seelaar 2-9) Zimbabwe won by five wickets. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

S P ORTS

Shvedova beats Schiavone, sets up clash with Serena MIAMI: Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova beat former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-2 at the Sony Open on Tuesday, earning a second-round meeting with world number one Serena Williams. The world number 59 broke the Italian to take the first set and broke again to move ahead 3-1 in the second before recording one final break to close out the contest and collect her first win in four meetings with the 2010 French Open champion.

Schiavone, the first Italian woman to win a grand slam, has been in miser-

Svitolina.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams is a daunting opponent no matter the surface or tournament, but at the Sony Open played near the comforts of her Miami home she has practically set up a second residence in the winner’s circle.

Williams, who lives an hour’s drive from the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, site of the Sony Open for the next fortnight, is a six-time winner in Miami.

That is more wins than she has at any other tournament and one better than

Yaroslava Shvedova

able form losing seven consecutive first-round matches before ending the barren stretch last week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Shvedova, whose only career WTA Tour win came seven years ago in Bangalore, has lost all three meetings with Williams but did push the six-times Miami champion to three sets during a round of 16 meeting at the 2012 Wimbledon. The upset of the day went to 20-year-old Monica Puig who dispatched 36th ranked Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, a four-time winner on the WTA Tour, 6-1 7-6 (9-7).

It was the second match win of the season for the 58th ranked Puerto Rican. The tournament began on a down note for the home contingent with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands falling 6-3 3-6 6-3 to Ukraine’s Elina

her five U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open grand slam victories.

In the 12 years since Williams first claimed the crown in 2002 she has taken the trophy home with her 50 percent of the time and is favoured to add a seventh to her collection when the final is decided on March 29.

A relaxed Williams certainly looked right at home as she worked her way through a series of pre-tournament interviews at a posh Key Biscayne beachside resort on Tuesday stealing the spotlight from some of the other assembled tennis glitterati, including Maria Sharapova and Australian Open champion Li Na. “I have been waiting on this for awhile, it feels good to be back here,” the defending champion and world number one told a tableside gathering of media. “It is home, it feels

like home, I drive just an hour, it feels great. “I train here so it is easier to anticipate the wind and the heat and all the extra elements.” Another title Williams can lay claim to is the Queen of South Beach. Already part owner of the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins, Williams hinted that she could add to her sporting empire saying, “anything is possible” when asked if she was open to getting involved with David Beckham and his efforts to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami. But it is on the court where Williams does most of her business and in Miami it is close to a tennis monopoly. At 32, Williams is one of oldest players in the women’s draw yet remains the sport’s dominant force with retirement nowhere in sight. Miami will be her fourth event of the season and the 17-times grand slam winner claimed her 58th career title after opening the 2014 campaign with a victory in Brisbane.

“There is a tremendous amount of pressure when you step onto the court,” said Williams. “It’s bigger news to lose than it is to win.

“But I don’t look at it as pressure, Billie Jean King always told me pressure is privilege. “The only time it becomes a little boring is the training part but I know there is a bigger picture. “I must really love the competition because I keep going and I don’t see any end yet.”

That is not good news for the rest of the players on the WTA Tour as they try to loosen the Williams sisters’ vice-like grip on the Miami trophy.

In the 16 tournaments since 1998 only five women other than Serena and her older sister Venus, a three-time champion, have celebrated victory on the Miami hardcourts. In the seven years between 1998 and 2004 the Williams sisters took virtual ownership of the Miami property winning it six times, only Martina Hingis interrupting their reign in 2000. “I love my fans and love having the opportunity to play for them, it feels spectacular,” said Williams.

“I feel really, really bad when I don’t play well I think that is one of the reasons I tend to be a little hard on myself.

“I love to play tennis, I love to compete but ultimately the reason I compete is because of the fans.” — Reuters

Court hears Pistorius shot his girlfriend in hip before head PRETORIA: Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend first in the hip before hitting her fatally in the head through a locked toilet door, a police ballistics expert testified yesterday at the Paralympian’s murder trial in South Africa.

The ballistics report appears to support earlier testimony that Reeva Steenkamp had time to cry for help before she died and contradicts the defence team’s version that she could not have screamed. The South African Paralympian sprinter says Steenkamp’s death was a terrible accident, and that he shot her through the locked door after he mistook her for an intruder when she went to the toilet. The ballistics report will be key in the South African state’s case of premeditated murder against Pistorius.

“The best probable explanation is the deceased was initially upright behind the closed door, she sustained a penetrating wound in the right side of the hip,” the ballistics expert, Captain Chris Mangena, told the court.

The 29-year-old model and law graduate then fell onto a magazine rack where bullets hit her elbow, hand and head in uncertain order.

A bullet clipped her raised left hand before entering her brain, Mangena said.” The deceased was seated in a defensive position,” he said. “The arm was lifted up, and was in front of her chest.”

“You’ve both hands forward, with the left and right hand crossing the head?” asked prosecutor Gerrie Nel, mimicking the position with his own arms.

“That is correct,” his witness answered. Pistorius, 27, sat with his head in his hands, while Steenkamp’s mother and relatives in the public gallery lowered their heads when graphic images of the blood-splattered bathroom were shown. The court adjourned until Monday, after prosecutor Nel asked for time to re-examine his final “four or five” witnesses before closing his case early next week.The sequence of shots speaks to whether Steenkamp could have shouted during the shooting.

Witnesses have testified to a woman’s terrified shrieks,

but the defence say she was hit first in the head and therefore could not have made a sound.

Earlier, Mangena said the Paralympic gold medallist could have been as close as 60 centimetres (24 inches) to the toilet door, or as far away as 3 metres, when he fired, though he said 220 centimetres was the most likely position.

The distance from the door could shed light on whether Pistorius fired on the cubicle in a panic or approached it in a calculated plan to hit his target.

The ballistics report also confirmed a pause between the shot in the hip and the next three shots that Pistorius fired that night, confirming earlier witness testimony on what they heard.

“I cannot determine how long is the break, but there is definitely a break, between the first shot and the second shot,” he said. “How do I determine the break is by looking at the wounds sustained by the deceased.” State witness Michelle Burger testified she had heard a break between the first and second shots as well.

Police blood spatter expert Ian van der Nest said broken hair, bone fragments and blood fragments confirmed Steenkamp was shot close to the toilet seat and that her arm was raised when the headshot was fired.

The court also saw Pistorius visited pornography sites the evening before he shot Steenkamp.

Prosecutor Nel explained how the browsing history worked using as example a search for luxury car Morgan Aeromax. The list clearly showed visits to pornography sites, though the prosecution discreetly avoided reading this out in court.

Set down for three weeks, the trial will already run over schedule by Monday. It will run for two more weeks, possibly longer if needed. Once the state has wrapped up its case, the Paralympian’s expensive defense team is expected to call their own experts, including crime scene recreators from the United States, to prove his innocence. — AFP

Photo of the day

Hughes Beauchamp performs at the Red Bull Retro Pipe held at Centre de ski Val St-Come in Quebec, Canada, on February 22, 2014. —www.redbullcontentpool.com

Monaghan eyes Wigan revenge MANCHESTER: Joel Monaghan has lost back-to-back Super League Grand Finals and, as he seeks to make it third time lucky, next up is the side that stood in the way last year.

Back then Warrington were beaten 30-16 by Wigan at Old Trafford and although winger Monaghan scored a try that day it was not enough.

And, after each side has made an indifferent start to the new campaign, they meet for the first time since October today. Monaghan-last year’s second top tryscorer in Super League-knows the loss of 2012 Man of Steel Sam Tomkins to New Zealand Warriors is a big one for Wigan.

But he expects someone who has moved the other way-former North Queensland Cowboys full-back Matt Bowen-to go some way to filling his shoes.

“It is a big test,” said Monaghan. “They (Wigan) did a number on us in the Grand Final and to say it is forgotten about is a bit of a cop-out-everyone still remembers it. “Obviously Sam Tomkins is a big loss but it is a pretty strong squad they have and you can’t mess with Wigan at all. If you do they will turn you over.

“Matty Bowen, especially coming from the NRL it is going to take a bit for him to settle in-but we know what type of player he is.

“I am sure they are looking at this game and one to get them back on track. It has got the makings of a great contest.” Warrington’s season kicked off with backto-back defeats by St Helens and Leeds but they have

since enjoyed three successive wins.

Monaghan, who scored a try in last weekend’s 28-12 win at Salford, added: “We started off slow but we are getting better each week. “We have got a couple of big tests in the next two weeks and we are going to have to go up another level.

“It is obviously an achievement to make two Grand Finals but it probably hurts a bit more when you have been there. Hopefully we can turn that around this year.”

Elsewhere Mandy Koukash-wife of Salford owner Dr Marwan-appears to have conceded defeat in her attempted takeover of Bradford Bulls.

The Bulls were deducted six points after a failed takeover last month but it appears the Koukash family will not soon own one sixth of the Super League clubs.

“I am hearing my bid will not be the winning one,” Koukash wrote on her Twitter account.

“My bid was focused in helping the Bulls. As I understand, the RFL has nothing to do with the decision. It is based on the highest bid to pay the old debt.”

Meanwhile, Hull KR and former Parramatta Eels back Kris Keating believes his side can end their winless start to the season when they host the Bulls on Sunday.

“We’re very confident. People have just got to realise that the bounce of the ball and little things aren’t going our way,” he said. “But that luck will eventually turn and we’re going to start putting some points on the board and kick into gear.”—AFP

Kameda gives up IBF title TOKYO: Japanese boxer Daiki Kameda said yesterday he was giving up the International Boxing Federation superflyweight title which he had retained despite controversy.

“I intend to give up the IBF (champion) belt,” the 25-year-old fighter told reporters at Tokyo’s Narita airport before leaving for a two-month training camp in the US state of Florida. “ There are many strong boxers in Miami. I want to engage in boxing from scratch again.”

Kameda lost to Venezuela’s Liborio Solis on a split decision in Osaka on December 3, in what would have been a unification title bout. Solis was stripped of his World Boxing Association super-flyweight title the day before for being overweight. An IBF official incorrectly announced on the eve of the fight that Kameda’s title would have been left vacant if he lost to Solis.

But an IBF rule says a champion retains his crown regardless of the result of a title bout if his opponent fails to make the weight. Kameda accordingly kept his belt in the storm of confusion. “The reason I lost is that I

Daiki Kameda was weak. I must admit this,” said Kameda, whose older and younger brothers Koki and Tomoki are reigning and former world boxing champions.

“I want to become a much stronger boxer. I must apologise to my fans and to the public for causing a big commotion.” — AFP

KAC Squash team honored KUWAIT: Chairwoman of Kuwait Airways Rasha Abdelaziz Al-Roumi received the head of KAC Squash team in the presence of Marketing, Sales and Media Director Mohammad Al-Enezi.

Al-Ghareeb presented the World Airline Squash Tournament Cup to Al-Roumi, which was won following an exciting match which KAC team defeated British Airways 4-3 in the final match. Al-Roumi lauded the win over a strong team during the world

championship. She said the victory is the crowning of Kuwait youth’s efforts. Team director captain Adel Al-Ghareeb thanked Al-Roumi for the warm reception and promised to always exert efforts to make more achievements for KAC and Kuwait.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

S P ORTS

NC State and Albany open NCAA First Four with wins DAYTON: In his second try, TJ Warren became an NCAA tournament star. The ACC’s player of the year put on a show Tuesday night, scoring 16 of his 25 points in the second half of North Carolina State’s 74-59 victory over Xavier on the opening day of the NCAA’s First Four.

Then, it was off to the airport and a two-hour flight to Orlando, Fla., where the fast-closing Wolfpack (22-12) will play today against fifth-seeded St. Louis in the Midwest Regional.

Warren was the main reason NC State got another flight to somewhere other than home. He made up for his forgettable tournament showing a year earlier on the same floor and prevented Xavier (2114) from getting any traction in the second half.

“I just wanted to come out and be aggressive,” said Warren, who was 10 of 18 from the field. “My shots wouldn’t fall in the first half, but my teammates did a great job of finding me.”No surprise there. “Eventually in a 40-minute game, he’s going to find a way,” coach Mark Gottfried said. Center

Matt Stainbrook led Xavier with 19 points and nine rebounds despite an injured left knee. Leading scorer Semaj Christon was limited to 14 points, and Xavier made only 2 of 14 shots from beyond the arc.

Xavier’s biggest disappointment was its inability to slow down the Wolfpack in the second half, when N.C. State shot 61.5 percent from the field. “ We weren’t ourselves today on defense,” Stainbrook said. “We build our identity on defense.

When we can’t get stops, it ruins everything else.

Overall, it was just a shambles.”

Xavier was playing in a familiar arena less than an hour from campus. Familiar, but not entirely friendly. Fans of the Dayton Flyers - a long-time rival - booed loudly as they took the court, making for a mixed welcome with a lot of Musketeer fans in the stands as well. Warren made it all a moot point, helping N.C. State take all the drama out of the game over the final 11 minutes. The Wolfpack went six years between NCAA appearances before coach Mark Gottfried got them there three years in a row.

This was his youngest and least-experienced team: Only two players with tournament experience. They got one of the final at-large bids with a strong closing run, winning five of their last six games, including an upset of Syracuse in the ACC tournament.

Warren was the key. And he really wanted a second chance at the NCAA tournament. As a freshman last year, he managed only four points as N.C. State lost to Temple 76-72 at the University of Dayton Arena in its opening game. He’s grown a lot in one year, leading the ACC with 24.8 points per game this season and hitting the 40-point mark twice.

“Eventually in a 40-minute game, he’s going to find a way,” Gottfried said. In the opening game on Tuesday, Albany got its first NCAA tournament victory, holding on for a 71-64 win over Mount St. Mary’s. DJ Evans scored 22 points and hit two clinching free throws with 12.6 seconds left.

The Great Danes (19-14) earned a shot against overall No. 1 seed and top-ranked Florida in Orlando today. The game provided a wild start to the tourna-

ment. Albany scored the first 13 points and led 21-2 after the opening 81/2 minutes, only to have Mount St. Mary’s (16-17) respond with a 21-2 run of its own to draw even.

Adelaide, Australia native Peter Hooley hit two free throws and, the next time down court, scored on a driving layup over a defender for a 67-64 lead.

Mount St. Mary’s, which hit 12 of 37 3-pointers, missed two of them in the final 68 seconds.

“We had to go on a little run of our own, and we did,” said Hooley, who had 20 points. “They went on another run, and then we had to fight back and make another run. That’s what we pride ourselves on, being resilient. The fact that we managed to pull it out is a great thing.” Albany got its first NCAA win on its fourth try.

“Our goal coming into this game was to stay big, play big, be strong,” said Great Danes coach Will Brown. “I’m proud of my guys. We weathered the storm, we stayed the course, and we made plays down the stretch.” — AP

Contador triumphs at Tirreno-Adriatico MILAN: Former two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador signalled his return to form by securing overall victory at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race following the final time trial on Tuesday. Italian Adriano Malori (Movistar) won the concluding stage of the ‘Race of the Two Seas’, a flat 9.1 km race against the clock which finished on the palm tree -lined seafront of San Benedetto del Tronto. Malori completed the course in a winning time of 10min 13sec, leaving former world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara second at 6sec with Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, the Olympic champion in the discipline, in third at 11sec.

However all eyes were on Spaniard Contador, on whom expectations will now be high after a dismal 2013 season in which he tried in vain to beat Chris Froome at the Tour de France, where he finished fourth behind the triumphant Briton.

Contador, who finished second overall recently at the Tour of the Algarve, took the overall lead after an impressive ride on stage five when he launched an attack in the final 30 km, caught an earlier escape group and then beat his stage rivals to win atop the outrageously steep ‘Muro di Guardiagrele’.

His performance left overnight leader Michal Kwiatkowski, of Omega-Pharma, trailing home six minutes behind and gave Contador a 2:08 lead on Colombian Nairo Quintana of Movistar.

The 31-year-old Spaniard protected his lead on Monday’s sixth stage, won by sprinter Mark Cavendish, and lost only three seconds to Quintana on Tuesday’s

Jaber Nassar

test to claim his first major stage race since the Tour of Spain in 2012.

“The boys rode with great self-belief and confidence throughout the entire race,” sport director Philippe Mauduit said of his Tinkoff-Saxo team of which Contador was part.

“I think they knew that they were a par t of a ver y strong squad. It was incredible to witness the two victories in the mountains, where the team worked superbly together and Alberto’s solo ride crowned the whole experience.”

Mauduit highlighted Contador’s fifth stage victory as the turning point. “It’s just special to see this kind of riding,” the Frenchman said.”It makes the race more exciting and it shows that it can be done if the team is supportive and the riders are determined enough. And of course, you have to have the legs to do it.”

Tirreno-Adriatico is one of two major races, along with Paris-Nice-which finished on Sunday-in which many riders compete to help hone their form for Milan-SanRemo.

The first major classic of the season will be held on Sunday but, after organisers altered the course by removing a key climb, the Pompeiana, it is expected to suit the sprinters this year.

Contador’s bid was arguably boosted by the retirement from the race of Sky’s Richie Porte, a pre-race contender, who pulled out prior to stage five due to illness.

His fellow Australian, former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, pulled out prior to the time trial in order to return home and prepare for the Giro d’Italia which begins on May 9. — AFP

Mustafa Al-Agha

Bid to curb sports violence

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The first World Police Sport and Security Conference to be hosted

by Kuwait on March 23-24 under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and chaired by Lt General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf has attracting the attention of local and international media.

MBC’s Mustafa Al Agha said the conference is very important, as it is being held for the first time in the history of USIP, with a wide ranged international and regional participation.

He said the conference will come with recommendations that will reflect positively on international sports in general, and its benefit will not be limited to police sports.

He said Kuwait is a pioneer in hosting such important events, as Kuwait athletes have important positions in sports around the world and succeeded in running the organizations including USIP. Al-Agha said he wishes that all media personnel be a good example in fighting sports extremism in all forms and comply with the conference recommendations to spread the message of fair play in all spor ts.

Kuwait’s Jaber Nassar said Kuwait’s

hosting the conference is a good opportunity to bring in sports leaders from around the world to discuss recent administrative methods in running sports facilities and fighting enhancing drugs.

Nassar said security men play a major and vital role all over the world, and their presence in arenas creates comfort for players.

He said that seminars and conferences should be held periodically in educational facilities to educate people on the role of security and being away from violence.

Nassar lauded the role of the President of Kuwait Police Spor ts Union and USIP in spreading the security awareness in addition to being able to increase the number of member states to over 50.

About the importance of having an elite group of spor ts leaders in Kuwait, he said this will place Kuwait on the map of countries that are interested in sports and curbing violence.

He said UAE drew the world’s attention through sports and hosting conferences year long. He added that Qatar succeeded because of sports and organizing international championships and will organize the World Cup in 2022.

TEHRAN: Iranian women practice parkour in Tehran’s Tavalod Park. A group of Iranian women have discovered parkour, the fast-moving sport blending acrobatics and gymnastics that has become their outlet for evading social constraints and dealing with stress. — AFP

Fast-paced ‘parkour’ offers an outlet for Iranian girls TEHRAN: In a Tehran park, a group of young women brave sneering men and shocked looks as they perform flips, mid-air somersaults and bound from pillar to pillar in a surprising sight in a conservative Islamic country.

The group has discovered parkour, the fastmoving sport blending acrobatics and gymnastics that has become their outlet for evading social constraints and dealing with stress.

“As a woman, it’s a bit complicated,” concedes their teacher Maryam Sedighian Rad, a 28-year-old who holds a masters in physiology. She and the others wear the “hijab” obligatory in Iran, which requires women to cover their hair and much of their body in loose clothing to prevent their figures being seen, and her group often has a male escort when they practise outside to ward off unwelcome company-and sometimes police.

Born in France in the late 1980s, parkour involves getting around or over urban obstacles, with a fast-paced mix of running, jumping, and gymnastic rolls and vaults.

Offering a cocktail of excitement, danger and risk, it caught on around the world thanks to blockbuster movies like “Yamakasi” and “District B13”.

Now, it has gained a foothold in Iran-and not only among the usual young male aficionado. Sedighian Rad and some 50 womenteenagers and young adults-are among the hundreds of Iranians practising this non-competitive discipline that morphed from military obstacle course training into a mainly urban sport. The parkour motto, “Never move backwards,” seems to hold particular resonance here. Three times a week, Sedighian Rad trains her groups at three indoor sports complexes.

“We encounter problems but we try our best to cope with them because we love doing parkour,” says Sedighian Rad. While their baggy outfits allow for ease of movement, the jogging, jumping and somersaulting can cause hair to fall loose. Unperturbed, Helia Goharbavar, 16, readjusts her hijab after every move. “It doesn’t bother me,” she said.

“It’s cold anyway and you have to wear something. Besides, we are used to it.”

‘I FEEL FREE’ One of the most agile in the group, 17year-old Arefeh Shoari, admits she often fears that certain moves might expose parts of her body.

But she and the other girls say parkouroften billed as a holistic discipline-has given them freedom and confidence.

“There was a jump I couldn’t do at first ... learning it made me realise I am capable of doing anything and defeating any obstacle,” says Sedighian Rad. “I feel free.”

Shoari says parkour allows her to cope with everyday life. “I am really stressed out because of my studies but parkour helps me a lot to deal with the stress,” she says. “I feel happy.”

“Practising parkour shows that even if you are a woman, you are not bound to stay at home,” says Goharbavar. Apart from the risk of injury in this hard-knock sport, the women

IRAN: Iranian Homa Sharifi works out during a parkour training session at a sports hall in northern Tehran. — AFP

also brave derision in a country where mixed activities are banned.

“Sometimes people criticise us saying this isn’t a sport for girls. They say we’re supposed to knit ... They can’t imagine a girl exercising like a boy,” Sedighian Rad says.

Athena Karami, 19, recalls how she once had to leave the park during practice after a crowd of teenage boys “made fun of us and filmed us with their mobile phones”.

To head off such problems, Sedighian Rad usually takes along male members of “Hitall”the parkour club she joined in May 2012 — when her group trains outside.

At times police have interrupted their workout. “But when they see that it’s just a sport and that we are really exercising, they let us be,” Sedighian Rad says. “Sometimes they even express interest in parkour and ask where they can get training.” — AFP

Kuwait International Rally 2014 kicks off today KUWAIT: Kuwait International Rally 2014 (second round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship) will kick off here today with a press conference at Sirb Circuit organized by Kuwait Quarter Mile Club.

Head of the organizing committee and member of the board for the Kuwaiti Quarter Mile Motorsport Club, Sheikh Athbi Al-Naif Al-Sabah, expressed in remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) his confidence in skills and capacities of all the contestants to provide the best levels that reflect their true potentials. He also called on all media to support this event, one of the most important regional sports events, held under auspices of the Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Athbi Al-Naif also expressed confidence, particularly in all Kuwaiti participants, namely Mishari Al-Thefiri who scored first place in the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship 2014 (Group N), held in Doha. He also expected from Kuwait local rally champion Salah Bin Eidan to participate fiercely in this round. The latter had withdrawn from the competition in the first round in Qatar due to a technical failure. —KUNA

Sheikh Athbi Naif Al-Sabah

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

S P ORT S

Preview

Spurs up against Benfica as Fiorentina take on Juventus

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo jubilates in this file photo. — AFP

Ronaldo lifts up hopes of rare treble for Real MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo’s scintillating form and the supporting role played by the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema suggest Real Madrid have every right to believe a rare treble is well within their grasp.

Barcelona became the only Spanish team to win the Champions League and the domestic league and cup in the same season in 2008-09 but La Liga leaders Real are in a strong position to match their arch rivals after Ronaldo’s goals helped them put together a 31-match unbeaten run since the end of October. The Portugal forward and World Player of the Year has scored 41 goals in 37 matches for the world’s richest club this term. His double in Tuesday’s 3-1 win against Schalke 04, as Real secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a club record 9-2 aggregate success, took his tally in the latest edition of Europe’s elite club competition to 13.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti deployed Ronaldo in the last 16 first leg even though Real were leading 6-1 from the first game in Germany, when he also struck twice and Bale and Benzema each netted doubles. “I feel good and the coach, who makes these decisions, decided it was good for me to play,” Ronaldo said on UEFA.com.

“I scored two goals and helped my team achieve a very important win to keep our good run going. “We must continue on this path. Let’s see what happens in the next few games.” Ronaldo’s opening goal in the 21st minute showcased his ability to time his runs to perfection as he sprinted into the area and clipped a Bale centre into the net.

His second strike 17 minutes from time was classic Ronaldo as he collected the ball near the halfway line and charged past the helpless Schalke players before smashing a low shot into the bottom corner. “Ronaldo didn’t become World Player of the Year for nothing,” Schalke coach Jens Keller told a news conference.

“His qualities are outstanding.” With 13 goals in seven games, the 29-year-old former Manchester United player has surpassed his best Champions League haul and is one short of the record of 14 set by Barca forward Lionel Messi in 2011-12. He also climbed above Real great Ferenc Puskas into fourth on the list of the club’s top scorers with 243

compared to the Hungarian’s 242 but still has some way to go to catch leading marksman Raul who scored 323.

ONE-MAN SHOW “Cristiano is the best in the world,” Real midfielder Casemiro, who had a rare chance to impress on Tuesday with his team virtually assured of going through, told reporters.

“He is a one-man show and an example for everyone,” the 22-year-old added. “I learn a lot from him and he is an incredible player.”

Real will find out on Friday who they will face in the quarter-finals and they could be drawn against Barcelona or city neighbors Atletico Madrid.

Real host Barca, the last team to beat them, in the La Liga “Clasico” on Sunday, when a win would stretch their lead over the champions to seven points and deal a severe blow to Barca’s chances of a fifth title in six years.

Barca are third after a couple of surprise defeats, a point behind second-placed Atletico. Barca and Real also meet in next month’s King’s Cup final, a repeat of the 2011 showpiece which Real won 1-0, raising the prospect of a possible four meetings between them in the space of just over three weeks.

“We have to take things step by step,” Ronaldo told UEFA.com. “We had a very good group stage, scoring a lot of goals while accumulating points. “Let’s see who we get next but I see the team doing well at the moment and, one step at a time, we will try to achieve our objective of winning three competitions. “ We know that will be difficult but at Madrid we have to aim high. With that attitude, anything is possible.” Record signing Bale, who has started to come into form after an injury-disrupted start to his Real career, has developed a highly effective partnership with Ronaldo and the Wales winger said his confidence was high as the season enters a key phase. “I am enjoying my game,” he told reporters. “We are playing well, with a lot of confidence, and are on a good run. We’re coming to a decisive part of the season and we have to keep it going. “Barcelona is a direct rival and we will try to play a good match (on Sunday) and get the three points. They have very good players but we are focused on our game and on our team because we also have very good players.” — Reuters

Chelsea’s win built on solid defence LONDON: Chelsea’s miniature midfield marvels may scoop the plaudits but success is built on solid foundations and Jose Mourinho praised his central defensive rocks after his side’s Champions League win over Galatasaray.

Eden Hazard, Oscar, Ramires and Willian were all on duty in Tuesday’s 2-0 home victory that sent Chelsea into the quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate but it was John Terry and Gary Cahill who Mourinho picked out for particular praise.

The duo ensured that striker Didier Drogba’s return to his old club was a forgettable one and Cahill even weighed in with the second goal - following a parried Terry header - after Samuel Eto’o’s fourth-minute opener.

“Gary and John had a fantastic performance against two very good strikers and the fact was that we controlled the game so well that you couldn’t see Drogba in a dangerous position,” Mourinho told a news conference. “The team was very, very solid, very confident and in control for 90 minutes, which is difficult. “It was a very good performance.

There were no fears, we had a very good approach to the game as 1-1 is difficult, even when your winning 2-0 it’s difficult because one goal for them leaves them needing just a goal to go through. “But we got a positive result in the first leg and tonight we finished the job.”

SOUND DEFENCE Terr y and Cahill looked like men absolutely on top of their game and with the ever-reliable Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta outside them, Mourinho can spend his time working on attacking ideas knowing his defence is sound.

In normal circumstances the England manager would be delighted at being able to slot a regular club pairing straight into the national team but though Cahill’s consistent displays this season have made him a likely starter in the World Cup, Terry will be watching from home.

Roy Hodgson has made it abundantly

clear he has no intention of trying to prize Terry out of international retirement, despite the alarming drop in form of most of his centre-back rivals.

Chelsea’s England midfielder Frank Lampard still looks a man with one more tournament in him, however, after he too delivered a display full of experience and authority to continually snuff out Galatasaray’s attacks before they reached anything like the danger zone.

That left Drogba a forlorn figure up front and Mourinho, who enjoyed some of his finest moments in tandem with the powerful Ivorian, had some sympathy.

The Portuguese coach laughed off suggestions that the 36-year-old forward had been overcome by the occasion and the emotion of the warm welcome he was afforded by the home fans.

“No, the most difficult thing was the way his team played,” he said. “When you are a striker, if your team doesn’t play attacking football you feel a lonely man.

It happens to every striker in the world.”

MANCINI BEMUSED Galatasaray coach Roberto Mancini was at a loss to explain his team’s failure to get even the slightest toe-hold in the match.

“It’s very hard to say anything about the game because we didn’t do anything,” he said. “After the first leg in Istanbul I was confident we would get a chance. We had a plan but we gave a goal away after four minutes.

“It was a difficult game but our players did not make an impact. I’m very disappointed for our supporters as they were the best player on the pitch.”

Mancini accepted Chelsea “had a chance” of going all the way in Europe but he was not about to hand them all the glory this season.

Asked who he thought would win the English Premier League, the Italian, who led Manchester City to their dramatic domestic title success in 2012, backed his former club. “I think Manchester City,” he said. “Because they have the best players.”— Reuters

PARIS: Tottenham Hotspur are right up against it as they travel to Portugal to face Benfica in the Europa League today, while Fiorentina will hope to get the better of Italian rivals Juventus.

Tim Sherwood’s Tottenham side must overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit when they face Benfica at the Estadio da Luz if they are to keep English interest in the Europa League alive into the quarter-finals.

Spurs were outclassed at White Hart Lane last Thursday, and their worst ever home defeat in Europe came in between damaging Premier League losses to London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal. With Jan Vertonghen suspended and Vlad Chiriches and Michael Dawson carrying injuries, they have defensive selection concerns for this game too.

Winger Andros Townsend knows that Tottenham cannot be considered favourites given Benfica’s outstanding recent record, but he remains hopeful of pulling off a shock after drawing some encouragement from the 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

“We know it was a good team performance, we worked hard, controlled possession and had more chances,” he told the club website. “We know ultimately we lost, but we can take the positives to Benfica. We’ve nothing to lose. We’re two goals behind from the home leg, so we can go there, have a go and see what happens.”

Spurs lost 3-1 on their last visit to play Benfica in the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1962. If the Portuguese giants are not currently at the level of that great side, led by Eusebio, they are still in great shape. A 4-2 win against Nacional on Monday extended their unbeaten run to 25 matches. They have won their last 10 games and are seven points clear of rivals Sporting at the top of the domestic Super Liga, a competition which coach Jorge Jesus has admitted must be the priority this season.

However, Jesus has warned his team that perceptions will change very quickly if they don’t keep their form going.

LISBON: Tottenham’s players take part in a training session at the Luz stadium, on the eve of the UEFA Europa League, round of 16, second leg football match against Benfica. — AFP

“One result can change ever ything overnight,” he said. “At Benfica, we just need to draw a game for people to start questioning the capacity of the team, and that can have an impact on the players. We are about to see if we have what it takes to be champions.” Juventus moved closer to retaining their Serie A title at the weekend and reaching the Europa League final in their own stadium in Turin would cap their season.

However, they go to Italian rivals Fiorentina on Thursday with work to do after Mario Gomez’s late equaliser in the first leg gave La Viola a 1-1 draw and put them in control. “They have a fearsome squad, but in a one-off game anything can happen”, said veteran Fiorentina midfielder Massimo Ambrosini.

There will definitely be one Italian team in Friday’s quarter-final draw then, and there could be another if Napoli manage to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit when they entertain Porto at the San Paolo.

“We reach this game with confidence,” said Napoli coach Rafael Benitez after his side’s 1-

0 win at Torino on Monday in Serie A. “We need to get everyone fit again and hope we are fresh for a match that will be like a final.”

There is another derby in store in Spain, where La Liga’s bottom club Betis will hope to see through a 2-0 first-leg advantage when they entertain city rivals Sevilla at the Benito Villamarin.

Unai Emery’s Sevilla side bounced back from that loss to beat Valladolid 4-1 at the weekend, but they have now lost Uruguayan midfielder Sebastian Cristoforo to a knee injury and Vicente Iborra is suspended while Stephane Mbia is also struggling.

Betis have fitness concerns too, but the tie is in their hands. “We got a good result, but nothing has been done yet,” said coach Gabriel Calderon after the first leg.

Elsewhere, Valencia and Lyon defend three-goal leads against Ludogorets Razgrad and Viktoria Pilsen respectively, but AZ Alkmaar go to Russia with a fragile one-goal advantage against Anzhi Makhachkala and it is all to play for between Salzburg and Basel after a goalless first leg. — AFP

Heat scorch Cavaliers

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

16

Spurs up against Benfica as Fiorentina take on Juventus

19

Court hears Pistorius shot his girlfriend in hip before head

Page 17

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Robin van Persie celebrates with teammate Wayne Rooney, after scoring his side’s third goal and his hat-trick, during the Champions League, Round of 16, second leg match against Olympiakos. — AP

Van the man for United MANCHESTER: Robin van Persie scored a hattrick as Manchester United kept their season alive by storming back to beat Olympiakos 3-0 and reach the Champions League quarterfinals yesterday.

United were left on the brink of elimination after losing the first leg of the last 16 tie 2-0, but on a stirring night at Old Trafford the Dutchman’s treble took them into the last eight for the first time since 2011. Van Persie’s evening was to end on a sour note, as he was stretchered from the field in the latter stages after going down holding his leg, but it did not dampen United’s celebrations.

It was the first time United had ever overturned a two-goal deficit in the competition and made them only the sixth team to have clawed back a disadvantage of two goals or more in the Champions League era. Victory was far from straightforward, however, with United goalkeeper David de Gea notably pro-

ducing a fine double save shortly before Van Persie levelled the tie in first-half injury time.

United’s progress will ease the pressure on manager David Moyes, whose position was the subject of intense press speculation prior to kick-off, but he will remain under scrutiny over the season’s closing weeks.

Sunday’s 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool left United 12 points outside the top four in the Premier League, meaning that they may have to qualify for next season’s Champions League by winning the current edition. United, for whom Ryan Giggs excelled in central midfield, made their attacking intent immediately clear, with the forwards pressing high up the pitch and sighs echoing around the ground whenever the ball went backwards.

GIGGS RAISES TEMPO Olympiakos received two early setbacks when Kostas Manolas and Alejandro Dominguez picked up bookings that would

have ruled them out of the first leg in the quarter-finals, but they worried United on the counter-attack.

A low Jose Holebas cross had to be hacked clear by Phil Jones, while Hernan Perez should have done better than hoist the ball high and wide from 12 yards after being picked out by Joel Campbell.

Gradually, United raised the tempo, and after Wayne Rooney had put a header against the post from a floated Giggs cross, they secured a foothold in the tie in the 25th minute.

Giggs was the architect, his raking pass freeing Van Persie, who was clattered from behind by Holebas, and after referee Bjorn Kuipers pointed to the spot, the Dutch striker swept home from 12 yards. Visiting goalkeeper Roberto then touched a Patrice Evra header over the bar, but United would have had a mountain to climb had De Gea not produced

a stunning double save to thwart David Fuster and Dominguez.

Within minutes the tie was level, as Giggsagain-freed Rooney with a lofted ball into the inside-right channel and the England man centred for Van Persie to slam home.

United had the momentum and seven minutes into the second half they made it count when Van Persie whipped a 25-yard free-kick past an oddly static Roberto to complete his first Champions League hat-trick. The hosts remained vulnerable, however, with Olympiakos needing just one goal to regain the lead, and there were heart-in-mouth moments when De Gea was obliged to save from Perez and Dominguez. Ultimately United survived, but at the cost of Van Persie’s injury and a booking to Evra that rules him out of the first leg of their quarter-finals.-AFP Meanwhile, David Moyes spoke out yesterday to dismiss media reports that he has fallen

out with senior players including Ryan Giggs and Robin van Persie.

“A lot of people are trying to divide us in some way or not keep us together,” Moyes told the club’s television channel, MUTV. “I can only tell people what they’re hearing or what they are saying is rubbish.” Moyes faces press speculation about his job after seeing United fall 18 points off the pace in the Premier League and crash out of both domestic cup competitions.

Stories have emerged of bust-ups involving Giggs and Van Persie, but the latter declared his happiness at Old Trafford in a recent interview and Giggs who is also a member of Moyes’s coaching staff-is reported to have been angered by the reports.

“Over the last few weeks, (the media) have tried to say there are problems with this player or that player,” Moyes added. “But the reports are all rubbish.”— AFP

Zenit bow out despite 2-1 win at Dortmund DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals despite going down 2-1 at home to Zenit St Petersburg in yesterday’s last 16 second-leg clash.

Dortmund went through 5-4 on aggregate after winning the first-leg in St Petersburg 4-2 three weeks ago. But the Zenit defeat was Dortmund’s third Champions League loss of the season after defeats at Napoli and home to Arsenal in the group stages and this was a below-par performance from last season’s finalists.

Brazil star Hulk, a constant threat on the left wing, gave Zenit an early lead with a superb strike before Dortmund drew level when veteran captain Sebastian Kehl headed their equaliser just before the break. Then Venezuela striker Jose Rondon, who joined Zenit in January from Russian rivals Rubin Kazan, came off the bench to head home the second-half winner.

Zenit will unveil ex-Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager today. The Russians must have impressed their new manager, having produced a spirited display and taken the game to Dortmund, nearly achieving the three goals they needed in Germany to progress.

Hulk breathed some life back into Zenit’s GERMANY: Zenit’s Brazilian forward Hulk celebrates scoring during Champions League ambitions when he put the the last 16 second-leg UEFA Champions League football match guests ahead with 16 minutes gone after he cut inside two defenders and his powerful shot curled against Borussia Dortmund. — AFP away from goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller into the

top left-hand corner.

At the other end, Dortmund’s Poland striker Robert Lewandowski was booked on 19 minutes for a handball while leaping for a corner and the yellow card will have repercussions.

It was his third of the tournament and means he is suspended for the first leg of the quarter-final.

Dortmund discover their opponents in Friday’s draw.

Dortmund’s left winger Kevin Grosskreutz then forced Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev into a good save while Sokratis’ headed well over the bar as the hosts went on the attack.

Attacking midfielder Oleg Shatov nearly added Zenit’s second when he fired in a shot which forced Weidenfeller to palm away.

But Dortmund went into the break level when left back Marcel Schmelzer fired in a cross, which Kehl headed home after it bounced up off the turf on 38 minutes, even though Malafeev got a glove to it.

Hulk, not short on confidence after his goal, fired over with a fierce free-kick on 51 minutes. Things became untidy in the second half with passes going astray.

Dortmund just shaded possession, but were punished for sitting back when Rondon got in behind the defence to poach the winner.

Italian left-back Domenico Criscito swung in a superb cross and Rondon slipped his marker Mats Hummels for a diving header to cause Dortmund some late nerves while Weidenfeller was forced into several saves. — AFP

GERMANY: Dortmund’s Neven Subotic of Serbia (right) and Zenit’s Aleksandr Anyukov (left) challenge for the ball during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg soccer match. —AP

Business

Morocco gets record tourists, receipts slip Page 22

Alibaba’s choice of US IPO spurred by rivals

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Page 23

Asian shares slip before US Fed review

UK hopes to foil fraudsters with the new £1 coin

Page 24

Page 25

HYDERABAD: Indian laborers arrange watermelons after they were auctioned at the Gaddiannaram wholesale fruit market on the outskirts of Hyderabad yesterday. India’s inflation hit a nine-month low in February data showed, but analysts saw little chance of any immediate interest rate cut. — AFP

Farmers commit suicide in western India Freak hailstorms, rains destroy winter crops in the

news

Bahrain GFH eyes convertible sukuk DOHA: Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House will seek shareholder approval later this month for a potential reduction in share capital and to issue a convertible sukuk of up to $500 million to restructure debt and fund new projects. The Islamic investment firm, whose unit is in the process of selling a majority stake in English soccer club Leeds United, was repeatedly forced into restructuring debt as the firm struggled in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Under the proposal, GFH will reduce the nominal value of its shares by 13.8 percent to $0.265 per share from $0.3075, according to a notice on GFH’s website. As a result, paid-up capital will be cut to $837 million from $972 million. GFH also aims to issue convertible sukuk worth up to $500 million to restructure current liabilities, develop projects and fund possible future acquisitions, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

No timeframe was indicated for the potential offering in the statement.

FedEx profit up, but misses expectations DALLAS: FedEx says its profit rose 5 percent from a year ago despite storms that raised the company’s costs. But its results were below analysts’ expectations.

The package-delivery giant said yesterday that net income rose to $378 million, or $1.23 per share, for the quarter that ended Feb. 28. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $1.45 per share. Revenue rose 3 percent to $11.30 billion, below Wall Street’s forecast of $11.43 billion. Ground shipping is doing better, but the express-delivery business is flat. The company expects earnings for the fiscal year that ends in May to be between $6.55 and $6.80 per share. That’s below analysts’ prediction of $6.89 per share. FedEx shares fell 2 percent in premarket trading. Its shares had been down 3.6 percent this year after gaining 57 percent last year.

Split-second trading probed in New York ALBANY: New York’s attorney general has begun investigating split-second stock trading by some high-frequency traders and called on the exchanges Tuesday to end the practice he said gives them an unfair advantage. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said federal and other state regulators should join in structural reforms. “Rather than curbing the worst threats posed by high-frequency traders, our markets are becoming too focused on catering to them,” Schneiderman said.

He discussed his concerns at a symposium at New York Law School. According to the attorney general’s office, advantages include extra computer network bandwidth, ultra-fast connection cables and special highspeed switches to computer servers. Some traders are allowed to place their computer servers within trading venues. The millisecond timing advantages let those traders make “rapid and often risk-free trades before the rest of the market can catch up.” New York’s attorney general has authority to investigate and prosecute securities fraud under the Martin Act, which the office has used to crack down on widespread institutional issues like research analyst bias.

MUMBAI: A string of farmers have committed suicide in western India after freak hailstorms and rains destroyed winter crops worth millions of dollars, activists and politicians said yesterday. The unusual weather struck parts of western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, from late February and went on to badly damage crops. A source from the Maharashtra chief minister’s office told AFP that seven suicides had been confirmed, with more killed by the storm itself, but the opposition and activists said the real figure was much higher. “There have been 32 (farmer) suicides so far across Maharashtra

after the hailstorms started... We are getting hourly updates from our people,” said Kishor Tiwari, president of farmers’ advocacy group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti.

He said the figure was expected to rise after more post-mortems were carried out.

India’s main opposition group, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said on Tuesday that the number of farmer suicides had gone up to 37, demanding that the natural disaster be declared a “national calamity”, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. “Since the hailstorm began on February 28, the entire rabi (winter-sown) crop on 1.6 million hectares of

land in 17 districts has been destroyed,” said senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde.

The region, which usually experiences the tropical rainy season from June to October, saw major damage to crops of fruits such as grape, mango, papaya, lime and watermelon, according to local reports.

Among those to commit suicide was debtridden Bapu Ramchandra Pawar, 62, who poisoned himself after his pomegranate farm was destroyed, police told PTI. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has released a statement promising to stand by victims of the storm who suffered “utter distress” from the damage of their crops, which were

about to be harvested.

He urged those affected not to “take any steps that endanger their lives under such emotional stress”. Ahead India’s general election which begins next month, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is due to visit the troubled area on Thursday. He is expected to hold a public rally in Vidarbha, a region notorious for its high level of farmer suicides. A delegation of ministers from Maharashtra met India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last Friday and demanded 50 billion rupees (800 million dollars) in relief towards damage caused by the freak weather. — AFP

Qatar issues tender for Doha Metro DOHA: Qatar has issued a new tender for phase one of its Doha Metro, a key infrastructure project in the Gulf country as it prepares to host the 2022 World Cup. Three sources, who did not wish to be identified since the information is not public, said the tender, issued earlier this month, is for the rolling stock, systems, depot facilities, trackwork and other aspects of Doha Metro. The project has been under scrutiny due to delays in giving contracts and starting work.

The tender, which could go over 8 billion riyals ($2.2 billion) according to one source, would be the final one for phase one of the metro. “It’s a big one and all major global companies are bidding for the deal,” said one industry source. The Qatari authorities are expected to award the contract in the next five months. Qatar awarded four design-and-build contracts worth about $8.2 billion for phase one of the Doha Metro last year.

The contracts were given to local and international companies including Italian construction firm Impregilo SPA and France’s Vinci Construction among others.

Many projects have been slower to get started than the business community expected, apparently because of bureaucratic and planning problems. In the fiscal year that ended last March, actual government spending rose only 2.2 percent, undershooting the budget plan for the first time since 1990. The ambitious $15 billion airport has yet to open for commercial operations, despite plans for a launch last year.

However, the government appears determined to pick up the pace, and a planning ministry report in December said state spending would climb 11.6 percent in calendar 2014. It said on Tuesday that contracts for construction projects worth as much as $50 billion would be signed this year, an indication that the Gulf country is stepping up infrastructure spending sharply this year. After it won the right to host the 2022 World Cup four years ago, Qatar announced plans to spend some $140 billion on projects including a new airport, port facilities, railways, stadiums and other infrastructure. — Reuters

Canada finance minister resigns OTTAWA: Canada’s Jim Flaherty, the long-serving Conservative finance minister who helped steer the economy through the global financial crisis, resigned from the cabinet on Tuesday, leaving the country on track to balance its books by 2015.

Flaherty, 64, ends the third-longest stint as finance minister in the country’s history. He has been suffering acutely from a rare skin disease, though he denied his resignation had anything to do with health. “Yesterday, I informed the Prime Minister that I am resigning from Cabinet. This was a decision I made with my family earlier this year, as I will be returning to the private sector,” he said in a statement accompanied by a picture of him standing at an office door waving goodbye.

Analysts said Canada’s Conservative government was likely to stick with the plan to balance the budget next year, but there was less certainty

about who would succeed Flaherty and how the government would spend surpluses projected for coming years. Canada’s public broadcaster CBC reported that Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver would succeed Flaherty, without citing sources. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s chief spokesman, Jason Macdonald, declined to comment on the report.

Two government sources, who declined to speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the issues, told Reuters earlier on Tuesday that they believed Oliver was the best candidate for the job because of his extensive financial industry expertise and because he represents a district in the politically valuable Toronto area. Oliver is currently the government’s main proponent of TransCanada Corp’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline to the United States. — Reuters

LONDON: British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne poses for pictures holding the budget box outside 11 Downing Street in London yesterday, as he prepares to unveil the government’s annual budget to parliament. — AFP ( See Page 25)

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

BUSINESS

Asia’s Iran crude liftings rise sharply Iran oil exports show steady increase TOKYO: Iran exported oil at levels higher than allowed under Western sanctions for a fourth straight month in February, ship loading data seen

by Reuters showed, raising the risk of a crackdown if Washington feels economic pressure is being relaxed too quickly.

The higher sales to Iran’s main clients, mostly in Asia and including Turkey, have come after a temporary agreement eased some sanctions aimed at undermining Tehran’s nuclear program. Under the deal, Iran’s exports are supposed to be held at an average 1 million barrels per day (bpd) for the six months to July 20. But shipments to Asia have topped that level at least since November, according to customs and ship tracking data.

As talks on a final nuclear deal resumed in Vienna on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama was again facing pressure from US lawmakers to be tougher on Iran. US senators have written to Obama to say Tehran should not be allowed to circumvent sanctions as world powers work towards a lasting agreement with the Middle East country. “Iran cannot be allowed to be open for business,” 83 senators wrote in a letter. “We view this period as one fraught with the danger of companies and countries looking to

improve their commercial position in Tehran.”

February crude loadings by Iran’s top four buyers - China, India, Japan and South Korea - rose to 1.16 million bpd versus 994,669 bpd in January, according to the loading plan. Adding in oil lifted by Turkey - which came in at 105,824 bpd in January and 117,857 bpd in February - Tehran’s exports have busted the sanctions limits at least since November.

The loading volumes exclude condensate, a light oil, that Iran exports to China and others. Since sanctions were imposed in 2012 and more than halved Iran’s oil exports, China, India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey have bought nearly all Iranian crude exports.

The Obama administration believes Iran’s exports will fall in coming months and exports through late July will average 1 million bpd. To ensure that happens, Washington could put more pressure on Iranian crude buyers to slash purchases. Indian government sources have said refiners there must cut their Iranian oil imports by nearly two-thirds from the first quarter after the United States urged New Delhi to hold the shipments at end-2013 levels. The temporary deal between Iran and world powers, struck in November and implemented on Jan. 20,

also freed up $4.2 billion in back oil payments to Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Breaching ceiling The intake of Iranian oil by Asian buyers alone has topped 960,000 bpd since November, government and industry data has shown, and adding in an average 100,000 bpd of crude for Turkey, exports have breached 1 million bpd at least since then.

With loadings for the first two months of the year for February and March arrivals - also holding above 1 million bpd, according to the loading document, exports look set to breach the cap for the first quarter of the year, allowing up to three weeks for shipments to China, Japan and South Korea.

China lifted 502,500 bpd in February, again taking its purchases back to pre-sanctions levels. The nation’s refiners received 564,536 bpd in January. In comparison, China imported 428,840 bpd of Iranian oil for all of 2013, according to customs data. China’s February import numbers are not due out until later this week. China’s total oil imports from Iran may rise in 2014 as state-run trader Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp is negotiating a new condensate contract, Reuters has reported.

India lifted 304,286 bpd of crude in February, according to the loading data. Iran’s second-biggest client imported 412,000 bpd in January and averaged 195,600 bpd in arrivals in 2013. South Korea loaded 214,286 bpd in February, mostly for March arrival dates. February arrivals from Iran, meanwhile, doubled from a year earlier as refiners hiked purchases ahead of maintenance shutdowns starting from March. Japan loaded 140,000 bpd in February, according to the loading program. It purchased 210,517 bpd from Iran in January, after reducing imports by 6 percent in 2013, marking its lowest daily crude imports from Iran in more than 30 years.

Japan’s February import numbers are due later this month.

Condensate exports Iran’s exports to Asia, including condensate, were 1.25 million bpd in February, up 62,000 bpd from the previous month, the loading document showed.

That was on par with a 13-month high in oil and condensate arrivals in Asia in January. Including Turkey, Iran’s crude and condensates exports rose to 1.37 million bpd in February, up 74,000 bpd from January. — Reuters

China in talks with Airbus on $20 billion plane deal Deal could involve at least 150 passenger planes

MHAMID EL-GHIZLANE: A man walks on a sand dune with his camels in Mhamid ElGhizlane, in the Moroccan southern Sahara desert. — AFP

Morocco gets record tourists, receipts slip RABAT: Morocco’s beaches, mountains and historic sites attracted a record 10 million tourists in 2013 and the country expects a further 10 percent rise this year, the Moroccan tourism minister said. Morocco, where tourism accounts for around 8 to 9 percent of the gross domestic product, was relatively spared of the turmoil of the 2011 Arab Spring revolts that ousted autocrats in North Africa such as Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.

Arab Spring-inspired protests did break out, calling for a fully elected government, but King Mohammed succeeded in stifling them with limited constitutional reforms, harsh policing and early elections in 2011. Minister Lahcen Haddad told Reuters Morocco hit a high of 10.04 million tourists in 2013, a 7 percent increase over 2012.

But according to trade deficit figures, tourism receipts slipped slightly to 57.55 billion dirhams ($7.1 billion] last year from 57.83 billion dirhams.

“We have noticed stagnation in the receipts as the tourists buying power has been hit by the euro crisis and tour operators are seeing prices squeezed as other countries with less stability are cutting prices,” Haddad said. “We expect a 10 pct rise in the number of tourist coming in Morocco in 2014, and we think receipts would increase by 3 pct only,” he said. The minister said the government was in negotiations with tourism industry to propose other offers with more added value as a way to offset stagnating receipts. Receipts fell again by 0.9 percent to 7.95 billion dirhams through the end of February 2014 compared with the same two-

month period a year earlier.

Tunisia effect Along with remittances from 4.5 million Moroccans living abroad, tourism is now the North African kingdom’s biggest source of foreign currency, key to maintaining the country’s fragile balance of payments. Tourism is the second-biggest employer and second largest contributor to GDP. Tunisia is returning to the tourism market and expects some 7 million tourists to visit this year as the country that inspired the Arab Spring revolts enjoys political stability for the first time since the uprising three years ago. With few energy resources of its own like neighboring OPEC oil producers Algeria and Libya, Tunisia also relies heavily on remittances and tourism, especially from Europeans visiting its Mediterranean beaches and desert tours.

“It is a good thing stability is coming back to Tunisia or even Egypt. That would keep prices at a sustainable level and would give North Africa a new breath of life and Morocco would benefit from that too,” Haddad said. Morocco is focusing more of its tourism promotion on Brazil, Russia, Poland, the Czech and Slovak republics, having depended heavily on tourists from Western Europe. “Morocco has more to offer than beautiful beaches. We have a millenary culture and diversified landscapes,” he said. “As the international environment has been improving, Moroccan tourism would hit more records in the coming years.” — Reuters

BEIJING: China is in talks to buy at least 150 Airbus passenger jets potentially worth $20 billion when Xi Jinping pays his first visit to Europe as president at the end of this month, people familiar with the matter said. In a broad-ranging deal that could help reset trade relations between China and Europe after a bumpy year, China is expected to buy more A330 passenger jets as talks advance to open Airbus’s second major factory in the country.

The “cabin completion” plant for A330s would bolster Airbus’s presence five years after the opening of its first final assembly plant outside Europe in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, where Chinese workers put together A320 jets. The deal could also involve a decision to unfreeze the purchase of 27 A330s blocked by China during a recent row with the European Union over environmental policies. “This visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping...will certainly beneficially promote the development of ties between China and the European Union,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said when asked to confirm the aircraft order. “This will be an allround development of relations.”

A spokesman for Airbus, a subsidiary of Airbus Group, previously known as EADS, declined to comment. Spokespeople for major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern all declined to comment. Both France and Germany are anxious to establish good ties with China’s leader and announcements on the Airbus deal package could be made in both countries, European officials said. The package could also include some A320 and A350 aircraft, people familiar with the matter said. The sources stressed that the final size of the deal could change and would depend on lastminute talks. Previous state visits have included tough negotiations on the sidelines. The sources declined to be named as the matter was confidential.

Airbus targets China China remains the world’s fastest-growing aviation market despite a recent slowdown in

PARIS: CEO of British low-cost airline EasyJet Carolyn McCall smiles after signing a contract between Easyjet and Airbus to finalize a deal to buy 135 Airbus single-aisle A320 passenger planes yesterday in Paris. — AFP

its economy, with a surge in outbound travelers fuelling the expansion. One in four people from China travelled by plane last year, with that number set to rise to virtually the whole active population in the next two decades, Airbus says. Airbus faces stiff competition from US arch-rival Boeing over such deals, especially for wide-body jets like the A330, an established model that Airbus is hoping to revitalize as Boeing increases output of its newer 787 Dreamliner. Both companies are offering their aircraft at steep discounts to win China’s business, industry sources say.

Airbus is promoting a new “regional” version of the A330 aimed at China’s crowded domestic market, but Boeing hopes to persuade airlines to choose its alternatives.

Boeing also appears to have deals with China for similar quantities of jets that are not yet announced, industry sources said. Beijing has tended in the past to balance purchases of aircraft from each of the two main foreign sup-

pliers, especially when buying popular narrow-body models like the A320 and Boeing 737 that are most used on its crowded domestic network. Recently, China has shown signs of decoupling strategic items like air transport from diplomatic visits, with more and more airlines announcing their deals separately and new Chinese leasing companies also making a significant mark.

However, France has expressed optimism over its ties with China in nuclear energy and aerospace - diplomatic code for possible deals during the March 25-27 visit. “We will see how many aircraft Airbus sells at the end of the visit,” a French official said this week. Toulouseheadquartered Airbus bases most of its operations in France and Germany. Xi plans to visit both countries, starting with France where other important industrial deals are expected to be signed, celebrating 50 years since President Charles de Gaulle became the first Western leader to recognize China. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal transfer Irani Riyal cash

2.777 4.611 2.848 2.156 2.889 223.510 36.295 3.622 6.284 8.788 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

75.190 77.474 732.460 748.900 76.788

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 259.98 258.85 327.41 395.49 281.25 471.17 2.83 3.620 4.608 2.155 2.888 2.758 76.64 748.57 40.40 400.29 731.43 77.67 75.13

SELL CASH 256.98 258.85 325.41 396.49 284.25 474.17 2.85 3.890 4.908 2.590 3.423 2.790 77.11 750.64 41.00 405.94 738.73 78.22 75.53

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lira Morocco Dirham

39.700 40.054 1.316 180.380 398.180 1.892 2.010 35.904

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.850 Euro 393.460 Sterling Pound 469.000 Canadian dollar 254.380 Turkish lira 127.100 Swiss Franc 323.970 Australian Dollar 257.890 US Dollar Buying 280.650 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

240.000 121.000 62.500

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 Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

Selling Rate 281.600 257.715 469.595 393.635 323.070 743.555 76.645 78.195 75.960 396.855 40.400 2.154 4.624 2.840 3.617 6.299 691.665 3.760 2.955 3.870

Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi Thai Bhat Turkish Lira

86.975 45.920 9.745 127.070

Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht

0.219200 0.020197 0.001863 0.009141 0.008421

0.22200 0.028697 0.002443 0.009321 0.008971

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 0.741157 0.036730 0.000078 0.000181 0.393305 1.0000000 0.000138 0.023358 0.001190 0.726044 0.076707 0.074523 0.002159 0.175514 0.124144 0.075755 0.001280

0.749157 0.039830 0.000079 0.000241 0.400805 1.0000000 0.000238 0.047358 0.001825 0.731724 0.077920 0.075223 0.002379 0.183514 0.131144 0.0769904 0.001360

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar

Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint

Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone

SELL CASH Europe 0.007324 0.461856 0.006277 0.048436 0.386389 0.043212 0.086914 0.008052 0.040316 0.315682 0.124144

SELLDRAFT 0.008324 0.469456 0.018277 0.053436 0.394389 0.048412 0.86914 0.018052 0.045316 0.325882 0.131144

Australasia 0.248437 0.236042

0.259937 0.245542

America 0.247696 0.277750 0.278250

0.256196 0.282100 0.282100

Asia 0.003253 0.044590 0.034203 0.004367 0.000020 0.002688 0.003248 0.000252 0.082242 0.002934 0.002610 0.006357 0.000069

0.003853 0.048090 0.036953 0.004768 0.000026 0.002868 0.003248 0.000267 0.088242 0.003104 0.002890 0.006617 0.000075

Al Mulla Exchange CurrencyTransfer US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Rate (Per 1000) 281.300 393.800 468.500 254.350 4.610 40.050 2.153 3.618 6.618 2.858 749.000 76.600 75.150

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

BUSINESS

Blue chips lift Kuwait DUBAI: Kuwait blue-chip stocks rose yesterday on expectations they would soon have a larger weighting on MSCI’s frontier market index, while Egyptian investors sought large-caps that had lagged recent rallies. These trends helped these two markets outperform an otherwise soft region. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and mobile operator Zain, gained 3.2 percent and 1.5 percent, dominating Kuwait local trading as the index rose 1.1 percent.

Analysts believe Kuwaiti blue chips will have a bigger weighting on MSCI’s frontier market index and consequently will attract more foreign investors when the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are upgraded to the emerging markets in May. Trading data indicated larger than usual deals. “This is institutional flow and institutional build-up,” said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Global Investment House. NBK is perceived as paying generous dividends and also benefits from expectations its asset quali-

ty will improve, he added. Egypt ’s bourse climbed 1.1 percent, with the major gainers including Global Telecom and property firm 6th October Development and Investment Co, which rose 3 and 10 percent respectively.

Local retail investors have reacted to a pickup in property demand and are looking for large-caps that have so far lagged behind the market, said Ahmed Abutaleb from Pharos Securities in Cairo. Egypt’s bourse, which has risen 22 percent in 2014, is second only to Dubai in terms of gains this year. Dubai’s bourse closed 0.5 percent higher, bringing year-to - date gains to 26.3 percent. Emaar Properties fell 0.5 percent to end a three-day rally, but contractor Arabtec Holding jumped 5.1 percent after its fourth-quarter profit tripled to beat estimates. In Abu Dhabi, Finance House surged 14 percent on higher-than-usual volume after announcing plans to buy back up to 10 percent of its shares. —Reuters

KAWASAKI: A passenger plane prepares for landing near an oil refinery in Kawasaki, southwest of Tokyo.

Japan has notched its 20th straight monthly trade deficit in February as soaring energy imports continued to offset the value of exported goods. —AP

Alibaba’s choice of US IPO spurred by rivals HK public consultation delay affected decision

Al-Sayer wins Excellence Golden Award for six consecutive years KUWAIT: Toyota Motor Corporation awarded Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons, exclusive distributor of Lexus and Toyota in Kuwait, for six times in a row with the award of “Excellence in Customer Service” for 2013.

Toyota Motor Corporation presented this Award in recognition of the remarkable success and outstanding achievements of Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons Co, after the outstanding performance of Al-Sayer coupled with rigor and dedication in achieving the desired goals under the proposed strategy for the region and specifically in Kuwait, market making it wins this prestigious award for the sixth time in a row.

The event was held at Crowne Plaza Hotel on March 15, 2014. The ceremony was attended by the (CEO) Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mubarak Naser Al-Sayer, Chief Operating Officer, Paul Reynolds, Business Director, Service Ibrahim Al-Fouzan and department managers, in addition to the guests of honor from Toyota Motor Corporation, Naohiro Yoshida - Regional General Manager of Middle East, and Kosugi, Project General Manager. On this occasion, Mubarak Naser Al Sayer (CEO) said: “What distinguishes Mohammed Nasser Al-Sayer & Sons Company is our renewed faith in the need to satisfy our customers, by listening to them and win their hearts and support which required us to work hard day and night in our relentless efforts to achieve highest levels of success”.

Paul Reynolds (COO) added: “We thank Toyota for their permanent confidence in us and for their continued and unlimited support. Earning this award means that we put all our efforts towards the satisfaction of our customers who are our highest priority”.

Kosugi, Project General Manager and Yoshida, Regional General Manager, Toyota Motor Corporation, Middle East said: “Al-Sayer raised the slogan of customer satisfaction, to further ensure and instill the principle of

Customer always comes first in the minds of all the employees of Mohamed Naser AlSayer & Sons Company, as a core component of company growing sales. In recognition for Al-Sayer commitment to these efforts, we at Toyota Motor Corporation do commit ourselves to spare no effort to support Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons Company and its achievements and future goals.

The award of Excellence in customer service provided by us is a gratitude and appreciation for Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer for achieving the best results which reflect the success of the strategies and the pursuit of goals that make safety and customer satisfaction a priority, by providing unparalleled customer service to the extreme. We congratulate Mohammed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons Company and your staff for the uniqueness and earning the leadership of distributing Toyota vehicles in Kuwait. As you know, Mohamed Naser AlSayer & Sons Company will stay one of the most respectful distributors of Toyota in the world.

HONG KONG: After a year of waiting, the man running what could be the biggest-ever technology IPO finally lost patience with Hong Kong.

Joe Tsai, the Alibaba Group Holding executive in charge of plans for the highly anticipated deal, only abandoned hope of a Hong Kong listing in the last few weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The company’s shareholding structure, giving senior managers sway over board appointments, would not pass muster with local regulators. The final straw was the snail’s pace of a public consultation process of reviewing local listing rules on which Alibaba had pinned its hopes, the people said.

That delay, coupled with a rush of Alibaba rivals seeking to tap the frothy US tech market, forced the company’s hand in the end, the people said. Last Sunday, after nearly a year of talks with Hong Kong regulators and stock exchange officials, Alibaba said it will list shares in the United States in a deal expected to exceed Facebook Inc’s $16 billion offering in 2012.

“Alibaba realized this was not a battle that they could have won within the time frame they were looking to float the company,” said Keith Pogson, managing partner for financial services at consulting firm EY in Hong Kong. “So they decided to find a home that was more accommodating with such structures.”

Alibaba’s choice is a blow to Hong Kong’s financial industry, in terms of lost prestige, fees and trading volumes. The absence of a large, dynamic tech company will sting the Hong Kong exchange as it tries to diversify its publicly traded stocks away from Greater China financial and property companies, bolstering its status as a global financial centre. Hong Kong’s loss is the US financial industry’s gain. The deal has the potential to bring in about $300 million in advisory fees alone for the banks involved, based on an estimated 1.75 percent commission.

The saga pitted a Chinese tech juggernaut and its financial advisors against securities officials guarding rigid shareholding rules meant to protect retail investor interests with a one shareone vote guarantee, in a city where family-run businesses and tycoons hold heavy influence.

“It’s a shame that Hong Kong lost the deal, but we lost the deal for good reasons,” said EY’s Pogson. “So we should congratulate the Hong Kong regulators for sticking to their guns on values, for showing that Hong Kong is a robust market where these kind of issues do matter and people care about investor protection.”

Alibaba had held out hope that a review of Hong Kong’s shareholding rules would keep the door open for a listing in the city, the people familiar said. But the public consultation moved slowly, with Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) pushing back against the

stock exchange’s original draft proposals for a raft of rule changes. The SFC was adamant that the proposed changes to the city’s listing rules should not be influenced by Alibaba’s hopes for a Hong Kong listing, the people familiar said.

Alibaba declined to comment on why it decided to list in the United States.

Forging ahead The original plan to list late in 2013 had already gone by the wayside last year in part because of SFC opposition to Alibaba’s unique corporate structure. Under Alibaba’s statutes, the company’s partners are able to nominate and control the board - a challenge to the one shareone vote standard applied in Hong Kong. While Alibaba waited for Hong Kong regulators to make a decision, Tsai and company co-founder Jack Ma could see that not only were the stocks of US tech giants like Facebook and Google Inc surging, but that smaller Chinese Internet companies such as JD.com and Weibo were forging ahead with their own US listing plans.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite index has jumped 34 percent over the past year, and has featured IPO candidates in the last year that have stoked views that the index is reaching bubble levels. As the stalemate with Hong Kong regulators dragged on, there was concern within Alibaba’s camp that the market’s appetite for what could be one of the largest IPOs ever would wane the deeper into 2014 the deal moved, people familiar with the matter say. Alibaba has yet to say which US exchange it hopes to use, or confirm a timetable for the sale. A listing on either the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq could come as soon as the end of July, people familiar with the matter say.

A listing in New York would mean scrutiny from US regulators and class action lawyers. Yet it would also mean access to bigger pools of money from investors with deep knowledge of the technology sector, possibly boosting Alibaba’s valuation. Alibaba’s largest shareholders are Internet services company Yahoo Inc with 24 percent and Japanese telecoms and media company Softbank Corp with 37 percent. Based on the average of 12 analysts, Alibaba is estimated to have a market value of $141 billion. Based on that valuation, and Yahoo selling half its stake, as previously agreed, the IPO could raise more than $17 billion.

Turf war The stance by Hong Kong’s SFC against Alibaba’s partnership structure surfaced last year, through a series of private meetings.

People familiar with the matter said that Alibaba representatives met the SFC several times throughout the year, but no progress

toward a compromise ever materialized. One way around that impasse was a proposal by the Hong Kong stock exchange to alter the city’s shareholding rules to make them more flexible.

If the stock exchange, together with input from the market, could draft new shareholder rules with the SFC’s approval, a window for an Alibaba IPO would remain open. Given the months that such public consultation processes take, Alibaba still could have secured a deal by the end of 2014, people familiar with the matter say. Instead, Alibaba got stuck in the middle of a turf war between the stock exchange and the SFC, a person familiar with the matter said.

The stock exchange operator, known officially as Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, or HKEx, drafted a consultation paper on the rule changes and sent it to the SFC earlier this year, hoping to kickstart the process. But the SFC sent the draft paper back to the HKEx last month, proposing a series of changes. “The SFC didn’t want the HKEx to rush through the consultation paper. It was pushing back and telling the exchange, ‘You guys are not the decisionmakers,’” said the person, who was not authorized to speak to the media. The SFC declined to comment. The HKEx said a discussion paper on weighted voting rights and other topics would not be published this quarter.

Rushed release One person familiar with the matter said that before making the official decision to move the listing to the US, Alibaba would have contacted Chinese authorities to let them know of their choice. Beijing officials preferred to have the company listed and regulated in Hong Kong, rather than overseas. Sunday’s statement announcing plans for an IPO in the US was the first time the company had ever officially acknowledged its stock offering, and the first time it pinpointed the location. People familiar with the matter say that Alibaba did not plan to issue the release, but that rumors and media reports were swirling.

Management decided to finally put speculation to rest.

The announcement came only after Alibaba’s senior vice president and head of corporate finance, Michael Yao, a former Rothschild banker, led phone calls to the investment banks courting the company for months, informing them they would play a role in the deal, people familiar with the matter said. Citigroup, Credit Suisse Deutsche Bank , Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley are working with Alibaba on the IPO, with the first formal meeting of bankers, lawyers and accountants to map out the IPO process scheduled for Mar 25, people familiar with the matter said. —Reuters

A unique opportunity for the NRIs in Kuwait ‘The idea of investing in the right project’

Burgan Bank announces Thuraya Account winner KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently announced its Thuraya Account winner of the Audi R8 sports car. The announcement was made on Marina FM during the “Dewaniya” show.

The winner Adel Mohammad Al Awadhi expressed his excitement for being the lucky winner of the Audi R8. Al Thuraya Account is the only salary account in Kuwait that provides its customers with the chance to win Audi R8 Car on a quarterly basis. The account aims at raising the frequency of customers winning one of the world’s most admired sports cars.

Customers can look forward to the next draw taking place in July 2014 that will announce the lucky winner.

Al Thuraya Account’s features range from the option to hold money in Kuwaiti dinar and any other major currency, access to account-related services such as standing orders, loans and credit cards and much more. The account has been further developed in response to offering more innovative benefits and increasing customers’ chances to win. Opening an Al Thuraya account is simple; customers are required to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and obtain all the necessar y details, or simply call the bank ’s Call Center 1804080. For further information, customers can visit the bank’s website on www.burgan.com.

KUWAIT: Holy Faith Plantation & Resorts India Ltd, www.elam.co.in proudly presents a unique opportunity for the NRIs in Kuwait to be a part of a unique participatory scheme for eco-friendly organic farming along with Farm House Tourism in the most serene and tranquil locale of Munnar in Kerala. To know about this project in detail and to be part of this ecofriendly, genetic, organic collective farming, Holy Faith Plantation & Resor ts India Ltd, www.elam.co.in offers an opportunity to meet our brand ambassador Major R avi and team in Kuwait on Friday, 21st and Saturday 22nd of March 2014 at Al Dana Ball room, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Farwaniya from 10:00 and to 8:00 pm Elam is the first organized

group farming initiative in Kerala in the plantation sector initiative

by Holy Faith Plantations & Resorts India Ltd., which is a corporate entity of like-minded individuals, including celebrities from various walks of life like Major Ravi who is renowned for his bravery and valor who served our forces in the defense of Mother India and now a reputed film personality.

In this exclusive project, the participants are offered 1 unit of Cash Crop plantation including Cardamom, Pepper, Coffee, etc well-crafted in acres of land with soothing green pasture and herbage on ownership basis in the association of the joint farming venture. Exclusive title of cultivated land will be conferred upon every participant. The Company also offers the share of crops culti-

vated in their share of land which can be preferred by the participants as cash or crop at their choice. The land will be utilized for organic farming as a wholesome unit and the agricultural income derived out of it will be divided among the investors in cash or crops every year based on the unit holding in pro rata basis.

The projec t also contain 3 exclusive Palatial Farm Bungalow with all modern facilities with Kitchen, Eatery, gadgets, utensils, housekeeping services, caretaker, cook, driver, Travel Desk etc and the participants can occupy this Farm Bungalow with enjoyment rights for 10 days in a year with 30 days’ advance booking which can be done online with nominal hospitality charges. This facility can also be gifted to the friends and

acquaintance of the participant on his choice or they can give their entitlement and will be eligible for 50% of the rent which may come to Rs.2500/- per day after deducting hospitality charges as fixed by the company.

The participants can also transfer their ownership in the land and enjoyment rights in Farm Bungalow with the prior concurrence of the company at the market price prevailing at the time of transfer with the same terms and conditions. There will be tree-top platform for the enjoyment of the investors and there is a unique scheme for planting the birth star tree of the investors in their respective plots for their well being, health and prosperity. For more detail about this road show, please check www.elam.co.in

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

BUSINESS

Asian shares slip before US Fed review

TOKYO: Containers are loaded onto an international freighter at the international cargo terminal in Tokyo yesterday. Japan posted its 20th straight monthly trade deficit in February, but analysts welcomed the fact that the figure had narrowed from a record shortfall in January as export growth outpaced imports.— AFP

TOKYO: Asian share markets were mostly lower yesterday, with investors still observing the Ukraine/Crimea crisis and ahead of a closely-watched Federal Reserve policy review later in the session. European shares were set for a flat start, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain’s FTSE 100 to open -5 points to +2 points, or -0.08 percent to +0.03 percent; Germany’s DAX to open flat to +16 points, or +0.2 percent; and France’s CAC 40 to open -8 points, or -0.2 percent, to flat.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 0.2 percent, with relief over a perceived ebb in Ukrainian tensions replaced by caution over the Fed’s policy review. Tokyo’s Nikkei stock average bucked the trend and eked out a 0.4 percent gain. Global markets have been buffeted in recent weeks by the crisis in Ukraine, slowing growth in China and a mixed economic picture in the United States renewing speculation about the pace of the Fed’s stimulus tapering.

On the back of persisting worries about the Chinese economy, the yuan traded more than 1 percent beyond the midpoint set by the central bank, the first time it has traded by such a margin after the daily trading band was widened to 2 percent. The yuan went as low as 6.2028, an 11-month trough.

Still, business sentiment among Asia’s top companies edged up in the first quarter, as solid improvement in the Philippines and South Korea outweighed weakness in China, India and Australia amid persistent concerns over the global economy, a ThomsonReuters/INSEAD survey showed.

The Fed is widely expected to continue to reduce the size of its monthly bond purchase program by $10 billion each meeting, but also to alter its forward guidance when it delivers the policy statement, the first policy review to be presided over by new Fed Chair Janet Yellen. “What will also get a lot of attention is the winter that the United States has just suffered. Some commentators are looking for evidence of recognition from the FOMC that the winter has altered their guidance on the economic recovery -as tapering has been explicitly based on data,” Evan Lucas, market strate-

gist at IG in Melbourne, said in a note to clients.

“However, we believe the winter is unlikely to sway its thinking and the current timeline for the unwind of monetary stimulus will remain,” he said. On Tuesday, US stocks climbed for a second straight session, with the S&P 500 in striking distance of its record after comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin that he did not plan to seize other regions of Ukraine were taken as a signal that the crisis may not deepen for now. But in a reminder that the situation in the former Soviet republics was still volatile, oil prices rose following a report that a Ukrainian serviceman was killed after his base in Crimea came under attack.

Brent crude oil traded at $106.80 per barrel after touching a six-week trough of $105.85 the previous day. “Excessive disorder in Crimea appears to have been avoided, but it is too early to declare the coast is clear,” said Koji Fukaya, president at FPG Securities in Tokyo. “Going forward, impact on investor risk appetite will depend on whether the crisis turns into a regional issue from a global one. That in turn will hinge on sanctions the European Union and United States impose on Russia, particularly in the energy arena,” he said. The euro stood little changed, with a recent rise in US Treasury yields slightly denting its appeal relative to the dollar and preventing the common currency from extending its 2-1/2-year high of $1.3967 hit last week.

The euro was last steady $1.3923, and against the Japanese yen it was fetching 141.30 yen, largely steady on the day. The dollar was up about 0.1 percent on the day at 101.505 yen. The yen showed little reaction to Japan’s larger-than-expected trade deficit. A rebound in risk appetite continued to dampen demand for gold.

Spot gold was at $1,354.20 an ounce, having slipped from a six-month high of $1,391.76 hit on Monday. Copper dipped as persistent worries over growth and credit in top-user China dulled buying interest. Three -month copper on the London Metal Exshange lost 0.4 percent to $6,455 a ton. — Reuters

Oil near 6-week low SINGAPORE: Brent crude edged lower to hold near a six-week trough below $106 a barrel yesterday as worries about an escalation of the crisis in Ukraine eased and on expectations of a rise in US oil stocks.

Comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he did not want to split Ukraine after approving plans to make Crimea part of Russia helped ease concerns, while attention shifted to the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision later. “Investors appear to be moving beyond the crisis in Ukraine, but they do still have an eye on potential sanctions against Russia,” said Ben Le Brun, a market analyst at OptionsXpress in Sydney. Brent was down 11 cents at $106.68 per barrel by 0741 GMT, after settling 55 cents higher. US crude traded 25 cents lower at $99.45 per barrel. The contract had closed $1.62 higher on Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of second guessing going on about the situation in Ukraine. I think there is still an element of risk premium, especially in Brent,” Le Brun said.

US inventories An expected rise in commercial crude inventories in the United States last week could, however, weigh on oil prices. A Reuters poll of eight analysts taken ahead of the weekly inventory report from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) due at 1430 GMT showed a rise by 2.6 million barrels last week on average. Data from the industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed crude inventories rose 5.9 million barrels in the week to March 14. Stockpiles

rose 6.2 million barrels in the week to March 7, far more than expected, as imports increased and refineries slowed activity.

The operator of the Seaway pipeline that takes crude from the Cushing, Oklahoma, oil hub - where Nymex crude is priced - to the US Gulf Coast said the pipeline will be ready to double shipments by May, earlier than anticipated by some analysts. “The increase in transportation volume by the pipeline will help to alleviate stockpiles woes at the Cushing trading hub. As such, benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude prices are likely to gain on falling stockpiles,” Phillip Futures said in a note. Markets are now waiting for the Fed policy decision later in the day for further trading cues. The US central bank is widely expected to scale back its monthly bond-buying stimulus by $10 billion at the end of its Federal Open Market Committee meeting later.

“The Federal Reserve meeting will take more of the centerpiece today, and I think that a $10 billion reduction in the stimulus program is largely built in to oil market,” said Le Brun. The policy review will be the first presided over by Fed Chair Janet Yellen. In other news, Iran exported oil at levels higher than allowed under Western sanctions for a fourth straight month in February with ship loading data obtained by Reuters showing top clients again bought more than 1 million barrels per day (bpd). The rise in sales to Iran’s main clients, mostly in Asia and including Turkey, comes after a temporary agreement that eased some of the sanctions aimed at undermining the OPEC member’s nuclear program. — Reuters

Peugeot taps ex-Airbus chief as board chairman PARIS: French carmaker Peugeot Citroen said yesterday it had selected Louis Gallois, former chief of the parent company of Airbus, as the head of its revamped board following its rescue

by Chinese auto company Dongfeng and the French state. At a meeting Tuesday the company’s supervisory board approved a shake-up to include two representatives each from the French state and Dongfeng, who under a deal reached last month are to take part in a 3-billion-euro ($4.2 billion) capital hike that will help the company survive after posting colossal losses.

A statement issued yesterday said the board formally approved signing the deal with state-owned Dongfeng and the French state, which is expected to take place next on March 26 at the presidential palace when Chinese President Xi Jiping visits Paris. The French state and Dongfeng will each hold 14 percent stakes in the company after the capital increase, the same level as the Peugeot family which founded the carmaker.

Dongfeng is to be represented on the Peugeot board by its chairman Xu Ping and deputy general manager Liu Weidong, the statement said. The French state will be represented by Bruno Bezard, general director of public finances, as well as a representative

of SOGEPA, the fund that manages the French state’s investments in aeronautic firms. The Peugeot family will have two seats on the board, which will also include six independent members, plus a representative of employees and one of shareholders. Shareholders are to be asked to approve the board appointments on April 25. “After the annual shareholders’ meeting, it will be moved that the Supervisory Board appoint Mr Gallois as Chairman,” said a Peugeot statement.

Gallois, who headed up EADS, the parent company of planemaker Airbus which has since been renamed Airbus Group, was brought onto Peugeot’s board in 2012 after the French state effectively rescued the company with 7 billion euros in loan guarantees for its car finance arm. While not formally a representative of the state, Gallois is seen as having close ties to the French administration and was its choice to lead the revamped company’s board.

Dongfeng had favored outgoing Peugeot chief executive Philippe Varin taking over the supervisory board, but he declined. The board also said the company would not issue a dividend for 2013, during which it racked up a loss of 2.3 billion euros. The company suffered a loss of 5 billion euros in 2012. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

BUSINESS

Britain hopes to foil fraudsters with new £1 coin LONDON: Britain announced yesterday it was ditching the £1 coin it has used for the past three decades and replacing it with a 12sided piece that will be harder to fake. The Treasury says the new coin, made of two metals in two different colors and modeled on the old Threepenny bit, will be “the most secure coin in circulation in the world”. About three percent of all £1 coins, about 45 million, are currently forgeries and in some parts of Britain this rises to six percent, according to the Royal Mint.

The new coin will have the same shape of

the old “Threepenny bit” that was introduced in 1937 and went out with decimalization in 1971. It was popular during World War II when households and businesses had to abide by a blackout to thwart enemy bombings, because its distinctive size and shape made it easy to recognize in the dark. The new £1 will be made using cutting-edge technology that allows it to be easily authenticated. Combined with the use of two metals and the 12 sides, the Royal Mint hopes it will be hard to counterfeit.

Finance Minister George Osborne said: “After 30 years of loyal service, the time is

right to retire the current £1 coin and replace it with the most secure coin in the world.

“With advances in technology making high value coins like the £1 every more vulnerable to counterfeiters, it’s vital that we keep several paces ahead of the criminals to maintain the integrity of our currency.” The new coin is expected to be in circulation by 2017, following a consultation with businesses. As with all British coins, the ‘heads’ side will feature the image of Queen Elizabeth II and there will be a public competition to decide the ‘tails’ side. — AFP

Europe seeks ways to curb dependence on Russia gas US could relax controls on energy exports

Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), France’s Christine Lagarde

IMF’s Lagarde questioned again in corruption case PARIS: IMF chief Christine Lagarde was yesterday questioned for the third time by French prosecutors in a high-profile corruption case that has become a thorn in the side of one of the world’s most powerful women.

Lagarde faces questions over her handling of a 400 million euro ($557 million) state payout to disgraced French tycoon Bernard Tapie in 2008 when she was finance minister. She will be questioned by prosecutors working for the Court of Justice of the Republic, a special court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct, amid suspicions that Tapie received favorable treatment in return for supporting ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2007 election. The payout was connected to a dispute between the businessman and partly stateowned bank Credit Lyonnais over his 1993 sale of sportswear group Adidas.

Tapie claimed Credit Lyonnais had defrauded him by intentionally undervaluing Adidas at the time of the sale and that the state, as the bank’s principal shareholder, should compensate him. Lagarde, who referred the dispute to a three-member arbitration panel that ruled in Tapie’s favor, was questioned for two days in May last year about her role in the affair. Prosecutors have suggested that Lagarde was partly responsible for “numerous anomalies and irregularities” that could lead to charges for complicity in fraud and misappropriation of public funds. Lagarde yesterday declined comment as she came into court. Wearing a dark suit and scarf, she called out “hello” to journalists before walking inside.

Questions over key letter Her former chief of staff Stephane Richard, who is now head of telecoms giant Orange, arrived shortly before her. He is one of five people who have already been indicted in the case. Yesterday’s questioning was expected to revolve around a signature stamp used in a letter dated October 23, 2007 that investigators think is crucial in determining who took the decision on the controversial payout.

Lagarde says she was unaware of the contents of the letter and has told judges it was stamped with her signature in her absence.

But in 2008 she told lawmakers that she had given instructions to back the decision on the payout and in that sense took responsibility for the contents.

Lagarde herself avoided being formally charged last year. If she had been charged, she would likely have had to quit as head of the International Monetary Fund. Instead, she was placed under a special witness status that forces her to come back for questioning when asked by the court-and leaves the door open for charges at a later date. The IMF has always backed her in the case.

Lagarde was again questioned at the end of January this year. Her former aide Richard was unrattled by the first encounter with Lagarde in court, a source close to him said.

“It’s the first time after his indictment that Stephane Richard can make Christine Lagarde face all the contradictions,” the source said. Richard has consistently maintained that he was never in a position to take decisions by himself. — AFP

London ‘draining life’ from the rest of British economy LONDON: There’s London. And then there’s the rest of the UK. A tale of two Britains has increasingly emerged since the Great Recession. While the government trumpets the country’s recovery from the financial crisis and its status as the world’s fastest-growing developed economy, the rhetoric hides an increasing divide: One that pits London’s boom against the malaise in cities such as Manchester and Birmingham that are struggling to remain vibrant in the 21st century.

Buoyed by foreign investment and a resurgent financial industry, the economy of London and the rest of Britain’s South East region has expanded almost twice as fast as the rest of the country since the 2008 financial crisis.

A chasm that began opening with the decline of Britain’s textile and coal industries a century ago is widening as London’s ability to attract jobs and investment leaves the rest of the country struggling. Britain’s economy is, by some calculations, the most dependent on a single urban area among the world’s most industrialized nations. “It’s almost the definition of polarization,” said Danny Dorling, a professor of geography at Oxford University. “It’s pulling apart in a quite dramatic way.”

Policymakers are considering a range of ideas to address the imbalance. Among them is building a 43 billion-pound ($71 billion) highspeed rail network to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, helping the northern cities become viable alternatives for businesses to locate. Another idea is for Manchester and Liverpool to merge into a super-city that could better compete with London for investment. The issue of economic inequality - how to get more people to share the fruits of the recovery - is of growing concern for governments around the world.

It is also central to the political fortunes of Prime Minister David Cameron, whose Conservatives are trying to broaden their base into traditional Labor Party strongholds outside southeastern Britain in hopes of winning next year’s election. The Conservatives were forced to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats after failing to win a majority four years ago after 13 years of Labor governments.

A house divided Measured in terms of geography, Britain’s economic divide is among the widest of the sev-

en most industrialized countries, according to figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. London and the rest of Britain’s South East region account for about 35 percent of UK economic output. Only Tokyo and Paris and their surrounding regions rival London for the top spot. New York, the biggest economic center in the United States, generates just 7.3 percent of national gross domestic product. In the case of Britain and Japan, critics note the countries are smaller, making it easier for one metropolitan area to dominate.

When Mayor Boris Johnson recently suggested that London issue its own visas for international artists and technology wizards, critics only half-joked that London might take it a step further and become its own city state, like the Vatican. That dominance translates into higher wages for workers in London as the city attracts those with skills in high demand. Londoners last year earned an average of 41,143 pounds ($68,297), 51 percent more than the national average. The gap is even bigger in the housing market, where foreign buyers have snapped up London homes as investments rather than places to live. So vast is the demand for highend homes that London’s skyline is changing, with glass-and-steel apartment blocks sprouting along the banks of the Thames.

Home prices in the most expensive parts of London are now almost 25 times higher than Britain’s cheapest homes, up from 10 times in 2007, according to research by the independent Smith Institute. The capital’s supporters note that London’s strength benefits the rest of Britain by attracting investment that would otherwise go to New York or Hong Kong and creating wealth that spills into other parts of Britain.

London-based businesses are the biggest private-sector employers in each of the UK’s 62 cities, according to the Centre for Cities, a think tank focused on urban issues. And London generates roughly 99 billion pounds in taxes and receives 94 billion pounds in government spending in return - leaving a 5 billion pound subsidy for the rest of the country. Yet that is not translating into new jobs. The Centre for Cities found that the capital region, which has about a quarter of Britain’s people, accounted for 80 percent of private-sector employment growth between 2010 and 2012. —AP

BRUSSELS: European leaders will seek ways to cut their multi-billion-dollar dependence on Russian gas at talks in Brussels today and tomorrow, while stopping short of severing energy ties with Moscow for now. Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea region has revived doubts about whether the European Union should continue to rely on Russia for nearly a third of its gas, providing Gazprom with an average of $5 billion per month in revenues. Some 40 percent of that gas is shipped via Ukraine.

EU powerhouse Germany is among those with particularly close energy links to Russia and has echoed comments from Gazprom, Russia’s top natural gas producer, that Russia has been a reliable supplier for decades. Russian supplies of gas to the European Union were disrupted in 2006 and 2009, but only because of knock-on effects when Moscow cut off Ukraine for not paying its bills. Although those incidents resulted in EU attempts to diversify its energy sources, contracts to the bloc have always been honored.

EU officials said the current Ukraine crisis, however, had convinced many in Europe that Russia was no longer reliable and the political will to end its supply dominance had never been greater. “Everyone recognizes a major change of pace is needed on the part of the European Union,” one EU official said on condition of anonymity. “At the back of people’s minds, there will always be the doubt that if the relationship goes sour, Russia has that weapon and it’s not something it should have,” another official said, referring to Russia’s option of severing supplies. As alternatives to imported gas, the Brussels talks will debate the European Union’s “indigenous supplies”, which include renewable energy and shale gas.

They will also underline the need for energy efficiency and to build better cross-border links to share resources, control costs and develop EU capacity to pump gas to Ukraine. Debate is also under way, ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama to Brussels next week, on how much US gas could be shipped to Europe. For the shorter term, officials said Qatar could increase shipments. Member states are expected to pledge to provide Ukraine with gas if needed, but are unlikely to give details on how much could be available, EU diplomats said. They also said Denmark had proposed that the European Commission, the EU executive, report by June on what can be done to shore up EU energy security and that the idea had wide support.

Forty-year bond Keen to underline its continued relevance, Gazprom last week issued a statement to mark the 40th anniversary of supplying Russian gas to Germany under long-term contracts to utility E.ON . Russian gas is sent directly to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline, specifically built to bypass Ukraine. E.ON is among the utilities whose business models have been shaken by an EU shift to green energy. The company says the grid needs gas-fired generation to balance intermittent solar and wind. One of the many questions is the extent to which indigenous shale gas can replace imports.

The signs so far are that public opposition and Europe’s different geology mean it cannot match the United States’ shale gas revolution, which has lowered energy costs there. Even in the oil and gas industry, many are cautious about the prospects for EU shale gas. That leaves EU industry smarting at what it sees as

a competitive disadvantage, when the Ukraine crisis is likely to inflate energy prices further. It is seeking help for energy-intensive industry to manage costs, which it says have been driven up by subsidies to increase the share of green energy. The renewables lobby says the real driver of energy costs is imported fossil fuels, on which Europe spends more than 400 billion euros ($557 billion) per year.

“The EU is criticizing Russia’s invasion of Crimea while pouring money into Russian coffers for gas imports,” said Thomas Becker, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association, which is calling for a tougher goal on use of renewable energy. But as coal-dependent Poland for one opposes an early agreement on 2030 climate and energy policy, this week’s talks are not expected to get anywhere near a deal on that. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said only that the talks should send “a strong signal”. A draft summit document says the bloc has to submit its contribution to the United Nations on tackling climate change by the first quarter of 2015.

That will disappoint those who say a framework is urgently needed to drive investment in low-carbon energy and to reduce fossil fuel imports, as well as to settle the EU negotiating position ahead of a U.N. climate change deal meant to be sealed late next year.

So far, the European Commission has suggested 2030 policy should include a 27 percent EU-wide goal for renewables as a proportion of energy use and a 40 percent cut in carbon emissions versus 1990 levels.

That compares with an existing target to cut carbon by 20 percent by 2020, which the European Union has almost achieved, as well as a goal, binding on each member state, to get 20 percent of energy from renewables, which is also within reach. — Reuters

LONDON: British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) poses for pictures holding the budget box outside 11 Downing Street in London yesterday, as his Treasury team walk away before unveiling the government’s annual budget to parliament.— AFP

UK’s Osborne offers tax relief in budget LONDON: British finance minister George Osborne yesterday promised tax relief for households, a cap on welfare, help for savers and manufacturers, and lower costs for bingo and beer as the government prepares for next year’s elections. In an annual budget statement, Osborne announced upgrades to official forecasts for country’s economic growth but said he would stick to his belt-tightening plans.

His help to savers, who have been hurt by near-zero interest rates, included freeing up pension rules.

But he sent shares in gambling firms tumbling with a new tax. “With the help of the British people we’re turning our country around,” Osborne said.

“We’re building a resilient economy.” Britain goes to the polls in May 2015 and the annual budget plan is one of the government’s last opportunities to make a difference to how people feel about their finances before then. Osborne hopes the improving economy and his focus on austerity will be a trump card in the fight against the opposition Labor party, which remains a few percentage points in polls ahead of the Conservatives.

But, in a surprise, Osborne increased the threshold at which British earners pay a tax rate of 40 percent for the first time since the 2010 elections, something lawmakers in his Conservative party had been demanding. He also announced the latest in a series of increases in the amount of money people can earn before paying income tax. The new forecasts, meanwhile, painted a picture of solid economic recovery. The economy is now set to grow 2.7 percent this year, according to the government’s budget watchdog. That was higher than a forecast of 2.4 percent made as recently as December and much higher than an estimate of 1.8 percent a year ago, when Britain was still struggling to shrug off the after-effects of the global financial crisis.

“That’s the biggest upward revision to growth between budgets for at least 30 years,” Osborne said to cheers from members of his Conservative Party.

Growth in 2015, Osborne said, was expected to be 2.3 percent, up slightly from December’s forecast for 2.2 percent. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts for Britain’s economy, while higher than in December, are less optimistic than many others. The Bank of England expects growth of 3.4 percent this year, which would make Britain one of the developed world’s top performers.

Debt reduction Despite the improved outlook, which shaved the official forecasts for Britain’s budget deficits in the next few years and meant debt was likely to peak a bit lower than previously thought, Osborne said he was sticking closely to his decade-long plan to fix the public finances. “I have never shied away from telling the British people about the difficult decisions we face. And just because things are getting better, I don’t intend to do so today,” he said in his budget speech. To help keep Britain on track with its plan to

get rid of the budget deficit by the 2018/19 fiscal year, Osborne said the government will cap the amount of money it spends each year on welfare at 119 billion pounds ($197 billion) in the 2015/16 fiscal year. Labor leader Ed Miliband slammed Osborne’s budget as not doing enough for ordinary people. “Whose recovery is it under the Tories(Conservatives)? Under them it is a recovery for the few not the many,” he said. “We know what their long term plan is, tax cuts for the richest whilst everyone else gets squeezed.” — Reuters

Madagascar’s new leader seeks to win over donors WASHINGTON: Madagascar’s new president has launched a charm offensive against the world’s biggest aid institutions, hoping to revive the support to his impoverished country that was cut off five years ago. Seeking to end the isolation that followed a 2009 coup that stalled the economy, Hery Rajaonarimampianina’s efforts in Washington could mark a turning point for the African nation.

“Madagascar has turred a page through these elections,” Rajaonarimampianina said. “I don’t need to convince the international community, they’re already convinced.” Major donors like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United States and the European Union cut off the flow of aid to the Indian Ocean island after the coup.

That in turn spurred private investors to pull out, aggravating the economic woes of one of the world’s poorest countries.”We have had over the past five years very weak economic and investment activity combined with a deterioration of social indicators,” George Tsibouris, head of the IMF mission to the country said. According to the World Bank, around 30,000 jobs were directly lost after the 2009 coup. The country was hit especially hard by losing the trade privileges which helped it export to the United States. Today more than 90 percent of the population survives on less than two dollars a day, a level almost unparalleled on the globe. “You have a combination of different crises-an infrastructure crisis, a political crisis and a social crisis-that

have converged,” said the World Bank’s Madagascar mission chief, Haleh Bridi.

IMF could lead revival The visit of the new president to Washington is thus crucial, with major donors waiting, as is traditional, for the IMF to give its green light in order to resume aid. The Fund has already lifted one barrier, officially recognizing the new government. Bridi called recognition “an extremely important step,” but Madagascar now need needs a formal IMF program to pave the way for large donors. Tsibouris said that the IMF could provide direct financial support, policy advice, technical assistance and training. “Everything is now possible, he said. The IMF has already sent a team quietly to review the economy; there has been no formal IMF evaluation visit since June 2007.

“The fiscal situation has been kept reasonably under control in spite of very intense pressures,” according to Tsibouris. The country has a wealth of assets that could underpin a revival, from mineral resources to the attractions that could still make it a strong tourist destination. The country’s agricultural potential is also under-exploited: only one-third of the arable land is cultivated, according to the World Bank.While in the United States President Rajaonarimampianina was also planning to meet executives of ExxonMobil and other oil companies, in hopes of attracting their investment. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

BUSINESS

Ali Alghanim & Sons ends 2013 with 45% sales growth KUWAIT: Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributors of Land Rover vehicles in Kuwait has concluded 2013 with a 45% increase in Land Rover vehicle sales over 2012 - making it the one of the most successful years in the company’s history. The positive results further confirm the increasing importance of the Kuwait market for Land Rover Middle East and the continued demand for Land Rover vehicles in the country.

Commenting on the company’s exceptional performance, Yousef Al-Qatami, General Manager, Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, said: “Our success is only a result of the amazing cooperation that has been developing between Land Rover and Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company, and the attractive model portfolio and strength within this brand, as well as the commitment of all our employees to excel in all that we do.”

“At Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, We recognize that customer satisfaction is the measure of excellence. This focus lies in building relationships, seeking to understand our customers, and working with them to satisfy their needs. I would like to thank our staff for their high level of professionalism and customer oriented approach which continues to exceed

expectations, and generate remarkable sales figures,” he added. Contributing to Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s solid performance was the Range Rover the Iconic model, with a 460% growth over 2012. The all-new Range Rover has been engineered from the ground up to be the most refined, most capable Range Rover

ever. With the adoption of the latest body and chassis technologies, the vehicle’s allterrain performance has moved on to another level, both in the breadth and accessibility of its off-road capability, and its on-road handling and refinement.

Sales for the Land Rover LR4, received 89% growth as the Model starts to take

place among the best Family SUVs in the world, while the company’s Most Wanted Model the All New Range Rover Sport was among the importers highest volume selling model.

“The all-new Range Rover Sport is a vehicle that has been designed and engineered without compromise. With Land

Rover capability at its heart, it is one of the most road focused vehicles ever produced. These are qualities appreciated and desired by discerning Kuwaiti customers” added Al Qatami. This being said, 2014 year is showing glimpse of great success as new models being prepared to be launched very soon.

French banks challenge local loyalty of German Mittelstand Banks want to tap in to Germany’s faster-growing economy

Al Mazaya Holding Company grants 6 percent dividend to shareholders KUWAIT: The Al Mazaya Holding Company 2013 Ordinar y and Extraordinary General Meeting were held last week in Al Mazaya Tower 1 in the heart of Kuwait City. 80.43% percent of shareholders attended. Company Chairman Rashid Yacob Al Nafisi presided over the meeting, at which were also present all Board members, CEO Ibrahim Al Saqabi, representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, official auditors, company executives, investors and the media.

Al Nafisi opened the meeting by reading the board’s report of the year to December 31, 2013. He said Al Mazaya Holding Company had enjoyed an excellent year in which it had continued to build on the gains made in 2012 and had seen profits rise by some 2000 percent to KD6m. Al Nafisi stressed that economic conditions had not been straightforward: Al Mazaya Holding Company had faced political and economic challenges over the course of the year, he said. He added the company had also had to adjust to changes in its traditional funding structure. He praised management for steering the company through adversity since the onset of the global financial crisis adding that the company’s strategy of focusing on innovation to ensure income-generating assets were maximized had proved correct. He added that moves to reschedule the terms of existing borrowing had proved prudent, as had obtaining credit valued at KD14.75m from Kuwait International Bank to pay down maturing obligations.

Hencefor th, he said, Al Mazaya Holding Company would look to Shariacompliant investment models through which to channel all borrowing. Much work had taken place during the year to streamline Al Mazaya Holding Company, Al Nafisi said, including internal management restructuring and the implementation of a company-wide code of conduct.

Concluding, he thanked ever yone involved in Al Mazaya Holding Company for their hard work in 2013. He said the company had finished the year in a strong position from which to capitalise on the possibilities and opportunities of the future. Al Mazaya Holding Company was one of the Gulf’s most important and influential companies, he said.

Financial Results Al Nafisi reviewed the Al Mazaya Holding Company financial results for 2013. The company assets at the end of the year were valued at KD228m, he said, compared to KD221m a year previously.

Shareholder equity was KD91m, up from KD83.3 in 2012. The company’s shortterm obligations had decreased by 13.55 percent during the year, he said.

AGM Agenda Al Nafisi approved the auditor’s report for the year to December 31, 2013. He also approved the Board of Directors recommendation that all shareholders should receive a six percent dividend. He approved the Board’s proposal to adjust their own remuneration. A scheme to incentivize employees by granting equity

was also approved. Al Nafisi reappointed the company’s official auditors for the year ending December 31, 2014.

Extraordinary General Meeting At the Extraordinary General, which commenced following the conclusion of the Ordinar y General Meeting, the Assembly approved amendments to company statutes 17, 19, 20, 21 and 23, all of which pertained to the membership of the Board. Also approved were amendments to statutes 24, 25, 26 and 28, which related to the frequency of Board meetings, the ability of the Board to signoff company-specific documents and Board remuneration. The Assembly ratified the amendment of items 33 and 34 of the statute relating to the invitation of shareholders to attend General Assembly meetings.

Chief Executive Officer Al Mazaya Holding Company CEO Eng Ibrahim Al Saqabi said the company had enjoyed much success in the real estate sector, which he attributed to excellent strategic planning and management.

Many milestones had been achieved over the course of the year, he said, adding the company had finished the year strongly positioned to continue gains in 2014. Al Mazaya Holding Company real estate income generating assets by the end of the year had contributed some KD4m, Eng Al Saqabi said. Several exciting new real estate projects had been commenced during the year that would strengthen the company’s overall financial position when they were completed, he added.

Eng Al Saqabi gave a presentation in which showed attendees photographs of Al Mazaya Holding Company real estate projects and discussed the ways in which the company had become a major force in the Gulf’s property sector. He praised initiatives to reschedule debt obligations and drew attention to the excellence of projects such as The Villa and Q-Point in Dubai. Two of the Al Mazaya Towers project in Kuwait had been fully leased, he said, while a third tower would be fully leased by the end of 2014.

Eng Al Saqabi said he was very optimistic about the prospects for the Al Mazaya Holding Company in 2014, particularly in the industrial real estate sector. Involvement in the Bahrain Investment Port project, worth some KD6m, would likely generate significant revenue, he said.

He added the company was currently considering a large number of interesting projects and had conducted many feasibility studies throughout the Gulf to ensure decisions that were made would be the correct ones for the long-term health of the company. Eng Al Saqabi told the audience that at all times in 2013 the Al Mazaya Holding Company had complied with all directives issued by the Capital Markets Authority and had strengthened a reputation for transparency. He concluded his presentation with an overview of 2014 and gave a timetable for engagement in new projects and completion of existing projects.

FRANKFURT: France’s big banks are embracing an unlikely challenge - to prise away some of Germany’s mighty Mittelstand of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from their local banking partners. BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank by assets, wants to boost its German business by over a quarter by 2016. To achieve that, it will have to pick off select SMEs, which in Germany make up about 18 percent of the economy outside financial services, compared with 6 percent in France and 7 percent across the European Union. If a bank can establish a relationship with such Mittelstand companies - often highly specialized manufacturers - it can mean a partnership stretching for decades, making it a valuable source of earnings despite low profit margins.

But Germany’s SMEs already have long-standing partnerships with local lenders that pass on their lower funding costs. BNP does not aim, therefore, to usurp the Mittelstand’s so-called house banks, usually a local savings bank or co-operative bank, but instead take on large national players such as Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank and UniCredit’s HypoVereinsbank, which support firms’ more complicated transactions.

Germany’s savings banks have over 40 percent of the Mittelstand market, followed by co-operatives with around 20 percent. Private banks such as Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and BNP have around 14 percent.

“The idea to expand business with middle-sized companies isn’t new ... (but) it makes a lot of sense for us to target bigger ‘Mittelstand’ companies more intensively, because we can meet their needs around the world,” said Torsten Murke, the deputy chairman of BNP’s German operations. That means courting people such as Christian Sedlatschek, the chief financial officer of Meggle, a Bavarian dairy with worldwide sales of 1 billon euros, who already does business with 10 banks and is loath to change. “Banks have to know our company, they have to enjoy our trust, and they have to take care of us intensively,” he said.

In 2013, BNP won more than 100 new corporate customers in Germany, attracted by its international network, Murke said. “Turkey is a good example. It is a main trading partner of the German economy, and more than 5,000 German companies have invested in Turkey,” he said. “We are working on a closer cooperation between BNP branches in both countries.” BNP, active in Germany since 1947, is planning on hiring 500 more staff in Germany by 2016 and is aiming for revenues to rise to 1.5 billion euros by then from 1.1 billion in 2012.

Germany’s size, economic strength and financial

conservatism mean it remains a potentially profitable market, provided banks can break into the tight-knit Mittelstand world. The German economy is around a third larger than France’s and expected to grow by 1.8 percent this year, according to the European Commission, compared with 1 percent for France and 1.2 percent for the euro zone.

There is also the scope to sell more products.

Despite its large size, Germany’s capital markets remain relatively small, with corporate bond issuance of $579 billion in the 10 years to 2013, compared with $666 billion in France and $664 billion in the UK, according to Thomson Reuters data. French banks, after shedding risky assets and boosting their loss reserves in the wake of the financial crisis, are keen to expand beyond their sluggish home market. In addition to BNP, Societe Generale is also looking to attract more German corporate clients after raising 1.5 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in retail deposits from its German brand Gefa in 2012.

Germany currently accounts for around 4 percent of Societe Generale’s annual turnover. “Societe Generale sees Germany as a growth market for years to come,” said the bank’s Germany chief, Guido Zoelle.

“Our main focus is companies that are active on capital markets and that are active in countries where Societe Generale has a big footprint, such as France, Eastern Europe, Russia or Africa.” Credit Agricole is also considering expanding its local consumer operations in Germany, according to a banking source familiar with its strategy. “The attraction would be to get more deposits from Germany and to offer more universal banking products,” the source said. Credit Agricole declined to comment.

Suspicion and trust While large German companies are usually comfortable working with foreign banks, small and medium-sized firms can be wary. “There is suspicion that these banks will withdraw from the German market in case of a new crisis,” said Bernd Supe-Dienes, who along with his brother Rudolf runs an industrial cutting tools manufacturer in Overath, a city in the RhineRuhr region, Germany’s industrial heartland.

“We’ve been working together with most of our banks for 40 or 50 years,” said Supe-Dienes, the third generation to manage the family firm, which has annual revenues of around 45 million euros and relies on a local savings bank and Deutsche Bank for its banking needs. Stefan Wolf, CEO of Elring Klinger, a publicly listed car parts supplier with yearly turnover above 1 billion euros, said he was “always open” to

working with new banks, but if his usual banks can match the product, there is no contest. Elring Klinger now pays less than 1 percent for financing of up to a year and pays only up to 2 percent for loans of up to three years, reflecting the thin margins on offer.

French banks face another hurdle in that their cost of funding is higher than German banks. French banks pay on average 0.6 percent more than their German counterparts to sell short-term debt to investors, further hitting profit margins. There is also plenty of competition, with over 1,800 lenders in Germany, far higher than in any other euro-zone country and more than three times the number in France.

Acquisitions?

BNP’s strategy of using its international network to drive growth is a path well worn by HSBC Trinkaus, a unit of Europe’s largest bank, which, though bought

by London-based HSBC in 1992, traces its history back to Duesseldorf in 1785. HSBC Trinkaus is aiming to double its corporate client base over the next four years, from about 1,500 now. To meet that goal it is emphasizing its network in Asia and Latin America, and also widening its focus beyond large clients to include smaller companies with annual sales of 35 million euros or more.

Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank are also upping their game, with Commerzbank targeting growth of 5 percent per year in the Mittelstand market, and Deutsche expanding the number of locations it deals with corporate clients to 250 from 70. Stiff competition from local players has prompted speculation that BNP might look at acquisitions to make its mark in Germany, particularly as it has finished shedding risky assets, unlike German rivals such as Commerzbank and Deutsche. The French bank recently agreed to buy Polish bank BGZ for $1.4 billion, but sources close to BNP have played down the often-cited prospect of it buying the German government’s 17 percent stake in Commerzbank. Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Cyril Meilland said in a note to clients that a more likely alternative target could be IKB, one of Germany’s first banking casualties of the financial crisis, today owned by private-equity group Lone Star. BNP declined to comment. German banks are taking the competition in their stride. “It’s not surprising that corporate banking in Germany attracts competitors,” said Stephan Winkelmeier, finance chief at BayernLB, one of Germany’s largest state-backed banks. “(But) we live by word-of-mouth recommendation. Our business with existing clients is growing, and we are winning new clients as well.” — Reuters

TED backs unmasking bad actors behind shell firms SAN FRANCISCO: TED on Tuesday threw its weight behind a quest to unmask evil doers who use “shell companies” to hide illicit wealth or fund foul deeds.

Global Witness co-founder Charmian Gooch enlisted the TED community with the revelation of a “wish” that accompanies a million-dollar prize awarded to the anti-corruption activist by the prestigious group known for technology titans, political leaders, celebrities and others with clout and resources.

“My wish is for us to know who owns and controls companies so they can no longer be used anonymously,” Gooch said during an interview at the gathering. “Let’s launch a new era of openness in business. It sounds ambitious, but it is doable.”

Global Witness investigates and campaigns to bring about change for the better by exposing economic networks behind conflict, corruption and environmental destruction. TED curator Chris Anderson called Gooch a “hero” who “is coming to TED with a real powerful call to action.” No laws in any countries require companies to list who their owners are and then make that information public, Gooch lamented.

Scandal in plain sight Meanwhile, nefarious characters ranging from corrupt heads of state to drug lords can hide or move assets through anonymous shell companies in what Gooch referred to as “an epic scandal hidden in plain sight.” Shell companies with hidden owners are used to sidestep government sanctions or plunder natural resources from poor communities, according to Global Witness. Gooch said the British government is already on board with her goal, and that the European Parliament is tuning into the idea. The United States is the next big target for the campaign.

“People like to think of anonymous companies as these sunny offshore tax havens,” Gooch said.

“Actually, the big problem is onshore in the US

and the UK.” US senators backing legislation to combat corporate secrecy praised the TED Prize going to Gooch and her wish. “Today, money launderers, arms dealers, drug lords, terrorists and tax evaders are too often able to conceal their misconduct behind a wall of corporate secrec y,” Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said in a release. Levin and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa introduced the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act to combat transnational crime by requiring incorporation applica-

tions to include lists of true owners of companies.

The Global Witness wish and the million dollars infused into the group’s campaign should add momentum a bill that already has backing from police agencies, anti-corruption groups, human rights organizers, business groups and labor organizations, according to Levin. While a senator, US President Barack Obama co-sponsored a version of the legislation. “Prosecutors of financial crimes follow the money,” Grassley said in a release. “It’s hard for them to do that when criminals are able to exploit corporate transparency laws.” —AFP

Japan Display’s shares plunge from IPO price TOKYO: Shares in Japan Display-the world’s biggest maker of screens for smartphones and tablets and a key Apple supplier lost almost a quarter of its value on its debut yesterday, following a $3.2 billion initial public offering. The firm slumped to 706 yen a share at one point from its listing price of 900 yen. It ended the morning session at 758 yen , down 15.78 percent, with one analyst describing the losses as a “disaster”. The liquid crystal display maker last week priced the offering at the low end of expectations, suggesting that investors were wary about the sale, but insisting that demand was strong. Japan Display holds a leading 16 percent in the growing $35 billion global market for smartphone and tablet screens, according to US-based research firm NPD Group.

And its IPO was one of the biggest in Tokyo since drinks giant Suntory’s food-and-beverage unit raised $3.9 billion in 2013. However, analysts have warned it faces tough competition

from lower-cost countries, including China, South Korea and Taiwan.

To address this the firm-set up in 2012 through the merger of Hitachi, Toshiba and Sony’s money-losing LCD units-is looking to boost production of small and medium-sized screens. But Seiichi Suzuki, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Securities said: “This is a company that was made up of units offloaded by their parent firms. (It doesn’t) have a bright future.” He said the firm should not have “forced its listing”, citing a tough market environment with the Nikkei index down around 10 percent this year.

Japan Display had earlier said it would sell 140 million new shares between 900 yen and 1,100 yen, while its major private shareholders would offload 213.9 million shares. “A disaster, no doubt,” Lorne Steinberg, head of Montrealbased Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management, told Dow Jones Newswires. —AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

technology

Border Security Expo showcases high-tech wares PHOENIX: A border security convention opened in Phoenix with speeches from top government officials and exhibits of high-tech wares including drones, bulletproof vehicles, shockproof clothing and mobile surveillance systems. The eighth annual Border Security Expo will feature a keynote address Wednesday from US Border Patrol Chief Michael Fisher, whose agency has been loudly criticized for its use-of-force policies and a lack of transparency. Along with panel discussions about port of entry operations and sharing intelligence, the expo features exhibitors displaying technology that they hope to sell to law enforcement agencies as they beef up border security. The event’s organizers say its aim is to bring law enforcement and policymakers together with industry leaders to discuss technological advances and share ideas about border security.

Alejandro Mayorkas, deputy secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, told a crowd Tuesday he hopes to work toward more transparency within the agency amid outcry from critics about lack of oversight. Mayorkas said the agency needs to strengthen its partnerships

with the private sector, noting “a tremendous public thirst” for greater knowledge of the agency’s operations and mission. “Criticism drives a more responsible and better government,” he said. Mayorkas’ comments come about a week after the federal government released the Border Patrol’s useof-force policies while the agency’s chief issued a directive that reiterates how personnel should respond to threats.

Immigrant rights groups have complained that Border Patrol agents are too trigger-happy in responding to people who throw rocks at them along the border with Mexico, often to distract agents from smugglers sneaking drugs into the US. Fisher, in a memorandum to all agency personnel on March 7, reminded agents that the “level of force applied must reflect the totality of the circumstances surrounding each situation.” While Border Patrol policy has always held that agents may use deadly force if there is a reasonable threat of imminent death or serious injury, Fisher ’s directive reminded agents that they shouldn’t fire their weapons unless absolutely necessary. — AP

PHOENIX: Steven Roberson, of QinetiQ, demonstrates a unmanned robotic system at the 8th annual Border Security Expo on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, in Phoenix. — AP

Google expands Android platform to wearables Voice-controlled smartwatches track heart rates

BEIJING: A woman views the Chinese social media website Weibo at a cafe in Beijing.

While Internet giants like Twitter and Google champion free speech, the US listing document for Chinese microblogging platform Weibo is littered with 56 pages of warnings on the risks of operating in a country which seeks to control information. — AFP

China’s ‘risks’ in 140 characters Weibo needs 56 pages SHANGHAI: While Internet giants like Twitter and Google champion free speech, the US listing document for Chinese microblogging platform Weibo is littered with 56 pages of warnings on the risks of operating in a country which seeks to control information. Weibo Corp, a subsidiary of Chinese Internet behemoth Sina, has filed for a $500 million stock offer in the United States, the ultimate exercise in capitalism, as it seeks funds to grow users in the face of pressure from newer competitors.

But Chinese authorities maintain a vast censorship machine to delete content considered objectionable while at the same time manning the so-called Great Firewall of China to block access to sensitive outside sites. Banned services include Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which enable individuals to communicate with each other on a mass scale.

Weibo’s listing contains a 40-page section on “Risk Factors”, and another 16 pages on the effects of laws and rules in the People’s Republic of China.

“Regulation and censorship of information disseminated over the Internet in China may adversely affect our business and subject us to liability for information displayed on our platform,” it said.

Banned content includes anything that “impairs the national dignity” of China, “disturbs social order or disrupts social stability”, is reactionary, obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory, among other categories, it explained. On page 138, Weibo Corp admits to censoring posts to conform to Chinese law. “We have adopted internal procedures to monitor content displayed on our platform, including a team of employees dedicated to screening and monitoring content uploaded on our platform and removing inappropriate or infringing content,” it said.

It is required to verify the identities of all those who post on its platforms, it added, and may have to register its encryption software with Chinese authorities. “Western (Internet) companies, part of their image and reputation, lies on the fact that they are bastions of freedom of expression,” said Jason Q Ng, a research fellow at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and author of “Blocked on Weibo”. “That Weibo disclosed the fact that they censor... speaks to the reality of the facts on the grounddisclosing to their potential investors that this stuff is a risk.”

Government crackdown In contrast Twitter, which Weibo is often compared to, was hailed as a tool of free expression during the Arab

Spring. Twitter-whose CEO is currently in China on what the firm called a private visit-has long proclaimed itself a defender of freedom of speech, although it too has faced controversy over censorship after announcing it can block tweets on a country-by-country basis if legally required to do so. But analysts said such issues might not matter to investors, saying the success of the Weibo share offer will hinge on buyers wanting a stake in a technology play in a country with more than 600 million Internet users.

Its parent Sina Corp.-which holds just over two-thirds stake in Weibo before the share offer-is already listed on the technology-heavy Nasdaq market with a market value of $4.5 billion. “Content censorship and related regulations have been the norm for China’s Internet industry through its development the past 20 years. It’s not a fresh issue,” said Hu Yanping of independent research institute DCCI. “The capital market will be focused on the company’s operations, its ability to generate income and profits,” he said. Zhuo Saijun of consultancy Analysys International, added: “I think there will still be fervent interest from investors,” citing Weibo’s value to companies for marketing.

Nonetheless analysts say a government crackdown on content and “verified” Sina Weibo users, the thought leaders of Chinese cyberspace, has hurt microblogs-which other companies also offer-along with the rapid rise of instant messaging platform WeChat, which has accumulated more than 300 million users. Last year, Chinese -American investor Charles Xue, who had around 12 million followers on his Sina microblog which was heavily critical of the government, was arrested on charges of soliciting prostitutes and paraded on state television.

In 2012, Sina disabled the comment feature on the Weibo platform for three days following rumors of a coup after the dismissal of high-flying politician Bo Xilai, and shut down specific accounts which carried the speculation. Weibo Corp said in the listing filing it had more than 129 million monthly active users and more than 61 million daily active users in December, both rising steadily since 2012. It recorded a net loss of $38.1 million in 2013, narrowing from $102.5 million a year earlier. But the governmentlinked China Internet Network Information Center estimates that microblog users fell nine percent to 281 million last year. One foreign fund manager, who declined to be named, said: “It just does not have that dynamism compared to messaging.” — AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Voice-controlled smartwatches that track heart rates and connect to phones and tablets will debut later this year as Google Inc partners with electronics, technology and fashion companies to take consumers to the next promised frontier in computing. Google on Tuesday unveiled plans to help develop the voice-controlled watches and other wearable computers based on its Android mobile operating system, which already runs more than three out of four smartphones sold worldwide.

The Android Wear project is open to software makers to create apps for the watches, putting Google at the forefront of efforts to jumpstart the nascent wearable computing market. The news comes as speculation swirls around iPhone-maker Apple Inc’s plans for wearable computers, including a smartwatch of its own. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has promised new “product categories” later this year. A video posted on Google’s blog on Tuesday showed people speaking into their watches to check sports scores, control music, send replies to text messages and even open their home garages.

By aligning itself with a broad spectrum of partners to develop the smartwatches, Google is hoping to replicate the success that helped make its free Android software the most popular smartphone operating system, analysts said. LG Electronics said on Tuesday that it would introduce its first Android watch, the G Watch, in the second quarter. Motorola said its Moto 360 Android watch would be available this summer.

Fossil Group Inc, which makes watches, handbags and other accessories, also announced that it was working with Google on Android devices.

Many believe wearable computers represent

the next big shift in technology, just as smartphones evolved from personal computers, but efforts by various companies so far have had mixed results. Samsung was among the first to sell a smartwatch for consumers, but its maiden effort, the Galaxy Gear, was widely panned by reviewers. Google’s announcement “definitely gives wearables a status that it’s a market in its own right and it needs to be treated with the respect that a separate operating system branch gives it,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Kantar World Panel.

Fitness trackers Android smarwatches will connect wirelessly to a mobile phone and can be outfitted with a variety of sensors, Google said. That means that apps developed for Android watches will be able to monitor fitness and health information such as a wearer’s heart rate or distance jogged. Google released an Android Wear Developer Preview on Tuesday, saying it would allow software makers to begin creating specialized apps for the watches. Google has also been developing Google Glass, a small stamp-sized screen attached to a pair of eyeglass frames. Google Glass can record video, access email, provide turn-by-turn driving directions and retrieve info from the Web by connecting wirelessly to a user’s cell phone, but it has also raised concerns ranging from privacy intrusions to distracted driving.

Smartwatches have a better chance of catching on with the general public than Google Glass, said Ramon Llamas, an analyst with industry research firm IDC. “It’s a really cool idea, but there’s something that creeps people out about it,” Llamas said of Google Glass. The success of

smartwatches will depend on the device’s price, battery life and the appeal of the watches’ designs, he said. Juniper Research expects more than 130 million smart wearable devices will ship by 2018. Moreover, global shipments of wearable “smart glasses” alone will reach 10 million each year by 2018, compared with an estimated 87,000 in 2013, according to the research firm.

Must have or nice to have?

Google, whose projects range from self-driving cars to robots, likely sees smartwatches as part of the future evolution of computing, said Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler. But he said it remained to be seen whether smartwatches will become an indispensable digital accessory or a “nice-to-have” gadget. “At this point I would still view it as a niche product,” he said. Among the more than 10 companies that are partnering with Google on Android watches are Samsung Electronics Co, HTC Corp, Asus, Intel Corp, Qualcomm Inc, Broadcom Corp and Mediatek Inc. Qualcomm and its manufacturing customers are working on “multiple” wearable devices based on its Snapdragon processors, spokesman Jon Carvill said. He declined to elaborate. “We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology,” Google said in a post on its official blog on Tuesday. “That’s why we’re so excited about wearables-they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word.” Shares of Google closed 1.6 percent higher at $1,211.22 on Tuesday. Shares of Fossil Group rose 4.6 percent to $118.04. — Reuters

Brazil to drop local data storage rule in web bill BRASILIA: Brazil will drop a controversial provision that would have forced global Internet companies to store data on Brazilian users inside the country to shield them from US spying, a government minister said on Tuesday. The rule was added last year to proposed Internet governance legislation after revelations that the US National Security Agency had spied on the digital communications of Brazilians, including those of their President Dilma Rousseff and the country’s biggest company Petroleo Brasileiro SA. Instead, the legislation will say that companies such as Google Inc and Facebook Inc are subject to Brazilian laws in cases involving information on Brazilians even if the data is stored abroad, congressional relations minister Ideli Salvatti told reporters. She said the bill, which is opposed by Rousseff allies in the lower chamber of Congress, has enough support to be put to the vote.

Salvatti said the government will not negotiate a key provision in the bill on net neutrality, which has faced strong opposition from telecom companies in Brazil because it would bar them from introducing differential pricing according to Internet usage and speeds, such as higher rates for downloading videos. Regulation of the business aspects of the new legislation can be done later by executive decree, she said. The legislation dubbed Brazil’s “Internet Constitution” protects freedom of expression, safeguards privacy and sets limits to the gathering and use of metadata on Internet users.

It ran into opposition from government allies in the PMDB party, Brazil’s largest, who opposed the net neutrality provision, while the requirement for in-country data storage had the Internet companies up in arms. They complained it would increase their costs and erect unnecessary barriers in one of the world’s largest Internet markets. However, following the spying revelations based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, requiring Internet companies to store data on Brazilians inside the country so that it could be subject to Brazilian laws became a priority for Rousseff. Documents leaked by Snowden last year included revelations that the NSA secretly collected data stored on servers by Internet companies such as Google and Yahoo Inc. Facebook has some 70 million users in Brazil, its third biggest market after the United States and India, and Google has a big slice of the local digital advertising market. The reported espionage using powerful Internet surveillance programs upset relations between the United States and Brazil and led Rousseff to cancel a state visit to Washington in October and denounce massive electronic surveillance of the Internet in a speech to the UN General Assembly. — Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: The PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset Project Morpheus is shown on stage as Richard Marks, senior director of research and development at Sony Computer Entertainment America, answers questions at the Game Developers Conference 2014 in San Francisco, on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. — AP

Sony unveils virtual reality PS4 headset SAN FRANCISCO: Sony is getting into the virtual reality business. The Japanese electronics and gaming giant unveiled a prototype virtual reality headset to be used in conjunction with its PlayStation 4 video game console during a Tuesday talk at the Game Developers Conference. Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, showed off the slick black-and-white headset at the annual gathering of game designers. He said Sony has been working on the technology for more than three years. The adjustable doodad is codenamed Project Morpheus and features a head-mounted display with 1080p resolution and a 90-degree field of view. Sensors built into the headset can track a wearer’s head movement in concert with a PS4 camera.

“This prototype is by no means final,” said Yoshida. “We will continue to work on this to improve it, but we believe it’s a good representation of how PlayStation will deliver VR.” Anton Mikhailov, a senior software engineer working on Project Morpheus, said the current version of the technology must be attached to a PS4 console with a cord that’s about 15 feet long, and users’ virtual perspectives can be simultaneously broadcast on a television screen. “The experience can be shared, and that’s only going to

allow it to spread,” said Mikhailov. “I think that’s going to be the key. Once people see someone else interacting in VR, they’re going to want to put it on and try it next.”

Mikhailov said users will be able to interact with the virtual world displayed on the headset with the gesture-detecting PlayStation Move controller, as well as the standard DualShock 4.

He declined to specify when the headset would be released or how much it would cost. Project Morpheus will be available for demonstration beginning Wednesday for conference attendees on the conference’s expo floor with four games: diving cage simulator “The Deep,” medieval combat game “The Castle,” sci-fi dogfighter “EVE: Valkyrie” and a VR rendition of the stealthy action-adventure title “Thief.”

While Sony Corp. has released other headmounted display units, Project Morpheus marks the company’s first foray into VR with PlayStation. Sony’s headset is similar to the Oculus Rift, a VR device currently in development by the Irvine, Calif.-based startup Oculus VR. Both devices use head tracking to reduce queasiness when users peek around a virtual landscape, and they look more like ski googles than the bulky gaming helmets of the 1990s that usually left users with headaches. — AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Nepalese women endure ‘fallen womb’ syndrome Painful and terrifying MALEKHU, Nepal: Sita Pariyar had barely recovered from childbirth when her uterus slipped out of her body, making her one of hundreds of thousands of Nepalese women struck by a debilitating reproductive condition. Sleepdeprived and unsteady on her feet, Pariyar was carrying firewood home to her village in the hilly district of Dhading on the outskirts of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu when she felt her uterus collapse.

“It was painful and terrifying. I had no idea what was happening,” the 25-year-old mother of four said.

Uterine prolapse, a condition which sees the uterus or womb descend into and protrude out of the vagina, usually strikes post-menopausal women.

In Nepal, however, 44 percent of cases involve women in their twenties, according to UN data.

A recent report by Amnesty International blames widespread gender discrimination in the predominantly rural Himalayan nation for the unusually high incidence of uterine prolapse among young Nepalese women.

“It’s high time it is seen as a human rights issue, not just a women’s health issue,” Madhu Malhotra, director of Amnesty ’s Gender, Sexuality and Identity Programme, told AFP. A 2011 health ministry survey said uterine prolapse was the “most frequently reported cause of poor health among women of reproductive age”, affecting about one in 10 Nepalese women.

Pariyar, whose impoverished Dalit family lies at the bottom of Nepal’s caste system, had little

rest during her pregnancies or after childbirth, when she was expected to do everything from cutting wood and feeding cattle to farming and housework.

By the time she was 20, she was a mother to three girls and faced unrelenting pressure from her husband and his family to give birth to a son. “My husband would get drunk, beat me and threaten to marry again, all because I couldn’t give him a son,” she recalled.

When she finally gave birth at home to a boy four years ago, her relief was short-lived. Two weeks later, she experienced heavy bleeding and shortly after, her uterus prolapsed.

As the organ descended into her vagina, often leaking fluid, sexual intercourse became increasingly painful. When she told her husband about her condition, he hit her and called her “a dirty woman”, magnifying her anxieties.

Stubborn stigma Deep-rooted social stigma around the condition makes many women hesitant to seek help.

Binda Dhamala suffered uterine prolapse in her twenties. Since then the 49-year-old villager’s condition has worsened to the point where her uterus protrudes, making it impossible for her to work, walk or even sit comfortably.

Ten years ago, her daughter, Madhuri Thakuri experienced a sharp pain when her uterus prolapsed. “Every time I cough, urine seeps out,” she said.

“I am always worried it is going to fall out. It hurts so much and I feel dirty and embarrassed all the time,” Thakuri, now 28, said.

Such stories are familiar to Aruna Uprety, a

Kathmandu-based expert on public health who has spent more than two decades working with uterine prolapse patients.

“It strikes younger women because they are malnourished, married off early and have babies at an age when their bodies can’t handle it.

“Most of them deliver at home, where traditional birthing practices can also damage the uterus,” Uprety told AFP. ‘Nepal’s shame’ Many women in Nepal do not have easy access to healthcare and rarely get time to recover from childbirth before being expected to work in the fields.

In 2008, Nepal’s Supreme Court called the high incidence of uterine prolapse a violation of reproductive rights and ordered the government to act quickly.

The state responded by promoting, and in some cases, funding hysterectomies.

But campaigners say surgeries should only be suggested in advanced cases, and that a surgery-focused drive may actually make younger women, hoping to get pregnant, more reluctant to seek help.

Inexpensive alternatives-such as a silicone ring pessary, a device that supports the uterusor preventive measures are not given their due, doctor Uprety said.

“It is Nepal’s shame that in the 21st century so many young women are suffering so much,” she said.

“And we still don’t have extensive national data so we may only have hit the tip of the iceberg.” —AFP

San Diego Zoo’s new baby gorilla has pneumonia SAN DIEGO: A baby gorilla delivered by a rare emergency cesarean section last week at the San Diego Zoo has pneumonia and is receiving round-the-clock care.

Zoo spokeswoman Christina Simmons the female gorilla was receiving oxygen and other treatment on Tuesday. She says the gorilla is sleeps a lot but is getting stronger day by day and vets are cautiously optimistic about her condition.

The medical team includes both vets and specialists in human neonatal care.

The gorilla was born March 12 and underwent surgery last Friday for a collapsed lung. It’s unclear whether she contracted pneumonia before or after birth.

The mother gorilla, an 18-year-old named Imani, had never given birth. The zoo says the C-section, rare for a gorilla, was performed because she was in distress after going into labor. —AP

SAN DIEGO: The animal care staff tending to a one-day-old baby girl gorilla who was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park after an emergency c-section procedure. —AP

Meningitis death tied to Princeton outbreak strain PHILADELPHIA: A Philadelphia college student died of the same type of meningitis that caused an outbreak at Princeton University in New Jersey, suggesting the strain might still exist on the Ivy League campus despite a massive vaccination effort, federal health officials said yesterday.

Stephanie Ross, a Drexel University sophomore from Pittsburgh, had been in close contact with Princeton students about a week before getting sick, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She died March 10.

More than 5,000 members of the Princeton community, mostly undergraduate students, received inoculations for the meningitis B strain, but vaccinated individuals can still carry the bacteria in their throats and transmit it to others, the CDC said in a statement. The agency urged vigilance in preventing new cases.

“Although transmission is from person-toperson, this organism is not highly contagious

and requires sharing respiratory and oral secretions to spread,” the statement said.

The CDC said there is no outbreak at D re xe l, w h i c h i s a b o u t 4 0 m i l e s f ro m Princeton.

Meningitis causes swelling of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and is fairly rare in the US But the illness develops quickly and, left untreated, can be fatal within a couple of days. Symptoms include a stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and confusion.

Drexel officials said they have provided preventive antibiotics to everyone who came into close contact with Ross, a mechanical engineering major who was found unresponsive at her sorority house.

The Princeton outbreak began in March 2013 and sickened seven students and a campus visitor. All have recovered.

The most recent case was identified on Nov 21. The university offered the B strain vaccine to eligible members of the campus communi-

Cholesterol drug may help multiple sclerosis sufferers PARIS: A cheap drug used to control blood cholesterol may also slow progression of later-stage multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in The Lancet yesterday.

Scientists found some evidence to suggest that simvastatin may help fight MS a decade ago, but further small-scale trials did not back up the findings.

Now, a larger study says there are encouraging signs that the cholesterolreducing drug can slow the development of MS when the disease reaches a chronic, crippling phase.

MS is a progressive disease of the brain and central nervous system in which the immune system attacks a fatty insulative sheath around nerve fibres.

The symptoms range from numbness and tingling to muscle weakness and spasms, cramps, nausea, depression and memory loss. About 10 to 15 years after diagnosis, the disease usually becomes chronic and patients start to suffer more severe symptoms. The brain loses tissue, shrinking at a rate of about 0.6 percent of its volume per year.

The new trial gave 140 chronic MS sufferers aged 18 to 65 either a daily dose of 80 milligrams of simvastatin, or a dummy lookalike pill called a placebo, over the

course of two years.

The brains of patients who took simvastatin shrank at a rate of 0.3 percent a year, 43 percent less than their “placebo” counterparts, 3-D scans showed.

There were also small but significant improvements in disabilities caused by the disease, according to reports by patients and their doctors.

Patients who took simvastatin also reported a similar number of side effects as those who were given the harmless placebo pill.

The trial was a Phase 2 test in the threestage process to assess whether new drugs are, firstly, safe and, secondly, effective.

“Caution should be taken regarding over-interpretation of our brain imaging findings, because these might not necessarily translate into clinical benefit,” said lead researcher Jeremy Chataway of Britain’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

“However, our promising results warrant further investigation in larger Phase 3 disability-driven trials.”

Simvastatin, a type of statin anti-cholesterol treatment, is a standard, low-cost drug designed to impede the buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels-a major risk for cardiovascular health. —AFP

ty a couple of weeks later, and about 5,300 students and staff got the first of two shots. The second dose was administered last month.

A statement from Princeton released Tuesday urged people not share drinking glasses, eating utensils, smoking materials and other items. New Jersey health officials have said there is no need to cancel any school events or activities.

The vaccine, Bexsero, made by Switzerlandbased Novartis, is approved for use in Europe, Australia and Canada but not yet for general use in the United States. The CDC recommended the unusual step of allowing Princeton to offer it, a move approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Federal officials also permitted the University of California in Santa Barbara to hold a vaccination clinic with Bexsero in February.

Four students at UC Santa Barbara fell ill in November with a form of bacterial meningitis similar to the Princeton cases. Three recovered and the fourth had both feet amputated. —-AP

Women half as likely as men to study science PARIS: Women are being put off careers in science by stereotypes and are less than half as likely as men to apply for degrees in the field, said a study published yesterday.

A young woman in Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United States has on average a 35 percent probability to enrol in a scientific undergraduate degree, compared to a 77 percent chance for young men, the research found. “Parity is still far from being reached,” said the report by The Boston Consulting Group, blaming the disparity on pervasive “stereotypes” about the sector.

The proportion of women engaged in scientific research has risen by three percentage points since the 1990s to 29 percent of the workforce, the data showed.

But women are on average only a third as likely as a man to graduate with a science doctorate.

The disparity continues all the way to the top, with women holding only 11 percent of the highest academic positions in Europe and winning only five of the 132 science Nobel prizes awarded from 1998 to 2013.

“Women under-representation begins at university” and is strengthened in professions where women are given fewer responsibilities and receive lower pay, the report said. To close the gap, some 300,000 women would have to graduate with science PHDs every year for a decade, said the study, which was carried out on behalf of the L’Oreal Foundation. No figures were available for countries with wider gender disparities in access to education and the workplace. —AFP

NEW YORK: This handout image provided by NASA yesterday shows the largest high resolution mosaic of our moon’s north polar region. Scientists, using cameras aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), have created the mosaic. The two-meters-per-pixel images cover an area equal to more than one-quarter of the United States. The images making up the mosaic were taken by the two LRO Narrow Angle Cameras, which are part of the instrument suite known as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. —AFP

Obama unleashing power of data on climate change WASHINGTON: The Obama administration hopes to fight global warming with the geeky power of numbers, maps and even gaming-type simulations.

The White House yesterday announced an initiative to provide private companies and local governments better access to already public climate data. The idea is that with this localized data they can help the public understand the risks they face, especially in coastal areas where flooding is a big issue.

The government also is working with several high-tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft and Intel, to come up with tools to make communities more resilient in dealing with weather extremes, such as flooding, heat waves and drought.

They include computer simulations for people to use and see what would happen with rising seas and other warming scenarios. Also, companies will hold brainstorming sessions with computer programmers aimed at designing new apps on disaster risk.

NASA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration will try to get people to create simulations to understand

flooding risks in an upcoming coastal flooding challenge. One effort would include putting sensors on Philadelphia city buses to collect data to track the effect of climate change.

In its second term, the administration has made more of an effort to connect global warming to its effect on people, especially extreme weather and disasters.

White House advisers John Podesta and John Holdren in a blog said the idea is to create easy-to-use tools for the average person to prepare people to be more resilient to the harms of climate change.

Climate scientist Chris Field of the Carnegie Institution for Science, who later this month will be the chief author of a massive United Nations affiliated report on the impacts of global warming, hailed the efforts.

“It is especially important for people, communities and firms to understand the features of their environment and their operations that create climate risk,” Field said in an email. “We need a serious, sustained conversation about climate change and dealing with it in a responsible manner.” —AP

Python’s homing trick stuns scientists PARIS: The Burmese python has a built-in compass that allows it to slither home in a near-straight line even if released dozens of kilometres away, researchers said yesterday.

Capable of growing over five metres long, pythons are among the world’s largest snakes. Although native to South and Southeast Asia, the snakes have taken up residence in South Florida’s Everglades National Park, possibly after being released as unwanted pets.

They have adapted so well to their new habitat that they now pose a serious threat to several species which they hunt as prey.

Scientists captured six of the pythons in the Everglades, placed them in sealed, plastic containers, and drove them to locations between 21 and 36 km away.

They implanted radio trackers in the animals and followed their movements with GPS readings from a small fixed-wing plane-measuring their direction and speed.

All the snakes immediately oriented

themselves towards the place where they were captured, with five of the six returning to within five kilometres (three miles) of that spot.

The sixth veered somewhat off course as it was nearing its destination.

The snakes travelled between 94 and 296 days, displaying “high motivation to reach home locations”, according to the study, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

“This study provides evidence that Burmese pythons have navigational map and compass senses,” the authors wrote.

No other snake species has yet been shown to possess a similar homing ability.

Such navigational skills suggest the python has a razor-sharp sense of territoriality. This could help combat the species in places where it is unwanted by predicting where the snake is likely to spread.

Burmese pythons eat everything from tiny birds to deer and even alligators.

They swallow their food whole. —AFP

Watson joins ‘genomic medicine’ effort WASHINGTON: IBM said yesterday it was joining a “genomic medicine” initiative, using its Watson supercomputer to deliver customized treatment options for cancer patients.

The US computing group said it was teaming with the New York Genome Center in a program to help doctors develop treatments tailored to each patient’s genetic makeup.

The first phase will help oncologists find treatments for patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive and malignant brain cancer that kills more than 13,000 people in the United States each year.

The supercomputer will be used to scan medical journals, new studies and clinical records and correlate those with a patient’s genetic mutations.

“Clinicians lack the tools and time required to bring DNA-based treatment options to their patients,” said a statement from IBM and the Genome Center.

“This joint NYGC Watson initiative aims to speed up this complex process, identifying patterns in genome sequencing and medical data to unlock insights

that will help clinicians bring the promise of genomic medicine to their patients.”

Because Watson can continually “learn” from new data, the initiative aims to update databases that give doctors the best treatment options.

“Since the human genome was first mapped more than a decade ago, we’ve made tremendous progress in understanding the genetic drivers of disease,” said Robert Darnell, president and scientific director of the center.

“The real challenge before us is how to make sense of massive quantities of genetic data and translate that information into better treatments for patients.

“Applying the cognitive computing power of Watson is going to revolutionize genomics and accelerate the opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with deadly diseases.”

IBM vice president John Kelly said: “Doctors will be able to attack cancer and other devastating diseases with treatments that are tailored to the patient’s and disease’s own DNA profiles.” —AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Health law concerns for cancer centers WASHINGTON: Cancer patients relieved that they can get insurance coverage because of the new health care law may be disappointed to learn that some of the nation’s best cancer hospitals are off-limits.

An Associated Press survey found examples coast to coast. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is excluded by five out of eight insurers in Washington state’s insurance exchange. MD Anderson Cancer Center says it’s in less than half of the plans in the Houston area. Memorial SloanKettering is included by two of nine insurers in New York City and has out-of-network agreements with two more.

Doctors and administrators say they’re concerned. So are some state insurance regulators.

In all, only four of 19 nationally recognized comprehensive cancer centers that responded to AP’s survey said patients have access through all the insurance companies in their state exchange.

Not too long ago, insurance companies would have been vying to offer access to renowned cancer centers, said Dan Mendelson, CEO of the market research firm Avalere Health. Now the focus is on costs.

“This is a marked deterioration of access to the premier cancer centers for people who are signing up for these plans,” Mendelson said.

Those patients may not be able get the most advanced treatment, including clinical trials of new medications.

And there’s another problem: It’s not easy for

consumers shopping online in the new insurance markets to tell whether top-level institutions are included in a plan. That takes additional digging by the people applying.

“The challenges of this are going to become evident ... as cancer cases start to arrive,” Norman Hubbard, executive vice president of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, said.

Advocates for cancer patients are in a quandary.

Before President Barack Obama’s health care law, a cancer diagnosis could make you uninsurable. Now, insurers can’t turn away people with health problems or charge them more. Lifetime dollar limits on policies, once a financial trapdoor for cancer patients, are also banned.

New obstacles “Patients may have fewer choices of doctors and hospitals in some exchange plans than others ... but the rules for such plans go a long way toward remedying the most severe problems that existed for decades,” said Steve Weiss, spokesman for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

The new obstacles are more subtle.

To keep premiums low, insurers have designed narrow networks of hospitals and doctors.

The government-subsidized private plans on the exchanges typically offer less choice than Medicare or employer plans.

By not including a top cancer center an insurer

can cut costs. It may also shield itself from risk, delivering an implicit message to cancer survivors or people with a strong family history of the disease that they should look elsewhere.

For now, the issue seems to be limited to the new insurance exchanges. But it could become a concern for Americans with job-based coverage too if employers turn to narrow networks.

The AP surveyed 23 institutions around the country that are part of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Two additional institutions that joined this week were not included in the survey.

Cancer network members are leading hospitals that combine the latest clinical research and knowledge with a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. They say that patients in their care have better-than-average survival rates. The unique role of cancer centers is recognized under Medicare. Several are exempt from its hospital payment system, instituted to control costs.

Network provider The AP asked the centers how many insurance companies in their state’s exchange included them as a network provider.

Of the 19 that responded, four reported access through all insurers: the Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore; Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia; Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, N.C.; and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn. One caveat:

Some insurers did not include these cancer centers on certain low-cost plans.

Two centers have special circumstances. The best known is St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Treatment there is free as long as children have a referral.

For the remaining 13, the gaps are evident.

In Buffalo, N.Y., Roswell Park Cancer Institute is included by five of seven insurers in its region. But statewide, the picture is much different: Roswell Park is not included by 11 of 16 insurers. Dr. Willie Underwood, associate professor of surgical oncology at the teaching hospital, says that’s a problem.

“Overall, when you look at the Affordable Care Act, it improves access to cancer care,” Underwood said. “When it comes down to the exchanges, there are some concerns that we have.

That is not being critical, that is being intelligent.

There are some things we should talk about ... before they start becoming a problem.”

Melanie Lapidus, vice president for managed care at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, home to Siteman Cancer Center, said she doesn’t think patients realize the exchanges offer a more restrictive kind of private insurance.

Lapidus cited Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which includes Siteman in many of its plans outside the Missouri exchange, but none within the exchange.

“We have had many people say to us, ‘I picked Anthem because you guys are always in their

products, and I assumed you would be in their exchange products,’” Lapidus said. “It’s still hard to tell who is in network and who is not.”

In a statement, Anthem said its network was based on research involving thousands of consumers and businesses. “What we learned was that people are willing to make trade-offs in order to have access to affordable health care,” the company said. “Our provider networks reflect this.”

Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City is included by five of six Utah insurers, but Mark Zenger, who manages the center’s negotiations with insurance companies, said he’s concerned about getting left out by Humana, a major carrier.

“We are worried about the potential to have these Humana exchange members seek treatment and have no other option,” Zenger said.

Humana spokesman Tom Noland said patients can have access to Huntsman for complex procedures, on a case-by-case basis. Some state insurance regulators see a problem.

“I want insurers to be able to innovate and come up with new product designs,” said Mike Kreidler, insurance commissioner for Washington state. “At the same time, there is a requirement for regulators like myself to be vigilant to make sure there aren’t unreasonable compromises.”

The Obama administration says it has notified insurers that their networks will get closer scrutiny for next year in the 36 states served by the federal exchange. Cancer care will be a priority, it says. — AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

W H AT ’ S O N

Sheraton Kuwait honored for priceless contribution

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o honor the unlimited efforts and priceless contribution offered by Sheraton Kuwait to the “Hyatt” Ruqayah Abdulwahab Alqatami Breast Cancer Foundation, the Board of Directors represented by Dr Labiba Temmim, Executive Director Mona Al-Ghanim, Finance Director and Fawzia Al-Omim Director Public Relations presented a trophy to Fahed Abu Shaar, Area Director &

General Manager of Sheraton Kuwait in recognition and appreciation of his ongoing support to the foundation making Sheraton one of Hyatt’s privileged partners in the fight against cancer in the country. In return Fahed Abu Shaar thanked “Hyatt” and ensured that the key drive for such support is the hotel’s social responsibility, morals and ethics. May God bless and cure all patients.

The Kuwait Center for Autism welcomed an Arab boy scouts team which visited Kuwait recently during the Hala February festival.

The team toured the center’s facilities and viewed advanced teaching methods that Kuwait provides for autistic students.

Warba Bank organizes Annual Spring Camp for staff

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nder the patronage and presence of Jassar Dakheel Al-Jassar, Warba Bank’s Vice Chairman & CEO, Warba Bank held an annual spring camp in Mina Abdullah area.

The open day was organized for the bank’s employees and their children, in order to strengthen the bonds of communication between the staff and the management; it also comes in appreciation of the efforts they have exerted throughout the year.

Starting at 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, the open day was full of fun and sports activities for adults, along with a number of entertainment competitions ended with prizes given to participants. Children had many competing activities which drew a smile on their

faces.

Warba Bank’s management is always keen to host such kind of activities as a form of tangible support for the employees, with a view to promote the level of communication between them and break down the barriers between management and staff.

Wholeheartedly, Warba Bank’s management expressed their willingness to invite the employees for similar upcoming events.

The open day concluded with a dinner for Warba family, in a convivial atmosphere full of joy, and spirit of brotherhood. This confirms the bank’s keenness on creating an environment of cordiality among all the employees, reflecting favourably on their work.

Jack and Jill Mangaf celebrates graduation day

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he Bhavan’s family (Indian Educational School) witnessed a colorful extravaganza at their premises, on March 8 and 9 when Jack and Jill (Bhavan), their pre-school in Mangaf celebrated their Annual Kindergarten Graduation Day. The occasion was graced by many eminent personalities like Rawa Malik Adawa - Public Relations Officer - New English School, Dr Raju Narayanaswamy - IAS, Meena Vishwanathan - Academic Co-ordinator, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan - India (South Zone) and a prominent educationist, NK Ramachandran Menon, Chairman -Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in the Middle East, Sudha Ramachandran, T Premkumar - Principal - IES , and Alok Chugh, tax partner with Ernst & Young’s.

The lighting of the lamp was a solemn event graced by the esteemed chief guests of both the days of the evening . On March 8, a warm welcome to Rawa Malik Adawa was given by the Vice-Principal of IES -Lalitha Premkumar and on March 9, a warm welcome to Alok Chugh was given by the Senior VicePrincipal -Anita Sadananda of IES. The memento was presented to the chief guests by the Principal of IES -T Premkumar on both the days.

The annual report was presented by Rathi Ravindran, Principal, J&J, Mangaf. The report was detailed and comprehensive and went on to enlighten as to how a small team of teachers along with 57 children started off the journey and now, have reached a juncture where there are more than 300 students and 21 staff on board. The report highlighted the positive aspects of the school. The principal elaborated as to how each child is given holistic care and guidance so that the child attains not only the

academic goals but also develops personality traits. She emphasized how play-way method is utilized to impart knowledge to the children.

She elaborated on all the special days that were celebrated with much fervor. She highlighted the various competition that was held throughout the session. She spoke in detail as to how special attention was given for confidence building, fine motor skills and meta cognition by way of practical activities. She went forth in appreciating the hard work put in by the teachers. A special thanks was given to the Kindergarten Supervisor of IES -Rajni Menon and to the Co-ordinators of LKG and UKG Sajida Fariz and Hemalatha Rao for their unconditional support.

The chief guests on both the days, Rawa Malik Adawa and Alok Chugh appreciated the manner in which education is being imparted by the Bhavans, and praised the high standards being set by Bhavans in the field of education.

All the kids were honored with their ceremonious graduation scroll. The dignitaries showered

Greetings

their blessings on the kids.

A series of scintillating cultural programs were staged by the tiny tots. The Butterfly Dance, Shalala Dance, the animal dance by the pre-kg etc. were some of the attractions.

Hemalatha Rao welcomed the gathering the first day whereas it was Muthu Meena who

did the honors the next day. The day’s program of 8th and 9th came to an end with an adieu by the UKG children - to the teachers and their friends of LKG. The responsibility of compeering and that of proposing vote of thanks were completely undertaken by the graduating children.

H

appy birthday Christine Yousif! Hope you have a great year! Best wishes from friends and family.

M

any happy returns of the day to Jhoclaveria.

Best wishes from Evelyn, Cheryl, Tes, Meera Marites, Elizabeth, Analin.

TIES Lectures The TIES Center cordially invites all those interested to the following lectures: 1- A series of lectures on Noble Qualities of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Hassan T Bwambale in Al-Uthman Mosque in Kuwait City today, Thursday March 20, I (Hassan) will give a lecture on, “How Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) treated his companions.” The lecture will begin at 7:20 pm (After Isha prayer) at AlUthman Mosque located between the National Assembly and the National Museum of Kuwait. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as mercy to all mankind. He treated graciously all the people he came in contact with, whether Muslims or not, young or old. He didn’t bear any grudge against anyone. He was

famous for being truthful and trustworthy even before he started proclaiming his message. You are very welcome to learn more about the noble qualities and characteristics of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

2- Quran quotes and Tafseer class by (Hassan T Bwambale.) After reading Quranic verses aloud and explaining them very briefly, Hassan will explain the various connotations of some words and phrases to show the literary beauty and miracle of the Quran. The class will involve an open discussion in a casual, relaxed setting with the aim of reflecting and pondering verses from the noble Quran, as well as learning how to recite them. On Monday March 24, we will concentrate on Surat Al-Alaq (The Blood

Clot) - The first five verses of this Surah were the first verses of the entire Qur’an to be revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). If you are interested in the class, TIES Center is the most appropriate place to visit on Monday, March 24, 2014 at 7:00pm.

3- A lecture entitled, “What you need to know about the labor laws of Kuwait,” by Waleed Kaaki. Expatriates living in Kuwait should have a practical understanding of the laws in order to navigate peacefully and successfully in the social environment. Legal awareness or legal consciousness provides them with this practical knowledge .Knowing the laws is a must for every reasonable person living and working in Kuwait; it provides him ,among other things ,

with the following: Knowledge of the rights and duties and how to protect and exercise them, proper understanding of contractual relationships, and how to make a good contract, understanding and knowing legal limits of social conduct, early detection of potentially costly mistakes to evade them as well as smooth and working relationship with lawyers.

The above are some of the benefits that one acquires as he becomes rationally conscious of the laws of the country he is living in. In the lecture we shall define what the Law is, explore its sources, and tersely review some of the laws, in preparation for future lectures on various applied laws. If you are interested in the topic, TIES Center is the place to stop by on

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 7:00 pm.

Walid is a graduate of American University of Beirut (1977) majoring in psychology and social sciences (as minor). He came to Kuwait and worked in the construction industry and was very much interested in furthering his intellectual abilities with continuous learning. Self-taught in Law, voracious reader in social sciences, natural sciences, and Law and has completed an MBA program in management and business administration but did not submit a thesis due to his overwhelming preoccupation with work. He has written and translated four books on Kuwaiti Laws, and is preparing a Legal Lexicon for foreigners, a book on the Criminal Mind, and a book on How to Read and Why.

W H AT ’ S O N

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

The Holiday Inn Salmiya brings in India’s authentic flavors Grand opening of Jamawar

O

n March 9, 2014, The Holiday Inn Kuwait, Salmiya celebrated the grand opening of Jamawar Indian cuisine, the latest addition to the five splendid restaurants that the Holiday Inn has to offer its valuable guests. An exclusive dinner was held under the patronage of Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Sunil Jain and Chairman of Al-Arabiya Real Estate Co Emad Bukhamseen and attended by the ambassadors of Lebanon, Australia, Cyprus, Canada, Germany, Armenia, Austria and Spain alongside a number of high ranking dignitaries and businessmen.

Guests were welcomed by Emad Bukhamseen and the

Holiday Inn management team headed by Monjed Salha, the General Manager of the hotel. Guests were served with refreshing juice while taking many group photos. The reception was followed by cutting the ceremonial ribbon and distributing famous Indian flowers andjasmine chains.

Upon welcoming the guests, Salha, commented: “We are privileged to welcome all our valuable guests and distinguished ambassadors who have joined us tonight in the grand opening of Jamawar, a step that I believe affirms our aspirations to further expand in the hospitality and food service industry.”

Emad Bukhamseen expressed his delighted at the opening of the second branch of the restaurant and added: “Since it was first introduced in Kuwait, Jamawar was able to deliver the original Indian cuisine infused with the finest and freshest ingredients, catering to the specific palette of our local customers. We hope that our guests will enjoy our menu for tonight, as they experience the delightful taste of India.”

Blending an ambience of a charming traditional Indian dÈcor imported straight from India, luxurious setting and live music show, the guests were able to enjoy a set menu

featuring a variety of dishes that were perfectly prepared to guarantee nothing less than the authentic flavors of the Indian cuisine.

The opening of Jamawar Holiday Inn, Salmiya, follows on the brand’s success at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, as it continues to expand with the opening of the second branch in Kuwait. Jamawar is a fine-dining authentic Indian restaurant with a variety of cuisines from Northern India created by a team of skillful chefs, to keep the experience as authentic as possible.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

TV PROGRAMS 00:15 00:45 01:35 02:20 02:55 03:25 04:15 05:00 05:20 05:40 05:55 06:15 06:35 06:50 07:05 07:30 08:15 08:50 09:20 09:50 10:20 11:05 11:55 12:40 13:15 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:30 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:50 21:40 22:10 23:00 23:45

Doctors Five Daughters Alan Carr: Chatty Man One Foot In The Grave The Omid Djalili Show Silk The Weakest Link Tweenies Balamory Nina And The Neurons Me Too! Tweenies Balamory Nina And The Neurons Me Too! The Weakest Link One Foot In The Grave The Omid Djalili Show Eastenders Doctors Being Erica Drop Zone The Weakest Link One Foot In The Grave The Omid Djalili Show Eastenders Doctors Being Erica Drop Zone The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Being Erica My Hero Extras Silk Hustle Friday Night Dinner Last Man Standing The Weakest Link Eastenders

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:40 Come Dine With Me 02:30 MasterChef 03:25 Chef At Home 04:10 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 04:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 05:40 Bargain Hunt 06:25 Come Dine With Me 07:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 08:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 08:45 Homes Under The Hammer 09:35 Bargain Hunt 10:20 Antiques Roadshow 11:15 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 11:40 Come Dine With Me 12:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:20 Holmes On Homes 14:10 Antiques Roadshow 15:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 15:50 MasterChef 16:45 Bargain Hunt 17:30 Chef At Home 17:55 Chef At Home 18:20 Antiques Roadshow 19:15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 20:10 Food Glorious Food 21:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 21:30 Come Dine With Me 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:30 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 01:20 The Big Brain Theory 02:10 Mythbusters 03:00 You Have Been Warned 03:50 Border Security 04:15 Auction Kings 04:40 Container Wars 05:05 How Do They Do It? 05:30 How Stuff’s Made 06:00 Sons Of Guns

07:00 You Have Been Warned 07:50 Finding Bigfoot 08:40 Fast N’ Loud 09:30 Border Security 09:55 Auction Kings 10:20 Container Wars 10:45 How Do They Do It? 11:10 How Stuff’s Made 11:35 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 12:25 The Big Brain Theory 13:15 Mythbusters 14:05 Border Security 14:30 Auction Kings 14:55 Container Wars 15:20 Strip The City 16:10 Fast N’ Loud 17:00 Ultimate Survival 17:50 Wheeler Dealers 18:40 You Have Been Warned 19:30 Sons Of Guns 20:20 How Do They Do It? 20:45 How Stuff’s Made 21:10 Auction Kings 21:35 Container Wars 22:00 Glory Hounds 22:50 Outlaw Empires 23:40 Hellriders

00:40 The Colony 01:30 Bang Goes The Theory 02:00 Food Factory 02:25 How Tech Works 02:50 Space Voyages 03:45 Scanning The Skies 04:35 Thunder Races 05:25 How The Universe Works 06:15 Food Factory 06:40 How Tech Works 07:05 X-Machines 08:00 Large Dangerous Rocket Ships 2011 08:50 Junkyard Wars 09:40 Food Factory 10:05 How Tech Works 10:30 James May’s Man Lab 11:25 X-Machines 12:20 Thunder Races 13:10 How The Universe Works 14:00 Scanning The Skies 14:50 Bang Goes The Theory 15:20 Food Factory 15:45 How Tech Works 16:10 Space Voyages 17:00 How The Universe Works 17:55 Scrapheap Challenge 18:45 X-Machines 19:35 James May’s Man Lab 20:30 Prank Science 20:55 Prank Science 21:20 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 22:10 Food Factory 22:35 How Tech Works 23:00 Prank Science 23:25 Prank Science 23:50 Sci-Fi Saved My Life

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin & Ally Dog With A Blog Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm Wolfblood Gravity Falls That’s So Raven Jessie Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Austin & Ally A.N.T. Farm

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 15:50 16:10 17:00 17:20 17:40 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

Dog With A Blog Suite Life On Deck Jessie That’s So Raven Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Austin & Ally A.N.T. Farm Jessie Dog With A Blog Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Austin & Ally Violetta Dog With A Blog Austin & Ally Gravity Falls Jessie Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm Violetta Jessie Good Luck Charlie 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

00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Dance Scene 00:55 The Dance Scene 01:25 Style Star 01:50 Style Star 02:20 E! Investigates 03:15 Extreme Close-Up 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 The E! True Hollywood Story 06:00 THS 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Scouted 10:15 Married To Jonas 10:40 Chasing The Saturdays 11:10 Eric And Jessie: Game On 11:35 Eric And Jessie: Game On 12:05 E! News 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 THS 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!ES 20:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 20:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 21:00 Fashion Police 22:00 Party On 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:35 01:30 02:25 02:55 03:25 05:15 06:10 07:05 07:30 09:20 10:15 11:10 12:00 12:30 13:25 14:20 15:10 15:35 16:30 17:25 18:20 19:10 19:35 20:30 21:25 22:20 22:50 23:45

House Gift Emmerdale Coronation Street Holiday: Heaven On Earth Endeavour House Guest In The Sun House Gift Holiday: Heaven On Earth Endeavour House Guest In The Sun May The Best House Win Emmerdale Coronation Street House Gift House Guest In The Sun May The Best House Win Holiday: Heaven On Earth The Chase Four Weddings UK The Hungry Sailors May The Best House Win Coronation Street The Chase Four Weddings UK The Hungry Sailors Coronation Street Emmerdale May The Best House Win

BREAKING POINT ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION

TV industry joins forces to launch region’s first ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition’

M

JACK REACHER ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Veep 02:00 South Park 04:00 All Of Us 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 05:30 Better Off Ted 06:00 The War At Home 06:30 Arrested Development 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 08:00 All Of Us 08:30 Better Off Ted 10:00 Modern Family 10:30 Arrested Development 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 12:00 The War At Home 12:30 All Of Us 13:00 Better Off Ted 13:30 Arrested Development 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The War At Home 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 18:00 Last Man Standing 18:30 New Girl 19:00 The Mindy Project 19:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:30 South Park 23:00 Legit 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:00 01:00 02:00 Coven 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 22:00 23:00

The Mob Doctor House Of Cards American Horror Story: The Newsroom Scandal Twisted The Mob Doctor Last Resort Switched At Birth Scandal Last Resort Twisted Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Switched At Birth The Mob Doctor Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Switched At Birth The Carrie Diaries American Idol Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Newsroom

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00

The Americans Good Morning America Nip/Tuck Rescue Me Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show

00:00 The Veteran-18 02:00 Breaking Point-18 04:00 Arctic Blast-PG15 06:00 Shadow Conspiracy-PG15 08:00 Howard The Duck-PG 10:00 Dangerous Attraction-PG15 11:45 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life-PG15 13:45 Howard The Duck-PG 15:45 The Bourne Legacy-PG15 18:00 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life-PG15 20:00 The Howling: Reborn-PG15 22:00 The Bourne Legacy-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Ted-18 American Cowslip-18 Spy Hard-PG15 4 Wedding Planners-PG15 Asterix And Obelix-PG15 Delirious-PG15 Spy Hard-PG15 The Big Year-PG Delirious-PG15 Coneheads-PG Your Sister’s Sister-18 Ted-18

01:00 Arbitrage-PG15 03:00 Now You See Me-PG15 05:00 Snow Flower And The Secret Fan-PG15 07:00 The Wild Hunt-PG15 09:00 Arbitrage-PG15 11:00 Now You See Me-PG15 13:00 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 14:45 The Host-PG15 17:00 Hold Fast-PG15 19:00 96 Minutes-PG15 21:00 Love And Honor-PG15 23:00 Hesher-18

02:15 Heavy Duty-PG15 03:35 Perfect Stranger-18 05:30 Extremities-18 07:00 Night Falls On Manhattan 09:00 Dirty Teacher-PG15 11:00 The Intouchables-PG15 13:00 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold-PG15 15:00 The Wish List-PG15 17:00 The Intouchables-PG15 19:00 The Entitled-PG15 21:00 The White Countess-PG15 23:15 A Kiss Before Dying-PG15

00:45 03:00 05:15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Mud-PG15 Jack Reacher-PG15 Carnage-PG15 Rise Of The Guardians-PG Sparkle-PG15 Jack Reacher-PG15 Web Of Lies-PG15 A View From Here-PG15 Sparkle-PG15 Clear History-PG15 Identity Thief-PG15 Broken City-18

01:00 Easter Egg Escapade 02:45 Oz The Great And Powerful 05:00 Angel’s Friends 06:30 Jelly T 08:00 Quest For A Heart 09:30 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory 11:30 American Girl: McKenna Shoots For The Stars 13:15 Oz The Great And Powerful 15:30 Hammer Boy 17:00 Marc Logan 18:00 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory 20:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote 22:00 Hammer Boy 23:30 Marc Logan

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:15

Red State-18 Brave-PG The Runway-PG15 I Think I Do-PG15 Now Is Good-PG15 Winx-FAM Life Of Pi-PG Super Buddies-FAM

16:00 Now Is Good-PG15 18:00 The Cold Light Of Day-PG15 20:00 2 Days In New York-18 22:00 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters-PG15

00:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 03:00 Trans World Sport 04:00 Snooker The Welsh Open 07:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 07:30 Inside The PGA Tour 08:00 Trans World Sport 09:00 Super Rugby 11:00 Super Rugby 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Total Rugby 14:30 HSBC Sevens World Series 17:30 HSBC Sevens World Series Highlights 18:00 Golfing World 19:00 Snooker The Welsh Open 22:00 PGA European Tour Weekly

00:00 01:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

Trans World Sport Champions Tour Highlights Super Rugby Super Rugby AFL Premiership Preview NRL Premiership Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 AFL Premiership Preview Live AFL Premiership Trans World Sport LV Cup Super Rugby WWE NXT Bellator MMA 2014 Live Premier League Darts

01:30 02:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 10:30 11:30 12:30 16:00 16:30 20:00 20:30 21:30 22:30 23:30

ICC Cricket 360 ICC T20I World Cup ICC Cricket 360 ICC World T20 Highlights ICC T20I World Cup ICC World T20 Highlights ICC World T20 Highlights Live ICC T20I World Cup ICC Cricket 360 Live ICC T20I World Cup ICC Cricket 360 ICC World T20 Highlights ICC World T20 Highlights ICC World T20 Highlights ICC Cricket 360

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Mountain Men Heroes Of War: Poland Storage Wars Storage Wars Swamp People Mountain Men Heroes Of War: Poland Pawn Stars Storage Wars Storage Wars Texas Counting Cars Swamp People Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Texas Counting Cars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Storage Wars Storage Wars Swamp People Ancient Aliens Mountain Men Swamp People Swamp People Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Storage Wars Storage Wars Swamp People Mountain Men Pawn Stars Storage Wars Counting Cars Counting Cars

arking a regional first, leading broadcasters, satellite operators and service providers across the MENA have joined forces under the ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition,’ to address and combat all forms of piracy that impact the sector.

Key industry players including OSN, Motion Picture Association of America (MPA), MBC Group, du, STN, JMC, Nilesat, Arabsat, Noorsat, Eutelsat, and Viewsat will work alongside content owners, distributors, satellite owners, satellite service providers, and advertisers, to raise awareness about the impact of piracy on the region’s burgeoning television industry.

Driven by a common goal to protect intellectual property rights, members of the ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition’ have outlined a voluntary code of conduct, while publically associating themselves as active representatives of the coalition. The ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition’ will monitor piracy on satellite TV, ensure information about pirate channels is shared among legitimate industry players and coordinate action against the pirates.

David Butorac, Chief Executive Officer, OSN, said: “The region’s television landscape has evolved significantly, and this growth has been spurred by the creation of original content. Intellectual Property Crime is not a victimless crime. It inhibits the capacity for companies like ours to invest to create a viable and robust entertainment industry, something this region deserves. Through the ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition,’ we will work with leaders from the industry and carry out a concerted effort to crack down on piracy.”

Within the same context, Sam Barnett, Chief Executive Officer, MBC Group, added: “Pirate channels are stealing hundreds of movies a week and broadcasting them across tens of millions of homes. But, the really surprising fact is that a few otherwise respectable companies are assisting and supporting them to do this. Our coalition will help raise awareness of the issue, galvanise support from the legitimate industry and hopefully make life tougher for the pirates.” While several broadcasters have been active in contributing to the fight against piracy, the formation of the ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition’ underlines the growing need to address the effects of piracy in all forms.

Previously, piracy had been seen to affect pay-TV operators, however today, the entire broadcast industry in the Middle East and North Africa are at risk. The ‘Anti-Piracy Coalition’ will adopt an all-inclusive approach - working with willing Satellite operators, advertisers, studios and broadcasters to stop the pirate channels.

(From left) Photo shows Maaz Sheikh, Chief Sales and Operations Officer at OSN, Michael Freundlich, Deputy General Counsel at Eutelsat, Mahesh Jaishankar, Vice President Datamena and Broadcast Commercial at du , Sam Barnett, CEO at MBC, Radi Al-Khas, CEO at JMC, Rawand Al-Zoubi, Vice President for Legal Affairs at Noorsat, Andrej Lovsin, CEO at STN, Omar Shoter, CEO at NOORSAT, David Butorac, CEO at OSN, Okke Delfos Visser, VP Head Legal Department at MPA, Sarah Van Reempts, Legal Counsel at MPA, Nabil Shanti, VP Marketing and Customer Service at Arabsat.

Dame Vivienne Westwood doesn’t shower

D

ame Vivienne Westwood admits she rarely takes a shower. The 72-year-old designer has revealed she doesn’t wash every day and prefers to share dirty bath water with her husband because she’s so dedicated to making the environment a greener place.

She said during a new campaign video for animal rights group PETA: “Normally at home I’m not used to the habit of a shower. I just wash my bits and rush out in the morning and more often than not get in the bath after Andreas. I’m sorry but whatever you do is helpful. We have to start somewhere.” Dame Vivienne, who is also a dedicated vegetarian, has teamed up with PETA, which promotes ethical treatment of animals, to raise awareness of how the world’s water supplies are depleted by the meat trade.

She explained: “This is about how precious water is, it’s more important than the gas that the people want to dig up and we’re prepared to poison our water for that for example.

Eating meat is one of the most environmentally damaging things it’s possible to do.

“I’m a person who’s got enough money to make choices and this is my choice. We don’t need to eat animals, there’s too many of us anyway and eating animals is destroying the world. I believe that we are an endangered species and we need to think about what we’re doing. We’re probably killing our-selves through eating meat.”— Bang Showbiz

Dame Vivienne Westwood

Classifieds THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 RED SKY (DIG) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) RED SKY (DIG) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) 9:45 PM RED SKY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (13/03/2014 TO 19/03/2014)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 11:45 PM

SHARQIA-2 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 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

SHARQIA-3 NON-STOP (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM

MUHALAB-2 RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) RED SKY (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM

MUHALAB-3 MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) NON-STOP (DIG) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM

FANAR-1 NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-2 MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG) LAMO AKHZA (DIG)(Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG)(Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG)(Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG)(Arabic) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-3 RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) BEWAKOOFIYAAN (DIG) (Hindi) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-4 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG-3D) 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

FANAR-5 FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-1 RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) LAMO AKHZA (DIG) (Arabic) RED SKY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-2 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-3 MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) NON-STOP (DIG) MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN (DIG-3D) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1 LAST LOVE (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) LAST LOVE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-2 FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) FORCE OF EXECUTION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) RED SKY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-4 NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG) NON-STOP (DIG)

FOR SALE Chevrolet jeep - Trail Blazer - LS 2008, black color, Alghanim. Excellent condition. KM 127,000, KD 2,650.

Mob: 50994848. (C 4669) 18-3-2014 2011 Toyota Camry, white exterior, mileage 76,000, price KD 3,450. Tel: 99883645. (C 4666) 2013 Volvo SUV, brown exterior, mileage: 14,000, under warranty + 2 years, full insurance, price KD 10,300. Tel: 97227376.

(C 4665) 15-3-2014 SITUATION WANTED I am looking for a job in accounts & finance, my expectation is between KD 650 to KD 1000 depending upon the position offered. I have transferable residency article no. 18 & also valid driving license. Kindly contact me by SMS with your email ID on this no.

66825635 to forward you my CV. (C 4667) 16-3-2014

west Mylapore, Chennai 4.

(C 4672) I, Mohinder Pal Singh, holder of Indian Passport No. G 1687598 hereby change my name to Mohinder Singh. (C 4673) 20-3-2014 I, Taza, holder of Indian Passport No. K9682992 have changed my name to Murtaza Shabbir Husain Raswala, residing at Partapur, Rajasthan.

(C 4663) I, Thopugunta Sudheer holder of Indian Passport No. K7916639 change my name to Ali Haider Shaik, my address in India is N.T.R. Nagar, Chitvel, K. Kandulayaripalli, Kadapa Dist, AP, 516104. (C 4664) 13-3-2014

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION VACANT

I am looking for a job in accounts & finance, my expectation is between KD 650 to KD 1000 depending upon the position offered. I have transferable residency article no. 18 & also valid driving license. Kindly contact me by SMS with your email ID on this no.

66825635 to forward you my CV. (C 4667)

Housemaid required fulltime or part-time 6 - 3:30 pm in Farwaniya for 1 month who can take care of 2.5-year-old child and knows cooking, English speaking is a must, salary KD 120. Call: 97220933.

(C 4670) 19-3-2014

No: 16110

CHANGE OF NAME I, Dahodwala Husain Joharbhai holder of Passport No. K3652369, hereby change my surname to Bhabhrawala Husain Joharbhai. (C 4671) I, Eliyas Johnson S/O Elias holder of Passport No. A8968226 hereby changed Elias Johnson Kuriakose, no.3 Bishopwallers Avenue

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Airlines JAI KLM JZR THY QTR PGT SAI GFA THY JZR JZR UAE ETD JAI MSR MSC QTR FDB THY DHX QTR JZR FDB JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB QTR IRA KAC KAC KAC SVA KAC UAE KAC KAC ABY ETD IRA QTR FDB IZG GFA MSC MSC JZR MEA SYR TBZ JZR UAE JZR MSR MSR FDB QTR KAC KAC

Arrival Flights on Thursday 20/3/2014 Flt Route 574 Mumbai 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 539 Cairo 772 Istanbul 1084 Doha 858 Istanbul 441 Lahore 211 Bahrain 764 Istanbul 555 Alexandria 267 Beirut 854 Dubai 305 Abu Dhabi 576 Kochi/Abu Dhabi 612 Cairo 401 Alexandria 1076 Doha 067 Dubai 770 Istanbul 170 Bahrain 8650 Doha 503 Luxor 069 Dubai 529 Asyut 157 London 412 Manila/Bangkok 206 Islamabad 053 Dubai 1086 Doha 617 Ahwaz 302 Mumbai 382 Delhi 352 Kochi 512 Riyadh 332 Trivandrum 855 Dubai 362 Colombo 284 Dhaka 125 Sharjah 301 Abu Dhabi 605 Esfahan 1070 Doha 055 Dubai 4161 Mashhad 213 Bahrain 403 Asyut 405 Sohag 165 Dubai 404 Beirut 341 Damascus 5483 Mashhad 241 Amman 871 Dubai 561 Sohag 610 Cairo 579 Sohag 057 Dubai 1078 Doha 672 Dubai 546 Alexandria

Time 00:10 00:30 00:40 00:45 00:55 01:30 01:30 02:10 02:15 02:25 02:30 02:35 02:45 02:50 03:10 03:45 03:45 04:20 05:35 05:40 05:45 05:50 05:50 06:20 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:50 07:50 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:10 08:15 08:15 08:40 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:20 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:35 10:40 11:15 11:20 11:30 11:55 12:30 12:35 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:50 13:55 14:00 14:05

SVA KNE KAC GFA TSY KNE KAC KNE NIA JZR OMA JZR KAC UAE QTR ETD RJA JZR UAL SVA ABY GFA JZR JZR KAC JZR QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC AXB KAC KAC GFA KAC KAC TAR MSR FDB JAI JZR ABY OMA KNE DLH ALK FDB MEA JZR ETD UAE GFA QTR KLM UAL JZR FDB AIC PIA JZR

500 472 562 221 501 460 788 470 251 535 645 779 118 857 1072 303 640 787 982 510 127 215 777 135 542 177 1080 063 786 502 618 176 393 674 774 217 104 614 328 618 061 572 189 129 647 480 634 229 071 402 181 307 859 219 1074 417 981 239 059 981 205 185

Jeddah Jeddah Amman Bahrain Beirut Riyadh Jeddah Jeddah Alexandria Cairo Muscat Jeddah New York Dubai Doha Abu Dhabi Amman Riyadh IAD Riyadh Sharjah Bahrain Jeddah Bahrain Cairo Dubai Doha Dubai Jeddah Beirut Doha Geneva/Frankfurt Kozhikode Dubai Riyadh Bahrain London Bahrain Tunis/Dubai Alexandria Dubai Mumbai Dubai Sharjah Muscat Taif Frankfurt Colombo Dubai Beirut Dubai Abu Dhabi Dubai Bahrain Doha Amsterdam Bahrain Amman Dubai Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad Lahore Dubai

14:30 14:35 14:50 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:35 15:50 15:50 15:55 16:05 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:05 17:15 17:25 17:30 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:20 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:35 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:20 20:50 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 23:15 23:20

Airlines AIC AXB JAI KLM DLH SAI THY PGT UAE ETD MSR QTR MSC FDB QTR JZR FDB JAI JZR THY KAC GFA QTR JZR THY FDB BAW IRA QTR JZR IZG KAC MSC MSC JZR MEA KAC SYR JZR JZR TBZ MSR MSR UAE FDB QTR JZR KAC KAC KNE JZR GFA

Departure Flights on Thursday 20/3/2014 Flt Route 976 Goa/Chennai 490 Mangalore/Kochi 573 Mumbai 411 Amsterdam 635 Frankfurt 442 Lahore 773 Istanbul 859 Istanbul 854 Dubai 306 Abu Dhabi 613 Cairo 1085 Doha 406 Sohag 068 Dubai 1077 Doha 560 Sohag 070 Dubai 575 Abu Dhabi/Kochi 164 Dubai 765 Istanbul 545 Alexandria 212 Bahrain 8650 Dhaka 240 Amman 771 Istanbul 054 Dubai 156 London 616 Ahwaz 1087 Doha 534 Cairo 4162 Mashhad 165 Rome/Paris 404 Asyut 402 Alexandria 776 Jeddah 405 Beirut 785 Jeddah 342 Damascus 786 Riyadh 176 Dubai 5484 Mashhad 580 Sohag 611 Cairo 872 Dubai 058 Dubai 1079 Doha 134 Bahrain 673 Dubai 617 Doha 473 Jeddah 188 Dubai 222 Bahrain

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Time 00:05 00:15 01:10 01:45 02:10 02:30 02:55 03:20 03:50 04:00 04:10 04:15 04:45 05:00 05:15 06:20 06:30 06:45 06:55 07:05 07:15 07:15 07:15 07:20 07:30 08:30 08:45 08:50 08:50 09:00 11:35 11:50 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:55 13:00 13:30 13:35 13:45 13:50 13:50 14:00 14:15 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:40 15:45

KNE SVA KAC KNE KAC NIA OMA JZR JZR ETD QTR UAE JZR RJA ABY SVA UAL GFA JZR JZR FDB QTR AXB GFA KAC FDB TAR KAC ABY TSY MSR JAI KAC OMA KAC KNE KAC DHX FDB ALK MEA ETD GFA KAC UAE KAC JZR KLM QTR FDB JZR KAC KAC

481 505 773 471 613 252 646 238 180 304 1073 858 538 641 128 511 982 216 184 266 064 1081 394 218 283 062 328 331 120 502 619 571 351 648 343 461 543 171 072 230 403 308 220 301 860 205 552 417 1075 060 528 411 415

Taif Jeddah Riyadh Jeddah Bahrain Alexandria Muscat Amman Dubai Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Cairo Amman Sharjah Riyadh Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Beirut Dubai Doha Kozhikode Bahrain Dhaka Dubai Tunis Trivandrum Sharjah Beirut Alexandria Mumbai Kochi Muscat Chennai Riyadh Cairo Bahrain Dubai Colombo Beirut Abu Dhabi Bahrain Mumbai Dubai Islamabad Alexandria Dammam/Amsterdam Doha Dubai Asyut Bangkok/Manila Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta

15:50 16:00 16:05 16:30 16:35 16:50 16:55 16:55 16:55 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:50 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:40 18:50 19:25 19:40 20:15 20:15 20:30 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:10 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:25 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 492

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Demands from work can be exhausting and you are learning to streamline your energy by focusing on one thing at a time. You could receive unexpected backing for what you want to accomplish and, in general, your efforts are successful in reaching your goals. This is a time during which you are driven to complete the old and begin the new. You may even find yourself moving in new and unexpected directions by this afternoon. There is optimism and faith-a time when you can put your practical insights into words and convey them to others. Communication with authority figures is also prevalent. Tonight you may try a little dancing. You will see that the movement of the body helps to expel the negative and relieve you from the stress of the day.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You are ready to widen your scope of education and may find yourself attending a class or actually enrolling in a nearby community college. You should be attentive in all the work you do today, for there is a tendency to gloss over mistakes. Be especially cheerful in the business transactions you handle with the public now-someone is in a grouchy mood and could challenge you. You can be very eloquent or forceful in speaking or communicating; people will understand just what you mean. You might enjoy attending a home or computer show this evening. There are some new storage ideas as well as new inventions to view. There should be some interesting developments in finances through the end of this month.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. On, to, or at the top.

5. Take to be the case or to be true.

11. Used of physical coldness.

15. Large genus of African trees bearing kola nuts.

16. Dutch physicist honored for his research on the influence of magnetism on radiation which showed that light is radiated by the motion of charged particles in an atom (18651943).

17. Wild sheep of northern Africa.

18. A blind god.

19. (Greek mythology) One of the mountain nymphs.

21. Raised above ground level.

23. Transient cessation of respiration.

24. Not ever.

27. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns.

30. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

34. Relating to the Urdu language.

39. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

40. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

44. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

46. A wealthy man (who made his fortune in the Orient).

48. A Chinese breed of small short-legged dogs with a long silky coat and broad flat muzzle.

49. (Arthurian legend) The most virtuous knight of the Round Table.

51. Someone who has hemophilia and is subject to uncontrollable bleeding.

53. A port and tourist center in southwestern Italy.

56. Convert ordinary language into code.

57. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

60. An alliance made up of states that had been Soviet Socialist Republics in the Soviet Union prior to its dissolution in Dec 1991.

62. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosion-resistant.

63. A large fleet.

65. A cock bred and trained for fighting.

70. A local computer network for communication between computers.

71. The largest city and former capital of Turkey.

74. The cry made by sheep.

75. Narrow wood or metal or plastic runners used for gliding over snow.

76. Moved or conveyed by or through air.

77. One of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

78. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

79. A great raja.

80. A beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water.

DOWN 1. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

2. An implement used in the practice of a vocation.

3. Of time long past.

4. Characteristic of someone who has risen

economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position.

5. An obsolete name for nitrogen.

6. A West African language closely related to Fula.

7. A small hard fruit.

8. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

9. A state in southeastern India on the Bay of Bengal (south of Andhra Pradesh).

10. Half the width of an em.

11. A high-crowned black cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey and Iran and the Caucasus.

12. A port city in northwestern Algeria and the country's 2nd largest city.

13. United States publisher of magazines (1898-1967).

14. African tree with edible yellow fruit resembling mangos.

20. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

22. The eleventh month of the civil year.

25. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

26. Informal terms for a mother.

28. An ancient city in northern Portugal.

29. God of death.

31. Type genus of the Alcedinidae.

32. Having or resembling a beak.

33. A coterie of undesirable people.

35. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

36. The use of bacteria or viruses of toxins to destroy men and animals or food.

37. United States tennis player (born in Czechoslovakia) who won several singles championships.

38. A person forced to flee from home or country.

41. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

42. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

43. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

45. A Dravidian language spoken in south central India.

47. A Russian river.

50. Inability to use or understand language (spoken or written) because of a brain lesion.

52. A genus of evergreen shrub that grows in New Zealand.

54. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

55. Used as an Italian courtesy title.

58. Any of several short-billed Old World rails.

59. Of or related to the amnion or characterized by developing an amnion.

61. A native-born Israeli.

64. The length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference.

66. Tough Asiatic grass whose culms are used for ropes and baskets.

67. A notice of someone's death.

68. An enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept.

69. God of love and erotic desire.

72. Hormone released by the hypothalamus that controls the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary.

73. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

Business is looking good today. As much as you like to have everything the same, make an effort to become more flexible and adaptable. Things could change in the twinkling of an eye. Interestingly enough, you may seek professional placement in a job that demands you to be flexible. For you, change is the ultimate challenge.

Your home life may get some changes occasionally, but unless you are pushed, become angry or just need the change, you will probably keep your lifestyle the same for a very long time. A good investment is as close as your computer screen and you have a way of weeding out the good from the bad. When you get ready to actually invest, check out the people who will be taking your money for the investment.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There may be a bit of a slowdown in business today. Don’t be too surprised if commerce and cash flows slowly. Some stabilizing factors can be beneficial, however. For example, this slowdown will give you a chance to catch your breath and plot and plan for the next phase. A love relationship can be intensified now. Financial security and enjoying the finer things in life, appreciating and creating things others long to have, assume a high priority. You enjoy music and may enjoy some get-together with other musicians after the workday has ended. Several of you from the workplace might join an aerobics group. You want to be in great shape for the summer-aerobics, competitive sports and other activities that burn calories are all favored.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Your dream could become a reality, in a most unexpected way. You might think you would like to be in a different field of work or department, but you should investigate all the angles before making any moves just now. You seem to be guided by sensible actions. Coordinate plans for the evening with a companion whose lifestyle and preferences you admire. Talk at the noon break centers around some law that seems unjust. You and a few others talk of ways to change this law. You will find your mind beginning to turn away from the material and become more concerned with the inward and spiritual. Spend some time out-of-doors today. This is a time of exploring your feelings: a kind of restlessness for new emotional experiences.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are not easily swayed by others’ opinions, especially today. You could become involved with an exciting play of conversation this morning. You see no problem in expressing yourself vociferously in almost any situation, but be careful to make sure your opinion is really requested-especially in the work world. There are people around you that keep up with the news and it would not hurt for you to do the same. Keeping upto-date will help you to make suggestions on product improvements. You are charming and graceful with eloquence in speech and writing. Consider writing short stories, especially if you have not tried your hand at this work yet. You are inventive, original and high tech. This is a great time to celebrate new beginnings!

Libra (September 23-October 22) Although this can be a stressful day, it is a great day for making money.

There is a feeling that anything is possible. There are optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances at the deepest emotional levels. This afternoon is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation, just how you feel about yourself. Emotions in particular-or the feelings of those around you-may be very clear. Bigger and better is the theme when it comes to creativity, romance and self-expression. This is a time when taking chances pays off beyond your wildest expectations. A social event may be just what is needed to give you a lift and encourage your energies. The evening is yours to enjoy.

Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Work, success and ambition are things that mean a lot to you. You are at your mental best with sharp ideas and clear thoughts. This is an excellent time to make decisions and take care of mental work. This is a good day for moneymaking ventures. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to think through major decisions.

Major relationships, especially family ones, are in a positive upswing. You may have a little time this afternoon to think on someone’s life and how that person manages life, which may cause you to be very compassionate and understanding of him or her. There may be little time to see friends or family this afternoon or you may find yourself enjoying long conversations, writing letters and making special phone calls.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a strong will and exhibit a great deal of ambition. Your situation in the business world is looking up, especially if you are in the construction business. Your accomplishments bring more respect your way. Today you find plenty of optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances. Close personal relationships are likely to undergo some testing. This is a time to cement your ties to others-to make sure they are rock-solid. If they are not, these ties are apt to crack under stress. Fairness with and responsibility to the other people in your life is emphasized now. There is fluency in your social skills, making this afternoon a good time to be with friends or loved ones. You may attract a new love interest while out having fun with friends later today.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may come face to face today with someone who has very different values than you. You could find yourself cast in a conflicting position that might require a compromise on your part. You do very well at solving problems-others learn from the way you handle yourself. The time or place is not right for you to make your feelings known and you are very good at moving on to another subject or project. At home or among your friends this afternoon, you can express your feelings freely. A clearminded insight into your own plans is available to you. This is a very good time to communicate your goals and give them dates. Family or friends will give you great support. Your intimacy with a person you love will deepen at this time.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A new project midweek will still have an opportunity to become completed with your concentrated efforts. A new employee in your department may be watching the way you work. You may desire to pass on some techniques you have learned from the past-there is much optimism. Your organization skills make progress happen easily. On the home front, it is time to be more positive. Emotional security and a sense of belonging and nurturing are issues that are felt instinctively. A love affair or a love relationship is about to take a turn for the better. This evening is a time of exploring your feelings, a kind of restlessness for new or better emotional experiences. A need to laugh and enjoy the company of others will find you out this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You have to be quiet in the workplace today. You must stop humming.

Perhaps you can take a break and climb stairs or walk quickly around the block and hum at the same time. This way you can express some of that extra energy you are feeling just now. You keep a good countenance and can see yourself through most difficult times. You set a good example for others to follow. Music is captivating and you will often find a tune running around in your head that helps you maintain your calm manner, particularly as you work through the day. Good things happen today, which may mean a difficult person becomes a good friend or a lost transaction becomes found. Of course, this evening you enjoy a social gathering. Happy birthday!

Yesterday’s Solution Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 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

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

lifestyle G o s s i p

The Rolling Stones supporting Mick Jagger T

he Rolling Stones are “pulling together” to support Sir Mick Jagger following the death of L’Wren Scott. The group - who have cancelled their tour of Australia and New Zealand, which was scheduled to begin yesterday - are “completely shocked” by the designer’s apparent suicide on Monday and say their main priority now is to help the singer, who had been in a relationship with the former model for 13 years. Drummer Charlie Watts said: “Needless to say we are all completely shocked but our first thought is to support Mick at this awful time. “We intend to come back to Australia and New Zealand as soon as it proves possible.” Guitarist Ronnie Wood added: “This is such terrible news and right now the important thing is that we are all pulling together to offer Mick our support.” Meanwhile, guitarist Keith Richards spoke of his shock at L’Wren’s death,

admitting the group never expected the tragedy.

He said: “No one saw this coming. Mick’s always been my soul brother and we love him. “We’re thick as thieves and we’re all feeling for the man. We really hate to disappoint our fans but we’ll see everyone really soon.” Yesterday, Mick made a short statement on his website paying tribute to his late girlfriend. He wrote: “I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way. “We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves, she had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me. “I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.”

Disney plan Incredibles sequel Cars 3 D

isney are planning a sequel to ‘The Incredibles’ and a third installment of ‘Cars’. Director Brad Bird, who wrote and directed the 2004 original, is developing the follow-up to the animation, which shows a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers when they move into a suburban town. Meanwhile, the studio is also working on a sequel to 2011’s ‘Cars 2’, which proved a box office success despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. Talking during Disney’s annual meeting of shareholders at Portland, Oregon, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, said: “We have plans for a new ‘Cars’ movie and on top of that Brad Bird is already working on a great story for a new ‘Incredibles’ film.” And Disney-Pixar confirmed the news on their official Twitter account, they wrote: “It’s official: we’re currently working on new films featuring your favorite characters from The Incredibles and Cars! (sic)” They attached an image of The Incredibles family posing behind a backdrop of trees. Meanwhile, Bird is currently working on ‘Tomorrowland,’ which stars George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, and is due out in May 2015.

Clooney takes new girlfriend on safari

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eorge Clooney has taken his new girlfriend on safari. The ‘Monuments Men’ hunk treated his latest squeeze, British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, to an all-expenses paid trip to Tanzania to observe the local wildlife. The new photos obtained by People magazine show the lovebirds kitted out in full safari outfits - complete with widebrimmed hats, khaki jackets and loose cotton shirts - as they take in the sights, cameras at the ready. One image shows Amal snuggling up to George as he protectively places an arm around her shoulders, while another depicts the happy couple smiling as they pose with a group of locals. The pair - who were first linked after a dinner date in October have been getting serious in recent months and were most recently seen at a special screening of George’s new movie at the White House in February. An onlooker told People at the time: “His arm was around her shoulder and she had hers around his. They just seemed very, very together.” George’s romance with Amal came shortly after he split from Stacy Keibler last July, who reportedly ended their relationship because the Hollywood hunk didn’t want to settle down. The actress-and-model swiftly moved on, marrying Jared Pobre in a romantic beach ceremony Mexico earlier this month, and is already said to be expecting a baby.

Levi Miller cast as Peter in Pan

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evi Miller has been cast as Peter Pan in Warner Bros’ re-working of J.M. Barrie’s children’s classic. The newcomer is set to play the mischievous boy who never grows up in director Joe Wright’s ‘Pan’, according to Variety.com. This comes after Warner Bros. held a casting call for ‘Pan’ last month, where they were looking for an aspiring male actor aged 11-13, who is no taller than 5ft 4inches, for the lead role. Miller will star alongside Garret Hedlund who has been offered the part of Captain Hook, Hugh Jackman who has been cast as the villainous Captain Blackbeard and Rooney Mara who is in

Kylie Minogue inspired by grandma

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Campbell struggling to quit smoking

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aomi Campbell is struggling to quit smoking. The 43-year-old model - who checked into rehab in 1999 to seek help for a cocaine addiction - is determined to kick the bad habit since she doesn’t want to have to stand on “street corners” lighting up but confessed it has been more difficult than she expected. She told Shape magazine: “People told me that cigarettes are harder to quit than alcohol. I didn’t believe it, but you know what? It is harder. “I’m not someone who wants to light up inside people’s homes, including my own, and I don’t want to stand outside on street corners anymore.”It’s still a struggle. In fact, just talking about it makes me crave one, so let’s stop, please! But I am really trying.” Naomi - who is using nicotine patches to try and wean herself off cigarettes - has previously admitted she enjoys life more since giving up alcohol. She has said: “I choose not to drink today in my life because I find that I’m allergic to alcohol.”I have more energy and I have more fun than when I was drinking and I can hang out really late and get up early in the morning with no hangovers and still smile.”

ylie Minogue is inspired by her 94-year-old grandmother. The ‘Wow’ hitmaker loves a “challenge” and whenever she is in a tough situation, she tries to think about how her elderly relative would handle it.

She said: “I like a challenge. I don’t want to give in until there is no other option; I’m pretty tenacious and determined. “I always try to think of what my 94-year-old grandmother would do. I asked her just a few years ago, ‘Nain, how do you do it? You’re just so cool.’ She had six kids, emigrated to Australia from Wales and is the great matriarch of the family. And she said, ‘Well Kylie, you just go with the flow.’

“Kylie - who split from boyfriend Andres Velencoso last year after five years together - spent New Year’s Eve alone and says having chance to “reflect” helped her make peace with the past and she is doing her best to move forward with her life. She told Stylist magazine: “It was very quiet, very peaceful and I reflected on the past year. “Even though it was exciting and now I’m reaping the benefits, there was a lot in the last year that was just not so great. “Dealing with sad-

Sheen forcing Richards to move out

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heen has told his ex-wife Denise Richards to move out of his multi-million-dollar mansion because he has a buyer who is ready to move in. Charlie Sheen has told his exwife Denise Richards to move out the mansion he owns. The ‘Anger Management’ actor wants the actress, their two daughters, Sam, 10, and Lola, eight, and her little girl Eloise, two, to find somewhere else to live because he has a buyer who is ready to move in to the house in Beverley Hills, California. A source told RadarOnline.com: “Charlie’s lawyers have advised Denise it’s time to move out of the Mulholland Estates mansion.”He has claimed to have a buyer for the home lined up. Charlie wants Denise and the girls out - right away. Put simply, he doesn’t seem to care where Denise moves to.” The insider also claims the

talks to play Tiger Lily. The film will look into the origins of Pan, an orphan who is taken to the magical world of Neverland where he goes into battle against the evil pirates and becomes a hero among the natives. Wright’s offering will make a drastic change from past adaptations of the Peter Pan story which included ‘Hook’ starring Robin Williams in 1991 and Disney’s 1953 animation classic. ‘PAN’ will be released in summer 2015.

48-year-old star’s fiancÈe, porn star Brett Rossi, helped to persuade him to tell Denise and the girls to move out, arguing she no longer deserved the property since relations turned sour when Charlie claimed she stopped him seeing their daughters over the festive period. A source said: “Brett convinced Charlie to sell the mansion, arguing that Denise has cut off access to their daughters, why should he allow her to live in the house for free?” “Charlie hasn’t spent any significant time with the girls in several months and thinks it’s ridiculous that he continue to pay Denise $55,000.” Charlie had previously threatened to ask a judge to cut his monthly $55,000 child support payment to the 43-year-old actress, who he used to enjoy an amicable relationship with, and reportedly paid just over half that amount for

January and hasn’t paid anything since, according to TMZ. The former ‘Two and a Half Men’ star, who was married to his second wife Denise from 2002 to 2006, bought the property for her back in 2011 so she and the kids would be close to him. Another source claims it will be an inconvenience for Denise to be forced to move out of the luxury home because their daughters go to school nearby. They said: “Sam and Lola’s school is currently less than a five minute drive from the house they are living in now.

“It would be about an hour drive each way if Denise moved back to Hidden Hills to their school.”—BangShowbiz

ness and trying to make peace with those things and think about moving forward... We can’t just go backwards.

It’s our good fortune if we get to go forwards. It’s very hard for me to describe, but there was an energy shift. “It doesn’t mean I’m not fraught, tired, stressed, excited, crazy, all the things that I was before, but there’s a chain of thought that I didn’t have before and I do now and I really hope I can hang on to it.”

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

lifestyle M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Charlie Brown, Snoopy back in 3-D ‘Peanuts’ movie

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ood ol’ Charlie Brown and Snoopy are going 3-D. 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios say “Peanuts” will hit theaters Nov 6, 2015. It’s the first full-length computer-animated film based on the Charles Schulz comic strip that ran from 1950 to 2000.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy have updated looks in a trailer unveiled Tuesday.

The teaser shows the beloved pair up to their old tricks, as Snoopy tries to steal the spotlight and Charlie Brown mutters his famous line “Good grief.” The trailer doesn’t reveal whether the rest of the Peanuts crew will

also be in the film. But it seems likely that the comic strip’s favorite siblings - sweet Linus and sassy Lucy will also be in 3-D on the big screen. — AP

In this file image originally provided

by United Feature Syndicate Inc VIA ABC TV, Charlie Brown and Linus appear in a scene from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ a television special based on the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip by Charles M Schulz. — AP

The Muppets reteam with mixed results

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Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy arrive for the world premiere of Disney’s ‘Muppets Most Wanted,’ March 11, 2014 at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. — AFP

A Minute With: Kermit and Miss Piggy bicker about lines and love

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he Muppets’ Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, the object of her affection since 1976, return to the big screen in “Muppets Most Wanted,” a caper film that takes the puppet gang on a European tour while a case of mistaken identity lands Kermit in a Russian gulag. A sequel to 2011’s “The Muppets,” the Disney film introduces a new character: Kermit’s evil Russian doppelganger, Constantine, who stars alongside actors Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey and Ty Burrell.

Miss Piggy, wearing a floral print dress with pearls, and Kermit, in his natural green, sat down with Reuters to talk about love and how many lines Miss Piggy needs in the script.

Q: How have you two kept it going together for so long?

Miss Piggy: Well, how do we keep it going for so long? I have no idea.

Kermit: You know, I don’t have a good answer, because all I know is that it’s going.

Miss Piggy: I’m not even sure it is.

Kermit: Well, maybe it’s not going.

Maybe it’s stopped.

Miss Piggy: Where is it going?

Kermit: Maybe it has just stopped.

Maybe it is not going anywhere. But maybe ...

Miss Piggy: It might’ve just ended.

Kermit: We might be sitting here just two former shells-shells of our former selves-and not going anywhere.

Miss Piggy: You know, I’m not even sure why I’ve been pursuing this frog for so long.

Kermit: Why, you talk about it like I’m not even in the room!

Miss Piggy: Well, you know, if we’re not a thing anymore, it doesn’t matter, does it? I don’t understand it, because he’s just never shown me the proper respect. He’s never really listened to ...

Kermit: What do you mean by that?

Miss Piggy: ... my goals and aspirations in life. I want to get married. I want to have children.

Kermit: Oh, boy.

Miss Piggy: He doesn’t seem to hear that.

Kermit: Biological improbability there ...

Miss Piggy: You started off this interview really great.

Q: Miss Piggy, what was your first reaction when you were given the script for “Muppets Most Wanted”?

Miss Piggy: Not enough lines. ... That’s what I do when I get a script. The first thing I do is I always count my lines, and it didn’t measure up. But we eventually fixed that, and now the movie is great!

Kermit: So let me get this straight ... You are happy with the number of lines you ended up with? Because I’d like to write that number down if you don’t mind...

Q: Kermit, how were you able to evoke fear and terror like you did while in a Russian prison?

Kermit: Well, listen, people think that frogs are wimpy little creatures. That you can just step on, you know? But we frogs have a vicious side, you know?

Miss Piggy: Oh, vicious, I’m scared (sarcastically) Kermit: No, no. We rage. We’re raging ... raging, raging bullfrogs! That’s what we are!

We’re raging bullfrogs! It’s possible-not likely-but it’s possible. (clears throat) Miss Piggy: Dream on.

Q: How did you get ready for the climax, Miss Piggy?

Miss Piggy: I know, I know. We don’t want to give too much away. Needless to say, I wear a certain gown that is a certain white color and I wear it walking down a certain aisle.

Kermit: Oddly, I don’t consider that to be the climax of the movie. Now, it’s just a scene in the movie. Climax is totally different.

Miss Piggy: It’s the climax.

Kermit: For you. Well, for you maybe. I have a whole scene where I was a raging frog.

Miss Piggy: Oh yeah, raging, right, I forgot about that. You were a raging bullfrog, aren’t you?

Kermit: I tried raging bullfrog.

Miss Piggy: No, everybody is following my storyline, dear, OK? They don’t really care about the B-storyline. They care about the A-line, which is mine, OK? Miss Piggy: I’m sorry what was the question?—Reuters

strange sense of doom hangs over the rebooted Muppets, and it’s not from the Swedish Chef ’s cooking. “The Muppets” (2011) may have been an earnest and largely successful relaunch for Jim Henson’s troupe, but it also had a hangdog melancholy, fretting about the obsolescence of Kermit and the gang. Pop-culture insecurity looms in “Muppets Most Wanted,” too, which begins with the same self-conscious tone as the last film in the musical number “We’re Doing a Sequel.” Though Dr Bunsen Honeydew (still the greatest name in show biz, sorry Sidney Poitier) notes this is technically the Muppets’ seventh sequel, they nevertheless sing: “And everyone knows the sequel’s not quite as good.”

The Muppets don’t need a sequel. They need a shrink. It seems they’ve swapped “the most inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational” show for an ongoing pity party. Where is the confident intrepidness that made Gonzo disdainful of breaking through “the easy way” (Hollywood) when you could go through Bollywood instead? “Muppets Most Wanted,” thankfully, soon enough dispatches the previous film’s mopey nostalgia and sets things on a more madcap course: a European caper, not unlike 1981’s (alas superior) “The Great Muppet Caper.” The ingredients are here: Tina Fey as a Broadway-loving Gulag guard in Soviet chic; Ty Burrell in Inspector Clouseau mode; Ricky Gervais as the comically obvious bad guy (name: Dominic Badguy). But “Muppets Most Wanted” fails to whip up the kind of furry frenzy that makes the Muppets special.

What’s missing? Many would say Jason Segel, the star and co-writer of “The Muppets.” He’s the holdout of largely the same, solid creative team: director James Bobin, co-writer Nicholas Stoller and music supervisor Bret McKenzie. But the bigger problem with “Muppets Most Wanted” is a failure to find the right human-to-Muppet ratio and a screwball feel for how the species interact. Most successful are Fey (who emerges as an unlikely rival to Miss Piggy for Kermit’s heart) and Burrell (an Interpol policeman paired with the CIA’s Sam the Eagle).

One big selfie for stars The Muppets instead feel upstaged by the parade of celebrity cameos (they range from Lady Gaga to Christoph Waltz), as if the movie is one big selfie for stars to be seen alongside their Muppet

This image released by Disney shows muppet characters, from left, Scooter, Rowlf, Kermit, Walter, Fozzie and Gonzo in a scene from ‘Muppets Most Wanted.’ — AP heroes. The plot, too, doesn’t yield much time to favorites like the lovingly harebrained Gonzo the Great, the endlessly chipper Fozzie the Bear or the mellow, melodic Rowlf the Dog. The film picks up literally where “The Muppets” left off, as they disassemble the movie set. Unsure of their next step, the Muppets are persuaded by a slick British agent (Gervais) to embark on a theater tour in Europe.

Only Kermit is suspicious, but he’s soon kidnapped by an escaped Russian criminal mastermind, Constantine.

Constantine (voiced with a playful Russian accent by Matt Vogel) happens to look precisely like Kermit (again voiced by Steve Whitmire), only with a mole on his cheek and a slightly more pinched nose. While Kermit is mistakenly sent to the Gulag in Siberia (fellow inmates are played by Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo, as himself ), his evil doppelganger replaces the Muppet leader on tour.

drum solo and absent-mindedly calls Gonzo “Zongo.”

Judging the Muppets against their own high standards is perhaps unfair, particularly when we’ve been absent of Henson’s genius for nearly 25 years. “Muppets Most Wanted” may not rise to the irreverent slapstick the gang once did, but it is still, after all, the Muppets. Yet instead of trying to be like other globe-trotting, star-studded sequels, the Muppets ought to be happy with simply being themselves. How does the song go? Keep believing. “Muppets Most Wanted,” a Walt Disney Studios release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some mild action.”

Running time: 106 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. — AP

Beastie Boys settle lawsuit over ‘Girls’ video

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New ‘Star Wars’ set 30 years after ‘Jedi’

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he new “Star Wars” has an official timeline and one confirmed returning character: robot R2-D2. Director J.J. Abrams will begin shooting in May on “Star Wars: Episode VII,” which is set three decades after 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said Tuesday.

Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting in Portland, Ore, Iger said the movie would feature “some very familiar

faces along with a trio of new, young leads.”

Abrams has a penchant for secrecy, and Iger said R2-D2 was the only “official cast member” he would announce.”Episode VII” is set for release in December 2015. Iger also said Pixar plans a third “Cars” movie and a sequel to 2004’s “The Incredibles.” — AP

Swinton in negotiations to join Apatow’s ‘Trainwreck’

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Indian Bollywood actors Mishti, Kartik Aaryan and Jackie Shroff pose for a photograph during a promotional event for the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Kaachi’ directed by Subhash Ghai in Mumbai on late March 18, 2014. — AFP

He and Badguy use the performances as a distraction for robbing banks. Much of the humor stems from the Muppets’ failure to recognize the clearly different version of their long-legged impresario.

The usually fastidious frog, with Constantine running things, doesn’t mind giving Animal an endless

resh off her unrecognizable turn in “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Tilda Swinton is in negotiations to co-star in Judd Apatow’s next Universal Pictures comedy “Trainwreck,” TheWrap has learned.

Popular comedienne Amy Schumer stars alongside Bill Hader, Brie Larson and Colin Quinn. Swinton is nearing a deal to play Schumer’s boss, an individual familiar with the project told TheWrap. Universal optioned the rights to the project from Schumer in August 2013, and since then, she has been developing the script with Apatow, who is also producing through his Universal-based Apatow Productions.

Universal executive Erik Baiers will oversee the project for the studio, which

has been keeping plot details under wraps, though all will be revealed on July 24, 2015. Swinton next stars in Terr y Gilliam’s “ The Zero Theorem,” Jim Jarmusch’s vampire tale “Only Lovers Left Alive” and the sci-fi movie “Snowpiercer.”

She can currently be seen opposite Ralph Fiennes as Madame D. in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Swinton, who won an Oscar for her supporting performance in “Michael Clayton,” is repped

by UTA, Hamilton Hodell and attorney Jodi Peikoff. — Reuters

he Beastie Boys have put their legal tussle with toy manufacturer GoldieBlox behind them. The group settled its legal case with GoldieBlox, bringing an end to a pair of lawsuits stemming from a video that GoldieBlox produced using the group’s 1987 song “Girls,” the California-based toy company announced Tuesday.

GoldieBlox - which says it was “founded upon the principle of breaking down gender stereotypes, by offering engineering and construction toys specifically targeted to girls” - initially sued the group in a preemptive move in November.

The video, posted on YouTube, featured girls rejecting stereotypical playtime activities and instead inventing “a highly creative and complex Rube Goldberg mechanism.”

The soundtrack to the video was a version of the Beastie Boys’ song with altered lyrics, including, “Girls to build the spaceship/Girls to code the new app/Girls to grow up knowing/That they can engineer that.”

GoldieBlox contended that the video fell under the doctrine of Fair Use, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holder. But the group disagreed, counter sued the company and accused it of a “systematic campaign of infringement” with a “series of video advertisements set to well-known song from popular artists in an effort to achieve the company’s goal of selling toys.”

Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, who died in 2012 following a battle with cancer, explicitly prohibited commercial use of his music in his will. (GoldieBlox removed the Beasties’ song prior to the filing of the countersuit.) According to a statement issued by the group and the company, the settlement includes an apology from GoldieBlox to be posted on the company’s website and a payment by GoldieBlox, based on a percentage of its revenues, to “one or more charities selected by Beastie Boys that support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education for girls.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Japan Fashion Week

Models show off creations by Indonesian fashion brand Major Minor’s three designers Ari Septutra, Ambar Pratwi and Inneke Margarethe.

Jotaro Saito

Hiroko Koshino

Models show off creations by Indonesian fashion designer Windri Widiesta Dhari for her brand’s Nur Zahra 2014-2015 autumn/winter collection at the Tokyo Fashion Week in Tokyo yesterday. — AP/ AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

lifestyle

Japanese designer Tae Ashida

Zara owner Inditex profit S

panish textile titan Inditex, owner of global fashion brand Zara, reported yesterday slower profit growth in 2013 as it poured money into new stores, with up to 500 more to open this year. Created 40 years ago in the northwestern Galicia region by the son of a railwayman, Amancio Ortega, the group boasted a worldwide empire of 6,340 stores in 87 markets at the end of its 2013 business year, which runs to January 31.

Though Ortega, Spain’s richest man and still Inditex’s biggest shareholder, retired as chairman and chief executive

in 2011, handing over to Pablo Isla, the group’s philosophy of expanding with new stores and online sales has not wavered.

In 2013, Inditex’s sales rose by 4.9 percent from the previous year to 16.72 billion euros ($23 billion), the group said in a statement.

But despite stressing “strict control of operating expenses”, the rising costs associated with new stores and higher sales curbed net profits, which edged up by 0.6 percent to 2.38 billion euros in the same period. That result represented a marked slowdown from the previous year, when sales soared

growth slows, stores expand 16 percent and net profit by 22 percent.

Inditex, which besides Zara owns a string of retail brands including Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Urterque, said it had raised investments to 1.24 billion euros in 2013 from 1.09 billion euros the year before, “driven by retail space growth in the year”. The group said it expected to invest another 1.35 billion euros in 2014, mostly in new retail space.

Inditex planned 450-500 new openings and the absorption of 80-100 small units into neighboring stores in the year

ahead, it said. Inditex said it began online sales in Greece in March and planned to launch them in Romania in April, and South Korea and Mexico later in the year. The new business year began with a sales spurt, it added, with sales in local currency terms for the February 1-to-March 15 period rising 12 percent from a year earlier. — AFP

Spring blossoms at Giordano with a new collection now in store

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pring has hit Giordano and new collections for both men and women are now available in its 250 stores across the region. Inspired by the style in the navy and university, the new Giordano range focuses on the shades of blue, red and white and features a variety of tops and pants to create multiple look.

Kendall Jenner

Khloe ‘always knew’ Kendall would model K

hloe Kardashian “always knew” Kendall Jenner would be a model. The 29-year-old reality TV star could see the potential in her half-sister from a young age, but didn’t expect her to secure jobs with Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and Chanel all at the same time. Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz about the launch of Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy, she said: I always knew Kendall would be a model. I think she’s beautiful and this is something that she’s always wanted to do and she worked really hard to get those jobs. I just didn’t think it would happen all at one time. It’s crazy, it kind of snowballed.

She’s just loving it, she’s living her dream.” Khloe and her sisters Kim, 33, and Kourtney, 34, are preparing to release a summer collection for Lipsy in coming months, and the brunette beauty admits she would love to do more fashion shows with Kendall, 18, modelling their clothes. She explained: “I would love to do some more Kardashian Kollection fashion shows because our first in Australia was such a success. I would love any models to wear our clothes, but I would especially love for Kendall.” The summer Kardashian Kollection for Lipsy will be released in May. — Bang Showbiz

Women collection - Marine Holiday Colored with different shades of blue and coral, Giordano suggests a chic and casual look for its female customers. Female tops feature comfortable cuts and different lengths, including solid color jersey turtle neck t-shirts with an original longer-on-the-sides design. Part of the ‘Marine Holiday’ top collection is a geometrical print around the neck, sleeves or on the chest on a white, blue, black or peach pink background.

To complete the look, the tops can be paired with twilled tapered pants available in white, black, navy blue and red, or with denim pants. And when the temperature arises, a collection of colored cotton shorts is also available at Giordano.

Men’s collection - All in Oxford Inspired by the preppy university look, the men’s

collection will dress Giordano male customers in a contemporary casual look.

White, red and blue stand out in the limited edition polo shirts collection which is realized with soft cotton pique fabric uniquely washed and finished to grant low shrinkage. Badges, applique and embroideries including the popular Union Jack - are creatively used to decorate the polos.

The new Giordano collection also features a range of Oxford shirts in its basic button down silhouette.

With a variety of colors to choose from - from the classic white and light blue, to pastel yellow and green the range offer a wide selection of these soft pure cotton basics.

And for the bottom, men customers have plenty of options to create a casual or more formal look - denim, khaki pants and shorts.

For customers who cannot visit the store, all pieces of the new collection along with Giordano’s regular range of merchandise can also be purchased online at www.giordano-me.com and will be delivered at customer’s door (United Arab Emirates only) within 48 hours. A Cash-on-Delivery option is also available for this service.

Jagger’s daughter pulls out of Melbourne Fashion Week

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eorgia May Jagger has pulled out of an appearance at Melbourne Fashion Week following the death of L’Wren Scott. The 22-year-old model - the daughter of the designer’s partner Sir Mick Jagger and his ex-wife Jerry Hall was set to appear on the runway for Camilla Franks this week, but after being informed of yesterday’s tragedy when she landed in Sydney to take a connecting flight to Melbourne, she axed the catwalk show and has now flown out of Australia back to New York to be with her family. Camilla’s spokesman said in a statement: “In light of the recent sad news, Georgia May Jagger will not be participating in Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival for the Camilla Grand Showcase.

We ask that you respect Ms Jagger and her family’s privacy at this very difficult time.

“On behalf of the Festival and the Camilla team we offer our sincere condolences to Ms Jagger and her family.” Georgia was close to L’Wren - who was found hanged at her New York apartment - and the two women were regularly seen out and about together, including in September, when she joined her rocker father at L’Wren’s London Fashion Week show. The model’s decision comes after Mick’s band the Rolling Stones cancelled the first date of their Australian tour following the tragedy. The band were due to perform in Perth. Tomorrow, but the show will no longer go ahead, while the future of the other five gigs in the country is also uncertain.—Bang Showbiz

Clooney takes new girlfriend on safari

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014

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Goldfish swim in bowls at a market in Tehran yesterday. Iranians are preparing to celebrate Noruz, an ancient Zoroastrian feast starting tomorrow, by buying flowers, green plants and goldfish. Noruz is calculated according to a solar calendar, this year marking 1393. — AFP

‘Best of best’ of Ansel Adams’ photos on display

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In this picture taken on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, an Iranian man lights fireworks during a celebration, known as ‘Chaharshanbe Souri,’ or Wednesday Feast, marking the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar Persian year, in Pardisan park, Tehran, Iran. — AP/AFP photos

Iran fire festival marks end of winter I

ranians jumped over bonfires, threw firecrackers and floated wishing lanterns to celebrate an ancient festival marking the end of the Persian year, ignoring calls by many Islamic clerics to shun a ritual that has officially been denounced as pagan. The celebration, known as “Chaharshanbe Souri,” or Wednesday Feast, was celebrated late Tuesday and is a pre-Islamic tradition in Iran, marking the eve of the last Wednesday of the solar Persian year.

March 21, the first day of spring, marks Nowruz, the beginning of the year 1393 on the Persian calendar.

The Persian fire-jumping festival symbolizes an opportunity to purify the soul for the coming new year and celebrate the end of winter. Celebrations for Chaharshanbe

Two Iranian women jump over a bonfire during a celebration, known as ‘Chaharshanbe Souri.’

Souri last until midnight Tuesday, as Iranians of all ages light bonfires, set off firecrackers and dance in streets, parks and other public. The festival has been frowned upon by hard-liners since the 1979 Islamic revolution because they consider it a symbol of Zoroastrianism, one of Iran’s ancient religions of Iranians. They say it goes against Islamic traditions. But police mainly stood by watching rather than trying to disperse the crowds on the streets of the capital. The celebration is one of the few non-religious remaining events on the Persian calendar. — AP

An Iranian man releases a lit lantern during the celebration.

uring the last years of his life, Ansel Adams pored over the tens of thousands of negatives he’d carefully stored since his teens, setting aside 70 he determined would stand as his greatest works of art. Adams offered to personally print, sign and sell sets of 25 photographs from them - but with several strings attached: He would select the first 10 and let buyers choose the other 15. But not just anybody with $30,000 to spend in 1980 could purchase the collection he called “The Museum Set Edition of Fine Prints.” They would only be sold to people Adams judged serious collectors and only after they promised never to resell them. If they left the buyer’s family, they would have to go to a museum.

Among the few dozen who made the cut were the late Leonard and Marjorie Vernon, prominent Southern California collectors whose set was given to the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2011 and is now the centerpiece of “In Focus: Ansel Adams,” which opens today. Augmented by several other Adams’ photos from the museum’s collection, the exhibition marks the 30th anniversary of the photographer’s death next month. More than that, it provides a fresh look at both Adams’ genius with a camera and in the darkroom.

“What sets them off, really,” said Karen Hellman, who curated the exhibit, “is that they were created all within a span of years by Ansel Adams himself, at a time when he was printing with a particular intensity in mind.” These were the photos the pioneer of art photography considered his best, Hellman continued, and he would take special pains in reproducing them to make sure people knew that.

“He spoke about that at the time, how later in life he wanted to create images that were more impactful,” said Hellman, assistant curator in the museum’s Department of Photographs. Although the collection contains several instantly recognizable images, such as “Moon and Half Dome,” photographed in California’s Yosemite National Park in 1960, and “The Tetons and the Snake River” captured in Wyoming in 1942, it’s safe to say even serious students of his work haven’t seen photos quite like these. The difference is likely best displayed in two large prints of arguably Adams’ most famous work, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.” The museum set photo printed by Adams in 1980 hangs side-by-side with one he printed in 1948.

graph, when he caught a glimpse out of his car window of an “extraordinary” scene of the moon rising over a cemetery. “I practically ditched the car, and I had some companions with me,” he recalled. “I started yelling, you know, ‘Get me the eight-by-ten, get me the tripod.’”

He managed to get off exactly one shot before he lost the light from the setting sun that had been illuminating the crosses marking the cemetery’s graves - and providing the element that made the photo. Although the brilliance of Adams’ work is clearly seen in the 1948 print, it’s displayed in much more intense contrast in the 1980 version: The crosses are brighter, the night sky is darker, the buildings in the background and the landscape in the foreground are sharper.

“My parents owned several ‘Moonrises,’ and to put them together and look at the differences from how they changed over time is really fascinating,” said Carol Vernon, who with her husband, Robert Turbin, gave “The Museum Set” to the Getty. Under her parents’ agreement, the photos could have stayed in the family, but she and her husband thought it better for the public to have a chance to see them in an environment where they could be carefully preserved in the future.

Incredible technician “Composition was paramount for him and he spent a lot of time before he ever pushed the button and snapped the shutter,” said Vernon, who got to know Adams over the years. “But he also was an incredible technician in the darkroom.” How he developed those skills is explained in the exhibition, which includes photos ranging from 1921 to 1960. It was in the 1940s that Adams came up with his Zone System, dividing an image into 10 specific zones, ranging from black to white.

And it was while photographing “Monolith, The Face of Half Dome,” in 1927 with a camera with a glass-slide negative that he said he devised the system for picture-taking called Visualization. “As I replaced the slide, I began to visualize how the print was to appear,” Adams would say later. “I began to see in my mind’s eye the finished product.” That, said Kurt Molnar, a photography instructor who in his early 20s worked in Adams’ gallery and lived in a shack next door to him, was the greatest lesson he imparted - to every art photographer who followed him.—AP

‘Extraordinary’ scene In a brief video clip accompanying the exhibition, Adams describes how he captured the image on a late November afternoon in 1941. He was returning to Santa Fe from a day of fruitlessly searching for subjects to photo-

A photo exhibit entitled, ‘In Focus: Ansel Adams’ at the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

— AP photos

Karen Hellman, Assistant Curator Department of Photographs examining a photo exhibit entitled, ‘In Focus: Ansel Adams’.